In the parish hall of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Northwest Portland, nearly 140 people gather by candle light for dinner each week during Lent. The group is not your typical Bible study. It's not the week's readings or the latest papal encyclical being discussed. The discussion is foundational. Who is Jesus? Why does my relationship with him matter? These are just a couple of the questions asked during the 10-week course, called Quest. Quest is designed to draw people from all backgrounds. And it does. The gently lit room on the evening of February 3 was packed with people. Tables dressed with linens and candles spread across the entire floor. Not all of the attendees are parishioners of St. Patrick's. Not all of them are Catholic. But they were all there for an evening of dinner, song, discussion, and prayer. Quest was born as a place for seekers to learn about Catholic beliefs, to encounter God, and to sit with others who may be on a similar journey. "We want to provide an entry door for people to go back to church," said Father Lucas Laborde, St. Patrick's pastor. Bob Lowry, a parishioner here, has been involved with Quest since its inception at the parish over four years ago. Today, Lowry is the rector for Quest. He fills the roles of Master of Ceremonies and pastoral assistant for the program. Lowry says Quest allows Catholics to reconnect or to connect more deeply with the Church. "There's a hunger that brings people here," he said. The program has grown substantially since it originated. Lowry noted that more people would come to Quest if there was room. The crowd is limited to the parish hall's maximum capacity of 140 people. "The success is to some extent measured in numbers, but it's really not a numbers game. It's a question of 'Is it feeding people? Is it reaching people?' And it is," he said. Quest's success stems from its combination of the different elements of faith, says Father Laborde. These elements include reason, a non-threatening, social environment, an appealing and beautiful setting, and prayer. "We are trying to present the faith with conviction and power but also with a professional quality that makes it successful," says Father Laborde. Aixa Perez was originally pushed to go to Quest. "I didn't really want to go, but I went," she said. "It was an amazing experience. That person knew exactly what I needed: an encounter with God." This year, Perez sits as a discussion leader at a table of new Quest attendees. Perez said that Quest has been an opportunity for her to find a sense of community and meet new friends who are also seeking God. Its importance to her, however, lies in its outreach to those who are searching for answers. "Why am I here? I think that's a question that we all have," said Perez. "Quest doesn't tell you the answer, but it gives you the tools to figure it out." When asked why she keeps attending Quest, Perez responded, "I get to experience God's love again and again every time I come." How has this program helped the parish of St. Patrick's? As people seek to find similar Sunday communities that they have found in Quest, the parish has grown. But that is not its intent, says Father Laborde. "Our goal is not to grow our parish. Our goal is to evangelize and to be an evangelizing parish," he said. That evangelizing spirit has reached hundreds of people.

After months of anticipation, the date of Mother Teresa’s canonization has finally been announced. It falls on Sept. 4, which this year will also mark a special jubilee for workers and volunteers of mercy. Though it's been rumored for months that Mother Teresa’s canonization will take place Sept. 4, the Vatican made the date official during a March 15 consistory of cardinals. Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. After joining the Sisters of Loretto at age 17, she was sent to Calcutta, where she later contracted tuberculosis, and was sent to rest in Darjeeling. On the way, she felt what she called “an order” from God to leave the convent and live among the poor. After she left her convent, Mother Teresa began working in the slums, teaching poor children, and treating the sick in their homes. A year later, some of her former students joined her, and together they took in men, women and children who were dying in the gutters along the streets. In 1950, the Missionaries of Charity were born as a congregation of the Diocese of Calcutta. In 1952, the government granted them a house from which to continue their mission of serving Calcutta's poor and forgotten. She died Sept. 5, 1997, and was beatified just six years later by St. John Paul II Oct. 19, 2003. In addition to Mother Teresa, the consistory also decided on the canonization dates of four other blesseds: Bl. Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad, Bl. Jose Sanchez del Rio, Bl. Stanislaus of Jesus Mary and Bl. Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero. The canonization of Bl. Jose Sanchez del Rio is also noteworthy. He will be made a saint Oct. 16, alongside Bl. Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero. Blessed José Luis Sánchez del Río was brutally tortured and killed when he was 14 years old during the 1924-1928 religious persecution by Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles. José Luis had enlisted in the ranks of the Cristeros, under the command of General Prudencio Mendoza. He was martyred by the Federal Army Feb. 10, 1928. According to the story, the soldiers cut off the soles of his feet and forced him to walk barefoot to his grave. Moments before he was killed, the boy shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” or “Long live Christ the King!” His character was one of the main protagonists in the 2013 film “For Greater Glory.” Blessed Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, frequently referred to as the “gaucho priest,” will be Argentina's first saint. Born March 16, 1840, the priest suffered from leprosy throughout his life, and is known for his service to the sick and the dying. He died in 1914 and was beatified by Pope Francis Sept. 14, 2013.

