PORTLAND, Ore. — Catholic churches and homes in southern Oregon
are safe so far amid wildfires, but persistent smoke has suppressed activities —
and spirits.
"It is horrible. It is absolutely grim," said Ann
Brophy, pastoral associate at Sacred Heart Church in Medford.
This is the fourth consecutive season of heavy smoke in the
region. Brophy said this summer's dose is the worst she has seen in her 30
years in Medford. "Children can't go out and play," she said.
Seniors have been intrepid about attending Mass at Sacred Heart,
despite a dangerous and gloomy atmosphere for two months.
"They are trying to continue on with life," Brophy
said.
Like many in the region, Brophy has curtailed her daily walks and
has a nagging cough. She notices few pedestrians, cyclists or dog walkers.
"It's like a ghost town around here," she said.
Blue skies emerge now and then. But since July, air flow has
mostly covered the region with smoke from fires as close as Gold Hill and as
far as British Columbia. Northern California blazes are contributing.
Visibility often drops below a mile and on certain days, the region has some of
the world's worst air quality.
"It just keeps hanging in there," said Debbie Todor,
administrative assistant at St. Anne Parish in Grants Pass. "I have heard
some people say they can't get out because of smoke." Plans for the Sept.
1 dedication of the new church in Grants Pass went ahead.
A fire in Gold Hill was miles away from St. Rita Retreat Center,
but smoke has been "terrible," said Father Stephen Fister, executive
director of the retreat site. One group canceled a planned meditation retreat
that would have brought people from all over the country.
Scratchy throats are common and some residents have discomfort in
their chests as smoke particles cause inflammation in airways. Older people and
children have been especially vulnerable.
Our Lady of the Mountain Parish in Ashland moved its summer
picnic inside. Many outdoor performances of the town's Oregon Shakespeare
Festival have been relocated to a high school auditorium.
Mass attendance at Our Lady of the Mountain seems low, said
Stephanie Hoffman, the business manager. "The smoke does get very
tiresome," Hoffman said.
Summer haze is starting to feel normal, said Joyce Marks,
pastoral associate at Shepherd of the Valley Parish in Central Point.
"You go out to your car and there are ashes on the
windshield," she said. "People are just tired of it."
Vacation Bible School at the parish drew 100 children, but they
had to stay inside all week. "We had to be creative," said Marks, who
plans to hold the event before fire season next year.
Marks has noticed that elders are staying home more. Parish
picnic attendance was down by half, and the fall festival may need to be
postponed, depending on winds and air quality.
Throughout the region, prayers of the faithful often mention
firefighters and those who have lost homes in northern California.
Langlois is managing editor of the Catholic Sentinel,
newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland.