The Courier - August 2017

The

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COURIER

Passion of St. John the Baptist August 29

Elevate August 2017

Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, MN

Nearly 2,000 Youth Attend Steubenville Conference

By BEN FROST ROCHESTER--The Rochester Steubenville Conference was held once again this July, and just under 2,000 young people gathered for a weekend to renew their faith through fellowship and

Catholic programming. The theme for this year’s conference was Elevate, as young people were encouraged to rise above the pressure and weight of sin and to live lives centered on Christ, His

Steubenville, cont'd on pg. 9

D i o c e s e Participates in National Convocation

By BEN FROST

ORLANDO, FL--A delegation of 13 members from the Diocese of Winona attended the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando July 1-4. The event, which had been in the planning stages for several years, was an opportunity for leaders and experts from around the country to meet, pray, and work toward building up missionary discipleship. In his papal encyclical Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis called on the Church to no longer be a maintenance church, but rather one that goes out, bringing the faith to the peripheries. The themes for the convocation reflected on this document, and many of the talks referred to the Pope’s comments.

Throughout the convocation, event organizers reinforced the idea that the attendants themselves were the true experts in the room, and with each of the keynote sessions, time was given to discuss topics in small groups, and there were open microphone opportunities Convocation, cont'd on pg. 4

INSIDE this issue

Kids in a Time of Climate Change... page 2

The Hope of Becoming a Saint in Everyday Life page 5

The Role of Friendship page 10

Articles of Interest

...Becoming a Saint in Everyday Life________5

2

...Come to EnCourage______________________6 Ten Points to Create Safe Environments..._____7

The Courier Insider

Meet Our New Administrators!_______________8 The Role of Friendship____________________10 Seeds of Faith...___________________________11 The Crisis of Men Without Work_____________12 Diocesan Headlines_______________________14 Diocesan Calendar________________________20 Correction

Kids in a Time of Climate Change

What's a Catholic to Do?

By MARY REZAC WASHINGTON, D.C., Jul 17, 2017 (CNA) - Travis Rieder and his wife Sadiye have one child.

She wanted a big family, but he’s a philosopher who studies climate change with the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. One child of their own was all the world could environmentally afford, they decided.

In his college classes, Rieder asks his students to consider how old their children will be by 2036, when he expects dangerous climate change to be a reality. Do they want to raise a family in the midst of that crisis?

Many scientists concur that the earth is currently in a warming phase and that, if the earth’s average temperatures rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius, the effects would be disastrous.

The 2015 Paris Agreement, signed by nearly 200 countries within the United Nations, aims to address just that. Signatory countries agreed to work to keep the global temperature from increasing by two degrees through lowering their greenhouse gas emissions, and to work

Great!

together on adapting to the effects of climate change that are already a reality.

But reproductive solutions, such as the ones proposed by Rieder, are wildly controversial for the ethical and moral questions they raise.

Penalizing Parents In his book Toward a Small Family Ethic, Rieder and two of his peers advocate for limited family size because of what they believe is an impending climate change catastrophe.

They suggest a “carrots for the poor, sticks for the rich” population control policy, which they insist is not like China’s harsh one-child policy.

For poor developing nations, they suggest paying women to fill their birth control and widespread media campaigns about smaller families and family planning. For wealthier nations, they suggest a type of “child tax,” which would penalize new parents with a progressive tax based on income that would increase with Kids, cont'd on pg. 13

Vist www.dow.org for online access to: The Courier TV Mass Diocesan News Our Events Calendar and more!

On page 10 of our July 2017 issue, we wrongly credited the article, "Vocations Spotlight: Fr. Paul Surprenant," to Christine Kunz. Christine has informed us that the article was not written by her, but rather by a parishioner of Holy Family Parish in Kasson.

The Courier regrets this error.

Officials The Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona, announces the following appointments: Dean Rev. Kevin Connolly: appointed Dean of the Austin/Albert Lea Deanery, in addition to his appointment as Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Owatonna and Christ the King Parish in Medford, effective July 1, 2017.

Priest Assignment Rev. John Lasuba: currently Parochial Vicar of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Rochester; appointed Pastor of Christ the King Parish in Byron and Holy Family Parish in Kasson, effective August 8, 2017.

Diaconal Ministry

Minnesota Catholic Conference Sr. Mary Raphael Paradis, RSM: reappointed to the Minnesota Catholic Conference Life, Family and Healthcare Committee for a threeyear term, effective June 21, 2017.

Mr. Thomas Crowley: reappointed to the Minnesota Catholic Conference Life, Family and Healthcare Committee for a three-year term, effective June 21, 2017.

Mr. Robert Tereba: reappointed to the Minnesota Catholic Conference Social Concerns Committee for a three-year term, effective June 21, 2017.

Deacon Thé Hoang: appointed to diaconal ministry at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Rochester for the summer of 2017, effective June 23, 2017.

Mr. Thomas Parlin: appointed to the Minnesota Catholic Conference Social Concerns Committee for a three-year term, effective June 21, 2017.

Deacon Brian Mulligan: appointed to diaconal ministry at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Mankato for the summer of 2017, effective June 23, 2017.

Mr. Christopher Smith: appointed to the Minnesota Catholic Conference Education Committee for a threeyear term, effective July 10, 2017.

Child Abuse Policy Information

The Holy Father's Intention for August 2017 Artists That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.

The Diocese of Winona will provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employees, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should call the Victim Assistance Coordinator at 507454-2270, Extension 255. A caller will be asked to provide his or her name and telephone number. Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil authorities. The Diocese of Winona is committed to protecting children, young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, parishes and ministries.

The diocesan policy is available on the diocesan web site at www.dow.org under the Safe Environment Program. If you have any questions about the Diocese of Winona’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, or mhamann@dow.org.

The Courier is the Official Publication of the Diocese of Winona 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 Vol 108 - 8

Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Publisher Nick Reller, Associate Editor Telephone: 507-858-1257 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: nreller@dow.org Subscription Rates: $5 per year in the U.S. Parishioners in the Winona

Diocese subscribe through their parish. Periodicals postage paid at Madelia, MN Postmaster.

Publishing Schedule: Monthly - Deadline for advertising & articles is the 10th of the month prior.

August, 2017 w The Courier

(ISSN 0744-5490)

Our Blessed Mother �ear Friends in Christ, Honoring Mary

Rejoice in Hope Bishop John M. Quinn Bishop's Calendar

August 1-2, Tuesday-Wednesday Knights of Columbus 135th Supreme Convention - St. Louis, MO August 3, Thursday 1 p.m. - Holy Hour 2 p.m. - Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting August 5, Saturday 5:15 p.m. - Rite of Candidacy for DOW Seminarians Matthew Nordquist, Ezra Lippert, Mitchell Logeais, and Michael Churchill - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona

I will be celebrating Mass at the rural home of Andy and Natalie Price in Kasson on October 13, the date of the sixth and final apparition to the three shepherd children in Fatima. This was also the occasion of the great “miracle of the sun,” where 70,000 people saw the sun spin and seem to drop to the earth, before returning to its normal place in the sky. This miraculous occurrence helped people realize that the children’s reports about seeing Mary were true. I invite you to join me in celebrating this Fatima anniversary on October 13.

First Profession of Vows On July 28, I was honored to celebrate the Mass of First Profession of Vows for the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tennessee. Due to the recent passing of Bishop Choby of the Diocese of Nashville, the Sisters asked me to be the principal celebrant for this year’s celebration, and I was honored to accept their invitation. Making this occasion extra special was the fact that one of the novices who professed first vows was a young woman from the Diocese of Winona, Sr. Madeline Rose Kramer. Sr. Madeline Rose is the sister of one of our diocesan seminarians, Bennett Kraemer. It was a joy to witness Sr. Madeline Rose take this next step in her vocation. The Diocese of Winona rejoices with the whole Kraemer family on the occasion of Sr. Madeline Rose’s profession.

The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, commonly known as the Nashville Dominicans, is an order dedicated to sharing the fruits of their prayer and contemplation through teaching, and the sisters are easily recognized by their signature white habits. It is a blessing to have them active in the life and service of the Church.

Please pray for those who made their profession, and for all religious men and women!

August 6, Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Rite for Institution of Ministry of Lector for DOW Seminarian David Kruse - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona August 7, Monday 5 p.m. - Round Table discussion with Camp Summit Youth attendees 7 p.m. - Mass - Camp Summit August 22, Tuesday Day of Reflection - Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit

Convocation of Catholic Leaders It was a singular blessing for me and the participants from the Diocese of Winona to partake in the gathering of Catholic leaders from across the United States, that took place over the 4th of July holiday in Orlando, Florida.

Over 4,000 people attended the conference. Included were bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and lay leaders who came to reflect on the “Joy of the Gospel” and to explore fresh approaches to evangelization.

The delegation from the Diocese of Winona consisted of Ben Frost, Dana Petricka, Deb McManimon, Juan Gonzalez, Olivia Gonzalez, Fr. Raúl Silva, Msgr. Tom Melvin, Bev McCarvel, Nelle Moriarty, Nicole Henrichs, and Bishop Harrington. We met each morning for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and spent time after lunch and dinner discussing the need to move from being a church only involved in the maintenance of daily operations, to a church on fire with the Holy Spirit, that is permanently on mission proclaiming the joy of the Gospel to those especially on the peripheries of the Church and society.

Over those four days, the Holy Spirit was very active and the energy of the Holy Spirit flooded the hearts of the participants. It will take prayer, reflection, and discussion to understand the meaning of this event and its impact on the Diocese of Winona, but I share with you here a few of the points that were discussed: • The Church is missionary and exists to proclaim Jesus Christ and to lead people to an encounter with Him and become His disciples.

• Christians are to experience joy in spreading the Gospel, because the salvation won for us by Jesus Christ can never be reversed or revoked.

Forget being a sourpuss!

• Prayer is essential to being a disciple. Should an effort be made to help people pray in fresh ways or to introduce basic methods of prayer throughout the Diocese of Winona?

3 From the Bishop

Our Lord Jesus Christ, when He was on the cross, entrusted His Blessed Mother to us, to be our mother as well. Mary always wants what is best for us and is ready to quickly come to our aid. She is also the perfect model of humility, obedience, and acceptance of God’s will.

Mary shows us by example how to say yes to the Lord, for no matter what God asked of her, the Blessed Virgin’s response was, “Let it be done unto me according to Thy will.” Thus, in honoring Mary, we not only show respect to Christ’s mother and our heavenly mother, but we also hold her up as an example of faithfulness and discipleship for all of us to emulate.

On August 15, the Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when our Blessed Mother was assumed body and soul into heaven. The Church has recognized this as such an important event in the

life of the Church that it is a Holy Day of Obligation, a day when all the Catholic faithful are to attend Mass. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, so there is no better way to celebrate the glorious Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This event also gives us great hope, for in Mary’s assumption we see what we all hope to one day attain – the resurrection of our body and soul in the glory of Heaven. This August 15, let us attend Mass with joy, looking forward to that day when we too may share body and soul in the rewards of heaven, with Mary and all the saints!

