On Saturday, September 5, the St. Cecilia Church Vocations Committee hosted its annual Senior Priests & Seminarians Appreciation Mass and Dinner. The 5 p.m. Mass was presided over by Archbishop Sample. Fr. Eirvin, Archdiocese Vocations Director, retired Auxiliary Bishop Steiner, Msgr. Betschart, Mt. Angel Seminary President-Rector, Msgr. Donald Buxman, Fr. McNamee, Fr. Molinari, Fr. Henderson, former Archdiocese Vocations Director and pastor of St. Anthony in Tigard, along with Fr. Reniva and Fr. Bentz, served as concelebrants. Seminarians served as Mass servers, Eucharistic Ministers, ushers, greeters, lectors and cantor. The Mass procession was led by Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.

This annual event brings together parishioners, current diocesan seminarians and senior Archdiocesan Priests at Mass to celebrate, support and honor God’s Call to Service, those who have served and those who most recently have answered the Call to minister to God’s people. This year, we were also joined by nuns from Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows as well as altar servers.

The dinner was attended by more than 110 people and presented an opportunity for us to recognize the senior Archdiocesan priests for their service, and to provide a pastoral opportunity for the diocesan seminarians to become acquainted with these men in whose footsteps they hope to follow. We ask that the St. Cecilia’s parish family continue to pray for vocations in hopes of sparking new vocations within our families.