Return from Vacation

Dear friends,

With joy I greet you this weekend. This is my first letter upon my return from a bit of vacation and a stewardship conference in Dallas. I had a wonderful time traveling around the Great Northwest.

My first stop was Mount Angel and I got to visit the fourteen seminarians from the Archdiocese of Seattle. I also got to connect with friends while I was there. One of which is Fr. Jeremy Driscoll O.S.B. Although I did not have him as a professor, I have learned much from him as he is a brilliant theologian. He wanted me to invite all of you to come to hear him speak as he will be coming to St. Benedict’s in Seattle on October 16. His talk will begin at 7pm and he will be speaking on the New Evangelization. I am excited to hear him as he has great insights and he was at the synod of bishops at the beginning of this Year of Faith as a peritus (a theological expert). We have a bit of time so I encourage you to set up a carpool up to Seattle for that evening. St. Benedict’s is in Wallingford and there are many fine restaurants in the area, Dick’s is probably my favorite.

After Mount Angel I went down to Ashland to visit Fr. Angelo Te. We had a great time in that beautiful city. I stayed with him at Our Lady of the Mountain. We got to see a play and I had an espresso that rivaled the espresso I have enjoyed in Italy. We had dinner one evening with the pastor of Sacred Heart in Medford, Fr. Ken Sampson, who graduated with me from Mount Angel. We had a wonderful time reminiscing and catching up with all the wonderful experiences we have had as priests over five years.

From Ashland I set out for Boise. On the way I stopped at Crater Lake and was astounded by the beauty of the deep blue water in the caldera. I prayed my mid-day prayer there and got back on the road. Arriving in Idaho, I stayed with my friend Fr. Marcos Sanchez in Nampa, just outside of Boise. After the Sunday Mass we went to Sun Valley for a visit. I hope to get back over there in the winter and visit Our Lady of the Snows when there is some snow on the mountains.

Then it was on to Montana. All along the way I enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It was especially interesting on this leg of the trip as I passed through Craters of the Moon National Monument and then into Montana with its majestic mountains and Our Lady of the Rockies. I marveled as I passed through Butte to see the beautiful statue of Our Lady looking out over the city high on top of the mountain. I stayed in Helena for a couple of days visiting my friend Fr. Stu Long. Arriving, I could tell he was struggling even more than when I last visited in December, yet he is now even more of an inspiration as he perseveres with Christ in his illness (he suffers a disease much like ALS and is slowly dying). The night I arrived he told me that the RCIA classes started at the Cathedral and that his parents were in the class. The next day we got to catch up with his parents for lunch and they said there were about twelve people at the class and half of them were there because of Fr. Stu. Fr. Stu responded, “I hope they were there for Jesus!” Each week Fr. Stu celebrates Mass in the nursing homes of Helena and is a great inspiration to those in the nursing homes and to those who attend those Masses. Some of the people in the RCIA are those that work at the nursing homes and have encountered Christ in Fr. Stu.

As I am running out of room, I will continue the story of my travels next week and share a wonderful encounter with Our Lady which happened in Stevensville, MT.

As you may have noticed, Our Lady was quite present on my journeys. Next Sunday, October 13, our Pope Francis will be consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As we begin the month of the rosary, may Our Lady of the Rosary watch over and guide all that we do for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Fr. Jack D. Shrum