Vicar’s Notes:
Time for Prayer
Our Baptismal Covenant commits us to a life of prayer. How do we do this? I imagine that for most of us its a gradual journey, discovering practices that feel faithful, authentic and “right for us.” As we deepen our practice, we may recognize the value this discipline brings into our lives, and gradually find ourselves loving and building on the gift of a “sweet hour of prayer.”
One of the best, and most accessible resources we have for daily 
prayer is the Sunday bulletin. Imagine the spiritual energy that would be released, if every one of us took the bulletin home, and used it as a daily devotion for prayer, reflection and study. Are you yearning to feel closer to your church family? Hold the weekly list of our congregant’s names in prayer. Care about stewardship of the earth? Use and re-use the bulletin, with its selection of readings, the psalm, the words of the hymns, as a devotional to carry you through the week. Looking to deepen your engagement with the Bible? Take time to go back to your personal reflection on God’s Word offered in our Sunday readings, looking for ways to make it your own.
Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing, at the end of a Sunday, if the recycling basket was empty, and every one of the worship bulletins found its way into someone’s home?
Patricia+
Congregational Care: Emergencies at church
To help ensure that everyone will stay calm and provide the best possible care during a medical emergency at St. Catherine’s, Congregational Care has developed several protocols with the help of Colleen Schwindt and the BAC. These protocols include steps to follow in the event of a fainting or falling incident, a seizure, or the clean up of bodily fluids. The policies will be posted in the building and on St. Catherine’s website. We’ve also created a simple incident form to be filled out by the person in charge after the event.
This is the policy for a fainting or falling event: (Please see the website for the other protocols)
One person should assume the role of leader and follow these procedures:
- Keep the person on the floor and encourage him or her to stay still.
- Make sure the person is warm and comfortable.
- Call 911. When the paramedics arrive, they will assume responsibility for the person’s care.
- Fill out an incident report.
We hope having simple guidelines will make things easier if a medical incident occurs. Of course, we hope it doesn’t!
Phyllis Mannan
Congregational Care Coordinator
Labyrinth Ministries Update
The canvas labyrinth purchased 
from Veriditas has now been completed and is in transit for delivery within the next week or so. Stay tuned as our newly formed Labyrinth Guild, with Colleen Schmidt as facilitator, starts offering opportunities for St. Catherine’s and our wider community to begin incorporating walking a Labyrinth as part of our spiritual practice.
Partnership Ministries to Serve the Hungry
It has been announced that the food pantry in Wheeler will be closing due to difficulties with the building. Here in our local area, however, Covenant Community Church has developed a wonderful ministry providing hospitality and food assistance several days a week.
Sharon Smith, our St. Catherine’s liaison for community food 
assistance, has been visiting both locations. Sharon describes the experience at Covenant as positive and friendly, in a location that is easily accessed, serving needs both for local residents and for people passing through.
With this in mind, our Mission Committee is suggesting we direct our food assistance primarily into supporting Covenant with this signature ministry. Look for updated lists of the foods and staples they distribute in church on Sundays, in addition to regular needs such as:
- pasta (spaghetti, noodles, macaroni and cheese, Top Ramen)
- canned foods (tomato sauce, vegetables, soups, tuna, chicken)
- breakfast cereals and oatmeal packets
- bread
- peanut butter and jam
- canned beans
- instant mashed potatoes
- hot chocolate packets
- saltine crackers
- rice
- beans
- toilet paper
- batteries and small first aid and toiletry kits
First Monthly Potluck Held
Every second Sunday, starting Sunday, June 11, all are invited to bring a dish to share after church. Next potluck July 9.
New 8 AM Bible Study
Janet Lease led our new 8 o’clock Bible Study on June 11. Participants followed the bulletin, sharing the readings and prayers. Instead of a sermon, each person shared questions and what stood out for them from the readings and the Gospel.
Our Authors Write
Here is the latest essay by Phyllis Mannan. First published in RAIN magazine.
Green Leaf
I didn’t like my first name, Phyllis. Why couldn’t I have been called 
Susan or Sarah—or even my middle name, Ann? Then I read in college that Phyllis comes from a Greek word that means green leaf. I’d always liked the family story about my namesake, too. My dad grew up in a poor family. His father was discouraged about his financial situation and quit looking for work. At a young age, Dad took a job to help support his family. The bright spot in his life was his visit each summer to his Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Will’s farm in Kansas. They taught him how to plow the land, swing a hammer, and work until a job was done—skills and values that stayed with him throughout his life. My name combined the freshness of a green leaf with the sturdiness of a bough. …
Read it all at Reflections on our web site.
June Events
June 16 7 PM
Clatsop Community College Graduation
Jaqueline Itzel Pérez Arellano
Medical Assistant Degree