The Portiuncula

Newsletter of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of Our Lady of the Angels

Vol.XXII, No.1

Bend Parish Ready to Move into New Offices
Work on the new parish facilities for St. Francis Parish in Bend is going very well, reports Br. Martin Haggins. In fact, the parish is ready to move all its offices from the old convent building over to the new facilities as soon as all the inspections are done. "It will be a huge process," Br. Martin says, "and will take a lot of coordination and effort. But we have everything in place and good organization."
St. Francis parish, along with the rest of central Oregon, has been experiencing major growth, and Br. Evangelist Kelly, when pastor, led in the acquisition of a new site for more adequate parish facilities, which will ultimately include church, offices, school and a new friary. Fundraising has been a major challenge, but generous donors have helped make the move possible. The new site of the parish is several miles northeast of the present downtown site, near St. Charles Hospital in Bend. The present church, built in 1924 by Br. Luke Sheehan, will be kept as a second worship site for the parish once the new church is built, which will not be for a few years. The friars have been in Bend since 1910 and have watched the parish grow from a few families scattered over the high desert to a large and active parish. In related news, the parish now has restroom facilities outside the present church. Previously, parishioners had to use the restrooms in the friary.

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