The Courier - October, 2016

Special Insert:

Jubilee Year of Mercy

The

COURIER Canonized! www.dowcourier.org

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi October 4

October 2016

Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, MN

A Larger Family

Insight from a NewlyFormed Parish Cluster

� n October 1, a new tri-parish cluster formed, consisting of St. Columbanus in

By ELISE HARRIS

VATICAN CITY, Sept. 4, 2016 (CNA/EWTN News) - Pope Francis has officially declared Mother Teresa of Calcutta a saint of the Catholic Church in front of thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square – a move the entire world has been waiting for.

“For the honor of the Blessed Trinity, the exaltation of the Catholic faith and the increase of the Christian life, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own, after due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother Bishops, we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a Saint,” Pope Francis exclaimed Sept. 4 as the crowd roared with applause.

“We enroll her among the Saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole Church. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Throngs of pilgrims flooded the Vatican to celebrate the highly anticipated canonization, an event that Catholics and non-Catholics alike have looked forward to since Mother Teresa's death in 1997.

Her canonization is significant not only because it took place during the Jubilee of Mercy, but also because it fell during a special Sept. 2-4 Jubilee celebration for workers and volunteers of mercy, of whom Mother A tapestry of St. Teresa of Calcutta hangs in St. Peter's Square.

Teresa is widely considered one of the greatest of our time. children, she attended a youth group run by a Jesuit priest called Saint Teresa of Calcutta was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu Sodality, which eventually opened her to the call of service as a Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. The youngest of three missionary nun.

Blooming Prairie, Sacred Heart in Hayfield, and St. John Baptist de la Salle in Dodge Center. Fr. Thomas Neihaus will serve as pastor of the tri-parish, which absorbs parishioners from the newly closed parishes of St. Vincent de Paul in West Concord, St. Francis de Sales in Claremont and St. Mary in Geneva.

"I see my role as that of a spiritual father," Fr. Neihaus said, "to be with people.

Some are grieving, so [I am] consoling them in their grief, because this really is a loss of a certain way that the family gathers... [But I am also] a spiritual father to those who are getting a hold of all the opportunities to move forward together opportunities for youth, for men's groups and ladies' groups coming together, for charity and mission trips... [and I am] raising up those who can help me reach out to [parishioners] in such a vast area."

Carol Colee, a St. Columbanus parishioner, is grateful to keep attending the church she has known for years. But she, like everyone in the new tri-parish, is experiencing a period of adjustment nonetheless. She says that, for her, the challenge lies in overcoming fears of hurting feelings to welcome those whose parishes have closed.

"What do you say to them?" she said.

Canonized, cont'd on pg. 4

Family, cont'd on pg. 4

INSIDE this issue

Catechetical Day 2016

"Show Mercy to Our Common Home" page 6

page 7

Stewardship in Plain English

page 10

Articles of Interest

The Courier Insider

2

The incorruptible body of St. Maria Goretti (photo credit: CNA)

Vatican Changing How It Verifies Miracles

By HANNAH BROCKHAUS

VATICAN CITY, Sept. 23, 2016 (CNA/ EWTN News)--Changes to the regulations for confirming alleged miracles during the causes of saints aim to preserve the scientific rigor of the examination and maintain its distinction from matters of theology.

The changes, which were approved by Pope Francis Aug. 24, were announced by the Vatican Sept. 23. They concern the professional secrecy of the proceedings regarding presumed miracles and hold that a supermajority of two-thirds (five out of seven, or four out of six) of the votes from members of the Medical Board must be positive for the cause to continue to the next step.

Previously, only a simple majority of medical experts acknowleding a supernatural healing was required. The changes also stipulate that the medical experts will receive their remuneration only through bank transfer – not cash.

“The purpose of the Regulation can be none other than the good of the Causes, which can never neglect the historical and scientific truth of the alleged miracles,” Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci, Secretary of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, wrote regarding the changes. “Just as it is necessary for the legal checks to be complete, convergent and reliable, it is also necessary that their study be performed with serenity, objectivity and sure competence by highly specialized medical experts.”

“This Regulation obviously concerns only the good functioning of the Medical Board, whose task appears increasingly delicate, demanding and, thanks be to God, appreciated both inside and outside the Church.”

Archbishop Bartolucci added, “Always the Church is convinced that miracles of the saints is the 'finger of God,' which ratifies, so to say, the

human judgement of their holiness of life.”

“This vision is part of the mind of the Church and has been repeatedly reaffirmed by the ordinary magisterium to the pronouncements of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. It is historically certain that miracles are always a decisive argument for the canonization of Servants of God,” he stated.

The new wording is based on the regulations approved by Blessed Paul VI in 1976. The drafting of the new regulations was done by a special commission which began its work in September 2015.

Besides the new requirements of a qualified majority and professional secrecy on the part of those involved, the president of the Medical Board is limited to one term and one reappointment (a total of 10 years in the position). Nor can a case be re-examined more than three times, and when a re-examination is made, there must be nine persons on the Medical Board.

Also, it is now the Under-Secretary of the Council who will undertake the functions previously under the rapporteur, who had been responsible for reporting on the proceedings of the meetings.

In addition to the changes introduced, there were also adjustments made to procedural language.

Since the 12th and 13th centuries, the Church has continually revised the regulations under which a miracle is confirmed in cases of causes for beatification or canonization. The 1917 Code of Canon Law established access of the miracle to theologians only after the alleged miracle had been studied and verified by two expert doctors, aside from issues of philosophical and religious consideration.

“And even today it is so: the scientific aspect remains distinct from the theological,” Archbishop Bartolucci affirmed.

“Miracles are not marginal events of the Gospel or the Miracles, cont'd on pg. 4

The Courier is the Official Publication of the Diocese of Winona 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 Vol 107 - 10

Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Publisher Nick Reller, Associate Editor Telephone: 507-858-1257 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: nreller@dow.org Subscription Rates: $5 per year in the U.S. Parishioners in the Winona Diocese subscribe through their parish. Periodicals postage paid at Madelia, MN Postmaster.

Publishing Schedule: Monthly - Deadline for advertising & articles is the 10th of the month prior.

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October, 2016 w The Courier

Catholic Schools Updates___________5 Catechetical Day 2016______________6 "...Our Common Home"_____________7 Rise Up at the DCYC_______________8 Jubilee Insert_________________after 8 Meet Our New Seminarians_________9 Stewardship in Plain English_____10 ...Baby Bottle Campaign___________11 Diocesan Headlines_______________12 Diocesan Calendar________________15

The Holy Father's Intentions for October 2016 Universal: That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics.

Evangelization: That World Mission Day may renew within all Christian communities the joy of the Gospel and the responsibility to announce it.

Officials The Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona, announces the following: Appointments Rev. Thien Nguyen: currently Pastor of St. John the Baptist de la Salle Parish in Dodge Center, St. Francis de Sales Parish in Claremont, and St. Vincent de Paul Parish in West Concord; transferred to the office of Pastor for St. Ann Parish in Slayton, St. Columba Parish in Iona, and St. Mary Parish in Lake Wilson, effective October 1, 2016.

Rev. Michael Cronin: currently Pastor of St. Ann Parish in Janesville and St. Joseph Parish in Waldorf; appointed to the office of Pastor of All Saints Parish in New Richland, effective October 1, 2016, in addition to his assignment as Pastor of St. Ann and St. Joseph.

Rev. Thomas Niehaus: currently Pastor of St. Columbanus Parish in Blooming Prairie and Sacred Heart Parish in Hayfield; appointed to the office of Pastor for St. John Baptist de la Salle Parish in Dodge Center, effective October 1, 2016, in addition to his assignment as Pastor of St. Columbanus and Sacred Heart.

Very Rev. Raúl Silva: currently Pastor of Queen of Angels Parish in Austin, Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Brownsdale, All Saints Parish in New Richland, St. Aidan Parish in Ellendale, and St. Mary Parish in Geneva; resigned as Pastor of All Saints Parish in New Richland, St. Aidan Parish in Ellendale, and St. Mary Parish in Geneva, effective September 30, 2016.

Child Abuse Policy Information Diocese of Winona - Child Sexual Abuse Policy Information The Diocese of Winona 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 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’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, or mhamann@dow.org.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for Us! �

ear Friends in Christ,

Month of the Holy Rosary

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

Respect Life Month October is also Respect Life Month, when we focus on our call to honor and protect life in all its stages, from conception until natural death. This year’s Respect Life theme is Moved

by Mercy. In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis continues to remind us that, “We are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us.” God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us, so that we might one day enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. The Lord continues to pour out His love and mercy upon us every day, and we are called to share that mercy and love with all those around us. We do this by protecting and defending every human life, including the unborn, sick, elderly, poor, and all those on the margins of society; each human person is of inestimable value because he or she was created in the image and likeness of God. I thank all those who so

October 1, Saturday 4 pm – Mass & Consecration of New Altar & Tabernacle – St. Patrick Church, LeRoy October 2, Sunday 9 am – Confirmation – St. Mary Church, Worthington 2 pm – Confirmation – Immaculate Heart of Mary, Currie; with St. Gabriel, Fulda; & St. Anthony, Westbrook October 3, Monday – October 5, Wednesday Presbyteral Days October 6, Thursday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 7 pm – DOW Ministerial Standards Board Meeting – Rochester October 7, Friday 4 pm – Blessing of “Wings of Hope” pregnancy loss memorial & miscarriage common burial site in Calvary Cemetery - Mankato October 8, Saturday 5 pm – Confirmation – St. Mary of the Lake Church, Lake City; with St. Patrick Church, West Albany October 9, Sunday 2 pm – Confirmation – St. Catherine Church, Luverne; with St. Mary Church, Ellsworth October 11, Tuesday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 5 pm – Rochester Serra Club Priest Appreciation Dinner

faithfully pray for and participate in the National 40 Days for Life campaign. Through prayer, fasting, and keeping vigil outside of abortion clinics, 40 Days for Life works to save lives and be a witness to life. Every year there are numerous babies saved and many hearts converted through these efforts. I plan to go and pray with the 40 Days for Life campaign in Rochester, along with the seminarians from Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, and I encourage everyone to pray for a greater respect and protection for all human life.

Election In this election year, the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota have published a document to help encourage Catholics to exercise their privilege and duty to vote. It reminds us that “Faithful Citizenship means prayerful, active, and responsible participation in the political process.

That includes knowledgably exercising the right to vote with a well-formed conscience. Voting … is an opportunity for God’s faithful to love our neighbors by electing legislators who will hopefully enact policies that protect the unborn and the weak, strengthen the family, promote the conditions to flourish, and ensure that citizens can practice their faith without fear of reprisal.”

It is important that we always remain steadfast in hope and prayer as we approach the November elections. On the Minnesota Catholic Conference website, www. mncatholic.org, there is the Nine Days for Our State and Nation novena. This novena includes prayers and reflections on several important issues facing our state and nation in this election year. I hope that you will join me in praying for our nation as we prepare to elect

October 12, Wednesday 12 pm – Mass at Mankato Newman Center 1 pm – Meeting of Young Priests – Mankato 7 pm – Theology on Tap – Mankato Newman Center October 13, Thursday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU October 14, Friday 6:30 am – Lauds & Mass - IHM Seminary, Winona 1 pm – IHM Seminary Finance Council Meeting - Winona October 15, Saturday 10:45 am – Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation – DOW Women’s Conference – Lourdes High School, Rochester 11:30 am – Mass with DOW Women’s Conference attendees October 16, Sunday 10:30 am – Confirmation – St. Luke, Sherburn; with Sacred Heart, Heron Lake; St. Joseph, Lakefield; St. Francis Xavier, Windom; Sacred Heart, Brewster; & Good Shepherd, Jackson 2 pm – Jubilee Year of Mercy Mass – Sacred Heart Church, Heron Lake October 18, Tuesday 2 pm – Holy Hour with Winona FOCUS Missionaries 5:30 pm – White Mass – St. Mary Hospital Chapel, Rochester

our future leaders, and for wisdom for those who hold public office. Be sure to vote.

