Holy Family CYO Legends & Legacy – Awesome Event!

May 11, 2017May 11, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel 2 Comments

HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL MAY 5, 2017

I attended the Holy Family “Legends & Legacy” event at the Celebration Center in the School to honor and celebrate CYO Sports within the parish and school community. Awesome volunteers like Rebecca Brandt and Ted Collins were on hand to emcee the show and honor coaches, athletes and thank parents. It was a wonderful event that really epitomized the CYO spirit throughout.

Rosie Honl, former CYO participant and coach and current Varsity Coach for the Crook County High School Volleyball team was the featured speaker and she was wonderful in every way. An inspiration, clinician and entertainer rolled into one. She holds the record for consecutive State Championship wins for Oregon High School volleyball at eight in a row!

In addition to all of the wonderful praise heaped upon the players and gratitude for coaches, one very special coach was inducted into the Holy Family CYO Hall of Fame, none other than Bill Mildenberger. I could not have been happier than to have witnessed the event.

Congratulations to a great club making great memories for kids!

BELOW: Rosie Honl pauses for a photo after her speech to the crowd.

BELOW: LtoR: Bill Mildenberger, Rosie Honl and Ted Collins at the Holy Family Legends and Legacy event.

Sister Charlene Herinckx – An Honor Well Deserved!

May 10, 2017May 11, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

…And I quote:

“The Regents and the President of the University of Portland have the pleasure and the honor of presenting at these Commencement Exercises the Christus Magister award. The name of the award is taken from the Latin title of the University’s chapel, Christ the Teacher. The award is bestowed on those persons who have given witness in their own lives to the elements of the mission of the University, teaching and learning, faith and formation, service and leadership. The award consists of a bronze medallion of the University’s crest surrounded by the words: The University of Portland Christus Magister Award. The year and the name of the recipient are engraved on the reverse side of the medal. The Christus Magister Medal is the University’s highest honor. Over the years we have presented the medal to senators and judges, theologians and scholars, writers and educators, cardinals and bishops, to men and women who have, in far-reaching ways, incarnated the University’s mission.

While she is a deft deflector of credit. praise and plaudits, her years of service and leadership have been marked with growth and innovation in her religious order and its many ministries which largely focus on education, healthcare and community service.

Founded in 1886, the first and only order founded in the state of Oregon and housed in their iconic green-domed motherhouse in Beaverton since 1930, the Sisters of St Mary of Oregon describe themselves as “living as women of prayer, in simplicity and sisterly love, called to be compassionate and joyful servants of the Lord.”

Beloved and respected by students, friends and colleagues alike, she embodies those traits in the very essence of her being and in bestowing the University’s highest honor upon her, we bestow it as well upon the prayerful. compassionate, charismatic joyful Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, past, present and future.

Thus, with pride and pleasure the University of Portland confers its 2017 Christus Magister Medal on Sister Charlene Herinckx, of Beaverton, Oregon, and now always of the University of Portland.”

The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and the family of Sister Charlene Herinckx were on hand to witness the wonderful award bestowed on her by the University of Portland! Congratulations Sister! #sistersblogs, #cyocamphoward, #ssmo, #Sistersofstmaryoforegon

BELOW: Sister Charlene Herinckx, Superior General of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon receives the Christus Magister Award from the University of Portland at their graduation exercises May 2017.

Below: Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon attend the graduation exercises at the University of Portland.

Below: Sister Charlene receives the award from President Mark Poorman.

Below: A close up of the medal depicting Christ the Teacher.

Congratulations SSMO Sister Thuy and Sister Colleen!!!!

May 9, 2017May 8, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND SUNDAY MAY 7, 2017

Sister Colleen Schmitt and Sr. Thuy Nguyen graduated from the University of Portland on Sunday to the delight of twenty of their Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon cheerleaders! It was a wonderful occasion to celebrate the two women who work in the ministries of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.

A party was held afterword in their honor at the Motherhouse of the Sisters in Beaverton. #sistersblogs, #cyocamphoward, #sistersofstmaryoforegon, #ssmo

BELOW: Sister Thuy Nguyen (left) and Sister Colleen Schmitt enjoy a candid photo before the ceremony begins.

Save the Last Dance for Me

May 8, 2017May 7, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel 2 Comments

Several years ago I visited a seventh and eighth grade dance put on by a public agency to see what it looked like. I was amazed at the lack of supervision and decided there and then that we needed to put on some dances to give families a choice. We started the CYO dances at Oaks Park around 2004. Mary Jane Weigel put on the early dances and did a good job of getting them started.

Maryann and Bryan Stewart have been organizing the CYO Dances for over ten years. They do a great job of it as well. Working with seventh and eighth graders is a lot of fun as they are a very special age group. The dances are not without issues as one would expect working with this age group. The youngsters are developing into young teens who make mistakes and we view it as our mission to help them correct the mistake and learn from it.

