FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Remembrance Walk
wrapped up
Spiritually Speaking
Misery – Mercy and
Mystery
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph SDB, St. Patrick
Church
The church is almost back to its
normal practices of devotions and piety,
thanks to the reception of the vaccines for
COVID-19. Think of last year - we were
all locked down in our own homes for
the Holy week and Easter. Last Sunday,
however, as we celebrated the great feast Fr. Thankachan
of Easter, I noticed that many Catholics Joseph
and members of other churches seem to
be back for their religious practices. The second Sunday
of Easter usually is known as the “Feast of Divine Mercy.”
This particular feast reminds us about God’s divine love,
care and concern for each one of us. God somehow loves
us all unconditionally.
In the Gospel of John (20:19), we read: “It was late
that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered
together behind the locked doors, because they were
afraid of the Jewish authorities.” The Risen Lord sees the
misery and fright of the disciples and understands the in-
carceration of the apostles and enters into their lock-down
experience. We, too, nearly suffered a similar experience
in our lives last year due to the threat of corona virus;
many of us were behind locked doors for many festivities
until Christmas 2020.
For nearly a year, the threat of COVID-19 has shut
down our economy, our freedom of movement and
coming together - everything has been in a stand-still
condition. Because of the virus, the lockdown somehow
made us look into ourselves; many of us have realized
that we are going through emotional misery because of
our shame, guilt, brokenness, disappointments, failing to
reach ambitious goals - unhealthy feelings of depression,
anxiety, hurt, loss of self-worth and hatred. The introspec-
tion, in turn, leads us to look into ourselves for ways of
overcoming our misery. In these miserable conditions,
the Lord makes us to understand His loving and soothing
company, He comes with His Mercy.
The present pandemic reminds us that there are no
differences or borders among those who suffer. The virus
shows no discrimination. The time has come to eliminate
inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the
health of the entire human family. Acts 2:44-45 brings us
an understanding of the early Christian community de-
scribed in the Acts of the Apostles. It received mercy and
lived with mercy: “All who believed were together and
had all things in common; and they sold their possessions
and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need.”
I am watching these days how people are reaching out to
the needy in various ways. The Lord needs you and me
to express His love and compassion to the world around
us as the agents of God’s mercy and love.
I hail from India, and I am also watching how my
own friends and colleagues there are reaching out to the
poor and the marginalized and going out in public risking
their lives, empowering, consoling, and strengthening the
weak and the lonely. In the present situation, the Lord is
inviting each one of us, to stretch our helping hand and
reach out to someone who is in need of service.
Saint Faustina, after meeting Jesus, wrote: “In a soul
that is suffering we should see Jesus on the cross, not a
parasite and a burden... [Lord] you give us the chance
to practice deeds of mercy, and we practice making
judgements.” (Diary, 6 September 1937). Yet she herself
complained one day to Jesus that in being merciful, one
is thought to be naive. She said, “Lord, they often abuse
my goodness.” And Jesus replied, “Never mind, don’t
let it bother you, just be merciful to everyone always.”
(24 December 1937). To everyone: let us not think only
of our interests. Let us welcome this time of trial as an
opportunity to prepare for our collective future.
In Genesis 7:16 we read: “A male and female of each
kind of living being went into the boat with Noah, as God
had commanded. Then the Lord shut the door behind
Noah.” The period of pandemic is for our transformation
and purification. He wants us to be a new creation with
Him after this period of closure. God has a clear plan for
all His doings. This lockdown we are experiencing I don’t
think is merely by chance. God plans everything well in
advance - which is very clear from the multiplication of
the loaves. He was sure of what he was going to do. He
tests Philip in these words: “Where can we buy enough
food to feed these people?” (John 6:5) He planned it and
He had a solution to it. The Lord is not like us; we look
for solutions when we face a problem, whereas God is
the creator, and He has a solution to a problem.
The Lord invites each one of us to face the misery
that we are experiencing right now with hope and cour-
age, for there is a solution. The Lord is always faithful
to His promise: “I will be with you always, to the end of
the age” (Mathew 28:20). In these miserable situations
of ours the Lord always comes in and supports us with
His peace, mercy, compassion and tranquility. He does it
through various ways. Those of us who experience this
mercy of the Lord, by reaching out to others with mercy
and compassion, take part in the mystery of Christ.
The 2021 Friends Help-
ing Friends Remembrance
walk/run event is a wrap.
“In January, with the St.
Patrick’s Day celebration
being cancelled, again, the
committee women knew
that they truly needed to
step out of the box and find
a new twist to bring the
event to those near and far
from Heppner,” said Susan
Hisler.
Janelle Ellis created a
virtual walk/run experience
through Facebook. “You
didn’t need to be in Heppner
to share your Irish experi-
ence of the traditional walk/
run.” The ball started to roll
and soon the Irish green
rope-lighted shamrocks
started popping up around
Heppner. CBC (Shaun His-
ler and Tate Gentry) for
Heritage Museum Park, and
Martha Doherty spearhead-
ed the ups and downs of
all the lighted shamrocks.
Her crew, Tony Doherty,
Greg Sweek, Susan Hisler,
Sheridan and Ed Tarnasky,
helped bring to town some
Irish cheer.
A long-awaited St. Pat-
rick’s Day Remembrance
video via Facebook was
brought to life by Millie
Yocom West. Millie took on
this new venture of gather-
ing the honored loved one’s
shams. With this learning
process came another vid-
eo, and in the works is a
new one for 2022.
Three hundred fifty
shamrocks were displayed
on the remembrance walk
route this year. Two Old
Hags Pizza once again al-
lowed 122 shams to be
placed on their building.
Responsible for all the
sham placement, putting
up and taking down, were
Patty Matheny, Kirsten,
Travis, Charlie Harrison,
Mary Haguewood, Susan
Hisler, Kathi Dickenson
and Jacque and Caden Hed-
man.
