The COURIER
Three PriesTs and Three deacons
�od has blessed the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in recent weeks with ordinations to the transitional diaconate and priesthood. On Saturday, May 25, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona, Jordan Danielson, Benjamin Peters and Timothy Welch were ordained deacons, and began their year of diaconal service on May 26.
Rev. Mr. Jordan Danielson will serve at Holy Spirit Parish in Rochester through the coming school year; Rev. Mr. Benjamin Peters at Pax Christi Parish in Rochester and Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Mazeppa; and Rev. Mr. Timothy Welch at St. Mary Parish in Chatfield, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Canton and St. Columban Parish in Preston. God willing, these transitional deacons will be ordained priests next summer.
�he Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, part of the National Eucharistic Revival, made its way through the Diocese of WinonaRochester May 31 - June 2. The national pilgrimage is made up of four routes and began on May 17 at different starting places across the nation. The Marian Route began at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in the Diocese of Crookston, made its way through the Diocese of Duluth, the Diocese of St. Cloud and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, then entered the Diocese of Winona-Rochester on May 31. The route continues
Marian Route, cont'd on pg. 11
L to R: Rev. Mr. Jordan Danielson, Rev. Mr. Benjamin Peters, Rev. Mr. Timothy Welch, Most Rev. Robert Barron, Rev. Joshua Miller, Rev. Brian Klein and Rev. Nicholas Gawarecki in the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Winona, after the June 8 presbyteral ordination.
The Most Rev. Robert Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, announces the following:
Tribunal Judge
Rev. Msgr. R. Paul Heiting: reappointed as a First Instance Judge for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Tribunal for a two-year term, effective August 1, 2024.
Dean
Rev. Msgr. Thomas Cook: appointed Dean of the Austin / Albert Lea Deanery for a five-year term, effective July 1, 2024.
Pastor
Rev. Tojy Jose, OFM: appointed Pastor of St. Joachim Parish in Plainview and Immaculate Conception Parish in Kellogg, effective July 1, 2024.
Rev. Msgr. Thomas Melvin: appointed Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Mankato and Holy Family Parish in Lake Crystal, effective July 1, 2024.
Very Rev. Marreddy Pothireddy: appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Owatonna and Christ the King Parish in Medford, effective July 1, 2024.
Parochial Administrator
Rev. Kurt Farrell: appointed Parochial Administrator of St. John Vianney Parish in Fairmont, Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Blue Earth, and Holy Family Parish in East Chain, for the month of July 2024.
Rev. Gregory Parrott: appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Ignatius Parish in Spring Valley, St. Finbarr Parish in Grand Meadow, and St. Patrick Parish in LeRoy, effective July 1, 2024. Parochial Vicar
Rev. Joachim Anumba: appointed Parochial Vicar of Pax Christi Parish in Rochester and Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Mazeppa, effective July 1, 2024.
Rev. Nicholas Gawarecki: ordained a priest of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester on June 8, 2024; appointed Parochial Vicar of St. John Vianney Parish in Fairmont, Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Blue Earth, and Holy Family Parish in East Chain, effective June 9, 2024.
Rev. Shawn Haremza: appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Rochester, effective July 1, 2024.
Rev. Brian Klein: ordained a priest of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester on June 8, 2024; appointed Parochial Vicar of Resurrection Parish in Rochester, effective June 9, 2024.
Rev. Joshua Miller: ordained a priest of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester on June 8, 2024; appointed Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Owatonna, effective June 9, 2024.
Chaplain
Rev. Michael Churchill: appointed Chaplain of the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center in Winona and Cotter High School in Winona, effective July 1, 2024.
Rev. Brian Klein: ordained a priest of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester on June 8, 2024; appointed Priest Chaplain at Lourdes High School in Rochester, effective June 9, 2024.
Very Rev. Marreddy Pothireddy: appointed Chaplain of the MedfordDeerfield Knights of Columbus Council #4909, effective July 1, 2024.
Very Rev. Marreddy Pothireddy: appointed Chaplain of the Owatonna Knights of Columbus Council #945, effective July 1, 2024.
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)
Priest Delegate
Rev. Msgr. Thomas Melvin: appointed Priest Delegate of Loyola Catholic School in Mankato, effective July 1, 2024.
Very Rev. Marreddy Pothireddy: appointed Priest Delegate of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Owatonna, effective July 1, 2024.
Incardination
Rev. Miguel Proaños: originally a priest of the Diocese of Garzón, Colombia; incardinated into the Diocese of WinonaRochester, effective April 23, 2024.
Rev. Luis Vargas: originally a priest of the Diocese of Garzón, Colombia; incardinated into the Diocese of WinonaRochester, effective May 1, 2024.
Diaconal Ministry
Rev. Mr. Jordan Danielson: ordained a transitional deacon for the Diocese of WinonaRochester on May 25, 2024; appointed to diaconal ministry at Holy Spirit Parish in Rochester, effective May 26, 2024, through the coming school year.
Rev. Mr. Benjamin Peters: ordained a transitional deacon for the Diocese of WinonaRochester on May 25, 2024; appointed to diaconal ministry at Pax Christi Parish in Rochester and Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Mazeppa, effective May 26, 2024, through the coming school year.
Rev. Mr. Timothy Welch: ordained a transitional deacon for the Diocese of WinonaRochester on May 25, 2024; appointed to diaconal ministry at St. Mary Parish in Chatfield, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Canton and St. Columban Parish in Preston, effective May 26, 2024, through the coming school year.
The Holy Father's Intention for July 2024
For the Pastoral Care of the Sick We pray that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick confer to those who receive it and their loved ones the power of the Lord and become ever more a visible sign of compassion and hope for all.
Finance Council
Mr. Jeffrey Bigler: appointed to the Diocese of WinonaRochester Finance Council for a five-year term, effective May 31, 2024.
Pension Plan for Priests
Mr. Thomas Crowley: reappointed to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Pension Plan for Priests Board of Trustees for a three-year term, effective July 1, 2024.
Clergy Personnel Committee
Rev. Msgr. Thomas Cook: appointed to the Clergy Personnel Committee, effective July 1, 2024, through the duration of time he serves as Dean.
Child Abuse Policy Information
• Hard copies are distributed at DOW-R parishes on the first weekend of each month.
• An online version may be viewed at www.dowr.org/offices/ courier/index.html
• To be added to the home delivery list free of charge, readers should send their names and addresses to:
Diocese of Winona-Rochester The Courier 55 W Sanborn St. Winona, MN 55987 or nreller@dowr.org
The Diocese of Winona-Rochester will provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employees, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should call the Victim Assistance Coordinator at 507-454-2270, Extension 255. A caller will be asked to provide his or her name and telephone number. Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil authorities. The Diocese of Winona-Rochester is committed to protecting children, young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, parishes and ministries. The diocesan policy is available on the diocesan web site at www.dow.org under the Safe Environment Program. If you have any questions about the Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, or mhamann@dowr.org.
