In retirement, Martin Kuntz would putter in his North Portland yard and garage, popping inside every half hour or so, just to see his beloved.

There, Stella would come to embrace him and call him sweetheart.

But Stella, a popular member of Holy Cross Parish, died in 2006.

More than 300 people attended the funeral for this woman known for kindness and generosity.

EUGENE — In the 1980s, the last time Hayward Field here was the epicenter of Olympic trials, Cathie Twomey Bellamy competed fiercely. A world-class distance runner, she made it into the finals three times.

At Paulsen’s Pharmacy on the corner of Northeast 43rd and Sandy, get a chocolate milkshake made on a sparkling marble countertop in use for 90 years, and then step across the room to obtain a prescription using a high-speed digital system.

Thanh Van, 8, leans with arms folded against a massive statue of Jesus.
Then music from a massive Catholic Vietnamese choir fills the air, and the spunky third grader tries to scramble up the statue’s stone base for a better view.

Just ahead of Thanh, more than 6,000 worshipers are receiving Communion by way of thanking God, Mary and the U.S.A. for freedom.

The names of general contractors working on a controversial Planned Parenthood site in Northeast Portland are being kept secret.

Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette, Ankrom Moisan Architects and Walsh Construction — which in May claimed to have been dropped from the abortion clinic project — have failed to return repeated phone calls seeking information.

MARYLHURST — If ever she is kidnapped, Sister Denise Desil will tell her captors simply to kill her and be done with it. She cannot stomach the idea of being ransomed when resources for ministry are in such short supply.

“I’ll die for a good cause,” says the 57-year-old Haitian nun with a dismissive wave of the hand.

EUGENE — Before each game, the Marist High School softball team gathered at the mound to hold hands and pray. At times, they invited opponents to join in. Several players are leaders in Marist retreat programs.

Caution: Some of the descriptions in this story may not be appropriate for young children.

In 1944, at Camp Stutthof in northeast Germany, SS commanders forced a 16-year-old Polish captive to hold the heads of Jewish parents steady so they would see their children mutilated in so-called medical experiments.

Forgotten magazine aimed to bolster faith

More than 90 years ago, St. Francis Parish in Portland began publishing a monthly magazine to comment on politics, tell inspirational stories of Catholic life and strengthen knowledge of the faith.

Health crisis on horizon

Ed Langlois

With rising food costs across the globe, even more desperate young mothers may feel compelled to sell their bodies to feed their children.

That, says health expert Brian Willis, will exacerbate a singular crisis in both the women and the children.