We celebrate another important day in the life of our Blessed Mother on September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Along with Jesus and St. John the Baptist, Mary is one of three people whose birthdays we celebrate in the course of the Church year. On this day I will continue the tradition started by Bishop Harrington, of renewing the consecration of the Diocese of Winona to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Through this consecration, we seek to place ourselves and our diocese under Mary’s protection, asking for her intercession and entrusting ourselves to her faithful care. Growing in our relationship with Mary will only lead us closer to her son – to Jesus through Mary! I encourage you to personally consecrate yourselves to Mary as well. This is a beautiful practice we have in our Church, that many saints, including St. John Paul II, have faithfully used to further their devotion to Mary. There are many books that can help you prepare for a personal consecration, and Mary always bestows many graces and blessings to those who place themselves under her care.

This year we also continue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. As part of the celebrations of this centenary,

• Immigration is a blessing but how can parishes facilitate the building of relationships and bridges, that span the challenges of different languages and cultures?

• Accompaniment means making time for people to tell their faith story. Can parishes identify parishioners to accompany the seekers, the hurting, the angry, and the nones? The nones are those who have no religious affiliation and are often indifferent to organized religion.

In the coming weeks, these issues along with the many fruits of the Leadership Conference will be explored. Please pray for those who attended the Convocation, and for clergy and lay leaders in our diocese, that we may effectively bring people to know Christ and His Church. May we all seek to further the Mission of Jesus Christ in the Diocese of Winona!

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Rev. John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona

August 24-26, Thursday-Saturday Region VIII Bishops Conference

August 31, Thursday 7:45 a.m. - Teach at SMU

August 27, Sunday 10 a.m. - Mass of Installation for Pastor, Fr. Russell Scepaniak - St. Pius X Church, Rochester 5 p.m. - Dinner with IHM Seminary Faculty

August 31-September 3, Thursday-Sunday St. Vincent de Paul National Assembly - Tampa, FL

August 29, Tuesday 7:45 a.m. - Teach at SMU August 30, Wednesday 4:45 p.m. - Vespers and Mass of the Holy Spirit - IHM Seminary

September 5, Tuesday 7:45 a.m. - Teach at SMU September 7, Thursday 7:45 a.m. - Teach at SMU 1 pm - Holy Hour 2 pm - Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting August, 2017 w The Courier

Convocation,

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cont'd from pg. 1

to allow for feedback from the 3,500 leaders present. These leaders formed a diverse group whose fields of expertise included multicultural ministry, youth ministry, social justice, lay formation, family life, evangelization and several other areas of ministry. While the group had broad representation, the idea of missionary discipleship brought commonality to the discussions.

In one of the keynote addresses, Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight for the Knights of Columbus, emphasized the importance of missionary discipleship. He quoted Evangelii Guadium as he said, “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the people of God have become missionary disciples," and that "the new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized.” Anderson touched on the reality that the peripheries are present all around us and that even our own lives can reflect peripheries.

During another plenary session, Pat Lancionci, a Catholic speaker and corporate leadership consultant, encouraged the delegations to build up leadership and unity in the Church. He offered many concrete ideas to establish more accountability, communication, and effectiveness in the Church’s work. He encouraged the group to tear down silos and work to build up trust. He said, “We have to take off our hats that say what our day jobs are, and put on hats that say, 'I work for the parish, the diocese, for God.' And we have to remember that we are all in this together.”

He continued, “No matter what idea comes out of this for reaching the periphery, if we’re not together inside, we’re not going to have credibility, …but if we can hold one another accountable and make good decisions, the Holy Spirit is going to shock us with all the things we can do for Him, for God.” The Diocese of Winona delegation included Bishop John M. Quinn, Bishop Bernard Harrington, Msgr. Tom Melvin (Vicar General), Fr. Raúl Silva, (Hispanic Ministry), Olivia and Manolo Gonzalez (Neo Catechumenal Way), Nichole Henrichs (Catholic Charities), Ben Frost (Youth and Communications), Dana Petricka (Young Adults/Discipleship), Deb McManimon (St. Paul Street Evangelization), Bev McCarvel (Council of Catholic Women), and Nelle

August, 2017 w The Courier

Moriarty (Safe Environment). The group participated in plenary and breakout sessions and, several times a day, would meet to discuss what was insightful and how the Lord might be asking us to respond to the discussions back home. Areas of discussion included discipleship efforts, Hispanic ministry, building up family life, strengthening social ministry, and deepening the prayer lives of the faithful. As the group discussed many ideas at length, it became clear that they needed to take these ideas to prayer and allow for a process to engage the wider diocesan community in the conversation.

As the convocation concluded on July 4, there was a spirit of excitement and enthusiasm from the participants. Delegations returned to their respective dioceses and organizations, and will now begin the work of responding to the call of missionary discipleship.

In the months to come, the Diocese of Winona delegation will be gathering to pray about the fruits of the convocation and how the Lord might be calling the diocese to respond. In many ways we see

the foundation of missionary discipleship already being laid. This last Pentecost, Bishop John Quinn invited leaders from lay ecclesial movements and organizations to join him for Mass, in which he called on the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on the groups. Many parishes have begun organizing with St. Paul Street Evangelization to go out into the city centers and offer prayer, love, and support to communities. Many communities are responding to the poor, the homeless, and the marginalized through organizing meals and opening facilities for sleeping. The work of accompaniment is already happening, and the Lord continues to bless our communities with incredibly committed leadership, in both the clergy and the laity.

Please join the convocation delegation in praying for inspiration from the Holy Spirit. As Pope Francis reminds us, in our Baptism, we are all called to be missionary disciples.

Come Lord. Give us the courage to respond to our baptismal grace, to go out to the peripheries, and to share your love with the world.

Ben Frost is Director of Communications and Youth & Young Adults for the Diocese of Winona

The Diocese of Winona's delegation to the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, FL (L to R): Bev McCarvel, Nicole Henrichs, Ben Frost, Nelle Moriarty, Dana Petricka, Bishop Bernard Harrington, Manolo Gonzalez, Deb McManimon, Olivia Gonzalez, Fr. Raúl Silva, and Bishop John Quinn.

The Hope of Becoming a Saint in Everyday Life

first hour and in this present hour, the Church offers us the stories of our sisters and brothers in the faith who “have faced the supreme trial” and stand as a “sign of the great hope … that nothing and no one could separate [us] from God’s love given to us in Jesus Christ” (cf. Romans 8:38-39).

What, then, is to be our path as disciples? In a world “marked by sin,” Christians must stand against the “various forms of selfishness and injustice” and “walk in the opposite direction.” We must “strip” ourselves from the “wealth and power” of this world, becoming even “detached” from our very selves. Instead, we travel our “path in this world” armed only with “heart[s] filled with love." Our true strength lies in the Gospel and in the assurance that “Jesus is before us and does not cease to accompany his disciples” (from the June 28 general audience).

Our Holy Father challenges us also to hold on to “the hope of being saints.” To be a “saint in everyday life,” he teaches, “does not mean that we have to pray all day.” Rather, “it means that we must do [our] duty all day: pray, go to work, take care of [our] children” - and to do all of these things, even in the midst of illness, suffering, and difficulty, with our “heart[s] open to God” (from the June 21 general audience).

And, in words that took me back to my Confirmation experience, he states: “May the Lord give us the hope to be saints. Let us not think that it is a difficult thing, that it is easier to be delinquents than saints! No. We can be saints because the Lord helps us; he is the One who helps us.”

Perhaps I was right in my answer to the bishop, and perhaps he was right in his perspective as well. Within the ways of the world, it is easier to be self-centered and self-seeking. But, within our surrender to God’s grace, we can more easily travel the saints’ way of self-sacrificing love. Deo gratias!

Lay Formation

Todd Graff

Director of Lay Formation & RCIA tgraff@dow.org

The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.

-Léon Bloy

I still remember it well. I was in the fourth grade,

at my Confirmation service. My older brother, Michael, was sitting next to me as my sponsor.

There was a large group of us being confirmed on that day. I had studied well to prepare for the questions we were told the bishop would be asking us on that day: What is a sacrament? What are the seven sacraments? What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? …

I was ready, or so I thought. But the bishop didn’t begin with any of the questions we had prepared for. He asked us something that seemed much simpler. “Is it easier to be good, or to be bad?”

Well, that seemed an easy one, and I raised my hand along with just about all of those being confirmed with me on that day. And, out of the sea of hands, mine was chosen. I answered without hesitation, “It’s easier to be good, Bishop.”

He paused, and then said, “Now, wait a minute and think about it.” And, then, he asked again, “Is it easier to be good or to be bad?”

I paused briefly, and then responded confidently, “It’s easier to be good.”

He shook his head, and replied, “No, it’s easier to be bad.”

I don’t really remember any of what he said after that. No doubt he told us about the effects of original sin, concupiscence, the temptations all around us, etc. I just knew that I had been chosen to answer one of his questions, and that I had gotten it wrong. I was distraught, and my parents had to persuade me at the reception to go and shake the bishop’s hand - a custom for the newly confirmed.

I have thought of that experience now and then over the years. And, to be honest, I’m not sure if I would answer that question differently today, some 40+ years later. I do understand the power of sin in my life and in the world. And I do experience the daily struggle to walk the path of faith, hope, and love. But, deep in my heart, the powerful draw to grace and to goodness is stronger and more attractive than the temptation to give in to the power of darkness and selfishness also working in me.

This is not to say, of course, that I always

5

resist sin in my life. I don’t, and stand ever in need of God’s forgiveness and merciful love. But sin remains the path that leads away from who I am and who I am called to be. And, in this sense, it still seems to me that it’s “easier” in some sense to choose the way that is most authentic and faithful to my primary identity as a child of God, who is “gracious and merciful … good [and] compassionate toward all” (Psalm 145:8-9). This is the way of joy, of hope, and of peace - in short, the way of self-giving love.

I relate this story because I have been deeply struck by some reflections of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, in his recent general audiences. He has been speaking of the grace of our Baptism, of the witness of saints and martyrs, of the battle against evil, and of our call to discipleship.

At his June 21 general audience, he spoke of the saints as the “great cloud of witnesses,” our companions on the journey of faith, who have taken “this same path before us, who knew the same struggles and who live forever in God’s embrace.” As Christians, we “do not despair in the fight against evil,” but affirm that the “last word on the history of mankind is not hatred; it is not death; it is not war.” The “hand of God” assists us in each moment, and the witness of the saints shows us “that Christian life is not an unattainable ideal.”

