The Courier - December 2023

The

COURIER

Holy Family December 31

December 2023

Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN | dowr.org

Pope to Youth: Share Joy of God's Love, Recap of

Sow Seeds of Hope U.S. Bishops' Fall Plenary in Baltimore

From usccb.org

BALTIMORE - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered November 13-16 for their Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore.

The bishops began their plenary with a Mass for Peace at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with an afternoon of regional meetings. On Tuesday, the public sessions of the assembly began with the bishops sending prayers and a message to the Holy Father, as well as an address by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA addressed the body as USCCB president.

During the plenary, the bishops received updates on the following items: the 2021-2024 Synod of Bishops, the U.S. bishops’ Eucharistic revival initiative and national congress, the Institute on the Catechism, and the recently-launched mental health campaign. They also held a canonical consultation and affirmed their support for the cause of beatification and canonization of Servant of God Isaac Thomas Hecker, priest and founder of the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle (the

Pope Francis signals that hundreds of thousands of young people are not loud enough after he asks them to repeat that there is space for "everyone, everyone, everyone" in the church. The pope's remarks came at the World Youth Day welcome ceremony at Eduardo VII Park in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 3, 2023. (OSV News photo/Lola Gomez, CNS)

By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Embrace God's unconditional love and live in a way that is based on and radiates hope, Pope Francis told Catholic young people.

Christian hope "is the celebration of the love of the risen Christ, who is always at our side, even when he

seems far from us," the pope said in his annual message for local celebrations of World Youth Day. Hope is nurtured by prayer and the concrete choices one makes every day, he said in the message, published Nov. 14 at the Vatican.

Seeds of Hope, cont'd on pg. 11

Fall Plenary, cont'd on pg. 2

INSIDE this issue

Standing For Life

Let Us Drink of One Spirit page 5

page 8

Reflect This Advent page 10

Fall Plenary, cont'd from pg. 1

The Courier Insider

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Paulist Fathers); and also affirmed their support for a request from the bishops’ conference of England and Wales asking the Holy Father to name Saint John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church.

The bishops discussed several action items and voted on the following:

• 200 in favor, 21 against, and 17 abstentions to approve the reassignment of the Archdiocese of Las Vegas and the Diocese of Reno from Region XI to Region XIII, prompted by the creation of a new ecclesiastical province by the Holy Father this past May; • 225 in favor, 11 against, and 7 abstentions to approve a new introductory note and materials (bulletin inserts and a template video script) supporting the bishops’ teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship; 228 in favor, 7 against, and 5 abstentions to replace the current USCCB Strategic Plan cycle with a newly-proposed Mission Planning Process; 230 in favor, 11 against, and 1 abstention to affirm the reauthorization of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism; 231 in favor, 2 against, and 5 abstentions to approve the USCCB’s 2024 proposed budget, presented by the Committee on Budget and Finance.

There were six action items pertaining to liturgical texts from the Committee on Divine Worship, and the Latin Church members of the USCCB voted on the following: •

The U.S. adaptations for the Liturgy of the Hours passed with 214 votes in favor, 3 votes against, and 2 abstentions. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote

Officials

The Most Rev. Robert Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, announces the following: Charismatic Renewal

Deacon John LaValla: appointed Coordinator of the Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Winona­-Rochester, effective November 1, 2023.

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of the Latin Church bishops, with subsequent confirmatio and recognitio from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The bishops voted 222 votes in favor, 4 votes against, and 3 abstentions to authorize an amended process for the approval of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) Gray Book of Supplementary Texts for the Liturgy of the Hours.

The bishops voted 225 votes in favor, 2 votes against, and 0 abstentions to approve the ICEL Gray Book of The Order of Blessing of an Abbot or Abbess. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote of the Latin Church bishops, with subsequent confirmatio and recognitio from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The bishops voted 224 votes in favor, 2 votes against, and 2 abstentions to approve the ICEL Gray Book of The Order of Consecration of Virgins. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote of the Latin Church bishops, with subsequent confirmatio and recognitio from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The bishops voted 221 votes in favor, 3 votes against, and 2 abstentions to approve the ICEL Gray Book of The Order of Religious Profession. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote of the Latin Church bishops, with subsequent confirmatio from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The bishops also voted 227 votes in favor, 3 votes against, and 0 abstentions to approve the request to inscribe Saint Teresa of Calcutta on the General Roman Calendar as an Optional Memorial on September 5.

During the assembly, the bishops voted for a Conference secretary, as well as chairmenelect of six Conference committees. The bishops elected will serve for one year as chairman-elect before beginning a three-year term at the conclu-

Presbyteral Council

Rev. Andrew Beerman: elected Austin/ Albert Lea Deanery representative for the Presbyteral Council for a three-year term, effective January 1, 2024.

Rev. Glenn Frerichs: elected Mankato Deanery representative for the Presbyteral Council for a three-year term, effective January 1, 2024.

The Courier is the official publication of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 Vol 114 - 12

Most Reverend Robert E. Barron, Publisher Nick Reller, Associate Editor Telephone: 507-858-1257 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: nreller@dowr.org Publishing Schedule: Monthly - Deadline for advertising & articles is the 10th of the month prior.

(ISSN 0744-5490)

December 2023 w The Courier w dowr.org

Rev. Swaminatha Pothireddy: elected At-Large representative for the Presbyteral Council for a three-year term, effective January 1, 2024.

Rev. James Steffes: elected Rochester Deanery representative for the Presbyteral Council, effective September 27, 2023, through December 31, 2024.

Articles of Interest

How to Bless Your Advent Wreath at Home____4 Standing for Life___________________________5 Catholic Schools News____________________6-7 Let Us Drink of One Spirit__________________8 Memories of My Father's Life and Legacy____9 Reflect This Advent_______________________10 The Narrow Gate_________________________10 Diocesan Headlines_______________________11 Inside the Capitol_________________________12

The Holy Father's Intention for

December 2023 For Persons with Disabilities We pray that people living with disabilities may be at the center of attention in society, and that institutions may offer inclusive programs which value their active participation. sion of the 2024 Fall Plenary Assembly. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City was elected in November 2023 as USCCB secretary to complete the term left vacant when Archbishop Broglio was elected as Conference president. Archbishop Coakley’s current term concludes in November 2024, and with his re-election during this plenary as USCCB secretary and the chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans, he will begin his new threeyear term at the conclusion of the November 2024 plenary.

News updates, texts of addresses and presentations, and other materials from the 2023 plenary are posted to: www.usccb.org/ meetings.

Pension Plan for Priests

Rev. John Sauer: elected to a three-year term on the Pension Plan for Priests Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2023.

Minnesota Catholic Conference Mr. John Meyers: appointed to a three-year term on the Minnesota Catholic Conference Social Concerns Committee, effective October 17, 2023.

