The Courier - July 2018

The

COURIER

St. James the Apostle July 25

Signs July 2018

Spring

Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN

of

Two Men Ordained to Priesthood, One to Transitional Diaconate

St. John the Evangelist Elevated to Co-Cathedral ROCHESTER—On Sunday, June 24, 2018, the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Rochester was elevated to the dignity of a co-cathedral.

Bishop John M. Quinn was the main celebrant of the 6 p.m. Mass of Elevation, with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre, St. Paul & Minneapolis Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Bishop Emeritus Bernard Harrington, St. John the Evangelist Pastor Msgr. Gerald Mahon, and Vicar General Msgr. Thomas Melvin as principal concelebrants. Also concelebrating were 10 other bishops from Minnesota and beyond, and

L to R: Fr. Brian Mulligan, Deacon Matthew Wagner, Bishop John Quinn, Fr. Thé Hoang

WINONA--Bishop John M. Quinn celebrated two Masses of Ordination for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in June of 2018.

On Sunday, June 3, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Matthew Wagner was ordained to the

transitional diaconate.

On Friday, June 8, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, deacons Brian Mulligan and Thé Hoang were ordained to the priesthood. Theirs was the first ordination to priesthood in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in three

Spring, cont'd on pg. 11

The new cathedra was blessed early in the Mass on June 24.

Co-Cathedral, cont'd on pg. 4

INSIDE this issue

Totus Tuus Teams... page 10

Make Civic Life a Labor of Love page 12

Welcome to the Family! page 13

Articles of Interest

Planting Seeds of Faith_____________________5 July 22-28 Is NFP Awareness Week___________6 A Church on Fire: A Church on Mission______7 Catholic Schools Updates__________________8 Totus Tuus Teams: Witnessing the Gospel___10 How Do You Pray?_________________________11 Make Civic Life a Labor of Love____________12 Diocesan Headlines________________________13 Diocesan Calendar_________________________16

The Courier Insider

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Officials USCCB President Cardinal Daniel DiNardo in 2015. Credit: CNA

U.S. Bishops Issue Statement on Immigration Policies

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL--On June 13, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops President Cardinal Daniel DiNardo issued the following statement on immigrant detention and family separation at the U.S. and Mexico border: At its core, asylum is an instrument to preserve the right to life. The Attorney General's recent decision elicits deep concern because it potentially strips asylum from many women who lack adequate protection. These vulnerable women will now face return to the extreme dangers of domestic violence in their home country. This decision negates decades of precedents that have provided protection to women fleeing domestic violence. Unless overturned, the decision will erode the capacity of asylum to save lives, particularly in cases that involve asylum seekers who are persecuted by private actors. We urge courts and policy makers to respect and enhance, not erode, the potential of our asylum system to preserve and protect the right to life.

Additionally, I join Bishop Joe Vásquez,

The Holy Father's Intention for

July 2018 Priests & Their Pastoral Ministry That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

July, 2018 w The Courier

Chairman of USCCB's Committee on Migration, in condemning the continued use of family separation at the U.S./ Mexico border as an implementation of the Administration's zero tolerance policy. Our government has the discretion in our laws to ensure that young children are not separated from their parents and exposed to irreparable harm and trauma. Families are the foundational element of our society and they must be able to stay together. While protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to ensure that safety. Separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral.

The following websites provide more information on the policies mentioned above, and ways to help those affected: • •

justiceforimmigrants.org/what-weare-working-on/immigrant-detention/family-separation/

usccb.org/about/children-and-migration/foster-care/index.cfm

The Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, announces the following appointments: Diocesan Curia Rev. Msgr. Thomas Melvin: currently Vicar General for the Diocese of WinonaRochester; in addition to his current assignment, appointed Moderator of the Curia and Director of the Permanent Diaconate, effective July 2, 2018.

Congregation for the Clergy Rev. Msgr. Thomas Cook: currently Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Rochester; and Moderator of the Curia and Director of the Diaconate for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester; released from ministry in the Diocese of WinonaRochester, and given permission to serve in the Congregation for the Clergy in the Roman Curia for a period of five years, effective July 1, 2018.

Rector Rev. Patrick Arens: currently Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Windom, Sacred Heart Parish in Heron Lake and Sacred Heart Parish in Brewster; transferred to the office of Rector of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Winona and Pastor of St. John Nepomucene Parish in Winona, effective August 17, 2018.

Pastor Very Rev. James Seitz: currently Pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Jackson, St. Joseph Parish in Lakefield and St. Luke Parish in Sherburn and Dean of the Worthington Deanery; transferred to the office of Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Rochester, effective July 2, 2018.

Rev. Pratap Reddy Salibindla, OFM: currently Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Rushford, St. Peter Parish in Hokah and St. Mary Parish in Houston; transferred to the office of Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Windom, Sacred Heart Parish in Heron Lake and Sacred Heart Parish in Brewster, effective July 2, 2018.

Rev. Stephen Abaukaka: currently Parochial Vicar of St. Joseph Parish in Owatonna; appointed to the office of The Diocese of Winona-Rochester will provide a prompt, appropriate and compassion- Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Caledonia ate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employ- and St. Olaf Parish in Mabel, effective ees, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of July 2, 2018. an allegation of sexual abuse should call the Victim Assistance Coordinator at 507454-2270, Extension 255. A caller will be asked to provide his or her name and tele- Rev. Matthew Fasnacht: currently phone number. Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Caledonia and authorities. The Diocese of Winona-Rochester is committed to protecting children, St. Olaf Parish in Mabel; transferred to the young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, parishes and minis- office of Pastor of St. Casimir Parish in tries. The diocesan policy is available on the diocesan web site at www.dow. Wells, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish org under the Safe Environment Program. If you have any questions about the in Easton and St. John the Baptist Parish in Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection Minnesota Lake, effective July 2, 2018. of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, Rev. Jonathan Fasnacht: currently or mhamann@dow.org.

Parochial Vicar of Pax Christi Parish in Rochester and SS. Peter and Paul The Courier is the official publication of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Parish in Mazeppa; appointed to the 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 office of Pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Jackson, St. Joseph Parish Vol 109 - 7 in Lakefield and St. Luke Parish in Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Publisher Sherburn, effective July 2, 2018.

Child Abuse Policy Information

Nick Reller, Associate Editor

Rev. James Starasinich: incardinated priest of the Archdiocese of Newark and,

Telephone: 507-858-1257 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: nreller@dow.org with the permission of his archbishop, Subscription Rates: $5 per year in the U.S. Parishioners in the diocese sub- released for service in the Diocese of

scribe through their parish. Periodicals postage paid at Slayton, MN Postmaster.

Winona-Rochester; appointed to the Publishing Schedule: Monthly - Deadline for advertising & articles is the office of Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in 10th of the month prior.

Owatonna and Christ the King Parish (ISSN 0744-5490) in Medford, effective July 2, 2018.

Parochial Administrator Rev. Gregory Havel: currently Pastor of Crucifixion Parish in La Crescent, St. Patrick Parish in Brownsville and Holy Cross Parish in Dakota; in addition to his current assignment, appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Rushford, St. Peter Parish in Hokah and St. Mary Parish in Houston, effective July 2, 2018.

Parochial Vicar Rev. Thé Hoang: appointed Parochial Vicar of Pax Christi Parish in Rochester and SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Mazeppa, effective July 2, 2018.

Rev. Brian Mulligan: appointed Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish in Winona and St. Casimir Parish in Winona, effective July 2, 2018.

Co-Vicars for Senior Priests Rev. James Russell: appointed Co-Vicar for Senior Priests of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, effective May 11, 2018.

Rev. Donald J. Schmitz: appointed Co-Vicar for Senior Priests of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, effective May 11, 2018.

College of Consultors Very Rev. James Russell: appointed to the College of Consultors for a fiveyear term, effective June 5, 2018.

Censor Librorum Rev. Timothy Hall: reappointed Censor Librorum for the Diocese of WinonaRochester, in addition to his current assignment as Pastor of St. James Parish in St. James and St. Mary Parish in Madelia, effective May 15, 2018.

Senior Priest Status Rev. Joseph Pete: currently Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Lake City and St. Patrick Parish in West Albany, and Chaplain for Courage and EnCourage in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester; granted senior priest status, effective July 1, 2018.

Deacons Deacon Matthew Wagner: appointed to Diaconal Ministry at St. John Vianney Parish in Fairmont and Holy Family Parish in East Chain, effective June 11, 2018.

Pension Plan for Priests Mr. Thomas Crowley: reappointed to the Diocese of Winona Pension Plan for Priests Board of Trustees for a three-year term, effective July 1, 2018.