At his June 28 general audience, Pope Francis reflects further on this “cloud of witnesses,” referring to the martyrs who have given their lives “out of loyalty to the Gospel.” Both in her

This is the great gift that each of us can make to the world. May the Lord grant us the grace to believe so profoundly in him as to become for this world the image of Christ. Our history needs "mystics:" people who reject all dominion, who aspire to charity and fraternity; men and women who live, also accepting a portion of suffering because they take on the burdens of others. But without these men and women, the world would have no hope. For this reason, I wish for you--and I also wish for me--that the Lord may grant us the hope of being saints.

-Pope Francis, General Audience June 21, 2017 August, 2017 w The Courier

Life, Marriage & Family

6

Loved One with Same-Sex Attraction?

Come to EnCourage

The following article is reprinted with permission from the National Catholic Register (www.ncregister.com), where it appeared May 26, 2017.

By BERNIE S.

�ourbout 12 years ago, my wife and I received a letter from son, who was then about 30. On the back of the

envelope he had written that we should read it together.

“Uh oh,” we thought, bracing ourselves for what it might contain.

He informed us that he was attracted to persons of the same sex, which he first noticed when he was in his late teens.

Not to worry, he assured us. He had been living a chaste life and intended to continue.

But about nine months later, he formally “came out” and told us that he would seek a partner. He has since had two partners and has recently separated from the second, after a seven-year relationship during which they were “engaged.”

All kinds of emotions and thoughts took over immediately: shame, fear and worries for his salvation and physical and spiritual well-being.

Our initial focus was largely inward: Where had we gone wrong in raising him? Did we dare share this “shameful fact” with anyone? What would family and friends think of us? What kind of relationship should we seek to maintain with him and a partner? What would this mean for his future life, for his career and for his membership with the Church? What would we do if he decided to get “married?”

The initial experience was very isolating. We told only our closest friends and family, some of them only after much time had passed. Our main recourse was to priest friends and confessors. We remain grateful for their good advice, which came down to “just love him.”

A couple of years passed, and then we saw a notice in our diocesan paper for EnCourage, an apostolate related to Courage, the Catholic ministry to persons with samesex attraction (SSA). EnCourage serves the spiritual and relational needs of parents, siblings, children, spouses and other relatives and friends of persons with SSA. To our great comfort—and initial surprise—we heard many stories like our own: of children raised in traditional Catholic households who, despite having attended Catholic schools and being taught about chastity as the path to holiness, identified and lived as “gay.”

We were not alone, after all!

We heard parents talk about their children in a calm August, 2017 w The Courier

Peter Martin

Director of Faith Formation and Life, Marriage & Family pmartin@dow.org

and loving way, with obvious sorrow for their attraction and choices but filled with hope for their eventual salvation. Over the years, we’ve since seen many persons come in filled with anger and anguish about their children, often admitting to raising their kids in rocky and tumultuous, if not dysfunctional, environments. And, with time and the support of the EnCourage community, we have seen the anger fade, replaced with hopeful love, and relationships mend.

Our EnCourage community has become another family that we look forward to meeting with each month.

Embracing the fullness of Catholic teaching, EnCourage members support one another and their loved ones through discussion, prayer and fellowship.

It is a community of faithful Catholics—bearing unique crosses, but with similar experiences—who, by their words, prayers and example, help one another bear their burdens with grace and patience. Meetings are built around EnCourage’s five goals: 1. To grow spiritually through spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of penance and holy Eucharist; 2. To gain a deeper understanding of the needs, difficulties and challenges experienced by men and women with same-sex attractions; 3. To establish and maintain a healthy and wholesome relationship with their loved ones with same-sex attractions; 4. To assist other family members and friends to reach out, with compassion and truth and not rejection, to their loved ones with same-sex attractions; and 5. To witness to their loved ones by their own lives that fulfillment is to be found in Jesus Christ through his Church.

Meetings always include recitation of the Rosary and prayers for our loved ones and ourselves and a joint reading of the five goals. We speak openly and off the record.

We try to help one another to love our children—and one another—more unconditionally and to navigate through those shoals where tough, practical decisions must be made and where unconditional love does not mean unconditional approval and can often mean “tough love.”

Our excellent priest and deacon moderators keep us on track, clarify moral issues, and provide spiritual guid-

ance and inspiration. We hear of minor miracles among our children and major miracles of spiritual and relational growth among our group.

We have found there are no strangers at an EnCourage meeting, just fast friends who welcome and support us.

We are now blessed to have two flourishing EnCourage chapters in our immediate area and are working to publicize EnCourage more intensively.

Much work remains. Staff at Courage International estimate that there are about 75 EnCourage chapters (versus 170 Courage chapters or contacts worldwide). Our local chapters have about 15 members each; this suggests that, nationwide, fewer than 1,200 persons are benefiting from EnCourage assistance.

How large might the EnCourage “market” be? I estimate that at any time approximately 600,000 Catholics may be persons committed to Catholic sexual ethics who have a loved one with same-sex attracton. In the U.S., there are approximately 254 million persons 16 and older.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that 2.3% of them, or about 5.9 million, identify as SSA. If we assume that at least 1.5 friends and family members are deeply concerned about the fact that their loved one is homosexual or bisexual, we are talking about nearly 9 million persons, and 1.9 million of them Catholics (as 22% of Americans identify as Catholic).

Using as an estimate of the percentage supporting Catholic sexual ethics the one-third who report that they attend Mass at least weekly, that is still about 600,000.

Discussions with priests who counsel people who have loved ones with SSA indicate that many of these prefer to “go it alone” or are too embarrassed or shy to join a group; but even if only one in five would embrace EnCourage if they knew about/had access to it, EnCourage is now reaching only about 1% of those who would benefit.

Our basic advice is: Don’t go it alone! Please do not suffer in silence.

Log on to CourageRC.org/encourage/#encouragechapters to see if there is an EnCourage chapter near you.

And if you do not have a loved one with SSA, please spread the word about this ministry to those you know who do.

Their suffering is deeper than you know. Help them.

You can also look into starting a group yourself.

Get basic guidance from Courage International: See the Courage website, CourageRC.org, or call (203) 803-1564.

Ask your diocese for support.

Also ask your confessor to be a mentor or to suggest one. Then ask the mentor whether he knows other persons who would be interested in joining a group. Most confessors undoubtedly are asked to counsel people who have loved ones with SSA, and they might be willing to convene a group by asking people who come to them whether they’d be interested in meeting others in the same situation for mutual support under the EnCourage banner.

We repeat: Don’t go it alone!

While the pain of our situation has not gone away, we found something new.

The joy of Our Lord’s love and the compassion and support from our new friends are crowding out the pain and have even given us greater hope for our son.

Come with us on this journey. It will change your life. ©2017 EWTN News, Inc.

Ten Points to Create Safe Environments for Children �he United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

has released the following 10 points to keep in mind when building environments that are safe for our children. For more Safe Environment literature by the USCCB, visit www.usccb.org.

Safe Environment

Mary Hamann

Safe Environment Program Manager mhamann@dow.org

7

1. Sexual molestation is about the victim.

Many people are affected when a priest abuses a minor, but the individual most impacted is the victim who has suffered a violation of trust that can affect his or her entire life. The abuser, the family of the abused, and the 5. The residual effects of having been parish community are all affected by this sin abused can last a lifetime. and crime, but the primary person of concern Those who have been abused seldom just must be the victim. get over it. The sense of violation goes deep into a person's psyche, and feelings of anger, 2. No one has the right to have access to shame, hurt, and betrayal can build long after children. the abuse has taken place. Some have even described the feeling as if it has scarred their If people wish to volunteer for the church, soul. for example, in a parish or school, they must follow diocesan guidelines on background 6. Feeling heard leads toward healing. checks, safe environment training, policies Relief from hurt and anger often comes and procedures, and codes of conduct. No when one feels heard, when one's pain and one, no matter who they are, has an autoconcerns are taken seriously, and a victim/ matic right to be around children or young survivor's appropriate sense of rage and people who are in the care of the church indignation are acknowledged. Not being without proper screening and without folacknowledged contributes to a victim's sense of being invisible, unimportant, and unworlowing the rules. thy; they are, in some way, revictimized.

3. Common sense is not all that common.

7. You cannot always predict who will be It is naive to presume that people automatian abuser. cally know boundaries, so organizations and Experience shows that most abuse is at families have to spell them out. For example, the hands of someone who has gained the no youth minister, cleric, or other adult leadtrust of a victim/survivor and his/her family. er should be in a child's bedroom, alone with Most abuse also occurs in the family setting. the child.

Sometimes, the nicest person in the world is an abuser, and this niceness enables a false 4. Child sexual abuse can be prevented. sense of trust to be created between abuser and abused.

Awareness that child sexual abuse exists and can exist anywhere is a start. It is then criti8. There are behavioral warning signs of cal to build safety barriers around children child abusers. and young people to keep them from harm.

Training and education help adults recognize These barriers come in the form of protecgrooming techniques that are precursors to tive guardians, codes of conduct, background abuse. Some abusers isolate a potential vicevaluations, policies and procedures, and tim by giving him or her undue attention or safety training programs. lavish gifts. Another common grooming technique is to allow young people to participate

in activities of which their parents or guardians would not approve, such as watching pornography, drinking alcohol, using drugs, and excessive touching, which includes wrestling and tickling. It is also critical to be wary of age-inappropriate relationships, seen, for example, in the adult who is more comfortable with children than fellow adults.

Parishes can set up rules to guide interaction between adults and children.

9. People can be taught to identify grooming behavior.

Abusers take certain actions to project the image that they are kind, generous, caring people, while their intent is to lure a minor into an inappropriate relationship. An abuser may develop a relationship with the family to increase his credibility. He might show attention to the child by talking to him/her, being friendly, sharing alcohol with a minor, and giving the child status by insinuating that the child is a favorite or special person. Offenders can be patient and may groom their victim, or his/her family or community, for years.

10. Background checks work.

Background checks in churches, schools, and other organizations keep predators away from children both because they scare off some predators and because they uncover past actions that should ban an adult from working or volunteering with children. If an adult has had difficulty with some boundaries that society sets, such as not driving while intoxicated or not disturbing the public peace, he or she may have difficulties with other boundaries, such as not hurting a child.

Never forget that offenders lie.

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Meet Our New 8 Principals � Catholic Schools

atholic school principals articulate the mission of Catholic education to their communities. The principals in our Catholic schools promote a community of believers and strive to develop active communities of faith within their schools.

They assume the tasks of leadership, administration, curriculum and instruction, staff development, student services, parent relations, finances and facilities management, and development and recruitment. Our Catholic school principals hold a position of trust and service. Everything they do leads their students closer to Christ.

