Ready to Begin

Tonight marks the "vigil" of the Oregon Coast Pilgrimage. Paul Swadener, good friend and parishioner at the Church of St. Mary, will accompany me for a good part of the sojourn. We traveled today from Eugene to Astoria and used the final 15 miles, from Seaside to Hammond, to scout out tomorrow's first stage of the pilgrimage. For those unfamiliar with me, I am a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Portland. I just completed twelve blessed and wonderful years at the Church of St. Mary and I will arrive at my new parish assignment, Holy Cross Parish in Portland, on or about July 1. Prior to serving in Eugene, I spent six years at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Astoria. While Astoria is very near the ocean, it has the spirit of a "river town" instead of a coastal town. Nonetheless, it is a short drive to the beach from Astoria and I made many trips from Astoria to "truly coastal towns" during my years at St. Mary, Star of the Sea. Today's scouting trip was actually just a chance to reorient myself to the area, given that I had traveled between Astoria and Seaside quite often until twelve years ago.

The genesis of this project goes way back to my first childhood memories of the Oregon Coast. My family moved to Oregon from North Dakota in the mid-1960's. I distinctly recall the first time our paternal grandparents visited us from North Dakota and we made a trip to Florence. My grandfather, Louie, was in awe of the size and power of the ocean waters. It was the first time he'd ever been to the coast, either U.S. coast for that matter, and his humble reaction to the mighty sea left a deep impression on me. During subsequent decades, our family visited various places on the Oregon Coast and we never grew tired of its beauty. Sometimes, however, when one travels the coast highway the traffic is so congested or the speeds are too great to take in the scenic beauty. Over my fifty years, I have often reflected on the possibility of going up or down the coast at a pace that would allow me to take in all of the scenery and do so in a prayerful way. All of that reflecting led me to the conclusion that walking might be the best way to do both of those things and do them well.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once wrote, "We cannot find God in noise or agitation. Nature: trees, flowers, and grass grow in silence. The stars, the moon, and the sun move in silence." Perhaps one of my aims for this pilgrimage is to create a sort of retreat experience. As I mentioned, I am now fifty years old and I have recently moved from a parish community and will soon head for another. This seems like a ripe time to "take a long, loving look at the real", as Fr. William McNamara has described contemplation. I ask for your prayers during the next thirty days and I pledge that you will be in mine. The following prayer is borrowed from Jim Forest's book The Road to Emmaus, Pilgrimage as a Way of Life. I recommend it to you and I will be praying it at the beginning and end of each day on his journey:

Lord Jesus, you traveled with the two disciples to Emmaus
after the resurrection and set their hearts on fire with your grace.
Travel also with me and gladden my heart with your presence.
I know, Lord, that I am a pilgrim on earth,
seeking citizenship in heaven.
During my journey surround me with your holy angels
and keep me safe from seen and unseen dangers.
Grant that I may carry out my plans and fulfill my
expectations according to your will.
Help me to see the beauty of creation
and to comprehend the wonder of your truth in all things.
For you are the way, the truth, and the life,
and to you I give thanks, praise, and glory forever.
Amen.

One of the things that makes this pilgrimage all the more special to me is that I am asking for your support of a group and a ministry in Eugene called 1st Way. The many people involved in the outreach provided by 1st Way are the kind of folks who freely and generously put their faith into action every day. Their primary work is reaching out to women who are pregnant and not only encouraging them to give birth to their children, but also helping them raise those children in a healthy and loving way. Tomorrow I will provide a link to 1st Way's website and more information about how you can support them by making a pledge, per mile for example, for this pilgrimage.