Where to Find The Courier
The Higher You Go Liturgically, the Lower You Should Go in Service of the Poor
�he first week in June was one of the most liturgically rich of my priesthood. As part of the National Eucharistic Revival, the Marian segment of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage was making its way through my diocese en route ultimately to Indianapolis. We processed with the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Rochester, and then I celebrated a grand, festive Mass in the Mayo Civic Center. A few days later, I said Mass in the town of La Crescent, and then processed with the Eucharist, in the company of around 3000 people, to La Crosse, on the Wisconsin side. At the close of that procession, I handed the monstrance to my colleague, Gerard Battersby, the Bishop of La Crosse, and then together we celebrated
Mass for the gathered throng in the La Crosse Civic Center. All of these prayer services and Eucharistic liturgies were marked by song, bells, incense wafting from swinging thuribles, sumptuous vestments, and litanies galore. The day following the La Crosse Mass, I had the privilege of ordaining three young men as priests for this Diocese of Winona-Rochester. The ordination liturgy, one of the most beautiful in the Church’s repertoire, featured - along with everything just mentioned - the anointing of the hands of the newlyordained, a formal welcome from all of the priests present, and a ceremony of investiture.
All of it was wonderful. All of it, I’m sure, lifted up the hearts and souls of those who experienced it. But in the minds of some, this sort of grand liturgical display gives rise to a question, even a criticism: what does it have to do with the Church’s work of caring for the sick and the needy? What does any of it have to do with Jesus, who walked, simply garbed, the dusty roads of Galilee and reached out to the poor? Does the preoccupation with music, vestments, processions, litanies, etc. amount to a sort of fussy aestheticism, a fixation on liturgical foo-foo? Don’t we, in fact, often hear precisely this critique from older priests in regard to younger priests?
Permit me to say that, as far as it goes, this concern is valid, for the Church, as Joseph Ratzinger reminded us, does three things: it indeed worships God, but it also evangelizes and serves the poor. And the particular genius of the Church is manifested when it manages to keep these three tasks in balance, each one correcting the others and each one leading to the others. If I might, for the sake of this article, focus on the first and last of these essential responsibilities, the worship of God must lead to care for the poor, and care for the poor must lead to the worship of God - and this for a simple reason. Worship is all about centering ourselves upon God, assuring through gesture, word, song, procession, etc. that God is the central and ultimate concern of our lives. But the more we love God, the more we come to love those whom God loves, and the more we love those whom God loves, the more we love the One who made them loveable in the first place. This is why St. John tells us that the one who says he loves God but hates his neighbor is a liar and why the Lord himself insisted that there are two indispensable commandments: love of God and love of our brothers and sisters. I would like to express this as a principle: the higher you go liturgically, the lower you should go in
service of the poor; and the lower you go in service of the poor, the higher you should go liturgically. The danger is a one-sided stress on liturgy or a one-sided stress on service, the first leading to fussiness and the second reducing the Church to a social-service organization.
There are so many great figures in the recent history of the Church who embodied my principle in their lives and work. One might think of Dorothy Day, the foundress of the Catholic Worker Movement. There was no one in the twentieth century Church more dedicated to serving the poor and the hungry and to fighting against social injustice than Dorothy Day - and yet her devotion to prayer, Benediction, the rosary, frequent spiritual retreats, and of course the Blessed Sacrament was absolute. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was an icon of service during her long ministry among the poorest of the poor. No Catholic in the twentieth century had a more embodied commitment to and identification with the suffering than Mother Teresa - and yet her love for prayer was boundless, her attention to the Eucharist unsurpassed. And if we turn the principle around, we might draw attention to Virgil Michel, Reynold Hillenbrand, and Romano Guardini, all stalwarts of the liturgical movement that
was so massively influential at Vatican II. Each of these gentlemen argued that what happens at the Mass in its splendor must spill out onto the streets as a devotion to the suffering members of the Mystical Body of Christ. As older Chicago priests told me when I was newlyordained, Msgr. Hillenbrand invited Dorothy Day to Mundelein Seminary to stress precisely this relationship. One of the sad developments in the years following Vatican II is the falling apart of what was once a unity. Now “liberals” tend to be those who worry about the poor and “conservatives” those who are preoccupied with the liturgy. But this is stupid - and dangerous for the Church. The more you are one, the more you should be the other, and vice versa. So once again, I would like to state my adage: the higher you go liturgically, the lower you should go in service of the poor; and the lower you go in service of the poor, the higher you should go liturgically.
-Most Rev. Robert Barron, Bishop of Winona-Rochester
Spanish Translation on Page 16
*indicates event is open to the public
July 14, Sunday
10 a.m. - Steubenville Conference Closing MassMayo Civic Center, Rochester
July 15, Monday
Rochester Serra Club Clergy
Golf Outing - Willow Creek Golf Course
July 18-21, ThursdaySunday National Eucharistic Congress - Indianapolis
July 24, Wednesday
4 p.m. - Tour of Willet Hauser Stained Glass Studio - Winona
July 25, Thursday
10:30 a.m. - Mass for Camp Summit Catholic Adventure Camp - Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, Lanesboro
2 p.m. - IHM Seminary Finance Council MeetingIHM Seminary, Winona
July 26, Friday
3 p.m. - University Series Board Meeting - Zoom
July 27, Saturday
*4:30 p.m. - Mass and Installation of Fr. Luis Vargas as Pastor - St. Francis of Assisi, Rochester
July 28, Sunday
*10 a.m. - Mass and Installation of Fr. Pratap Salibindla, OFM as Pastor - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Easton
July 30, Tuesday 10:30 a.m. - College of Consultors - The Chancery, Rochester
4 p.m. - Dedication of the Chancery Chapel - The Chancery, Rochester
July 31, Wednesday 6:15 p.m. - Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem Dinner - Rochester Golf and Country Club, Rochester
Non Nisi Te Domine
Bishop Robert Barron
Bishop's Calendar
A Fond Farewell to Our Diocesan Pastoral Center
What Pope Paul VI said of the laity - and what the Catechism of the Catholic Church specifically repeats - has now become an important, welcomed reality throughout our dioceses: "The laity can also feel called, or in fact be called, to cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community, for the sake of its growth and life. This can be done through the exercise of different kinds of ministries according to the grace and charisms which the Lord has been pleased to bestow on them" [quoting Pope St. Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, #73].
-U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord �reetings of peace in these summer days!
A while back, someone mentioned to me that I was very “Benedictine” in my work and service in the Church. One of the vows that Benedictines take is to “stability.” This vow can be described as follows: “Stability means that the monk pledges lifelong commitment to a particular community…. For Benedictines, the vow of stability proclaims rootedness, at-homeness, that this place and this monastic family will endure” (stmartinsabbey.org/ our-monastery/benedictine-vows/).
This would seem to be the case in that August 1 will mark my 34th anniversary of working for the diocese. For the past 25 of those years, as I wrote about last month, I have served in Lay Formation ministry (and, more recently, in the diocese’s adult initiation ministry [“RCIA/OCIA”]).
And, for about 30 of these years, I have worked from our Diocesan Pastoral Center here in Winona. As I write this, we will soon be relocating our diocesan ministry offices to a new Chancery in Rochester. Our Pastoral Center was a former convent, converted to our diocesan offices in 1976. As we marked the conclusion of our service in this building, our staff gathered in prayer and celebration.
As part of this transition, the staff were invited to share some memories and reflections on working in this place which has been the home for diocesan ministry these past almost 50 years. As I read through them, I was struck by how deeply working
together in this Pastoral Center has been a powerful experience of faith and of community for all of us blessed to be here sharing in the mission and ministry of this diocesan Church.
I will share my own reflection below, first, and then that of some of my diocesan colleagues.
◆ Two things will always stand out for me working in this space which has come to feel very much like my "work home."
