The Courier - July 2023

The COURIER

July 11

July 2023

This is My Body

Diocesan Eucharistic Congress Draws 5,000 to Mankato

MCC Families First Finds Foothold in Legislative Session, Pro-Life Efforts Continue

By REBECCA OMASTIAK

This article appeared in The Catholic Spirit on June 1, 2023. It is reprinted here with permission

� central aspect of the 2023 Minnesota legislative session was determining the state’s budget for the next two years, including what to do with a large surplus that began emerging in 2020.

Now that the session has wrapped, here is a look at some of the key issues tackled, including perspective from staff of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops.

Abortion

Measures to codify abortion in Minnesota moved quickly as the 2023 legislative session opened.

MANKATO - On Saturday, June 10, the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato was filled to its 5,000-person capacity for the Diocese of WinonaRochester's Eucharistic Congress, entitled "This Is My Body."

Participants from around the diocese, state, country, and even the world, gathered to celebrate and contemplate the gift of the Eucharist, with music by

The event featured Eucharistic Adoration, confessions, Mass and a food-pack service, and concluded with a Eucharistic Procession out of the event center and into the city of Mankato.

Photos on pg. 4

Pro-life and pro-abortion advocates gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul various times throughout the session as debates took place in the Legislature. In January, as bills made their way through House and Senate hearings, Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams of St. Paul and Minneapolis, along with Bishop Chad Zielinski of New Ulm and the

Legislative Session, cont'd on pg. 8

Luke Spehar and presentations by Bishop Barron, Dr. Timothy O'Malley, Barbara Heil, Dr. Hosffman Ospino, Sr. Alicia Torres and Sr. Eileen Leon.

St. Benedict

Pope to U.S. Catholics: Adore Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharist

By CINDY WOODEN, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Catholics need to recover a sense of awe and adoration before the Eucharist, knowing that it is "the real and loving presence of the Lord," Pope Francis told members of the committees organizing the National Eucharistic Revival and the National Eucharistic Congress in the United States.

Jesus spoke of himself as "the living bread which came down from heaven, the true bread that gives life to the world," the pope told the group June 19, just three days after leaving the hospital following abdominal surgery.

"This morning, while I was celebrating the Eucharist, I thought about this a lot because it is what gives us life," the pope said. "Indeed, the Eucharist is God's response to the deepest hunger of the human heart, the hunger for authentic life because in the Eucharist Christ himself is truly in our midst to nourish, console and sustain us on our journey."

Pope Francis walked into the library using his cane instead of a wheelchair. And although he sat when he read his prepared text - and added spontaneous comments - he stood to bless the four-foot-tall monstrance, paten and chalice that will be used during the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024.

The group was led by Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the U.S. bishops' advisory group for the National Eucharistic Revival, a multi-year process aimed at renewing and strengthening faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and chair of the board of directors planning the Eucharistic Congress.

Bishop Cozzens told Catholic News Service it was "an incredible privilege" to meet the pope and experience "his love, his passion for the Eucharist and for the work that we're about."

Pope Francis told the group that, unfortunately, today many Catholics "believe that the Eucharist is more a symbol than the reality of the Lord's presence and love."

But, he said, "it is more than a symbol; it is the real and loving presence of the Lord."

"It is my hope, then, that the Eucharistic Congress will inspire Catholics throughout the country to discover anew the sense of wonder and awe at the Lord's great gift of himself," he said, "and to spend time with him in the celebration of the holy Mass and in personal prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament."

Pope Francis lamented that many people "have lost the sense of adoration. We need to regain the sense of adoring in silence, adoration. It is a prayer we have lost; few people know what this is, and you bishops need to catechize the faithful on the prayer of adoration," he said, looking at Bishop Cozzens and Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, who also accompanied the group.

The pope insisted on the link between celebrating Mass, eucharistic adoration and sharing the Gospel with others.

"In the Eucharist, we encounter the one who gave everything for us, who sacrificed himself in order to give us life, who loved us to the end," he said. "We become credible witnesses to the joy and transforming beautify of the Gospel only when we recognize that the love we celebrate in this sacrament cannot be kept to ourselves but demands to be shared with all."

"This is the sense of mission: You go, you celebrate Mass, you take Communion, you go to adoration - and afterward?" he asked. "Afterward you go out, you go out and evangelize; Jesus makes us this way."

"The Eucharist impels us to a strong and committed love of neighbor," he insisted. "For we cannot truly understand or live the meaning of the Eucharist if our hearts are closed to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are poor, suffering, weary or may have gone astray in life."

Speaking off the cuff, the pope said those who believe in the Eucharist must reach out to and visit "the elderly, who are the wisdom of a people, and the sick, who take the form of the suffering Jesus."

Pope Francis prayed that the National Eucharistic Congress would "bear fruit in guiding men and women throughout your nation to the Lord who, by his presence among us, rekindles hope and renews life."

In an interview with CNS following the papal audience, Bishop Cozzens said the ongoing process of the Synod of Bishops on synod-

Real Presence, cont'd on pg. 14

Eucharistic Congress in Pictures_____________4

Holding Truth and Love Together____________5

Joining in God's Story: Ignatian Contemplation_6

Summer Is Busy!__________________________7

The Crucifix and the Beatitudes___________7

It All Began with a Children's Book_____10

Identify and Assist a Trafficking Victim______10

Mankato Scout Honored___________________11

Vision of Compassion____________________12

Diocesan Headlines____________________14-16

The Holy Father's Intention for July

For a Eucharistic Life

We pray that Catholics may place the celebration of the Eucharist at the heart of their lives, transforming human relationships in a very deep way and opening to the encounter with God and all their brothers and sisters.

The Most Rev. Robert Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of WinonaRochester, announces the following:

Chancellor

Very Rev. Michael Cronin: appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, effective June 10, 2023.

Faculties

Rev. Benjamin Uzuegbunam: a chaplain at Mayo Clinic in Rochester; granted priestly faculties in the Diocese of WinonaRochester, effective May 2, 2023.

Child Abuse Policy Information

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)

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.

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� he Mankato Eucharistic Congress of 2023 was the largest gathering of Catholics in the history of our diocese and, I must say, one of the greatest days of my priesthood. I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I was to see so many of our people, drawn together in fellowship and praise of the Lord. To me, it had the feel of another Pentecost since the Holy Spirit was so viscerally present among us. The entrance, at the commencement of the day, of the representatives of so many of our parishes and organizations was deeply

Jesus Feeds His People

moving, and I will never forget the spiritual charge that I felt as I was privileged to carry the Blessed Sacrament into the venue at the close of the procession. My heart is filled with gratitude to the small army of planners, volunteers, and ministers who made this wonderful day possible.

I would like to share with those who were unable to attend the celebration some of what I said in my opening keynote address, given in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Because of the wonderfully providential connection between the number of people present at the congress and the number of people whom Jesus miraculously nourished, I spoke on the feeding of the five thousand. The first thing that St. Mark tells us in his account of this event is that Jesus looked at the enormous throng with compassion. I told the Mankato throng that the Blessed Sacrament, displayed before them, is not a symbol of Jesus or a reminder of a distant historical figure, but rather, as St. Thomas Aquinas put it, ipse Christus (Christ himself). Therefore, I continued, they should know that Jesus is looking out at them with compassion, knowing their suffering, offering them peace.

Now what follows upon this compassionate gaze: “he

taught them many things.”

We Christians ought never to underplay the value of correct and spirit-filled teaching. When the Church stops teaching the great patterns of meaning, someone else will fill the void and commence to provide a distorted vision of things. I do believe that, in the years following the Second Vatican Council, we tended to de-emphasize doctrine and hyper-emphasize social justice. One bitter fruit of this is that many of our young people cannot articulate why it makes sense to believe in God; another is that 70% of Catholics don’t believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. As Jesus himself demonstrates clearly, the first great expression of compassion is teaching. So it remains true today.

When the disciples notice that it is getting late, they recommend that the Lord tell the mighty crowd that they should disperse and seek sustenance in the neighboring towns. But Jesus says, simply and strangely, “you give them something to eat.” We should notice two themes here. First, from the very beginning, God has wanted to feed his people. One thinks of the permission given to Adam and Eve to eat of “all the trees in garden,” save one. We have put such a stress on the one prohibited tree that we forget that God gives us a lavish freedom to eat to our heart’s content from all the remaining trees. One thinks of the great Passover meal, by which God’s people are defined, and of the sumptuous feast laid out by personified wisdom in the book of Wisdom, and of the banquet provided on God’s holy mountain in the book of the prophet Isaiah. The God of Israel has always desired to nourish his people, and so Jesus, that very God in incarnate form, desires to feed the five thousand—in Galilee and in Mankato. But how precisely does he go about this feeding? He asks his disciples

Bishop's Calendar

July 15, Saturday 11:30 a.m. - Mass for Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Annunciation Hermitage, Austin

July 16, Sunday 10 a.m. - Closing Mass for Steubenville ConferenceMayo Civic Center, Rochester

July 20, Thursday 9:30 a.m. - Holy Hour and College of Consultors - Winona

July 24, Monday

7 p.m. - Mass for Camp Summit

- Eagle Bluff, Lanesboro

July 25, Tuesday

11 a.m. - Mass and Lunch with the Sisters of St. Francis - Assisi Heights, Rochester

6:15 p.m. - Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem Dinner - Rochester

to contribute even the little that they have: five loaves and two fish. So it goes in the history of salvation. St. Francis endeavored to rebuild a tiny church, and God multiplied his gift exponentially; Mother Teresa began caring, one by one, for the sick and dying in the streets of Kolkata, and God multiplied her gift dramatically; Mother Alfred offered Dr. Mayo a few of her classrooms to house those injured by a cyclone, and God multiplied her gift immensely. Do you want to contribute to the feeding of the world? Give Christ even the little that you have and leave the rest to him.

