9/28/2007
‘St. Catherine of Siena’ pays a visit for parish fundraiser
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| ‘St. Catherine of Siena’ pays a visit for parish fundraiser |
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Robert Pfohman
STAYTON — What better way to roll-out a fundraising effort to renovate your falling-down mission church than to ask the saint for whom the church is named to come here to perform before a paying audience?
That’s what members of St. Catherine of Siena mission in Mill City did last week when they invited a Chicago-raised woman religious to perform her dramatic impersonation of St. Catherine in neighboring St. Boniface Church in Sublimity.
The modern-day St. Catherine is Sister Nancy Murray, now an Adrian, Michigan, Dominican sister. She was raised in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette.
Over the past four years the dramatic recreations of the life of the “great Kate,” as the saint came to be known, have evolved into a full-time ministry for the vivacious 59-year-old with blonde hair.
Sister Nancy, as St. Catherine, speaks out against injustice in a riven church and terrorized world, a theme that concerns even modern-day audiences.
Parishioners’ own 97-year-old white wooden church is under construction and unable to host the event.
The Santiam Canyon landmark church was “one windstorm away from collapse,” parishioners say.
One year ago, they recognized that they needed to raise $400,000 for a two-phase restoration of the historic building. The old foundation consisted of cement and rock pier pads, allowing the building to tilt, dropping the floor. Beyond that, the roof was rotting and repairs were needed for the bell tower.
While Phase I is funded, the Sister Nancy Murray event was the kick-off for Phase II.
In this second phase, projected to cost $150,000, stained-glass windows will be added and the plywood pews and worn carpeting will be replaced.
Jane Freres of JHL design in Portland will do the interior design and planning. Three of the six new stained-glass windows have been purchased to honor loved ones.
Additional windows are available for $8,000 each.
Sister Nancy’s new popularity originated from a story that appeared about her in the St. Anthony Messenger magazine written coincidentally by a former classmate, Barbara Beckwith. The invitations poured in afterwards and Sister Nancy has been on the go ever since, performing around the world.
Dressed in an old-fashioned Dominican habit, Sister Nancy portrays the St. Catherine who taught that love of God means love of one’s neighbor. The surrogate saint comes from a family of entertainers; one of her six brothers is the famous Bill Murray, the comedian from New York City who got his break years ago on “Saturday Night Live” television and who since has moved to roles in numerous films such as “Ghostbusters,” “Scrooged,” “Lost in Translation” and “Groundhog Day.”
He just turned 57 last week and was feted by his family at their home in Palisades, N.Y., 25 minutes outside New York City. Bill has six sons, ages six to 25.
Three other Murray brothers support themselves and their families through acting and writing roles. Sister Nancy has two sisters, as well.
Her lumber salesman father died at age 46 and her mother went to work outside the home to earn money to pay the mortgage and to buy food for the large family. Mill City parishioners were thrilled when they heard the worldly nun would travel to the canyon gateway here to help them raise money to restore their church.
“She travels the world to bring St. Catherine of Siena to life, and now she has made time to help us bring our little Mill City church back to life,” one parishioner exclaimed before last week’s performance.
The real St. Catherine, a nurse and mystic, advised popes and princes on the issues of the day. She proved to be one of the sharpest theological minds in the 1400s, even though she lacked formal education. The Italian-born visionary’s letters are considered among the most brilliant writings in the church. She died at age 33.
Sister Nancy earned a degree in theater from Barry Univerity in Miami, operated by her order, and then went on to earn an advanced degree at Loyola University in Chicago.
About 75 parishioners paid $100 each to attend a pre-performance dinner at the sprawling home here of Ted and Diane Freres, of the mill-owning family of the same name.
Afterward, everyone drove to nearby Sublimity for the performance.
Among the guests were Mel Counts, former professional basketball player who now sells real estate in Woodburn.
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