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St. Rita Catholic Church celebrates 50th anniversary She had her first Communion and confirmation there too. Marckx also attended the St. Rita parochial school, through fifth grade. She even met her husband, Tom Hollcraft, at the church, and was married in it. She and her husband now live near Northeast 92nd Avenue and Emerson Street. There have been a few years that Marckx lived elsewhere and did not attend St. Rita but, for the most part, its been her church. You get really involved when your kids are little, she said. She remembered there always being the annual spaghetti dinner there; she said she was involved in the preparation for the dinner when she was just a teenager. Asked about how much St. Rita has meant to her over the years, she was hesitant. I dont know how to express my feelings about the church, she told the Memo. Its comfortable. Its like home. Ive been to other churches, but I always felt more comfortable at St. Rita. It has a very welcoming kind of personality. It feels like the place I need to be, she added. And I love the people.
Rose Garre has been a parishioner since she was two years old. And because shes 86 years old, that means shes been with the church since its original building was constructed in 1923. She was baptized at St. Rita, had Communion, was confirmed and was also married there. Its like part of my home, she told the Memo. Its a big part of my life. Shes lived in the parish her entire life. Garres father, Cosmo Spada, moved his family from where the Portland International Airport is now to Columbia Boulevard when she was a little girl. She currently lives near Northeast 129th Avenue and Shaver Street, next to the Garre family farm. The Garres are one of the last of the Italian farming families in the area. As a sophomore in high school, Garre served at the first St. Rita Spaghetti Dinner; shes worked the dinner ever since. Its like a big family, she said of the parish. For more information on the 50th anniversary celebration of the completion and dedication of the building, call St. Rita Catholic Church at 503-252-3403. |
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