After the five thousand ate and had their fill, St. Mark tells us, they gathered up the fragments of loaves and fishes in twelve baskets. Twelve, of course, is a symbolically charged number in the Bible, for it designates the twelve tribes of Israel. In the course of its long history, Israel endured two devastating exiles, most of the northern tribes carried away by the Assyrians, and many of the southern tribes taken by the Babylonians. The

July 27, Thursday 4:30 p.m. - Mass, Dinner, and Speaker for Chesterton Conference - Minneapolis

prophets longed for the day when, under the leadership of the Messiah, the tribes would come together. When that happened, they thought, all the tribes of the world would be gathered to the worship of the true God. And so, through the power of Christ the Messiah the peoples of the world are indeed being brought to the God of Israel. And the prime instrument of that in-gathering is none other than the Eucharist, which magnetically draws anyone within its ambit.

Just a last observation. If we have eyes to see, we can appreciate this marvelous story as an icon of the Mass. When does Christ gather his people, look upon them with compassion, teach them, and finally feed them? At the Eucharistic liturgy, of course. So friends, the very best way for you to participate in this great Eucharistic revival underway in our diocese and around the American Church is to go to Mass!

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

July 29 - August 7, Saturday-Monday

World Youth Day - Lisbon, Portugal

Non Nisi Te Domine

Bishop Robert Barron

This Is My Body Eucharistic Congress 2023

Holding Truth and Love Together in a 'Culture of Contempt' 5

Todd Graff Director of Lay Formation & RCIA tgraff@dowr.org

Love is patient, love is kind… it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

-1 Corinthians 13:4-6

�reetings of Peace in these summer days!

When I attended the “[Pope] Francis at 10” conference back in mid-March at St. Ambrose University, I had the wonderful opportunity to have a conversation with the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre. (The Apostolic Nuncio serves as the Holy Father’s “personal and official representative both to the Church in the United States and to its Government.” [http://www.nuntiususa.org/ nuncio]) It was an honor and privilege to be able to speak with him for a few minutes.

Archbishop Pierre said struck me deeply and has remained very much in my thoughts since then. In discussing our Holy Father’s leadership of the Church and what guides him, the archbishop said: “All that

A simple sentence, but it speaks so profoundly to my own experience and vision of who we, as Catholics joined in an ecclesial communion, are called to be in the world.

The Church is to be the Body of Christ. We are to proclaim and to give witness to the truth, love, and mercy of Jesus Christ in and to the world. And, we are to do this with “patience,” with “kindness,” without “seeking our own interests,” without being “quick tempered,” without “brooding over injury,” and through “rejoicing with the truth.”

I believe that the world needs the healing, reconciling, loving witness of the Church more than ever. And, to be honest, I truly fear that many aspects of the Church’s public face and presence are actually working to increase the anger, hatred, and division which are tearing apart our society.

A recent book published by Word on Fire, Catholics & Contempt: How Catholic Media Fuel Today’s Fights and What to Do About It (by John L. Allen Jr.), describes and seeks to address this phenomenon.

The culture of contempt—the lust to wound perceived opponents who are seen not just as wrong but as evil— has become global in scope. Fed by the rise of ‘cheap speech’ in media, seismic shifts in digital technology, and a boom industry based on selling outrage, people are increasingly unable

The Catholic Church understands itself as the evangelizer of culture; yet this culture of contempt has evangelized much of the Church. A distressingtors have introduced the poison of contempt into

Recently, I came across an article that also speaks powerfully to these realities, and demonstrates how the wisdom of our faith and our Church calls us to a different path.

The article is a blog post on the Patheos web platform, and is titled, “If Love Is Gentle and Kind, Why Are So Many Christians Rude?” It is written by Catholic author and poet, Jocelyn Soriano.

First, I would say, to be brutally honest about it, that the writing and speech of many Christians these days is not simply “rude” but often also toxic, mean-spirited, divisive, and ugly. And, quite simply, to engage with our “ideological rivals” (or anyone) in this way is not Christian.

Ms. Soriano provides a brief but beautiful exposition of how Christians can “never separate truth from love.” She quotes from Pope Saint John Paul II’s homily from the Mass for the Canonization of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross: “St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross says to us all: Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth! One without the other becomes a destructive lie.”

Her article offers some eloquent and heartfelt commentary on this relationship between truth and love:

• “Love is truth, but love is also gentleness and kindness. Love is also the patience that we show toward those who do not yet share our spiritual beliefs. Do we expect lost, hurting and exhausted people to live perfect lives and to know immediately what we’re talking about? It is not for them to be charitable towards us, but it is ours to be charitable to them so we can be like Christ.”

• “If you want to preach the truth, you must first build a bridge of love. Show people that you care. Give others the benefit of the doubt. Don’t accuse or condemn anyone as though you already knew what’s in their hearts.”

• “Remember your weaknesses. Never forget that it is only by God’s grace that you live differently…. For all you know, the one you are talking to is already in despair. Yours is the only voice of hope he or she may hear. But what if instead of hope, all that a person gets to hear is condemnation and humiliation? Will you put out the last remaining light that could draw the person away from total darkness?”

In concluding, Ms. Soriano points us to the example of Jesus who showed great kindness and compassion to those who were vulnerable and marginalized – e.g., the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5-42), and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). And, as his disciples in the world today, she challenges us to ponder: “Who are we to keep a person from receiving the unfathomable mercy of God?"

Deo

Gratias!

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions….

In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

-Galatians 5:19-20, 22-23

Joining in God's Story Ignatian Contemplation

Greetings, friends in Christ! This July I asked someone I know very well, my husband, writer and editor JERRY WINDLEYDAOUST, if we could reprint his article on Ignatian contemplation (aka imaginative prayer) in the article. We have a semi-silent retreat for adults coming up September 9-10 where you can practice this prayer yourself, whether you pray this way every day or it is brand new to you. Retreat information is on the image on this page. Thanks for the write-up, Jerry!

�magine, for a moment, that some technological genius has invented a time machine, and you are selected to take it for a test ride. You can go to any time and place in the past, on the condition that you meet a famous historical figure and return to tell the modern world all about him or her.

As a Christian, you wonder what it would be like to meet Jesus, face to face…to walk with him along the roads, fields, and seashores of ancient Palestine. You could see his miracles and hear his parables. You might even approach him…talk to him, ask him questions, seek his healing touch.

Time machines do not exist, of course. But there is another way to “meet” Jesus that is actually better than a time machine: imaginative prayer.

What is Imaginative Prayer?

People have always used their imaginations in prayer, but the method of imaginative prayer outlined here was popularized five hundred years ago by a Spanish nobleman named Iñigo Lopez de Oñaz y Loyola, better known today as St. Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius and some companions founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1540. A former soldier, he developed a spiritual “training manual” for the members of this new religious order. It was in this manual, the Spiritual Exercises, that St. Ignatius outlined his approach to imaginative prayer. He called this approach contemplative prayer, but because this term has a different meaning in the rest of the Christian tradition, here we will continue to call it imaginative prayer.

St. Ignatius believed that God intended for the human imagination to draw us closer to him. He was well aware that the imagination can just as easily separate us from God, of course. But imaginative prayer is different from idle daydreaming in two ways:

1. It is powered not just by our imagination, but by the Holy Spirit working through our imagination.

2. It is rooted in a sacred text, usually the Gospels.

In imaginative prayer, the same Holy Spirit who inspired the authors of the Gospels also “inspires” (literally “breathes into”) our imaginations in a way that draws us closer to Christ. Prayer is a conversation with God; imaginative prayer creates a space for that encounter.

The heart of imaginative prayer, then, is to “meet” God, usually in the person of Jesus, in a personal way.

With all this in mind, let’s go over the basic method of imaginative prayer.

1. Choose a Scripture Passage

First, choose a suitable Scripture text. While imaginative prayer can be used with any sacred text (including stories from the lives of the saints), St. Ignatius recommended contemplating scenes from the Gospels; they are the primary texts in which we encounter the Son of God “in the flesh.” (You can find a list of good readings for imaginative prayer at gracewatch.org/ imagine.)

2. Prepare with prayer

Rather than diving right into the Scripture or other sacred reading, St. Ignatius suggests we first prepare ourselves. Find a quiet and comfortable place to pray and take a few moments to settle in. Then, take a few moments to pray along these lines:

Susan Windley-Daoust Director of Missionary Discipleship swindley@dowr.org

Summer Is Busy!

