The COURIER Breaking ground

ConstruCtion Begins on new DioCesan Pastoral Center

ROCHESTER - On Wednesday, April 12, Bishop

Robert Barron hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate the beginning of the building of a new Pastoral Center in Rochester.

This past November, Bishop Barron announced that, thanks to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Mary Ann Remick, the construction of a new building has been made possible. The Pastoral Center will be across the street from Lourdes Catholic High School, between Jeremiah Lane NW and Valley High Drive NW.

The Diocese, which serves the 20 southernmost counties of Minnesota, has recognized that 65% of the nearly 140,000 Catholics in the diocese live in the area between Rochester and Mankato with Rochester being the diocese’s most populous city. By moving the Pastoral Center to Rochester, the Bishop’s office will be better situated to serve Catholics across the Diocese.

The Diocese hopes to have completed the building of the Pastoral Center and be moved in by May, 2024.

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester serves 96 parishes, four high schools, 30 elementary schools and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary on the campus of St. Mary’s University in Winona.

Callahan Earns Courage in Leadership Award for Mobilizing, Unifying Community

The following article was originally published by The Globe of Worthington on April 14, 2023. It is reprinted here with permission.

By KARI LUCIN

WORTHINGTON - When the Rev. Jim Callahan received an email informing him he’d received the Manuel Guerrero Courage in Leadership Award, he thought it was a joke, and decided to read the note later.

When the St. Mary’s pastor was told to read the email about the recognition, given by the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association to “a visionary community leader whose work is transformative and has broad impact in the State of Minnesota and beyond,” Callahan saw the list of prominent Minnesotans who’d received it in the past, including Gov. Mark Dayton and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Award, cont'd on pg. 11