Wednesday, 30 December 2020

More Christmas memories

Before we end this year I share with you two more Christmas memories in the two other parishes I served in Eastern Oregon. The first photo shows the Fontanini Nativity I left for St Francis of Assisi parish in Bend. It shows the complete set in front of the altar. I had originally intended to build it up year by year as they were quite expensive. I bought the Blessed Mother myself in memory of my mother, and invited the parishioners to sponsor the other characters, a few every year. But the response was so overwhelming that we bought the whole set for Christmas of 2015. In fact, I ordered them in time to get a big discount, placing the order just a few minutes before the sale was going off. It is now enjoyed every Christmas season as it evokes a prayerful atmosphere.

The second photo shows the small church of St Elizabeth of Hungary in John Day, my first Oregon parish where I stayed for 2 and a half years, before the Bishop asked me to go to the Cathedral in Baker City. It was a country mission church, which had also two other mission churches which I had to reach every weekend, a 130 mile round trip, to celebrate Mass for 6 to 10 people.

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