Year of Mercy We continue to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which lasts through November 20, 2016, Christ the King Sunday. We remember God’s mercy toward us, and how we are called to go and share that mercy with others. It is not too late to recommit ourselves to carrying out the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The Jubilee of Mercy insert in the Courier continues to highlight these specific ways in which we can show mercy to others in our daily lives.

Before sharing God’s mercy, however, we must first experience God’s mercy ourselves. It is in the Sacrament of Penance that we encounter Christ’s mercy as we receive His forgiveness through the ministry of the priest. Pope Francis has reminded us that the “gift of Mercy is resplendent in a particular way in the sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation.” As we near the end of this Year of Mercy, I encourage you to take advantage of the mercy, peace, and joy God offers you through Confession. Let us turn to Him and encounter His abundant mercy!

A special grace of this Jubilee Year is having Holy Doors throughout the diocese. A Holy Door reminds us that Christ is the door through which we go to the Father and eternal life.

In Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy), Pope Francis exhorts us to “cross the threshold of the Holy Door fully confident that the strength of the Risen Lord, who constantly supports us on our pilgrim way, will sustain us” (#4). One may gain an indulgence by passing through the Holy Door and also going to

Confession eight days prior to or following walking through the Holy Door; receiving Holy Communion; making a Profession of Faith; and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father with an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. You are welcome to make a pilgrimage to a Holy Door located at several churches across the diocese. A complete list of Holy Doors in the Diocese of Winona can be found in the Jubilee of Mercy insert.

3 From the Bishop

October 7 is the day when we honor our Blessed Mother under her title, “Our Lady of the Rosary,” and every October the Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary. The Blessed Mother is known under many different titles, and each one focuses our attention on a particular aspect of her role in our lives and the life of the Church. In meditating on Mary as Our Lady of the Rosary, we are called to reflect on the gift of the Rosary, through which we ask for our Lady’s intercession for ourselves and the world.

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was originally known as the feast of Our Lady of Victory, commemorating the victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Pope St. Pius V had asked for the rosary

to be prayed throughout Europe on this day, and he attributed the victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession. In 1883, it was Pope Leo XIII who declared October the Month of the Holy Rosary.

I encourage everyone to renew their commitment to this beautiful prayer of the Rosary, to our Lady.

The Rosary allows us to meditate on the key events of our salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, while asking for Mary’s intercession.

It is a wonderful custom to pray the Rosary together as a family, or at least one decade after dinner. I find that praying the Rosary brings peace into my life and deepens my surrender to God’s providential care for the Church and for all creation.

May Our Lady of the Rosary protect us and intercede for us.

Vocations This year, we have 16 seminarians studying for the Diocese of Winona. Two of them, God willing, will be ordained as transitional deacons next summer.

Please keep them in your prayers and continue to pray for young men to say yes to the call of the Lord to serve Him as priests. It is important to always encourage our children and all young people to be open to the possibility of following the Lord as priests or religious. Christ tells us, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Matt.

9:37-38). May we always be willing to joyfully follow the Lord wherever He calls us!

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Rev. John M. Quinn Bishop of Winona

October 19, Wednesday 11:30 – Clergy Advisory Meeting 5 pm – Dinner with the Midwest Christian Brothers of St. Mary University – Winona

October 27, Thursday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 10 am – Holy Hour 10:30 am – Priest Pension Plan Board Meeting – Winona

October 20, Thursday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 1 pm – Holy Hour 2 pm – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting

October 28, Friday 10 am - 2 pm – Virtus Training for all Priests & Deacons – Owatonna 5 pm – Evening Prayer & Dinner with IHM Seminarians

October 21, Friday 5 pm – Winona Serra Club Priest Appreciation Dinner

October 29, Saturday 8 am – Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting – Owatonna

October 22, Saturday 11 am – Confirmation – St. James Church, St. James; with St. Mary Church, Madelia

October 30, Sunday 10 am – Mass of Installation of Pastor – St. Columban Church, Preston

October 23, Sunday 10:30 am – Mass – Annual Retreat for DOW Permanent Diaconate – Alverna Center, Winona October 24, Monday 11:30 am – Mass – Together in Faith – Loyola Schools, Mankato October 25, Tuesday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 11 am – Holy Hour 12 pm – Deans Meeting – Albert Lea October 26, Wednesday 11:30 am – Holy Hour 12 pm – DOW Finance Council Meeting 4:45 pm – Vespers & Mass - IHM Seminary, Winona

November 1, Tuesday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 12 pm – Mass with St. Mary School Students & Staff – St. Joseph Church, Owatonna November 3, Thursday 7:45 am – Teach at SMU 10 am – Annual Meeting with Ascension Health 1 pm – Holy Hour 2 pm – Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting November 6, Sunday 2 pm – Confirmation – St. Teresa, Mapleton; with St. Joseph, Good Thunder; St. Matthew, Vernon Center; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Easton; St. Casimir, Wells; & St. John the Baptist, Minnesota Lake

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Family,

4 cont'd from pg. 1

VISION 2016

"How do we go about helping these people adjust? Because we might be adjusting to [schedule changes] and things like that, but we're not having to close or leave our church that we've gone to for many years. ... I know how I'd feel. I'd probably feel kind of standoffish the first time I walked into [a new] church. ... You always feel hesitant, because you don't want to hurt their feelings."

According to Fr. Neihaus, part of the adjustment is remembering and honoring the history of each parish involved in the formation of the cluster, even those that have closed.

"Those communities truly have fulfilled the purpose of the mission that they were brought into being for," he said, "which is to shape people's hearts and minds and souls for Christ.

"I've seen people struggle, in good faith, to try not to forgo their identities as smaller parishes, but rather ... to work together with other people and focus on what's common amongst them. So a challenge can be laden with opportunities; we still have that rich history, but, at the same time, come together with a new identity in Jesus."

Msgr. Tom Melvin Vicar General tmelvin@dow.org

Canonized, cont'd from pg. 1

She joined the Sisters of Loretto at age 17 and was sent to Calcutta, where she taught at a high school. After contracting tuberculosis, she was sent to rest in Darjeeling, and it was on the way that she felt what she called “an order” from God to leave the convent and live among the poor.

The Vatican granted her permission to leave the Sisters

"I think we become a larger family," Colee said. "I think we will gain new friends out of this, [and] we're enlarging our area of communication. Myself, I don't know anybody from Dodge Center. I think I know one person from Claremont. ... So I think it's gaining more friends, and we need them as lectors and helping out in different things. It may be just one little step at a time until they're comfortable [and] can jump right in there, but it's up to us to get them to feel comfortable. ... I'm hoping through the Faith Formation classes that we can get our kids to start welcoming and to open this up more."

As VISION 2016 progresses, Fr. Neihaus sees evangelization as a major "hidden gem" of the consolidation process.

"Having grown up in southwestern Minnesota, I come from an area where the population has clearly declined," he said. "And so I'm well aware, whether it's schools, economics, farming, or parish life, that we need to work together, and we need to work smarter. In rural areas of Minnesota, I've seen examples of where, if we don't work together, we fall apart. ...

"It's not just that priest numbers are low or our communities are diminishing; it's also the fact that we live in a time where people may have been baptized Christian, but they don't even know what that means. ... [It is time] for all of us to ask, 'Why am I Catholic?

Why am I Christian? Is it because I'm praying and I have a relationship with the Living Lord? Or am I someone who's just doing this because of community, or just to go through the motions?' [Pastoral planning] is an opportunity to gauge participation and to raise the bar. ...

"I am in awe of the universality of Catholics coming together, and I think it is a powerful, powerful gift that God has given to members of the Church to share in a universal faith, where you can pray and worship anywhere in the world and encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, the Mass, ... the strength of the scriptures, the consistency of the teaching, and the tenderness of the motherhood of our Church, who embraces her children who are the baptized." of Loretto and to live her new call under the guidance of the Archbishop of Calcutta.

After she left her convent, Mother Teresa began working in the slums, teaching poor children, and treating the sick in their homes. A year later, some of her former students joined her, and together they took in men, women and children who were dying in the gutters along the streets.

In 1950, the Missionaries of Charity were born as a congregation of the Diocese of Calcutta. In 1952, the government granted them a house from which to continue their mission of serving Calcutta's poor and forgotten.

The congregation quickly grew from a single house for

Former parishioners of St. Mary, Geneva (top left); St. Francis de Sales, Claremont (top right); and St. Vincent de Paul, West Concord (bottom) have joined the new Tri-Parish of St. John Baptist de la Salle, Dodge Center; Sacred Heart, Hayfield; and St. Columbanus, Blooming Prairie.

To other parishes who will experience restructuring as VISION 2016 progresses, Carol Colee gives this advice: "You get into your own niches. You have your own seat that you sit in every Sunday. Well, that may now be taken up by somebody else, and we need to learn that we have to move on to something different. ... We need priests like Father, who was willing to jump out there and get in with these [merging] parishes to try and get them to be more comfortable with this transition. What we need to do is go to their fish fries or go to their breakfasts, so that we all get acquainted together." the dying and unwanted to nearly 500 houses around the world.

Mother Teresa set up homes for prostitutes, battered women, orphanages for poor children and houses for those suffering from AIDS. She was a fierce defender of the unborn, and is known to have said, “If you hear of some woman who does not want to keep her child and wants to have an abortion, try to persuade her to bring him to me. I will love that child, seeing in him the sign of God's love.”

She died Sept. 5, 1997, and was beatified just six years later by St. John Paul II Oct. 19, 2003.

Miracles, cont'd from pg. 2 causes of saints. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God in word and with 'messianic signs,' that he worked to make clear his identity and credibility to its mission and also to anticipate the final news of the redeemed world,” Archbishop Bartolucci said.

“The same is true for saints,” he said.

“Miracles, that they receive through their intercession, are a sign of God's presence in history and, at the same time, are the confirmation of their former high holiness, expressed first of all in the exercise of heroic Christian virtues or martyrdom.”

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Welcome to Noah's Ark �

oah's Ark Preschool is located at St. Leo’s Parish in Pipestone. It is owned by the Tri-Parish of St. Joseph, St. Leo and St. Martin.

Our preschool was established in January of 2010, after several parish members saw a need for another preschool in our community.

We offer two ages of preschool classes: the 3-year-olds meet two days a week for three hours each day, and the four- and five-year-olds meet three days a week for three hours each day.

We do a wide variety of activities with the children, including field trips, religion lessons, crafts, science experiments, and learning of numbers and the alphabet, to name a few. We are also fortunate to have a gym in our church, so the children have plenty of space to run and play when the

weather is inclement outdoors. We added an outdoor playset and other outdoor equipment for the children to use. We like to keep our class sizes small to give each child plenty of one-on-one time;

October Is Special for SCS

By TERESA CHIRPICH

�

t St. Casimir’s School in Wells, our October highlights include our Knights of Columbus Marathon for Nonpublic Education, parent-teacher conferences, and arriving at the half-way point of our first quarter of the school year. We also look forward to celebrating All Saints Day on November 1 by dressing as the Saints we aspire to be like and taking time to remember the dead. During this day, we are reminded that this earthly home is only temporary and our eternal home is filled with those who love us and are waiting for the day when we will be reunited.

Also, we were recently visited by Pegi Sorenson, a representative of Catholic United Financial (CUF), who presented Principal Joanne Tibodeau with a donation.

Whenever a new member joins CUF, the company makes a donation to the religious education program of that member's choice - a practice for which St. Casimir's School is grateful! The vision statement of CUF is "Bound by our Catholic faith, we will be a provider of choice in contributing to the financial well-being of our members and be a visible leader in support of our Catholic communities."

As a mission of St. Casimir Church for over 100 years, we have a history of rich traditions with foundations rooted in the Catholic faith, including the command to “go and teach.” St. Casimir’s School is an extension of our parish’s mission, where our faith is not only taught, but lived as an example of what it means to be Catholic. The month of October is also a

5 Catholic Schools

this makes us more aware of each child’s needs. One very important goal in our preschool is that we teach each child how much Jesus loves them!