Child Abuse Policy Information

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester 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 507-454-2270, 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-Rochester 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-Rochester’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, or mhamann@dowr.org.

Where to Find The Courier

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Hard copies are distributed at DOW-R parishes on the first weekend of each month.

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An online version may be viewed at www.dowr.org/offices/ courier/index.html

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To be added to the home delivery list free of charge, readers should send their names and addresses to: Diocese of Winona-Rochester The Courier 55 W Sanborn St. Winona, MN 55987 or nreller@dowr.org

Advent Revolution

Bishop Robert Barron

� temptation that we should strenuously avoid is to turn Advent and Christmas into a cozy, sentimental season. In point of fact, Advent is best understood as a preparation for a revolution. The liturgical readings for this time of the year - focusing on Isaiah, John the Baptist, Mary, and Jesus positively crackle with energy and electricity. When we seek to understand them on their

simply as a political vindication, but as a triumph of Israel’s God over the king of Babylon, and he compared it to an earlier victory of Yahweh over another oppressive king, namely, the Pharoah who had pressed the Israelites into slavery. After the many years of suffering and humiliation, the Israelites, under the leadership of their God, were coming home—and this meant that Yahweh was more powerful than the tyrant who had forced them into submission.

In the wake of the return, Israel, however, found itself, once more, under the boot of oppression. First, the Greeks conquered them and then the Romans - and so again Israelites wondered when God would come to their rescue. Around the year 30, an alarming figure appeared in the Judean desert, wearing animal skins and eating locusts and wild honey; and his theme hearkened back to the prophet Isaiah: “make straight a highway for our God.” John the Baptist was telling his listeners to make ready for the arrival of the God of Israel as a conquering king, who would, once again, overthrow the oppressors of his people. Do you see now why I spoke of revolution?

Revolución de Adviento Por el Obispo Robert Barron

que significó esta calamidad el faraón que había sometido � na tentación que deberíamos para los antiguos judíos, a los israelitas a la esclavitud. evitar enérgicamente es convertir el Adviento y la Navidad en una época acogedora y sentimental. De hecho, el Adviento se entiende mejor como una preparación para una revolución. Las lecturas litúrgicas de este tiempo del año -centradas en Isaías, Juan el Bautista, María y Jesús- rebosan energía y electricidad. Cuando tratamos de entenderlas en sus propios términos y en el contexto de la época en que fueron escritas, descubrimos su poder revolucionario.

Los pasajes del profeta Isaías del leccionario de Adviento comunican la alegría que acompaña al regreso de los israelitas del exilio en Babilonia. En el año 587 a.C., un ejército babilónico destruyó Jerusalén, quemó el templo sagrado y se llevó al exilio a lo mejor y más brillante de Israel.

Para hacernos una idea de lo

tendríamos que multiplicar por mil el 11 de septiembre de 2001. No sólo su nación fue conquistada y su capital diezmada; parecía como si su Dios hubiera sido derrotado.

El templo de Jerusalén era mucho más que un santuario para Yahvé; era, en un sentido casi literal, su morada en la tierra, el trono desde el que reinaba. Por lo tanto, su destrucción planteó un dilema teológico de primera magnitud: ¿cómo podía el Dios creador, Señor de todo el universo, ser derrocado tan completamente?

Unos 75 años más tarde, los exiliados fueron liberados y se les permitió regresar a la Tierra Prometida. El profeta interpretó este hecho no como una simple reivindicación política, sino como un triunfo del Dios de Israel sobre el rey de Babilonia, y lo comparó con una victoria anterior de Yahvé sobre otro rey opresor, a saber,

Después de muchos años de sufrimiento y humillación, los israelitas, bajo el liderazgo de su Dios, regresaban a casa, y esto significaba que Yahvé era más poderoso que el tirano que los había obligado a someterse.

Sin embargo, tras el retorno, Israel se encontró, una vez más, bajo la bota de la opresión.

Primero los conquistaron los griegos y luego los romanos, y de nuevo los israelitas se preguntaron cuándo vendría Dios a rescatarlos. Hacia el año 30, apareció en el desierto de Judea una figura alarmante, que vestía pieles de animales y comía langostas y miel silvestre; su tema recordaba al profeta Isaías: "Enderecen una calzada para nuestro Dios".

Juan el Bautista decía a sus oyentes que se preparasen para la llegada del Dios de Israel como rey conquistador que, una vez más, derrocaría a los opresores de su pueblo.

And the revolution arrived in the person of a young Galilean rabbi, whose message was simple and unambiguous: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” This was not a blandly “spiritual” theme; it was perfectly congruent with the edgy theology I sketched above. Jesus was saying that the new king has arrived and he’s begun his work; so change your lives and come under his lordship. And what does the new king do? He engages in open table fellowship, inviting rich and poor, righteous and unrighteous, healthy and sick, insiders and outsiders, to his festive banquets; he heals the sick in mind, soul, and body; he lives a life of radical love, forgiveness, and compassion.

In a word, he shows forth what the reign of Israel’s God looks like concretely and in action. As one would expect, the powers that govern the world took none too kindly to this new reign, and they put Jesus to death, lynching him in the Roman style. But the God of Israel raised Jesus from the dead and demonstrated thereby, in the most convincing way possible, that he was more powerful than any of the kings of the world. And this was

¿Ven ahora por qué hablaba de revolución?

Y la revolución llegó en la persona de un joven rabino galileo, cuyo mensaje era sencillo e inequívoco: "Conviértanse, porque el reino de Dios está cerca". No se trataba de un tema anodinamente "espiritual"; era perfectamente congruente con la atrevida teología que he esbozado antes.

Jesús estaba diciendo que el nuevo rey había llegado y había comenzado su obra; así que cambien sus vidas y pónganse bajo su señorío. ¿Y qué hace el nuevo rey? Él participa en la comunión con una mesa abierta, invitando a ricos y pobres, justos e injustos, sanos y enfermos, de “casa” y “ajenos”, a sus banquetes festivos; cura a los enfermos de mente, alma y cuerpo; vive una vida de amor, perdón y compasión radicales.

En una palabra, muestra cómo es concretamente y en acción el reinado del Dios de Israel. Como era de esperar, los poderes que gobiernan el mundo no vieron con buenos ojos este nuevo reinado y

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precisely the first great Christian message: Iesous Kyrios (Jesus is Lord). This phrase, so often on the lips of the first evangelists, had a Jewish sense, designating that the new David, the definitive king of Israel had appeared. It had a Roman sense as well, designating that someone greater than Caesar had appeared. A watchword of the time was Kaiser Kyrios (Caesar is Lord); therefore, in insisting that Jesus is in fact Lord, the first proclaimers of the Gospel were effectively undermining Caesar’s claim to ultimacy. In a word, the great Christian message turned the world upside down.

