Beloved Holy Cross priest and University of Portland professor Fr. Claude Pomerleau, C.S.C., died on the morning of Sunday, July 21, after a long battle with cancer. Fr. Claude resided for the last month at the Holy Cross nursing home in Notre Dame, Indiana. He enjoyed many meaningful visits with family and friends that gave him deep peace as he passed from this life.
The wake and funeral for Fr. Claude will take place on Thursday and Friday, July 25 and 26, at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. This Tuesday, July 23, the regular 12:05 p.m. Mass at the Chapel of Christ the Teacher will be offered for Fr. Claude’s eternal rest. After classes resume, when more faculty, students, and staff can participate, a larger memorial Mass will be celebrated in gratitude for the many blessings God gave our UP community through the presence and ministry of Fr. Claude.
Fr. Claude was a professor in political science, with specialties in both Latin America and Europe. In addition, he served as director of the Peace Studies Program (1994-2000) and the Social Justice Program (2000-2008), and he also helped establish an African School of Diplomacy at Uganda Martyrs University in Kampala. He also advised numerous clubs, served as the pastoral resident of Haggerty & Tyson Halls, ministered in Oregon prisons, and assisted faithfully at local parishes, especially by offering Mass in Spanish. Fr. Claude performed all of this sacred labor with joy in his spirit, a smile on his face, and a song in his heart. His love of music was, perhaps, Fr. Claude’s most defining feature, as evidenced both in his clarinet performances at Holy Cross community and UP Masses and in his frequent attendance at performances of the Oregon Symphony and Portland Baroque Orchestra.
In remembrance of Fr. Claude’s love of music, you may donate to the Fr. Claude Pomerleau, C.S.C., Excellence in Music Fund at the University of Portland. Gifts may be given online at: giving.up.edu/Pomerleau or mailed to: University of Portland, Office of Development, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. Portland, OR 97203 with “Fr. Claude Pomerleau” in the memo field.
Memorial contributions in honor of Fr. Claude and in support of the mission and ministries of the Congregation of Holy Cross can be made to: United States Province of Priests and Brothers, Office of Development, P.O. Box 765, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0765 or online at donate.holycrossusa.org.
Fr. Claude, as a genuine Holy Cross priest, was an educator in the faith and a person with hope to bring. We will miss him dearly, and we entrust him in confidence to God’s loving embrace.
Save the date! The Holy Cross Community is again delighted to invite all staff to a Wine and Cheese Social on Friday, March 15, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at the Holy Cross Court Lounge, located at the lower level of 5410 N. Strong Street. Come be our guest, and join us for a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon filled with fine wine, fine cheese, and fine conversation. Please contact Amy Potthast at x8024 with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
All University of Portland community members are invited to celebrate the feast day of Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, on Sunday, January 20, at the 4:30 p.m. Mass in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. Madeline Doll is the recipient of the 2018 Spirit of Holy Cross Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Congregation upon its lay collaborators. Madeline worked for many years as an administrative assistant in the Congregation of Holy Cross office at Holy Cross Court and retired several years ago.
All faculty and staff are invited to attend the Prepare Fair at Holy Redeemer’s Cantwell Hall on Wednesday, October 10, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Those who attend can meet with experts from across the city to learn more about emergency preparedness, earthquake science, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. Children are welcome as well, truly a family affair.
The Congregation of Holy Cross will celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June, according to Bro. Thomas Giumenta, C.S.C., acting superior, Congregation of Holy Cross. It is the patronal feast of the Priests of Holy Cross, and there will be a celebration on Thursday, June 7
University faculty and staff are asked to save the date for the next Congregation of Holy Cross Wine and Cheese Social on Friday, March 9, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The social will take place at the Holy Cross Court lounge, located at the lower level of 5410 N. Strong St. Be our guest, and join us for a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon filled with fine wine, fine cheese, and fine conversation. Please contact Amy Potthast at x8024 or 
Brother Fulgence (James) Dougherty, C.S.C., former director of international student services at the University of Portland, passed away at age 95 on Sunday, December 17, 2017, after a lengthy illness. Br. Fulgence spent 32 years at the University of Portland. From August 1978 to May 1992, he served as the director of the international student services program. With extensive cross-cultural experience from 30 years spent in East Pakistan, Bangladesh, Liberia, and Ghana, he was eminently qualified to assist foreign students in the transition to life and education in the United States. He was well-known for his tireless attention to a large number of students, many of them from the Middle East, as well as for his outreach to faculty and staff. After he left the program in May 1992, Br. Fulgence continued to serve at the University until 2009 as an assistant to the academic vice president, where he evaluated foreign transcripts. In 1988, he was awarded the University’s highest award for staff employees, the Rev. Charles Miltner, C.S.C. Administrative Award, presented to employees who have been of exemplary and outstanding service to the University.
On September 15, 2007, the Congregation of Holy Cross celebrated with great joy the beatification of its founder, Blessed Basile Moreau. Now, with similar joy and thanksgiving, Holy Cross is celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and commemorating the 10 Year Anniversary of the Beatification, with liturgies, celebrations, and events around the world. We invite you to join us in celebrating God’s Providence and the victory in Christ’s Cross in the life of Blessed Moreau.