I find it very rewarding to teach them about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Each year, we try to incorporate new learning activities into the program.

Our 3-year-old program is based on learning manners and the fundamentals of the classroom. Our 4- and 5-yearold program prepares children for what they will encounter in kindergarten, so they are ready and excited to start their school adventures.

At Noah’s Ark, everyone is welcomed and loved. We are very fortunate to have such caring and supportive parishes and community.

By AMY VANDENBOSCH

Amy VandenBosch is director of Noah's Ark Preschool.

special month for Catholic schools as it is the month of the Rosary. At St. Casimir’s School, this devotion is traditionally celebrated by praying a living rosary, in which each student takes the role of a bead and leads its corresponding prayer. This is a wonderful time to invite our parish to pray with and for us!

Although society continues to push our Lord further and further away, our school, like the Church during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, has once again chosen to open wide the doors and invite all those who seek the Lord to be welcomed within. May God richly bless the 2016-2017 school year for all our Catholic schools!

Teresa Chirpich is secretary of St. Casimir's School.

Principal Joanne Tibodeau (left) and Pegi Sorenson (right)

Curriculum Writing Continues Thanks to our Diocese of Winona Math teachers, who formed teams to work on ACE curriculum assessments at Lourdes High School in Rochester over the summer!

Marsha Stenzel Superintendent mstenzel@dow.org

KC Marathon for Nonpublic Education October, 2016 w The Courier

Catechetical Day 2016: Give Them Jesus

Faith Formation

6 �early 500 priests, deacons, parish ministers,

catechists, Catholic school teachers, and interested laity throughout Southern Minnesota gathered together for Catechetical Day at Lourdes High School in Rochester on August 29. The day included Mass with Bishop Quinn and an educational convocation presented by Sophia Institute for Teachers, which focused on the Love and Mercy of God. In his homily, Bishop Quinn spoke of his opportunity as a young priest to celebrate Mass for Mother Teresa (now St. Teresa of Calcutta), and how she kissed his hands and thanked him for “giving her Jesus.” It was reiterated to the teachers and catechists assembled that we are called to do the same; not in

October, 2016 w The Courier

the same miraculous way that Bishop Quinn was able to give Jesus through the Most Blessed Sacrament, but we are called to bring to them the love, mercy, and truth that comes from Christ alone.

So to everyone, regardless of whether you were in attendance on August 29 or not, remember as you encounter people today that you are called to “give them Jesus.” The Lord depends on YOU to give His love to those you encounter. As St. Teresa of Calcutta also said, “I'm a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.” Perhaps we should all pray that our hearts will be open to allow God to use us to help continue that v Wa i love letter to the world.

C deos tch

at pre echet of o sen ical ur dow tation Day .org s at !

Sr. Paul Mary Rittgers, R.S.M. Director faithformation@dow.org

"Show Mercy to Our Common Home"

7

Todd Graff Director tgraff@dow.org

Lay Formation

[This day] offers individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.

--Pope Francis on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

�ost Catholics have read or heard something

about Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Shortly after the publication of this encyclical on environmental stewardship, Pope Francis joined with “our Orthodox brothers and sisters” to designate September 1 as a special day of prayer for God’s gift of creation. This past month, our Church marked the second such World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

Due to the timing of this day at the end of the summer and beginning of a new school year, it has not received much attention here in our U.S. Catholic Church. But, given the state of our planet, our “common home,” I would like to provide a summary of the message issued by our Holy Father to mark this observance.

In the introduction to the statement, Pope Francis notes that the time between September 1 (the date for this Day of Prayer) and October 4 (the date of the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi) has been proposed as a period to celebrate a “Time of Creation.” (As I write this on a beautiful late summer/early fall day, we are in the middle of this time.)

Pope Francis notes that this initiative has given rise to many “ecumenical activities in different parts of the world,” and that similar environmental initiatives have brought people together from diverse religious backgrounds. He states that, “as people of faith and goodwill, we should be united in showing mercy to the earth as our common home and cherishing the world in which we live as a place for sharing and communion.”

Following the introduction, this brief statement then unfolds in six brief sections: 1. The earth cries out…

Pope Francis reminds us that our earthly home is in a profound situation of peril due to “the devastation of the environment … leading to ever more severe droughts, floods, fires and extreme weather events.”

And, as always, his heart is closest to the poor, who are “least responsible for climate change [yet] most vulnerable and already suffering its impact.” As he did in Laudato Si’, he affirms the deep connection between “human beings [and] all of creation,” challenging us to hear “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (Laudato Si’, #49).

2. …for we have sinned

Citing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Pope Francis lists some of the “sins against creation:" destruction of biological diversity;

"St. Francis with the Animals" by Lambert de Hondt the Elder and Willem van Herp the Elder

degradation of the earth’s integrity through climate change; deforestation and destruction of wetlands; and contamination of the earth’s waters, land, air, and life. These are sins “against ourselves” and “against God.” In view of these sins, we must seek a “profound interior conversion” – sustained by the Sacrament of Penance – marked by imploring God’s mercy and committing ourselves to “taking concrete steps towards ecological conversion.”

3. An Examination of Conscience and Repentance The first step in acknowledging our sins and seeking forgiveness is to undertake an examination of conscience. We begin in gratitude, recognizing that “the world is God’s loving gift, and that we are called to imitate his generosity in self-sacrifice and good works” (Laudato Si’, #220). Then, affirming the “splendid universal communion” we share with the rest of God’s creatures, we acknowledge “our contribution … to the disfigurement and destruction of creation.”

Such repentance is especially appropriate for us during this Jubilee Year of Mercy. We seek to “make amends” for having “grown comfortable with certain lifestyles shaped by a distorted culture of prosperity and a ‘disordered desire to consume more than what is really necessary’” (Laudato Si’, #123). And, as Catholics, we confess our sins and resolve to change our lives.

4. Changing Course Our desire and commitment to turn away from our sins against God’s “wonderful handiwork” must, then, “translate into concrete ways of thinking and acting that are more respectful of creation.” He names several such actions: reducing consumption; recycling; not wasting food; using public transportation and car pooling; planting trees; caring for other living beings; etc. For many of us, these are the disciplines of good stewardship we were taught as children.

What we seek is to live “a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption” (Laudato Si’, #222). And we must bring this perspective into our engagement with the broader

culture and society, so that our economics and politics will support “the common good, which includes sustainability and care for creation.”

5. A New Work of Mercy Pope Francis then proposes a complement to the Church’s traditional teaching on the practice of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy: “care for our common home.” He explains that the object of mercy, when we consider the works of mercy as a whole, is “human life and everything it embraces.” In this light, such a focus on mercy can be seen to include care for God’s gift of creation, as our very lives depend on the elements and health of our natural world.

As a spiritual work of mercy, care for our common home calls us to a “grateful contemplation of God’s world.” As a corporal work of mercy, care for our common home is practiced in “simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness … [and] in every action that seeks to build a better world” (Laudato Si’, #230-231).

6. In conclusion, let us pray...

In closing this message to us, Pope Francis says that, despite the grave situation we are facing, we must never lose heart. And, in this, he quotes again from his encyclical letter: “The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us … for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward” (Laudato Si’, #13, 245).

And so, in this month when we honor Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, let us “take heart” and embrace this great work of mercy: to give due honor and respect to all of God’s creation, and to nurture and protect the great treasure of “our common home.” Deo Gratias!

O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth / who are so precious in your eyes… / God of love, show us our place in this world as channels of your love for all the creatures of this earth. / God of mercy, may we receive your forgiveness and convey your mercy throughout our common home. / Praise be to you! / Amen.

--Pope Francis, "Show Mercy to Our Common Home" October, 2016 w The Courier

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Rise Up at the DCYC �

Youth and Young Adults

he Winona Diocese Catholic Youth Conference is upon us, and this year’s event is one our young people are not going to want to miss. On November 12, high school students from around the diocese are invited to Loyola High School in Mankato for a day-long conference focused on firing up our young people and empowering them to be living witnesses of faith. The theme for DCYC is “Rise Up,” and much of the day will focus on the Year of Mercy and how we rise from our brokenness into a life of holiness and charity.

Joining us for the conference is Paul J. Kim, a national speaker and professional musician and beat boxer. Paul was the emcee for the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis last year. His dynamic stories, humor and musical abilities are only a few of his many wonderful traits. Most importantly, Paul is a good man, a faithful husband and father.

The DCYC conference packs a lot of programming into one day, and there is something for everyone. The event will have fun games, icebreakers, service projects, and praise and worship music. There are many prayer opportunities through Mass, adoration and confession. There is also great food and friendship.

There are two awards that the Diocese of Winona will hand out during the conference. The first is the St. Timothy Award. This distinction goes to one exemplary high school student who lives out the Catholic faith and is a witness to peers. The recipient is nominated by peers or a youth minister and is selected by a panel at the diocese.

The second award is the Companions on the Journey Award, which goes to an exemplary youth minister. The recipient should be an example of faith and sacrificial love in his or her work with young people. Nominations are sent to the diocese, and a panel decides to whom the award goes.

To learn more and to nominate a candidate for either of these awards, please visit www.dow.org/offices/youth-andyoung-adults The Diocese Catholic Youth Conference is an opportunity for our young people to grow in their Catholic faith. I invite you to spread the word so that we can all gather this November and rise up to become the saints God has created us to be!

Ben Frost Director bfrost@dow.org

October, 2016 w The Courier

Calling All Artists!

The Benedictine Center calls Minnesota artists to participate in its sixth annual juried art show, Seeing God, planned for January 25-March 1. For the first time, it is accepting submissions from young people (Grades 9-12). Submissions are due January 11. Awards totaling $525 will be distributed to the top winners.

Awards for the Adult Division total $375 ($150 for first place, $125 for second, $100 for third). Awards for the Youth Division are as follows: $75 for first place, $50 for second, $25 for third. Awards will be announced at the official reception on January 25.

Seeing God provides a venue for artists who think deeply about their work and whose creativity helps viewers experience the Divine.

Benedictine Center Director Sam Rahberg says, “We

believe art can be an interpretive lens into the mystery of God, so we are looking for works that capture that deep sense of wonder.”

Contest rules, guidelines and entry forms, can be found on www.stpaulsmonastery.org. Click on the Benedictine Center tab and then “Art & Spirituality.” Or call 651-777-7251; email: benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org.

Seeing God art show has attracted more than 150 local artists in its five-year history. Its goals are to encourage artists in their ability to give form to God’s revelation in human life, nature and the cosmos; and to show how arts can expand our capacity to encounter God. The Benedictine Center is a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery, which is located at 2675 Benet Road in Maplewood.

Jubilee Year

o f M e rc y St. Teresa of Calcutta: Inside...

Special Insert - October, 2016

an "Emblematic Figure of Womanhood" The following is excerpted from Pope Francis' homily at the Holy Mass and Canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Sunday, September 4, during the Jubilee for Workers of Mercy and Volunteers, in St. Peter's Square.

�

ho can learn the counsel of God?” (Wis 9:13). This question from the Book of Wisdom that we have just heard in the first reading suggests that our life is a mystery and that we do not possess the key to understanding it. There are always two protagonists in history: God and man. Our task is to perceive the call of God and then to do his will. But in order to do his will, we must ask ourselves, “What is God’s will in my life?”

We find the answer in the same passage of the Book of Wisdom: “People were taught what pleases you” (Wis 9:18).

In order to ascertain the call of God, we must ask ourselves and understand what pleases God. On many occasions, the prophets proclaimed what was pleasing to God. Their message found a wonderful synthesis in the words “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6; Mt 9:13). God is pleased by every act of mercy, because in the brother or sister that we assist, we recognize the face of God which no one can see (cf. Jn 1:18).

Each time we bend down to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we give Jesus something to eat and drink; we clothe, we help, and we visit the Son of God (cf.

Mt 25:40). In a word, we touch the flesh of Christ.