First, it is the people whom I have worked with over my 30+ years being in this building. They have been, and are, great co-workers, friends, and fellow disciples! So many truly good and faith-filled people who have accompanied me through so much on both a professional and personal level. (And, on a lighter note, who could forget Bishop Vlazny's laugh echoing through the building!)
And, second, would be the time spent in the chapel - for daily Mass (what a privilege!); for the praying together of noon prayer, the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet; for lectio reflection and prayer; and for personal time just to be with the Lord. This has been a truly sacred space for me to work and to be part of a community of faith and service.
So much joy, so much good work, so much care for one another - I couldn't feel more blessed and grateful than to have worked and served here at the Pastoral Center these many years!
◆ One thing I have always appreciated - even as we have struggled through the physical limitations of the space - is how humble this space is. It is, in the end, a sheltered place to work that feels a lot like the simplicity of the Franciscan sisters who initially lived here. Since I began and we immediately moved into bankruptcy as a diocese, I often thought - we need Jesus Christ, we need to pray, we need the sacraments, we need each other. And the laptops were a bonus. That is what we need for mission.
Todd Graff Director of Lay Formation & RCIA tgraff@dowr.org
◆ When I started, we were moving from the Cities, building a house, starting new jobs, and settling in to our new lives in Winona. Then, only a few months into my time here my dad passed away. I never expected such care and support from people I had just met. Through all of the trials and tribulations that were happening during that time in my life, I felt sincere care and thoughtfulness from all of you. I will forever be grateful.
◆ A special place to work and pray. Many faithful witnesses to Christ and the Church. A great blessing to be part of this group.
◆ I only joined this diocesan team a little over a year ago; during this year I have made so many memories. This building is truly filled with the Holy Spirit and I know He has blessed this space.
◆ It's not so much the building that we are saying goodbye to today. It is the people who have inhabited this building over the years – all made in the image and likeness of God. That being said, we bring our talents and our strengths, as well as our weaknesses, and we work together for the greater good of the Church. Despite the inherent frustrations involved in all groups of people working together, each employee I've encountered has always remembered why we work here, and whose greater glory we work for. That is what has made working in this building so gratifying and satisfying.
Now, on to a new chapter while maintaining that same purpose!
In closing, I would say that I have been deeply and truly blessed to have the “stability” of working at our Diocesan Pastoral Center over many years and with many of the most holy and faith-filled people I have ever known. It has been for me an experience of “commitment to a particular community,” founded upon a profound sense of “rootedness” and “at-homeness.”
And so, we bid a fond farewell to our diocesan “home” at 55 West Sanborn Street in Winona. Deo Gratias!
We are blessed indeed to have such gifted and generous co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord to which we have all been called. Let us continue to work together as a "community of people united in Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit in [our] pilgrimage toward the Father’s kingdom, bearers of a message for all humanity” [quoting Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, #1].
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord
At the end of the day on June 13, current and former diocesan employees met at the Pastoral Center to pray the rosary in the chapel, followed by a farewell picnic on the front lawn. Watch for in-depth coverage of the diocese's new Rochester Chancery in an upcoming issue of The Courier.
The Mission Launch Continues 5
Susan Windley-Daoust Director of Missionary Discipleship swindley@dowr.org
�une 2, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, launched the third and final “year” of the Eucharistic Revival, the “year of mission.” My colleague in the Pastoral Center, Peter Martin, mentioned that we really ought to be calling it a launch rather than a year, and I think he is right. Mission, being sent, is our life in Christ. It is our baptismal call. It is our daily charge.
Seven years ago, the diocese introduced this office I have been privileged to inhabit, Missionary
Discipleship. The phrase begins with mission, and carries through the ongoing walk of discipleship: following Christ in his mission to share the good news with the whole world. A few weeks ago, I made the hard decision to end my work as Director of Missionary Discipleship, and the diocese is currently hiring a Director of Evangelization (name change, but the same work!). Stay tuned!
What I will remember is the people I met: farmers, immigrants, world-renowned doctors, teachers, parish staff from pastors to DREs to custodians who helped me figure out the tech in each parish (because each one was entirely different!). I have loved every minute I have been on the road and in parishes, listening, educating, praying, and working to create parishes that thrive and are eager to share the good news. Has it been easy? No. Has it been worth it? Absolutely.
Minis�ry Days 2024, "You are �he Sal� of �he Ear�h: Bap�ized for Mission," was held on June 18-19 at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. 175 people - pastors, deacons, and parish staff, along with other invested Catholics on mission - gathered to welcome back Deacon Keith Strohm of Chicago, the Executive Director of M3 Ministries. Deacon Strohm shared a powerful message on personal responsibility for responding to the baptismal call to share the gospel, and people enjoyed breakout sessions the next day from different directors of ministries in our diocese, reflecting on the Eucharistic Procession, what parishes need to evangelize, the launch of the new RCIA (OCIA!), strengthening communications in the parish through Flocknote, and many other topics. Interested in seeing Deacon Strohm's keynote? By press time, it should be posted on the dowr.org Ministry Days page: dowr.org/offices/lay-formation/ ministry-days.html
And the healing ministries we were able to introduce, through your hard work: There is nothing like being at an Unbound conference, talking to people in Catholic in Recovery, hearing from Trauma Reboot leaders, leading a forgiveness retreat where people come up and say “this really just changed my life! God is so good!” Really, what could be better than that?
But the mission in my own life is not a “year of mission,” or “seven years of mission”- I’m still baptized, and still in launch, thanks be to God. Starting mid-July I will be the executive director of The Mark 5:19 Project, a new nonprofit Catholic apostolate dedicated to fostering apostolic, thriving parishes through consulting, speaking, and education. We’re working primarily in the Upper Midwest, and I believe nothing is more effective in bringing forth the fruits of evangelization than working at the most local levels: the family, and then the parishes. It’s exciting, and I am eager to work with others to turn this “rise of the nones” into the rise of the sons and daughters of God. This mission launch of the Eucharistic Revival is one of those opportune moments of grace, if we choose to cooperate with God. My new position helps me lean into this moment of grace offering the work for which I have the greatest gifts.
Best news for me: I’m still in the diocese, living in Winona, working with local parishes here and in other bordering dioceses. And involved in some ministries I love, so I will get to see many of you in the future!
If you want to continue reading my writing, or seeing what I am up to, you can find The Mark 5:19 Project here: mark519project.org, and you can subscribe to the newsletter. Please pray for me and I will pray for you! I look forward to continuing to work, alongside the diocese in a different venue, for the evangelization of all the broken in southern Minnesota. That is me, that is you, and that is so many who we have not yet invited to the Lord’s Church. We’ve been given words of hope, so let’s go be his witnesses, friends. And God bless you.
St. Joseph Camp Day
for Catholic Families Living with Disability
August 18
Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch, Stewartville
Faith, fun and friendship for families with a child with disabilities
Learn more and register at dowr.org - scroll to "events"
Or contact Katie Netzel at knetzel@gmail.com
Love Beyond Measure
�ove Beyond Measure is the theme of this year’s national Natural Family Planning Awareness Week (July 21–27, 2024), an educational campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to celebrate God’s design for married love and the gift of life and to raise awareness of Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods. NFP is supportive of Catholic beliefs
about married love because it “respects the God-given power to love a new human life into being” (see, U.S. Bishops, Married Love and the Gift of Life at usccb.org/issues-and-action/ marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/ catholic-teaching/upload/Married-Love-andthe-Gift-of-Life-English-version.pdf).
