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.
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...