Sister Anslem, Sister Reginette, Sister Judith, and Sister Marguerite were serving as caretakers at the Missionaries of Charity's convent and nursing home in Aden, Yemen. These sisters left their homes in India and Africa to serve the poor, elderly, and disabled in the war-torn country of Yemen. They worked together with volunteers at the convent's home care center, where they served around sixty to eighty patients of all religions. “They were serving all poor people irrespective of their religion. Their duty was to help the poor,” a representative from the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia told CNA. But on March 4, the convent was attacked by two gunmen who killed Sr. Anslem, Sr. Judith, Sr. Marguerite, and Sr. Reginette, along with sixteen other victims, including volunteers from Ethiopia and Yemen. Each victim was found handcuffed and shot in the head. No residents of the nursing home were harmed. Pope Francis called the sisters “martyrs of today” who “gave their blood for the Church.” According to a statement from the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, Sr. Anslem was from Ranchi, India and would have turned 60 years old on May 8. Sr. Judith was from Kenya and had just turned 41 years old on Feb. 2. Sr. Marguerite was from Rwanda and would have been 44 years old on April 29. The youngest nun, Sr. Reginette, was from Rwanda and would've turned 33 on June 29. Since the attack, the Missionaries of Charity's nursing home has been relying on the aid of volunteers and government support to continue their care of the elderly, which has lasted for 24 years in Aden. “Now, the local government is taking care of the elderly with the help of some volunteers, university students and young people,” the representative said. The convent's superior, Sister Sally, was originally reported missing during the attack, but she has since been declared safe. “Sister Sally is safe and I think she will go to her regional superior's house that is in Jordan,” the representative added. However, Salesian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil is still missing after his reported abduction. Fr. Uzhunnalil is an Indian priest who had been staying with the sisters and has not been found since the attack on March 4. No group has claimed responsibility for the onslaught against the Missionaries of Charity convent, but the country of Yemen is in the midst of a year-long civil war which has claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people.

How did you get to this point in your life? Looking back at the trajectory of your life can help you to understand why God is putting you in certain situations or bringing certain people into your life. What are the life experiences you have had and what choices have you made that brought you to where you are today? Don't stop there. Take a look into the future. Where is God calling you to be? Do you like the type of work you are doing? Are you surrounding by people who are lifting you up or dragging you down? What are you doing in that situation to change it? Are you praying for people who are causing you strife? What is most important to you? How can you look at past mistakes and sins and learn from them? Take a look at Matthew 22:36-40 and 26:26-28. Pray on those sacred words and ask God to help you with this examin. The answers we seek are with God and all we need do is ask. I am praying that your Lenten journey brings you closer to God.

The Prodigal Son gospel reading always provokes a lot of reflection. We all know the story but different parts of it speak to us individually. The father in the story is the personification of what Pope Francis is asking us to do during the Year of Mercy. The father not only loves his two sons but he provides for them and (most importantly) forgives and welcomes them back into his heart even after they have hurt him. The father's mercy to both of his sons provides us with a solid model for building a life based on mercy to others. Now some folks really identify with the younger brother who takes his inheritance early and strikes out on his own. Ending up working in a pig sty is not the life he would have chosen and the metaphor is not lost on us. When we wallow in sin, our lives become like the wayward son, disgusting, depressing, and directionless. But God is there with outstretched arms to welcome us back to the fold. Not only that, but God will meet us right where we are. That is a comforting promise. Praying that your Lenten journey is bringing you closer to God our Father.