The Christian revolution continues today; Advent prepares us to embrace it.

From the Bishop

Non Nisi Te Domine

own terms and in the context of the time in which they were written, we discover their revolutionary power.

The Advent lectionary passages from the prophet Isaiah communicate the joy attendant upon the return of the Israelites from exile in Babylon. In the year 587 BC, a Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem, burned down the holy temple, and carried the best and brightest of Israel into exile. To get some glimpse of what this calamity meant for ancient Jews, we would have to multiply September 11th, 2001 by a thousand. Not only was their nation conquered and their capital city decimated; it appeared as though their God had been defeated. The temple in Jerusalem was much more than a shrine to Yahweh; it was, in almost a literal sense, his dwelling place on earth, the throne from which he reigned.

Therefore, its destruction posed a theological dilemma of the first magnitude: how could the creator God, Lord of the whole universe, be so thoroughly overthrown? Now about 75 years later, the exiles were liberated and permitted to return to the Promised Land.

The prophet read this, not

-Most Rev. Robert Barron, Bishop of Winona-Rochester

condenaron a muerte a Jesús, linchándolo al estilo romano.

Pero el Dios de Israel resucitó a Jesús de entre los muertos y demostró así, de la manera más convincente posible, que era más poderoso que cualquiera de los reyes del mundo. Y este fue precisamente el primer gran mensaje cristiano: Iesous Kyrios (Jesús es el Señor). Esta frase, tan a menudo en boca de los primeros evangelistas, tenía un sentido judío, designando que había aparecido el nuevo David, el rey definitivo de Israel.

También tenía un sentido romano, al designar que había aparecido alguien más grande que el César. Una consigna de la época era Kaiser Kyrios (el César es el Señor); por tanto, al insistir en que Jesús es en realidad el Señor, los primeros proclamadores del Evangelio estaban socavando de hecho la pretensión de ultimidad del César. En una palabra, el gran mensaje cristiano puso el mundo de cabeza.

La revolución cristiana continúa hoy; el Adviento nos prepara para abrazarla.

The Bishop's Calendar is on Page 12.

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Life, Marriage & Family

How to Bless Your 4 Advent Wreath at Home From CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY

�he Advent wreath is made of four

candles and a circle of branches. Before the first candle is lighted, the household gathers for this blessing.

The blessing of an Advent Wreath takes place on the First Sunday of Advent or on the evening before the First Sunday of Advent.

When the blessing of the Advent Wreath is celebrated in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed by a parent or another member of the family.

All make the Sign of the Cross.

The leader begins:

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All respond:

Who made heaven and earth.

The leader may use these or similar words to introduce the blessing: In the short days and long nights of Advent, we realize how we are always needing salvation by our God.

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Around this wreath, we shall remember God's promise.

Peter Martin

Then the Scripture is read:

Director of Life, Marriage & Family and Communications pmartin@dowr.org

Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah (9:1-2): The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.

The reader concludes: The word of the Lord.

All respond:

Thanks be to God. After a time of silence, all join in prayers of intercession and in the Lord's Prayer: Our Father...

Then the leader invites:

Let us now pray for God's blessing upon us and upon this wreath.

After a short silence, the leader prays:

Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ: he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples, he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us, he is the Savior of every nation.

Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we light the candles of this wreath.

May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ's promise to bring us salvation; may he come quickly and not delay.

We ask this through Christ our Lord Response: Amen.

[For more resources, visit: usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/advent]

Standing for Life Dana Thirstrup

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester will be sending a group of more than 40 students and adults to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., in January. Below is an article by CHARLIE DEICK, a Lourdes High School student and parishioner of the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, who will be attending the March, which was originally publicized in the Co-Cathedral's bulletin. Please pray for all who are traveling to D.C. to stand for life and witness to the nation!

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

-Jeremiah 1:5 My name is Charlie Deick, and I was adopted from Ethiopia at the tender age of six months into the loving family of Steve and Brenda Deick. My family now consists of six children - three adopted and three biological. I was raised with very Catholic

Youth Ministry & Faith Formation

Director of Youth Ministry and Faith Formation dpetricka@dowr.org

�

s we reflect on (this past) Respect Life Month, it is crucial to acknowledge the sanctity of human life, especially that of the unborn. I would like to take this opportunity to share a personal story that is close to my heart, with the hope of shedding light on this sensitive topic and perhaps even inspiring a change of heart.

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beliefs and my family is extremely faithful. Last year I went to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., and I heard many testimonies about choosing life.

Hearing so many stories about choosing life made me realize I could share my life story. So I decided to share mine with you.

My birth mother was only 17 years old when she had me. From what we have gathered, my father was not her husband. She was young and didn’t know what to do. Does this sound familiar to you? Does it sound like one of the many reasons why many in our culture would say it's okay to have an abortion? The answer is yes. But, thankfully, my birth mom did not make that decision.

Instead of choosing abortion, she chose life! She knew that she couldn’t do it on her own, so she went to my uncle for help. The next series of events is not entirely clear. From what we gathered, my uncle took me on an eight-hour bus ride to an orphanage. I was lovingly taken care of by nannies until my parents were matched with me. A few months later they came and took me home. If my mom would not have made the right choice I would not be here to tell this story. She loved me so much that she was willing to give me up for adoption. If she didn’t choose life, all the people that I know now would be incomplete, my family would be missing someone. God had a plan for me, even before I was born, and she said yes.

My mother could have chosen to abort me. It would have saved her from being shamed by people for her circumstances. It would have saved her the worry about what she would have had to do once I was born. Instead, she knew in her heart that, for better or for worse, she was already a mother before she even noticed I was there. She understood that I was a human being with dignity. No matter how small I was, she knew for a fact that I was a person with a whole life ahead of me. She understood that God placed me in this world. Who was she to go against the will of God? So when a mother has a baby in difficult circumstances, she needs to remember that there is always a choice. She needs to remember that the choice she makes not only affects her child but also everyone whose lives will be affected by that person. The choice she makes will change many lives. I pray that all mothers will make the right choice. The choice my mother made, that is, the choice of life.

Thank you and God bless.

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Our Schools Need You

�ne of the blessings of being the

Catholic Schools

superintendent of Catholic schools is that I get to spend time in our Catholic schools around the diocese. This time of year, it is especially remarkable because of the excitement that these beautiful young souls bring into the classroom.

And yes, all kids are excited to share with you how they can’t wait for Santa to come down the chimney with presents, but our Catholic school children are also so excited to tell you all about how Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. They are even quick to tell you how Advent is the season to prepare for Christmas, and Christmas is the day that Jesus was born. Our kids are learning the faith.

