God calls by name, given a mission by Jesus Christ to be a faithful

sign, a realistic foretaste and an instrument of the Kingdom of God.

As Cathedral parishioners, we recognize our responsibility to show

leadership by example and to provide service to God’s people.”

My Dear Parishioners:

As we jump into the Lenten Season (yesterday was Ash Wednesday), we enter into a whole season; six weeks of opportunity to come closer to the Lord. It is a special time of penitential preparation to be able to enter into the Easter celebration.

I take this opportunity to encourage everyone to participate in the exercises, services and extra Masses and devotions of this great season:

What’s ahead?

For your convenience, another reminder of our weekday Lenten observances: Mondays: Mass at 7:00 a.m., Sung Evening Lenten Prayer – 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays: Masses at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Soup, Sandwich, and Video at 6:00 p.m. – school cafeteria, Spanish Mass – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: Mass at 7:00 a.m., Stations of the Cross at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays: Masses at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Fridays: Mass at 7:00 a.m. followed by Adoration and Benediction (bilingual) at 6:45 p.m. Saturdays: Mass at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (anticipated for Sunday), Reconciliation at 4:00 p.m. Also, a reminder that the Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence; that is: no meat on those days for all over 14 years of age.
Next week, I, with a group of our parishioners, shall attend a planning meeting to continue preparations for the Season of Service (May and June) and rally by renowned evangelist, Luis Palau, which presents a wonderful opportunity during those months and also, the weekend of July 17^th to join with our fellow Christians from around our city and valley in a concentrated effort to make our little part of the Kingdom of God a better place to live and grow. (More to come –next mailing).
We alert everyone to the upcoming 2010 Census in the entire United States of America. Data from this census is used to help distribute billions of dollars in federal aid to various state and local governments and for allotting legislative and congressional district representatives, so it’s important that all of us be counted. Information about individuals or individual households is kept confidential and is not shared with other governmental agencies. On Sunday, March 21^st after the Spanish Mass, census workers will be available in the Assembly Place to assist in the filling out of census forms.
Father Miguel is conducting a Spanish Formation Series in the Cathedral weekday evenings at 7:00 p.m. from March 1^st through the 5^th and we pray that his efforts be successful.
We welcome Fr. Sam Bellino, S.J. as he presents a ½ day mini-retreat to the Serra Club on Saturday, March 6^th, beginning with a 9:00 a.m. Mass in the Chapel.
We, also, begin our concentrated Confirmation preparation classes for our high school juniors of both public and La Salle High Schools the evening of March 3^rd (the presumption is, of course, that these students participate in weekend liturgies and the Life Teen program over the years). We also pray for all those candidates for this great Sacrament of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The weekend of March 6^th and 7^th, we welcome Fr. Odo Recker, O.S.B. – a monk of Mt. Angel Abbey and Seminary in Oregon to make an appeal for the support of Mt. Angel Seminary, where we send many of our students for priestly formation as seminarians. The Abbey and Benedictine monks provide a great service to the Church of Yakima and are well deserving of our support. He (or one of our seminarians) will speak at all Masses, English and Spanish, on that weekend.
The 4^th week of Lent is a busy week for the parish and community. Besides the usual celebrations of Lent, this week will also include: i) The Chrism Mass, March 16^th, an annual celebration of priesthood (during this “Year for Priests”) and the consecration and blessing of the Sacred Oils – used in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. At that special Mass the priests serving the diocese renew their commitment to the Church. Especially during this special year, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, we invite your participation as an affirmation of your priests in the diocese: 7:00 p.m. in the Cathedral. (No 5:30 p.m. Mass or Soup/Sandwich/Video that evening). ii) Our Yakima City Penance Services for Lent – communal celebrations of Reconciliation Wednesday, March 17^th 4:00 p.m. – Holy Redeemer 7:00 p.m. – Holy Family Thursday, March 18^th 4:00 p.m. – St. Joseph’s 7:00 p.m. – here in OUR CATHEDRAL (No Wednesday Stations of the Cross or Thursday evening Mass) iii) Saturday, March 20^th at the 8:00 a.m. Mass in the Cathedral, we welcome our permanent deacon class as Bishop Sevilla will celebrate the Rite of Candidacy- the official acceptance of 20 candidates in preparation for their September 25^th Diaconal Ordination. Among the candidates, is our own James Munns and we pray for him and all the men and their wives throughout the diocese.
Of course, we are especially blessed the week of March21st – 26^th by having come to our parish Fr. William Meninger, O.C.S.O., a Trappist Monk of St. Benedict Abbey in Snowmass, Colorado and former priest of our diocese (a classmate from Boston) associate at St. Aloysius Parish in Toppenish and instructor at Marquette High School in ancient days; who will present a Parish Mission on “Forgiveness” and also a workshop on that Wednesday, March 24^th (noon – 4:00 p.m.) on Contemplative (Centering) Prayer. Please place these dates on your calendar now. He will preach at morning Masses and also the weekday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. This promises to be a most enriching experience and will assist us in living the Lord’s Prayer more perfectly: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” So, lots of opportunities for us to be enriched spiritually and psychologically during this great Season of Lent. We are also discussing with our Parish Council the future celebration of our 100^th Parish Anniversary for 2014 with the idea of perhaps undertaking, as parish, the building of a house for Habitat for Humanity, as well as a party for our entire parish – a chance to be involved in helping our community.

In the late Spring, plans are underway to have two sisters from Mexico from the Misioneras Trabajadoras Sociales to join Sister Maricela for ministry at Holy Redeemer Parish plus ourselves who are and will be wonderfully served by Sister’s continuation as Director of Religious Education and all-around ministry in various aspects of our Cathedral. We are looking for a 4 bedroom house to rent for the next few years as a convent/residence for these three sisters. If you have such a property and would be interested, please contact me, (at least 2 bathrooms as well). It will be a wonderful addition to our parish and Holy Redeemer to have another “Community of Religious Women’ with residence in our city and a great help to our Hispanic Community, especially).

So, until our next missive in Mid-March, God bless you and yours,

In Christ,

Rev. Msgr. John A. Ecker

Pastor