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Diocesan Headlines
By MAGGIE SONNEK �e La Salle Christian Brother James Miller, described by friends and colleagues as simple, authentic and wholesome, is on his way to sainthood. Pope Francis officially recognized Brother James as a martyr in 2018, 36 years after he was shot and killed while working and serving in Guatemala. He was the first De La Salle Christian Brother from the United States to be beatified at a ceremony this past December. To reach the final level of official sainthood, Brother James must have one miracle, such as a medical cure without scientific explanation, posthumously attribChristian Brother Celebrated at Beatification Ceremony
In 2012, St. Mary's University renamed its "New Village" Residencia Santiago Miller in honor of Brother James.
uted to him.
Raised on a farm in Stevens Point, WI, Brother James graduated from then-Saint Mary’s College in Winona before working at then-Cretin High School in St. Paul. There, he taught Spanish, coached football, and served as a maintenance supervisor.
“Students called him Brother Fix-it,” jokes friend and fellow Christian Brother Stephen Markham, FSC, the interim vice president for mission at Saint Mary’s University. The two lived together in college until professing their final vows. “He was a normal guy. Firm, but flexible. Quiet, but kind. And he loved to laugh.” Saint Mary’s alumnus John Soucheray remembers that kindness and laughter. Brother James was Soucheray’s head resident during his junior year.
“The residents gathered for a dorm meeting after dinner, which for the students, was some kind of mystery meat. Brother James was smiling and telling us about a delicious steak-fry picnic he had just enjoyed with his fellow Brothers,” Soucheray explains. “We were whining and complaining. He just smiled and said, ‘If you want to have steak with us, then join the Brothers.’ That was him; humble and kind.”
In 1969, Brother James was sent to Nicaragua, where he taught and built schools. A decade later, his religious superiors ordered him to leave due to conflict and revolution. He returned to Cretin, where he taught for a short time, until moving to Huehuetenango, Guatemala. There, he taught English, religion, and Guatemalan art to secondary level students at Casa Indigena School.
“I asked Jim if it was wise for him to go back to Central America,” says Brother Stephen. “He responded without hesitation, ‘You can’t worry about that. There is too much to be done.’ That’s where he wanted to be, serving his people with compassion.”
Just over a year after returning to Guatemala, at age 37, Brother James, a champion for the poor, was shot and killed. No one was ever arrested for his murder. Many assume he was killed because he fought to keep his students from being forced into the military. But, that’s not where Brother James’ story ends. In 1994, Guatemalan bishops began the canonization process, completing the first investigation. Twentyfour years later, Pope Francis cleared the way for beatification. In December, the ceremony took place near Brother James’ former school in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. While the school is no longer there, his memory remains in the form of the Brother James Miller Museum. On display is the shirt he was wearing the day he was killed along with the project he was working on.
More than 2,000 former students, fellow Brothers, priests and bishops gathered for the beatification ceremony, including several people from Saint Mary’s University. In attendance was Dr. Tim Gossen, vice president of the Office of Student Affairs and Student Life at Saint Mary’s. Gossen said being there among Brother James’ students, hearing their personal stories, was incredibly moving.
“It was amazing to be able to highlight and honor Brother James,” says Gossen. “Despite fears and civil unrest, he returned to Central America to fulfill his mission and do the work he believed God was calling him to do. He believed in education that much. And, he had that much faith.” Maggie Sonnek is a freelance writer in Wabasha. Her work can be found at millcitycreativempls.com In the Diocese 15
Missionaries Sent Forth Submitted by EDEN FOORD This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9
nd to help spread this message of His infinite love, God is also sending SPIRITUS missionaries into the world, like ALI PREKKER from St. Catherine Parish, Luverne.
SPIRITUS is a team of young adults in their 20s that operates out of Menasha, WI. Its goal is to inspire Catholic youth through retreats and youth ministry while forming lifelong missionary disciples and lead ers for the Church.
Ali is one of 15 missionaries from all over the country who joined SPIRITUS this year, the 11th year this ministry has been operating. These young adults are sent forth to spread the message of God’s love and serve the Catholic youth throughout the state of Wisconsin through a nine-month program that has the power to change lives dramatically: the lives of those whom these missionaries encounter as well as the lives of the missionaries themselves. Eden and Katherine Foord, the founders and directors of SPIRITUS, welcome a new team of missionaries each year and know what an impact SPIRITUS has on the youth.
They state, “Young missionaries are critical to inspiring youth to follow Jesus and encounter God's love."