This is a testament to our teachers and staff who partner with parents to best serve the students placed in their care. In a culture that goes out of its way to secularize Christmas and speak of it as if it were just another generic holiday, our schools are focused on Christ’s incarnation. Our students are being reminded of the reality that St. Athanasius wrote about in On the Incarnation where he states, “For the Son of God became man so that we can become God.” Our students are taught to recognize that Christmas

isn’t just about decorations and presents, but that our Lord humbled himself to become one of us. We can share in his divinity and have eternal life if we choose to love him and live as he commands. In our schools our students are being formed in the faith.

Our schools are doing the best they can to continue this important mission of the Church, and they are not immune to the financial hardships that we are seeing today. As the cost of everything continues to rise, our schools are being asked to continue the same level of excellence while doing so with less and less resources available to them. And as good as our schools are at forming the students in their care, they are not as good at communicating the reality that they need our help.

As we prepare to close out another calendar year, I reach out to you, the faithful of this diocese, to consider how you can partner with our schools and help them live out their mission day in and day out.

First off, I ask you to please pray for them. Pray for our school leaders, teachers, and all staff members.

Ask our Lord to pour His grace down on them so that they are able to fully live heroically as disciples of Christ living out His charism for them to teach. I also ask you to pray that the schools fully live out their mission as the Bride of Christ, the Church, calls them to. Our schools must be fully on mission if they are going to ensure that our students are prepared to carry the Gospel out into the world.

Deacon Sean Costello

Superintendent of Catholic Schools scostello@dowr.org

Next, I ask you to prayerfully consider reaching out to your area Catholic school with an offer of additional financial support. We are doing our best to keep tuition costs as low as possible, and to provide additional financial support through scholarships and other tuition assistance programs for families who still cannot fully meet tuition obligations. Your generosity will help us come as close as possible to our goal of ensuring that every parent has access to a Catholic education for their children. Together we can better ensure that Catholic education will be available for families in our diocese for generations to come.

Be assured of my prayers for all our benefactors to Catholic education in our diocese, and please remember to pray for me as I serve all of you. May God bless you abundantly during this Advent season, and I wish you a Blessed Christmas and New Year.

The Saints Are Alive at St. Mary's School, Owatonna Submitted by JEN SWANSON

To be saints is not a privilege for a few, but a vocation for everyone.

- Pope Francis

�ll Saints’ Day was a very special day for students at

St. Mary’s School in Owatonna.

In preparation for the day, the second graders learned about their saint, typically a saint who matches the student’s first or middle name. Working with their parents, students learned about their saints and created costumes for All Saints’ Day. Students processed into Mass in full-costume with small signs indicating which saints they were representing. We led the Mass for the school and guests. After Mass, each student gave a short presentation about their saint to their families and other students.

While the second graders were giving their saint presentations, seventh graders at St. Mary’s School hosted a living saint museum throughout St. Joseph’s church. Seventh graders dressed as saints, created an accurate geographic or historical background, and gave their own presentations about saints once “activated” by other students dropping coins into a canister. Students and guests contributed $938.00 and the 7th graders voted to donate the money to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Make A Wish - Minnesota.

Jen Swanson is the principal of St. Mary's School in Owatonna.

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Cotter Opens St. Luke Hall 7

Submitted by JANA KORDER

Catholic Schools

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otter’s St. Luke Hall, a Kindergarten through Grade 6 building, opened in August of 2023.

“We are tremendously blessed to be able to provide our students the opportunity to learn in a beautiful, safe, and welcoming space”, said Cotter Schools President Mary Eileen Fitch. “The students’ learning experience was the lens through which the design process and decisions were made, and the positive energy in the building reflects this. Students are so excited to come to learn, work, pray, and play here, and that attitude leads to high engagement, which fosters both higher achievement and the development of the whole child. The physical space can truly impact the learning experience, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with this gift for our students, families, and staff.”

Students from three campuses united in a single, dynamic learning environment. Cotter’s One Campus Plan is coming to fruition and we couldn’t be more excited. It is a wonderful gift to be able to have our students of all ages learning in spaces that are in close proximity to one another. Not only is the one campus model convenient for families but already we’ve made great connections within our school community. The mentorship opportunities not only enhance the learning experience but also create a sense of community and responsibility among the students.

Cotter’s high school National Honor Society members spend time twice a week helping at the St. Luke’s playground during their recess. Students in fourth grade are reading buddies with our St. Mary’s preschoolers. As our enrollment continues to grow, we look forward to developing even more opportunities for students of various ages to mentor, lead, and learn important lessons from one another.

In naming the elementary building, Cotter Schools sought to align the name of the building with a saint whose values and themes were consistent with the mission and identity of our school, and whose name was not already identified with a building in the Winona area. St. Luke the Evangelist seemed a wonderful fit. St. Luke is believed to be the author of the Gospel that bears his name as well as the Acts of the Apostles. He was a close friend and follower of St. Paul. Their mission together was to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

When asked what he loves most about the new learning space, St. Luke Hall Principal Pat Bowlin said, “Where to start with what we love about our

new building is a great challenge. The natural light that flows throughout the building, the spacious hallways, state-ofthe-art classrooms, and the beautiful bluffs outside our windows would certainly be on the shortlist, but that would leave out the spacious band room, STEM lab, and new gym. However, it all pales in comparison to the smiles on our students' faces as they enter their new school. I continually use the word 'blessed' when speaking about St. Luke. Blessed by benefactors who care deeply about our mission and the future of Catholic education. Blessed by so many creative and hard-working people who planned and then built this school. Their generosity and talents will allow our 481 students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade to lead us forward into the great 150-year tradition of Catholic elementary schools in Winona. Our new adventure has begun and we could not be more excited.”

Jana Korder works in communications, marketing and brand identity for Cotter Schools in Winona.

Thank you to the following parishes who have met their goals for the 2023 Catholic Ministries Appeal since our Feb. 18-19 kick-off: All Saints Madison Lake All Saints New Richland Christ the King Byron Christ the King Medford

Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Rochester Crucifixion La Crescent Holy Family Kasson Holy Redeemer Eyota

Immaculate Conception Kellogg Immaculate Conception St. Clair Pax Christi Rochester Queen of Angels Austin Resurrection Rochester Sacred Heart Brewster Sacred Heart Hayfield St. Ann Slayton

Holy Spirit Rochester

St. Anthony Westbrook

Holy Trinity Rollingstone

St. Bernard Stewartville

St. Bridget Simpson

St. Joseph Good Thunder

St. Casimir Winona

St. Joseph Lakefield

St. Columba Iona St. Columban Preston St. Finbarr Grand Meadow St. Francis of Assisi Rochester St. Gabriel Fulda St. Ignatius Spring Valley St. John Baptist de la Salle Dodge Center St. John Nepomucene Winona

St. Joseph Waldorf St. Luke Sherburn St. Mary Chatfield St. Mary Lake Wilson St. Mary Winona St. Patrick LeRoy St. Peter Hokah St. Rose of Lima Lewiston

December 2023 w The Courier w dowr.org

Missionary Discipleship

Let Us Drink of One Spirit 8 Kansas City Conference Inspires All

�his fall, 12 diocesan leaders influ-

enced by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal made our way to Kansas City, to the Jesus 2023: Let Us Drink of One Spirit Leadership Conference, hosted

by Pentecost Today USA (the American shelter organization of Catholic Charismatic Renewal connected to Rome). Once there, we met around 500 other joy-filled leaders from across the United States for a long weekend of worship, repentance, learning, and evangelization!