We are thus called to translate into concrete acts that which we invoke in prayer and profess in faith. There is no alternative to charity: those who put themselves at the service of others, even when they don’t know it, are those who love God (cf. 1 Jn 3:1618; Jas 2:14-18). The Christian life, however, is not merely extending a hand in times of need. If it is just this, it can be, certainly, a lovely expression of human solidarity which offers immediate benefits, but it is sterile because it lacks roots. The task which the Lord gives us, on the contrary, is the vocation to charity in which each of Christ’s disciples puts his or her entire life at his service, so to grow each day in love.

We heard in the Gospel, “Large crowds were travelling with Jesus” (Lk 14:25). Today, this “large crowd” is seen in the great number of volunteers who have

come together for the Jubilee of everyone through Mercy. You are that crowd who her welcome and follows the Master and who defense of human makes visible his concrete love for life, those unborn each person. I repeat to you the and those abanwords of the Apostle Paul: “I have doned and discardindeed received much joy and ed. She was comcomfort from your love, because mitted to defendthe hearts of the saints have been ing life, ceaselessly refreshed through you” (Philem proclaiming that 1:7). How many hearts have “the unborn are been comforted by volunteers! the weakest, the How many hands they have held; smallest, the most how many tears they have wiped vulnerable." She away; how much love has been bowed down before poured out in hidden, humble those who were and selfless service! This praise- spent, left to die on is so near to us, so tender and worthy service gives voice to the the side of the road, seeing in so fruitful that we continue to faith – it gives voice to the faith! them their God-given dignity; she spontaneously call her “Mother – and expresses the mercy of the made her voice heard before the Teresa." May this tireless workFather, who draws near to those powers of this world, so that they er of mercy help us increasingly might recognize their guilt for the to understand that our only criin need.

Following Jesus is a serious crime – the crimes! – of poverty terion for action is gratuitous task, and, at the same time, one they created. For Mother Teresa, love, free from every ideolofilled with joy; it takes a certain mercy was the “salt” which gave gy and all obligations, offered daring and courage to recognize flavor to her work, it was the freely to everyone without disthe divine Master in the poor- “light” which shone in the dark- tinction of language, culture, est of the poor and those who ness of the many who no longer race or religion. Mother Teresa are cast aside, and to give one- had tears to shed for their povloved to say, “Perhaps I don’t self in their service. In order to erty and suffering.

Her mission to the urban and speak their language, but I can do so, volunteers, who out of love of Jesus serve the poor and existential peripheries remains smile." Let us carry her smile the needy, do not expect any for us today an eloquent witness in our hearts and give it to thanks or recompense; rather to God’s closeness to the poor- those whom we meet along they renounce all this because est of the poor. Today, I pass on our journey, especially those they have discovered true love. this emblematic figure of woman- who suffer. In this way, we will And each one of us can say: “Just hood and of consecrated life to open up opportunities of joy as the Lord has come to meet me the whole world of volunteers: and hope for our many brothand has stooped down to my level may she be your model of holi- ers and sisters who are discourin my hour of need, so too do I go ness! I think, perhaps, we may aged and who stand in need of to meet him, bending low before have some difficulty in calling understanding and tenderness. those who have lost faith or who her “Saint Teresa”: her holiness live as though God did not exist, before young people without values or ideals, before families in crisis, before the ill and ugust’s Friday of Mercy took Pope Francis to a neighborhood in the the imprisoned, before peripheries of Rome, where he visited a condominium complex that houses refugees and immigrants, a rehabilitation program for young women run by the John XXIII Community before the weak and founded by Father Benzi. defenseless in body and The visit was a true surprise for the 20 young women. When they spirit, before abandoned opened the door of the private apartment, the last thing they expected was children, before the to see Pope Francis. The Pope had a friendly talk with them for more than elderly who are on their one hour, listening to their sad experiences. He encouraged them to look own. Wherever someone forward with much faith. It was a time of special attention from the Pope is reaching out, asking for for this representative group of women, whose average age is 30, and who a helping hand in order to come from Romania, Nigeria, Ukraine, Albania, and Italy. Also present at get up, this is where our the meeting were Giovanni Paolo Ramonda, the national presence – and the pres- head of the John XXIII Community; Father Aldo Bonaiuto, ence of the Church which its chaplain, and some of the community’s workers. sustains and offers hope In the midst of vacation time, when everyone tends – must be." And I do this, to focus on entertainment, often not mindful of rules, keeping alive the memory the sign given by Pope Francis is that of wanting to of those times when the restore complete dignity to these young women who have Lord’s hand reached out suffered forceful aggression, oppression, and intimidation to me when I was in need. from the prostitution racket.

Mother Teresa, in all With this gesture, Pope Francis wished to reaffirm aspects of her life, was that Mercy is not an abstract word, but rather a concrete a generous dispenser action with which you involve yourself even in social issues of divine mercy, mak- in order to restore the dignity of those subjected to new ing herself available for forms of slavery.

Opening Our Hearts to Works of Mercy

read more on page 2

Events for the Year of Mercy

read more on page 3

Pilgrimage Parish Profile

read more on page 4

Fridays of Mercy: John XXIII Community �

October, 2016 w The Courier

Jubilee Year of Mercy

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O p e n i n g O u r H e a rt s to t h e W o r k s o f M e rc y Bury the Dead ~ Pray for the Living and the Dead

"It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty. And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy."

-Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, #15

The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise. They "are charitable actions by which we help our neighbors in their bodily needs" (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults). They respond to the basic needs of humanity as we journey together through this life.

Bury the Dead Funerals give us the opportunity to grieve and show others support during difficult times. Through our prayers and actions during these times we show our respect for life, which is always a gift from God, and offer comfort to those who mourn.

• Send a card to someone who has recently lost a loved one. Consider including a Scripture quote or one of the Church's traditional prayers for the dead.

• Visit the cemetery and pray for those you have lost from this life.

Moments of Mercy In Our Daily Encounters

• Spend time planning your own funeral Mass. Read through the Order of Christian Funerals and reflect on our Christan hope in the Resurrection.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy have long been a part of the Christian tradition, appearing in the works of theologians and spiritual writers throughout history.

Just as Jesus attended to the spiritual well-being of those he ministered to, these Spiritual Works of Mercy guide us to "help our neighbor in their spiritual needs" (U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults).

Pray for the Living and the Dead Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support others. Joining together in prayer for the living and the dead entrusts us all into God's care.

• Request a Mass intention for a friend or family member who is going through a tough time or has passed away.

•Keep your own book of prayer intention, writing down the names of those whom you are keeping in your prayers.

•Ask a friend or family member if there is anything you can pray about for them.

•Through prayer, entrust your cares and concerns for those around you to God.

Living the Year of Mercy

Each month, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops publishes, “Moments of Mercy,” offering a brief reflection on mercy and concrete suggestions of how we can live out the mercy that God offers us all. These are perfect Practical suggestions to help you walk more virtuously for busy days since they help us to slow down for just a few minutes and think about the gifts God has blessed us In his Bull of Indiction announcing the Year No. 17). with and how we can share them.

New situations can be intimidating, yet they are also a great opportunity to grow and express yourself. We want to make a good impression on others, whether it is at the beginning of a new school year, a new job, or just meeting someone for the first time. Likewise, when people are first turning to the Christian faith, we want them to have a positive experience of Christianity so that they can come to know the love and mercy of God. In all of our actions then, we ought to take this into consideration and model our own attitudes and actions after Christ, who is the "face of the Father's mercy" (Misericordiae Vultus, #1). By showing others love, mercy, and compassion, we offer them the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God. Personal encounters and invitations are a great way to witness God's mercy and compassion to others. Even little actions, like a smile, can make a big difference in the way people see you living out your faith. This month, try some of these actions out: - Eat lunch with someone you don't normally sit with.

- Say hello to those you pass on the street, making eye contact and smiling rather than looking down at your feet.

- Invite someone to come to church with you or to a parish activity.

October, 2016 w The Courier

of Mercy, Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis offers a series of practical suggestions for how Catholics should celebrate the Jubilee Year. In this and the coming issues, we will offer one of these practical suggestions drawing from an article by Emily Stimpson, a contributing editor for Our Sunday Visitor.

Contemplate God's Mercy in Scripture

Sacred Scripture is both the word of God and the story of God in time. It traces the history of God’s dealings with men, recalling his merciful provisions for humanity, from Eden to Calvary and beyond. God’s mercy cannot be understood apart from the Bible. This is why Pope Francis has called upon the faithful to ponder its pages more closely during this year.

“How many pages of Sacred Scripture are appropriate for meditation … to help us rediscover the merciful face of the Father?,” the Holy Father asked (Misericordiae Vultus,

through the Jubilee Year

In Misericoriae Vultus (the statement initiating the Year of Mercy), Pope Francis pointed specifically to the prophets Micah and Isaiah as starting points for that meditation.

But the psalms, which are ancient Israel’s songs of prayer, praise and thanksgiving, also offer almost endless insights into God’s mercy, as does the entire history of ancient Israel, from Genesis through Maccabees.

Throughout the year, heeding the Holy Father’s advice to contemplate God’s mercy in Scripture is as simple as reading a chapter from the Bible each morning, praying the Divine Office with the Church or praying an abbreviated form of it with the Magnificat.

Bible studies, like the St. Paul Center’s, “Journey Through Scripture,” and Ascension Press’s, “Bible Timeline,” or books like Father Mitch Pacwa’s, Mercy: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics (Our Sunday Visitor), also offer insights into God’s mercy through familiarizing people with the story of salvation history. Pope Benedict XVI’s trilogy on Jesus of Nazareth can also serve as a guide to seeing God’s mercy incarnated in the face of Christ.

Year of Mercy In October & November...

In Rome and the Universal Church…

Saturday, October 8 - Sunday, October 9 Marian Jubilee- St. Peter's Square

"My thoughts now turn to the Mother of Mercy. May the sweetness of her countenance watch over us in this Holy Year, so that all of us may rediscover the joy of God's tenderness."

-Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, #24

Friday, October 21 - Sunday, October 23

Jubilee for Choirs & Those Involved in Liturgical Music - Paul VI Hall

Saturday, October 22

Special Jubilee Audience of Pope Francis - St. Peter's Square

Sunday, November 6

Jubilee for Prisoners - St. Peter's Basilica

Friday, November 11 - Sunday, November 13 European Festival of Joy and Mercy - Rome

Fratello (an association that hosts events for excluded people) is organizing the European Festival of Joy and Mercy, which will allow 6,000 vulnerable people to experience an extraordinary event in Rome and meet Pope Francis several times.

Friday, October 7

Diocesan Holy Hour - 3pm, Sacred Heart Church, Adams

Saturday, October 15

Diocesan Women’s Conference - 9am-4pm, Lourdes High School, Rochester Join women from throughout the diocese for a day steeped in the beauty and mercy of the Queen of Heaven. Register now at www.dow.org or email cwithrow@dow.org.

Tuesday, October 18

Diocesan White Mass (Jubilee for all Catholic Medical Personnel) - 5:30pm - St. Mary's Hospital Chapel, Rochester

Saturday, November 12

Sunday, October 30

Sunday, November 13

"In the diversity of peoples who experience the gift of God, each in accordance with its own culture, the Church expresses her genuine catholicity and shows forth the 'beauty of her varied face.'"

Special Jubilee Audience of Pope Francis - St. Peter's Square Closing of Holy Doors - Rome (and around the world)

Sunday, November 20

Closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica and Conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy "The Jubilee year will close with the liturgical Solemnity of Christ the King on 20 November 2016. On that day, as we seal the Holy Door, we shall be filled, above all, with a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for having granted us an extraordinary time of grace. We will entrust the life of the Church, all humanity, and the entire cosmos to the Lordship of Christ, asking him to pour out his mercy upon us like the morning dew, so that everyone may work together to build a brighter future."