The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of Humanae vitae (July 25) as well as the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother. In addition, the feast of
Peter Martin Director of Life, Marriage & Family pmartin@dowr.org
Saints Joachim and Anne has been designated by Pope Francis as World Grandparents Day! A fitting commemoration that happens during NFP Week!
Supreme Court Ruling Does Not Change the Facts about Abortion Pills, says Bishop Burbidge
From USCCB.ORG
WASHINGTON, June 18, 2024 –“The Court’s ruling late last week on procedural grounds does not change the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] repeatedly and unlawfully cut corners to put chemical abortion pills on the market and then to reduce the safety protocols around them – putting the health of women and girls at risk,” Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine In its decision on Thursday, the Court determined that the pro-life health care professionals who brought the lawsuit did not have the legally
required standing to challenge the FDA’s actions that have now made the abortion drug, mifepristone (previously known as RU-486), widely available.
Bishop Burbidge continued:
From my heart, I thank all of the faithful who joined Archbishop Broglio and myself in prayer regarding this important case. We will continue to pray, to advocate for the health and safety of women and the preborn, and to lovingly serve mothers in need so that they may feel prepared to welcome their children.
The USCCB had joined an amicus curiae brief in the case in February. On the eve of oral arguments in March, Bishop Burbidge and Archbishop Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA and president of the USCCB, offered a nationwide invitation to prayer for the case and for the lives of women and their children. For more information on chemical abortion (sometimes called “medical abortion” or “medication abortion” by its proponents), the USCCB has multiple fact sheets available online.
Seeds of Faith
Deacon Sean Costello Superintendent of Catholic Schools scostello@dowr.org
By MICHAEL GERARD
�
od has seen fit to nudge my canoe safely from pool to pool on the river of life. I have also been the beneficiary of the supporters of Catholic Schools. My first nine years of education were in a school built by people who knew the value of a good Catholic School. I am grateful and glad to have had the blessing. Many young families are seeking that same blessing today. Our Catholic Schools are full of love and gospel values, and they have the mission of knowing and loving God and academic excellence.
This past week, I was blessed to be part of the Seeds of Faith Catholic Schools Tuition Assistance program. Seeds of Faith is part of the many services of the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota. The Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota supports parishes, schools, and ministries; to learn more, go to catholicfsmn.org. Catholic school parents with financial need can apply to Seeds of Faith for financial support, and the application for aid includes income, other assigned financial support, parish and school involvement, and the story of why the family is applying for assistance. Each application is read by four people and scored 0-5. Five is the greatest need. There were about 340 applications this year, a significant increase from last year. Reading these applications helped to give me insight into what is troubling the faithful in our diocese.
Some of these applications were genuinely heartbreaking stories. These good people suffered unexpected unemployment, physical disability, illness, and or unexpected death in the family - all people who want their children to receive an excellent Catholic education but, due to dire circumstances, have been put up against the hardest of decisions. We have people who sit next to us in the pew, suffering from tough times. These brothers and sisters in Christ can use our support.
Another class of application came from families who were suffering from divorce - a shocking number. We could do a better job by reaching out to our married people and trying to get ahead of these marital issues. Too often in our society, divorce is the default way of dealing with marital disharmony. People do not see that once the papers are signed, economic difficulty is often next on the horizon. I think we, as a church, could do a lot more to help our married families. First, we can share with them all of our programs and resources that support struggling marriages. I believe we are our worst enemy by poorly promoting the resources our Church offers. Second, a few simple things can go a long way to helping our young families. Not least of which would be hosting a date night, quarterly if not monthly. Parents can drop their kids off at church, and volunteers babysit for two hours while couples go on a date.
Every child who attends Catholic school is a victory for our Lord.
costs per American family are $385 higher than three years ago, according to the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee. That's $4,620 a year! Good Catholic families are squeezed to the max and are now looking for help with educating their children. Americans are sinking into poverty in the current economy. The need for assistance continues to grow. Food shelves continue to report record usage year after year while wages stagnate. People need help.
Another common need is large families. Catholic schools are not affordable to large families. We, as a
How do we address this need and help young families afford Catholic Schools? Many hands make light work. When I took a Catholic school finance course at the University of St. Thomas, the professor shared with us that the average Catholic gives 1% of their income to the Church. The professor said, "Look at all we do with 1%! Imagine what we could do with 2%?" We know that the Bible asks for 10% and that is a lot. I am asking you to consider lending a hand. Charity begins at home, and many aunts, uncles, and grandparents pay for Catholic school. Every little bit helps when it comes to supporting the future of the Catholic Church. Your dollars can help support the mission of evangelization. Prayers, volunteering, and financial support all go to strengthen our schools by making Catholic education affordable. Every child who attends Catholic school is a victory for our Lord.
Michael Gerard is the assistant superintendent of
Ordinations,
cont'd from pg. 1 8
On Saturday, June 8, at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Winona, Deacons Joshua Miller, Brian Klein and Nicholas Gawarecki joined the ranks of priests of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.
Most Rev. Robert Barron, the celebrant of the Mass, was joined by concelebrating bishops Most Rev. Joseph Coffey, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA; Most Rev. Christopher Cooke, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; and Most Rev. John M.
Quinn, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of WinonaRochester; as well as principal concelebrants Very Rev. William Thompson, Vicar General & Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester; and Rev. Jason Kern, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Also concelebrating were priests of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and visiting priests.
Rev. Nicholas Gawarecki, a Rochester native from the home parish of Pax Christi, has been appointed Parochial Vicar of St. John Vianney Parish in Fairmont, Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Blue Earth, and Holy Family Parish in East Chain, effective June 9, 2024.
Rev. Brian Klein, a Wells native from the home parish of St. Casimir, has been appointed Parochial
Rev. Jason Kern Director of Vocations jkern@dowr.org
Vicar of Resurrection Parish in Rochester and Priest Chaplain at Lourdes High School in Rochester, effective June 9, 2024.
Rev. Joshua Miller, a Waseca native from the home parish of Sacred Heart, has been appointed Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Owatonna, effective June 9, 2024.
Praise God!
10 The Storms of Life and Ministry
By DEACON ROBERT YERHOT, MSW
i recall a huge snowstorm when I was a boy. It was ferocious, to say the least. Snow banks were forming everywhere, and they were deep. Cars were in the ditches. Whiteouts blinded us to what lay ahead. Nonetheless, there was a beauty to it, perhaps more so from my boyish perspective, naïve as I was about the real dangers inherent in it. I felt drawn to the storm. My parents knew better and forbade me from going out in it. As an adult, I now know well such storms can do real damage, and after they have passed, always require more than a little effort removing the snow banks to allow safe passage down the road of life.
Perhaps this is a good meditation for diaconal ministry. There is a enchanting beauty in the storms of life, and we can get caught up in them with the naiveté of a child. We can get caught up in the dangers of life’s storms and
foolishly go out into them unprepared and unaware. There is the danger that such storms will do us real harm if we enter into them unprepared.
What is the preparation? The answer is prayer and spiritual direction. Prayer and spiritual direction prepare us to be in communion with God and others in deep and lasting ways so that in the storms of diaconal ministry we can remain focused on Jesus who suffers, and asks us to be present to suffering humanity.
