From the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon web site
• EMO awards the Rev. Richard Sirianni, Catholic priest and Oregon Air National Guard chaplain, “Ecumenist of the Year”
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May 4, 2007, 04:31
The Rev. Richard Sirianni will be named “Ecumenist of the Year” on May 10, 2007, at the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) Annual Community Awards & Celebration Dinner. The award is presented in recognition of outstanding efforts to promote ecumenism through a commitment to theological education and dialogue, community ministry and justice advocacy.
Ordained in 1978 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, Fr. Sirianni has been pastor at St. Henry Catholic Church in Gresham since 1998. He is affectionately called “Father Rick” by his parishioners. Previously, he served the Archdiocese at the following parishes: St. Mary Magdalene, Blessed Sacrament, St. Pius X, St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Paul in Silverton.
Fr. Sirianni’s involvement with ecumenism began in earnest in 1986 when he was appointed as co-director of the Office of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs for the Archdiocese. His commitment to the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue allowed him to be an active participant in the effort to create a permanent memorial in Portland to honor victims of the holocaust. He also served on EMO’s Board of Directors.
In addition to pastoral ministry, Fr. Sirianni is a Lt. Colonel with the Oregon Air National Guard. Commissioned in 1986, he currently serves as Wing Chaplain for the 142nd Fighter Wing. His most recent deployment took place at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany from Sept. 25 to Dec. 21, 2006, which was his second deployment to the hospital. Fr. Sirianni was the only full-time military priest at the largest U.S. military hospital outside the United States, which receives all the wounded GIs from Iraq and Afghanistan. Fr. Sirianni was also deployed to New Orleans in the fall of 2005 to minister to Hurricane Katrina victims.
A native of Portland, Fr. Sirianni earned a MDIV and MA in Theology at Mt. Angel Seminary, MA in Liturgical Studies at Notre Dame and BS in History/General Studies Social Science at Portland State University.
The EMO Annual Community Awards & Celebration Dinner will be held at The Hilton Hotel, 921 SW Sixth Ave., Portland. A reception and silent auction to benefit EMO’s ministries will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the dinner and award presentations will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and table sponsorships are available for $500. For more information, call Carla Starrett-Bigg at (503) 221-1054 or csbigg@emoregon.org.
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of Christian denominations—including Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox bodies—congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners working together to improve the lives of Oregonians through community ministry programs, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, environmental ministry and public policy advocacy.