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Diocesan Jubilee for Hispanic Catholic Community Verizon Wireless Center, Mankato

-Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, #116

Friday, November 4

Jubilee Year of Mercy

Calendar of Events

In the Diocese…

Diocesan Holy Hour - 3pm - Sacred Heart Church, Owatonna

Sunday, November 13 Closing Mass for the Jubilee Year of Mercy - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona Closing of the Holy Doors - Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona, and in pilgrimage sites across the diocese

-Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, #5

Jubileo Extraordinario de la Misericordia ¡Clausura!

De P. JOSÉ L. MORALES

�Francisco gradecemos a Dios y a la Iglesia en cabeza del Papa quien nos llamo a vivir este año el jubileo

extraordinario de la misericordia, un año lleno de bendiciones y gracias, lleno de reconciliación y encuentro con el hermano. Ha sido un año como dijo el Papa con muchas oportunidades para ser testigos del “Amor del Padre”.

Agradecemos a nuestra a la Diócesis de Winona en cabeza del Señor Obispo John M Quinn quien nos ha apoyado en las diferentes actividades que se han programado a lo largo del año de manera especial nos ha bendecido con su presencia en la Eucaristía de apertura y también de clausura. Gracias a la Diócesis por el apoyo financiero y logístico que han tenido para este gran evento que vamos a tener en Mankato. Agradecemos a la parroquia de San Teodoro en Albert Lea quienes nos recibieron cada domingo en las peregrinaciones para alcanzar las gracias del jubileo, gracias al P. Russell Scepaniak, quien es el Párroco y quien siempre estuvo pendiente de cada actividad.

Gracias a todos los hermanos sacerdotes párrocos donde hay comunidad hispana que han acompañado en la organización de esta actividad pastoral de la Diócesis, en especial a los sacerdotes de habla hispana quienes han estado dispuestos a predicar, a confesar, presidir las eucaristías y han estado al frente de la organización del evento. Agradecemos a cada uno de los representantes de las parroquias, al comité Diocesano quienes han estado trabajando arduamente en cada detalle de esta celebración, gracias por estar dispuestos a reunirse, gracias por compartir sus talentos y por su tiempo, gracias a quienes han compartido alimentos para las reuniones, Dios recompense su generosidad.

Como todos saben hemos llegado al momento de

cierre de este año y por eso hemos programado un gran evento, al que invitamos cordialmente a todos para que nos acompañen, que no se quede nadie en su casa el domingo 30 de octubre, vamos todos a Mankato, vamos a tener una gran oportunidad para encontrarnos como hermanos, también una gran oportunidad para orar, para escuchar una plática acerca de la misericordia y para ser parte de este gran concierto que nos han preparado los hermanos de Jesed y además al final vamos a

concluir con el regalo más precioso que es Jesús mismo en la Eucaristía, presidida por nuestro Obispo y concelebrada por un gran número de sacerdotes quienes nos van a acompañar.

No puedes faltar, invita a tus amigos, vecinos y de manera especial toda tu familia, es una gran oportunidad para convivir en torno a la fe y a la Misericordia.

P. José L. Morales es Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón en Owatonna.

October, 2016 w The Courier

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Pilgrimage Parish Profile Holy Doors and Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Pilgrimage Sites in the

Winona

Saint Thomas Parish – 1857 The first Catholics, of Irish and German descent, came to Winona around 1854, though Father Augustine Ravoux had visited the site of Winona as early as 1841 on one of his journeys from St. Paul to Prairie du Chien. In 1856, Bishop Joseph Crétin, the first bishop of Minnesota Territory, visited Winona and offered the first Mass of which there is a record, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Urell. At that first Mass, all the Catholics of the vicinity met and a parish was organized.

In 1857, Father Thomas Murray visited and attended to the needs of the new parish. Father Murray selected two lots on Dakota Street to erect a two-story frame building to serve as a church and temporary parochial residence. This practical design was altered and the church erected for church purposes only. It was dedicated to Saint Thomas the Apostle. Father Anatole Oster visited the mission and succeeded in 1857 in completing the church. The church was subsequently moved to the center of the city, on Wabasha Street, in 1864.

During the pastorate of Father William Lette, the parish bought land between the church and Center Street, and the foundation of a new church dedicated to Saint Thomas was laid. The cornerstone of the new church was placed by the Most Rev. Thomas Grace, Bishop of St. Paul, on August 28, 1870.

In June, 1871, Father Joseph Cotter assumed the pastoral care of Saint Thomas Parish. During his pastorate, much progress was made, including the building of a new parochial school. On December 27, 1889, while still pastor, he was consecrated as the first Bishop of Winona. With this appointment of the first bishop of the newly established diocese, the church came to be called Saint Thomas Pro Cathedral.

Saint Joseph Parish – 1862 Catholic residents of all nationalities attended the first Catholic church in Winona, dedicated to Saint Thomas the Apostle, which was built in 1857 (as described above). The number of Catholics of German nationality was small, but there was a desire among them to have a church and, especially, a priest who would continue to instruct them and their children in their native language.

On August 15, 1858, the small group elected a committee to secure a site for a church somewhere between Main and Kansas Streets and Second Street and Broadway. The site was purchased on September 8, 1858. The building for Saint Joseph Parish was completed in November 1862.

The Rev. Theodore Venn was appointed the first pastor on August 12, 1862. On February 11, 1878, the Rev. A. Heller became pastor. A new brick and stone church was begun under his direction in 1881. The cornerstone of the new church was placed on April 30, 1882, with the Most Reverend John Ireland of St. Paul officiating. The old church building was moved and used as a parochial school and convent, and a new rectory was also built at this time. In 1896, a new school was built.

At the time of its union with Saint Thomas Parish in 1952 – to form the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart – Saint Joseph Parish numbered over 300 households.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart - 1952 The inadequacy of the Saint Thomas Pro Cathedral to meet the needs of the growing Diocese of Winona became more and more apparent as time went on. In 1944, a fund was begun to raise money for the construction of a new cathedral. As the fund drive neared completion, discussion began for the merger of Saint Thomas Parish and Saint Joseph Parish to form the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

On June 15, 1950, the Vatican granted a petition to unite the parishes, only four blocks apart, but long separated by language and nationality. On October 25, 1952, Bishop Edward Fitzgerald consecrated the altar and celebrated the first Mass in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Liturgical directives of the Second Vatican Council necessitated an updating and renovation of the cathedral, which began in the fall of 1979 and concluded in February, 1982. These included acoustic improvements, installation of a new pipe organ, and remodeling of the sanctuary. Also, the cathedra (chair of the bishop) was moved, as were the shrines of Saint Mary and Saint Joseph. Along with this, the main altar was reduced in size and brought forward.

In January, 1999, the Most Rev. Bernard Harrington was installed as the seventh bishop of Winona. Under his guidance the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart entered its second half-century in the Year of Jubilee 2000. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart underwent another major renovation starting in 2005. This included the major remodeling of the church space, the addition of an Adoration Chapel, and a large gathering space. The newly remodeled cathedral was rededicated on June 5, 2007.

The Most Rev. John M. Quinn currently serves as the Bishop of Winona, and Very Rev. Mark McNea as the Rector of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Jubilee Web Page and Contacts

The diocesan web page for the Jubilee includes information about the meaning of the Jubilee Year and about our diocesan celebration of the year. The address for the diocesan Jubilee web page is: www.dow.org/about/jubilee-year-of-mercy.html.

If you have any questions about our diocesan plans for the Jubilee, please contact Fr. John Sauer in the Office of Divine Worship (jsauer@dow.org / 507-451-1588), Sister Paul Mary Rittgers, RSM in the Office of Faith Formation (faithformation@ dow.org / 507-858-1273), or Todd Graff in the Office of Lay Formation (tgraff@dow.org / 507-858-1270).

October, 2016 w The Courier

Diocese of Winona

"With these sentiments of gratitude for everything the Church has received, and with a sense of responsibility for the task that lies ahead, we shall cross the threshold of the Holy Door fully confident that the strength of the Risen Lord, who constantly supports us on our pilgrim way, will sustain us. May the Holy Spirit, who guides the steps of believers in cooperating with the work of salvation wrought by Christ, lead the way and support the People of God so that they may contemplate the face of mercy."

-Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus #4

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart – Winona 360 Main St.--Winona, MN 55987 507-452-4770 info@cathedralwinona.org www.cascwinona.org

Sacred Heart Church – Adams

412 W Main St./P.O. Box 352--Adams, MN 55909 507-582-3120 office@sacredheartadams.org www.sacredheartcluster.org

Sacred Heart Church – Brewster

(served by St. Francis Xavier Parish, Windom) 516 10th St./P.O. Box 187--Brewster, MN 56119 507-842-5584 sacreds@centurytel.net www.sfxwindom.org

Sacred Heart Church – Hayfield

(served by St. Columbanus Parish, Blooming Prairie) 150 NE 2nd St./P.O. Box 27--Hayfield, MN 55940 507-477-2256 sacredhearthayfield@gofast.am www.stcolumbanuschurch.com

Sacred Heart Church – Heron Lake

(served by St. Francis Xavier Parish, Windom) 321 9th St./P.O. Box 377--Heron Lake, MN 56137 507-793-2357 sacredheart1@gmail.com www.sacredheartheronlake.org

Sacred Heart Church – Owatonna

810 S Cedar Ave--Owatonna, MN 55060 507-451-1588 info@sacredheartowatonna.org www.sacredheartowatonna.org

Sacred Heart Church – Waseca

111 4th St. NW--Waseca, MN 56093 507-835-1222 sacredheart@hickorytech.net www.sacredheartwaseca.org

Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel (Assisi Heights) – Rochester 1001 14th Street NW, Ste 100--Rochester, MN 55901 507-282-7441 info@rochesterfranciscan.org www.rochersterfranciscan.org

Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center Chapel – Jackson 803 4th St.--Jackson, MN 56143 507-847-3571 paradism@sacredheartmercy.net

Generally, information on Mass times and contact information for each of the parishes is available online at the diocesan web site (www. dow.org) and at the individual parish websites.

A group planning a pilgrimage to one of these sites is asked to first contact the pilgrimage parish/institution regarding its plans and the arrangements needed.

Meet Our New Seminarians �

his month, I present the second pair of introductions to our new seminarians at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. Please pray for Bennet and Brian, as well as Robert and Jordan (featured in the September issue of The Courier) as they discern their vocations!

Director wthompson@dow.org

Bennett Kraemer was born and raised in Austin, the third of four children in his family. He attended Pacelli Catholic Schools for elementary, middle and high school, where he ran cross-country and track and was involved in many school plays. Outside of school, he has earned a red belt in taekwondo and hopes to eventually earn a black belt. He has been practicing archery since he was nine years old and enjoys hunting in the fall.

How did you first hear your call to priesthood?

"Deciding to enter the seminary has been one of the biggest decisions of my life, and not one that came easily. The choice was not one that came from me, from my own desires or ambitions. Rather it was a decision to surrender to a will higher than my own. It was a decision to surrender to Christ. [...]

"It’s hard to say when I first considered the priesthood. Being raised in a Catholic family my whole life, I’ve always known that I could become a priest one day, and from time to time I’d entertain the idea of one day being a priest, but I never took these thoughts too seriously. If God wanted me to be a priest, I thought, I wouldn’t say no. After all, who can say no to God? Still, if God wanted me to be a priest it was His job to let me know. Perhaps this wasn’t the best way to discern one's vocation, but God seemed willing to work with me.

"A few years ago, Father Parrot, a former teacher at my high school, recommended that I read a book on the life of St. John Vianney. St. John Vianney was a heroic priest, and even though I was amazed by his life, I didn’t think much of it again for several years. It was the end of this past summer that things began to change for me.

Whenever I would go to Mass or was in daily prayer, I couldn’t help but think of St. John Vianney and other heroic priests, and think of myself as a priest as well.

Still, I pushed these thoughts out of my head. I was sure that the priesthood wasn’t for me. I had my own plans for my life. Eventually, it reached the point where I felt I couldn’t pray at all without thinking of being a priest.

I decided I had to either stop talking to God altogether or give in and admit that he wanted me to join the seminary. Surrendering to Christ, I emailed the vocation director for our diocese, Father Will Thompson, who I had met at a retreat and had the privilege of getting to know on his numerous visits to our school. He responded by driving to Austin to talk to me. Father Will was able to answer my many questions about the seminary and helped me to feel much more confident about my decision."