Social Concerns Committee Ms. Sally Burns: appointed to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Social Concerns Committee for a three-year term, effective June 1, 2018.

Ms. Margaret Hake: appointed to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Social Concerns Committee for a three-year term, effective June 1, 2018.

Rochester Catholic School Board Mr. Tom Canan: appointed to the Rochester Catholic Schools Board of Trustees for a three-year term, effective July 1, 2018.

We Have a Co-Cathedral!

Elevation of Our New Co-Cathedral

On Sunday, June 24, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester celebrated the elevation of the Church of St. John the Evangelist as the Co-Cathedral. We were honored to welcome His Excellency Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, to our diocese for this historic celebration.

The addition of a co-cathedral is a sign of how the Church continues to grow and adapt to the ever-changing needs of our world, as having a co-cathedral in Rochester reflects the central role that city has come to play in our diocese.

The key feature of a cathedral (or co-cathedral), which sets it apart from other parish churches, is the addition of the cathedra, the Bishop’s chair. The cathedra is an ancient symbol of the Bishop’s teaching authority, passed on from the apostles through the laying on of hands and invocation of the Holy Spirit. With the addition

Rejoice in Hope Bishop John M. Quinn Bishop's Calendar

of a co-cathedral, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester now has two cathedras – one at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, and one at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. At the Mass of Elevation on June 24, the new cathedra in our co-cathedral was blessed, and it now serves as a visible reminder in Rochester of our apostolic faith and the role of the Bishop to sanctify, teach, and shepherd the people of his diocese.

St. Vincent de Paul Society

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of the world’s largest Catholic lay organizations dedicated to serving the poor and marginalized. It is our responsibility as Christians to reach out and provide for those with fewer resources than us, and to do so in a way that respects and acknowledges their human dignity. For this reason, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is close to my heart and I am a strong supporter of their mission. Here in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, we are blessed to have several conferences of the society, whose members are dedicated to growth in personal holiness through service of the poor.

Last month, the North Central Regional meeting for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was held in Rochester. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a blessing to our Church, and I am grateful to all those here in our diocese, and also those across the nation and around the world, who are involved in this important work of charity. As our Holy Father Pope Francis wrote in a letter to the Vincentian Family on the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul last September, “charity is at the heart of the Church; it is the reason for its action, the soul of its mission."

Humanae Vitae

July 25, 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of the encyclical Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life)

July 9, Monday 3 p.m. - Faculty/Staff Welcoming Reception for Fr. James Burns, 14th President of SMU - Winona Campus July 14, Saturday 4:30 p.m. - Mass & Installation of Pastor, Fr. James Seitz - St. Francis of Assisi Church, Rochester

by Blessed Pope Paul VI. In this document, Blessed Paul outlines the perennial Church teaching on human sexuality, particularly in regards to the transmission of human life. Humanae Vitae was written in 1968, a time of cultural upheaval, when artificial birth control was becoming mainstream and society was questioning and rejecting many previously held beliefs regarding sexual morality. In the midst of this confusion, the pope reaffirmed the Church’s teaching on the purpose of human sexuality, and outlined why acting against God’s plan for human procreation is a grave evil and would lead to many other problems for marriage and society. As we mark the anniversary of Humanae Vitae, it is important for us to revisit what Pope Paul said in this landmark document.

Blessed Paul VI articulates the purpose of marriage by quoting the Pastoral Constitution on the Church from the Second Vatican Council, which says, “Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage” (HV 9). The marital act is both unitive, bonding the married couple together as husband and wife, and procreative, ordered toward the transmission of new life. Severing these two purposes of the sexual act, either by impeding the possibility of conception or by engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage, distorts the marital act, rendering it contrary to God’s design. Furthermore, the marriage covenant between a husband and wife is a symbol of Christ’s complete giving of Himself to His Church, and just as He held nothing back and gave His very life for our redemption, so are married couples called to fully give of themselves to each other, including the gift of their fertility.

Paul VI warned that if birth control were to become widespread in society, it would

Hermitage, Austin 6 p.m. - Rochester Serra Golf Day for Priests Dinner - Willow Creek Golf Course, Rochester July 17, Tuesday 3 p.m. - Diocese of Winona-Rochester Civil Corporation Board of Directors Meeting

July 15, Sunday 10:15 a.m. - Mass at Steubenville North Youth Conference - Mayo Civic Center, Rochester

July 19, Thursday 1 p.m. - Holy Hour 2 p.m. - Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting

July 16, Monday 11:30 a.m. - Day of Prayer in Honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Annunciation

July 22, Sunday 10 a.m. - Mass & Installation of Pastor, Fr. Stephen Abaukaka - St. Mary Church, Caledonia

open the door to both infidelity and a general lowering of morality. Artificial birth control reduces the sexual act to a source of pleasure, which has led our society to view sex as a recreational activity to be freely engaged in, regardless of whether the two people involved are married or are ready for the responsibility of rearing children that may be conceived. Widespread use of birth control has also affected abortion rates, for despite what our society claims, artificial birth control has led to more, not less, abortions. For those who wish to engage in sexual activity without its natural consequences can easily be tempted to use abortion as a back-up plan if their birth control fails.

Pope Paul VI also predicted the loss of respect for women, saying, “man, growing used to the employment of anticonceptive practices, may finally lose respect for the woman… considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment” (HV 17). One does not need to look far in our world to find evidence of this, from the recent #metoo phenomenon which brought to light pervasive sexual exploitation in our culture, to the booming pornography industry and human trafficking.

In the last 50 years, our society has increasingly come to view women as sexual objects, rather than people who, along with men, are made in the image and likeness of God, and are to be honored with dignity and respect.

Natural Family Planning

Those who have embraced God’s design for life and love in marriage have found the timeless teachings articulated in Humanae Vitae to be beautiful and life-giving. There are many natural and moral methods for married couples to space the births of their children, grouped

July 24, Tuesday 1 p.m. - IHM Seminary Finance Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. - Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre Jerusalem Dinner for New Investees - Somerby Golf Club, Byron

July 28, Saturday 7 p.m. - Mass & Installation of Pastor, Fr. Pratap Salibindla, OFM - Sacred Heart Parish, Heron Lake July 29, Sunday 10 a.m. - Mass & Installation of Pastor, Fr. Matthew Fasnacht - Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Easton

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under the term, “Natural Family Planning.” These are scientifically based and assist couples in knowing when the woman is fertile or infertile, so as to help couples either achieve or postpone pregnancy. Not only do these methods respect the selfgift of spouses to each other in the marital act, and remain open to the gift of life, but they also avoid the harmful medical side effects that often accompany artificial methods of birth control. Furthermore, couples who use Natural Family Planning have stronger marriages and a low divorce rate of around 2%, compared to that of close to 50% of the general population.

In order to highlight the beauty of the Church’s teachings on marriage and sexuality, and the benefits of Natural Family Planning, every year the Catholic Church in the US observes Natural Family Planning Awareness Week July 22-28.

This July, as we mark Natural Family Planning Awareness Week and the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae on July 25, I encourage all Catholics to take time to study and better understand the Church’s teachings on the meaning of marriage and procreation, and to learn how Natural Family Planning can serve to respect the natural order of creation and strengthen marriage and society.

From the Bishop

�ear Friends in Christ,

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Rev. John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona-Rochester

July 31, Tuesday 11 a.m. - 10th Anniversary Mass & Celebration - The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - La Crosse, WI August 2, Thursday Reception for the postulants into the novitiate and the first vows of the novices - Sisters of St. Francis of Martyr - Alton, IL August 16, Thursday Final Profession of Vows, Sr. Mary Juanita Gonsalves, RSM - Religious Sisters of Mercy - Alma, MI July, 2018 w The Courier

Co-Cathedral,

4 cont'd from pg. 1 many priests of the Diocese of WinonaRochester..

Immediately following the procession, Archbishop Pierre read the Vatican's decree that the church was to be elevated to a co-cathedral. Diocese of WinonaRochester Chancellor Fr. Glenn Frerichs then held up the acta, a sort of decree prepared by the diocese, to be viewed by all in attendance before reading it aloud.

After the new cathedra, or bishop's chair, was blessed by Bishop Quinn, the acta was signed by Archbishop Pierre, Bishop Quinn and Fr. Frerichs, and St. John the Evangelist was a co-cathedral.

"I would say this is official now," said Bishop Quinn. "What do you think?"

He went on to thank the faithful in attendance, saying, "None of this would have happened without all of you, and all of the faithful throughout this diocese who have given such vitality and dynamism to our Catholic faith since 1888 when the diocese was established."

"Blessed are all of you," he said.

