New pastor appointed to The madeleine madeleine community says ...

summer 2008Vol. 3, No. 1A Publication of the Madeleine ParishMadeleine community says goodbye to Fr. PainterHealing and forgiveness mark a memorable mass for a memorable manYou could feel the lovein the room as if it were thewarm sunshine on your faceon a summer day. Waves ofappreciation washed over allof us, hundreds of us, sittingin tightly packed pews, standingin the aisles, sitting highabove in the loft, and spillingout into the lobby. We were allthere for one reason. We wereall gathered to say goodbye toFr. Painter.Our journey over the past10 years with Fr. Painter had led us torespect and to cherish him. Last November,when heart problems threatened Fr.Painter, parishioners responded withsuch love and kindness that he wasastounded. During the funeral Mass forour deceased pastor, the presider at theservice, Fr. Peter Byrne, S.J., sincerelythanked the parish for “letting E.B.know he was truly loved,” that “E.B.did not know how deeply he was loved”until his recent health crisis. Fr. Byrnerepeated, “E.B. was overwhelmed bythe love and support he received fromthe Madeleine parish.”Fr. Byrne also shared with us “E.B.’sFour Pillars of Life:”#1 Life is hard.#2 It’s not about you, it’s about themiracles God is going to workthrough you.#3 You’re not in control.#4 Everyone dies.Fr. Byrne chuckled as he mentionedthat Pillar #3, “You’re notin control,” was the axiom withwhich E.B. had the most trouble.Everyone in the church laughedknowingly.The music at the Mass wasethereal. The singing voices at theMadeleine are truly gifts from Godshared with us.Fr. Byrne talked about 11 wordsthat should be said to the peopleyou love: “I love you. I forgive you.Please forgive me. Thank you.” These11 words touched the hearts of everyoneat the memorial service. As the Massended, the procession left the church,including many fellow Jesuit priests,Archbishop Vlazny, and Fr. Byrne. Theywalked down the aisle, heading out ofthe church, taking Fr. Painter on his finaltrip through the Madeleine, a church towhich he had devoted 10 years of life.We will miss you, Fr. Painter.Memorial for Fr. Painterat Themadeleine.eduWe’ve posted a memory page to the parishwebsite, www.themadeleine.edu, with photosand thoughts from parishioners, neighborsand friends of Fr. Painter. There is also a link forparishioners to share their memories or photos.Fr. Painter used to end Mass by saying“Go forth to love and serve the Lord by lovingand serving the people with whom we live.”We hope you’ll share your favorite sayingsand memories as well.New pastor appointed to The MadeleineFr. Michael biewend to start July 1, 2008The Archdiocese has announcedthat Fr. Mike Biewend has beenappointed as the new Madeleine pastorbeginning July 1.Rev. Michael Biewend comes to usfrom St. Pius X in Beaverton, where heis currently working as Parochial Vicar.He is a former Chaplain, LieutenantColonel, in the U.S. Air Force, wherehe worked as a pastor for 20 years inlocales as varied as Germany, Japan,California, Hawaii and Texas. Aftera yearlong sabbatical, he landed at St.Pius X in 2007.At the tri-council meeting of May29, Fr. Brennan, Vicar of Clergy forthe Archdiocese, described Fr. Mike assomeone who is “easy going, extrovertedand has a great sense of humor.”During the month of June, staff andcouncils will be meeting with Fr. Miketo help him get to know the parish. Wehope you will find time to reach out tohim and extend him a warm Madeleinewelcome. Feel free to introduce yourselfwhen you see him around the churchand school, drop a note by the office orjoin us for the parish-wide social eventthat the councils are planning for thisfall, once Fr. Mike gets settled in.The Holy Spirit truly was working toenable us to welcome such a wonderfulpriest to lead our parish.The Madeleine Parish † 3123 NE 24th A venue, Portland, Oregon 97212 † 503-281-5777

The difference of one word, one person, one parishThe haitian project to benefit louverture cleary school“Can”. It’s such a powerful word.I can help. You can make a difference.We can change the world.A small group from Northeast Portland,including current Madeleineparishioner Jenny Lisk and Haitian ProjectBoard Member Jack Talbott, tookthe power of the word “can” to heartand made the trip to the LouvertureCleary School (LCS) in Haiti earlier thisspring. In her blog, “Fund the Change,”Jenny details why she went to Haiti andwhat she found when she got there. Herobjectives were straightforward:1. To raise awareness.2. To raise money.3. To bring much-needed supplies.4. To personally help in whatever smallway she could.Her personal objectives are in closealignment with those of the members ofThe Madeleine (both church and school)who have been working on these issuesfor several years.Publicity efforts continue with Jenny’sshared stories, her blog and articles likethis. Haiti is the poorest country in theWestern Hemisphere. It is a place inwhich 80% of the population live inabject poverty, nearly half cannot reador write, and one in eight children willdie before age five. We raise awarenessby talking about parishioners’ effortsand the plight of the Haitians with ourneighbors, children and others withwhom we interact, therefore helping theschool in many ways.The very successful Haitian ProjectGarage Sale, hosted by and held at TheMadeleine, raises tens of thousandsof dollars for the LCS and its nearly350 poor, bright and hopeful students.Second collections at Mass and variousindependent efforts by parishioners andlocal school children also contribute tohealing the situation in Haiti.In addition, Madeleine School studentsparticipated in a school-widedrive to collect much-needed suppliesthat can make life at LCS a little easieror a little brighter. Jenny and her teambrought donations such asschool and artsupplies, computer printer ink, sportsequipment, books, tapes, CDs andsmaller items contributed by kids thatLCS teachers distributed as prizes andawards. Imagine the joy given to a childwho receives a special hairbrush, penand pencil set, or his/her own Bible.Another of Jenny’s reasons for going toHaiti was very open and heartfelt: to helpin whatever small way she could. Feeding,caring for and playing with neglected,sick and malnourished children left animpression on all visitors.We can answer our call to serve bysupporting The Haitian Project with ourGarage Sale donations or volunteer hours,by purchasing items at the sale, or by contributingmoney. No gift is too small!To read more about Jenny’s trip, visither blog, fundthechange.blogspot.com.To learn more about the Haitian Projectand LouvertureCleary School, goto haitianproject.org.The Madeleinecommunity mournsthe passing ofFr. E.B. Painter,prepares to welcomeFr. Mike BiewendStory insidehaitian projectgarage saleDonations and volunteersare needed!Donation drop-off, pre-sale sortingand setup at the Parish Center:July 12, 8 a.m - noonJuly 14–July 24, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.Garage Sale hours:Fri-Sat, July 25-26, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.Sunday, July 27, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.To find out how you can help, callSally kirchoff at 503-288-0471.Non-Profit ORGu.s. postagepaidPortland, orpermit no. 726St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church3123 NE 24th AvenuePortland, Oregon 97212Return Service Requested