"My older sister Madeline, who is 20, recently joined the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, TN. Madeline's example of holiness has been instrumental in opening many doors throughout my life as I journeyed to the Lord. [...]

"I am blessed to be born into this family God gave me, as we are all very close. My mom and dad have always done their best to support us and that is a true testament to both patience and virtue."

How does it feel to be entering the seminary?

"I look forward to continuing to discern my vocation as I attend Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. I am both nervous and excited about where God will take me next."

Brian Klein was born and raised in Wells.

He has loved reading for as long as he can remember and has never caught up on his list of books to read, which just keeps getting longer. He has enjoyed running crosscountry and track since age 11. He also values spending time with his friends and his family, which includes one brother and three sisters.

How did you first hear your call to priesthood?

"The first time I remember considering the priesthood was in 8th grade at St. Casimir’s School, when Fr. Stenzel (our parish priest) was visiting my classroom and asked if any of us had considered the priesthood or the religious life before. I hadn’t thought about it much, but it just felt right in a way. I was surprised when only one other person in the class raised their hand, because I thought almost everyone would! I ended up spending a long time running from that call, but here we are nine years later, finally entering seminary to better discern whether I am called to the priesthood or not."

Who has had the strongest influence on your faith journey?

"Besides my parents for teaching me about the faith and continuing to provide a good example of how to live a Christian life, I would say Fr. Niehaus was very influen-

tial. I thought about the priesthood a little bit in high school, but I basically stopped considering it during my first two years of college. However, when I visited home the summer after my sophomore year, Fr. Niehaus gave me To Save a Thousand Souls, a fantastic book on discerning the priesthood. That book was instrumental in helping me to better understand what a priest really is and what a priest does.

As I restarted the discernment process, it also helped me address a lot of the misunderstandings that I had about the priesthood, and it provided the spark to get me to reconsider the priesthood again. Besides the book, he also helped guide the first baby steps towards deepening my prayer life (which was basically non-existent at the time). Not only that, but the energy and enthusiasm which he and many other priests of this diocese bring to their service continues to inspire me."

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Vocations

Rev. Will Thompson

Who are some of the people who have influenced your faith journey?

How does it feel to be entering the seminary?

"I’m incredibly excited to be able to continue the discernment process in a more focused atmosphere. It’s really powerful to have the opportunity to live and pray with so many other men who are trying to open themselves to God’s will and to receive spiritual direction and guidance from the priests to better learn how to do that.

Even though I don’t know much about the specifics yet, I’m looking forward to seeing the different ways that the formation process will challenge me to grow closer to Jesus!"

What advice do you have for others who are discerning their vocations?

"I can’t remember who first taught me this, but 'Do not be afraid' is the most common phrase in the Bible, and I think that’s especially pertinent with vocations. Trust that what God has planned for you is truly what is best for you, and prayerfully discern where He might be calling you. Each vocation brings its own challenges, and I think it can be helpful to constantly remind ourselves to trust in Jesus and to hand any fears over to Him. "Also, pray for Mary’s intercession! While a younger version of myself may not have always liked to admit it, your mother knows best, and that’s certainly true with our spiritual mother, Mary. She happily and humbly embraced God’s plan for her life when the call came, and she can help lead us to do the same."

Congratulations, Lectors!

On August 28, 10 Diaconate candidates were installed as lectors at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona.

Front: Bill Keiper, Kevin Aaker, Bishop John M. Quinn, Steve Landsteiner (previously installed), Scott Schwalbe, and Msgr. Thomas Cook.

Back: Jack LaValla, Randy Horlocker, Scot Berkley, Mike Zaccarillo, Frank Cesario, Rob Miller, and Terry Smith.

October, 2016 w The Courier

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Stewardship in Plain English

Catholic Foundation

By LEISA ANSLINGER The Personal

Everything I consider mine really belongs to Someone else. The person who I am, and the greater person I am called to be; every moment of every day; my relationships with family and friends; my possessions; the food on my table and the food at the Eucharistic table: all are gifts, amazing, overwhelming, and precious gifts. I can choose to generously share the gifts I have been given, out of gratitude for the gift and the Giver, or I can possessively hold what I perceive as mine, even though in reflection I realize that it is not mine at all. I can apply reason and say, “I am the one who has earned what I own. I’ve worked hard; I deserve to hold onto my possessions all I want.” But then, reason will also tell me, if I listen, that the skills and abilities used to do the work involved are given to me by our lavishly generous God, and then, reason will also tell me that it makes sense to share with others in the manner with which I have been given from the beginning.

That is the essence of stewardship. All we have and are and will be is God’s. We are caretakers of all of this, and being a caretaker of so much means that we have been given great responsibility. Amazingly,

we are given complete freedom to decide how we will care for our lives, our relationship with God and others, our vocation, our possessions. Not only this, we have been shown what true stewardship “looks like” in the person of Jesus Christ. Living the life of a disciple of Christ inevitably leads to reflection about what is important in life. Jesus did not hesitate to respond to the needs of those whom he encountered.

How will we use the gifts we have been given to continue Christ’s response to the needs of the people He encounters today? The Christian steward grows in willingness to give life, love and care as a continuation of the work of the Master, and finds true joy in the giving.

The Communal We are not left alone to do this good work, either.

We have the presence of the Holy Spirit within and around us to guide and strengthen our decisions and action. We also have one another as members of Christ’s body united in the Spirit. As we grow as stewards, we come to revel in the knowledge that each of us has been given specific talents and abilities, special combinations of traits that uniquely equip us to contribute to Christ’s mission. Since each of us is particularly gifted, it is essential that each person does his or her part. Alone, each of us can do only what one person can do; together, we can transform our world.

Discovering how to combine our strengths in ministry benefits those who are served and simultaneously builds up the community of faith, drawing people more deeply into Christ’s life with a sense of purpose and love.

Leadership Embracing stewardship is a particularly challenging aspect of discipleship. It is likely that as you read the opening paragraph of this article, even if you are actively cultivating a spirituality of stewardship in your life, you winced just a bit. That reaction gives us an insight into the importance of leadership, of the pastor and of parishioner leaders. Not only do leaders model the ongoing conversion in Christ that stewardship signifies; leaders ensure that stewardship is lived, preached, and witnessed to throughout all aspects of parish life. That may sound simple, but it is more complicated than one might initially suspect. The pastor, staff, pastoral council, and stewardship commission/committee learn in time to consider the messages, intended or unintended, that are communicated in all facets of parish life. Leaders are also instrumental in discerning how to walk the delicate balance between challenging continued growth and celebrating signs of present generosity.

Formation

in Discipleship Stewardship

and

There is a cyclical nature to formation that leads to discipleship and stewardship: the more we embrace our baptismal call to follow Christ as disciples, the more we are likely to respond as stewards. The more we October, 2016 w The Courier

Monica Herman Executive Director Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota mherman@catholicfsmn.org

challenge ourselves to be good stewards, the more likely we are to realize how our faith affects all of our lives, leading us to desire more complete understanding of our faith (and to participate in adult faith formation opportunities). The more we grow as disciples and stewards, the more likely we are to share our faith with others, and our active evangelizing strengthens our desire to follow Christ, deepening our commitment as disciples. The center of this cycle of conversion, of course, is the Eucharist and the sacramental life of the Church; we celebrate what God is doing in our lives, we are nourished to continue to be transformed, and we are sent forth to continue to love and serve the Lord and one another.

Inviting and Welcoming Have you ever heard someone say (or maybe you’ve said this yourself), “The 20-80 rule applies here.

Twenty percent of the people do all of the work; eighty percent come and go without any investment of themselves.” That certainly was the sentiment in my parish a few years ago. Those who are actively involved were tired and burnt out, and yet knew that if they stopped serving, our parish and the poor we served would suffer. The answers were simple: learn to invite those who show any sign of being ready to offer themselves in ministry; warmly welcome new parishioners and establish a kind expectation from the beginning that they will become actively involved; communicate what needs exist and invite all in the community to offer their gifts in response; ask those who serve in a ministry to accept a designated term, and invite them to find a partner who will serve as back-up and companion on the journey; ministry coordinators should have a designated successor who shadows the coordinator for a year. By concentrating on inviting and welcoming, my parish has increased participation in ministry by 315% in the last 10 years – now 68% of adults are involved in one or more ministries!

Commitment, Renewal, and Acknowledgment of Ministry Take time each year to invite parishioners to consider how they are living and growing as stewards. Offer the opportunity for people to make a commitment to be good caretakers of their personal resources at the parish and beyond; the process of making a commitment is a healthy spiritual exercise that reminds each of us that stewardship is a way of life, at home, in the workplace, in our parish, in service to those who most need our care and attention. Acknowledging the many ways in which people are living as stewards is a powerful reminder that the love of a grateful community is a reflection of God’s love being poured out for others.

Leisa Anslinger is co-director of the Catholic Life and Faith group. This article is reprinted with permission from Catholic Life and Faith.

Support the Baby Bottle Campaign

By JODI OLSON, LSW

�Maybe espect Life. What do those words mean to you? you think about being kind and helpful to your

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each year on the first Sunday in October, also known as Respect Life Sunday. We are blessed to have the support of so many caring and giving people in our diocese to help those in need, including those who may not yet have a voice to defend life, including their own.

Here are a few ways that the Mother and Child Assistance Fund have helped others: “It will help us stay in stable housing until my husband graduates school. He already has a job offer for when he graduates.” – Megan “Mother/Child Fund is greatly needed in our community. I am a single mother of four, unable to work, and I can feel very alone and overwhelmed. This fund is a blessing that I will never forget and helps provide security for myself and for my children. I plan to pay it forward and hope my children learn to be Christians such as yourselves.” – Anonymous If your parish, school or group would like to participate in the 2016 Baby Bottle Campaign, contact Jodi Olson at 507-454-2270 or jolson@ccwinona.org for more information. Individual donations can be addressed to Mother and Child Assistance Fund and sent to Catholic Charities, 111 Market St., PO Box 379, Winona, MN 55987.

For questions about the Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption program, or to talk to someone regarding Project Rachel, please call our hotline at 1-800-2225859. The hotline is staffed 24/7/365 by one of our licensed social workers. You will receive help that is compassionate, confidential, professional, and nonjudgmental.

Catholic Charities

neighbor or, perhaps, making sure that an elderly or disabled member of your parish has someone who can assist them with getting groceries or attending Mass when they want to. You might think about the poor and the marginalized - those who don’t have the physical, financial or emotional supports in order to meet the basic human needs to survive. How about the unborn?

As Catholics, we are called to respect all lives, from conception until natural death.

The work of Catholic Charities springs from our primary value: “Made in God’s image and likeness, every human life has dignity.” The Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption Program has been providing help and creating hope for pregnant women and married couples who are unable to have their own children for 72 years.

Throughout this time, staff have compassionately listened to women faced with unplanned pregnancies and affirmed their decisions to choose life for their babies.

Women have been educated on parenting and adoption as staff have walked with them in their journey to choose the best outcome for themselves and their babies. The women are connected with local resources as well as assisted financially if needed. They are armed with the tools to set and attain educational and career goals. Those who choose adoption can select the family to place their baby with and make adoption plans that feel right to them.

Facing an unplanned pregnancy can be scary.

Sometimes a woman feels that she doesn’t have the strength or support to carry her pregnancy to term and then raise a child. She might already be facing

financial burdens or unstable housing and doesn’t know how she will feed another mouth. Not everyone knows enough about adoption to realize that adoption is a selfless, loving decision to make for a child when one feels unable to parent.

All too often, the lives of the unborn are intentionally ended. For women and men whose lives have been affected by abortion, there is help. Project Rachel, a post-abortion counseling and reconciliation program, can help people begin healing through the guidance and support of professional counseling staff at Catholic Charities and from specially trained priests throughout the Diocese of Winona. The emotional scars of abortion can emit for years, often manifesting from significant life events. People of all religious backgrounds are invited to begin healing from abortion through Project Rachel.