We are called to proclaim to all Jesus and what he has done. This is easier said than done, and requires an ability to tolerate internal and external distresses without becoming blind to the purpose and goal of diaconal ministry: living in relationship with Jesus, being sent by the Father in the power of the Spirit, and readily available to carry out the Father’s will. To live in that way will require we not succumb to the allurements of life’s storms and that we remove a lot of storm debris from our lives. To live that way will require a painful purification from life’s stormy attractions which can do us great harm. To live in that way will require learning necessary skills which will enable us to tolerate the storms of
Deacon John Hust Director of the Permanent Diaconate jhust@dowr.org
life, refusing their attractive allure, and all the while remaining in communion with Jesus, his Cross, and the People of God who live in the storms of life in the world. We must always be in communion with the Father’s will, especially when storms rage around us beckoning to enter into them. We deacons must be men who are sent by the Father, to bring his people out of the storms of their lives and into the safety of the Church.
Yes, always in communion with the Father’s will. Yes, always in communion with the Church, God’s holy suffering people. Amen!
Deacon Robert Yerhot serves the parishes of St. Mary in Caledonia and St. Patrick in Brownsville.
When Insurance Isn't Enough
Catholic Charities' MediAppS' Role in Providing Access to Essential Medication
By SHEILA FILLA
imagine going to the pharmacy to pick up a newly prescribed medication that is essential to your health and well-being. As the pharmacy technician rings up your medication, she states, “Your
total is $689.” You politely ask that they run the prescription through your insurance company. The response, “We already did. The retail price for a one-month supply is $1,125. Your insurance paid $436.” You quietly state you cannot afford to pay the remaining balance and walk away.
This scenario is common for many low-income families. The medication may be a blood thinner to reduce the risk of heart attacks, an inhaler for breathing issues, or insulin for a diabetic. Many in our community have social security benefits as their only source of income. This forces them to choose between medication, food, or utilities. Others are starting a new job and waiting for their health insurance plan to become available to them.
In 2003, Catholic Charities developed a Medication Application Service (MediAppS) program to help with these types of situations. The program consists of two parts: Emergency Assistance and the Patient Assistance Program.
Emergency Assistance provides short-term help with prescriptions costs to individuals who do not have insurance or are under insured. To be eligible for Emergency Assistance, a person must have a household income of 300% or below the federal poverty level. The request for Emergency Assistance often arises during a crisis when a person is suddenly without insurance, or unable to afford the copay.
The Patient Assistance Program (PAP) is a longterm solution and involves collaborating with pharmaceutical companies who offer medications free of charge to qualifying individuals. Our MediAppS Coordinator assists clients with the application and enrollment process, and works with prescribing providers to obtain the required signatures and written prescriptions. Our Coordinator also manages refill requests for each client.
Many of the medications MediAppS assists with treat chronic diseases such as asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, chronic pain, and more. We also assist with prescribed over-the-counter medications, supplies, and/or medical devices that are not covered by insurance. Examples include diabetic supplies, eyeglasses, hearing aids, incontinent products, nebulizers, nutritional/protein drinks, orthopedic shoes, and wheelchair batteries.
MediAppS is a cost-free and unique service that is unduplicated in southeastern Minnesota. Referrals come from medical providers, pharmacies, county social service departments, insurance companies, and other agencies.
If you feel you could benefit from the MediAppS Program, please contact Sheila Filla at 507.494.8288 or email sfilla@ccsomn.org. As the need is always greater than the resources, we are actively taking donations at our website www.ccsomn.org, to ensure we can help as many people as possible.
Sheila Filla is the MediAppS Coordinator for Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota.
Marian Route,
cont'd from pg. 1
its way through Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. All four national routes will converge in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, which begins on July 17.
More than 500 people processed on Sunday, June 2, from the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist to the Mayo Civic Center for a Mass with Bishop Barron (attended by more than 1,300 people). After the Mass, the procession continued to St. Francis of Assisi Church in Rochester.
From Rochester, the procession wound through the countryside, stopping in Eyota, St. Charles, and Lewiston. The pilgrims traveled over 30 miles, carrying the Blessed Sacrament and the relics of St. Philomena, St. Pius X, St. Mary Margaret Alocoque, and St. Bernard. A special Family Night was held at the Crossings Center in Lewiston on June 5 with musical guests Sarah Hart and Steve Angrisano.
After passing through Winona on June 6 at both the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka, the procession through the Diocese of Winona-Rochester ended on Friday, June 7, with Bishop Barron celebrating Mass at Crucifixion Parish in La Crescent and then a procession to the Mississippi River where Bishop Barron handed off the Eucharist to newly-installed Bishop Gerard Battersby of the Diocese of La Crosse. Thousands were present for this monumental handoff as they then processed to the La Crosse Civic Center for “The Answer,” a large eucharistic rally including Catholic speakers Chris Stefanick and Immaculée Ilibagiza.
To learn more about the National Eucharistic Revival, the National Eucharistic Congress, and the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, visit eucharistictrevival.org.
In
Membership Is Valuable!
By SHELLY HOLT
�
he National Council of Catholic Women acts through its members to support, empower, and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service. NCCW programs respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society in the modern world.
As mentioned in a previous column, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) formed the Council of Catholic Women in 1920 to join all the various women’s groups together under one umbrella. Today, although all women are invited and actually are part of the group by virtue of being a woman in the Church, paying memberships of individuals and affiliates (churches, deaneries, areas, dioceses) have declined across the country. It is one of my goals as your diocesan president to spread the good news and revive our organization in our own diocese!
Did you know:
• You are represented at the biannual meetings of the USCCB?
• You are represented at the United Nations, the World Union of Catholic Women Organisations (WUCWO), Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, and Religious Alliance Against Pornography?
• You share in partnerships and collaborations with Catholic Relief Services, Cross Catholic Outreach, Catholic Charities USA and others?
• You have access to NCCW Spirituality, Leadership and Service Commission’ programs and resources?
As an individual dues-paying member or affiliate your benefits include:
• Annual subscription to the quarterly Catholic Woman magazine
• Annual subscription to the monthly NCCW President’s Pen
• Access to monthly member Zoom calls
• Eligibility to vote in NCCW elections (can vote online) and at the Annual Business Meeting held at the NCCW Convention each summer
• Access to the member area of the NCCW.org website
If you are not currently an individual member, you have access to the public page of the NCCW.org website to check out what you may be missing!
The July quarterly meeting will be held at St. Teresa Church in Mapleton, starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 13. The day includes rosary, Mass, meals and two engaging speakers: Cathy Blaeser from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and Joyce Jennings from Austin speaking on grief and the scriptures.
As always, questions and concerns can be directed to me at shellyholttotalwellness@gmail.com or call 507-381-2842.
Shelly Holt is the president of the Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
Kasson Eagle Scout Receives Pope Pius XII Medal
oliver Sohm, an Eagle Scout and member of Holy Family Parish in Kasson, recently earned the Pope Pius XII Religious Recognition Medal. He was recognized in a ceremony at Holy Family Church on Sunday, June 2, along with four other scouts from the parish - Brock, Quin, Dylon and Grady Weis - who, in 2023, earned the Ad Altare Dei Medal.
At the ceremony, Oliver's father, Phil Sohm, and pastor, Fr. John Lasuba, were each presented with a "parent pin" in recognition of their assistance and support of Oliver's effort.
Rob Thompson, who has been encouraging local scouts to earn religious recognition awards since the 1980s, has seen more than 100 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts receive awards in that time, but he says Oliver is the first scout he has seen complete this level of award.