Ali and the rest of the SPIRITUS missionaries change lives. Their loving and passionate discipleship resonates with our youth and awakens these youth to their Catholic faith while energizing them to do their part in renewing the life of the Church. The pri mary way that SPIRITUS missionaries achieve this is through more than 150 retreats for more than 5,000 Catholic youth held each year. Ali has seen the impact that this missionary work is having firsthand.
"During a special prayer time with one of the youths, a girl opened up to me about her struggles at home, and, by the end, we were both crying because I have experienced many of the same things. Through the tears, I told her what helped me get through it: discovering God's unimaginable love. I shared that He felt the same love for her despite all the messiness. There was laughter, happy tears, and a hug. It truly impacted her life."
The youth, however, aren’t the only lives impacted by the SPIRITUS program. Team members are formed as lifelong missionary disciples through routines of prayer, spiritual direction, service and weekly forma tion courses. During their nine months of service, Ali and the other missionaries will spend 534 hours in prayer, 152 hours in leadership formation, 132 hours in ministry training and 421 hours in direct ministry to our Catholic youth. This is all done within an excit ing, loving, and joyful community.
Ali states, "Being a missionary entails so much more than I could have imagined. I have the oppor tunity to work and grow myself and gently challenge the youth to aspire to travel more in their own faith journeys; both of which have brought great joy to me and a deeper love for others."
Statistics also indicate the powerful work SPIRITUS does to form leaders for the Church. Since its inception in 2009, 19 alumni of the SPIRITUS teams have gone on to pursue religious life or priest hood and 59 are working in ministry.
The work isn’t always easy. Spending almost a year away from family and friends while working six days a week can take its toll. For this reason, the mis sionaries need all the support they can get from the Catholic community.
When asked how Catholics from Ali’s diocese can
Ali Prekker (black shirt) is a SPIRITUS missionary from St. Catherine Parish in Luverne
February 2020 w The Courier w dowr.org help support the mission, Eden responded, “Please pray for Ali, the other missionaries and all the youth they will inspire this year.” Also, since SPIRITUS team members are not required to fundraise to pay for their living expenses while serving, “your financial support is very helpful.”
Eden also states, “Living the life of a missionary is extremely challenging, so your words of support will make a difference as well. You can send a message to Ali at aliprekker@spiritusministries.org.”
If you know of any young adults who want to inspire youth as a SPIRITUS missionary, please have them contact Rachel at rachelvanhandel@spiritusministries.org. Eden Foord is a founder and director of SPIRITUS.
life-threatening dangers. We are also troubled by the decision to set a limit of 18,000 refugees in 2020, the lowest in 40 years.
We are saddened that as Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ — who himself experienced life as a refugee when his family fled to Egypt — our nation may be creating even more hardships for vulnerable refugee families. We, the Lutheran and Catholic bishops of Minnesota, invite our members, our political leaders and all of goodwill to prayerfully consider the following reflections.
In our traditions, Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of Jesus both at Christmas and at the end of time. But it also challenges us to welcome him when he comes to us in other ways, particularly through the people we encounter every day. Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore imbued with a sacred dignity we must respect and protect. This is especially true when it comes to the poor and vulnerable.
We acknowledge that resettlement can bring new challenges for our communities. That uneasiness is real. Yet, the world is experiencing the largest displacement of persons in human history. Our nation’s refugee policy is one way to demonstrate our values by following a common moral exhortation in the Bible: to welcome the stranger in our midst.
We fear the executive order will create further hardship for refugees by delaying the resolution of their cases, dividing extended families and placing additional strains on the resettlement system. While Resettlement, cont'd from pg. 1 16 In the Diocese
Obituaries
Sister Judith Chiodo (Sister Olivia) 79, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights, December 23, 2019. Judith Concetta Marie Chiodo, was born April 30, 1940, in Minneapolis to August William and Ann Stella (Scalise) Chiodo. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1960, and made perpetual vows in 1965. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, in 1965 and a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI, in 1988. From 1964 to 1973, Sister Judy taught elementary students at schools in southern Minnesota: St. Francis School, Rochester; Sacred Heart School, Waseca; and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Wilmont. Following a year of clinical pastoral education with training in alcohol and drug counseling at Hazeldon Foundation, Sister Judy worked for eight years as an out-patient counselor in chemical dependency at Lutheran Social Services, Chicago, IL. She moved to Eau Claire, WI, where she was a clinical supervisor and counselor at Lutheran Social Services. On completion of her master’s degree, she continued to work for another year at Lutheran Social Services in Eau Claire. Further ministries included: chemical dependency/marriage and family counseling at Lutheran Social Services in Hudson, WI, and serving in congregational leadership for the Sisters of St.
we support local engagement, refugee resettlement agencies are already working closely with state and local officials as well as community stakeholders to facilitate this process, and we foresee a host of practical problems that would arise if states and municipalities were given a veto over refugee resettlement.