The reason the conference was held in Kansas City this year was to honor the Topeka Gathering in 1977.

This was an international charismatic renewal conference of 40,000 to 50,000 people across multiple branches of Christianity (half were Catholic!). Some people know of it because a man then known as Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa was brought there (reluctantly) to “come and see.” He left, he said, “baptized in the Spirit” and a changed man. He has been a figurehead of the charismatic renewal in the Church since, as well as the papal preacher to three popes.

However, the 1977 gathering was not just known for a future famous attendee. Many gathered that day experienced something they considered astounding: the fervent sense that God was gathering the Christian denominations together and making them one. People said they had a strong foretaste of Christian unity, the joy of the Father in the reunification of his Church, and the sense that it would happen (against every odd) in their lifetime.

25 years later, Pentecost Today USA wanted leaders to return, remember, and rededicate themselves to God’s dream of One Church, one witness to the Lord.

Personally, I had not heard so much about Christian unity in many years, if ever. It was enormously refreshing. In addition to many incredible speakers, Bishop Peter Smith (auxiliary bishop of Portland, OR) presided over a powerful Mass focusing on bringing the joy of the Holy Spirit to a secular world, and Archbishop Joseph Naumann (Kansas City, KS) touched many hearts in speaking to the

power of witness in adversity. Our own WinonaRochester deacons (Deacons Jack LaValla and John Hust) were able to serve at the altar at both Masses!

I asked some of the other attendees to share their impressions of the weekend. But first – if this intrigues you, and you wonder why 110 million Catholics worldwide are active in the charismatic renewal movement, please consider speaking to our new coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the diocese, Deacon Jack LaValla! Second, there will be another conference Oct. 25-27 in 2024 and it’s in St. Paul! Let’s bring everyone there!

–Susan Windley-Daoust

Drink of One Spirit was the theme, and it was fulfilled. We were lavished with the Holy Spirit! Our hearts were set on fire with God's love. One message we received is to be in Unity ... Unity with our brothers and sisters, within our church and with other churches across the world ... and this will CHANGE the culture!

The gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit are for ALL of us ... to receive these we must begin with Love ... Love of God and Love of our neighbor and our hearts will be opened and we WILL receive charisms to be given away to others. "God is good all the time. And that is his nature! WOW!" –Madonna Fohrmann

It was a true blessing to journey to Kansas City with members from our diocese and to gather with others from across the country for Pentecost Today USA’s Jesus 2023 Conference. During the weekend I was nourished by the sacraments, and through prayer, praise and worship, street evangelization and formation. The Holy Spirit encouraged confirmation for me through scripture providing Daniel 6:27-28, “Our God is the living God, he endures forever, his sovereignty will never be destroyed and his kingship never ends.

He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth.” The Holy Spirit makes the love of the Father tangibly real. Through the power of the Holy Spirit my heart is able to find a deeper encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. The experience strengthens and moves me to share that love with others. The Holy Spirit brings a personal Pentecost to set hearts on fire with the Gospel message to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord bringing conversion, repentance and surrender. I’m encouraged to see how the Holy Spirit is moving at this moment in the Church, in my life and through the witness of others. Come Holy Spirit; come and renew the face of the earth.

-Laurie Archbold

Photo Credit: Susan LaValla December 2023 w The Courier w dowr.org

Susan Windley-Daoust

Director of Missionary Discipleship swindley@dowr.org

I need to share the vision I had during the last Mass. It was just before communion. I looked up to the windows and the sky was blue with clouds. The clouds took the shape of a large dove, then I saw a circular face like Jesus - like a host with his face within. Then the clouds appeared to have the image of an old man's face, as you see God the Father pictured at times. I sensed it to be the Holy Trinity. I felt total peace and love of the Holy Trinity. The whole weekend was the Catholic Church united together in praise and love of our Awesome God. -Pat

The experience was like a bath in warm water.

Surrender and immerse in the Spirit so that He can carry you from where you are to where He needs you to be. Praise God! -Deacon Jack LaValla

It was a great time to remember who we are, and where we should be going as a church. The words which spoke to me were: faithfulness, unity, surrender and witness. Also a phrase, “Say not you are too old, God has things for all believers to do. May we follow the Holy Spirit in humility and zeal.

-Deacon John Hust

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the United States is beginning a NINE YEAR NOVENA starting this coming Pentecost 2024, leading up to the 2,000th anniversary of the Pentecost! Each year is dedicated to prayer for the renewal of different elements of the Church and the world. You can learn more about that novena, as well as the Holy Spirit 2024 Conference in St. Paul, at: pentecosttodayusa.org

Memories of My Father's 9 Todd Graff

Director of Lay Formation & RCIA tgraff@dowr.org

The eyes of faith behold a wonderful scene: that of a countless number of lay people, both women and men, busy at work in their daily life and activity, oftentimes far from view and quite unacclaimed by the world, unknown to the world's great personages but nonetheless looked upon in love by the Father, untiring laborers who work in the Lord's vineyard. Confident and steadfast through the power of God's grace, these are the humble yet great builders of the Kingdom of God in history.

�reetings of Peace!

-Pope St. John Paul II, Christifidelis Laici, #17

This time of the year, I often think of my dad.

This November 24 would have been his one hundredth birthday, and this December 7 marks the 10-year anniversary of his death. If I were to name one person in my life that I would see as a model and mentor, it would be my dad.

He was an accomplished man of business and finance as president of our hometown bank, and even served for a time as the Director of the Department of Banking for the State of Nebraska. But, what I and many others remember most about him was his humility and gentleness.

For me, he was the kind of person that Pope Francis often encourages us to be: humble, a listener, joyful, caring, patient, grateful, generous, and compassionate toward those in need. On my desk is this “tweet” from Pope Francis: “Prayer, humility, and charity toward all are essential in the Christian life: they are the way to holiness.” I learned this lesson well from my dad.