As Superintendent of Catholic Schools, I offer my gratitude and prayers for those principals who have retired or pursued different employment options for the 2017-18 school year. I will miss each of them and their servant leadership to our schools. As a team, we have worked together toward a common goal, and I respect them for who they are and the role models they have witnessed to our students and staff. We have accomplished much as we strive to reach new heights in the best interest of our students. I wish our principals God's continued blessings, and may they always remember that everything is possible with God. As we celebrate the accomplishments of these principals, we also welcome their successors. Our incoming principals bring unique experiences, gifts, and talents to their new positions. I am confident that these new leaders will continue to proclaim the Gospel and lead Catholic schools as a foundational mission of the Church in the Diocese of Winona.

Please join me in welcoming our new principals: Matthew Langsdale - St. John the Evangelist/St. Pius X, Rochester Christopher Smith - Holy Spirit, Rochester Eric Sonnek - St. Felix, Wabasha Sarah Striemer - St. John Vianney, Fairmont Jennifer Swanson - St. Mary's - Owatonna

Next month's Courier will highlight Jennifer Swanson and Christopher Smith.

Marsha Stenzel

Superintendent of Catholic Schools mstenzel@dow.org

Excited and Humbled

By MATT LANGSDALE

�

y name is Matt Langsdale. My wife, Jaime Lea, and I have four children: Sophie (12), Deacon (9), Cullen (6), and Sadie (3). I am excited and humbled to have been chosen as the principal of St. John the Evangelist/St. Pius X School. My family and I have been members of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Rochester for 13 years. My children attend Rochester Catholic Schools. It is a great honor for me to be able to serve the Rochester Catholic community that has embraced my family and me for so many years.

I have gained many experiences in my professional career. I have taught in the inner-city of South Minneapolis, the suburbs of Maple Grove, and the diverse setting of Rochester. I have also been an administrator in Rochester and White Bear Lake. Every experience has been a blessing for me and has led me to this new role. My goal as the principal of St. John/St. Pius School is to help each person (students, staff members, community members) grow spiritually, academically, and socially to become the very best person they can possibly be.

We look forward to serving the Rochester Catholic Schools Community. Please feel free to contact us any time. (mlangsdale@rcsmn.org or 507-282-5248 for the St. John Campus).We would love to give you a tour of our facilities to show you the wonderful opportunities that we can provide at St. John/St. Pius School.

Matt Langsdale is the new principal of St. John the Evangelist/St. Pius X School in Rochester.

Back Where I Started

By ERIC SONNEK

I

f you asked me 14 years ago if I could foresee myself leading a Catholic school and living in a small town, I would have said yes. Absolutely. I was studying to become a priest.

But God has His own plan. After leaving the seminary to discern the right path for me, I met my nowwife Maggie. We were both studying at Saint Mary’s University in Winona. After we got married, we moved to St. Louis Park—just west of Minneapolis. I taught at two Catholic schools before moving to a charter school.

I’m so excited to be back in the Catholic school setting—in an area as beautiful and welcoming as WabashaKellogg. Within days of moving in, we were welcomed with home-cooked meals, fresh-baked biscuits and friendly smiles and introductions.

Maggie and I have three small children, ages 5, 3, and 1. We are thrilled that we can raise them in a small town, close to where we first met.

It’s ironic that I’m back where I started so many

Extremely Blessed

years ago. Sometimes God’s plan looks different than ours. It’s hard to trust His ways. But I’m learning that His paths are much greater than mine.

I’m so excited to meet more of this community.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a member of the St. Felix community.

Eric Sonnek is the new principal of St. Felix School in Wabasha.

By SARAH STRIEMER

�

y name is Sarah Striemer. My husband and I have four children, Isaac (13), Gabriel (11), Clare (8), and Jonah (8). We feel extremely blessed to be a part of the St. John Vianney family. I have been teaching at St. John Vianney for 14 years, and I am now excited to announce that I am the new principal at St. John Vianney.

Teaching in a parochial setting has given me opportunities to share my faith with children every day. Not only have I been able to teach them, but they teach me things each day about faith, life, and what's important.

My goal as a Catholic school educator is to take the gifts that our students have been given and enhance them so that they can live successful lives here on earth. My greater goal, though, is to teach children how to live lives that follow the teachings of Jesus so that when their time on earth is done, they will be able to enter heaven.

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All of us at St. John Vianney Catholic School are excited for the school year. We look forward to serving each family who enters through our doors. Please feel free to contact us anytime with questions about our school: 507-235-5304 or sstriemer@sjvschool.net!

Sarah Striemer is the new principal of St. John Vianney School in Fairmont.

9

Ben Frost

Director of Youth & Young Adults, Communications and Public Relations bfrost@dow.org

Steubenville, cont'd from pg. 1

Church, and heroic virtue.

Featured at the 2017 event was Father Michael Schmitz, a priest from the Diocese of Duluth and national speaker/blogger. Father Schmitz took the lead on preparing the youth for prayer and sacraments, and he also delivered a keynote presentation. Paul J. Kim attended the conference as well. He travels the country as a speaker, and a notable beat boxer. He led the men’s session and also provided some entertainment. Katie Prejean, another Catholic speaker, led the women’s session and also led a session on the use of social media. Music at the conference was led by the band Sonar.

The Diocese of Winona contingent had 310 students and chaperones from every corner of the diocese. As the teens arrived in Rochester, most of them began the event by gathering with Bishop John M. Quinn for a listening session connected to Pope Francis' request for youth input in anticipation of the upcoming Synod on Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment. Questionnaires were handed out to the teens with questions including, “What challenges face young people?” and “How is the Church helping young people discern vocation?” After filling out the surveys, the young people spent time dialoguing with Bishop Quinn.

Many youth stood up and shared their insights from the

questionnaire. All the comments were documented and will be sent to the Vatican this fall.

Throughout the rest of the conference, young people entered into the programming and provided continuous joy and energy. Upbeat music was accompanied by singing, dancing and laughing. Yet, teens also showed a profound ability to enter into reverence and prayer. At one point on the opening evening, shortly after the feast day of Fatima,

Youth & Young Adults

The Diocese of Winona's contingent at Steubenville Youth Conference

the teens prayed the rosary and processed through the convention center grounds with a statue of the Blessed Mother.

Many youth also went to Confession. At one point, the line was so long that organizers had to hand out “fast passes” and told the students to come back later.

Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in service projects. Through the “Share the Glory” initiative, groups brought shirts to the conference which were donated to the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

Most of the teens at the conference spent the night at local hotels. The Diocese of Winona group returned to its hotel each night, and participants ordered pizzas and shared the many graces and experiences from the day.

Chaperones led discussions and encouraged the teens with the themes from the days.

The Rochester Steubenville Conference ended with the Sunday Mass, celebrated by Bishop Quinn. During his homily, he thanked the young people for their energy and their witness. He also encouraged the 2,000 in attendance to allow God to penetrate the heart. Bishop Quinn shared a story of a parish in Detroit that had a safe with donations inside and a lock to which nobody knew the combination.

After a long time of trying to open the safe, parish staff finally found a man who knew how to crack the code.

Bishop Quinn encouraged the teens to crack the combination of the heart and allow God in. He asked them to keep praying, to go to Mass on Sunday, and to be living witnesses in their hometowns and parishes.

The fruits of this conference are apparent, and we pray that these young people continue to nurture their experience and grow in faith. Please continue to pray for our young generations, as they grow in missionary discipleship.

May their hearts be “elevated” and change the world.

Pope Francis Wants to Hear from You! Please visit www.dow.org to take the Vatican's Youth/Young Adult Synod Survey.

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10

The Role of Friendship Rev. Jason Kern

Vocations

Director of Vocations jkern@dow.org

�s we prepare to launch into a new year at IHM

Seminary, we welcome this fall more new seminarians for the Diocese of Winona. Please keep them, along with the returning seminarians for our diocese, in your prayers. In total, at the time of writing this, we have 18 men in formation for the priesthood. This is the highest number in many years! However, if we get excited about numbers, we must remember that they can quickly change and the best thing we can do is pray and continue to work to create a culture of vocational discernment in our church communities, parishes, and families. I would like to reflect in this article about how we can help others hear God’s call.

I often recall how, in my own high school and college search, I so often heard phrases

August, 2017 w The Courier

like, “Be sure to do whatever is going to make you happy," or, “Go with whatever you are passionate about." These things aren't bad for us to consider, but they can be rather Godless. Often, when we say, "Do what makes you happy," we don't have in mind what will actually fulfill us.

We have in mind lesser goods, which will give us pleasure, or even noble things like family or achievement of life goals. As humans, we pursue many things that we believe will make us happy, but we always discover the longing of our human hearts for something more. God is our ultimate fulfillment in life, and we are made for communion with him. As a priest of five years, I am amazed at how many hobbies or activities I can do to try to keep myself feeling like things are going well. Yet, when I slow down to pray, I am constantly reminded by our Lord and our Lady that I need God to be the source of my fulfillment. Even doing good works or being active visiting or helping people, while important and great, is not the fulfillment my heart longs for!

I am made for union with God, and so are you!

A young person who is being called to the priesthood or consecrated life will often experience this longing for fulfillment in an even more intense way than the average person as they search for God, and experience a restlessness with what the world offers. The experience of being called by God often feels like a void in our heart as we yearn for something more authentic and meaningful. It is an experience of being drawn deeper to a place of trust and abandonment to God's will. When we are trying to create a culture of vocational discernment, then, we should be trying to help young people think and pray about what will truly fulfill them! What is God leading them toward? This is not breakfast chatter or casual conversation! It has become clear to me that the best way to assist people to live the plans of God in their lives is for those close to them to have intentional conversation through friendship or natural relationships about what God is doing in their lives. This will not work if it is forced or manufactured, but has to

be at the proper timing, when the heart is ready to be vulnerable. The relationship has to be one of trust that truly shares life together. This is why family life and friendships centered on Jesus (discipleship) bear the most fruit; the most intentional conversations can be had through the circumstances of shared life together.

I just spent a few days with a priest-friend of mine, and, because our friendship has been consistent and strong, we were both able to open up about some issues we have been facing and talk through our own experiences, which did not end up being all that different. Without friendship we never would have gone to that level of conversation and sharing. Authentic relationship is the place where we must go if we are going to assist young people in a culture of superficiality to truly look to what will be most fulfilling in life.

A culture that acts like everything is perfect on social media is a culture that longs for authenticity. By investing in young people through discipleship friendships and authentic loving relationships, we build trust to have more intentional conversations about the Catholic faith in general and then vocation specifically.

We can think about these questions: • Who have I invested in?

• Do I spend intentional time with people helping them hear the voice of Jesus?

Or do all my relationships remain casual, with only surface-oriented conversations?

• How can I learn to articulate the Catholic faith that I love so much?

I challenge you to go deeper with those whom you love and whom God is calling you to share your life with!

