Around The Parish

Pamela Clarke: Liturgical Arts Coordinator-

"Preparing The House of Our Father"

"In my Father’s house are many mansions. I go to

prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a

place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto

myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John

14: 2-3

  Ever wonder who is responsible for "preparing" Our

Father’s House - the sanctuary, nave, albo, and

altar?  Like most churches, Holy Trinity has many "sacred

spaces" that are integral in our parish community's

worship experience.  Pamela Clarke, coordinator of the

Liturgical Arts Ministry, is charged with the awesome

responsibility of using those spaces to create a

prayerful, aesthetically uplifting,

liturgically-correct environment that complements the

architecture of our beautiful church.  Taking over for

long-time coordinator Kris Klaus, Pamela has held the

reigns for most of her three year tenure as a Holy

Trinity parishioner. A graduate from Oregon State

University, with a Bachelors of Science degree in

Interior Design, she regards herself as a "visual

person" who believes that creating a holy ambience

enables parishioners to more fully experience the

liturgical season they are in – be it the gravity of

Lent or the joyful celebration of Easter.  

  Pamela believes that a person's "home is their haven,"

and this is never more true than in the house of Our

Father. Working with Father Dave in strict adherence

to the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar, Pamela

uses tapestries, cloth hangings, banners and other

seasonal decorations to bring these liturgical

celebrations to life.  Pamela strives to enhance the

appearance of the Church's interior so that it gives

dignity to those celebrations, and does not detract

from them; she is conscious of how flowers, plants and

trees should and should not be introduced into the

liturgical space.  The main focus is always this: how

can interior design aid in the deepening of the

spirituality of the people and “respect the true

sanctity of the worship space.” With such vision and

depth, can the environment in which we pray be

anything less than the vehicle to meet the Lord, and

to encounter one another?

  Encountering one another at Holy Trinity has certainly

been part of the job for this cradle-Catholic,

Minnesota-native, who credits her role in the

Liturgical Arts Ministry with increasing her knowledge

of Catholicism and those who practice it next to her.

Pamela is part of the liturgical staff who, with

Father Dave’s guidance, meets monthly to coordinate

the music, scriptures and other critically-important

details of each Mass or church event.  While her

"behind-the scenes" tasks as Liturgical Arts

Coordinator are conducted during off-hours when the

Church's main sanctuary is not utilized for Masses,

weddings and funerals, it does not preclude her from

interacting with parishioners.  A favorite part of

Pamela’s position has been that it has allowed her

to become acquainted with the “great people at Holy

Trinity” who volunteer to help with decorating the

church, as is often the case during Christmas time, or

Holy Week.  “I get such satisfaction working with

others and seeing the finished environment.”    

  In addition to the Liturgical Arts Ministry, Pamela is

in charge of the Art Literature program for Holy

Trinity School’s 2nd grade, and is a member of the

school’s Extended Care staff and Young Mother‘s

Group.  She has been married to her husband, Scott for 12

years, and has 2 sons, Jackson (8) and Ryan (3 ½).  As

the owner of Pamela Clarke’s Interiors, she has used

her interior design talents to help several

parishioners create a unique environment in their own

homes.  Looking for a way to learn more about the

Catholic liturgical calendar or meet people in our

parish, Pamela’s credits her position with enabling

her to do both.  If you are interested in assisting

Pamela with caring for our church environment or would

like more information about how she can help you,

please call her directly at (503) 292-6024 or email

the Liturgical Arts Ministry at liarts@h-t.org. 

Saturday: 5:30 pm
Sunday: 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:15 am
T, Th, Fr: 8:15 main the chapel
W: 8:45 am school mass in the church

Holy Days: 9:00 am, 7:00 pm

Reconciliation
saturday: 4-5 pm