As a way to honor and remember him, I would like to devote my article this month to two reflections on his life - the first from the column I wrote for the January 2014 issue of The Courier, following his death, and the second from my brother Chad’s testimony to him at his funeral (based on the memories and reflections of our family).

Pete Graff's Son

Peter Marcel Graff died on December 7, 2013, the Memorial of Saint Ambrose and the 72nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was 90 years old and had just celebrated this milestone birthday with his family two weekends before his death. He was known as “Marcel” through high school to distinguish himself from his father, “Peter,” and mostly called “Pete” or sometimes “Peter M.” after that.

Perhaps some called him, “Mr. Graff,” but that didn’t fit his humble demeanor. I had the great privilege to always call him, “Dad.”

He was a son (of immigrant parents), a husband (to Eileen for 15 years before her death, and of 47 years to Dolores), a father (of 11) / grandfather (of 33) / great grandfather (of 17), a banker (for 50+ years), a farmer (from his childhood), a World War II veteran (piloting dangerous nighttime missions over the Pacific Ocean), and man of faith (whose witness was a lifetime of caring for his family and his bank customers, especially those in most distress).

My dad hated to be the object of attention or to be in the spotlight, and had to patiently endure several occasions of public recognition in his final years.

He would accept these acknowledgments of his many years of community and church service out of loyalty to whatever group or organization offered it, but never felt comfortable being the one acclaimed by others.

In contrast to this, he always had time for a visit from a bank customer or a friend (many of whom were both). As a child, I had a downtown paper route, and would usually stop by the bank to see him after finishing my daily delivery. Often, I would find someone in his office who had come to visit or to check in after the bank had closed for the day. Dad always had time for whoever came to his office door, and never let the piles of work on his desk take precedence over their desire to see him.

Just as importantly, he always had time to talk to me about my day and what I needed from him. Some of my greatest joys as a child were these times spent in his office, at the farm doing chores, or accompanying him on his errands around town. In our town, I was often referred to as, “Pete Graff’s son,” and I was very proud to be known in relation to him.

My dad taught me to be a good man, a faithful husband and father, a hard worker, and a caring friend to those in need. And, most significantly, he taught me how to be all of these through a life lived in witness to the Catholic Faith of our family.

It was a faith I learned through Catholic schools, through personal prayer and the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and through an active witness of charity and service.

Dad preached the love of Christ to me sometimes in words, but much more often in his quiet way of listening, caring, helping, guiding, encouraging. In the words of Saint John Paul II, he was truly one of “the humble yet great builders of the Kingdom of God in history.”

Reflections on Our Dad

“We’d like to share just a couple reflections on our Dad with you.

“Dad maintained a remarkable calmness in life.

One of the things he said was: ‘If it won’t be a big deal in 10 years, it isn’t a big deal now.’ Dad valued good character more than experience. He was fond of saying that if we don’t learn from our mistakes, then 20 years of experience is one year of experience times twenty.

Lay Formation & RCIA

Life and Legacy

“Dad loved snacks. At home, he was known to sneak down to the basement freezer late at night for ice cream. It was also rumored that he kept a few snacks under his desk at work. Nothing pleased him more than to hand you a bag of popcorn. If he could give you a new [McCook National Bank] pen with the popcorn, all the better.

“One of the greatest lessons we learned from Dad is that everyone deserves to be treated with honor and dignity regardless of their station in life.

Dad treated an individual falling on hard times and needing $20 for groceries with the same heartfelt kindness and respect that he treated the Governor. He would give money out of his own pocket, and tell people they could pay him back when back on their feet. His heart contained no prejudice. His door at the bank was open to everyone, and he took the time to listen to what people had to say. He enjoyed helping people find what they loved to do. He taught us that people are important; money and things are not.

“If you asked him how he was doing, Dad was fond of saying, ‘Can’t Complain!’

“Dad was fascinated by conditions of nature that impact us all, none more than farmers. On the phone, he was quick to ask: ‘What’s your weather doing?’ He loved a drive to check on the crops and a glance at the sky to look for rainclouds. He enjoyed doing the small things that nature asks, such as mowing the lawn or shoveling snow. It wasn’t unusual for bank employees to leave work after a snow storm only to find their cars had been secretly cleared of snow by the Chairman of the bank. He taught us that there is beauty and God’s love in the things we do to help one another.

“Dad loved to say, ‘thank you,’ and to show his appreciation. Let us express our heartfelt thanks for the kindness and love you all showed our Dad. The last weeks of his life were spent celebrating his 90th birthday and enjoying the good wishes of many, many people. To know our Dad was to love him. Thank you.”

I will close by saying how blessed and grateful I am to be the son of Pete Graff, and may he rest in peace.

Deo Gratias!

Holiness is a gift from God which we have received with Baptism: if we let it grow, it can completely change our life. Saints are not unreachable or distant heroes, but people like us, our friends, whose starting point is the same gift we have received: Baptism.

Indeed, if we think about it, we have certainly met some of them, some everyday saints: some righteous person, someone who lives the Christian life seriously, with simplicity… they are those I like to call ‘the saints next door’, who live normally among us.

-Pope Francis, Angelus Address for the Solemnity of All Saints, Nov. 1, 2023

December 2023 w The Courier w dowr.org

Vocations & Diaconate

10

Reflect This Advent

�very year around this time I hear over

and over again (and at times think it myself), “Where has this year gone,” or “I can’t believe it’s December already.”

Time has a way of doing what it does, inevitably marching forward. While usually these statements are said to me with some kind of exasperation or projection of anxiety, I am reminded of how much good has transpired in my life. It is easy to get into a mindset of thinking that life just continues to spin and I am just a cog in the wheel of time.

Advent and Christmas have a dramatically different tone to them that invite reflection and quiet even as they make preparations for what is to come.

Far from just accepting the passing of time as some inevitable lost cause, Advent seeks to force our reflection on both the future but also the present moment.

Advent is certainly a season of waiting and yearning for the coming of Jesus into the world. It is a season of anticipation of when Jesus will come again in glory and bring forth a New Heavens and a New Earth.

But, truthfully, Advent is a season of discerning the ways in which Jesus wants to enter more deeply into the recesses of our hearts. He desires to bring His Lordship into our souls through our receptivity to His Presence.

In the discernment of God’s will, it is only through welcoming the Christ that we can discover how each moment and each day are caught up in the Lord. If we want to know the purpose of time passing each day and each year, we must see ourselves as destined to eternal life with God.

Rev. Jason Kern Director of Vocations jkern@dowr.org

Jesus became human in time and space and in doing so sanctified all time. He is the Lord of every time and place and so our welcoming Him into the depths of our hearts allows for each moment to become a time sacred for the Lord. In other words, Christ reigns in our times and therefore makes every time and place meaningful and full of goodness.