The Pope Pius XII Medal is monitored by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting via their Religious Emblem Committee. The program is intended for older (16-18 year old) scouts and focuses on vocations and how to more fully develop a Christion way of life within a faith community.
Oliver worked on the medal for over nine months. Between it and his earlier work on the Ad Altare Dei Medal, he met with Fr. Brian Mulligan (scouting contact for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester) and Fr. John Lasuba, as well as Deacon Ben Peters and seminarian Alex Peters, who are both originally from Holy Family Parish.
Events
July 28, Sunday
Holy Trinity Church, Litomysl, will hold its 52nd annual Summer Festival, beginning with a Polka Mass at 10:15 a.m. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with food outside and many games for children and adults, 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, and everyone is welcome! Holy Trinity Church is handicapped accessible. Located 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: litomyslchurch.org.
September 15, Sunday
St. Felix Church & School, Wabasha, will will host its 70th annual Fall Festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the St. Felix Auditorium and School Grounds in Wabasha. The day will feature games, grilled chicken dinner, the farm store, general and specialty auctions, bingo, minnow races, tootsie roll booth, lots of raffles, tons of prizes and so much more. Join us for food, fun and friendship. All proceeds go to St. Felix School. For more information call 651-565-4446.
The Televised Mass Is Offered Every Sunday
Sioux Falls - ODLT Channel 7 at
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")
L to R: Fr. John Lasuba, Brock Weis, Oliver Sohm, Quin Weis, Phil Sohm, Dylon Weis and Grady Weis
Notes from an Hour Spent Evangelizing
The following notes were taken by DEB MCMANIMON, Regional Missionary for the Midwest Region with St. Paul Street Evangelization, on Friday, May 31, 2024, after spending an hour that day in Rochester's Peace Plaza with Bishop Barron and other evangelists, visiting and praying with those who stopped to talk. Please keep in your prayers the people mentioned by their first names in the stories below. To learn more about St. Paul Street Evangelization, contact Deb at deb@ stpaulse.com or 507-271-1737.
�oday we were blessed to be out on the Plaza with Bishop Barron. He was able to join our team for an outing near the Mayo Clinic. It was a cloudy day and not many people were out on the Plaza when our team arrived. As we waited for the Bishop to join us, we had several people stop to talk to us and to ask for prayer. A man named William was visibly upset and came over to talk to us. We asked him if he needed prayer, and he said yes. He told us that he had been getting treatments for lymphoma and had just found out that he now
had acute lymphoma, which was a very difficult diagnosis. He was so upset when they told him that he walked out of the doctor's office and came down to the Plaza. We were able to pray for him: for his healing, for trust in the Lord, for knowledge for his doctors, and for hope. We told him that we were sure God had sent us there for him that day, to remind him that God is always close by and to use us to give him comfort. As our team was praying for William, Bishop Barron came out of the studio, so in addition to us praying for him, William was also able to get a blessing and words of encouragement from the Bishop.
Before Bishop Barron joined us, Deacon Jack and Susan prayed with Steph, who was at the clinic with her husband, Chris, who had heart surgery nine weeks ago and has been healing well. She said to keep up the good work, and that our ministry makes a difference. She has encountered prayer team members other times she has been at the plaza and is grateful for their work. Steph had prayers of praise and thanksgiving for
Chris's continual recovery, as well as prayers for their handicapped grandson, Walter, who has scoliosis. She is also praying for two of her children to come "back into the Church," and her daughter, Cindy, has recently made great progress. A little later, some other members of our team talked with Steph and Chris, who we had prayed for a few weeks ago. They told us how much it had meant to them when we had prayed with them last time they were there. We all remembered them and enjoyed the chance to talk with them again. We talked quite a bit about faith and different ways that we all were growing in our faith and shared resources with each other. Steph mentioned how she wants to learn more about her faith and especially the
Saints. Our team member Jean mentioned that we all go through seasons in our lives, and this was Steph’s season to grow deeper in her faith. We told them that Bishop Barron would be coming out shortly and to stop by, if they could, to receive a blessing from him. They came back later and were thrilled to be able to meet him and to talk to the Bishop, take a picture, and receive a blessing from him.
Mark was visiting Rochester because his daughter, who was a Mayo doctor, lives there. They were walking around with Mark’s grandchildren and stopped to talk to us when we asked them if they'd like a free blessed medal. Mark mentioned that he had been an altar server as a young boy, and Bishop Barron asked if he remembered any of his Latin. Mark said, “not much” and just mentioned a few words that he could remember. Mark asked for prayers for all people who were aging. We also prayed for his grandchildren, and he received a blessing from the Bishop.
Tom and his wife were walking by and stopped for a medal and a prayer. Tom had been receiving treatments for a medical condition and said he really struggled with anxiety. We prayed in gratitude that he had received good news at his appointments today. Bishop Barron prayed over him, especially for relief for his anxiety, and gave Tom and his wife a blessing.
Heidi came by and looked at the medals to pick one that she would like. She picked a St. Christopher medal. She said she'd had one in the past and gave it to her ex-husband who was going through a lot of difficulties. Heidi suffers from alcoholism but has been sober for several months. She said she came from a family that also had problems with alcoholism. She asked for prayers for her son Kyle who had committed suicide. We prayed for Heidi and her needs and especially for her son Kyle. She told Bishop Barron how when she was learning to read, she liked to read the Bible with Jesus’s words in red. Bishop Barron prayed for her needs and gave her a blessing.
Two young men from the Mayo Clinic walked by and did a double take after walking past Bishop Barron. We asked if they needed prayers or would like a blessed medal and they said they were in a rush. They walked a few steps, then came back and one of them asked “Are you Bishop Barron?” The Bishop said “yes,” and the young man asked if he could get his picture taken with the Bishop. Both young men had their picture taken with the Bishop and they were very happy.
Betty lives in Pine Island, and she worships at a church in Dodge Center. Betty was exiting the shopping mall as we were standing outside and was familiar with the concept of prayer ministry. Betty had misplaced her phone and was concerned about finding it. We looked up the number of the store she had been at just before coming to
the mall, and her phone had already been located and secured. She was able to identify it and give them her name so she could retrieve it. She was very relieved. We prayed with Betty for a successful outcome for an upcoming appointment with a nail specialist. Her fingernail has become disfigured. Betty also gave praise and thanks for finding her phone, and for finding fellow Christians to pray with.
Sheila and her friend Jane saw the Bishop from a distance and Sheila shouted out “Bishop Barron, I love you! I listen to you all the time!” She was so excited to have the chance to meet the Bishop and to talk with him. We chatted for a while with both of them and then Sheila was able to receive a blessing from the Bishop and she asked us to pray for her children to have a strong faith.
Mary stopped by with her friend. She was at the clinic receiving treatment for cancer. She told us she was from central Wisconsin and had been at Mayo to get chemotherapy. The Bishop shared about his recent trip to central Wisconsin, and she knew of the area he gave his talk at. She told us that she felt like God was using this time in her life in order to draw her closer to him. She was very grateful to receive a blessing from Bishop Barron and prayers from the team.
Cindy was being led through the plaza by her husband because her eyes had just been dilated. She has vision problems and seemed eager to visit and pray with us, but her husband wasn't interested, and continued to pull her along as she talked. She asked for prayers for her vision.