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

�ast month I wrote about the blessing of having newly-ordained deacons, and this month I have been blessed to hear about them in action in our parishes. They are eager to serve the parishes of our diocese and to preach the Gospel with a fresh perspective from their own life experience and encounter with God. Deacon Nick Gawarecki and Deacon Brian Klein are in the final year of preparation for priesthood and carrying out the work of service as deacons even as they prepare to finish their final year of school at St. Paul Seminary this coming fall.

By the grace of God, joining their ranks soon will be another seminarian for our diocese, Josh Miller. Josh is originally from Waseca and, for the past fiveplus years, has been studying for the priesthood with the Diocese of Fairbanks, AK. This past year he decided to make a grand homecoming and has been welcomed to our diocese as he finalizes his own discernment to transfer to our diocese. This transition period has given us time to welcome him and assist him in acclimating back into our diocese. Josh has been accepted to St. Paul Seminary where he is transferring this fall to be at the same seminary with his diocesan brothers, and he will continue to grow

in friendship with all of them. Please be on the lookout for Josh’s ordination date to the diaconate in the coming months.

In addition to the exciting news of three men in their final year before priestly ordination next year, we have many other seminarians doing various assignments this summer! Three of our seminarians are doing an immersion experience in Mexico, both learning some Spanish and engaging the culture so that they can better minister to the Hispanics in our diocese. Others are doing hospital ministry to build skills and comfort in ministering to the sick and suffering. We have others living in parish rectories and assisting with the parish summer events or getting a job and living in the parish rectory. Two others are living in a rectory and assisting with youth programs

The Crucifix and the Beatitudes

By DEACON ROBERT YERHOT, MSW

� ask you to imagine Jesus walking onto a large flat area and a great crowd of people following him. Eighty-five percent are people without any real social value and the other fifteen percent are valued highly by society. Now imagine Jesus blessing the 85% and warning the others. Imagine the looks on the faces of the people when they hear this.

Jesus tells those who are thrown away by society that they are blessed. He tells them to “rejoice and leap for joy!” They are perplexed. They wonder to themselves, “Do we have value?”

Jesus tells the important people they are not who they think they are, and they should beware. They are perplexed. They wonder, “Why should I be concerned about my good fortune, security, and satisfaction in life?"

If Jesus blesses those the word considers insignificant and disposable, then so must we. Who are they? Will we bless them, or will we reject and condemn them? Who are these people we must bless like Jesus blessed? Let me offer suggestions.

1. The unborn. How many of us say we are pro-life but are unwilling to take in an unwanted child?

2. The terminally ill. How many of us avoid the dying or wish to hasten their deaths rather than accompany them on their journeys home?

3. The physically challenged. How many of us see only their difference and are blind to their dignity?

& Permanent Diaconate

Vocations

for the diocese, and another is working at IHM Seminary. Two are even doing the Camino of Santiago before joining a group of us at World Youth Day at the end of this month! As you can see, the seminarians keep busy during the summer and continue growing outside of the academic calendar.

Please keep in your prayers the new seminarians that will be accepted for next fall. At the time of this writing, four men have been accepted as seminarians for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. In addition to these four, we are anticipating welcoming two others from outside of the United States to study for the priesthood starting this fall. I will share more information in the coming months about all of these new seminarians.

4. The homeless. How many of us ignore them and deny their existence in our communities?

5. The migrant. How many of us deny them their human rights and dignity?

6. Those who have injured us. How many of us demand revenge and repayment, rather than offer forgiveness?

7. The mentally ill. How many of us pity them but not love them?

Radical stuff…. stuff upon which we will be judged someday.

Now, please look at a crucifix. Who do you see? Jesus, yes. Look deeper. Who do you see in Him?

Jesus was a “questionable pregnancy.” His mother, Mary, about 14 years old, was found pregnant, and the father was not Joseph. Imagine the scuttlebutt that went around, questions about Mary’s character, questions about paternity, people thinking it was a problem pregnancy. How quickly we judge the circumstances of pregnant women!

Jesus was a “terminal case” as he hung on the cross. He was dying. In fact, people wanted to hurry the death along: “Be done with it before sundown. Put him out of his misery.” People fled the scene rather than be around the dying man… everyone except Mary, John, and a few faithful women.

Jesus was a homeless man. He had nowhere to lay his head.

Jesus was a migrant. He had been a foreigner. He had crossed national boundaries and fled to Egypt for a better life. Just like migrants in our day.

Jesus was someone the Pharisees thought had harmed them. They demanded vengeance… “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Show no mercy!”

Jesus was considered mentally ill by many who knew him, especially those from his home town, we are told.

Yes, the crucifix is an explanation of the Beatitudes. Do you now see why Jesus called all those com mon, insignificant people blessed? Do you see now why he warned the “significant fifteen percent”?

Deacons are, in a spe cial way, called to bless those the world devalues, denies, and casts aside. Deacons are to be among them, advocate for them, and bring them into the Church’s embrace. Deacons are to stir into flame the desire of all Christians to raise up those who are beaten down. In this way, we are to proclaim the Gospel to a waiting, needy world

Frocked L to R: Vocations Director Fr. Jason Kern, Deacon Brian Klein, Bishop Robert Barron and Deacon Nicholas Gawarecki, flanked by Knights of Columbus in the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Winona, after the deacons' ordination on May 27.

Deacon Robert Yerhot serves the parishes of St. Mary in Caledonia and St. Patrick in Brownsville.

Deacon John Hust Director of the Permanent Diaconate jhust@dowr.org

Life, Marriage & Family

Legislative Session, cont'd from pg.

state’s four other Catholic bishops, wrote a letter protesting the bills and had it hand-delivered to every lawmaker.

Archbishop Hebda also released a video and accompanying statement, urging people to reach their legislators to head off approval of abortion-related legislation. In the video, Archbishop Hebda called bill proposals “part of the most extreme abortion legislative agenda in Minnesota history.”

Bishop Zielinski - among those who testified against the legislation - said, in part, “The bill reflects a complete denial of the humanity of the unborn child, their right to live, and the state’s interest in protecting nascent human life.”

Ultimately, after it passed the House and Senate, Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, signed the Protect Reproductive Options, or PRO Act - a bill placing a right to abortion for any reason and without limit on viability - into state law on Jan. 31.

Additionally, the Legislature this session left few care requirements in place for infants who survive abortions. It repealed the Positive Alternatives Act grant program that helped support pregnancy resource centers and expanded taxpayer funding to include elective abortions. It eliminated the informed consent in writing requirement as well as a mandatory 24-hour waiting period prior to a woman undergoing an abortion.

Now that the session has ended, it’s time, suggested Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of MCC, for Catholics to “think about what it means to rebuild or build anew the pro-life movement here in Minnesota” and to consider the question: “How do we create a state where every child is welcomed in life and respected by law?”

Answering that question poses new challenges: “Now we have to change hearts and minds and laws going forward,” Adkins said, particularly with the possibility of “constitutional amendments in 2024 or 2026 that would further codify and strengthen abortion rights here in Minnesota.”

Adkins said, however, “regardless of whether the laws change, we can always work to decrease demand for abortion” by accompanying women in crisis pregnancies and walking with mothers in need.

Civic Life

This session, as in prior years, MCC backed a particular piece of voting legislation.

The proposal - passed by the Legislature and signed into state law by Walz March 3 - restores the right to vote to those convicted of felonies upon their completion of any term of incarceration imposed and executed by a court for the offenses.

“When people have paid their debts, we find there are collateral consequences for crimes that inhibit them from getting housing, access to certain forms of employment, rebuilding their life,” Adkins said. “So, when you pay your debt to society, which you should … then, how do we find ways to reintegrate people into political participation? … Giving people the opportunity for positive civic participation to play a role in society. One of the hallmarks of Catholic social teaching is the call to participation; how can we expect people to model and exhibit good behavior when we isolate them from some of the most very basic things of civic life in society?”

Education

The Legislature took up a series of education proposals this session.

St. Paul-based advocacy organization Opportunity for All Kids, an MCC advocacy partner, backed legislation that would establish the creation of education savings accounts. The accounts would operate like Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Spending Accounts, to allow families to cover specifically education-related expenses, “including private-school tuition, tutoring, supplies, transportation, and extracurricular activities and individual classes at local public schools.”

The provision was not included in the finalized K-12 spending bill that passed the Legislature May 17.

Relatedly, MCC and the Minnesota Nonpublic Education Partners coalition it co-leads voiced support of the Legislature continuing its support of alternate transportation options for nonpublic school students, established under the Safe Learning Plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The provision passed the House and Senate and was included in the final legislation.

Nonpublic Education Partners also backed an expansion in nonpublic student counseling aid programs. MCC pushed for primary school inclusion “because mental health needs are increasing,” Adkins

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

said. Ultimately, expanded funding was not included in the finalized bill.

Meanwhile, Walz recommended funding for a Building and Cyber Security Grant Program. The Legislature did allocate funding for the 2024 year, but it did not include nonpublic schools as MCC had asked.