As I transition into this new role of Director of Vocations, I am excited to hear the stories of the men who are discerning the priesthood and to encourage them! God is doing so many wonderful things in the hearts of our young people. God is doing the calling. We must do the listening. We also must do the work to shape a culture that has stopped hearing God’s voice to be trained to hear anew the voice of Jesus. This will only happen when authentic Catholics, who pray and know God intimately, assist their own family members or friends, through intentional relationships and time together, to also learn to listen to the voice of Jesus who speaks uniquely to each human heart. Jesus is calling, but he is also seeking to use us to help a culture learn to listen to his voice.

Over $132,000 in Tuition Assistance Grants to Be Awarded Monica Herman

Executive Director Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota mherman@catholicfsmn.org

The following is an updated version of a 2015 statement released by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota.

�atholic education realizes a threefold purpose

to proclaim God’s message of love, build community, and render service. The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment, established in 2004 and stewarded by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, was created to aid families who seek a Catholic education for their children and demonstrate financial need. This particular fund was not set up to award academic scholarships to students.

It was developed specifically to give families the opportunity to access a Catholic education so that such an education never be denied because of inability to pay.

“These children represent a treasure we must guard with great diligence,” stated Bishop John M. Quinn. “I am so grateful to the people of the diocese for making Catholic education available to so many families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford this choice.”

An endowed fund is a way of giving that creates a permanent, continuous source of income for a Roman Catholic ministry or mission as designated by donors. The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment continues to grow each year as the Foundation prudently invests the fund following Catholic Responsible Investing principles. From investment earnings, more than $650,000 has been granted to families in greatest need over the past years, including $130,700 via 151 awards for the 2016-2017 school year. The endowment will continue to grow, and, with investment earnings each year, the total dollars available for tuition assistance grants will increase from year to year.

One mom of a sixth-grader and a tenth-grader in Rochester Catholic Schools writes:

Please let the donors for the Seeds of Faith Catholic School Tuition Assistance Endowment Fund know how appreciated they are!

Thank you for the gift of $700 that was awarded to our family to assist with with the 2017-2018 tuition costs while two daughters attend Rochester Catholic Schools.

Thank you for helping with the wish and prayers to continue to send our daughters to Catholic Schools!

God gives everyone a journey, some are just bumpier than others.

Thank you for the gift of the scholarship money as we are experiencing some bumps!

Prayers for all who assisted in any way with providing this scholarship. You are appreciated!

This is just one testimony from the hundreds of families who have received grants. To those who generously contributed to the Seeds of Faith campaign more than a decade ago, thank you for touching the lives of others in this unique and much-needed way.

Our Purpose “…The diocese will establish a $2,000,000 endowment fund designated to provide tuition assistance to parents who seek a Catholic education for their children and who demonstrate financial need. This endowment also will respond to a special need to provide tuition funding for the newly arrived immigrants in our diocese. This endowment will grow in perpetuity through gifts, deferred giving instruments, wills, and bequests so assurances can continue that Catholic education will be affordable for those of limited and moderate

means. Increased enrollment resulting from supplementary tuition assistance may provide some schools with additional tuition revenues to care for other local school needs. This endowment will supplement, not replace, local efforts in providing parents with financial assistance. The diocese will distribute annual earnings from this endowment in grants to parents as assistance in tuition payments. An appropriate advisory committee will establish guidelines for the administration of this new initiative.”

Catholic Foundation

Seeds of Faith

11

Our Approach Using a tuition grant application completed by each household, including comments from the household’s respective pastor, the endowment committee assigns three scores to each application: financial need, parish support, and particular circumstances. Opportunities for potential conflicts of interest, (e.g. a committee member knowing an applicant personally), were accounted and planned for prior to review.

The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment is stewarded by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota (EIN: 41-11691198), an independent Minnesota non-profit corporation that is tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c) (3). Contributions are used only for the benefit of designated purposes identified in the endowment statement of purpose and for no other purposes.

To learn more about the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, visit www.catholicfsmn.org.

Congratulations!

Since our last printing, Christ the King, Byron Holy Family, Lake Crystal St. Anthony, Westbrook St. Leo, Pipestone St. Pius X, Rochester have met their goals for the 2017 Catholic Ministries Appeal!

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The

Faith in the Public Arena

12

Crisis

of

Men Without Work

There is a growing deficit of men in the work-

force.

According to government data, more than seven million American men between the ages of 25 and 54, the traditional prime of working life, are not even looking for a job. The U.S. now ranks second-to-last among developed nations in the rate of adult men in the workforce, thanks to a steady 13 percent decline over the past 50 years.

The potential impact of this trend has economists sounding the alarm, but Pope Francis has also drawn attention to its spiritual and social consequences. It robs people of hope, he says, and squanders “their great resources of energy, creativity, and vision.”

Overcoming the crisis of young men without work is a cultural challenge and part of a broader crisis of manhood. But public policy also has a role to play. By fostering opportunities for wider economic participation, we can help more men get back to work and live lives consistent with their God-given human dignity.

A “Fundamental Dimension” St. Pope John Paul II puts it plainly in Laborem Exercens: “Work is a fundamental dimension of human existence on earth.” While work can take on any number of forms (including work done in the home and nursery), we are all called to it. Work is an act of co-creation with God that involves and develops our creativity, rationality, and personality—those distinctively human gifts.

Therefore, in the words of John Paul, when man works he “achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ‘more a human being.’”

We also work as an act of solidarity with the wider community. As John Paul says, “Man must work out of regard for others, especially his own family, but also for the society he belongs to, the country of which he is a child, and the whole

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Jonathan Liedl

Communications Manager Minnesota Catholic Conference

human family of which he is a member, since he is the heir to the work of generations and at the same time a sharer in building the future of those who will come after him in the succession of history.” Through work, we make a gift of self to others.

Men Without Work In recent times, most men have worked outside the home. Therefore, opting out of the workforce has closed many men off to a primary opportunity for work, seriously crippling their capacity for both human development and self-gift.

One startling statistic illustrates clearly these debilitating effects. Nicholas Eberstadt, the author of Men Without Work, estimates that non-working men have an extra 2,150 hours of free time per year. But instead of using this time to serve others in their family or community, the data shows that non-working men spend much of it sleeping, engaging in self-care, or relaxing, which includes five and half hours of media consumption per day.

Darker self-indulgent habits, such as pornography and drug use, also occur with greater frequency.

Deprived of the human formation that work provides, many men give in to their worst impulses instead of cultivating their most noble gifts. Cut off from the opportunity to serve others through work, many men turn inward instead of making a gift of self. Men need work to be thriving, selfless citizens.

Expanding Economic Participation So how can public policy help address the “men without work” crisis?

For one, we can do a better job of connecting men with the work that is available. For example, the Star Tribune reported on July 5 that Twin Cities builders are struggling to find skilled workers to fill any number of decent-paying positions.

One problem is that our education system has imposed a one-size-fits-all approach to work-

force preparation. Four-year university degrees are over-prioritized, and, as a result, many men are ill-equipped for—or uninterested in—blue collar jobs that, until recently, appealed to their demographic. A greater emphasis on vocational training at an earlier age could help connect men with these enriching work opportunities.

We can also incentivize businesses to more directly reach out to non-working men with jobs and training opportunities, especially those reintegrating into society after serving a prison sentence. Special attention must also be given to stagnant wages; men raising a family must be able to access work that pays a living wage.

The “men without work” problem has deep cultural and spiritual roots. But through public policy that expands and encourages economic participation, we can help more men get back to work and back to answering God’s call to cocreation.

Action Alert Ask Senators for Changes to the Health Care Bill!

The USCCB has identified several problems with the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, the healthcare bill currently being considered by the US Senate: •

Proposed changes to Medicaid could potentially result in the loss of affordable access to health insurance for millions of people.

•

The legislation does not adequately protect the unborn, and Hyde Amendment protections need to be fully applied.

•

The bill also fails to include conscience protections for patients, insurers, purchasers, sponsors, and providers.

Call your Minnesota senators and ask them to address these problems!

Sen. Amy Klobuchar – 612-727-5220 Sen. Al Franken – 651-221-1016

Kids,

cont'd from page 2 each new child. “(C)hildren, in a kind of cold way of looking at it, are an externality,” Rieder told NPR. “We as parents, we as family members, we get the good. And the world, the community, pays the cost.”

While it might sound strange, the idea that climate change and overpopulation morally necessitate couples to limit their family size (or to have no children at all) is not new.

Since the 1960s, some scientists have been advocating for smaller families for various reasons overpopulation, climate cooling, the development of Africa - and now, global warming and climate change.

And while the idea isn’t new, neither are the moral and ethical concerns associated with asking parents to limit their family size for the sake of the planet.

Should Catholics Limit Their Family Size?

Ultimately, Catholics ethicists said, while environmental concerns can certainly factor into lifestyle choices, those who would ask people to completely forego children simply due to their carbon footprint are approaching the topic from the wrong perspective, not realizing the immeasurable worth and dignity of every human person.

“The proposals [on limited family size]...need to be assessed with a perspective as to the very nature of the human person, marital relationships, and society,” Dr. Marie T. Hilliard told CNA. Hilliard serves as the director of bioethics and public policy at The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), a center designed specifically to answer the moral bioethical dilemmas that Catholics face in the modern world.

What’s problematic about the policies proposed

by Rieder and other scientists is that they ask married couples to frustrate one of the purposes of their sexuality, Hilliard said. “[T]he procreative end of marriage must be respected. Couples cannot enter into a valid marriage with the intent of frustrating that critical end, and one of the purposes of marriage,” she said. If couples are not open to the possibility of a child, “it frustrates at least one of the two critical ends of marriage: procreation and the wellbeing of the spouses.”

Dr. Christian Brugger is a Catholic moral theologian and professor with St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. He clarified that while the Church asks couples to be open to life, it does not ask that they practice “unlimited procreation.”

“The Catholic Church has never held - and has many times denied - that responsible parenthood means ‘unlimited procreation’ or the encouragement of blind leaps into the grave responsibilities of child raising,” he said.

“It does mean respecting marriage, respecting the moral principles in the transmission of human life, respecting developing human life from conception to natural death, and promoting and defending a social order manifestly dedicated to the common good.”

Considering the common good can include considering the environment, as well as a host of other factors that pertain to the flourishing of the human

person, when couples are considering parenting another child, Brugger said.

But he cautioned Catholics against the moral conclusions of scientists whose views on life and human sexuality differ greatly from Church teaching.

“Catholics should not make decisions about family size based upon the urgings of these activists,” he said.

“Why? Because they hold radically different values about human life, marriage, sex, procreation, and family, and therefore their moral conclusions about the transmission of human life are untrustworthy.” “[P]opulation scare-mongering has been going on in a globally organized fashion for 70 years. The issues that population activists use to promote their anti-natalist agendas change over time...But the urgent conclusion is always the same: the world needs less people; couples should stop having children,” he said.

And many worry that legislated policies encouraging and rewarding smaller families could open up a host of ethical and moral problems.