We would like to address a few specific groups directly regarding their duties related to this issue:
To our refugee sisters and brothers: We stand with you as you start new lives in this country. You have escaped terrible situations of persecution and violence, leaving your homes and livelihoods to face an uncertain future. We know you are eager to live in safety with your families, find employment and become integral, contributing members of your local communities. We pledge our support, promise to be your advocates, and trust that we will be mutually enriched as we come to know each other’s culture and experiences. We ask you to be patient with those for whom your presence presents a challenge.
To our elected officials: We thank Governor Walz for expressing his support of resettlement, indicating that “the inn is not full in Minnesota,” and we ask our mayors and county elected officials to also publicly express support for refugee resettlement. The assistance we offer refugees is repaid through the talents they share and their economic participation in the life of our communities. Rather than posing a threat to our values or our way of life, most refugees seek to build a better life and contribute to the vibrancy of their new homeland. We ask that you become their advocates, too.
For those who support refugee resettlement, please don’t demonize those who are opposed. We need to build bridges of dialogue instead of walls of resentment.
To our congregations and those of goodwill: Pray for refugees and voice your support for them to our elected leaders. Reflect on ways you or your church congregation can assist them and other newcomers and how we can together address the fears and misconceptions that are all too common in these situations. If you are challenged by the influx of refugees, we invite you to seek to encounter them, learn their stories and work to see them as God sees them — as sons and daughters.
In sum, the reduced cap on the number of refugees as well as the executive order lack the mercy, compassion and justice that are not only called for by the Gospel but that also should be expected from a strong and historically diverse nation. Although we feel Executive Order 13888 should be rescinded, the fact remains that the 90-day deadline stipulated in the executive order is December 25 — Christmas. Although the impact will not take effect until several months into 2020, it is urgent that our community and elected officials respond right away.
We can and must do better to create a welcoming society for those most in need. Respectfully yours,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Reverend Thomas Aitken Bishop, Northeastern Minnesota Synod The Reverend Jon V. Anderson Bishop, Southwestern Minnesota Synod The Reverend Regina M. Hassalany Bishop, Southeastern Minnesota Synod The Reverend Patricia Lull Bishop, Saint Paul Area Synod The Reverend Ann Svennungsen, Bishop, Minneapolis Area Synod The Reverend William T. Tesch, Bishop, Northwestern Minnesota Synod
Roman Catholic Church The Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis The Most Reverend Michael J. Hoeppner Bishop of Crookston The Most Reverend Donald J. Kettler Bishop of Saint Cloud The Most Reverend John M. LeVoir Bishop of New Ulm The Most Reverend John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona-Rochester The Most Reverend Andrew H. Cozzens Auxiliary bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Francis (1994-2000) while also serving as pastoral care consultant at Hazeldon. Following a sabbatical year, she was self-employed as a spiritual director/ counselor for 17 years before moving to Assisi Heights in 2018. Over the past year, Sister Judy was an active participant in Resounding Voices Chorus of Rochester. Sister Judy is survived by her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for nearly 60 years, and her aunts Margaret Scalise and Doris Scalise. Also surviving are nieces and nephews: Kelli, Kari (Todd), Vicki, Gina (Corey), Penny (Steve), Ricky (Melissa), Wendy (Jim), Peter (Diana), John (Gwen), Glenn (Monica), LuAnn (Tom), and many loving cousins, grandnieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and three siblings: Dick Chiodo, Jerry Chiodo and Patti McNamara. The Funeral Mass was December 30 in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery, Rochester.
Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.
Sister Martha Ann McGinnis (Sister Martel), 85, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights, January 17, 2020.
Martha Ann was born January 28, 1934, in Caledonia to James and Martha Mary (Schmitt) McGinnis. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1951, and made perpetual vows in 1957. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, in 1963 and a master’s degree in Christian spirituality from Creighton University, Omaha, NE, in 1982. From 1954-73, Sister Martha Ann served as an elementary teacher at schools in southern Minnesota: St. Augustine, Austin; Sacred Heart, Adams; and at schools with the name St. Mary in Winona, Tracy, Caledonia and Owatonna. She also taught at St. Priscilla School, Chicago, IL. Following her years of teaching, she joined Movement for a Better World in Washington, D.C., where she presented Parish Renewal Retreats in various places around the country. She served in parish ministry at Immaculate Conception Parish in Watertown, SD (1982-83), and as pastoral administrator at St. Paul Parish in Walnut Grove (1983-88). She also served in congregational ministry on staff of the Christian Community Center, Mistress of Novices and as a member of the Leadership Team (1988-94). From 1996-97 Sister Martha Ann provided retreats/spiritual direction and group facilitation in the Tzaneen Diocese, Republic of South Africa. Following her return to the United States, her ministry included retreats and spiritual direction.