In his homily, Archbishop Pierre said, "It is fitting that we celebrate this occasion on the Solemnity of the Birth of John

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the Baptist. Besides the birthdays of Jesus and Mary, only his is celebrated on the Church's liturgical calendar. He was the last and greatest of the prophets."

The apostolic nuncio went on to outline three actions by which the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and its people could imitate the life and mission of St. John the Baptist: "to prepare, to discern, and to witness."

At the end of the Mass, Bishop Quinn extended special thanks to Archbishop Pierre; Archbishop Hebda; his brother bishops from around the country; the musicians, under the direction of St. John the Evangelist Director of Music and Liturgy Sebastian Modarelli; Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre; the Knights of Columbus; Rochester Mayor Arnold Brady; Senator Carla Nelson; Mayo Clinic representatives; leaders of other denominations and religious traditions; new St. Mary's University President Fr. James Burns; and Msgr. Mahon.

Of his new chair in Rochester, Bishop Quinn told those in attendance, "I'm sure you want to know: does it fit? It really is good!"

Planting Seeds of Faith

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Over $133,000 in Tuition Assistance to Be Awarded Executive Director Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota mherman@catholicfsmn.org

Msgr. Donald P. Schmitz Spiritual Formation Fund

By SUSAN FISER

�

n May 2, Msgr. Schmitz died at the age of 78 at Rochester Methodist Hospital after living with cancer for 12 years. Born May 11, 1939, in Caledonia, Msgr. Schmitz entered Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary directly after graduating high school in 1957.

He was ordained a priest at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on December 16, 1964. Msgr. Schmitz held many positions within the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, including having been the pastor at numerous parishes.

At his funeral, Fr. Timothy Reker gave the homily, saying, "Don was a hope-filled person, who looked for the best outcomes in this life and also trusted in God’s promise of eternal life."

Msgr. Schmitz also spent many years as a faculty member at IHM Seminary, including as the vice-rector in the late seventies and early eighties, as well as the spiritual director for many years.

"Seminarians recognized the face of Christ in his way of being a man, a priest and a real servant which they desired to follow and discover this depth of familiarity," said Msgr. Gerald Mahon.

We have been extremely blessed to have had Msgr.

Schmitz supporting and teaching our seminarians for all these years. Now, to help honor him and all that he has done for IHM, we have started the Msgr. Donald P. Schmitz Memorial Spiritual Formation Fund.

This was started from donations given in memorial of Msgr. Schmitz and will provide funds to benefit IHM students and faculty in deepening faithful understanding through spiritual formation. If you would like to support this initiative, you can send your donations to the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota.

Susan Fiser is a communications and development associate for the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota.

The following article is updated from a version that appeared in the August 2017 issue of the Courier.

�proclaim atholic education realizes a threefold purpose to God’s message of love, build community and

provide service. The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment, established in 2004 and stewarded by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, was created to aid families who seek a Catholic education for their children and demonstrate financial need.

This particular fund was not set up to award academic scholarships to students, it was developed specifically to give families the opportunity to access a Catholic education so that such an education never be denied because of inability to pay.

“These children represent a treasure we must guard with great diligence,” stated Bishop John Quinn, “I am so grateful to the people of the diocese for making Catholic education available to so many families that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford this choice.”

“We approach our future full of hope because God loves us. As the people of the Diocese of WinonaRochester, let us work together, by the grace of God, to secure the future of our parishes and the diocese.”

As we recall the words of the people who lovingly established the Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment, a $2,000,000 portion of the extensive Seeds of Faith Campaign, we witness how their love continues to touch the lives of others year after year.

An endowed fund is a way of giving that creates a permanent, continuous source of income for a ministry or mission as designated by donors. The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment continues to grow each year as the Foundation prudently invests the fund following Catholic Responsible Investing principles. From investment earnings, more than $722,750 has been granted to families in greatest need just since 2012, including $132,500 via 192 awards for the 2017-2018 school year. The endowment will continue to grow, and with investment earnings each year, the total dollars available for tuition assistance grants will increase from year to year.

The Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota receives letters each year from families who wish us to pass along their thanks to those who contributed to the Seeds of Faith Campaign. To those who generously contributed to the Seeds of Faith campaign over a decade ago, thank you for touching the lives of others in this unique and much-needed way.

Statement of Purpose

Catholic Foundation

Monica Herman

“…To assist in these local efforts, the diocese will establish a $2,000,000 endowment fund designated to provide tuition assistance to parents who seek a Catholic education for their children and who demonstrate financial need. This endowment also will respond to a special need to provide tuition funding for the newly arrived immigrants in our diocese. This endowment will grow in perpetuity through gifts, deferred giving instruments, wills, and bequests so assurances can continue that Catholic education will be affordable for those of limited and moderate means.

Increased enrollment resulting from supplementary tuition assistance may provide some schools with additional tuition revenues to care for other local school needs. This endowment will supplement, not replace, local efforts in providing parents with financial assistance. The diocese will distribute annual earnings from this endowment in grants to parents as assistance in tuition payments. An appropriate advisory committee will establish guidelines for the administration of this new initiative.”

Approach

Using a tuition assistance application completed by each household, including comments from the household’s respective pastor, the review committee assigned three scores to each application: financial need, parish support, and extenuating circumstances.

Opportunities for potential conflicts of interest, (e.g. a committee member knowing an applicant personally), were accounted and planned for prior to review.

The Seeds of Faith Tuition Assistance Endowment is stewarded by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota (EIN: 41-11691198), an independent Minnesota non-profit corporation that is tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Contributions are used only for the benefit of designated purposes identified in the endowment statement of purpose and for no other purposes. To learn more about the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, visit www. catholicfsmn.org.

Congratulations!

Since our kick-off, the following parishes have met their goals for the 2018 Catholic Ministries Appeal:

Christ the King, Byron

Immaculate Conception, Kellogg

St. Pius X, Rochester

Immaculate Conception, St. Clair St. Ignatius, Spring Valley

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Life, Marriage & Family

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July 22-28 Is

NFP Awareness Week �he dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniver-

sary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. This year, in particular, is the 50th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae. The dates also mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother.

What is NFP?

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the woman's cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy. NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife.

Isn’t NFP just the old Rhythm Method?

NFP is not "Rhythm." The Rhythm (or Calendar) method was developed in the 1930s. It was based on the theory that the time of next ovulation could be determined by calculating previous menstrual cycles. This method often proved inaccurate because of the unique nature of each woman's menstrual cycle: some women have very irregular cycles and almost all women have a cycle of unusual length once in a while.

On the other hand, NFP methods are progressive. That is, they are based on progressive, day-today observations of the naturally occurring signs and

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symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle. NFP methods take advantage of the changes associated with ovulation, treating each cycle as unique.

Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse during the fertile phase of the woman's cycle. Couples who wish to achieve a pregnancy can also take advantage of the fertile time of the cycle.

Because it allows couples to adjust their behavior to the naturally occurring cycles of a woman's body, NFP is not a contraceptive--i.e., it does nothing to work against conception.

Who can use NFP?

Any married couple can use NFP! A woman need not have "regular" cycles. NFP education helps couples to fully understand their combined fertility, thereby helping them to either achieve or avoid a pregnancy. The key to the successful use of NFP is cooperation and communication between husband and wife--a shared commitment. NFP is unique among methods of family planning because it enables its users to work with the body rather than against it. Fertility is viewed as a reality to live, not a problem to be solved.

What are the benefits of using NFP?

In NFP both spouses are taught to understand the nature of fertility and work with it, either to plan a pregnancy or to avoid a pregnancy. Couples who use NFP soon learn that they have a shared responsibility for family planning. Husbands are encouraged to "tune into" their wives' cycles and both spouses are encouraged to speak openly and frankly about their sexual desires and their ideas on family size. Other benefits include: •

Low cost

•

Can be used throughout the reproductive life cycle

• •

No harmful side effects

Effectiveness for achieving, spacing, or limiting pregnancy

Peter Martin

Director of Faith Formation and Life, Marriage & Family pmartin@dow.org

•

Marriage enrichment and mutual understanding

•

Moral acceptability

• •

Appreciation for the value of children

Fosters respect for and acceptance of the total person How effective are Natural Family Planning methods?

When couples understand the methods and are motivated to follow them, NFP is up to 99% successful in spacing or limiting births.

Where can I learn how to use NFP?

The best way to learn NFP is from a qualified instructor-- that is, one who is certified from an NFP teacher training program. Although medical professionals are gradually learning more about NFP and becoming more supportive of patients who wish to use it, they are not often trained to teach NFP. Visit https://www.dow.org/ offices/life-marriage-family/natural-family-planning. html for a listing of instructors in the diocese.