Maryann and Bryan have raised four children of their own and have a good handle on our Catholic Christian expectations and do a great job of helping the kids. We are also thankful for the committment of our DJ Tom Farley who continues to provide outstanding DJ services. As the last dance of the year approaches this May 12, CYO will say goodbye to the 8th graders and welcome the 6th graders.

As we look to the 2017-18 Dance season, Bryan, MaryAnn and I have met and assessed our procedures to ensure that we are being faithful to our mission. Dress code will be more strictly enforced, online registration will be required and the price of the dances will increase to keep up with the costs passed along to CYO. As we finalize our plans, we will make them known to our participants and parents. We offer Catholic organizations the opportunity to do the supervision for us and in return, we pay their group $500. for their 3 hour effort. If your group is interested in chaperoning, please contact the CYO/Camp Howard office.

#sistersblogs #cyocamphoward #mondayblogs

Watch Camper Ride the Camp Howard Giant Swing

May 7, 2017May 4, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

CAMP HOWARD MAY 7, 2017

When I heard about a giant swing I wondered what it was. My imagination did not image what it really was until I saw the designs. Once I understood the concept I was excited for the people who would ride it. As a youth, I loved the roller coasters and all kinds of exciting rides. The giant swing, I was sure, would be a hit with the campers at Camp Howard.

Around March of 2016 two “giant” poles were delivered to the camp and quickly thereafter, the construction company came to the camp and began work on the project. By April, the structure for the swing was in place and ready for business.

During staff training in June of 2016, the first group of individuals were trained on operating the giant swing. During one of the training periods, the CYO/Camp Howard Executive Board came to the camp to put their stamp of approval on it and also make sure it was safe for the kids to ride. The Board members rode the swing along with the zip line to ensure we could in good conscience, allow the kids to ride! #sistersblogs, #cyocamphoward

BELOW: Giant Swing structure in place 2016

BELOW: Trained Camp Howard Staff fits a parent into the giant swing harness.

BELOW: CYO/Camp Howard Business Director, Virginia Martines takes one of the first rides on the Giant Swing to make sure it is safe for the kids to ride on!

BELOW: Camper tries out the big swing to her delight!

Christ Child BXB Courts at Camp Howard

May 6, 2017May 4, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

The Christ Child Society of Portland made money available for Camp Howard to build basketball courts in 2010 with a little left over to go toward the cover which was installed in 2015. The three full sized basketball courts have been a game changer at the camp on rainy days and sunny days alike as the cover provides refuge from the rains and the sun.

When the busses for the summer programs arrive at the camp they unload campers under the Christ Child courts. The facility provides wonderful options for the camp from organization of people, sorting luggage on a rainy day, to all kinds of activities during the week rain or shine. Last year, arts and crafts took place on the other side of the blue curtains pictured below. #sistersblogs #cyocamphoward

Camp Howard TV Advertisement

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel 1 Comment

Check out our 2017 TV advertisement here:

https://vimeo.com/fox12/review/212116303/a5f3c6c06d

#sistersblogs, #cyocamphoward

How Did We Stop The Rain For Track Meet 3?…

May 3, 2017April 30, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

We stopped the rain by purchasing rain equipment for scorekeepers! It worked! Here are a few of the nearly 1900 participants in 2017 CYO Track and Field! #sistersblogs #cyocamphoward

Building Bird Houses at Camp Howard

May 2, 2017April 30, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

Six campers signed up for bird house building at Camp Howard last summer. It reminded me of my high school days in FFA (Future Farmers of America) when as a frosh one of the contests was to build a bird house. I won the contest for the region that year (no brag just fact) and I credit the “mechanical gene” that I inherited from both sides of my family for that accomplishment. I like woodworking!

We set about cutting out kits for the kids in the camp shop then had a debate over what tools the kids could use. We agreed the hand tools plus the electric drill would all be acceptable with close supervision. The kids loved using the drill. The holes were pre-rilled a little smaller than the screws to keep the wood from splitting and enable the kids to be successful immediately. They did a good job as you can see from the pictures. We painted them the same paint scheme as the original cabins at Camp Howard.

We are offering Birdhouse Camp again this summer at Camp Howard. A great sensory activity that gives kids a feeling of confidence and accomplishment! #sistersblogs #cyocamphoward

BELOW: The photos speak for themselves! Special thanks to Counselor Phoebe for her work on the project!

CYO Track & Field Week 2 Photo Gallery

May 1, 2017April 30, 2017Sr. Krista von Borstel 1 Comment

APRIL 22, 2017 CYO TRACK & FIELD –

CYO Track & Field is GREAT because it is a very active sport with a lot of choices for kids. Throwing, jumping, putting, running, sprinting, you name it, there is something for everyone! This year nearly 1900 kids signed up for CYO Track & Field. Four meets per Saturday bringing kids from all over the greater Portland area to compete with one another is a lot of fun. #sistersblogs #cyocamphoward