Bob was another one who we had seen on a previous encounter at the Plaza. Bob works at one of the local restaurants and stopped to talk to our evangelists and ask for prayers for his family and for his marriage. Our team talked to him for quite a while, and they were able to pray for him and he was able to receive a blessed medal.
A young family - mom Amanda, dad Jeremy, and son Michael - were walking by and stopped to talk to our team. They were so excited. They told us they were from Texas and had been trying for a year to get a diagnosis for their son Michael who had a lesion on his leg, and no one could figure out what it was. She had asked for prayer that morning from everyone she knew, that when Michael went in for his appointment there would be a diagnosis and, praise God, the Mayo doctors figured out what the problem was. And even though there's some nerve damage in his leg now they feel they have a way forward to get the treatment that he needs to get better. We were able to pray for them and they all received a blessing from Bishop Barron. Tom and Madonna prayed prayers of healing over Michael's leg.
Jacqueline, Jammy, and their daughter were walking by, and we asked if they would like a blessed medal. When we asked if they would like prayer, they said they would just like to say a prayer of thanksgiving. They were very thankful for everything that was going on in their life and they had just been able to buy a new house. Our team prayed prayers of thanksgiving for all their blessings.
Kathy stopped to talk to our team and ask for prayers for husband Paul. Paul was there for tests at the clinic and was scheduled to have surgery in two weeks. They asked for prayers that the surgery would go well. We also talked to Isabella, Bella for short, who was at the clinic for tests on
her liver. She was waiting for the results. She was there with her mother and her father and had to stay in Rochester for a week. We also prayed for Joel, who stopped by to ask for prayer for a good outcome for his test today. One of Bishop Barron’s neighbors at the Word on Fire studio walked by and asked if we would give the Bishop his regards (he didn’t have time to stop), so we passed along the greeting.
We prayed with Katie (a nurse) who was filled with prayers of praise and thanksgiving for the many ways her life has been blessed. We also prayed for Karen, who is a member of St. John's parish, and asked for prayers for her heart issues and for her husband John. Mary stopped by to talk to our team and asked for prayers not only for all the patients at Mayo, but also for those individuals who are unable to use the facilities because of distance or finances, including lack of coverage. We prayed for Jacob, who was going into the hospital for his heart racing on June 19th. This will be his third heart surgery. He also lifted up his prayers to Sister Lauren.
Brady, from Austin, was sitting on part of the fountain, and began crying almost immediately after we started to visit. It had been a very difficult week. His mother, Gloria, was diagnosed four years ago with breast cancer, and the cancer had been managed. The family just found out things now are not good. His siblings were in the hospital room with her, and he was taking a moment to wrap his head around everything. He was very grateful to have someone to talk to and pray with. Peggy prayed with us for healing and trust. She had just traveled from Morton, MN, through heavy rainfall and was grateful to have reached the Mayo Clinic safely. We also prayed for safe travel back home. Stephanie, a clinic employee prayed with us about mental health issues, in particular two cousins who have committed suicide in the past year - one a teenager and another a successful and educated 25-year-old.
As we were closing down, Cameron, a new Mayo employee originally from Michigan, stopped by after we said hi and started to chat with us. He told us his mom had a miraculous medal, but it had worn out. He took a few miraculous medals and holy cards to bring to his mom and his aunt. He was picking out the medals when he saw the Bishop and said "Is that Bishop Barron? My mom LOVES him! And my aunt loves him too!" He was thrilled to get a blessing from the Bishop, and he very kindly took a photo of some of our prayer team with the Bishop before he left. We got a great picture of him being blessed by the Bishop as well (too bad we didn’t have his mother’s contact information to send it to her!).
Finally, after dropping off the Bishop's “Ask the Bishop” sign at the Word on Fire office, a couple of prayer team members were looking for a "rain free" route back through the skyway system. After a false start, a Mayo employee named Joe noticed their confusion and asked if he could help with directions. Joe explained he was on his lunch break and wanted to walk and talk. Joe shared he has an upcoming eye surgery, and we prayed with him for a successful procedure.
What a beautiful day of encounters with God’s people! We talked to so many people and had prayer intention cards for more than 40- I think that is a record for being out for an hour. Thank you, team, and thank you, Bishop Barron, for joining us.
Obituaries
Sister Lorraine Stenger, OSF, 92, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
Lorraine Stenger was born on May 4, 1932, in Austin, to Robert and Rose (Michels) Stenger. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1953, received the name of Sister Robard, and made perpetual vows in 1958. She received her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, in 1962.
Sister Lorraine was an elementary school teacher for 20 years. She taught at various schools in Minnesota and Bogotá, Colombia, at the Hogar Santa Isabel and the Colegio Santa Francisca Romana. For the next 40 years, Sister Lorraine served in various ministries, including as an artist; volunteer for Spanish-speaking patients at Methodist Hospital, Rochester; Pastoral Associate; Deanery Coordinator; Director of Religious Education; and Assistant to the Director of Residential Life at Assisi Heights. She moved to Assisi Heights in 2014, continuing until her retirement in 2018.
Survivors of Sister Lorraine Stenger include her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 71 years, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers: Robert, Joseph, and John Stenger; and two sisters: Geraldine Chavez and Rosemary Dayer.
A Resurrection Liturgy was held at Assisi Heights on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery. To view the funeral, go to www. rochesterfranciscan.org.
Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Mission Advancement, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.
Sister Gladys Schmitz, SSND, 98, died June 2, 2024, at Benedictine Living Community - Windermere in Shakopee. A Memorial Mass was celebrated June 10 at Windermere Chapel with Father John Kunz as presider. A green burial was held in the Good Counsel Cemetery, Mankato, on June 4.
Sister Gladys was born in 1925 in Mankato. She attended Ss. Peter & Paul Grade School and graduated from Loyola High School in 1943. She then attended the College of St. Teresa in Winona and earned her BA in math and chemistry in 1947. She taught math and science classes for two years at Sanborn High School, and then returned to St. Teresa as an inorganic chemistry instructor and laboratory class supervisor. She entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato in 1951 and professed first vows in 1953. She taught high school science classes, including three years at Good Counsel Academy until 1969, when she began preparing for service as a nurse. She combined study and work as a nursing assistant until becoming a registered nurse in 1974. From 1974 until 1993 she served in various capacities as an RN in the Chicago area, and became involved in peace and justice issues. She also helped begin Sisterhouse, a home for women recently released from prison. From 1993 until her move to Shakopee in 2022 she was a member of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation team at Good Counsel in Mankato. She was recognized for acting on her beliefs - as a silent weekly war protester on a Mankato street corner, as an avid letterwriter and author of articles for publications stating her position, and as an organizer of events promoting peace, justice and environmental issues.
Sister Gladys is survived by a brother, Jim; his wife, Rose; 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, Joseph and Clara (Dorn) Schmitz; and her sisters, Joan and Clarice Schmitz. A longer obituary and recording of her funeral is available at www.ssndcp.org/obituaries.
Sister Richardé Marie Wolf, SSND, 75, died June 12, 2024, at Benedictine Living Community - Windermere in Shakopee. Her Funeral Mass was celebrated June 18 at Windermere Chapel with Father John Kunz as presider. Burial will follow at a later date in the Good Counsel Cemetery, Mankato.