Does the Church expect us to have as many children as we possibly can?

The Church encourages people to be "responsible" stewards over their fertility. In this view of "responsible parenthood" married couples carefully weigh their responsibilities to God, each other, the children they already have, and the world in which they live when making decisions about the number and spacing of children.

A Church on Fire Todd Graff

Director of Lay Formation & RCIA tgraff@dow.org

The New Evangelization is a way of being a Church that forms missionary disciples... Evangelization is not for a few but rather a challenge for every baptized person and the entire parish community... Prayer should accompany all discussions and planning, in order to ensure that the soil of parish life receives the nourishment it needs so that the seeds of discipleship can bear fruit.

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-U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Living as Missionary Disciples: A Resource for Evangelization

ast fall, I began a series of columns on a recent statement of the United States Catholic Bishops (USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis) entitled, Living as Missionary Disciples: A Resource for Evangelization. This statement is intended to serve as a “leadership resource” offering principles that the Church’s leaders (e.g., in parishes, dioceses, schools, etc.) “can apply to their efforts in evangelization and missionary discipleship within their particular pastoral context and as part of their existing planning process” (p. 1).

In these articles, I have focused on “Encounter” (November), “Accompany” (January), “Community” (February), and “Send (on Mission)” (March).

In my initial column in October, I described a one-year formation program and process of our diocesan Institute of Lay Formation on the Church’s mission of evangelization.

The program was called “Emmaus,” and its focus was on the theme of “Forming Missionary Disciples for Gospel Witness.”

More than 40 lay people from across the diocese met for five weekends to study, reflect, and discern how to respond more deeply in their own lives and ministry to the Church’s call to be disciples of Jesus Christ and witnesses to his gospel of love and mercy.

Then, in the May column, I highlighted three upcoming diocesan events/programs which seek to promote further and deeper commitment to these four core areas of the Church’s life and mission. To provide a brief update on each of these: •

•

•

formation and the RCIA, and to all of our diocesan ministries, as we move forward. So, you will continue to hear about “Encounter ~ Accompany ~ Community ~ Send on Mission” in the days and months ahead.

To conclude this series of articles on “Living as Missionary Disciples,” I would like to offer a brief overview of these four areas and reflection questions relating to each of them.

Encounter Come and see (JN 1:39)

The purpose of evangelization is to lead people to encounter Christ. “An encounter with Jesus Christ can come in any way that the Holy Spirit leads, and the Church provides many ways to experience Jesus intimately such as through the Sacraments, Adoration, Scripture, and the works of mercy.

The public profession of one’s faith through active participation in prayer and the sacraments (most especially the Eucharist) are essential in living a life of discipleship” (p. 10).

• •

In what ways do I “encounter” Jesus in my walk of faith?

How do I help others grow in their relationship with Christ and with the Church?

What opportunities does my/our parish provide to cultivate ongoing encounters with Jesus?

Accompany Follow me (MT 9:9)

The response to this encounter with Christ needs accompaniment. “We cannot live a life of discipleship alone. We need others to model lives of discipleship and accompany us as we grow in the spiritual life and experience ongoing conversion.

Similarly, as missionary disciples, we are called to love and accept all people in a way that invites each person to a deeper relationship with Christ and a greater alignment of their lives with his teachings” (p. 15).

• •

In what ways am I “accompanied” on my journey of faith? How do I accompany others on their path of discipleship?

Do we plan parish activities keeping the art of accompaniment in mind, and how do we accompany our members in the trials and challenges of their lives?

Community Remain in me (JN 15:4)

Evangelization invites people to the Body of Christ, which is the Catholic Church. “The Church is a community brought together by the work of the Holy Spirit…. Fellowship and solidarity with one another in the community of faith is also a reflection of the Trinity” (p. 16).

• •

What have been my experiences of “community” in parish life? Do I feel a strong bond to my parish, and to the people I worship with each Sunday?

How is my/our parish doing at building up a sense of community and shared mission within the members of our parish?

How can we grow in becoming a more welcoming parish community?

Lay Formation & RCIA

A Church on Mission

7

Send on Mission Go… and make disciples of all nations (MT 28:19) Evangelization leads disciples to accept God’s desire to send them on mission. “St. John Paul II in Redemptoris Missio stated that the first form of evangelization is witness: ‘The witness of a Christian life is the first and irreplaceable form of mission’ (#42)” (p. 17).

• •

In what ways do I publicly witness to my Christian faith?

What areas of being a “missionary disciple” are the most challenging to me, and how am I being called to a deeper witness and conversion in my life of faith?

How does my/our parish support and encourage parishioners in giving public witness to the Christian life?

In the days ahead, let us continue to ponder together this call to renewal in our own lives and relationships, in our parish ministries, and in the mission of our diocesan Church.

Deo Gratias!

The Church which "goes forth" is a community of missionary disciples... I hope that all communities will devote the necessary effort to advancing along the path of a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are.

"Mere administration" can no longer be enough. Throughout the world, let us be "permanently in a state of mission."

-Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium

The Pentecost Vigil Mass brought more than 300 people from a variety of lay groups, movements, and associations to Pax Christi Church in Rochester to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the people and ministries of our diocese.

Our diocesan Ministry Days, A Church on Fire ~ A Church on Mission: ‘Living As Missionary Disciples’, brought together the priests, deacons, religious and lay leaders of our diocese in early June to explore and discuss how we can live out, in our diocese, Pope Francis’ call to be “a community of missionary disciples … permanently in a state of mission.”

And, we continue to receive applications for a new class of our diocesan Institute of Lay Formation, to begin this fall. The Institute offers lay women and men of our diocese “a program and process of prayer, study, and reflection on the Catholic Faith, on the life of discipleship and witness in the world, and on service and ministry within the Church.”

This four-fold “method” of “formation for missionary discipleship” (as described by our bishops) will continue to be a central focus for our diocesan efforts relating to lay

July, 2018 w The Courier

8

WACS Stops the

Summer Brain Drain

Submitted by LINDA SCHRUPP

�inona

Area Catholic Schools (WACS), for years, has been a leader in summer classroom offerings in the Winona area. All students in the area can participate. You do not have to attend WACS to partake in these offerings.

Principal Pat Bowlin believes students should still be engaged during summer break, which helps them to keep their brains sharp during this long period off from school. Many students experience what is known as the “summer brain drain” and take a step back from their educational progress made during the school year.

Whether you want to get ahead in math, catch up in math, learn creative writing, do a sports camp, learn about car engines and how they work, take an art class, or explore the field of veterinary medicine, WACS has something for young and curious minds living in the Winona area. Visit www.WACS1.org to view all summer offerings.

Catholic Schools

Marsha Stenzel

Linda Schrupp is the local admissions coordinator for Cotter Schools and Winona Area Catholic Schools.

Superintendent of Catholic Schools mstenzel@dow.org

WACS Vet Camp Local students attended a veterinary orthopedic surgery camp hosted by St. Stan's 4th grade teacher Jane Menke, and Dr. Brett Flathers from Lewiston.

The course description reads as follows: Do you want to be a surgeon and learn about orthopedics? This will be a hands-on lab class working closely with Dr. Brett Flathers from the Lewiston Veterinary Clinic to learn how to use real fracture fixation tools to fix broken bones. Orthopedic surgery combines aspects of biology, physics, biomechanics, engineering and carpentry.

This is the class for the biologist who likes to fix things.

Thank You, Father Kern!

This Garden

Rocks!

Ascension Rocket Launched

WELLS--St. Casimir's School Rock Garden has been in the works since the beginning of the school year. Students and staff each chose a rock and were instructed to paint it to represent themselves. After the two-fold painting process was completed, each

Submitted by JEN SLATER

MADELIA--On Thursday, May 10, the children at St. Mary's School, Madelia, looked on with mouths agape as their rocket, Ascension One, left its launching pad. A simple, though creative, way to celebrate Ascension Thursday. The students later articulated what it must have been like for the disciples to watch Jesus ascend into heaven.

Jen Slater is the principal of St. Mary School in Madelia.

July, 2018 w The Courier

WELLS--At the last school Mass of the 2017-18 school year, the students and staff of St. Casimir's School blessed Father Jason Kern with a personalized, handmade quilt in honor of his service to the parish and school.

Photo Credit: Casey Comstock, the Wells Mirror

rock was covered with a clear coat to help it weather the years.

When a new student enters St. Casimir's School, they too will get the opportunity to add their painted rock to the garden. It will be fun to watch the garden grow over the coming years.

RCS Now Offers Submitted by CHRISTINE GREGORY

�of chool may be out for the summer, but the classrooms Rochester Catholic Schools are certainly still abuzz!