“A new way was found
for a successful event this
year,” said Hisler. “To top
that off, the Pot of Gold was
blessed to receive many do-
nations from here at home
and through many family
and friends from out of
town. It definitely enables
the group to host another fu-
ture event. The committee
is already planning heavily
on being able to meet and
greet, in person, on March
19, 2022. It’s not too soon
to mark your calendars.”
Heppner Day Care and
Preschool is welcoming a
new director and preschool
teacher. Jessica Britt, from
Lexington will be the new
director. Jessica earned a
bachelor’s degree in early
childhood development
and education from Oregon
State University before
teaching preschool for sev-
en years. She also served in
a number of management
roles in early education
with Head Start and Blue
Mountain Healthy Fami-
lies. She is excited for this
new opportunity and to
serve the community.
Another new team
member is Meg Atkins.
She will be fulfilling the roll
of preschool teacher. She
and her husband recently
moved to the area to be
closer to extended family.
Previously, Meg taught pre-
school in Laramie, WY. She
is a Boise State University
graduate in psychology and
American sign language.
“Meg is passionate about
child development, serving
children and families with
positivity and care,” said a
spokesperson.
With the hiring of Jes-
sica and Meg, the Heppner
Day Care board is announc-
ing the reopening of the
center in May. Heppner Day
Care first plans to offer a
Kinder Camp program for
eight weeks for children
bound for kindergarten in
the fall. Regular preschool
and childcare are planned to
resume in August.
Morrow County Dis-
trict Attorney Justin Nelson
has released the following
report:
-Jorge Antonio Montes
was convicted of Assault
in the Third Degree and
sentenced to 36 months
formal probation, a fine of
$2,500, ordered to com-
plete a substance abuse
(drug and alcohol) evalu-
ation and comply with all
recommended treatment,
anger management assess-
ment and treatment, mental
health evaluation and com-
ply with all recommended
treatment, no purchase or
possession of firearms, 200
hours of community service
work and no contact with
victims in case.
Heppner Day Care
to reopen soon
DA’s Report
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5PM
Prescription profiles for tax purposes
are available upon request.
Contact the pharmacy for more information.
Wedding Table
Mekayla Kindle & Bailey Haguewood
May 29, 2021
217 North Main St.,
Heppner, OR
Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426
murraysdrug.com
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to Heppner.net.
Does HR1 bring
election integrity?
To the editor:
Easter is the day that
Jesus Christ rose from the
dead and forever changed
the world. Jesus proclaimed
the gates of hell shall not
prevail against the church
he birthed. (Matt. 16:17-
19). The gates of hell at-
tacking the Christian church
can be presently defined as
the “Woke cancel culture”
movement. The present
attack against the Georgia
election laws by corporate
America’s frantic blacklist
response (Major League
Baseball, Delta, Coca Cola,
etc.) has led to the U.S. Sen-
ate “For the People Act” or
“Election Integrity Act of
2021.” (HR1) The WOKE
movement is attempting to
boycott Georgia, claiming
minorities vote has been re-
stricted and all voting rights
have been suppressed. The
Georgia Governor Kemp
responded, “Cancel culture
and partisan activists are
coming for your business…
and they are coming to can-
cel everything from sports
to how you make a living,
and they will stop at nothing
to silence all of us.”
Does HR1 bring elec-
tion integrity and is it “For
the People?” Here is what
the bill will do and why ev-
ery American should care.
1) Ban state voter ID laws.
2) Mandate no-fault absen-
tee ballots. 3) Force states
to accept absentee ballots
up to ten days after elec-
tion day. 4) Automatically
register all individuals (as
opposed to “citizens”), and
thus require the person to
opt out if they choose not to
vote. 5) Register convicted
felons. 6) Allow people to
vote outside their precinct.
7) Punish anyone who ques-
tions the validity of the vot-
er. 8) Prevent poll watchers
from cooperating with elec-
tion officials to identify and
challenge voter registration
concerning fraud. 9) With
same-day registration, no
ID and no ability to verify
a voter, a person can go
precinct-to-precinct vot-
ing multiple times under
different names. 10) Seize
authority from states and
place federal government
in complete control. The
Democrat/Marxists intends
to cancel our way of life,
end the American Republic
and control our government
through their definition of
the gates of hell “election
integrity.”
What the WOKE can-
cel culture movement really
wants to cancel is Christian-
ity. Presently there is a bill
in the Democrat/Marxist
controlled senate called
the “Equality Act” (S.788).
This is the definition of
WOKE cancel culture
equality. 1) Churches would
be forced to host same-sex
ceremonies. 2) Churches
will lose tax-exempt sta-
tus for noncompliance.
3) Noncompliant colleges
will be ineligible to receive
student loans, causing most
religious schools to com-
promise their core values
or close. 4) If churches or
religious organizations take
overnight trips, including
sports or mission trips, they
cannot segregate rooms by
biological gender. 5) Bio-
logical men will have ac-
cess to bathrooms, showers
and nursing mother rooms
at any time, and stay as long
as they please. 6) Church-
es will be forced to hire
staff involved in LGBTQ
conduct, even positions
of authority in affiliated
daycare classes and give
them complete access to all
children in the restrooms.
7) Cross-dressers could
demand that they be greet-
ers, ushers, Sunday school
teachers and more. 8) Even
the smallest slight would
give someone the legal right
to sue the church.
If the church of Jesus
Christ does not stand up
against these gates of hell
proposed laws Christianity
will be cancelled (compro-
mised) as we know it. Jesus
proclaimed the gates of hell
cannot stand against his true
church. Jesus rose from the
dead: Time for the church to
rise with their master.
Stuart Dick, Irrigon