Rebecca Kukla of Georgetown University told NPR that she worries about the stigma such policies would unleash on larger families. She also worried that while a “child tax” might not be high enough to be considered coercive, it would be unfair, and would favor the wealthy.

Hilliard agreed. “[A] carte blanche imperative to limit family size can lead us to the dangers the [NPR article] cites, as discrimination and bias and government mandates can, and have, ensued,” Hilliard said.

Women, in particular, would bear the brunt of the resulting stigmas of such policies, Brugger noted. “[W]omen will and already do suffer the greatest burden from this type of social coercion. Women have always been the guardians of the transmission of human life. They share both the godlike privilege of bearing life within them and the most weighty burdens of that privilege. Anti-natalist demagoguery is always anti-woman, always,” Brugger said.

All things considered, the Catholic Church would never take away the right and responsibility of parents to determine their family size by supporting a policy that would ask families to limit their size because of climate change, he said.

It’s Not People, It’s Your Lifestyle William Patenaude is a Catholic ecologist, engineer, and longtime employee with Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management. He frequently blogs about ecology from a Catholic perspective at catholicecology.net.

The idea that we must choose between the planet or people, he told CNA, is a “false choice.” The problem isn’t numbers of people - it’s the amount each person is consuming.

“The US Environmental Protection Agency reports that in 1960 the United States produced some 88 million tons of municipal waste. In 2010 that number climbed to just under 250 million tons, and it may have been higher had a recession not slowed consumption. This jump reflects an almost 184 percent increase in what Americans throw out even though our population increased by only 60 percent,” he wrote in a blog post about the topic.

There is a similar trend in carbon emissions, which increase at a faster rate than the population.

“We can infer from this that individuals, especially in places like the USA, are consuming and wasting more today than we ever have, which gets to what Pope Francis has been telling us about lifestyles,

which is consistent with his predecessors,” Patenaude told CNA. Climate change has been one of the primary concerns of Pope Francis’ pontificate. While not the first Pope to address such issues, his persistence in addressing the environment has brought a new awareness of the urgency of the issue to other Church leaders.

In May of 2015, Pope Francis published Laudato Si, the first encyclical devoted primarily to care for creation.

In it, the Holy Father wrote that the earth “now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will.”

But never does the Pope ask families to have fewer children. Instead, he urges Catholics to address pollution and climate change, to make simple lifestyle changes that better care for “our common home” and to work toward a better human ecology.

“It seems that voices that urge fewer children aren’t interested in new and temperate lifestyles.

In fact, they are implicitly demanding that modern consumption levels be allowed to stay as they are - or even to rise. This seems selfish and gluttonous, and not at all grounded in a concern for life, nature, or the common good,” Patenaude said.

Furthermore, the good of any individual person outweighs the damage of their potential carbon footprint, he said.

“The good and dignity and worth of every human person is superseded by nothing else on this planet.

If we don’t affirm that first, we can never hope to be good stewards of creation, because we will never really be able to appreciate all life,” he said.

“On the other hand, one way to affirm the dignity of human life - collectively and individually - is to care for creation. Because, as I noted earlier, creation is our physical life-support system, and so to authentically care for it is to care for human life.”

Dan Misleh is the executive director of Catholic Climate Covenant, which was formed in 2006 by the United States Catholic Bishops in order to help implement Church social teaching regarding climate change.

Misleh agreed that while reducing the consumption of fossil fuels is “imperative” to reducing negative effects of climate change like droughts and rising sea levels, that does not mean mandated population engineering and smaller families.

“As for population, places like the U.S., Japan and many European countries have both high carbon emissions and relatively low population growth and birth rates. So there is not a direct correlation between low-birth rates and fewer emissions. In fact, the opposite often seems to be true: countries with the highest birthrates are often the poorest countries with very low per-capita emissions,” he told CNA. What is needed is a true “ecological conversion,” like Pope Francis called for in Laudato Si, Misleh said. “[P]erhaps we Catholics need to view a commitment to a simple lifestyle not as a sacrifice but as an opportunity to live more in keeping with the biblical mandate to both care for and cultivate the earth, to spend more time on relationships than accumulating things, and to step back to appreciate the good things we have rather than all the things we desire.”

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This article was originally published on CNA Oct. 27, 2016.

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In the Diocese

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Parishioners Receive Bishop's Medal Bishop John M. Quinn has been traveling the diocese to award the Bishop's Medal to parishioners who have served their parishes and the Diocese of Winona in outstanding ways.

On Sunday, June 18, Bishop Quinn presented the Bishop's Medal to eight members of St. Mary's Parish in Winona at 10:30

a.m. Mass.

Lorraine Erpelding, Irene Mulyck, and Joanne Petersen are founding members of St. Mary's Parish's quilting community and, over a span of 45 years, have provided numerous hours of crafting, sewing, and quilting as a form of fundraising for the par-

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ish. In addition to this ministry, each of the women has served in varied ministry and leadership roles. "This is a remarkable life-time example of utilizing a God-given talent for the benefit of a parish community," said a parish representative. "Their energy and spirit-filled generosity is an inspiration."

Lois Kramer has been a funeral luncheon coordinator for St. Mary's Parish for 20 years. She has maintained a large group of parish volunteers who bake bars, serve meals, and implement setup and cleanup duties. "Lois and her parish team provide all of these bereavement ministries within an atmosphere of care and warm hospitality," a parish representative said.

Jack Weimerskirch has been a parish trustee for more than 25 years. He has served on many committees during this time, especially ones envisioned through pastoral,

finance, and stewardship initiatives. A parish representative said, "Jack understands the importance of supporting our pastors and calling forth the lay faithful to offer their many and varied gifts. He is blessed to have a supportive spouse (Sandy) who shares Bishop John M. Quinn (left) and Msgr. Gerald Kosse (right) with his love for the people of God Bishop's Medal recipients (L to R) Karen Lingen and Kathy O'Hearn at St. Martin's Church in Woodstock on June 24, 2017. and serves alongside him in many ministries and commitDr. Roger and Peg Zehren tative said, "Roger and Peg tee initiatives." have served St. Mary's Parish have witnessed to our parish Bill Wissman is a longand other Catholic institu- and beyond the joys of martime St. Mary's parishioner who has offered a variety tions in various ministries ried life. Their strong faith and committees over their and rich prayer lives have of gifts to the parish. A par53 years as parishioners. flowed out from each other to ish representative said, "We Longtime parish ministries embrace all of God's people. would like to acknowledge include extraordinary minis- This was especially evident this kind gentleman for his ter of Holy Communion, min- during their 25 years leadgenuine care and generos- ister of the Word, and multiple ing a Christian prayer group ity to our parish family and leadership councils and com- titled, The Love of God." other Catholic organizations, mittee initiatives. Diocesan On Saturday, June 24, at including Sauer Healthcare ministries include Winona the Final Mass at St. Martin Communion Outreach, St. Serra Club, former governors Church in Woodstock, Bishop Mary's Funeral Choir, Knights of Serra International, IHM Quinn awarded the Bishop's of Columbus, and parish Seminary supporters, and bingo and spaghetti dinner Bishop's Lay Committee for Bishop's Medal, fundraisers."

Vocations. A parish represencont'd on next page

Bishop's Medal, cont'd from previous page

Medal to two parishioners for their years of service.

Karen Lingen was the parish organist for many years leading up to the Final

Mass. She started playing the organ and piano at church when she was only nine years old, and became St. Martin's organist when she married her husband, Ray. She has also organized the Tri-Parish Choir of St. Joseph, St. Leo,

and St. Martin for special events throughout the year, and is the organist and music director for the Hispanic Mass celebrated each Sunday afternoon at St. Leo Church in Pipestone.

Kathy O'Hearn grew up in Woodstock and has been a lifelong member of St.

parents, Barry and Kathy traveled from Keller, TX, to Winona to receive the Bishop's Medal on his behalf during the memorial Mass. The Clarks have set up an endowment in Zachary's name through the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, to benefit Totus Tuus and youth ministry across the diocese.

The Courier will remember Zachary Clark with a separate article in its September 2017 issue.

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In the Diocese

Fr. James Berning and Bishop John M. Quinn with Bishop's Medal recipients and family--(L to R) Irene Mulyck, husband John Mulyck, husband Bob Petersen, Joanne Petersen, daughter Susan Peek, Lorraine Erpelding, Dr. Roger Zehren, Peg Zehren, Jack Weimerskirch, sister Suzanne Hanson, Lois Kramer, and Bill Wissman--at St. Mary's Church in Winona on June 18, 2017.

Martin's Parish. Until its Final Mass, Kathy organized many parish functions and served on the Parish Finance Council and the Cemetery Board. A parish representative said, "Whenever there is need in the parish that comes up, Kathy is there to give of her time, energy and talent. She has a deep love of the Church and of her faith."

And on Thursday, July 20, Bishop Quinn celebrated a special noon Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in memory of Zachary Clark, who worked for the Diocese of Winona as a Totus Tuus missionary during the summer of 2015. Zachary had gone home to Texas for the July 4 holiday that summer and died on his way back to Minnesota in a crash caused by flash flooding in Kansas. Zachary's

Barry and Kathy Clark (center) receive the Bishop's Medal on behalf of their son, Zachary, on July 20, 2017, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona.

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Hearts for Life to Hold Vigil on National Day 16 of Remembrance

In the Diocese

WINONA--The Hearts for Life group of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is planning a prayer vigil to be held on September 9, 2017, from 12-1 p.m. at St. Mary's Cemetery in Winona, with the Most Rev. Bishop John

Lay Carmelites Celebrate Profession, Reception

M. Quinn presiding, in observance of the fifth National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children.

Solemn prayer vigils will be conducted at gravesites across the country to commemorate the more than 60 million children who have lost their lives to legal abortion since 1973. There are 52 gravesites dedicated to aborted children across the United States, as well as at dozens of other sites dedicated in memory of aborted children. Some of these graves contain thousands of babies. For those affected by abortion, the chance to grieve at a gravesite or have a memorial service is an

ROCHESTER--On June 3, at the Church of the Resurrection in Rochester, the Saint Joseph Lay Carmelite Community celebrated the Temporary Profession of Promises of Dianne Johnson and Paula Plummer during a Mass with Father Shawn Haremza pre-

siding.

This Temporary Profession of Promises came just three months after the community's reception of Marie Goihl and Alan Zeccardi, which occurred on March 4, 2017, during the Lenten Day of Prayer at Annunciation Hermitage in Austin. The reception ceremony was presided over by Father Michael Kissane, O. Carm., Prior Provincial, North American Province of Saint Elias.

Saint Joseph Lay Carmelite Community Director Terese Horlocker said in light of the recent events, "In answering the universal call to holiness through the Carmelite charism of

Celebrating Temporary Profession (L to R): Terese Horlocker (director), Dianne Johnson, Fr. Haremza, Paula Plummer, and Michael Kacir (formation director)

Terese Horlocker and Fr. Kissane (left) receive Alan Zeccardi and Marie Goihl (right) into Carmel.

prayer, community, and service, we join our voices with Saint Teresa's: 'I am yours. For You I was born. What do You want of me?'"