For the first time ever, RCS is offering summer care at its St. Pius campus of St. John the Evangelist/St. Pius X School and at Lourdes High School.

To meet not only the needs of the RCS families, but those of the Rochester community, RCS opened its doors this summer to children ages 3-5 at St. Pius and ages 6-12 at Lourdes High School. It seemed a natural fit, as St. Pius already offers preschool and preschoolaged childcare and is equipped with classrooms and an age-appropriate playground, and as Lourdes has great open space both inside and out.

“We’ve had families tell us they want a safe, reliable place for their children for the summer, and we know that there is a certain amount of stress that parents are under when looking for short-term care. Additionally, many of our preschool families are taking advantage of our childcare programs and expressed their desire to be able to use year-round care with us. Once we started looking into it, we knew we needed to be able to offer this for our parents,” said Director of Teaching and Learning Christine Gregory.

With just two weeks under its belt, RCS has been off to a successful start! Children spend their days doing some structured activities and choice time, and field trips are scheduled each week. An added enticement for parents with children participating in the many camps offered at Lourdes over the summer is that summer care attendees are escorted to their camp right on site.

It’s been a true blessing for RCS to offer summer care; many RCS staff have expressed the joy they receive in seeing these active and creative minds at work and play. The green space is used every day, weather permitting, for many games of kick ball and tag and chalk drawings. And inside, the children are happy to drop off their things at the lockers they were able to decorate and get going on their day. One of the unexpected highlights so far is a play that the older students created and performed for their younger friends.

With flexible care either three or five days per week, RCS Summer Care welcomes more than 90 families to its inaugural year, and plans are already underway for next summer!

Catholic Schools

Summer Care

9

Christine Gregory is the director of teaching & learning for Rochester Catholic Schools.

God's Kids Having a Blast Submitted by ERIC SONNEK

WABASHA--St. Felix School's God's Kids program is having a blast this summer.

The students have been busy visiting the local public library, getting behindthe-scenes tours of local Wabasha businesses and taking a trip to the Children's Museum in Eau Claire. Along with the fun, they are working on basic skills for next school year.

Eric Sonnek is the principal of St. Felix School in Wabasha.

Basic Skills

Children's Museum

A Local Business July, 2018 w The Courier

Youth & Young Adults

10

Totus Tuus Teams Witnessing the Gospel The following is an updated version of an article that appeared in the July 2017 issue of the Courier.

�

very year, the arrival of summer means a flurry of events in youth ministry. One such event is the retreat week Totus Tuus. Parishes from around the diocese sign up to have a team of young adults come in and offer programming for youth in grades 1-12.

Our Totus Tuus program starts with a training week in late May, when young adults from around the country come to Winona to grow deeper in love with the Lord, learn the day-to-day structure of the program, and then break into teams to serve a number of dioceses. The Diocese of WinonaRochester is blessed to have three teams serving our young people, and this summer they will serve 20 parishes and nearly 1,000 young people.

Totus Tuus is Latin for “Totally Yours.” The name of this program describes its mission. All the students who attend programming are encouraged to live as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ and offer their lives as a complete gift to Him. Mary is also a common theme for the retreat, because she was the greatest example of how to live as Totus Tuus. Mary gave her life completely over to God and consecrated her life to the will of the Father.

The Totus Tuus experience is packed with excitement and fun, as well as solid catechesis and formation in Christian living. The day is consumed with daily lessons, songs, Mass, confession, games and activities.

Parishes are also involved in the entire event. Families come together for an evening potluck, and even get to

encourage the little ones as they participate in a largescale water fight. Mornings are a time for elementary grades to gather, while evenings are set aside for the older youth.

Please pray for our Totus Tuus teams and parishes this summer. The continued growth of this program is proof of the fruit it bears. If your parish is interested in learning more about this event, please contact Ben Frost (bfrost@dow.org).

Team 1 (L to R): Jordan Danielson, Stephanie Ledezma, Riley Becher and Kindall Hubka

Totus Tuus 2018 Schedule

Week 1 - June 10-15______________Team 1 in Pipestone Team 2 in Austin Week 2 - June 17-22___Team 1 in Rochester (Resurrection) Team 2 in Fairmont Week 3 - June 24-29_____________Team 1 in Stewartville Team 2 in Wabasha Week 4 - July 8-13______________Team 1 in Rose Creek Team 2 in St. Charles Week 5 - July 15-20____Team 1 in Rochester (St. Francis) Team 2 in Lewiston Week 6 - July 22-27_________________Team 1 in Adrian Team 2 in Mapleton Week 7 - July 29-August 3____________Team 1 in Fulda Team 2 in Wells Week 8 - August 5-10_____________Team 1 in Chatfield Team 2 in Caledonia July, 2018 w The Courier

Ben Frost

Director of Youth & Young Adults, Communications and Public Relations bfrost@dow.org

Team 2 (L to R): Maria Maggio, William (Bill) Murray, Annie Hingten and Riley Goracke

How Do You Pray?

Rev. Jason Kern

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recently asked a young man who shared with me that he is discerning the priesthood, how does he pray? He went on to say that he sometimes prays the rosary and sometimes talks to God. I asked him what those conversations with God consist of and he admitted that mostly he is talking to God about a problem or person he thinks needs prayer. As we continued talking I started telling him about my prayer and how the time of silence that I spend with the Lord becomes the place where I discover not only what God wants for my life or my day but even more fundamentally how much I am loved and how much God cares about me. In other words, prayer is the place where I discover my worth and meaning in life.

If we as Catholics don’t have a prayer life, we are not learning the truth of our life or our purpose for why we exist. Even beyond this essential truth, if we don’t pray we cannot learn the will of God for our lives or our even for this day.

If we understand prayer to be the time we spend in relationship with God we can certainly take time to pray a rosary or meditate on the Sacred Scriptures.

Yet, we must learn the art of disconnecting from every activity and outside distraction and just learn again the grace of being loved by God. We have to let Jesus’ merciful gaze come upon us and just imagine that He is before us or next to us as one who is with us and leading us forward through life’s daily

struggles or commitments. Since a retreat this past winter, I have been spending time with the Holy Family in prayer at their home of Nazareth. I have experienced Jesus offering me the peace and stability of His home life with Mary and Joseph. The stability and peace that is offered to me in those moments of prayer allow me to experience the love and comfort of resting and finding solace amidst many activities that life can throw at me. This time of prayer that I commit to each day then becomes a touchpoint that I can return to throughout my day where I let the peace and stability of Nazareth return. I find solace in talking with Mary about life’s burdens and her motherly care offers me great peace. I find strength in staying with Joseph at the workbench of Nazareth and doing my day's labors with him. My own dad has been ill for some time and so in prayer I bring him to Nazareth with me. I bring the men who are discerning if God is calling them to priesthood there and ask Jesus to give them His gift of peace and love.

This is an example of mental prayer that works for me to be able to keep myself united to Jesus and the saints as I go about my daily life. If I didn’t have a committed time of prayer for Jesus to draw me into this time, I could easily find myself just working and grinding with no real purpose. Learning to pray and keep myself recollected at times throughout the day is

a real challenge and takes a dying to my own will and wants. Yet, it has become the road of great peace and joy. Prayer leads us to a deep interior union with God and heals many of our sorrows and burdens in this life.

Finding time to pray gives our lives a clear direction and allows us to find the will of God in our daily labors. The excuse that I don’t have time to pray is a lie from hell. We can all pray as we are working or walking but most especially as we fight to take time for some quiet solace with God at our side revealing His love and plan for us.

Do you know how to pray? Have you tried to teach anyone else how to pray? Start by asking someone in your life how they pray and then just share what prayer has done to shape your life and what makes it so meaningful for you. If we don’t teach our young people to pray, they won’t experience the truth of who they are as beloved sons and daughters of our Loving Father in Heaven.

the ministerial priesthood, the priesthood that comes from Jesus Christ. It’s not something we’ve come up with, a way to organize; it is spirit-filled; it is from the Lord Himself.

"Yes, He’s called all of us through Baptism to a priestly life. But he has set aside men—you, Thé and Brian, and your brother priests—to minister the ministerial priesthood that comes from Jesus Christ, and you will be sacramentally configured to that priesthood, meaning that permanently, at the core of your identity, is the one priesthood of Jesus Christ to be exercised together with your brother priests, but always in union with your bishop. To be sacramentally configured to

a priesthood that begins with the cross, where Christ reigns by pouring out His life."

Effective July 2, Father Thé Hoang and Father Brian Mulligan will serve as parochial vicars in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Fr. Hoang at Pax Christi Parish in Rochester and Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Mazeppa, and Fr. Mulligan at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and St. Casimir Parish in Winona.

