Pray for Vocations
Bishop John M. Quinn
�ear Friends in Christ,
Vocations in the Church
Our Triune God has endowed the Church with a great variety of vocations, different ways in which the people of God live out their individual calls to holiness. The vocation our world is most familiar with is marriage, since it is entered into by the majority of people and is the one we all see lived out from the earliest days of our childhood. Sometimes called the “natural vocation,” God instituted this vocation when He created Adam and Eve and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. The complementarity of man and woman and the desire to give oneself to another and be a father or mother is fulfilled in the vocation of marriage. Christ Himself raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament and illustrated how it is an image of the self-giving love of Christ for His Church.
Bishop's Calendar
February 1, Tuesday 10 a.m. - Holy Hour and DOW-R Finance Council Meeting, Winona
February 2, Wednesday 8:45 a.m. - Mass - Cotter Schools, Winona 11 a.m. - Mass for Consecrated Life (in person and livestreamed) - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona February 3, Thursday 10:32 a.m. - Guest speaker on Real Presence Catholic Radio 1 p.m. - Holy Hour and Cabinet Meeting, Winona 3:30 p.m. - Virtual Meeting with MN Bishops and MCC
comes from devoting their lives to Christ, and being spiritual fathers and mothers to the people of God. Unfortunately, in a world that views sex and self-indulgence as necessary for happiness, it is hard for many people to understand why someone would freely give up marriage and the stability of having a spouse, children, home, career, and many comforts of the world. It is important that we teach young people about the beauty of laying down one’s life in self-sacrificial love, and of cultivating a life of prayer. We all long for a deep, personal relationship, and our Heavenly Father offers that to us. In laying down our life for God and others, our Triune God can and will satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts. Mass for Consecrated Life
Our annual Mass for Consecrated Life was held on February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the World Day for Consecrated Life, at 11:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. On this occasion we prayed for an increase of vocations to the consecrated life, prayed that those already consecrated may be a faithful and holy witness to the Church, and sought to encourage young men and women to discern the Lord’s will for their lives. In all the various forms of consecrated life, Christ is always at the center, with everything else flowing from a deep personal relationship with Him. This year, the gathering for consecrated life took on an added dimension as it also involved prayer and a listening session as part of the current world-wide synodal process. Pope Francis has asked that all
February 4, Friday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary University 5:30 p.m. - Rochester Catholic Schools President’s Reception - Hilton Hotel, Rochester
February 6, Sunday 9 a.m. - Closing Mass for Local FOCUS SEEK Conference - Mayo Civic Center, Rochester February 8, Tuesday 11a.m. - 3 p.m. - Holy hour and Presbyteral Council Meeting - Pax Christi Church, Rochester February 11, Friday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary University
dioceses provide opportunities for those in the local Church to pray and discern together how the Lord is calling the Church to ever more faithfully fulfill its mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While our local synodal preparations are primarily parish-based, the annual gathering in honor of the World Day for Consecrated Life provided an opportunity for a special listening session exclusively for those consecrated men and women who serve our diocese. After Mass and a luncheon, there then followed a time for prayer, reflection, and discussion. Blessed James Miller
One of the consecrated men who lived and studied in the Diocese of WinonaRochester is Br. James Miller, FSC. A Christian Brother, Br. James studied at St. Mary’s University and later served in the Twin Cities and then in Central America. In 1982, while ministering to the poor in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, he was shot to death at the age of 37. Pope Francis beatified Blessed James Miller in November 2018, but since he is not yet a saint, his feast day is not celebrated by the entire Church. However, since the Diocese of Winona-Rochester has a special connection to Blessed James, this past year I requested permission of the Holy See to celebrate the feast day of Blessed James Miller in the Diocese of WinonaRochester. I received a favorable response and from this year onward, those in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester can celebrate the Optional Memorial of Blessed James Miller, Martyr, on February 13. Blessed James Miller, pray for us!
February 13, Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Mass - Diocesan Feast Day of Bl. James Miller, FSC - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona February 15, Tuesday 11 a.m. - Clergy Personnel Board Meeting - Winona February 17, Thursday 1 p.m. - Holy Hour and Cabinet Meeting, Winona 7 p.m. - Opening Prayer and Welcome via Zoom - DOW-R Ministerial Standards Review Board Meeting February 18, Friday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary University
C a t h o l i c Ministries Appeal
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The annual Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA) will officially launch on the weekend of February 26/27. The funds from this appeal provide financial support for many of the important ministries across the diocese, such as Catholic schools, Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, seminarian formation, and more. Without your help, we would not have the resources to continue the many important programs and events that serve the people of southern Minnesota and help to bring people closer to Jesus Christ and His Church. All monies raised are restricted entirely for the ministries outlined in the CMA materials, and do not go to any litigation or bankruptcy purposes. I ask you to please be generous and consider how you are able to support the diocesan Church this year. I am grateful for how you continue to live out your faith despite the difficulties in the Church and the world. It is only by your generosity that we are able to continue the many ministries that serve people in all walks of life in southern Minnesota. Blessed are you!
From the Bishop
Rejoice in Hope
However, Jesus Christ also revealed to us by His life and preaching the supernatural vocation of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Those called to this vocation give their lives entirely to Christ and His Church, devoting their time and energy not to the building of an earthly family, but a spiritual one. The priesthood is likely the most visible celibate vocation, since priests are regularly seen in parishes. Priests are called to lay down their lives not for a wife and children, but for the Church, and to labor as a spiritual father for all those entrusted to their care. Serving under the bishop, priests are responsible for teaching, sanctifying, and governing, largely through administering the sacraments, but also by accompanying people in their lives in various ways. Religious men and women are part of communities that have a unique spirituality, or charism, by which they serve the Church in a particular way, such as nursing or teaching. Religious pray, live, and work together, and by their example show Christ’s love to others and witness to the joy that comes from giving their lives to serving the Lord. Consecrated Virgins live a life of prayer, penance, and service to the Church in the midst of the world. Consecrated by their bishop, they serve within their diocese and witness to the fact that Christ is to be loved above all things. As “brides of Christ,” they serve as a reminder that our true home is in heaven, the marriage feast of the Lamb. Men and women throughout the centuries have found that despite renouncing the joys of human marriage and parenthood, there is a supernatural joy and peace that
Sincerely in Christ,
+ John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona-Rochester
February 23, Wednesday 6:30 a.m. - Lauds and Mass - IHM Seminary, Winona February 24, Thursday 3:30 p.m. - Virtual Meeting with MN Bishops and MCC February 25, Friday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary University February 27, Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Mass - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona March 1, Tuesday 9:30 a.m. - Holy Hour and DOW-R College of Consultors Meeting, Winona
February 2022 w The Courier w dowr.org