For more information about joining the Saint Joseph Lay Carmelite Community, please call Director Terese Horlocker at 507288-9550.

Cotner Joins Secular Franciscans WASECA--The St. John Paul II Fraternity of Secular Franciscans joyfully celebrated the Profession of Gerri Cotner, OFS, on Sunday, July 9, during the 10 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church.

Pictured, left to right, are Fr. Gregory Leif; Minister Arlys Fell, OFS; Gerri Cotner, OFS; and Spiritual Assistant Sr. Lois Erpelding, SFO. A representative of the St. John Paul II Fraternity described the mission of Secular Franciscans: "We as Secular Franciscans are committed to seeking and promoting a closer relationship with God for ourselves and others by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and by following St. Francis and St. Clare's example of simplicity, humility, and service using the Rule of Life of the O.F.S. as our guide."

The St. John Paul II Fraternity has members in Janesville, Waseca, Owatonna, and St. Clair. For more information, contact Minister Arlys Fell, O.S.F., at 507-835-5831 or Formation Director Bonnie Johnson, O.F.S., at 507-234-5489.

August, 2017 w The Courier

important step in the healing process. In addition, it serves to remind our society of the gift of life and the humanity of the preborn child.

This effort is sponsored by Priests for Life, Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society.

The entire community is invited to the Winona vigil. For more information, contact Annie Casselman at (507) 961-0037 or anniecassel@gmail.com. For other locations of gravesites and more information, see www.AbortionMemorials.com.

The Saint Joseph Lay Carmelite Community

Obituaries Sister Philothea Kadrlik, 100, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on Sunday, July 2, 2017.

Ludmilla Veronica Kadrlik was born April 23, 1917, in Milladore, WI, to Vencl and Anna (Bednar) Kadrlik. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1945 from St. Wenceslaus Parish in Milladore.

Sister Philothea made first vows in 1938 and perpetual vows in 1941.

For nearly 20 years, Sister Philothea served as convent housekeeper for the Franciscan Sisters in several parishes in southern Minnesota: Austin, Winona, Fairmont, Sleepy Eye, and Rochester. She also served in the same capacity in Wausau, WI; Chicago, IL; and Portsmouth, OH. For five years, she was part of the housekeeping staff at Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester (195762). She then served as a seamstress at the College of St. Teresa in Winona (1962-69), then as an office and library clerk at Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester (196980), and then as an auxilary volunteer at Saint Marys Hospital until her retirement to Assisi Heights in 2009.

Sister Philothea is survived by her Franciscan congregation, with whom she shared life for 81 years, and by several nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents; brothers: Vince, John, Thomas, Louis, Stephen, and August Kadrlik; sisters: Anna Ledvina, Marie Yunger, Elizabeth Mindl, Sister Julia Kadrlik (of the Sisters of St. Francis), and Sister Agnes Kadrlik (of the Sisters of St. Francis).

A Funeral Mass was held Monday, July 10, in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights in Rochester. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Development, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Suite 100, Rochester, MN 55901.

Rev. Andrew Cyril Fabian, OP, AFSC, long-time, beloved, and inspirational educator at Saint Mary’s University, died Friday, July 14, 2017, at Saint Anne of Winona.

He was 90.

Andrew Joseph Fabian was born November 27, 1926, in Mingo Junction, OH, to Michael and Anna (Krizan) Fabian. He was the ninth of 12 children. As a young boy, he already knew he would enter the priesthood. He graduated high school in 1945, then attended Providence College in Rhode Island from 1945-47.

In September of 1949, he entered the novitiate for the Dominicans, Province of St. Albert the Great at St. Peter Martyr Priory in Winona, and was given the religious name of Cyril. On September 30, 1950, he professed his first vows, then continued his studies at Aquinas Institute of Philosophy in River Forest, IL, from 1950-53, and Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque, IA, from 1953-57. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956, by Bishop Leo Binz.

Father Fabian taught at DePaul University in Chicago, IL, from 1957-62; Loras College in Dubuque, IA, from 1962-64; and Saint Mary’s University in Winona from 1964 through the remainder of his career.

Although he retired in 2013— after nearly 50 years of teaching philosophy at Saint Mary’s—he was named a Lasallian Scholar in Residence and continued to counsel and guide students until shortly before his passing.

In 1982, he was honored with the Saint Mary’s Brother Charles Severin Award for Excellence in Teaching; in 2002, he was bestowed Letters of Affiliation by the De La Salle Christian Brothers; and in 2011, he was awarded the Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit at the university’s Chicago Centennial Celebration.

Father Fabian was as highly respected as he was frequently imitated. Armed with an unwavering faith, a dry sense of humor, and countless one-liners, he taught his students many valuable, lifelong lessons. He encouraged students to follow their dreams, he made them think, and he impressed upon them that there can be more than one correct answer.

A man with a photographic memory, Father Fabian also taught students the importance of always remembering someone by name.

He was renowned for giving roll call the first day of class, without ever referring to a list.

His words of wisdom will live on through the generations of alumni who can recite his mantra: “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until the good becomes better and the better becomes best.”

He was preceded in death by eight brothers and sisters.

Survivors include a brother, Peter; two sisters, Kathryn and Margaret; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated July 19 at Saint Thomas More Chapel on the campus of Saint Mary's University in Winona.

Interment was in the Dominican Section of All Saint’s Cemetery in Des Plaines, IL. Memorials can be made to the Father Andrew Fabian Endowed Scholarship, Saint Mary’s University, 700 Terrace Heights #21, Winona, MN 55987.

Sister Joyce Rowland, 94, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on Wednesday, July 19, 2017.

Cecilia Mary Rowland was born October 31, 1922, in Minneapolis to John F. and Olivia (Joyce) Rowland. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1942 from Annunciation Parish in Minneapolis. Sister Joyce made her first vows in 1944 and perpetual vows in 1947. In 1949, she received a B.A. in English from the College of St. Teresa in Winona.

In 1953, she received a M.A. in English curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. And, in 1962, she earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO. She also was a student in Franciscan studies at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, NY, in 1982.

Sister Joyce taught at several schools in Minnesota: junior high students at Queen of Angels School in Austin (1944-47), English and Spanish at Lourdes High School in Rochester (1949-50), and English at St. Augustine High School in Austin (1950-52). From 1953-56, Sister Joyce served as postulant mistress for the Franciscan Sisters of Rochester. On completion of her Ph.D. in 1962, she served as assistant professor of philosophy

and religion at the College of St. Teresa (CST) in Winona (196167), during which time she also served as assistant academic dean (1965-67). On completing a Ford Fellowship in 1967, she served as associate professor, academic dean, and vice-president at CST until 1969 and then served as president of the college (1969-80).

Following her years at CST, Sister Joyce taught elementary students at St. Marys School in Las Animas, CO; served the poor and lepers in Managua, Nicaragua; taught leprosy (Hansen's Disease) patients at the public health hospital in Carville, LA; and did parish outreach ministry to the sick, homebound, and terminally ill members of Our Lady of the Valley parish in Green Valley, AZ. She also served as a volunteer at St. Joseph Parish in Clements (2001-06) and St. Joseph Parish in Lamberton (200608). She retired to Assisi Heights in 2008.

During her professional career, Sister Joyce served on several national boards, among them: Board of National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (197577); Board of National Coalition of American Nuns (1974-78); National Association of Women's Educational Programs, to which she was appointed by President Gerald Ford (1975-78); Minnesota Council of Churches Region X Ecumenical Committee (1972-74); and the National Council of Administrative Women in Education (1974-77).

Sister Joyce is survived by her brother Stephen of Bloomington; her sisters Mary McKinley of Alabama, Olive Hedrick of Houston (TX), and Sheila Delaney of Minneapolis; and her Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared life for 75 years. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers: John, Peter, and Dermot; and one sister, Suzanne Hirsch.

A Funeral Mass was held July 24 in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights in Rochester. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Development, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Sister Regina (Gretta) Monnig, 84, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on Thursday, July 20, 2017.

Regina Louise Monnig was born December 3, 1932, in Ironton, OH, to Otto and Mary Agnes (Boll) Monnig. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1951 from Saint Mary Parish in Pine Grove, OH. Sister Regina made first vows in 1953 and perpetual vows in 1956.

She received a B.S. in nursing from the College of St. Teresa in Winona (1957); a M.S. in nursing administration from the Catholic

University of America in Washington, D.C. (1965); and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota (1975).

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Sister Regina served at Saint Marys Hospital as a staff nurse (1953-63) and as a supervisor/faculty member of St. Marys School of Nursing (1965-68). She was also an instructor in the nursing program at the College of Saint Teresa in Winona (1969-71). She served as a professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota and as project director of the Minnesota Nursing Association Career Mobility Study (1971-74).

She returned to the College of St. Teresa as chair and associate professor in the Department of Nursing. From 1978-98, Sister Regina served as academic dean and professor of nursing in several nursing programs: Wichita State University in Wichita, KS; University of Louisville in Louisville, KY; Adult Nursing Medical College of Georgia in August, GA; Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN; Bellarmine College in Louisville, KY; and University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND. Sister Regina served as an Air Force reserve nurse beginning in 1972 and received an honorable discharge in May of 1992. She retired in 1998 and returned to Assisi Heights in 2009.

Sister Regina is survived by her Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared life for 66 years; a brother, Frederick Monnig of Ironton, OH; a sister, Ann Sommer of Lebanon, OH; and several nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents and three brothers: Otto, Paul, and Ambrose Monnig.

A Memorial Mass was held July 27 in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights in Rochester. Sister Regina made the gift of an anatomical bequest to Mayo Clinic; burial will be at Calvary Cemetery at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Development, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Suite 100, Rochester, MN 55901.

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Wanted: Director of Faith Formation The Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. John Nepomucene Parishes in Winona seek a full-time director of faith formation. The director is responsible for all elements of faith formation, including:

In the Diocese

• a children's program at one Mass every Sunday • a faith formation program for grades 1-9 • preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation From time to time, the director also will assist families in preparing for Baptism or planning a funeral or other pastoral activities.

This is a full-time position. Interested applicants, please send a resume, letter of application, and contact information for three professional references to ststans@hbci.com.

A complete job description can be found at ssk-sjn.weconnect.com. Position is open. Applications received until filled.

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SUBMISSION to the calendar

August 2017 • The Courier

Please note: submission deadline is the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication.

All submissions must be sent electronically to nreller@dow.org by the deadline to assure receipt and possible inclusion in the Events Calendar.

Thank you for understanding that, due to space limitations, not all events nor story submissions will fit; however, we strive to include as many as possible.