Effective June 11, Deacon Matthew Wagner has been serving in diaconal ministry at St. John Vianney Parish in Fairmont and Holy Family Parish in East Chain. God-willing, Deacon Matthew will be ordained a priest in June of 2019.

Vocations

Director of Vocations jkern@dow.org

11

Spring,

cont'd from pg. 1 years.

In his June 8 homily, Bishop Quinn reflected on the signs of spring people search for each year, especially in the upper Midwest.

"This year, it seemed like before we knew it, it was Easter. The robins hadn't come yet, and the crocuses didn't want to come up through the earth," he said.

"But there was something that I knew was faithfulness at God’s initiative. It had nothing to do with the cycle of nature. It had nothing to do with whether or not the robins came. It was the surety that Jesus Christ was risen and the Holy Spirit had been imparted in the Church. And the way that I knew, in my heart, was both of you," he told Deacon Brian and Deacon Thé.

Bishop Quinn continued, "At a time in our culture when it seems there are few springs, little light, [here are] both of you, standing against the tide that says, ‘Don’t commit. Take more time.’

"Here you are today, saying, ‘No. I believe in that promise.’ And today, just as God has been faithful to you, now to commit yourself to fidelity to the Triune God, to the laying on of hands that goes back through the bishops to the apostles themselves. And through the invocation of the Holy Spirit, I will confer upon you

July, 2018 w The Courier

Faith in the Public Arena

12

Make Civic Life a

Labor of Love �oliness in politics? Is that an

oxymoron? Not for Catholics. In Pope Francis’ recent exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, he reminds us that the two are indeed connected.

Either-Or?

Unfortunately, Catholics in politics and social ministry sometimes tend to fall into one of two errors.

First, there is the activism “of those who separate [the] Gospel demands from their personal relationship with the Lord, from their interior union with him” (GE, 100).

It is thinking that Christianity is all about doing good things. The problem is that it separates Jesus’ commission from the deep prayer which opens us to His grace.

Second is the error of those “who find suspect the social engagement of others, seeing it as superficial, worldly, secular,” as if this aspect of the Church’s life were unimportant. It is the false notion that we ought to be preoccupied only with “spiritual” things, even to the neglect of our duties (GE, 101).

Both are rooted in the same belief: we must decide to be either spiritual or productive, a mystic or an activist, a citizen of Heaven or a citizen of the United States. This is alien to our Catholic faith. “At such a time as this” (Esther 4:14), we can and must be present to minister and to serve others now, and at the same time remain fixed on “the life of the world to come.”

Work and Pray

Christ commanded his disciples to be leaven in the world by preaching the Gospel (Mk 16:15), making disciples (Mt 28:19), and serving Him in the least of our brothers and sisters (Mt 25:3146). Therefore, Francis writes, we cannot “love silence while fleeing interaction with others,

July, 2018 w The Courier

… want peace and quiet while avoiding activity, [or] seek prayer while disdaining service” (GE, 26). We who are called to the lay vocation cannot excuse ourselves from public life under a false pretense of holiness.

Similarly, the temptation to activism is also real. It is easy to treat the Church like “a sort of NGO stripped of the luminous mysticism” that marked the lives of the saints (GE, 100).

But consider that Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa were among the most influential people in history, yet they also “wasted” the most time in prayer. They worked hard, but never sacrificed intimacy with God. Mother Teresa famously said, "If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy!”

In the Gospels, Jesus Himself shows the importance of prayer, regularly withdrawing from the crowds for long periods of time spent in union with the Father. His was not an activism focused on worldly success—what could be a greater (apparent) failure than the Cross?

—but a single-hearted pursuit of the Father’s will.

To imitate Him, then, is not to be so engrossed in “spiritual” things that we withdraw from the world, nor is it to become so busy that we no longer rest in the Father’s heart. Rather, it is the union of action and contemplation, the “work and pray” of St. Benedict. Amid activity, we must also “recover the personal space needed to carry on a heartfelt relationship with God” (29).

Political Life: It Comes Down to Love

How might we apply the teaching of Gaudete et Exsultate to political life? First, we should be clear that the goal of our work (at least, the ultimate goal) is not to win every battle in the public square or resort to tactics that seem to promote success. Of course, we should strive to build up the common good, but paradoxically, our true victory is not in success but in faithfulness.

We cannot see the full plan of God, the way He intends to use our “yes,” the unseen

Sarah Spangenberg

Communications Associate Minnesota Catholic Conference

For too long, Title X funds have been allowed to be used by abortion providers. These funds are designed to provide low-income women with pre-pregnancy services. Newly proposed federal regulations, the "Protect Life Rule," aim to separate Title X family planning program funding from abortion.

• "A Title X project may not perform, promote, refer for, or support, abortion as a method of family planning, nor take any other affirmative action to assist a patient to secure such an abortion."

• "A Title X project must be organized so that it is physically and financially separate... from [abortion]activities."

• "Title X projects shall comply with all State and local laws requiring notification or reporting of child abuse, child molestation, sexual abused, rape, incest, intimate partner violence, or human trafficking."

Show your support for the “Protect Life Rule” by submitting your comment by July 31. Send a message of support by visiting: www.humanelifeaction.org/take-action

battles that are won when we are obedient— even in the face of apparent defeat or even futility. Only prayer can detach us from visible results and free us to seek God’s will with an undivided heart.

Finally, our engagement in politics is a mission, in which our holiness of life is far more potent than mere activity. Ultimately, it comes down to love. We love God by laboring for Him, and we love our neighbor by pursuing what is good and just. Francis writes that when we let God fill both our prayer and our public lives, “every moment can be an expression of self-sacrificing love in the Lord’s eyes” (31).

Self-sacrificing love: what a vision for faithful citizenship!

Welcome to the Family! 13

By MICHAEL WILDE

were introduced to priests of the diocese and shared the mission, “to assist the Roman Catholic Church in drawing all people to the knowledge and love of Jesus and His Church through the medium of Catholic radio, in full accord with the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.” Once again being warmly welcomed, Real Presence Radio drove forward with the permission and support of the local diocese to acquire a radio station that broadcasts to more than half the population of the diocese.

970 AM began broadcasting the Real Presence Radio signal throughout our diocese on May 31, the Feast of the Visitation. How providential that on the day we celebrate the introduction of the Word Incarnate to his extended family (Elizabeth and John the Baptist - who leapt in the womb), together we leapt for joy as we celebrated locally the partnership of Real Presence Radio working side-by-side in the vineyard with priests and par-

In the Diocese

�

ecently, I moved to southern Minnesota to be closer to family; in particular my aging parents and my sister, whose health had been failing following a ten-year battle with ovarian cancer. I had no idea how my family and I would grow from returning home, but God had a plan for me to make the move and serve Him as I entered my next chapter in life.

Unbeknownst to me, the organization I had been doing some freelance work and volunteering for also was considering a move into southern Minnesota and, if given the opportunity, would need someone with my skill set to help continue carrying out their mission (and, in turn, the mission of the Church). That organization? Real Presence Radio.

In March of this year the team from Real Presence Radio met with Bishop Quinn to see if we could partner to help in the evangelizing mission of the diocese. His Excellency was very welcoming and overjoyed to open the doors of the diocese to Catholic radio. As the details of the fully listener-supported radio network were explained (including the need to raise initial capital expenses and on-going operations costs), the excitement remained, although some trepidation arose. Bishop Quinn encouraged us, however, challenging us to intone, “Jesus, I trust in You, Jesus I risk in You.” Following the initial meeting with Bishop Quinn, staff members from Real Presence Radio

ishes in the diocese.

Since that day I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you, my own extended family. At the Knights of Columbus state convention I met Mike who is not only a Brother Knight, but also involved in Teams of Our Lady. I have enjoyed a cup of coffee and some frank conversation with a pharmacist from Mayo Clinic, and prayed for the daughter of Ron in Albert Lea. Each of these encounters has emphasised and highlighted, for me, the beauty of the Real Presence Radio tagline: Your family of faith and hope.

There is no doubt there are many faithful people here in southern Minnesota, but through my work here and relocating to the lower half of the state, I have personally experienced a renewed hope and broadened my family. Shortly after getting settled in the area, my sister (whom I mentioned above), moved from loving and serving our Lord in this world to being happy with Him in the next. Upon hearing of her passing, my new extended family members here in the diocese offered comfort, sympathy, empathy, and even shared tears with me. I have learned through this struggle, that although I no longer can spend time with my sister in the same way, I have many new friends and famWelcome, cont'd on pg. 14

July, 2018 w The Courier

Catholic Daughters 14 Install New Officers In the Diocese

Submitted by TRISH JOHNSON

PIPESTONE--On June 21, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court St. John 1371, held their new officer installation celebration at St. Leo Church in Pipestone.