To help pregnant women and families with babies overcome financial barriers, the social workers in the Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption program will meet with the women to listen to their unique stories and attempt to connect them with other financial resources.

At times, the financial needs are greater than what one program is able to cover, or a person may not meet the eligibility requirements to receive financial assistance. This is where the Mother and Child Assistance Fund can help. Thanks to the generous donations of individuals, families and students throughout the Diocese of Winona during the annual Respect Life Baby Bottle Campaign, we have been able to assist women and babies with basic necessities that can easily be taken for granted - things such as rent, utilities, baby items, medical care, childcare and educational expenses. This is not a “handout” but rather a “hand up” during trying times.

For the past nine years, parishes and schools across the diocese have graciously joined together in making a direct impact on the lives of women and families who have chosen life for their babies just by taking a baby bottle home and filling it with change throughout the month of October.

The Baby Bottle campaign kicks off

Jodi Olson is a Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption Social Worker for Catholic Charities.

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Notes from the NCCW Convention

12 � In the Diocese

By RUTH SONNEK t was an honor to represent the Blue Earth Area CCW and my home parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Easton, at the National Council of Catholic Women convention in Indianapolis September 7-10. Daily Mass with over 600 other faith-filled women, celebrated by Bishops and 45 spiritual advisors from across the country, was an event I wish you all could have experienced. This convention proved repeatedly that women are the heart and soul of today’s Catholic Church.

Sister Donna Markham, President and CED of Catholic Charities USA, started our convention by discussing her group's resettlement of refugees for the past 105 years.

God’s mercy is the beating heart of the Gospel. Be the Good Samaritan; go and do likewise.

We listened to Maria Morera Johnson, author of My Bad-Ass Book of Saints, tell how she has befriended the saints in her life, and how they have guided her choices, resulting in her obtaining the desires of her

National CCW President Sheila Hopkins

Social Concerns Day Planned for Diocese WASECA--On October 29, Sacred Heart Church in Waseca will host the Diocese of Winona's Social Concerns Day, organized by Catholic Charities. The theme of the event is How is God Calling You to Serve the Poor? Understanding Poverty.

October, 2016 w The Courier

heart.

I was inspired by Judy Hehr, author of A Slave in Her Kingdom to a Servant in His, and Katarina Rosenblatt, author of There is H.O.P.E. for Me, who shared their personal life stories of drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and mercy. Judy spoke about looking for love in all the wrong places, and how God has changed her mess into her message and her test into her testimony. Katarina was pressed into the human trafficking life at the age of 13. Both beautiful young women had us in tears as they shared how they escaped their bondage and worked their way to becomimg speakers of mercy for the voiceless still lost in the system. Human trafficking and prostitution WDCCW Convention Attendees (left to right) Front: President Cindy are everywhere, not just in the big cities. These are Meling & Province Director Bev McCarvel. Back: Eleanor Jones, Nancy our daughters and sons that need our help. Please Black, Katie Koziolek, Ruth Sonnek, Vice President Teri Rosendahl & Kathy Wilmes. Not pictured: Msgr. Thomas Hargesheimer look for more information on these women, and pray for God to show you how you are a part of their bers, simply visit nccw.org to sign up. Membership dues ministries. have been reduced to $50 for 2017.

Our NCCW Board and Commission Chairs presented Minnesota has been a leader in NCCW since the orgaus with several new resources and materials available for nization’s beginning. The first NCCW president, Gertrude our use. The Spirituality Commission presented us with Gavin, was from Minnesota as well as the 35th president, copies of the new Vocational Prayer Service booklet and Joan McGrath. Joan continues to be active on all levels of a sample of the new Retreat on Mercy, and we learned CCW and was the NCCW 2016 Our Lady of Good Counsel about the new Vocation Purse Club which will help award winner. What a celebration that was for the St. Religious Life Candidates with expenses. The Leadership Paul/Minneapolis Province attendees! In less than four Commission has created a Power Point presentation years, NCCW will be celebrating their 100th anniversary, (available on CD) on who the Sisterhood of NCCW is, and and there are hopes of bringing the 100th Convention how our organization works. They also have a Leadership back to Minnesota. Become a member now to help make Training Development team who will come to your local this happen. parishes to lead individualized training sessions on how to I truly believe every single woman who attended the improve your CCW image and get all of your stars to shine.

NCCW convention in Indianapolis came home inspired The Service Commission focused on Human Trafficking, about our Catholic faith and NCCW. We do make a difImmigration and a new Respite (Renewal, Spiritual and ference. Never underestimate the power of a group of Temporal) manual. They presented some very intimidatwomen. We are Catholic Women, Instruments of Mercy. ing statistics on these topics. For more information on these programs, access nccw.org. It is membership dolRuth Sonnek is President of the Blue Earth Area Council lars that allow the commissions to provide us with these of Catholic Women, part of the Winona Diocese CCW. resources. Any lapsed members who want to renew their For more information on the council, call Secretary Kathy membership, or those interested in becoming new memWilmes at 507-696-2942.

Keynote speaker Monica Bogucki worked as a Staff Attorney at Mid Minnesota Legal Aid (formerly known as Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis) for over 26 years. She specialized in youth law and government benefits law. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School.

She has also been an adjunct Monica Bogucki professor at the University of St. Thomas Law School, University of St. Catherine School of Social Work, and University of Minnesota School of Social Work. She founded the Journal of Law and Social Work. She received the Minnesota Justice Foundation Direct Legal Services Award, the William Mitchell College of Law Award “100 Who Made a Difference,” and the Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz Child Advocacy Award. Ms. Bogucki graduated from William Mitchell College of Law and the University of St. Catherine. She is a volunteer for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay association that serves low income individuals and families. She is the Chairperson for the Voice of the Poor, an advocacy arm of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Schedule 8:15-9:00 - Registration and Coffee/Rolls 9:00-9:15 - Opening Prayer 9:15-10:15 - Keynote Speaker with Q & A 10:15-10:30 - Break 10:30-11:30 - Mass 11:30-12:15 - Lunch 12:15-12:30 - Instruction for Breakout Session 12:30-1:15 - Breakout Session 1:15-1:45 - Group Discussion & Summary 1:45-2:00 - Sending Forth Registration Registration fee for the day is $10.00 per person (includes lunch), payable to Catholic Charities. Parishes and religious communities may register more than 5 participants together for a maximum total of $50.00.

Registration can be emailed to Deacon Chris Walchuk - cwalchuk@ccwinona.org. Please send registration information (including name(s), contact information - email and/or address - and home parish) and indicate whether you plan to bring your payment along on the day or send it to the address below.

You may also register by sending your registration information and payment to: Catholic Charities PO Box 379 Winona, MN 55987 Please register before October 21st, 2016.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul to Host Walk Sacred Heart Celebrates 150 Years ROCHESTER--The six Rochester confer- individual parishes to form SVdP conferences of Society of St. Vincent de Paul ences so that the needs of the poor and (SVdP), a nonprofit organization that helps disadvantaged are attended to with lovthose living in poverty, will sponsor the ing care and concern. One of the largest 3rd Annual Friends of the Poor Walk/ charitable organizations in the world, the Run on October 15, 2016, to benefit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (www.svdpoor in their community. The event will pusa.org) is an international, nonprofit, begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Church of the Catholic lay organization of more than Resurrection, 1600 11th Ave. SE, with a 800,000 men and women who voluntarily rest stop at St. Francis of Assisi Church, join together to grow spiritually by offer1114 3rd St. SE, before returning to the ing person-to-person service to the needy starting point. In addition, St. Michael’s and suffering in 150 countries on five conference of SVdP in Owatonna hosted continents. With the U.S. headquarters in their 2nd Annual Friends of the Poor Walk/ St. Louis, MO, membership in the United Run on September 24, 2016, beginning at States totals more than 150,000 in 4,400 Dartt’s Park. communities. In 2013, SVdP provided Over $10,000.00 was raised from last more than $795 million in tangible and inyear’s walk. The society has a goal to kind services to those in need, made more double that amount this year. All proceeds than 1.7 million personal visits (homes, and donations from the event will direct- hospitals and prisons), and helped approxily benefit the people in the Rochester mately 11 million people. and Owatonna areas served by SVdP, and For more details on the Friends of the there are no administrative fees associ- Poor Walk, please visit www.fopwalk.org. ated with the event. Anyone interested For further information, please in learning more, participating, or mak- contact fopwalk@svdp-rochmn.org or ing a pledge can visit www.svdpusa.net/ rfishbune@charter.net. fop. Participants also can make an online For more information on forming pledge. your own conference, or other questions, Every day, the local SVdP in Rochester please email Marty Cormack in Rochester and Owatonna (and all around the world) at martycormack@svdp-rochmn.org. is helping individuals and families in the community.

SVdP volunteers work with families to provide help such as emergency food, keeping the lights on, and avoiding eviction. These volunteers continuously work, through God’s divine love, to provide both individuals and families with assistance regardless of their religion, race, or national origin.

Recently, Bishop Quinn, National Chaplain of the Society, encouraged Participants in the 2015 Friends of the Poor Walk

Gibson to Perform in Fairmont and Blue Earth Popular Catholic Music Artist and singer/ songwriter Donna Cori Gibson will offer two spiritual music concerts in the Diocese of Winona in late October. The concerts are free of charge, but free-will offerings will be accepted.

On Friday, October 21, at 7 p.m., she will perform at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 901 S. Prairie Avenue in Fairmont. For more information on the Fairmont concert, please contact Bridget Becker at 507-235-2451 or bbecker@sjvhf.org.

On Sunday, October 23, at 12:30 p.m., she will perform at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 214 S Holland Street in Blue Earth.

For more information on the Blue Earth concert, please contact Karla Carr at 507-5258069 or carr@bevcomm.net.

Donna uses selections from her nine CDs to share a love for the Bible, the Church and Her teachings, prayer, and God's love for us.

Her music includes word-for-word prayers from the Bible and well-known prayers from the Church (with the stories behind them).

Singing them makes for easy learning and

OWATONNA--Sacred Heart Parish celebrated its 150th anniversary on September 24 with Mass with Bishop Harrington, Fr. John Sauer (pastor), Fr. Jose Morales (parochial vicar), and Fr. Ed Mountain (fomer pastor 197785); historical displays in the parish center; and an after party at St. Mary's School featuring a free meal provided by Owatonna's Knights of Columbus, music by Twin Cities duet Coda, children's activities, and a visit by "Pope Francis" himself! Photos by Mike Oldenburg of Oldenburg Photography in Owatonna.

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memorization.

Originally from New York's secular music market, Donna realized that the music she was producing, and most music heard today, distracts people from life's true goal, which is to "love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength." Today she is committed to only creating music that will help listeners to reach that goal, setting traditional prayers to contemporary-sounding music to help listeners get them "stuck" in their heads and, hopefully, their hearts.

Donna has been in Catholic music ministry for 18 years and has sold over 100,000 CDs. Her songs are sung by other parish ministries at Masses and gatherings across the nation. Most popular are her Sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Musical Rosary, and prayers of the saints. She can be heard in interview and song on radio stations nationally and globally on EWTN Global Catholic Network and sister shortwave station WEWN. "I don't know of one of her songs that I don't like," said Jeff Cavins, host of EWTN's Life on the Rock. "Her music really touches me, and to hear her sing just makes me want to worship the Lord."

Donna is offering free downloads from her latest CD, The Way of the Cross: A Song for Each Station, on her website: www.donnacorigibson.com.

October, 2016 w The Courier

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Obituaries

Sister M. Cabrini Bongiovanni, 91, a School Sister of Notre Dame who professed in 1947, died August 31, 2016, at Good Counsel in Mankato.

A native of St. Paul, she was a primary grade teacher for almost 30 years.

In the Winona diocese, she taught at St. Anthony, Lismore (1947-51), her first teaching assignment! Always a very creative teacher, she used a variety of means to enhance her classes.

