UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Campus Ministry

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Sept. 15: A Space for Gathering Sorrows and Mourning Loss

In the midst of this year steeped in sorrow and loss, Campus Ministry and the Holy Cross Community are offering the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (Sept. 15) as a time to communally mourn our losses and draw together in our sorrows. All members of the UP community are invited to offer their intentions, struggles, and lamentations using this link. Community members are also invited to join via stream the 5 p.m. Mass from the Chapel of Christ the Teacher on September 15, at which all submissions will be lifted up in prayer.  The Mass will be streamed over the Campus Ministry YouTube live stream using this link: youtube.com/user/upcampusministry/live

Our Lady of Sorrows is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in honor of the many sorrows and struggles that she endured as the mother of the Christ. Under this title, she is the patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross. She serves as a powerful reminder that even in the most difficult of times, one can continue to trust that God is still present and at work.

There stood by the cross of Jesus his mother Mary, who knew grief and was a Lady of Sorrows. She is our special patroness, a woman who bore much She could not understand and who stood fast. To Her many sons and daughters, whose devotions ought to bring them often to Her side, She tells much of this daily cross and its daily hope. (Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross 8:120).

Food Resources Available to the Portland Community

The Archdiocese of Portland, working through a grant from the USDA, is making food boxes available at parishes throughout the archdiocese,  according to Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., Campus Ministry. There is no requirement to be a member of a parish, just stop by when they are distributing and pick up a box. More information, including schedules and locations, is available using this link.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society also runs food pantries throughout the Portland area. Please call  (503) 235-8431 for information on which pantries are closest to you for their hours and scope of operation. Some pantries are by appointment only, others are walk-in pantries, and others offer only home  delivery. When you call they can provide you with this information.

Campus Ministry to Continue Offering Mass on Campus

Campus Ministry will continue to celebrate Mass on campus during the upcoming semester, according to Theresa McCreary, campus ministry. Since Mass attendance is limited, those interested in attending should express their interest through the survey found on the Campus Ministry website. Guidelines and protocols for safely attending Mass are also listed on the Campus Ministry website. Attendees are asked to familiarize themselves with those directives before attending. Masses will continue to be live streamed for those who cannot be present in person.

Please direct any questions to Fr. Tim Weed, C.S.C., Campus Minister for Liturgy, at weed@up.edu.

New Icon of African Martyrs in Shipstad Chapel

Campus Ministry director Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., has announced the newly arrived Icon of the Uganda Martyrs.  Commissioned in January for the Shipstad Hall Chapel, which is dedicated to the Uganda Martyrs, the icon shows the 22 martyrs flanking Jesus Christ. These members of the king’s court were put to death between 1885-1887 for refusing to forsake their faith. The icon was created by local Portland artist Mary Katsilometes, and will be displayed in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher until August 7 when it will be installed in the Chapel in Shipsad Hall, which was dedicated to the Uganda Martyrs as a way to connect our local community to the Holy Cross priests, brothers, sisters, and lay collaborators active in East Africa.

For more information contact Fr. Gallagher at gallaghe@up.edu.

Campus Ministry Resuming Public Mass on Campus

Archbishop Sample has provided permission to restart public Masses in the Portland Archdiocese and has offered guidelines for doing so, according to Rev. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., Campus Ministry. Those present for Mass will be kept to 25 or less and social distancing will be maintained. Chapel spaces will also be cleaned after each use. Campus Ministry is developing a plan for resumption of public Mass in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher at a date to be announced. Details and updates can be found on the Campus Ministry website.

We are developing the plan right now but will have up to date info on the CM site by Monday.

Patron Saints For The Current Condition: Did You Know?

Patron Saints in Catholicism are venerable women and men from throughout history who are heavenly advocates for places, professions, and people. In these unprecedented times, we’ll share some especially relevant patron saints to intercede for us all.

St. Clare of Assisi is the patron saint of televisions and computer screens, believe it or not. An early follower of St. Francis, Clare founded The Order of Poor Ladies, which eventually became known as the Poor Clares. Late in her life, she fell too ill to attend church, and one day the images and sounds of the entire Mass appeared in full on the wall of her room. This story would have been well-known to Italian native Pope Pius XII, who in 1957 named her the patroness of this new invention—television—that, in his words, “is a wonderful instrument… which can be the source of very great wealth, but also of deep troubles.” This may be why he chose a saint steeped in humility, poverty, and love of God as its patroness. St. Clare is also the patron saint of sore eyes and embroidery, so let us invoke her prayers on our behalf as we learn to teach and work online and perhaps cultivate new hobbies as we shelter in place. St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us!