Pictured L to R are: Roseann Fenicle, Cindy Houselog, Treasurer Linda Delany, Irene De Yonge, Vice

Regent Patt Johnson, District Deputy Louise Van Leeuwe, Regent Elaine Fenicle, Cristina Nokes, Secretary Betty Kramer and Deb Melby. Not pictured is Financial Secretary Sharon Wolff.

The ceremony was followed by the reception of 2 new members, Cindy Cunningham and Joyce Gelderman.

The women join 63 years in the promotion of justice, equality and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all through the Triparish of St. Joseph, St. Leo & St. Martin. The court continues to strive for unity and charity for all.

Trish Johnson is the director of faith formation for the Tri-Parish of St. Joseph, St. Leo and St. Martin.

Kids Feed Kids at St. Patrick Parish

Submitted by DIANE FRANKE

WEST ALBANY--The faith formation class of St. Patrick's Parish in West Albany learned about the enormous need around the world for nutritious meals and how the poorest kids in Haiti eat mud biscuits.

The class wanted to make a difference!

They held a pancake breakfast to raise funds for the upcoming Hiawatha Valley MobilePack. In addition to the pancake breakfast, they hosted the HOPE Boutique, which sells unique, hand-made goods from Feed My Starving Children partners around the world.

The St. Patrick's Faith Formation class raised enough funds to provide 5,459 nutritious meals!

MobilePack events, by Feed My Starving Children, allow volunteers to pack meals in their own communities for distribution to malnourished children around the world.

The Hiawatha Valley MobilePack will be held on August 24-25 in Lake City at the high school gymnasium. For ore information and to learn how you can get involved, please contact Cate Sprout at CatherineSprout@gmail.com or on Facebook @ HiawathaValleyMobilePack.

Diane Franke is a member of St. Patrick Parish in West Albany.

Catholic Daughters Donate to Noah's Ark Submitted by TRISH JOHNSON

PIPESTONE--Co-Regent Elaine Fenicle and Treasurer Linda Delany, of Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. John 1371, presented a check for $526 to Noah's Ark Preschool Director Amy VandenBosch.

To raise the funds, the Catholic Daughters provided a potluck fundraiser for the TriParish of St. Joseph, St. Leo & St. Martin on May 6.

The donation will be used to add another layer of protection to the preschool's outdoor playground.

Welcome, cont'd from pg. 13 ily who will share this sorrow alongside me.

That’s what family does! We encourage one another, celebrate each others’ success and growth, and we comfort one another in our times of need. When Dave and Karen, a retired couple in the diocese, invited me into their home, they shared about their lives and their approach to prayer, and, like my own parents, made sure as I left that I had an opportunity for dinner. As a family of faith and hope, we walk together in our faith journeys, and we help one another reach evercloser toward the hope of salvation.

As we expand our family to include Catholic radio, we can now share in the journey by listening on 970 AM (or the Real Presence Radio App, or at yourcatholicradiostation.com), and when we do, we will be strengthened - not just by the words, advice, July, 2018 w The Courier

Pictured L to R are: Elaine Fenicle, Linda Delany and Amy VandenBosch.

Trish Johnson is the director of faith formation for the Tri-Parish of St. Joseph, St. Leo and St. Martin.

or explanations we hear, but by the knowledge that we are friends, and indeed family with others who are listening. So when you greet the friendly faces at coffee and rolls on Sunday, or as you grab your cup of joe from St. James Coffee, or at the close of daily Mass, take an extra moment to acknowledge that friendly face is a part of your family of faith and hope.

Real Presence Radio is an EWTN affiliate and lay apostolate of the Church with an evangelizing mission and serving dioceses in Wyoming, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. Donations are needed to continue their good works here in southern Minnesota.

Michael Wilde is the Listener Relationships Coordinator for our area, and host of Real Presence Live, a local radio show interviewing guests from our listening area every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and hosted from within our diocese twice a month. To contact him email michael.wilde@yourcatholicradiostation.com or call 507-405-4655.

Obituaries

Sister Rita Patzner (Sister Karl), 85, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on June 16, 2018.

Rita Anna Patzner was born February 3, 1933, in Fountain City, WI, to Carl and Ida (Wolfe) Patzner.

She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1954 from Holy Trinity Parish in Rollingstone. Sister Rita made first vows in 1956 and perpetual vows in 1959. She completed a licensed practical nursing (LPN) program at Saint Marys Hospital in 1957. Her years of service as an LPN took her to several places in Minnesota: Saint Marys Hospital and Assisi Heights in Rochester, St. James Nursing Home in St. James, and St. Anne Hospice in Winona; and to St. Francis Convalescent Home in Denver, CO. From 1971 to 1978, Sister Rita was a teacher’s aide at Cathedral School in Winona, where she worked with primary grade children with learning disabilities.

In 1980, Sister Rita completed a certified occupational therapy assistant program at Anoka Area Vocational Technical Institute.

She served from 1981-1984 as an occupational therapy assistant at the Olmsted Day Activity Center in Rochester, and at Assisi Heights from 1984-2004 as the activity director for Sisters in healthcare, and then as coordinator of the Craft Room and Boutique at Assisi Heights until her retirement in 2007.

Sister Rita is survived by her Franciscan community, with whom she shared life for 64 years, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers: Carl Jr., Donald and Leo; and seven sisters: Dorothy Neuman, Grace Corcoran, Rosella Gladowski, Mary Corcoran, Josephine Grulkewski, Patricia Patzner and Phyllis Gladowski.

A Memorial Mass was held June 26, 2018, in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights, Rochester. Sister Rita made the gift of an anatomical bequest to Mayo Clinic; burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Rochester at a later date.

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

Bishop Receives SVdP Service Award

ROCHESTER--Friday, June 22, 2018, Bishop Quinn celebrated Mass and was a keynote speaker at the annual North Central Region St. Vincent de Paul Society Conference in Rochester.

During the evening dinner at the Kahler Grand Hotel, Bishop Quinn was surprised to receive a service award from the Vincentians, as well as a gift of a statue featuring Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, the founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society; a child in need; and St. Vincent de Paul.

These awards were for Bishop Quinn's 13 years of service to the St. Vincent de Paul Society as their episcopal spiritual advisor.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of the world’s largest Catholic lay organizations dedicated to serving the poor and marginalized among us. In a letter to the Vincentian Family on the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul last September, His Holiness Pope Francis reiterated that “charity is at the heart of the Church; it is the reason for its action, the soul of its mission.” The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an excellent opportunity for the laity to answer this sacred call. If you are interested in becoming a Vincentian or would like more information, please visit www.svdp-rochmn.org.

In the Diocese

Sister Mariella Hinkly, 95, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on June 7, 2018.

Mary Jane Hinkly was born May 26, 1923, in Luverne to Bryant S. Hinkly and Frances Giedemann.

She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1941 from St. Catherine Parish in Luverne. Sister Mariella made first vows in 1944 and perpetual vows in 1947. She received a Bachelor of Science in elementary education (1955) and a Bachelor of Arts in history, English and theology (1960), both from the College of St. Teresa in Winona. In 1968, she received a Master of Science in education from Winona State University.

Sister Mariella began her teaching career in 1944, and for 53 years she served in educational and administrative roles. She taught primary students at St. Peter School in North St. Paul; St. Margaret Mary School in Golden Valley; St. James School in St. James, where she also served as principal; Queen of Angels School in Austin, where she also served as principal and reading teacher; and Notre Dame Elementary School in Cresco, IA. As a junior high school educator, Sister Mariella taught at St. Peter School in Delano, where she also served a principal; and at Cathedral School in Winona.

In her later years, she also served as a substitute teacher at parochial and public schools in Sioux Falls, SD; as a substitute in the public schools in Luverne; and as a reading teacher/tutor at St. Lambert School in Sioux Falls, SD. From 1997 to 2007, Sister Mariella volunteered in genealogy and as a tour guide at the Historic Research for Rock County Society in Luverne and in religious education and sacramental preparation at St. Catherine Parish in Luverne. She returned to Assisi Heights in 2007.

Sister Mariella is survived by her Franciscan community, with whom she shared life for 77 years; and her brother and sister-in-law, Ray and Lois Hinkly of Cedar Rapids, IA. She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters: Elizabeth Kaiser and Audrey Tabor.

The Funeral Mass was held June 18 in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights, Rochester.

Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne.

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

15

National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul CEO Dave Barringer (right) presents Bishop John M. Quinn with a statue.