Family Life

MCC particularly advocated for direct economic relief to Minnesota families this session.

Adkins said he and MCC staff “were excited this session when legislators really sought to make Minnesota the best state to raise a family.”

Families First Project

As the session began, MCC introduced its Families First Project, an advocacy campaign MCC considered central to its efforts this session. The platform promotes policy that would help remove roadblocks Minnesotans confront in forming and raising their families.

The centerpiece of the Families First Project is the creation of a nation-leading state child tax credit, which was included in the tax bill. The legislation allocates $400 million per year in tax relief to lowerincome families. Adkins said he considers it a major success of the session.

The Legislature passed the robust tax credit with “up to $1,750 per child and with no cap on the number of children who can benefit in a family,” Adkins said.

According to MCC, this per-child refundable tax credit was expected to reduce childhood poverty in the state by 25-30%. Its versions in the Legislature were targeted to assist low-income families and MCC encouraged its extension into Minnesota’s middle class.

“It’s a great thing to build on going forward,” Adkins said. He added he and the MCC staff “think it’s best to empower families directly with economic benefits and opportunity rather than having them go to a government program to benefit.”

“We are encouraged by the fact that what we

proposed as the metric for how the budget should be measured — how it helps the family — was indeed embraced by Gov. Walz and legislators,” Adkins said. “Legislators are now asking what it means to make Minnesota the best state to raise a family. We may have disagreements about the particulars, but family economic security is now a key moral test of the budget.”

Additionally, Families First bill proposals would authorize the issuance of pregnancy-related disability parking certificates and exempt more baby products from sales tax. These provisions did not pass.

Another related proposal that passed the Legislature and garnered MCC support was earned sick and safe time legislation, which would provide workers the ability to earn one hour of time off for every 30 hours worked. MCC considers the legislation “vital” to supporting family life, especially as it would allow workers time to care for themselves when ill as well as care for sick family members.

MCC also pushed for a payday lending reform and noted Minnesotans who face financial difficulties are now better protected from debt traps by a 36% interest rate cap on payday loans, due to legislation passed this session.

‘Driver’s Licenses for All’

Walz signed into law March 7 legislation to allow undocumented people in Minnesota to apply for state driver’s licenses. The legislation - known as “Driver’s Licenses for All” - allows an individual to obtain a Minnesota driver’s license or state identification card without the need to show proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the United States. Proof of lawful presence in the U.S. became a requirement to obtain a Minnesota license or identification card following a rule change implemented in 2003.

Archbishop Hebda and MCC were among those backing the legislation. “Every Minnesota resident, especially those who have proven themselves as hardworking contributors to our communities, deserves to live with dignity, not in fear of being separated from their families every time they drive to meet basic needs,” Archbishop Hebda said at a news conference as the Legislature began its 2023 session.

Now signed into state law, applications will be accepted starting Oct. 1.

Adkins recognized the legislation “generates strong opinions.” But he said a primary consideration is how this legislation affects families. “It’s not to reward lawbreaking or some of these other claims. It’s to say, ‘We need to keep families together.’ Our undocumented brothers and sisters are here, they’re not going anywhere. Many of them have been here for many years; they’ve built lives; they’ve had children; they, sometimes, have children who are citizens; and no one should be separated from their families simply for going to the grocery store, going to work, taking their kids to school or church. It’s to say that we’re not going to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement involved for minor traffic violations.”

“Does the availability of a driver’s license allow an undocumented immigrant to vote? No,” Adkins said. “Does it grant all the privileges of other citizenship? No. It’s meant specifically for driving privileges only. And that’s the extent of what this driver’s license does.”

Gender Ideology

The Legislature took up a series of proposals related to gender ideology this session - examples included a bill to prohibit counseling for minors who seek to address gender discordance, the so-called “conversion therapy ban;" a bill that would allow minors from other states to be brought to Minnesota to seek “gender-affirming health care” unavailable in other states due to law or custody orders; a Minnesota Constitution amendment

that would countermand attempts for accommodations or exemptions for those who do not assent to gender theory; a bill proposing a new definition in the Minnesota Human Rights Act for gender identity; a “Gender-Affirming Rights Act” which asserts a person’s right to subjectively define gender existence; and a bill to require “gender-affirming care coverage,” including for medical and surgical interventions to manipulate the body.

In April, Walz signed into law the counseling ban and the “transgender refuge” legislation mentioned previously.

MCC spoke out against the pieces of legislation, arguing they cause harm and create confusion - particularly among young people - about the human experience and intrinsic identity.

The Church needs to be at the center of conversations about identity, Adkins said, “because we have a particular perspective that we think promotes human flourishing. … we’re the Church that helps people live the way in which they were created.”

He went on to state that “what’s troubling about legislation that enables children to receive, in some cases, permanent, life-altering therapies, hormones, even surgeries to conform to their subjective sense of their self … what they do is they inhibit one’s ability to form family; we’re made for relationship, we’re made for each other, we’re made for life.”

The legislation also poses questions for the future regarding parental rights in the state as gender ideology enters certain public education spheres, Adkins said.

“What’s troubling and what we’re seeing is that parents are really confused about these issues; there’s such strong cultural headwinds pushing in one particular way to help them affirm their child because parents are scared about losing their child … Parents need to be really aware and need to get forms of counseling and support to help their child conform his or her psychological state to the objective reality of their body,” Adkins said. “Now what’s really sinister is also there was a ban on counseling that passed (this session), the so-called ‘conversion therapy ban.’ The real conversion therapy of allowing a child to alter his or herself physically and pharmacologically - that is supposedly acceptable - but a minor child seeking counseling to help align their psychological state with the objective reality of the way God made them, that’s not OK according to legislators. So, we’re really doing harm to our young people through these pieces of legislation here in Minnesota.”

Health

A finalized health bill that passed the Legislature would appropriate $9.34 billion during the 20242025 biennium, $1.78 billion of which is new spending.

Included in the finalized bill were provisions related to abortion (outlined earlier in this article) as well as emergency shelter (outlined in this article’s next section).

Also included in the finalized bill was a provision to provide access to health care insurance coverage for lawfully present noncitizens and undocumented noncitizens through MinnesotaCare. MCC supported the provision, arguing it encourages undocumented Minnesotans to access preventive care as to avoid unnecessary trips for costly emergency room services.

Housing

Walz signed into state law May 15 a $1 billion housing omnibus bill — according to the governor’s office, the largest of its kind in state history.

The investment would allocate funding to provide rental assistance, improve access to affordable housing, reduce housing and homeownership disparities, and prevent homelessness throughout Minnesota.

“Housing has been identified as an important way in which people climb the ladder out of poverty,” Adkins said. “It provides a measure of stability in one’s life.”

Catholic Charities Twin Cities urged the public this session to contact lawmakers regarding funding for emergency shelter services and operations, supportive housing programs, and programs that address housing inequities, among other priorities. “We’re asking the state to step up so that we can continue to show up for our neighbors in need,” the nonprofit organization stated on an action page it published online.

The push to support emergency shelter services and operations was one MCC and members of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths in Minnesota also backed.

“Despite the fact that Minnesota has a very strong social safety net, where I think things fall through the cracks is in that distinction between poverty and destitution,” with more state resources for the former than the latter, Adkins said.

“We need emergency shelter capital but also emergency services and emergency shelter program funding, and that’s where Catholic Charities has really been leading the way … as they address those critical frontline needs in terms of the most destitute in our community so that they can live, in fact, with a measure of human dignity,” Adkins said.

To that end, the Legislature approved $100 million in new spending for emergency shelter grants.

MCC, through its advocacy partner the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, also supported proposed coding for a new section of existing state law that would authorize the creation of micro-unit dwellings on religious properties for those experiencing homelessness. The proposal was ultimately not included in the final legislation Walz signed into law May 16.

Marijuana

MCC strongly opposed a proposal that would legalize adult recreational use of marijuana.

The proposal bounced back and forth this session, ultimately passing the Legislature May 20; Walz signed the legislation into state law May 30. The legislation takes effect Aug. 1 and would include up to a 10% retail tax in addition to the state’s 6.875% sales tax and other locally imposed sales taxes.

In 2014, medical marijuana was legalized in Minnesota; last year, recreational marijuana edibles containing a maximum of 5 milligrams of THC derived only from hemp were legalized.

This latest legislation allows adults to possess up to 2 pounds of marijuana in their homes; no more than 2 ounces in public. It would be illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence; give marijuana to a person under the age of 21; or smoke or vape marijuana in a multifamily housing complex, child care or family or group care facilities.

MCC encouraged Minnesotans to advocate for safeguards, such as potency caps and childproof packaging, by contacting the newly forming Cannabis Advisory Council and the Office of Cannabis Management.

“For a Legislature that supposedly spent a lot of time putting people over profits, this is one of the worst instances of putting profits over people,” Adkins said about the decisions made regarding marijuana this session. “Fortunately, MCC was able to get in the bill an impact study” to monitor the effects recreational use of marijuana might have on the Minnesota population.

