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8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 31, 2017 F AITH CG Catholic church says goodbye to its priest By Cindy Weeldreyer His unique sense of humor is what members of Our Lady of Perpetual Cath- olic Church will remember most about their departing priest, Roy Antunez, as he enters a new chapter of his life. He began his appointment in July 2011 and for the nearly six years he served this parish he was well-liked and will be missed. “I’m so sad!” Parishioner Penny Bierly said. “He and I came to OLPH about the same time and I will really miss his unique ser- mons. As a Jesuit-trained priest, he educates and doesn’t preach, so we get great little lessons in the service each week. He also includes humor in the mass. I’ll always remember how he announced to us he was going to have surgery. He said, ‘You people make me sick.' and we all laughed.” She also praised his culinary skills and recalled the time she was invited to the monthly dinner he hosts in his home as a way to get to know his parishioners better. “I was lucky to have one dinner in his home. The table was beau- tifully set and the food was heavenly,” Bierly recalled. Betty Krumlauf worked closely with Antunez as the coordinator of the church education program and parish hall. She also will re- member him for his sense of humor and his humbleness. “He’s a private person who doesn’t like to be the center of atten- tion, Krumlauf said. “He dresses simply in black clothes but never wears a priest’s collar. He always introduces himself by simply say- ing, ‘Hi, I’m Roy.’ We worked closely together and laughed togeth- er and I will miss him dearly.” Cottage Grove City Councilor K. Michael Roberts is a lifelong Catholic and a cancer survivor. For many years he was a “Dead- head” who followed the Grateful Dead band around the country. For The Sentinel Later in life, after being diagnosed with bladder cancer, he made a holy vow to return to the faith of his youth if God would heal him. “After God healed me, I went to OLPH once and then stopped,” Roberts recalled. “When I went back it was on Father Roy’s fi rst day and we hit it off right away. I spent many years on the road with the Grateful Dead. I believe, as a Jesuit, Father Roy would make a good Deadhead because the band strongly believes love conquers all and the core of his preaching is to love one another.” As head acolyte (priest assistant), Roberts developed a close friendship with Antunez. In addition to his duties as a priest, Rob- erts appreciates Antunez’s skills as a gardener, reader, and gourmet cook. “I believe Father Roy’s most signifi cant contribution has been with the local Hispanic community,” Roberts said. “He has provid- ed a great deal of support by offering bilingual services and services conducted in all in Spanish both here and in Creswell.” Parishioners praised Antunez for the compassion and attention he provides to others. He quickly learned their names, stays closely connected to them so he can highlight the milestones in their lives in his services. Krumlauf illustrated an example of his commitment to serve oth- ers in a parish that stretches across two counties, from Creswell to Yoncalla and Elkton. “One time he had to drive to Yoncalla twice because he got down there and the gate was locked,” she recalled. “He didn’t have their phone number so he had to drive back to Cottage Grove and call them and then drive back down there again for the visit. That’s al- most 100 miles of driving and it shows how much he cares about serving people.” The 82-year-old priest came to OLPH after serving a decade at St. Alice Catholic Church in Springfi eld. The Santa Maria, Calif. native graduated from Santa Maria High School and attended one year of junior college before serving three-and-a-half years in the U.S. Air Force. He then entered the Jesuit Order in Sheridan, Ore. in 1958. When asked why he chose to become a priest he replied, “I grew up Catholic. The years I served as an altar boy created in me the desire to become a priest. I love helping people and working with them in ministry.” In 1971, he graduated from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkley, Calif. and pursued graduate studies at UCLA, Couple preaches in Cottage Grove In the last 15 years there hasn’t been very For The Sentinel many moments in the life of Aaron and Heidi Earlywine’s when they weren’t on the move in the Cottage Grove com- munity. The Earlywine’s have had involvement with ‘ACE charter school’, the ‘Grove Christian Camp’, ‘Safe Families’, and Aaron is the lead pastor of 6th and Gibbs church. They also have six children, so it’s safe to say they remain busy. They say it’s all worth it. “I want to be as authentically close to the self-sacrifi cing that needs done in this world as I can be,” said Heidi. “How many times have I gotten a coffee or a pair of shoes that I didn’t need when there are people starving on this planet?” Before landing a youth ministry position at 6th and Gibbs church n 2002, the Earlywine’s bounced between ministry jobs and working at a grocery store in Boise, ID and Ontario, OR. Not very long after being youth pastor at 6th and Gibbs, offers began rolling in for Aaron from oth- er church’s. “After we had been at this church for a while we started getting job offers. Once, in fi ve days we received four job offers, not so much offers, but where they called us and asked us to apply. We said, ‘Lord what is it you are saying to us?’ This was unexpected and unsolicited. So we went golfi ng on May 21st (the couple’s anniversary). We both fasted and golfed and felt like, ‘two years, we were going to stay here for two years.’ So we were golfi ng that day and then on May 21st two years later he (Aaron) was offi cially congrat- ulated for being senior pastor at 6th and Gibbs. That was supernatural we felt,” Heidi said. Now Aaron and Heidi will be taking their six children to India, starting in September, for four months. The Earlywine’s have recently been ex- ploring several different locations for the family to have a cultural, impactful, and educational ex- perience. “The school (from India) came to our church to share what their school was like. We talked to them and we were kind of excited about it. That was a couple of years ago, Aaron said. “We want- ed it to be a place where we were helpful to the people, encouraging to those that were there, and helpful to the students. So we fi gured out that In- dia would provide that opportunity to us. We also wanted a place that our education would benefi t not just the students, but also the teachers.” Aaron will be teaching at a local bible college near the school where Heidi will be teaching spe- cial education classes. The property where they will be staying includes a church, an orphanage, and the school that has 2,400 kids and 140 staff By Kyle McGowen members, roughly. The family will be staying in a boy’s dormitory. “At fi rst we weren’t sure if we would be that helpful to them, but it’s been great getting their response,” Aaron added. “It’s a big deal for a school to have American teachers come, and it’s an even bigger deal to have Americans stay for an entire term.” “We wanted to be more than just a fl ash in the pan so that we could learn about it and also be a benefi t to the school and to the students.” However, it’s not just Aaron and Heidi that will be involved. “we looked for a place where all of our kids could be involved. Our own kids will be teaching ballet, English slang, and even our little kids will be helping out in classrooms. That’s one of the things that drove us to India, was that all of our kids could be involved. It wasn’t the same with all of the other missions we were looking into,” Aaron said. For many, leaving the country for four months would be challenging enough, convincing six children for some would be an even bigger of a challenge. But the family is excited. “We want them to be minorities. I want them so badly to try to make people understand them after the person has already judged them,” Heidi said. “I had a lot of privilege growing up and I’ve always been assertive. If I need medical care, I go get medical care. Nobody treats me badly. But in Ministry we have been able to go with people to their medical appointments and be treated terri- bly. Because for some reason there is a prejudice against that person, either that be because of their class, race, or whatever. I’m shocked when that happens. I defi nitely have a heart for that and I just want my kids to care for equity.” Heidi has had a lot of involvement in the past at “ACE charter school” but stepped down from an offi cial role last spring to pursue a one-year licensing program through Northwest Christian University. The Charter school continues to rent a building from 6th and Gibbs church. In the mean- time, Aaron (who previously attended Boise Bi- ble college) is also back in school, looking to earn a degree from Liberty University. “So because of us not knowing exactly what we are going to be doing next, we asked to take a leave of absents from the church for four months and go teach abroad with our entire family. The kids will be enrolled for an entire term in India.” 6th and Gibbs church currently has roughly 160 weekly attenders and meets Sundays at 9:00 am and 10:30 am until Father’s Day when they will begin having one service at 10:00 am through the summer. While Aaron is gone in India his associ- ate will take over for him. Forgiveness: Forgiving Yourself and Others with God’s Help Do you fi nd it challenging to forgive yourself or other people? A class on forgiveness will be offered from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, June 20 through August 8 (no class on July 4). The class is at the Cottage Grove United Methodist Church at 334 Washington St. For the fi rst three sessions, we will watch a video by Pastor Rob Bell, followed by group discus- sion facilitated by Pastor Lura Kidner-Miesen. The fi nal four weeks will involve group dis- cussion of Pastor Adam Hamilton’s book For- giveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go. All are welcome. For more information, or to order the $10 book, call the church offi ce at 541-942-3033. where he spent his fi nal year studying French Literature in Paris. He’s also bilingual and speaks three languages: English, French and Spanish. After earning his master’s degree he studied three years of Phi- losophy at Mount St. Michaels in Spokane. He then taught French, Latin and English at Spokane’s Gonzaga Prep School for another three years. In the last three decades, he has enjoyed his appoint- ments to a variety of churches in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Hawaii. Antunez was on vacation and unable to be interviewed for this story. In a Sentinel story in 2011, he said, “After serving ten years at St. Alice, I requested a smaller church for my next assignment.” Rev. Antunez