Sunday Moments of Beauty

I was up and ready to go to St. Therese in Seattle by 7am. Mary Lou was coming to get me at 7:30 am. So I had thirty wonderful minutes to sit and let Mount Rainier
take over my eyes and heart and soul...
The lay deacon (an ordained married man who preaches and leads various prayer experiences in the Catholic Church), Mr. Greg McNabb, gently and clearly called us to support the efforts of St. Therese Community ad the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle with our prayers, our money, and our presence. Father Stephen Okumu, the pastor, lead us gently and prayerfully through the Mass.
And Mr. McNabb touched me deeply as I observed the caring way he held a sweet, beautiful baby.











And, as happens so very, very often, I was deeply moved by the choir as it sweetly wished the congregation a good day following the eleven o'clock service.
Sunday was very beautiful day...

Reshaping American History

Sunday, October 18, following the morning Masses at St. Therese in Seattle, members of the parish were offering various tasty tidbits for sale to cover the cost of the church's Christmas Filipino Celebration, Simbang Gabi. Here is a picture of two of the parishoners who were helping with this sale.














My Filipino friends have helped me through many a dark place over the years... work frustrations, career setbacks, deaths of friends and family members... and I have come to appreciate just a little bit some of my friends hopes and hurts.
Like so many other communities, the story of the American Filipino community has not become part of the ongoing education of every American citizen. These stories need to be told honestly and completely and to become part of our ongoing national convesation if we are to be ready to be sincere and creative members of our own country and the world.


So I asked one of the organizers to share her hopes and dreams with us. Here is what she said.