A series The Catholic Spirit produced on this issue can be found online: thecatholicspirit.com/marijuana.

Catholic Schools & Safe Environment

Submitted by SHELBY THINER

�he kindergarten class at St. John Vianney Catholic School in Fairmont, for a service project, shopped at the HyVee in Fairmont for the St. John Vianney Catholic Church’s Hope Shop. The Hope Shop is comparable to a community food shelf. Through donations and money raised from the kindergarteners through the Marathon, the kindergarteners spent a little over $400 on items for the Hope Shop.

This type of community service project was new for St. John Vianney Catholic School as the idea to do this community service project was thought of by their teacher, Shelby Thiner, and approved by the kindergarten class.

The reason why their teacher came up with this idea is because her class loves the book Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt. Maddi’s Fridge is about two best friends named Maddi and Sofia. Sofia learns at the beginning of the story that Maddi does not have much food in her fridge, so she decides to give Maddi her supper leftovers from home the next day at school. Eventually, in the end, Sofia ends up telling her mom that Maddi has no food in her fridge and the family decides to give them some of their food. The kinder-

garten class loves this book so much that they ask their teacher to read this book to them at least every other week.

Another reason why Ms. Thiner decided to have her kindergarten class do this community service project is because her class enjoyed giving food to the Hope Shop as part of St. John Vianney’s Harvest Mass that takes place every October, along with donating toys and other children’s items collected at the school’s annual Gifts of the Heart Prayer Service that takes place the second week of Advent. Ms. Thiner noticed how much her students LOVED to do these community service projects and continued to talk about these service projects long after the service projects were over.

After shopping for the Hope Shop, the kindergarteners told Ms. Thiner how much fun they had and that they wanted to do it again. St. John Vianney Catholic School students, families, and staff were also very excited about the outcome of the kindergartener’s community service project because, besides giving back to the community, a picture of the service project made the front page of the local newspaper the next day. St. John Vianney Catholic School is very proud of their kindergarten class’s contribution to the community.

Marsha Stenzel Superintendent of Catholic Schools mstenzel@dowr.org

It All Began with a Children's Book Identify and Assist a Trafficking Victim

�veryone has the potential to discover a human trafficking situation. While the victims may sometimes be kept behind locked doors, they are often hidden right in front of us at, for example, construction sites, restaurants, elder care centers, nail salons, agricultural fields, and hotels. Traffickers’ use of coercion - such as threats of deportation and harm to the victim or their family members - is so powerful that even if you reach out to victims, they may be too fearful to accept your help. Knowing indicators of human trafficking and some follow-up questions will help you act on your gut feeling that something is wrong and report it.

Human Trafficking Indicators

While not an exhaustive list, these are some key red flags that could alert you to a potential trafficking situation that should be reported:

• Living with employer

• Poor living conditions

• Multiple people in cramped space

• Inability to speak to individual alone

• Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed

• Employer is holding identity documents

• Signs of physical abuse

• Submissive or fearful

• Unpaid or paid very little

• Under 18 and in prostitution

Questions to Ask

Assuming you have the opportunity to speak with a potential victim privately and without jeopardizing the victim’s safety because the trafficker is watching, here are some sample questions to ask to follow up on the red flags you became alert to:

• Can you leave your job if you want to?

• Can you come and go as you please?

• Have you been hurt or threatened if you tried to leave?

• Has your family been threatened?

• Do you live with your employer?

• Where do you sleep and eat?

• Are you in debt to your employer?

• Do you have your passport/identification? Who has it?

Where to Get Help

If you believe you have identified someone in a trafficking situation, alert law enforcement immediately at the numbers provided below. It may be unsafe to attempt to rescue a trafficking victim. You have no way of knowing how the trafficker may react and retaliate against the victim and you. If, however, you identify a victim who has escaped the trafficking situation, there are a number of organizations to whom the victim could be referred for help with shelter, medical care, legal assistance, and other critical services. In this case, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline described below.

Mary Hamann Safe Environment Program Manager mhamann@dowr.org

911 Em�r��ncy - For urgent situations, notify local law enforcement immediately by calling 911. You may also want to alert the National Human Trafficking Hotline described below so that they can ensure response by law enforcement officials knowledgeable about human trafficking.

1-888-373-7888 N

Ho

Hotline, a national 24-hour, toll-free, multilingual anti-trafficking hotline. Call 1-888-373-7888 to report a tip; connect with anti-trafficking services in your area; or request training and technical assis tance, general information, or specific anti-traffick ing resources. The Hotline is equipped to handle calls from all regions of the United States from a wide range of callers includ ing, but not limited to: potential trafficking victims, community mem bers, law enforce ment, medical professionals, legal professionals, service providers, research ers, students, and poli cymakers.

Shelby Thiner is a kindergarten teacher at St. John Vianney School in Fairmont.

Mankato Scout Honored

Salvatore Aloisio Awarded $3,000 Scholarship from National Catholic Committee on Scouting

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

Submitted by ELIZABETH OLIVAS

ROCIADA, NM – Salvatore Aloisio from Mankato, MN has been awarded the $3,000 Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Scout Scholarship by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS). He belongs to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Mankato, in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and is a member of Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Troop 3384, in the Northern Star Council. This year ten service scholarships totaling $27,000 were awarded nationwide to recognize

Scouts for outstanding service and leadership in four areas: Church, community, school, and Scouting.

Aloisio truly embodies the idea of servant leadership. When asked why volunteering is important to him, he responded, “Volunteering has been important to me since I was little…it is a way of giving back to my community…I cannot express enough how much volunteering means to me. The satisfaction that comes with every minute of it is something that cannot be replicated doing anything else.”

In service to the Catholic Church, Aloisio earned all four of the religious emblems offered by NCCS. He is a third-degree member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the youth group, and a Confirmation sponsor. He served three years as a retreat leader and Vacation Bible School teacher and over 400 hours at parish events. In 2019, Aloisio initiated and organized a parish group to attend the National March for Life. It was so well received the parish sent another group in 2022 and Aloisio participated for a second time.

Active in his community, Aloisio has been involved in numerous activities through the Knights of Columbus, his school’s Key Club and as an adult member of the Boy Scouts of America. Through these organizations, he has volunteered at blood drives, provided meals for widows, seminarians and supporters of the pro-life movement. He has been active in fundraisers for local and national nonprofit organizations such as, Options for Women, Special Olympics, Catholic schools, the Echo Food Shelf, Friendship Ventures, Good Counsel Learning Center, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, Pro Life Across America, Birthright and the Thomas More Catholic Newman Center in Mankato. In addition, he has been active in community cleanup programs, planted trees for an erosion prevention project and volunteered over 400 hours at Minneopa State Park. Aloisio also assisted 15 other Scouts with their Eagle Scout projects.

At Loyola Catholic School, Aloisio is a member of National Honor Society, Key Club and Yearbook staff. He has been on the Varsity Basketball team for four years and competes in Knowledge Bowl. He is also a talented musician who plays in the concert band and the Mankato Area Youth Symphony. He has served as a student conductor and a section leader.

Pope to Youth: Visit Grandparents, Elderly

By CAROL GLATZ, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God wants young people to bring joy to the hearts of the elderly and to learn from their experiences, Pope Francis said.

"Yet, above all, the Lord wants us not to abandon the elderly or to push them to the margins of life, as tragically happens all too often in our time," the 86-year-old pope wrote in his message for the Catholic Church's celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

The message was released at the Vatican June 15 in anticipation of the celebration July 23, the Sunday closest to the July 26 feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus' grandparents.

The theme for 2023 is "His mercy is from age to age" from the Gospel of St. Luke.

The Holy Spirit "blesses and accompanies every fruitful encounter between different generations: between grandparents and grandchildren, between young and old," the pope wrote in his message.

"To better appreciate God's way of acting, let us remember that our life is meant to be lived to the full, and that our greatest hopes and dreams are not achieved instantly but through a process of growth and maturation, in dialogue and in relationship with others," he wrote.

"Those who focus only on the here and now, on money and possessions, on 'having it all now,' are blind to the way God works," the pope said in his message. "His loving plan spans past, present and future; it embraces and connects the generations."

God calls on everyone each day to look to the future and "keep pressing forward," he wrote.

For young people, that means being able to "break free from the fleeting present in which virtual reality can entrap us, preventing us from doing something productive," he wrote. "For the elderly, it means not dwelling on the loss of physical strength and thinking with regret about missed opportunities" and dwelling on the past.

Pope Francis invited the faithful to "make a concrete gesture that would include grandparents and

& Faith Formation

Youth Ministry

Aloisio is an outstanding Scout who has earned all 139 merit badges. He has held various leadership positions in his troop, such as Troop Chaplain, Scribe, Quartermaster, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and is the current Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 3384. Aloisio is a member of the Order of the Arrow (OA), BSA’s honor society. He helped start a Cub Scout Pack and mentored other Scouts as a Junior Merit Badge Counselor. Aloisio began researching his Eagle Scout project in 2019, to learn about prairie restoration at Minneopa State Park. He built 51 bee houses for use at the park to help encourage prairie wildflower pollination and monitored them throughout the year. He has continued to expand his project with additional ways to restore the prairie, including educating the public through presentations and flyers. He presented his project to the Mankato City Council and spoke with State Senators about conservation. Aloisio now serves as an Ambassador for the City of Mankato.

