Dear Friend,
Easter is upon us, Sunday, April 9 – Alleluia!
The earliest and most important feast of the Christian year is Easter. Easter recalls the rising from the dead of Jesus Christ.
Easter was initially celebrated every Sunday while Jewish Christians kept Passover. In those first years, we can imagine the friction this caused, since the Christian message proclaimed that Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was fulfilled by Christ’s resurrection. It would have appeared that the Jewish Christians were still holding to the belief that the Messiah had not yet come.
St. Paul tells us, “Throw out the old yeast so that you can be the fresh dough, unleavened as you are. For our Passover has been sacrificed, that is, Christ; let us keep the feast, then, with none of the old yeast and no leavening of evil and wickedness, but only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,” 1 Cor 5:7-8. Clearly, this scripture verse implies that the former way of doing things needed to be discarded and new celebrations were required.
The feast of Easter is a celebration of the reality that light conquers darkness, that faith is stronger than doubt and that the love of God is greater than a person’s hate and injustice. It is a time of hope – hope in the goodness of people and in the eternity of God.
Easter also challenges us to make our own Easter in our world. We need to love our neighbors as ourselves, that is, be at peace with our families, our friends, and our work. Wherever there is justice and reconciliation, love and joy, the Lord of Easter is present.
The joy of Easter is firmly based on the realities of life. The risen Christ still shows us His cross and the wounds of His death. These harsh realities sometimes stretch our hope, when we have to live with suffering or see other people suffer neglect and poverty because of the inequalities of our society. The source of our Easter hope is not with ourselves, but in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord.
April 9, Easter Sunday is a day of celebration – let us remember that each Sunday is that same celebration when we thank our God for His passion, death and resurrection. Jesus Christ is risen, He offers us everlasting life. I pray each day that we follow His example and rise with Him.
May the peace of the Easter Season be in your hearts.
Yours in Christ, Sr. Michael Francine Duncan
SSMO Associates Covenant Day 2023
The SSMO Associates recently gathered with the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon to celebrate Covenant Day. A special Mass was held where they welcomed new members and renewed their commitment to each other and to their shared mission of serving God and the community.
Click here to view photo album on Flickr.
Sister Catherine Hertel receives Women in American History Award
Sister Catherine received the Women in American History Award from the Tabitha Moffatt Brown – David Hill Chapter, NSDAR. The Aloha, OR chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution gave the award to Sister Catherine for her innovative educational leadership that helped more than 1,000 people learn English as a second language and more than 50 people earn U.S. citizenship in Washington County.
Visit the SSMO News page to read more
Register Today for the Whole in One Golf Tournament
The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Foundation is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 10th Annual Whole in One Golf Tournament on Wednesday, May 17, at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. This event is one of the Foundation’s most fun-filled gatherings of the year. We invite you to register today for a day of fun, golf, and giving back to the community
This is YOU: tax-savvy and stress-free!
As we approach tax day on April 18, we have two great ways you can join us in serving the SSMO campus community through faith and action.
1. If you are 73 and older and have a traditional IRA, you can use our free online tool to make a tax-free IRA gift to SSMO.
2. If you have appreciated assets, you can use our free online tool to donate your stocks and avoid capital gains tax. This tax-savvy gift may also provide you an income tax deduction.
Our partnership with FreeWill allows you to make this gift in about 10 minutes. Sustain the community care efforts of the Sisters, while saving on taxes this spring!
Save the date – Give:24 is May 24
Mark your calendar for a joy-filled day of giving on Wednesday, May 24.
Give:24 is a joyous day of giving on the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Campus that supports everyone served by the Sisters and their sponsored ministries of Valley Catholic and Maryville.
Join the entire community as we give joyfully on May 24.
This is Give:24. This is Joy!