Your life then becomes more than a rat race of activity going from thing to thing. Your life is of infinite importance insofar as you participate in God’s eternal plan. Welcoming Jesus this Advent renews your capacity to welcome Jesus into the world. It renews the importance of your role in God’s saving work in our world. Your life and vocation have meaning beyond our own capacity for comprehension.

May we be caught up in the salvific work of grace that Jesus wins for the world by uniting Himself to our human nature and offering Himself in love for us.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Please keep in your prayers this Christmas the five young men (to date of writing) that have received or plan to receive applications for seminary next fall (I am confident there are still more seriously discerning). God hears your good prayers and is working in the hearts of young men and women to not only hear how God is calling them but also to see how they are being called to serve God in His plan for the salvation of others through the Church.

The Narrow Gate

Living our Catholic faith is also like running a marathon. Marathons demand a lot from the runner.

The training and discipline are long and difficult. The Deacon John Hust gate to victory is narrow. If you don't passionately Director of the Permanent Diaconate love running, you are not going to finish a marajhust@dowr.org thon. Similarly, if you don't have a passionate love for Jesus you won't complete the difficult journey in your spiritual life.

Deacons are men who strive to enter through the

By DEACON ROBERT YERHOT, MSW narrow gate by giving their lives to God and accepting his will. They stay off the enticing wide open freeways, and stay on the road less traveled, the road that ow closely do you follow Jesus? What is the "nardemands so much of them. Deacons live the extraorrow gate” through which Jesus says you must pass to dinary life of a martyr, giving witness to all that hapenter heaven? pened to Jesus.

Passionate love for Jesus and our neighbor gets us What does the narrow gate look like in your life? through the narrow gate. It keeps us on the less travHow narrow is it? eled road of our Catholic faith and off the freeways of Love God and your neighbor with a passion! an increasingly unChristian world that tempt us with Whatever you do, do it for God and others. Whatever speed and ease of passage. Indeed, living our Catholic the narrow gate may look like for you, you will pass faith today is difficult and often seems like a long hazthrough it if you love from the heart, love to the point ardous trip on the back roads of life. Not many travel of suffering. This is indeed the narrow gate! Jesus shows us the way. God bless all of you! these roads anymore. Most prefer the ease and speed of the interstate highways, and we wonder why there Deacon Robert Yerhot serves the parishes of St. Mary are so many accidents! in Caledonia and St. Patrick in Brownsville.

�

December 2023 w The Courier w dowr.org

Happy Advent Is Offered Every Sunday 11

The Televised Mass

from the W-RDCCW

Sioux Falls - ODLT Channel 7 at 7 a.m.

Mankato - KEYC Channel 12 at 7:30 a.m.

Digital Channel 12.2 or Charter Channel 19 NEYC at 9:30 a.m.

Digital Channel 7 (DirecTV) or Channel 11 (DISH) KMNF at 9 a.m.

Rochester/Austin/Mason City KIMT Channel 3 at 7:30 a.m.

MyTV 3.2 at 9 a.m.

Twin Cities - WFTC Digital Channel 29 or Channel 9.2 at 11:30 a.m.

Southeastern MN - HBC Channel 20 at 3 p.m. (repeated Wed. at 3:30 p.m.)

Winona/La Crosse/Eau Claire - WLAX/WEUX Channel 25/48 at 7:30 a.m. and on our website, dowr.org (click "Weekly Mass")

By SHELLY HOLT

�appy Advent! I hope you are prayerfully

entering into this wonderful, prayer-filled season of waiting - waiting for the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May your Christmas Season be full of love.

Over the next few months, I will be highlighting the National Council of Catholic Women Commissions and their projects along with various resources available for your use.

Each Diocese, area/deanery and church within the diocese should be promoting the work of the commissions.

The first commission I am highlighting is the National Council of Catholic Women Spirituality Commission. The chair, Debbie Keller, is from our Ecclesiastical Province of St. Paul and Minneapolis and our Province Director, Carol Shukle, is also a member of the Spirituality commission team.

The work of the Spirituality Commission is to reinforce faith and supports service to the Church and to the world through discipleship and spiritual growth; and encourages legislative advocacy at the local, state, and national levels guided by Catholic Social Teaching.

Some of the areas of focus include: •

First Saturday Devotion

•

Spirituality Prayer to Love: Healing Racism

• •

Shelly Holt is the president of the W i n o n a R o c h e s t e r Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

My Faith Journey

Prayer for Adoration

Seeds of Hope, cont'd from pg. 1 "I urge all of you to choose a style of life grounded in hope," he wrote. For example, instead of sharing negative things on social media, share things that inspire hope.

"Each day, try to share a word of hope with others. Try to sow seeds of hope in the lives of your friends and everyone around you," the pope wrote.

He also encouraged all young people, especially those engaged in youth ministry, to reread the final document of the 2018 Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment, and the apostolic exhortation "Christus Vivit" ("Christ is Alive"), published in 2019.

"The time is ripe to take stock of the situation and to work together with hope for the full implementation of that unforgettable synod," he wrote.

While the next international celebration of World Youth Day will be held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027, Pope Francis has asked Catholic young people around the world to prepare for the Holy Year 2025 and its Jubilee of Young People in Rome, which will be part of the Holy Year celebration.

In the two years preceding the Jubilee of Young People, dioceses around the world are to celebrate World Youth Day on a local level on the feast of Christ the King, which will be Nov. 26 this year and Nov. 24,

The Spirituality Commission leads a monthly Rosary said together on the 13th of each month. In addition, there are various prayer services and retreats developed for use available in the member area found at www.NCCW.org Our next Diocesan Council of Catholic Women member meeting will be on Saturday, January 13, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, 103 N Mill St. in Rushford.

The in-depth speakers will be from the Leadership and Legislative Commissions.

Please plan to attend!

In the Diocese

Sioux City - KPTH Channel 44 at 8:30 a.m.

2024. The papal messages for both years are dedicated to Christian hope in preparation for the jubilee year whose theme is "Pilgrims of Hope."

"Rejoice in hope," the theme of this year's message, "was St. Paul's encouragement to the community of Rome at a time when it was undergoing harsh persecution," the pope wrote.

This "joy in hope," he wrote, "is not a product of our human efforts, plans or skills, but of the energy born of an encounter with Christ. Christian joy comes from God himself, from our knowledge of his love for us."

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis said Christianity comes from a "'certainty based on faith: I am wanted. I have a task in history. I am accepted, I am loved. … Ultimately we need a sense of being accepted unconditionally. Only if God accepts me and I become convinced of this, do I know definitively: it is good that I exist … even in hard times.'"

