St. Andrew Catholic Mission of Pendleton Inc.
Teresa Parker, and enrolled member of the Yakama Nation grew up here on the Umatilla Reservation. She has been the chairperson of our Kateri Friendship Circle (our parish council) for many years. When the pastor of our neighboring parish, Fr. Kumar Udagandla organized a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, some of our parishioners decided to send Teresa on the pilgrimage as a representative of our parish, to pray for the healing and restoration of our parish family after COVID. The parishioners also wanted to do this for Teresa to thank her for her many years of loyal service to our parish. They had a fundraiser to pay the expenses, with Fr. Kumar, an excellent cook, providing the southern Indian food from his region. Teresa was blessed to visit the site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. While making the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem, Teresa and her group saw thestatue of Jesus the prisoner that was vadalized shortly before their visit--a reminder that there are still many enemies of Christ in the world, making all the greater the challenge to his friends to be be loyal to our Savior and Lord.