“Did You Know?” is a regular feature in UPbeat that reveals the wondrous and occasionally peculiar world of Catholicism. We will close out this academic year with information on patron saints for the current condition. Direct questions or ideas to Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., or Karen Eifler.

Big Change for Maureen Briare: Welcome (Back) to Nursing

Maureen Briare will be returning to her nursing career by joining the School of Nursing faculty as an instructor for fall 2020. Maureen states, “I am beyond excited for the privilege of being able to accompany students on their journey of self-discovery, synthesis of skills and information, and especially their growth as caring, loving, human beings who will serve in the world of health care, and the professionalism that it requires.” Maureen has a vision to create a course in which “prescriptive’ music for anxiety, mindfulness, emotional health, compassionate listening and caring for self are all explored in depth and she hopes that this focus will serve the hearts and minds of our stellar students. Father Jim Gallagher, Director of Campus Ministry, shares “We have been blessed with the many years of Maureen guiding our liturgical music and more. Her gifted direction of the Chapel Choir will be missed, yet we look forward to seeing how she continues to be a blessing to our UP community in this new role.”

Nominations Due for Oddo Scholarship by April 13

Shortly after his untimely death in 1989, University president Rev. Thomas Oddo, C.S.C., was memorialized by faculty, staff, students, and friends with the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund named after him. Every year the University awards scholarship funds in Fr. Oddo’s name to one or more students who meet a set of criteria which includes demonstrated commitment to service and to service learning. Criteria for the Father Thomas C. Oddo, C.S.C. Memorial Scholarship are:

  • Minimum 3.0 G.P.A.
  • Demonstrated financial need
  • Junior or senior student standing in the 2019-2020 school year
  • Demonstrated commitment to service and service learning
  • Open to any academic major.

A nomination form is available at this link and is due to Theresa McCreary, Campus Ministry, by Monday, April 13, 2020. For more information contact McCreary at x7131 or mccreary@up.edu.

Holy Week and Easter Triduum Live Streams

Campus Ministry will be live streaming the Triduum and Easter Liturgies celebrated by the Holy Cross Community in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. Due to the need for social distancing, the liturgies will not be open for the public to join in person, but all are welcome to join online. The schedule for the liturgies:

  • Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper (4/9) at 4:30 p.m.
  • Good Friday Service (4/10) at 3 p.m.
  • Easter Vigil (4/11) at 8 p.m.
  • Easter Sunday Mass (4/12) at 10:30 a.m.

All of the liturgies will stream live on the Campus Ministry YouTube Channel using this link.

The Easter Triduum: Did You Know?

Did you know about the Triduum?

As the Christian community enters into the final week of preparation for Easter Sunday, a week often called Holy Week, members of the Catholic community will begin to start talking about something called Triduum.  Taken from a Latin root that mean “three days,” it is a period of time that traces the final days of Jesus’ life, his death, and his resurrection from the dead.

Starting on the Thursday before Easter Sunday, each day is traditionally marked with a particular liturgy. On Holy Thursday there is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper that marks the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples, wherein he showed them what it means to serve by washing their feet. It is also meant to mark what is seen as the establishment of the celebration of the Eucharist (or Mass).

Good Friday is marked with fasting and prayer as a way to remember Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. The Good Friday liturgy involves the reading of Jesus’ passion and death from the Gospel of John as well as an opportunity to pray with and venerate a cross – the instrument of Jesus’ death and our salvation.

Holy Saturday is meant to be a quiet day, remembering the empty space that was present for the disciples of Jesus after his death and before his resurrection. They did not expect the resurrection and so were left in a place of grief.

After sundown on Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil is celebrated. It one of the longest of Catholic liturgies, involving several readings from scripture tracing God’s care for humanity, the baptism and reception of new members of the Church, the celebration of the Eucharist, and a great many joy-filled songs. It was that night when Jesus rose from the dead. It is that great victory over sin and death that the community celebrates.

The community will then gather again on Easter Sunday to celebrate Mass and continue to the joyous songs of celebration. Jesus Christ has risen to die no more! Humanity has been invited into that same trajectory through death to life.

Unfortunately, due to the needs of our current situation, our community will not be able to gather in person for the Triduum Liturgies. However, the private celebration of the Holy Cross community will be streamed live from the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. Please feel free to join online using this link.

The schedule of the liturgies will be: Holy Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Good Friday at 3 p.m., Holy Saturday Easter Vigil at 8 p.m., and Easter Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m.

“Did You Know?” is a regular feature in UPBeat to help staff and faculty understand dimensions of this Catholic, Holy Cross university. You can send questions to Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C. (Campus Ministry) or Karen Eifler (Garaventa Center).