Aloisio plans to attend Minnesota State University in the fall of 2023.

To be eligible to apply for the National Catholic Committee on Scouting Scholarships, the Scout must be Catholic, earned the Ad Altare Dei and/ or Pope Pius XII Awards and received either the Eagle Scout, Summit or Quartermaster Award. A complete list of award recipients, eligibility requirements and applications can be found at https://nccs-bsa.org/collegescholarships/. NCCS Scholarship recipients have been chosen because they are committed to making a difference for good in the world through service and leadership.

For more information on NCCS Scholarships and Catholic Scouting:

NCCS Website: https://nccs-bsa.org/

NCCS Scholarship Page: https://nccs-bsa.org/collegescholarships/

Catholic Scouting Website affiliated with NCCS: https:// catholicscouting.com

Elizabeth Olivas is a media contact for the National Catholic Committee on Scouting.

the elderly" and to honor them, "neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours. May we never allow the elderly to be cast aside!"

Because World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, is scheduled for Aug. 1-6, soon after the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, the pope asked young people preparing for the event to visit their grandparents or an elderly person who lives alone and ask for their prayers.

"Their prayers will protect you and you will carry in your heart the blessing of that encounter," he wrote.

He asked all elderly people to pray for young people, who "are God's answer to your prayers, the fruits of all that you have sown, the sign that God does not abandon his people, but always rejuvenates them with the creativity of the Holy Spirit."

The pope invited the world's dioceses, parishes, Catholic associations and communities to help make the day "a joyful and renewed encounter between young and old."

The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life said in a communique released the same day that pastoral tools useful in the preparation of the world day were available on its website, laityfamilylife.va.

Vision of Compassion

Mayo Med Students Serve Rochester Community Warming Center

Christi Reynard Director of Communications Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota

commitment between the two organizations. Beyond providing crucial eye care, these medical scholars have also conducted foot care clinics, an especially important service during the harsh winter months when many guests of the Warming Center lack proper footwear.

"The level of appreciation and gratitude we've received from the foot care clinics have been immense," said Naul. "It's clear that these services are not only needed but deeply valued by those we are able to help."

The Warming Center has served as an instrumental ground for medical students to understand and address the unique health concerns faced by people experiencing homelessness. The hands-on training in the form of eye and foot care clinics has allowed them to step out of the confines of their textbooks and learn from real-world experiences.

ROCHESTER, MN – Medical students from the prestigious Mayo Clinic and instructors from the Zumbro Valley Medical Society (ZVMS) put their skills to work outside the traditional classroom, serving at an eye

care clinic for the homeless at Catholic Charities’ Rochester Community Warming Center. This project, held under the banner of the Street Medicine program, highlights the students' dedication to inclusivity and service.

The students, primarily in their first and second years of medical school, spent a day training before opening the clinic to the community the following day.

“Their level of engagement and compassion in working with people experiencing homelessness was heartening to witness, an uplifting reminder of the humanity that exists within healthcare,” Senior Shelter Program Manager Rudy Naul said.

This is the second year Street Medicine has utilized the Warming Center as a learning and training site, demonstrating the enduring partnership and

Pregnancy, Parenting, and Adoption Program Facing Funding Crisis

�fter 17 years of continuous support, Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota lost a major source of funding for its critical Pregnancy, Parenting, and Adoption (PPA) program. The Positive Alternatives to Abortion grant, issued by the Minnesota Department of Health, which has sustained this vital initiative for years, ended on June 30.

The grant ensured the PPA program could provide essential services for new and expectant parents in Southern Minnesota. These services, ranging from equipping families with baby necessities, to offering parenting education in both group and individual settings, have been crucial lifelines for many families. In 2022 alone, the agency was able to support 450 new and expectant parents through various initiatives

such as diaper banks, an infant car seat program, portable cribs, and parenting education. Furthermore, the agency provided more than $100,000 in rental and utility assistance and offered counseling to women who chose the loving path of adoption.

This year, however, the landscape dramatically changed. Although this cycle of the Positive Alternatives grant was originally awarded to fund the PPA program for the next two and a half years, Minnesota lawmakers repealed the statute authorizing this grant program. Moreover, there are no funds allocated for the grant in the next state budget. That means our funding from that grant abruptly ended on the last day of June.

“Despite this setback, Catholic Charities remains deeply committed to providing these essential services to the parents and children of Southern Minnesota,”

The work these students are doing with the Street Medicine program is not only a testament to their commitment to inclusivity but also shows their determination to use their skills to uplift the community, one patient at a time.

Despite being in the early stages of their medical careers, these Mayo students have exemplified the spirit of service by dedicating their time and skills to those who need them most. Their work continues to make an impact in the lives of Rochester's homeless population, as they ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstance, is given the care and attention they deserve.

The Rochester community, and indeed the world, eagerly watches these budding medical professionals. Their dedication, compassion, and eagerness to help the underserved represent a beacon of hope and is a testament to the future of medical care.

said Sarah Vetter, Director of the PPA program. “The immediate and dramatic loss of funding presents a significant challenge, and as the agency seeks new grants, the importance of community support is ever more crucial.”

To continue the important work of the PPA program, Catholic Charities is calling upon the community for help. A gift of any amount can contribute significantly, ensuring the continued provision of clean diapers, new car seats, rent assistance, and the valuable guidance of a social worker to families navigating major life changes.

Contributions can be made online, by selecting "Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption" on the donation page. Your gift will directly support the continuation of these services, ensuring that families in Southern Minnesota continue to receive the help they need in these challenging times. Donate today at https:// www.ccsomn.org/donate-online/. Together, we can continue to support the well-being of young families in our community.

Legislative Session, cont'd from pg. 9

Public Safety

This session, a variety of proposals regarding public safety were debated in the Legislature.

MCC voiced support of the Clean Slate Act, which would provide processes for the automatic expungement of certain convictions. The legislation ultimately passed this session.

Adkins said the legislation helps Minnesotans with overcoming certain barriers to reintegration into the community after a conviction, and thus facilitates “access to employment, access to housing, and other things.”

“(T)he Catholic Church in Minnesota has consistently advocated for responses to crime that do not simply punish, but that also rehabilitate and restore,” Adkins wrote in a letter to members of the Public Safety Omnibus Conference Committee on behalf of MCC. “Expungements for certain offenses can help reintegrate them into the community and make it easier for them to rebuild their lives. Expunging certain convictions will also have the positive collateral effect of also rebuilding their family life, which promotes the well-being of any minor children that they may have.”

Another proposal MCC encouraged was to expand criminal background checks for certain types of gun purchases. Such regulations “come with little cost and might save hundreds of lives per year,” Adkins wrote in the letter. At the same time, MCC pushed for lawmakers to support “a renewed commitment to enforcing laws related to illegal gun possession that are already on the books.”

“With rights comes responsibility; that has been a hallmark of our discussion around guns and gun safety,” Adkins said. “Making sure that people who possess

certain forms of guns are able to do so responsibly is consistent with promoting the common good.”

Walz, meanwhile, previously voiced his support of “red flag laws” - allowing law enforcement to intervene when people are at risk of injuring themselves or others with a firearm. Adkins said, although MCC has supported similar proposals in the past, there was concern regarding this legislation’s wording and its constitutionality, concern echoed by groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union.

Walz ultimately signed the red flag law and universal background checks into state law May 19, among other measures outlined in this session’s public safety bill.

A third proposal receiving MCC support was one that would appropriate money for supplemental nonprofit security grants, to protect those praying and worshipping at religious institutions against acts of violence; this was included in the public safety omnibus bill the Legislature passed.

“Many houses of worship are being targeted,” as are certain nonprofits such as pregnancy resource centers, Adkins said. This legislation allows entities that might not qualify for federal funding to qualify for security funding from state grants.

Technology

An ongoing experience for many Minnesotans is the effect of social media - particularly its use among young Minnesotans. This session, the state’s bishops advocated for prohibiting social media algorithms on minors, using their pastoral experience to speak to the difficulties families face navigating the psycho-

God's Story, cont'd from pg. 6

1. Begin by becoming aware that God is already here waiting for you. Rest in his loving presence.

2. Then, respond to God’s loving presence by giving yourself over to him. Pray that you might love and serve him in all your thoughts, words, and actions.

3. Prayer is fundamentally an expression of our relationship with God. When we begin by acknowledging God’s availability to us, and by making ourselves available to God in return, we situate everything that happens next within that relationship.

3. Read the Scripture

Next, read the Scripture passage at least once.

You may wish to ask the Holy Spirit to help you to read the text prayerfully. Given the amount of reading most of us do online, you may be in the habit of skimming the text rather than ruminating on the words. Try to slow down; the Gospels were written slowly and intentionally. Each word and phrase, and each omission, was chosen for a reason. Stay with the words and see what they serve up.