A current list of events is also available at www.dow.org.

Action with Prayer St. Mary’s Church, Winona holds Mass for Life & Marriage the first Thursday each month at 8:30 a.m.

Holy Hour of Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty is held the first Saturday of each month 8:30-9:30 a.m. (after Mass) at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 360 Main Street, Winona. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed and a rosary offered. Gather in the Adoration Chapel. All welcome.

Prayer Vigil & Public Witness Against Abortion is held 3-4 p.m. Tuesdays in front of Semcac Clinic (delegate of Planned Parenthood) at 62 E 3rd Street in Winona. Contact: Patti (507) 429-4636 Masses of Reparation for Sins in the Diocese are held daily in parishes throughout the diocese. For times & locations: cb@wabashaemail.com

Traditional Latin Mass Chatfield, St. Mary, 1st & 3rd Sun. 1 pm Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul, Sundays 4:15 pm Wabasha, St. Felix, Saturdays 8 am

The Televised Mass

Other Events Page Theater, St. Mary's University, Winona August 4-6, Friday-Sunday World premiere musical performance. Francis & Clare plays at 7 p.m. on 8/4 and 8/5, and 2 p.m. on 8/6. A full-length musical with more than 20 original songs!

For more information, call Sisters of Saint Francis Communications Director Kathy Gatliff at 507-5293523.

Resurrection Church, Rochester August 4, Friday A Night with Paul Todd and Paul Todd Jr. Christian music concert to benefit the development of religious education materials for children within the autism spectrum. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Concert starts at 7 p.m. Free-will donation (suggested amount: $15).

For ticket information, call 507-2885528 or email ResurrectionYAM@ gmail.com. Resurrection Church is located at 1600 11th Ave. SE in Rochester.

Offered as a service for the homebound and elderly every Sunday on the following stations: KTTC, Channel 10 (Rochester) at 9 a.m. KEYC, Channel 12 (Mankato) at 7:30 a.m & KEYC-DT2, Digital Channel 12.2 or Charter Channel 19 (Mankato) at 9:30 a.m.

Donations for the continuation of this program may be sent to: TV Mass, PO Box 588, Winona MN 55987.

Hispanic Priests / Sacerdotes Hispanos Padre José Morales Vicario Parroquial de Sacred Heart, Owatonna. jloralesr2008@yahoo.es Tel. 507-451-1588 Padre Luis Alfonso Vargas Vicario Parroquial de St. Francis of Assisi, Rochester frluisvargasdw@gmail.com Tel. 507-288-7313 Padre Mariano Varela IVE Párroco de “SS. Peter and Paul”, Mankato. mvarela@hickorytech.net Tel. 507-388-2995 ext. 103

Padre Miguel Eduardo Proaños Vicario Parroquial de St. James, St James. frmiguel2005@yahoo.com Tel. 507-375-3542 Padre Ubaldo Roque Vicario Parroquial de St. Mary’s, Worthington. el_hermano_roque@hotmail.com Tel. 507-440-9735 Padre Raul Silva Vicario de la Pastoral Hispana en la diócesis de Winona Y Párroco de Queen of Angels, Austin.

PadreRaulSilva@gmail.com Tel. 507-433-1888

Spanish Mass Schedule Albert Lea, St. Theodore Owatonna, Sacred Heart 11 a.m. Sunday 11:45 a.m. Sunday Austin, Queen of Angels 11 a.m. Sunday; 5:15 Pipestone, St. Leo 2:30 p.m. Sunday Friday (bilingual) Lake City, St. Mary 6:30 p.m. each 3rd Saturday Rochester, St. Francis Madelia, St. Mary of Assisi 10 a.m. Sunday 12 p.m. Sunday & 7 Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul p.m. Thursday 1 p.m. Sunday

St. Charles, St. Charles Borromeo 11:30 a.m. Sunday St. James, St. James 12 p.m. Sunday Windom,St.FrancisXavier 2:30 p.m. Sunday Worthington, St. Mary 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. Sunday; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday & Friday

Twin Cities Area August 4-6, Friday-Sunday Rachel's Vineyard Retreat (Catholic version). If you or someone you love is grieving the loss of a child or children to abortion, come and experience the healing mercy of Jesus Christ on our weekend retreat.

For more information, email Nancy at rachels@rvineyardmn.org, call 763-250-9313, or visit www. rvineyardmn.org.

Wilmont City Park, Wilmont August 5, Saturday Fourth annual Tractor Cruise to support the Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School Fund and St. Mary's School in Worthington.

9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. tractor cruise, 12 p.m. pork loin meal. All are welcome to the noon meal, even if you are not a cruise participant.

Tractor entry: $200. Those who do not wish to drive a tractor may ride in a wagon along the route for $30 per person or $60 per family. For more information and registration, visit www.facebook. com/OLGCschoolfund or call Isaac Joens (507-360-4793), Philip Joens (507-360-9271), Andrea Reetz (507-360-3873), or Shelly Spartz (507-360-5393).

Resurrection Church, Rochester August 13, Sunday 12:30 p.m. Rosary Procession following 11:30 a.m. Mass. Come pray for peace in honor of the 100th anniversary of Fatima.

Ss. Peter & Paul Church, Mankato August 27, Sunday Starting 8/27, Latin Mass will be celebrated every Sunday at 4:15 p.m., rather than on the first Saturday each month. There will be no Latin Mass on Saturday, August 5.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona September 1, Friday On the first Friday of the month, the Cathedral hosts Cor Jesu, a night of Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and Praise & Worship.

The September date is Friday, September 1, from 7-9 p.m. All are welcome to attend; invite your family and friends! The Cathedral is at 360 Main St. in Winona. For details, search Cor Jesu Winona on Facebook, visit winonacorjesu. gitlab.io, or call Leandra Hubka (507-990-3402) or Steven Lehn (507-312-9041).

Hilton Anatole, Dallas, TX September 6-9, WednesdaySaturday National Council of Catholic Women annual convention. Theme: Catholic Women: Living the Joy of the Gospel. Visit nccw.org for more information and to register.

St. Ann Church, Janesville September 8-10, Friday-Sunday Fall Festival. Golf tournament 9/8 @5 p.m. Soup & chili feed, bingo, and outdoor movie 9/9 @5 p.m.

Famous turkey dinner after 10 a.m.

Mass on 9/10, followed by live auction, kids' games, and bidding baskets. For more information: www.stannjan.com.

St. Mary's Cemetery, Winona September 9, Saturday A prayer vigil will be held from 12-1 p.m., with the Most Rev. Bishop John M. Quinn presiding, in observance of the fifth National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart's Hearts for Life group is heading up this prayer effort. The entire community is invited. For more information, contact Annie Casselman at 507-961-0037 or anniecassel@gmail.com. Also see page 16 of this issue.

Holy Redeemer Church, Eyota September 10, Sunday Annual Fall Festival following 10 a.m. Mass. BBQ chicken dinner, big ticket raffle, arms length raffle, farmer's market, bake sale, children's activities. For more information: 507-932-3294.

St. Anthony Church, Lismore September 10, Sunday St. Anthony Parish Fall Bazaar. Roast beef dinner with trimmings served 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Live auction, big ticket raffle, country store, and family fun.

St. Mary Church, Houston September 10, Sunday Annual Fall Chicken Dinner served 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Chicken, potato salad, beans, bun, pie, bars, coffee &/or milk. $9 1/2 chicken. $8 1/4 chicken. Carry-outs available. Raffle for cash prizes and hand-crafted wooden bowl by Roger Meyer.

Tickets available for purchase now or at the dinner. Need not be present to win. The church is located at 202 S. Sheridan in Houston.

St. Mary of the Lake Church, Lake City September 10, Sunday Chicken BBQ Dinner with all trimmings served 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. $10 quarter chicken. $12 half chicken. $5 kids 10 & under. 419 W Lyon Ave. in Lake City.

Franciscan Spirituality Center, La Crosse, WI September 16, Saturday Finding God in All Things is a new nine-month retreat experience.

Information at 608-791-5295.

Lourdes High School, Rochester September 22, Friday Diocesan Catechetical Day. We invite everyone in the diocese-priests, deacons, directors of faith formation, catechists, RCIA team leaders, Catholic school teachers, youth and young adult leaders, homeschooling parents, and interested laity--to join us this Catechetical Day as we learn more about Encountering the Person of Jesus. Presented by Sophia Institute for Teachers. $10 per person.

Registration due by September 1. For more information, contact Camille Withrow at cwithrow@ dow.org or 507-858-1271.

St. Aloysius Church, Elba September 24, Sunday Annual Fall Festival. Everyone invited! Our day begins with 10 a.m. Mass, followed by a roast beef dinner served until gone. Silent auction, bake sale, kids raffle, and cash raffle (drawn that day, with a grand prize of $1,000! Only 500 tickets sold!) For more information, or to purchase a cash raffle ticket, call the parish office at 507-9323294.

Holiday Inn, Austin September 29-30, Fri.-Sat. Fourth annual married couples retreat 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m.

Saturday. $25 per couple. Special rate at Holiday Inn for those wishing to stay overnight in Austin.

For more information, contact Peter Martin at 507-858-1273 or pmartin@dow.org.

Immaculate Conception Church, Rural Kellogg October 1, Sunday Annual family style chicken & ham dinner served 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Big ticket raffle, bake sale, basket raffle, garden produce, and grocery cart raffle.

St. Ann Church, Slayton October 1, Sunday Annual Pit BBQ Chicken Dinner served 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Pit BBQ chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, homemade pies, beverages, and all the trimmings. Carry-outs available.

St. Adrian Church, Adrian September 17, Sunday Fall bazaar & dinner with raffle prizes, fish pond, country store, quilts, and big ticket prizes. Roast beef dinner with real mashed potatoes, corn, trimmings served 4-7 p.m. The church is located off I-90 at 512 Main St. in Adrian. For more information: 507-483-2013.

St. Matthew Church, Vernon Center October 1, Sunday Annual turkey dinner with all the trimmings, including homemade pie, served 4-7 p.m. $10 Adults. $6 Kids. Free 4 & under. Proceeds benefit faith formation classes.

Take outs available - call 507-5493004.

St. Felix School, Wabasha September 17, Sunday St. Felix Parish & School Annual Fall Festival 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fresh homemade doughnuts, grilled chicken dinners, the farm store, general and specialty auctions, bingo, inflatable slide, hoop shoot, kids' games, tootsie roll booth, lots of raffles, tons of prizes, and more.

All proceeds go to St. Felix School.

More information: 651-565-4446.

St. Patrick Church, West Albany October 8, Sunday Annual bbq chicken dinner served 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. or until it's gone. Also includes baked potato, vegetable, roll, beverages, and dessert. Take a drive to see the colors and stop for food and fellowship. The church is located between Wabasha and Zumbro Falls on Highway 60. See you there!