St. Benedict, Oregon — On March 11, 16 seminarians representing seven (arch)dioceses and two religious communities were instituted as lectors and acolytes during the annual Ministries Mass at Mount Angel Seminary. Bishop Jaime Soto, bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento, was the principal celebrant and instituting prelate. Other concelebrants included Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, abbot and chancellor of Mount Angel Seminary, Fr. Jeff Eirvin, president-rector of Mount Angel Seminary, vocation directors and visiting priests, and priests from the monastery and the Seminary.

Each year the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) comforts and assists people worldwide who suffer from war, natural disasters, violent persecution or extreme poverty. That work is possible because of contributions to The Catholic Relief Services Collection. This year, many dioceses, including the Diocese of Sacramento, will take up this collection in their parishes at Masses on March 29-30. The collection benefits six Church-related entities that all offer aid to the vulnerable in carrying out the Christ’s mandate in Matthew’s Gospel to care for the “least of these.”