Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart I am writing this Pastor’s Corner on the occasion of my 55th birthday. I give thanks to God for all the many blessings He has bestowed on me throughout my life and for all of you as we continue our journey of faith. I especially want to thank everyone who planned and prepared for our all parish family picnic. It was so good to gather and meet so many of you. We all have so much to be grateful for and I hope that is always in the forefront of our minds as we move forward with the Partners in the Gospel program. We are all going to be challenged in the future, but we take confidence as we look to all of the holy men and women who have gone before us a great “cloud of witnesses” (c.f. Hebrews 12:1). I have been reviewing some of the writings of my favorite saints who show forth the goodness of God in the midst of challenges and adversity. They truly remind us God provides for us in all circumstances. Let us draw upon the grace the Lord offers us each day, especially upon the grace of the Eucharist and trust together that God is working all things for our good because we love Him (c.f. Romans 8:28). On a funnier note, during my recent fishing trip to Sitka, AK with my brother, I woke up early and was sitting at the table. We were scheduled to leave that day and had finished our fishing. A new group of visitors had arrived the night before. One of these visitors was a young man who sat across from me and as we began to introduce ourselves to each other, I shared with him that I was a Catholic priest. He then went on to tell me about his faith journey. He had grown up in Lynnwood, WA but recently moved to Spokane. He spoke of a priest who did the funeral for his grandfather and aunt. He then said this priest also helped with a Confirmation retreat for his parish. He said to me, “this priest’s name was Fr. Northrop.” I said, “that’s me!” It was a blessed and humbling encounter! Have a blessed week! Father Jim

September 21st, 2024 Information Session, 9 am Black Diamond Bakery (righside) Join us for our 2024/25 season and see what we will be reading. Well-Read Mom (WRM) accompanies all women in the reading of great books and spiritual classics to encourage personal growth, friendship, and meaningful conversations in order to explore the human condition and reorient ourselves to what is good, beautiful, and true. WRM groups read one book per month and meet to discuss once a month. Book selections for each year correspond to the themes of a woman's life. This year we are excited to dive into the theme of "father" with the help of some excellent authors such as Vergil, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Carlo Collodi, among others. Any questions, email Emily at emilysimburger@gmail.com We look forward to haveing you join us. Learn more about it on our webpage.>>

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Classes begin September 9th Monday - 7:00 to 8:30 p.m . Lower Level of the Church Questions? Contact: Valerie Winston Healy paa@stbarbarbarachruch.org 360-886-2229 Learn more about RCIA from the US Bishops: https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/who-we-teach/christian-initiation-of-adults

Sunday September 15th After the 10am Mass in the Parish Hall Come Join the Knights of Columbus for good food and fellowship after both of the morning masses. We will have ham, sausage, eggs, fruit and of course, Basha's famous pancakes! Support our worthy charities which include improvements to St. Barbara church, Coats for Kids, Sponsoring our Seminarian and our Scholarship Fund. See you there!

September 22nd 4:30 - 6:30pm Parish Hall Let's celebrate reaching our Catholic Annual Appeal goal with a Pizza Party! 🥳 Please bring a dessert to share. See you there!!

Dear Parish Family, St. Francis de Sales is one of my favorite saints. Reading about his life and reading his writings have been a great help to me over the years. Saint Francis de Sales was known for his profound kindness and pastoral wisdom. Born in 1567 in the Savoy region of France, Francis de Sales dedicated his life to guiding souls with gentleness and compassion. As the Bishop of Geneva, he faced significant challenges, yet his unwavering faith and dedication transformed the lives of many. He is often referred to as “The Saint Maker”. Saint Francis de Sales is celebrated for his approachability and his deep understanding of the human heart. His writings, particularly "Introduction to the Devout Life" offer timeless advice on living a holy life amidst the demands of daily existence. His message emphasizes that sanctity is not confined to monks or clergy, but is attainable by everyone in their everyday lives. The day my grandmother passed away at a Catholic nursing home, one of his most famous quotes was posted on the chapel door. It reminds us of the goodness of God in good times and bad, and that we can count on God’s grace to carry us through each moment of life. I’ll post it at the end of this column. I hope that you’re all doing well, and I am looking forward to joining you next Sunday for our Parish Family Picnic. In Christ, Fr. Jim

September 29th, 2024 1:30pm Doors Open 2 to 3 pm Meeting, Parish Hall 3:15 to 4pm Adoration, Main Church  All women of our parish family, whether new or longtime members, are welcome as we begin our Year of Prayer, inspired by Pope Francis. We'll explore the heart of prayer, discuss upcoming opportunities, and each guest will receive a free copy of Bishop Barron's An Introduction to Prayer .  Father Jim will be our guest speaker. Come connect, reflect, and grow in faith with us! Any questions, please contact Emily Simburger, 701-330-5753 or emilysimburger@gmail.com

Dear Parish Family, This month, we honor Saint Teresa of Calcutta, a modern-day saint whose life was a profound testament to the power of compassion and selfless service. Born in 1910 in what is now North Macedonia, she dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor in the streets of Calcutta, India, and became a global symbol of charitable love. Saint Teresa, often known as Mother Teresa, founded the Missionaries of Charity, a congregation committed to caring for "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone" Her mission was grounded in a deep love for Jesus, expressed through her service to the most marginalized. Her approach was simple yet profound: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” This philosophy guided her work and serves as a powerful reminder to us all. It’s not always about grand gestures but about the small, everyday acts of kindness that can transform lives and bring us closer to Christ. As we reflect on her life and legacy, let us be inspired to live out our own call to service with the same spirit of love and dedication. Whether through acts of charity, kindness, or simply being present for those in need, we are invited to follow Saint Teresa’s example and be vessels of God's love in our own communities. In Christ Fr. Jim

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The past several weekends we have been hearing the Bread of Life discourse from the Gospel of St. John. This weekend we end our journey with the sad reality that because this teaching was hard and required faith and patience many of his followers left him. Years ago during a Wednesday audience, Pope Benedict XVI gave a fascinating teaching about what our Mass should be like based on a passage from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. I would like to end this reflection by sharing with you the last part of his message and ask you to join me with his prayer request that our Masses reflect the power of the Eucharist to get to the “heart” of our lives. Have a blessed week! in Christ, Fr. Jim Excerpt from the Wednesday Audience of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI (November 22, 2006) Obviously, underlining the need for unity does not mean that ecclesial life should be standardized or leveled out in accordance with a single way of operating. Elsewhere, Paul taught: “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thes 5:19), that is, make room generously for the unforeseeable dynamism of the charismatic manifestations of the Spirit, who is an ever new source of energy and vitality. But if there is one tenet to which Paul stuck firmly it was mutual edification: “Let all things be done for edification” (1 Cor 14:26). Everything contributes to weaving the ecclesial fabric evenly, not only without slack patches but also without holes or tears. Then, there is also a Pauline Letter that presents the Church as Christ’s Bride (cf. Eph 5:21–33). With this, Paul borrowed an ancient prophetic metaphor which made the People of Israel the Bride of the God of the Covenant (cf. Hos 2:4, 21; Is 54:5–8). He did so to express the intimacy of the relationship between Christ and his Church, both in the sense that she is the object of the most tender love on the part of her Lord, and also in the sense that love must be mutual and that we too therefore, as members of the Church, must show him passionate faithfulness. Thus, in short, a relationship of communion is at stake: the so to speak vertical communion between Jesus Christ and all of us, but also the horizontal communion between all who are distinguished in the world by the fact that they “call on the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:2). This is our definition: we belong among those who call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we clearly understand how desirable it is that what Paul himself was hoping for when he wrote to the Corinthians should come to pass: “If an unbeliever or an uninitiated enters while all are uttering prophecy, he will be taken to task by all and called to account by all, and the secret of his heart will be laid bare. Falling prostrate, he will worship God, crying out, ‘God is truly among you’ ” (1 Cor 14:24–25). Our liturgical encounters should be like this. A non-Christian who enters one of our assemblies ought finally to be able to say: “God is truly with you”. Let us pray to the Lord to be like this, in communion with Christ and in communion among ourselves.

September 1&2 St. Barbara Catholic Church is going to have a booth at the Black Diamond Labor Day Fair. We will be handing out balloons and candy! Stop by and say HI!  Want to be part of something special?  Come volunteer 2 hours  at the booth and help hand out smiles, balloons and candy! This is a great way to connect to the community and build relationships.  SIGN UP HERE! Learn More about the Fair Here>>>

Come learn and ask questions about your Catholic faith. Classes Begin September 11th Wednesday - 7:00 to 8:30 p.m . Lower Level of the Church Questions? Contact: Valerie Winston Healy paa@stbarbarbarachruch.org 360-886-2229

Join us for mass and celebrate Our Lady. August 15th 9:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Main Church See you there!