Sister Martha Ann is survived by her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 69 years; her brother Bill (Darlene) McGinnis of San Jose, CA; nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers: Dr. James McGinnis, Rev. Joseph McGinnis, John McGinnis, Alfred McGinnis and Robert McGinnis; and two sisters: Mary McGinnis and Rita McGinnis-Klug. A Memorial Liturgy was held Thursday, January 23, in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights, Rochester. Sister Martha Ann made the gift of an anatomical bequest to Mayo Clinic. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Rochester, at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.
he Lord be with you!
I want to thank everyone in the diocese for their continued generosity to the Society of the Propagation of the Faith (SPOF). These monies are put together with gifts from all the dioceses of the world and make up the General Fund. Pope Francis works in consultation with the national directors of the SPOF from around the world to divide and share with over 1,000 dioceses that need assistance. Each diocese will receive about $40,000 to use for the spread of the Gospel through their missionary work!
In addition to the donations sent to the SPOF, $257,000 was sent to the various missionary groups who did appeals in our diocese the past two summers as part of the Missionary Cooperative Program! We are pleased that less than two (2) percent of monies collected go to expenses of administration of the diocesan SPOF! Isn’t it great to know that you, as the donor, are seeing the best return for your gift? As a reminder, Bequests/Legacies for the Propagation of the Faith remain one of the main sources of income for the missionaries in the needy dioceses. Please continue to pray for the missions and to help the missions financially. I would especially ask you to to remember “The Society for the Propagation of the Faith” in your wills and in estate planning. There is certainly peace of mind and heart knowing that we can leave a lasting legacy to support missionary activity throughout the world. Thank you for providing that blessing!
On behalf of all the missionaries serving around the world – Thank you! Fr. Timothy Biren is the director of the Society for the Propagation of Faith in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. For more information on the Society for the Propagation of Faith, visit www.dowr.org
2018/2019
Rev. Donald Grubisch Wabasha Estate - $208,507 .55
Margaret Herman Rochester Jean G. Kletzke La Crescent
Msgr. Roy Literski Trust Winona Georgette Maas Medford
Jerome Maloney Mankato Anna Pitzl & Fred Krost Rochester
Leona Pogones Owatonna Estate - $100,000 .00
Estate - $336 .63
Estate - $36,367 .32
Estate - $1,000 .00
Estate - $560,267 .64
Estate - $32,537 .66
Estate - $41,339 .02
SPOF Total : $980,355 .82
Msgr. Donald P. Schmitz Rochester Msgr. Roy Literski Winona
Sr. Moira Tighe Rochester NWEA - $492 .80
Masses - $1,000 .00
Masses - $1,000 .00
The Courier Crossword
By W.R. CHESTER Across 1. Eucharistic matter 6. Turn the other __. 10. Died defending her purity 12. Daughter of Eutychia 14. 40 days 15. To kindle 17. Cathedral of St. Paul Pieta 20. Med City eagles 21. False idea of the kingdom to come 22. Body 25. St. Paul does this in 1Cor. 9. 26. Assistance prompted by charity 29. WI shrine 30. Patriarch and tribe of Israel 31. Chant holding pride of place 5. Chair 7. __ how the bells... 8. Fairmont Area Catholic Radio 9. His feast includes a "full-throated" blessing. 11. Father of Nebuchadnezzar 13. Presentation of the Lord 16. Patroness of human trafficking survivors 17. Ash Wednesday imperative 18. A moral change 19. Cyrillic script 23. Raising mind and heart 24. ___ the Mass. 27. Medieval chapel of ease in Mwnt, Wales 28. Salvation is ___ but not cheap.
^^^ Last Month's Answers ^^^
By JEANETTE FORTIER
17
top in the parish office this week and ask to see the quarterly packet from the DCCW winter meeting. Every parish in the diocese is mailed one, and the mailing contains the reports from the CCW Commissions. Eleanore Jones has an excellent article on speakers from last August’s National Convention. Valerie Ehlenfeldt writes about Catholic Schools and their history. Ellen Allens’ article is about Angels, and Linda McGuire gives you great information on the upcoming election and Respect Life issues. Rosanne Buehler always has good ideas for what you can collect, create, or recycle for the missions (Who thought the wand from your mascara could do so much good?), and Barb Hussongs’ theme is Kindness. I give a shout-out to St. Theodore Parish in Albert Lea for hosting our meeting in January. Keynote speakers were Bev McCarvel on parish leadership and Kathy Schuman on mental illness.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25, when we’ll be meeting in Brewster, MN, for our spring meeting. The CCW of Sacred Heart is fantastic – you won’t want to miss this gathering! Bring an “Alleluia” with you; it will be the Easter season after all.