4. Set the Scene

After you have read the story at least once, use your imagination to set the scene. Be as specific about the details as possible, engaging all your senses: touch, smell, sound, sight…even taste, if the opportunity arises. Make the Gospel story come vividly to life, almost as if you were directing a movie. The Son of God chose to save us not merely with a word from heaven, but by becoming the Word-made-flesh at a specific time and place in human history. In imagining

the Gospel in its physical setting, we honor the reality of Jesus’ incarnation, and set the stage for encountering him “in the flesh” ourselves.

Here are some things to consider as you set the stage for your imaginative prayer experience:

• Who are you in this story?

• What time of day is it? What is the weather like?

• What do you see around you?

• Who is present? What do they look like, and what are they doing?

• What ambient sounds do you hear?

• How do you feel? Hot? Hungry? Tired?

• What do you smell?

• Above all, be sure to pay attention to Jesus. What does he do? What does he look and sound like?

5. Walk with Jesus

Once you have “composed” the setting of the story, put aside the text and let yourself enter into it. This is the body of your imaginative prayer, so take as much time here as you need.

Before stepping into the Gospel, St. Ignatius advises that you pray for what you most desire from this encounter with Jesus.

logical strain social media has on young people.

Maggee Hangge, policy and public relations associate with MCC, wrote to members of the Legislature that “The goal for these algorithms is to keep users engaged in the platform for as long as possible, which in turn gives a false fabrication of connectedness and reality.”

The Minnesota Legislature proposed the creation of the “Minnesota Age-Appropriate Design Act” to prevent social media companies’ use of algorithms on minors in its omnibus commerce finance and policy bill, which passed at the end of April.

What’s Ahead

Conversations about legislative efforts for next year are already underway.

“Catholics need to be already engaged about what those issues might be … the work for 2024 begins now. … we need to inform ourselves about the issues, form our consciences in the right principles of Catholic social teaching, so that we can then transform our state,” Adkins said.

“You might not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you,” Adkins said, adding legislative decisions affect every Minnesotan in some way.

There are ongoing opportunities for “faithful citizenship,” Adkins said - members of the Catholic community sharing “what serves human dignity and the common good” with their representatives.

Catholics across Minnesota can join MCC’s Catholic Advocacy Network by visiting mncatholic. org, which provides the tools needed to contact legislators about key issues.

The 2024 legislative session is scheduled to begin Feb. 12, 2024.

Next, enter the Gospel, letting the action of the story unfold by itself under the direction of the Holy Spirit; do not actively direct or force the actions of the main characters. Your role is to participate in the action of the story in whatever way seems natural.

Finally, as you step out of the Gospel story, speak to God directly. St. Ignatius refers to this as a “colloquy,” or a spiritual conversation. He invites us to share our thoughts, feelings, and desires with God much as one friend would speak to another.

St. Ignatius advises that we close our time of prayer with the Lord’s Prayer; you might substitute another formal prayer that you like, such as the Glory Be or a simple Sign of the Cross. The point is to punctuate the end of this special time with Jesus.

6. Reflect on the Journey

After you are finished praying, spend some time reflecting on your encounter with Jesus. You can do this immediately after your prayer, or as you go about the rest of your day. You might record your reflection in a journal or notebook, or share and discuss your experience with your prayer group or a spiritual director.

Article reprinted with permission, first published at https://www.gracewatch.org/imaginative-prayer/ .

If this sounds intriguing to you, consider registering for the Joining in God’s Story: An Introduction to Ignatian Contemplation retreat on Sept. 9-10, co-led by Fr. Jonathan Fasnacht and Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust. Registration opens July 5 and closes late August, and is limited to 18 participants. Set time aside to encounter the Lord in a fresh way!

Sister Ann Halloran, OP, Celebrates 70th Jubilee

Submitted

by EILEEN DUSHEK-MANTHE

SINSINAWA, WI - Sister Ann Halloran, OP, will celebrate her 70th jubilee in 2023. A Mass will be held Sunday, Sept. 10, for her and 11 other Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters celebrating 70 years. Her religious name was Sister Gilberte.

Sister Ann’s home parish is St. Wenceslaus (now Good Shepherd), Jackson, in the Diocese of WinonaRochester. She is the daughter of the late Dr. Walter and Teresa (Ryan) Halloran. Sister Ann's ministry has been dedicated to working to improve the lives of women and children through education, housing and neighborhood organization.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Ann taught at St. Basil, Chicago, 19531959; St. Vincent Ferrer, River Forest, 1959-1961; Visitation High School, Chicago, 1963-1969; and St. Thomas the Apostle High School, Chicago, 19691975.

In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis,

Sister Ann served the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa as provincial councilor of the Northwest Province, 1980-1984, and was the director of Catholic Charities, Minneapolis, 1988-1990, and codirector of the Dominican Center for Women, Minneapolis, 19901994.

In the Diocese of Madison, Sister Ann taught English at Edgewood College, Madison, 1976-1980.

In the Diocese of Sioux Falls, Sister Ann was principal at St. Joseph Cathedral Grade School, Sioux Falls, 1984-1986.

In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Sister Ann cofounded the Dominican Center for Women, Milwaukee, and ministered in a leadership role for the center, 1990-2010, and continued to volunteer there until 2014.

She holds a bachelor’s and master’s in English and a master’s in women’s studies.

Sister Ann is living in community with her Dominican Sisters.

If you would like to honor Sister Ann on her jubilee, go to the Sinsinawa Dominicans' website at www. sinsinawa.org/jubilee.

Eileen Dushek-Manthe works in the offices of communications and philanthropy for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa.

Real Presence, cont'd from pg. 2

ality and the Eucharistic Revival are related since, in the listening sessions for the synod, many Catholics expressed concern about a lack of belief in the real presence and about declining Mass attendance.

"We're probably at an all-time low in the United States in terms of the percentage of Catholics who are actually going to Mass every Sunday," he said, which is "a huge concern that came forward in the synod process."

Parish Festivals

Holy Trinity Parish, Litomysl, will hold its 51st annual Summer Festival Sunday, July 30, beginning with a Polka Mass at 10:15 a.m. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with food outside and many children and adult games with thousands of prizes to win. Used a bit items in the Parish Center, as well as a Silent Auction. Garden produce and baked goods (prune, poppyseed & apricot buchty). Live Music. Something for everyone! Everyone is welcome!

Holy Trinity Church is handicapped accessible.

Litomysl is 8 miles south of Owatonna on Co. Rd. 45, then 2 miles east on Co. Rd. 4 (SE 98th St) to 9946 24th Ave SE, Owatonna. Call 507-456-7671 for more information. Website: www.litomysl.webs.com

St. Felix Parish, Wabasha, will host its 70th annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the St. Felix Auditorium and School Grounds in Wabasha. The day will feature a bean bag tournament, grilled chicken dinners, the farm store, general and specialty auctions, bingo, a bounce house, minnow races, face painting, tootsie roll booth, lots of raffles, tons of prizes and so much more.

The listening sessions also pleaded with the bishops to work for the unity of the church in the country and draw everyone together around the sacrament of unity, and communion is the best way to do that, he said. "So, I would argue that the synodal process helped us build the whole thing."

"The Eucharist is the source of our life in the Church," the bishop said. "It's the beating heart of the Church where we receive the life of Christ as the body of Christ."

Join us for food, fun and friendship. All proceeds go to St. Felix School. For more information call 651-565-4446.

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

Sioux City - KPTH Channel 44 at 8:30 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")

Sister Ann Halloran, OP

Owatonna KCs Sponsor Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Champion Shrine In

Submitted by LEE JARDINE

�he best kept secret in the US Catholic Community is that there is an approved Marian apparition right here in the U.S. - in fact just outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin, is the site of the ONLY approved Marian apparition in the U.S. and has, of course, an interesting story.

Adele Brise had three visits and encounters with Our Lady in 1859. Our Lady told Adele “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same. You received Holy Communion this morning and that is well. But you must do more. Make a general confession and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them.”

“What are you doing here in idleness while your companions are working in the vineyard of my Son?”

What more can I do, dear Lady?” asked Adele, weeping.

“Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”

“But how shall I teach them who know so little myself?” Adele said.

“Teach them,” replied her radiant visitor, “their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments; that is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing, I will help you.”

Adele went to work on her assignment and

worked with the local farmers to teach their children the catechism. In 1871 the Great Peshtigo fire engulfed eastern Wisconsin in the largest forest fire in our history. The farmers all gathered at Adele’s school/chapel to pray. They walked around the chapel while they prayed the rosary and sang hymns. The fire went around the property scorching the white fence posts surrounding the property. Inside the white paint on the fence posts was perfect. Then a huge rain storm started that put out the fire. Read

the Diocese

more at championshrine.org.

The Our Lady of Champion Shrine hosted their second annual Marian conference May 19 and 20. In order to support faith development and honoring Our Lady, the Owatonna Knights of Columbus Council 945 sponsored a pilgrimage to the Marian Conference.

Owatonna Council 945 held six Friday shrimp fries in January and February to raise money to cover the cost of a coach bus for the pilgrimage. The 25 pilgrims (including Brother Knight Fr. Pasala Dharmendra) made the 5-hour pilgrimage with fellowship and prayers along the way.

