News Updates: 

COVID-19 Policy Changes

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is time to return to the Eucharist with joy. For those of you who have already resumed your practice of attending Holy Mass, welcome back! For those who have yet to do so, there is not time like the present. Jesus waits for you with His love beyond all measure! The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. With these words, Pope St. John Paul II began his last encyclical letter to the Church on the mystery of the most Holy Eucharist. Through this encyclical, the saintly Pope wished to rekindle tin the Church a new Eucharistic amazement. Once we have realized the tremendous gift of the Eucharist that Jesus left to His Church, we should experience a sense of profound amazement and gratitude. In the Eucharist, Jesus has given us the gift of Himself, His true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under the mere appearance of bread and wine.

Following new guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the response to Archbishop Alexander Sample's direction, I'm glad to let you know that the fully vaccinated Oregonians no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most public spaces. Effective immediately, churches in western Oregon    can allow fully vaccinated people to attend Masses and faith gatherings without wearing masks. We are taking the ribbons down in church and ask that everyone keep in mind to social distance themselves.

However, if someone has been in contact with a COVID-positive person, he/she should be quarantined at home as required. Also anyone who has experienced flu-like symptoms should also stay home and for us who attend mass we should feel grateful with these new directions-changes and my request to you all is to truly remember to treat every one in a Christian way in the manner to make every one feel welcomed and appreciated, without detecting or let prejudice to control us with judging who is masked or unmasked or who is vaccinated or non-vaccinated! Let every one be responsible for his/her own health conditions in the sense that if you think you need to distance yourself or wear a mask or not, but I still would recommend to all of us, to keep on sanitizing our hands before and or after mass. By doing all this can help a lot to avoid putting anyone at risk.

Priests and ministers who are fully vaccinated still wear masks during the distribution of Holy Communion and usher & greeters are required to wear a mask also.

Let's continue to spread out the good news of the wonders and goodies of Jesus' life. For the Lord is always with us fighting off the poisons of the devil and his victory is also our victory over fear and worries. We will continue to reach out to our brothers and sisters who are trying to come back to church from the locking down due to the pandemic and let them know that Jesus is risen, he is alive and he is welcoming us all back to church to celebrate and worship, to pray and listen to his word and receive him in the Eucharist. For he is truly risen alleluia, alleluia.

Thank you for all your good work and cooperation at our parish and you're always in my prayers and thoughts. If you have any question you can reach us  at the parish office 503-769-5664 St. Boniface and 503-362-6159 St. Mary in Shaw.

Thank you and may God bless you all. 

Fr. Paul Materu

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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‘’Jesus Bread Of Life’’

The central idea that links the first reading and the gospel today is the food that God provides for his people.  In the desert Israel received manna, a food that could give strength to a perishable body. Now God feeds his people with the bread of life, with his word, Jesus of Nazareth.  The second reading shows what kind of transformation this bread of life can work. Jesus has done all this to reveal His Father’s love. He manifested it in all that he did. He wanted that by believing in him as the Son of God, his listeners too manifest God’s love. But they failed to understand his true identity as the Son of God. Hence, they seek further signs and works to believe in him. They do not see in Jesus anyone greater than Moses who gave their ancestors manna in the desert. In receiving manna, they did not see the intervention of God. Jesus tells them that it was not Moses who gave them manna, but God. And it is the same God who has sent him into the world as the true bread which gives life to the world. The people respond, ‘’Sir, give us this bread always. ‘’In fact, Jesus, the true bread, gives himself to  us every moment. It is he who takes the initiative to come to our hearts. He knocks at our hearts. If we open the door of our heart, he will enter and stay with us. The bread not consumed is lost and the bread that has not become part of our body is also lost. Hence, if we want to be nourished by Jesus, he should become part of our life.

~~ Fr. Paul Materu

We are happy to welcome all members of our community back!  Masks are no longer required.

We also offer weekday masses at 8:30 am Tuesday thru Friday. 

Please join us. 

Tel: 503-362-6159
Fax: 503-371-6435

9168 Silver Falls Hwy Se 

Aumsville, Oregon 97325

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