March 26 is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Good Counsel, patroness of NCCW. Can you arrange to have the Mass intention for that day (or within that week) be the Council of Catholic Women? June will bring the Province of St. Paul/Minneapolis Conference in St. Augusta, MN, and August is the National Convention in Arlington, VA, and the celebration of 100 years! You won’t want to miss it!
February points? Come join us (cost: $3), read about us (E-news is free) and be about the work of the Lord with us (it will be heavenly). You will be empowered! Jeanette Fortier is the president of the Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. In the Diocese
Down 2. Christ Cathedral home 3. God will take this in Ezekiel 17. 4. Most Catholics
L to R: Pope Francis and the DOW-R's Bishop John Quinn, Msgr. Thomas Cook and Fr. Mark McNea.
Rome, cont'd from pg. 1
Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.
Standing before St. Peter's tomb Jan. 13, Bishop Quinn was the principal celebrant and homilist at a Mass with the bishops of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota as they began their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to pray at the tombs of the apostles and report on the status of their dioceses.
In St. Peter's Basilica early in the morning, before meeting Pope Francis, the bishops of the 10 dioceses renewed their profession of faith and offered special prayers for the pope.
"Jesus always sees more in every person he encounters than that person sees in themselves," Bishop Quinn said in his homily. St. Peter is an obvious example: "Jesus knew he wasn't the rock when he called him, but Peter becomes the rock." "Jesus sees in Peter the potential," the bishop said. Peter reached that potential not because he learned "some self-help tips, it's not because he read a few books on how to become a leader."
Rather, he said, "Peter encountered Jesus" and
allowed him to become the foundation of his life. There were times, the bishop said, that Peter was not a rock. He denied Jesus three times and at times was much more like "shifting sand" than solid rock.
Becoming "the rock" was a process that involved a daily encounter with a real person, learning about and coming to love Jesus and allowing his heart to be converted, the bishop said.
But in faith, he said, the bishops know that Jesus will strengthen them as he strengthened Peter.
For that to happen, though, he said the bish ops must devote time to getting to know Jesus, setting aside a "holy hour" each day, reading the Scriptures "so that Jesus becomes a person whom I want to follow and whose forgiveness and mercy in my life is a real encounter."
"Be the rock," he told his brother bishops, "but be the rock because Jesus has made you that solid." Copyright ©2020 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews. com. All rights reserved. Used with permission of CNS.
A great blessing came to me last month, when the bishops of Minnesota and North and South Dakota traveled to Rome for their ad limina visit, which is required of every bishop at intervals set by the Holy See. According to Church law, every five years or so, the bishops of the world are to come to Rome to pray at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul and to meet with the Holy Father and the officials at the Curia. The visit is about maintaining the continuity of the apostolic faith, received by the Apostles from Jesus Christ and then handed on to their successors, the Bishops.
It was a special moment for me and my brother bishops, when we spent two hours with Pope Francis, asking him questions and receiving his wisdom in an open exchange on many topics. I was both humbled and lifted up by being with the successor of St. Peter, who carries the demands of bringing unity to a world-wide Church that is in the midst of much fragmentation and cultural change. Pope Francis radiates the joy of the gospel and invited us to be missionaries, who call others to know and love Jesus Christ, who can then go out on mission. Here in our diocese, we keep responding to the initiative and challenge of the Holy Father by keeping a clear focus on the mission of Jesus Christ and not on maintaining communities and structures that often lack the joy and the power of the Holy Spirit.
At each of the daily Masses at the stational churches of Rome and at other shrines, you were prayed for, especially the many special intentions given to me by people in our parishes before I left on pilgrimage to the Holy See. While in Rome, I saw Msgr. Thomas Cook, who assists in the Roman Curia and serves there at the request of the Holy See. Msgr. Cook prays for us each day and misses all of us.
The Catholic Church is universal and is found everywhere in the world. Most of all, the Church is the sign of salvation in Jesus Christ to all the nations. It is my privilege to be your bishop and to have given an account of the mission of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester to Pope Francis, the successor of St. Peter. Blessed are you!
Sincerely in Christ,