Sister Richardé Marie was born in 1949 in Dickinson, ND. Following her 1967 graduation from Trinity High School in Dickinson, she entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato. She celebrated her First Profession in 1970 and Final Profession of Vows in 1976. She taught and served as a principal in several Minnesota, North Dakota and Arizona Catholic schools, giving her varied multi-cultural experiences. In 2016 she began her final educational ministry, that of Refugee Outreach Coordinator for the Good Counsel Learning Center in Mankato. This outreach program provided in-home tutors for East African immigrant women who were unable to attend class on Good Counsel Hill. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic brought unexpected closure to this program in early 2021. Sister Richardé Marie moved with other School Sisters of Notre Dame to Shakopee in the fall of 2022.
Sister Richardé Marie is survived by her five sisters: Linda Binek, Janice (Dan) Hagen, Nancy (Del) Kussy, Charlene (Leo) Hofer, and Karen (John) Ulrich; nieces and nephew; and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and SSND Associates. She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Mary (Emmil) Wolf. A longer obituary and recording of her funeral is available at www.ssndcp.org/obituaries.
Cuanto más se eleva litúrgicamente, más se debe descender en el servicio a los pobres
Por MONS. ROBERT BARRON
l a primera semana de junio fue una de las más ricas litúrgicamente de mi sacerdocio. Como parte del Reavivamiento Eucarístico Nacional, el segmento mariano de la Peregrinación Eucarística Nacional atravesaba mi diócesis camino a Indianápolis. Procesionamos con el Santísimo Sacramento por las calles de Rochester, Minnesota, y luego celebré una Misa grandiosa y festiva en el Centro Cívico de la ciudad. Pocos días después, celebré una Misa en la ciudad de La Crescent, que se encuentra justo en la orilla de Minnesota del río Mississippi, y luego procesioné con la Eucaristía, en compañía de unas 3.000 personas, hasta La Crosse, en la orilla de Wisconsin. Al final de la procesión, entregué la custodia a mi colega Gerard Battersby, obispo de La Crosse, y celebramos juntos la misa para la multitud congregada en el centro cívico de La Crosse. Todos estos servicios de oración y liturgias eucarísticas se caracterizaron por los cantos, las campanas, el incienso que salía de los incensarios, los suntuosos ornamentos y las letanías en abundancia. Al día siguiente
de la Misa de La Crosse, tuve el privilegio de ordenar sacerdotes a tres jóvenes de mi diócesis de Winona-Rochester. La liturgia de ordenación, una de las más bellas del repertorio de la Iglesia, incluyó -además de todo lo que acabo de mencionar- la unción de las manos de los recién ordenados, una bienvenida formal por parte de todos los sacerdotes presentes y una ceremonia de investidura.
Todo ello fue maravilloso. Todo ello, estoy seguro, elevó los corazones y las almas de quienes lo vivieron. Pero en la mente de algunos, este tipo de gran despliegue litúrgico da lugar a una pregunta, incluso a una crítica: ¿qué tiene que ver con la labor de la Iglesia de cuidar de los enfermos y los necesitados? ¿Qué tiene que ver todo esto con Jesús, que recorría, simplemente vestido, los polvorientos caminos de Galilea y tendía la mano a los pobres? ¿Acaso la preocupación por la música, los ornamentos, las procesiones, las letanías, etc., equivale a una especie de esteticismo quisquilloso, a una fijación por las tonterías litúrgicas? De hecho, ¿no oímos a menudo precisamente esta crítica de sacerdotes mayores hacia sacerdotes más jóvenes?
Permítanme decir que, en la medida en que se plantea, esta preocupación es válida, porque la Iglesia, como nos recordó Joseph Ratzinger, hace tres cosas: rinde culto a Dios, pero también evangeliza y sirve a los pobres. Y el genio particular de la Iglesia se manifiesta cuando consigue mantener estas tres tareas en equilibrio, cada una corrigiendo a las otras y cada una conduciendo a las otras. Si se me permite, por el bien de este artículo, centrarme en la primera y la última de estas responsabilidades esenciales, el culto a Dios debe conducir al cuidado de los pobres, y el cuidado de los pobres debe conducir al culto a Dios, y esto por una sencilla razón. El culto consiste en centrarnos en Dios, asegurando con gestos, palabras, cantos, procesiones, etc. que Dios es la preocupación central y última de nuestras vidas. Pero cuanto más amamos a Dios, más amamos a los que Dios ama, y cuanto más amamos a los que Dios ama, más amamos a Aquel que los hizo amables en primer lugar. Por eso San Juan nos dice que el que dice que ama a Dios pero odia a su prójimo es un mentiroso y por eso el Señor mismo insistió en que hay dos mandamientos
indispensables: el amor a Dios y el amor a los hermanos. Quisiera expresar esto como un principio: cuanto más se eleva litúrgicamente, más se debe descender en el servicio a los pobres; y cuanto más profundo se va en el servicio a los pobres, más se debe elevar litúrgicamente. El peligro es un énfasis unilateral en la liturgia o un énfasis unilateral en el servicio, el primero conduce a la irritación y el segundo reduce a la Iglesia a una organización de servicios sociales.
Hay tantas grandes figuras en la historia reciente de la Iglesia que encarnaron mi principio en sus vidas y en su trabajo. Uno podría pensar en Dorothy Day, la fundadora del Movimiento del Trabajador Católico. No hubo nadie en la Iglesia del siglo XX más dedicada a servir a los pobres y a los hambrientos y a luchar contra la injusticia social que Dorothy Day, y sin embargo su devoción a la oración, a la bendición, al rosario, a los frecuentes retiros espirituales y, por supuesto, al Santísimo Sacramento era absoluta. La Madre Teresa de Calcuta fue un icono de servicio durante su largo ministerio entre los más pobres de los pobres. Ningún católico del siglo XX tuvo un compromiso más encarnado
con el sufrimiento y se identificó más con él que la Madre Teresa, y sin embargo su amor por la oración era ilimitado, su atención a la Eucaristía insuperable. Y si damos la vuelta al principio, podríamos llamar la atención sobre Virgil Michel, Reynold Hillenbrand y Romano Guardini, todos ellos incondicionales del movimiento litúrgico que tanto influyó en el Vaticano II. Cada uno de estos caballeros sostenía que lo que sucede en la Misa en su esplendor debe derramarse por las calles como devoción a los miembros sufrientes del Cuerpo Místico de Cristo. Como me contaron sacerdotes mayores de Chicago cuando yo estaba recién ordenado, monseñor Hillenbrand invitó a Dorothy Day al seminario de Mundelein para subrayar precisamente esta relación. Uno de los tristes acontecimientos de los años posteriores al Concilio Vaticano II es el desmoronamiento de lo que una vez fue una unidad. Ahora los "liberales" tienden a ser los que se preocupan por los pobres y los "conservadores" los que se preocupan por la liturgia. Pero esto es estúpido y peligroso para la Iglesia. Cuanto más seas uno, más deberías ser el otro, y viceversa. Así que, una vez más, me gustaría repetir mi adagio: cuanto más se eleva litúrgicamente, más se debe descender en el servicio a los pobres; y cuanto más profundo se va en el servicio a los pobres, más se debe elevar litúrgicamente.
Congratulations to the following parishes, who have met their goals for the 2024 Catholic Ministries Appeal:
St. Columban
Preston
St. Ignatius Spring Valley
St. John the Baptist
Immaculate
St.
Our
St.
St.
St.
St. Charles
Minnesota Lake
St. Joseph
Good Thunder
St. Joseph
Waldorf
St. Patrick
LeRoy