The outstanding Conference speakers were Fr. Wade Menezes, CPM; Sr. Philomena, Daughter of Mary, Queenship of Mary; and Fr. Joseph Aytona, CPM, Shrine Rector. In addition, the Friday Mass was led by Diocese of Green Bay Bishop David Ricken. Everyone left the Conference with spirits elevated in the love of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

This is a wonderful event and a great location to visit to recharge your spiritual batteries and get close to Our Holy Mother in prayer. Make time for your own pilgrimage and plan to attend the 3rd Annual Marian Conference at the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion. Lee Jardine is a member of the Owatonna Knights of Columbus Council 945.

Month of the Precious Blood

By ELEANORE JONES

�uly is the month of the Precious Blood. The Blood of Christ saves us from sin. It is the Blood of Christ that gives us the hope of heaven. St. Paul tells us that Jesus reconciled “to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20). Without the Blood of Christ shed for us, all would be lost.

Happy 4th of July! We have obtained our freedom! Enjoy this celebration with family and friends and never forget the cost of our freedom.

God has also given us freedom with our freewill to choose if we wish to follow Jesus or

the way of the world. Remember each day we are getting closer to Eternity and where we will end up is our choice. Always stay close to Jesus and Our Blessed Mother!

Our next Member Meeting will be July 12 at Christ the King in Medford. It begins at 9 a.m.; Mass is at 11:15, and the day adjourns around 3 p.m. In-depth presenters will be Family/ Community Commission and Respect Life. All women of the diocese are encouraged to attend.

We are still in need of a Treasurer and Parliamentarian for our diocesan executive board. If you feel inclined to take on one of these offices, contact me.

Remember the National Convention at Salt Lake City, Utah on August 23 – 26, 2023.

Mark October 7, 2023, to attend our W-RDCCW convention at Queen of Angels, Austin.

Enjoy this beautiful weather and have a happy and blessed 4th of July. God Bless America!

Eleanore Jones is the president of the Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

Obituaries

Sister Rosemary Schwalbe, SSND, 75, died May 16, 2023, at Benedictine Living Community – St. Gertrude’s, Shakopee. Funeral services were held May 22 at Windermere Chapel, Shakopee, with Father Joe Fogal as presider.

Sister Rosemary was born in 1947 in Wabasha to George and Adelaide (Jerue) Schwalbe, and was baptized in Alma, WI. She grew up in Nelson, WI, and moved with her family to Wabasha when she was in fourth grade. She attended St. Felix Grade and High School. She graduated in 1965 and entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato in September of that year. She professed first vows in July 1967. Her initial ministry was elementary education, and she taught at St. Mary, Worthington, from 1970-75. In 1980, she became the postulant director for the SSND Mankato Province, a position she held until 1984. The challenge of a 1983 multiple sclerosis diagnosis caused her to seek new ways of service, and she became very involved in spiritual direction and companioning. She served in this capacity on Good Counsel Hill until her retirement in 2019. She volunteered in a number of ways at Good Counsel, including selecting the Scripture verse for the SSND donor calendar each year. She was also a member of the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal and used her spiritual direction skills to assist in this ministry. Along with most other School Sisters of Notre Dame who resided in Mankato, she moved to Shakopee in fall 2022.

Sister Rosemary is survived by her sisters, Rita, SSND, and Elizabeth (Liz) Riley; her brother, George (Ellie); and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and SSND Associates. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Adelaide (Jerue) Schwalbe. A longer obituary and a recording of her funeral will be available at ssndcp. org/obituaries.

Sister Cecile Schueller, SSND, 88, died May 24, 2023, at Benedictine Living Community – St. Gertrude’s, Shakopee. Funeral services were held June 1 at Windermere Chapel, Shakopee, with Father John Kunz as presider.

Sister Cecile was born in Sleepy Eye in 1934. She grew up in Sleepy Eye, and later in Le Sueur. After graduating from Good Counsel Academy, Mankato, in 1952, she entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame that same year. She professed first vows in 1954. She taught or administered in Minnesota and South Dakota Catholic schools until 1975, including Sacred Heart, Heron Lake (1961-64). She also served as parish organist and liturgist in several of the parishes where she worked. Sister Cecile then spent 30 years in the Willmar area working first in pastoral ministry, and then in

various capacities at the Willmar State Hospital and Regional Treatment Center. She was the first woman to be granted supervisory status in the US Catholic Conference Office of Chaplain Services. This status qualified her to train clergy who were involved in chaplaincy work in a mental health institute. From 2005 through 2015, she served in a ministry of presence, reaching out especially to shut-ins, at St. Joseph Parish, Owatonna. She retired to Good Counsel in 2015, and in fall 2022, moved to Benedictine Living Community – St. Gertrude’s in Shakopee.

Sister Cecile is survived by her sister Penny Crymble; nieces and nephews; and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and SSND Associates. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Edith (Irwin) Schueller; her sister Judy Blomberg; and her brothers, David, Edward and William. A longer obituary will be available at www.ssndcp.org/obituaries.

Sister Kay Wagner, 81, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on Sunday, May 28, 2023.

Sister Kay was born on January 3, 1942, in Watertown, SD, to Vernon and Gladys (Nelson) Wagner. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1963, received the name of Sister Vernon, and made perpetual vows in 1969. She received her bachelor’s in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, in 1972; her master’s in professional studies, with a focus on pastoral counseling, from Loyola University, Chicago, IL, 1980; and her Master of Social Work from Highland University, Las Vegas, NV, in 1993.

Sister Kay served as an elementary school teacher for eight years at St. Mary’s Catholic School, Sleepy Eye, from 1967-75. From 1976-78, she served as a social worker at Catholic Charities, Winona, before moving to Chicago, IL, where she served as a counselor, from 1979-83, at St. Juliana Parish. Sister Kay also served as a counselor at the St. Labre Indian Mission, Ashland, MT, from 1983-84, before her return to Minnesota, where she served as the pastoral counselor at Samaritan Counseling Center, New Brighton, from 1984-87. From 1987-99 she served as a pastoral counselor and social worker at the Catholic Social Service and the Pastoral Counseling Center, Santa Fe, NM, before taking a one-year sabbatical in 1999. After her sabbatical, she returned to Santa Fe, from 2000-08, to serve as a pastoral counselor at the Pastoral Counseling Center. From 2008-11, Sister Kay served as the director of services at the Catholic Charities Palm Desert office in San Bernardino, CA. From 2011 until her retirement in 2017, she focused on spiritual direction and soul journey ministry.

Survivors of Sister Kay Wagner include her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 59 years; four brothers: Henry, Father Joseph, Robert, and Ron Wagner; three sisters: Janet King, Mary Lou Sherwood, and Roxy Weisbeck; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Vern (Skip) Wagner, and sister Norma Degenhart.

A private Resurrection Liturgy was held at Assisi Heights on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery.

Suggested memorials are to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Sister Kathleen Logan, OSF (known as Sister Neal), a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on June 12, 2023.

She was born in Olmsted County on December 11, 1924. She graduated from St. Margaret’s Hospital School of Nursing in Kansas City, KS, in 1958. She was registered as a nurse in Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, and California. She held positions in three of those states. In 1952, she joined the Sisters of Saint Francis, Rochester.

Survivors of Sister Kathleen Logan include her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 71 years, and many nieces and nephews.

A private Resurrection Liturgy was held at Assisi Heights on June 29, 2023, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery.

Suggested memorials are to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Sister Agnes Malone, 94, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on June 13, 2023.

Sister Agnes was born on July 1, 1928, in Portsmouth, OH, to Earl and Ethel (Bayless) Malone. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1945, received the name of Sister Agnes, and made perpetual vows in 1951. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Saint Teresa, Winona, in 1958.

Sister Agnes served as a primary and secondary elementary school teacher, from 1948-66, in many locations, including St. Priscilla School, Chicago, IL (1948-54); St. Joseph School, Ironton, OH (1954-55); St. Augustine School, Austin, MN (1955-57); Notre Dame High School, Portsmouth, OH (1958-60); and Mary E. McCahil School, Lake City, MN (1962-66). During the summers of 1962-65, she served as a post-secondary educator at St. Marys Hospital, Rochester, before returning to secondary education at Wehrle High School, Columbus, OH, from 1966-70. Sister Agnes also served as the vocations director at Assisi Heights from 1970-73, and from 1973-79 as their research team director and data collector. From 1979-84, she served as canonical assistant and research consultant in Washington, D.C., as well as in St. Louis, MO, from 1984-88, and in Chicago, IL, from 1988-94. Sister Agnes served as a volunteer tutor in Chicago, IL, at the St. Joseph Seminary/Loyola Campus, from 1994-2008, before her retirement.

Survivors of Sister Agnes Malone include her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 78 years; brother John Edward Malone; sister Alberta Jean Malone; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, James Joseph and Charles Louis Malone; and a sister, Marjorie Ann Malone.

A private Resurrection Liturgy was held at Assisi Heights on July 5, 2023, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery.

Suggested memorials are to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.