Pope Francis urged young people to be part of God's answer to the problem of so many tragedies and difficulties humanity faces today. "Created by him in his image and likeness, we can be signs of his love, which gives rise to joy and hope even in situations that appear hopeless."

The pope pointed to Sts. Maximilian Kolbe and Josephine Bakhita as well as Blessed Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children as people who "were witnesses of hope even amid the most horrid examples of human evil."

He also recalled the Italian film "Life is Beautiful," in which a young Jewish father helps his small son to see things with "'eyes of hope,' protecting him from the horrors of the concentration camp, preserving his innocence and preventing human malice from robbing him of a future."

Hope must be nurtured, he added, so it will not be "extinguished by the worries, fears and pressures of daily life."

The Holy Spirit, prayer and everyday decisions all nurture hope, he said, as hope is "a virtue that is built up day by day."

"Each of you can be such a beacon" of hope, he wrote, "to the extent that your faith becomes concrete, rooted in reality and sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters."

"Dear young people, do not be afraid to share with others the hope and joy of the risen Christ!

Nurture the spark that has been kindled in you, but at the same time share it," he wrote.

"Stay close in particular to your friends who may be smiling on the outside but are weeping within, for lack of hope. Do not let yourselves be infected by indifference and individualism. Remain open, like canals in which the hope of Jesus can flow and spread in all the areas where you live," the pope wrote.

December 2023 w The Courier w dowr.org

December 2023

•

The Courier

Minnesota Catholic Conference

Inside the Capitol Respect Life: The Right Option at the End of Life �o natural death. It’s a phrase we Catholics need

to reflect and act on, not just during Respect Life Month in October but always. We’ve seen the horrible laws passed in St. Paul this year concerning the beginning of life. Attacks on the vulnerable at the end of life will now be in focus.

You may hear physician-assisted suicide (PAS) referred to as “medical aid in dying” or specifically a bill number, HF1930/SF1813 — the “End of Life Options Act.” But no matter what sort of linguistic gymnastics are employed, this practice of physicians providing people with lethal drugs to end their lives does not respect life. Instead, it opens a Pandora’s box of dangerous consequences that will end up endangering the health care choices of the rest of us.

Physician-assisted suicide creates pressure on vulnerable individuals to end their lives.

It sends a message that only the healthy and able-bodied matter. It undermines the dignity of people living with chronic illness, disability, or nearing the end of life.

When PAS is legal, patients report feeling obligated to request physician-assisted suicide due to societal and familial expectations.

According to a Washington State Department of Health annual report, 56 percent of those who requested assisted suicide in 2021 stated that they feared they were a burden to their family, friends and other caregivers. What sort of “option” is it to feel obligated to kill yourself? The right to die will become the duty to die.

This coercion is deeply troubling and undermines the principles of compassion and care that should define our approach to end-of-life decisions.

Bishop's Calendar

*indicates all are welcome to attend December 1, Friday *7 p.m. - Simbang Gabi Mass - Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Rochester December 2, Saturday *5 p.m. - Mass and Installation of Msgr. Tom Cook as Pastor Sacred Heart, Owatonna

December 3, Sunday *8 a.m. - Mass and Installation of Fr. Glenn Frerichs as Pastor All Saints, New Richland

Minnesota’s proposed PAS bill is one of the most aggressive assisted suicide bills in the country because it lacks meaningful safeguards for older adults and people with disabilities. It has no family notification requirement and requires no witnesses when the life-ending drugs are ingested, which could lead to elder abuse.

The potential for misdiagnoses or errors in determining whether a patient is terminally ill and thus eligible for PAS is a sobering reality. We all know about prognoses that turned out to be wildly inaccurate. We should be offering better care, including pain management, and not hastening death.

This is just a glimpse of the myriad of problems created if we allow physicians to provide people with lethal drugs to end their lives. Is this what doctors are for? What does it mean to turn hospitals of healing into places where you can be killed? Will there be disincentives to providing better care when it is much cheaper to offer someone assisted suicide? Already in Canada, where PAS is legal, people are being offered assisted suicide when they cannot pay their debts or when assistance such as wheelchair ramps are deemed too expensive.

Although the Catholic Church’s stance against assisted suicide and its call for better health care access is unequivocal, we are not alone. The Minnesota Catholic Conference is proud to be a member of the diverse Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Care. We are grateful to partner with fellow people of faith from Muslims and Lutherans to Jews and non-denominational Christians. But the alliance is also strengthened by disabilityrights advocates, mental health and medical professionals, veterans’ groups, legislators from the left and the right, and every Minnesotan who shares concerns about the ethical implications of PAS.

December 6, Wednesday Minnesota Catholic Conference Board Meeting - St. Paul, MN December 7, Thursday 11 a.m. - Holy Hour and Deans Meeting - Resurrection, Rochester December 8, Friday 9:45 a.m. - School Mass and School Administrators Gathering - Lourdes High School, Rochester December 10, Sunday *10:30 a.m. - Mass and Installation of Fr. Andy Beerman as Pastor - St. Augustine, Austin

12:30 p.m. - Gathering with Neocatechumenal Way World Youth Day Pilgrims - Queen of Angels, Austin

December 12, Tuesday 6 p.m. - Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass - Waseca Federal Correctional Institution, Waseca December 13, Wednesday 5:30 p.m. - Dinner and Mass for Unite Confirmation Enrichment - Resurrection, Rochester

We invite you, our readers, to act as individuals and in your parishes. Stand with us to respect life by seeking ways to provide real care throughout life’s journey.

Visit ethicalcaremn.org to reach out to your state legislators and tell them to vote against this dangerous bill. Then, take some time to learn more about why so many diverse partners are opposing the so-called “End of Life Options Act,” and find ways to get involved, such as writing letters to the editor.

To stay up to date on the work of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, join the Catholic Advocacy Network at mncatholic.org/join.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference has been the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota since 1967. The voting members of the MCC's board of directors are Minnesota's Catholic bishops.

December 15, Friday *5 p.m. - Christmas TV Mass Taping - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona December 16, Saturday *4:30 p.m. - Mass and Installation of Fr. Russ Scepaniak as Pastor - St. Mary, Winona December 17, Sunday *8 a.m. - Mass and Installation of Fr. Andy Vogel as Pastor - St. Patrick, Brownsville December 19, Tuesday 11:30 a.m. - Holy Half Hour and Presbyteral Council Meeting Pax Christi, Rochester

December 21, Thursday 5 p.m. - Dinner and Mass with De La Salle Christian Brothers - Christian Brothers Residence, Winona December 23, Saturday *5 p.m. - Mass - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona

December 24, Sunday *4 p.m. - Christmas Eve Mass - Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Winona

Monday, December 25 *10:30 a.m. - Christmas Day Mass - Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Rochester