July, 2018 w The Courier

SUBMISSION to the calendar

July 2018

• The Courier

Please note: submission deadline is the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication.

All submissions must be sent electronically to nreller@dow.org by the deadline to assure receipt and possible inclusion in the events calendar.

Thank you for understanding that, due to space limitations, not all events nor story submissions will fit; however, we strive to include as many as possible.

A current list of events is also available at www.dow.org.

Regular Prayer Mass for Life & Marriage is held at St. Mary Church in Winona the first Thursday each month at 8:30 a.m.

Holy Hour of Prayer for Life, Marriage & Religious Liberty is held first Saturday each month 8:30-9:30 a.m. (after Mass for Life & Marriage) in the Cathedral's Adoration Chapel, 360 Main Street, Winona. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed and a rosary offered. All welcome.

Prayer Vigil & Public Witness Against Abortion is held 3-4 p.m. Tuesdays in front of Semcac Clinic (delegate of Planned Parenthood) at 76 W 3rd Street in Winona. Contact: Patti (507) 429-4636 Masses of Reparation for Sins in the Diocese are held daily in parishes throughout the diocese. Info: cb@wabashaemail.com Cor Jesu is held at the Cathedral in Winona, 7-9 p.m. the first Friday each month, September through May. Cor Jesu is an evening of Eucharistic Adoration, Confessions, and music in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. All are welcome to attend! For more details, search for Winona Cor Jesu on Facebook, visit cascwinona.org/prayer/corJesu, or call Kristopher Kaufman (859-7601619) or Steven Lehn (507-312-9041).

Traditional Latin Mass Chatfield, St. Mary, 1st & 3rd Sun. 1 pm Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul, Sundays 4:15 pm Wabasha, St. Felix, Saturdays 9 am

The Televised Mass

Other Events St. John Church, Johnsburg July 8, Sunday Annual Polka Jamboree. 11 a.m. Polka Mass, followed by 2 polka bands and outside dance floor, food, bake sale, pies, beverages, games for all ages and a cake walk.

St. John the Baptist Church, Mankato July 13, Friday Filming of the Diocesan Televised Mass. 10 a.m. filming Mass to air 7/22 with Fr. John Kunz. 11 a.m. filming Mass to air 7/29 with Fr. Joe Fogal. 1 p.m. filming Mass to air 8/5 with Fr. Bill Kulas. 2 p.m. filming Mass to air 8/12 with Fr. Bill Kulas. All are welcome.

Help us create the experience of a full church for our viewers!

St. Michael Church, Sioux Falls, SD July 26-27, Thursday-Friday A Disciples Response, 2018 ICSC Region VIII Stewardship Conference. Two-day conference provides opportunity to gather with parish and diocesan staff from the 10 Catholic dioceses of MN, ND and SD. Learn best practices in stewardship and development. For more info: Melinda North (605) 9883725. To register: www.sfcatholic.org/ stewardshipconference.

Holy Trinity Church, Litomysl July 29, Sunday Holy Trinity Parish, Litomysl, rural Owatonna, will hold their anuual Summer Festival, beginning with a Polka Mass at 10 a.m. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with food in the church basement and outside. Many

Offered as a service for the homebound every Sunday on the following stations: KTTC, Channel 10 (Rochester) at 9 a.m.; KEYC, Channel 12 (Mankato) at 7:30 a.m; & KEYC-DT2, Digital Channel 12.2 or Charter Channel 19 (Mankato) at 9:30 a.m.

Donations for the continuation of this program may be sent to: Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Attn: TV Mass, PO Box 588, Winona MN 55987.

Hispanic Priests / Sacerdotes Hispanos Padre José Morales Capellán en la Mayo Clinic, Rochester Tel. 507-266-7275

Padre Miguel Eduardo Proaños Vicario Parroquial de St. James, St James frmiguel2005@yahoo.com Tel. 507-375-3542

Padre Luis Alfonso Vargas Vicario Parroquial de St. Francis of Assisi, Rochester frluisvargasdw@gmail.com Tel. 507-288-7313

Padre Ubaldo Roque Vicario Parroquial de St. Mary’s, Worthington el_hermano_roque@hotmail.com Tel. 507-440-9735

Padre Javier Ibarra IVE Párroco de SS. Peter and Paul, Mankato Tel. 507-388-2995 ext. 103

Padre Raul Silva Vicario de la Pastoral Hispana en la diócesis de Winona Y Párroco de Queen of Angels, Austin PadreRaulSilva@gmail.com Tel. 507-433-1888

Spanish Mass Schedule Albert Lea, St. Theodore Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul St. Charles, St. Charles Borromeo 11 am Sun. 1 pm Sun. 7 pm Sat. Austin, Queen of Angels Owatonna, Sacred Heart St. James, St. James 11 am Sun.; 5:15 pm Fri. 11:45 am Sun. 12 pm Sun. Windom,St.FrancisXavier Lake City, St. Mary Pipestone, St. Leo 2:30 pm Sun. 6:30 pm each 3rd Sat. 2:30 pm Sun. (bilingual) Worthington, St. Mary Madelia, St. Mary Rochester, St. Francis 7 pm Sat.; 11 am Sun.; 10 am Sun. Noon Sun. & 7 pm Thurs. 6:30 pm Tues. & Fri.

games for children and adults, with thousands of prizes to win. Useda-bit items in the parish center, as well as a silent auction. Garden produce, plants, baked goods (prune, poppyseed & apricot buchty), live music. Something for everyone!

More info at www.litomysl.webs.com Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Rochester August 8, Wednesday Filming of the Diocesan Televised Mass. 9:30 a.m. filming Mass to air 8/19 with Fr. Bill Kulas. 10:30 a.m. filming Mass to air 8/26 with Fr. John Evans. 12:10 p.m.filming Mass to air 9/2 with Msgr. Gerald Mahon. 1:30 p.m. filming Mass to air 9/9 with Bishop Bernard Harrington.

Wilmont Park, Wilmont August 11, Saturday 5th Annual OLGC Tractor Cruise 2018. 9 a.m. registration. 10 a.m. tractor cruise. 12 p.m. pork loin meal (all welcome, even non-cruiseparticipants). Tractor entry fee $200.

Hay wagon ride-along $30/person or $60/family. Event supports Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School Fund and St. Mary's School, Worthington. Info and registration at facebook.com/ OLGCschoolfund or call St. Mary's School (507-376-5236), Isaac Joens (507-360-4793), Philip Joens (507-3509271), Andrea Reetz (507-360-3873) or Shelly Spartz (507-360-5393).

St. Mary Church, Winnebago August 12, Sunday St. Mary Parish will celebrate their 125th anniversary beginning with 10 a.m. Mass, program to follow, and a meal served at noon. Info: www. sspeterpaulmary.org.

Lincoln Secondary School, Lake City August 24-25, Friday-Saturday Feed My Starving Children MobilePack held in the high school gym. Contact CatherineSprout@gmail.com for details.

Baymont Inn, Kasson September 14-16, Friday-Sunday Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

Revitalize your marriage! More information at SouthMNWWME.org or 507-227-8229.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona September 15, Saturday Consecration of a Virgin. All invited.

Bishop Quinn will consecrate Leandra Hubka to the life of perpetual virginity, one of the oldest forms of consecrated life in the Church, dating to apostolic times when women dedicated their virginity and entire lives to Christ.

In this ceremony, similar to both a wedding and an ordination, the bishop prays over the virgin the prayer of consecration, setting her apart as a sacred person, espoused to Christ as His bride. A consecrated virgin lives a life of prayer, penance, and service to the Church, as a sign of the love the Church has for Christ, and a witness of the life to come.

Good Shepherd Church, Jackson September 16, Sunday Marriage Anniversary Mass 2 p.m.

All couples, regardless of anniversary milestone, and their family & friends invited! Register at www.dow.org.

Lanesboro September 28-29, Friday-Saturday 5th Annual Married Couples Retreat will be held at a beautiful hideaway outside of scenic Lanesboro. Info and registration at www.dow.org/eventdetails/496.

Sacred Heart Church, Owatonna October 13, Saturday Diocesan Women's Conference 9 a.m.

- 3 p.m. Info: pmartin@dow.org St. Mary Church, Minneiska October 14, Sunday St. Mary's Parish will host a Texasstyle French toast breakfast from 9:30 to noon, following 8:30 a.m. Mass.

French toast, sausage, apple sauce and coffee, milk or juice. Adults $7.

Kids 6 & under are $3. Bake sale and ticket drawing at noon.

Shalom Hill Farm, Windom November 16-18, Friday-Sunday Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

Revitalize your marriage! More information at SouthMNWWME.org or 507-227-8229.