said. “I’m happy to be assigned to OLPH and to St. Philip Benizi in Creswell. It’s a good fi t for me at this time in my life.” Rev. Lawrence Crumb of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church enjoyed a friendship with Antunez and the pair occasionally met for lunch. “He is a pleasant person to spend time with,” Crumb said. “We had a lot in common being close in age. We were in seminary at the same time and we talk about how it was then and how it is now.” For years the two churches have worked well together to raise funds for Community Sharing by organizing the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on the night before Lent begins. Crumb said he appreciates Antunez continued support of using the parish hall for a wide variety of community events. “He is a humble and kindly man,” Crumb said. “I was glad I had the opportunity to attend one of his last services. I wish him well as he relocates to Los Angeles to work with the poor there.” Krumluf said she understands why he is moving on. “He took this parish because it was smaller but he didn’t realize how much work there is to do here. People expect him to be on-call around the clock.” “I don’t think I’d be the person I am today,” Roberts admitted, “without the positive infl uence Father Roy has had on my life. We all wish him well as he begins a new chapter in his life.” Antunez will preach one more service at OLPH on Sunday, June 25 at 10:30 a.m. Worship Directory DRAIN: HOPE U.M.C. 131 W “A” St. Drain, OR 541-315-1617 Pastor: Lura Kidner-Miesen Fellowship & Song: 11:30am Potluck Lunch: 12:00pm Worship: 12:30pm Cottage Grove Faith Center 33761 Row River Rd. • 541-942- 4851 Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett www.cg4.tv Full Childrenʼs Ministry available Two Services 9am & 11am COTTAGE GROVE: 6th & Gibbs Church of Christ 195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822 Pastor: Aaron Earlywine Youth & Families Pastor: Seth Bailey Services: 9am and 10:30am Christian Education Nursery for pre-k - 3rd Grade www.6thandgibbs.com Calvary Baptist Church 77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290 Pastor: Riley Hendricks Sunday School: 9:45am Worship: 11:00am The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm Delight Valley Church of Christ 33087 Saginaw Rd. East 541-942-7711 Pastor: Bob Friend Two Services: 9am - Classic in the Chapel 10:30am - Contemporary in the Auditorium First Presbyterian Church 3rd and Adams St • 541-942- 4479 Pastor: Karen Hill Worship: 10:00am Sunday School: 10:00am www.cgpresbynews.com Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Philip Benizi Catholic Churches 1025 N. 19th St. 541-942-3420 / 541-942-4712 Pastor: Roy L. Antunez, S.J. Euch. Liturgies; Sat. 5:30pm Sun. 10:30am St. Philip Benizi, Creswell: 552 Holbrock Lane • 541-895- 8686 Sunday: 8:30am St. Andrews Episcopal Church 1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050 Rev. Lawrence Crumb “Church with the fl ags.” Worship: Sunday 10:30am All Welcome Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street 541-942-5213 Pastor: Kevin Miller Hope Fellowship Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am United Pentecostal Church Worship Service: Saturday, 100 S. Gateway Blvd. • 541-942- 10:40 am 2061 Mid-week Service: Wednesday, Calvary Chapel Cottage Pastor: Dave Bragg 1:00 pm Grove Worship: 11:00am Sunday 1447 Hwy 99 (Village Plaza) Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Trinity Lutheran Church 541-942-6842 www.hopefellowshipupc.com 6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373 Pastor: Jeff Smith “FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE” Pastor: James L. Markus Two Services on Sun: 9am & Sunday School & Adult Education 10:45am Living Faith Assembly 9:15am Youth Group Bible Study Sunday Worship 10:30 am Child Care 10:45am Service Only 467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612 Pastor Rulon Combs Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & www.cgcalvary.org Worship & Childrenʼs Thur 5:00pm TLC Groups Church 10:00 am tlccg.com Center for Spiritual Living Youth 180 Mondays 5:30-8pm Cottage Grove United Methodist Church 700 Gibbs Ave. (Community Non-Denominational 334 Washington • 541-942-3033 Center) Church of Christ Pastor:Lura Kidner-Miesen Rev. Bobby Lee 1041 Pennoyer Ave * 541-942- Worship: 10:30am Meets Sunday 3:00 p.m. 8928 Comm. Dinner (Adults $5, Kids cslcottagegrove@gmail.com Preacher: Tony Martin Free) Sunday Bible Study:10:00am 2nd & 3rd Monday 5-6:00pm Church of Christ cottagegroveumc.org 420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565 Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm Sunday Service: 10:30am www.pennoyeravecoc.com “VICTORY” Country Church Cottage Grove Bible Church Old Time Gospel Fellowship 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913 Pastor: Barbara Dockery 103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999 1200 East Quincy Avenue Worship Service: 10:00am Pastor: Jim Edwards 541-942-4771 Message: 11:00am Sunday Service: 10:00am Pastor:Bob Singer Join us in Traditional “WE BELIEVE IN MIRACLES” Worship 11am Christian Worship Sunday School:9:45am AWANA age 3-8th Grade, Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm www.cgbible.org Worship With Us! Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature in the newspaper. If your congregation would like to be a part of this directory, please contact the Cottage Grove Sentinel @ 541-942-3325