She became fascinated with ventriloquism after seeing Shari Lewis on television. She taught herself, using a book for instruction, and incorporated puppetry into her classes. Eventually, she felt the call to spread the Word of God through entertainment, and developed a Christian-based ministry of ventriloquism, magic, original music and chalk art. She gave performances throughout Minnesota and other states before retiring in 2003.

Sister Severin Duehren, 80, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on August 31, 2016.

Shirley Ann Duehren was born September 18, 1935, to William and Mary Alice (Severin) Duehren in St. Joseph, MO. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1957 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Concordia, KS, and made first vows in 1960 and perpetual vows in 1963. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology from the College of St. Teresa in Winona (1958), a Master’s Degree in Clinical Pathology from Ohio State University (1969) and a Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration from St. Louis University (1984).

After first vows, Sr. Severin served for seven years as a Medical Technologist at Mercy Hospital in Portsmouth, OH. Following studies at Ohio State University, she served ten years as Clinical Microbiologist at Scioto Memorial Hospital in Portsmouth.

During and after this time, she also served in Congregational Leadership for the Sisters of St. Francis in Rochester.

Upon receiving her Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration, Sr. Severin served as Administrative Fellow at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester (19841985), Administrator of A.L. Vadheim Hospital and Sunrise Manor in Tyler (1985-1986), Assistant Administrator of Mercy Hospital in Portsmouth, OH (19861989), Assistant Vice-President of U. S. Health Corporation of Southern Ohio in Portsmouth (1989-1991) and President and CEO of St. Margaret Hospital in Spring Valley, IL (1991-1993).

After a year of transition, she served as Executive Director of Scioto County Children’s Service in Portsmouth (19941997). Sr. Severin returned to Rochester following a sabbatical and served in Congregational Ministry as Director of Congregational Spirituality Centers and Co-Director for Assisi Heights residents.

She retired in 2006 and volunteered until she moved to Assisi Heights in 2010.

October, 2016 w The Courier

Sister M. Joanna Illg, 84, a School Sister of Notre Dame who professed in 1953, died August 31, 2016, at Good Counsel in Mankato.

A native of the Northfield area, she taught elementary and high school for 18 years. In the Winona Diocese, she taught at St. Mary, Worthington (1960-63); Good Counsel Academy, Mankato (196668); and Loyola High School, Mankato (1968-71). In 1971, she was elected to Provincial Leadership for the Mankato SSND Province, serving as Coordinator of Temporalities. She then became business administrator at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis (1979-89).

In 1989, she became the congregational treasurer for the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Rome. She returned to Minnesota in 1999 and served in several part-time financial positions until coming to Good Counsel in 2010. At Good Counsel, she became the treasurer for the Good Counsel Academy Alumnae Association and was an active member of the Alumnae Board.

Deacon Richard Alphonse Mangen, 80, of Rochester, passed on September 2, 2016, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester after a long and courageous battle with heart disease.

Richard A. "Dick" Mangen was born September 29, 1935, in Chicago, IL, to Alphonse and Alvera (Lenihan) Mangen.

He was a veteran of the Korean War, where he served as a sergeant in the United States Air Force Fire Department Crash Rescue Squadron overseas and in the U.S. On November 22, 1956, he married Marguerite Ann Yunker in Blackwell, OK, and raised five children. With the support of his wife and children, he went to night school and received a degree in Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Service, which he used to become a business owner and, later, an instructor at Universal Technical Institute.

One of his greatest joys and sources of pride was being ordained a Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in 1986. He served for over 25 years in both Illinois and Minnesota, and, though Richard was smaller in stature, he had a big and generous heart and focused much of his ministry on Social Concerns and helping those in need.

Richard never became a wealthy man in his lifetime, but he was rich in the love of family, friends and parishioners.

Though often shy at first glance, he was actually very charismatic, and people loved listening to his stories. He was a master storyteller and kept everyone’s attention whether age 2 or 92.

He enjoyed fishing, old cars, Elvis and a good barbeque with friends and family. His greatest love, besides his wife, Marge, were his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Sister Vera Klinkhammer, 104, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights on September 10, 2016.

Odelia Mary Klinkhammer was born November 26, 1911, in Adrian to Charles

St. Joseph Parish, Ironton. Sister Irene made first vows in 1945 and perpetual vows in 1948. She completed studies for a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at the College of St. Teresa, Winona, in 1956, and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education Administration at Winona State University in 1963. She also studied Theology through Aquinas Institute in Dubuque, IA. Sister Irene taught primary and junior high students for 30 years in Currie, Albert Lea, Tracy, Easton, Adrian and Sleepy Eye in Minnesota, and Ironton and Portsmouth in Ohio.

She also frequently provided music education and piano lessons. Following teaching, her other ministries included care for her father for one year until his death and Health Care Assistant at Assisi Heights. After pursuing Clinical Pastoral Education at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Sister Irene served as a Hospital Chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital Father Donald Zenk, 90, of Austin, in Marshfield, WI (1979-84), and at passed away peacefully on September St. Joseph Hospital and Mt. St Joseph 10, 2016, at Sacred Heart Care Center in Nursing Home in Concordia, KS (1984Austin after a short battle with cancer.

87). Sister Irene moved to Assisi Heights Donald William in 1990 and was assistant organist until Zenk was born on her retirement in 1996.

October 4, 1925, son Father James E. Von Tobel, S.J., 80, of William and Zita who served our diocese from 2009-2013, (Tibesar) Zenk. died on September 23, 2016.

He grew up He was born on the family farm on March 31, 1936, in rural Winona, in Detroit, MI. He attended country graduated from the schools and graduated from Winona High School. After University of Detroit high school, he stayed on the farm for a Jesuit High School year before joining the Army, where he in 1954 and entered spent two years stationed at Fort Hood in the Society of Jesus Texas and Fort Ord in California. While at at the Milford Fort Ord, he began his studies toward the Novitiate in Milford, priesthood with the Chaplain, Fr. Bolla, OH. He was ordained on June 14, 1967, who spent time with him studying Latin. at Colombiere Center in Clarkston, MI. After his service in the Army, he enrolled He took final vows on August 15, 1973, at in Loras College in Dubuque, IA. During the Loyola House Novitiate in Berkeley, summer breaks, he drove a Pepsi Cola MI. As a Jesuit, he earned a Bachelor's truck, delivering in small towns throughdegree (1959) and a Master's degree out western Wisconsin.

He completed his studies for the (1965) in philosophy and a Master's priesthood at St. Paul Seminary and degree in theology (1968) from Loyola was ordained on June 6, 1954, at University, Chicago. He spent his regency the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in and first year after ordination teaching Winona, as part of the largest class ever high school Latin in Ohio before being ordained in the Winona Diocese. Father called to serve his brother Jesuits at Zenk served many parishes in southern Colombiere Center.

In the 1970s, he served in a variety of Minnesota, always ready to serve wherroles at Colombiere and for the Detroit ever he was assigned by the Bishop.

Father Zenk’s shining hour was Province, and as principal of St. Ignatius when Bishop Fitzgerald contacted him High School in Cleveland.

In 1981, he moved to Marquette, about starting an additional parish in Rochester to serve the growing popula- MI, to be pastor of St. John's Church and tion there, and he founded The Church superior of the Jesuit community there. of the Resurrection in April 1967. While He became the Provincial Assistant for the first Masses were held in an airport Pastoral Ministry (1984-93) and was hangar, on December 24, 1968, Midnight socius to Howard Gray (1986-89) and Mass was the first Mass held in the new Joe Daoust (1989-93). He was also the parish center. The “Resurrection” was Provincial Assistant for Formation (199093). He then returned to Colombiere complete.

Father had a variety of interests, and to serve as Superior and Director of his reputation as the bee keeper was Colombiere Center (1994-99).

He returned to parish life in 2000 well established. He was a happy man who thoroughly enjoyed his years as and, except for two years as Provincial a priest. He had many long and happy Assistant for Advancement, stayed in friendships, caring deeply for his family that ministry until he died. He was pasand his parish families from all the cities tor of Gesu Parish, University Heights (2000-06), and then spent many years he served. "subbing" for pastors on vacation or sabSister Irene Dobson, 92, a Franciscan batical, or in parishes undergoing tranSister of the Congregation of Our Lady of sition. He provided this service in the Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights Gaylord, MI, and Winona dioceses. In on September 14, 2016.

2015, he returned to his role of pastor Gladys Irene Dobson was born August at Gesu Parish and intended to end his 4, 1924, in Ironton, OH, to Samuel and term and have a second hip replacement Mary Ann (Werne) Dobson. She entered in November, 2016. A lifelong golfer, he the Sisters of St. Francis in 1942 from was getting ready to go golfing when he and Barbara (Martini) Klinkhammer. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1941 from St. Adrian Parish, Adrian. Sister Vera made first vows in 1944 and perpetual vows in 1947. She completed studies at the College of St. Teresa and St. Mary's Hospital in 1947 as a registered nurse.

Sister Vera’s nursing career began in 1944 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, where she remained until 1956 when she was asked to be a nurse at St. James Hospital in St. James for one year. In 1957, she moved to Mercy Hospital in Portsmouth, OH, where she served as a nurse in obstetrics until 1964. She came back to Minnesota and served as a nurse at Sacred Heart Care Center in Austin (1964-66) and at Assisi Heights in Rochester (1967-68). In 1968, Sister Vera returned to St. Mary's Hospital and served as chapel sacristan (1968-80) and as a patient visitor (1980-2011). At the age of 100, she retired to Assisi Heights.

collapsed at Villa Marquette in Omena, MI, one of his favorite places on earth.

He died at Munson Medical Center.

Jim -- known by many as "VT" -- was a wonderful Jesuit: available and easily missionable. He was always willing to go where the need was greatest and spent much of his life caring for both Jesuits and parishioners. His care and concern for others was omnipresent, and delivered with great wisdom, humility, and humor. This is why he was so often missioned to internal governance in the Society and to pastoral ministry in parishes. He was a great listener who made people feel comfortable through his good humor and infectious (not to mention LOUD) laughter. He loved engaging people around the table, whether going to a good restaurant or cooking up a not-so-small feast. He brought people to God through his homilies and at the altar in the many parishes in which he ministered and was present to the people of God at major events in their lives: marriages, births, anniversaries, and deaths.

Jim will be missed by many, especially a close group of Jesuit brothers whose friendship spans decades!

A paragraph from the worship aid for his farewell Mass as pastor at Gesu Parish in 2006 sums up his life: Fr. Von Tobel suggests that his experience is similar to that of a utility player in sports: not a superstar (though we might disagree), but one who can handle many responsibilities adequately, thus extending his career and enhancing his service to his community. Fr. Von Tobel has provided many years of service to the Church community and the Jesuit community.

Sister Rafael Tilton, 86, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, WA, September 20, 2016.

Madonna Elaine Tilton was born October 4, 1929, in Laurin, MT, to Charles and Clara (Nickol) Tilton. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1949 from St. Francis Parish in Hamilton, MT. Sister Rafael made first vows in 1951 and perpetual vows in 1954. She completed studies for a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Education at the College of St. Teresa, Winona, in 1959; a Master’s Degree in English (Renaissance Literature) at Fordham University, Bronx, NY, in 1963; a Master’s Degree in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 1991; and a PhD in English (Literary Theory) from the University of Minnesota in 1994.

Sister Rafael began her teaching career in intermediate education beginning in 1951. She taught at several Catholic schools in southern Minnesota: Austin, Jackson, Currie, Rollingstone; and at S. Priscilla School in Chicago, IL. For three years, she taught elementary education in Rochester and Winona.

After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in 1959, she taught English at the Secondary level at Catholic High Schools in Minnesota: Caledonia Loretto, Austin Pacelli, Waseca Sacred Heart, Winona Cotter; and at Wehrle High School in Columbus, OH. After teaching for 26 years, Sister Rafael worked in various locations in Minnesota while also writing and researching. She was a free-lance writer, had several books published and received multiple awards for her poetry.

She retired to Assisi Heights in 2006.

October, 2016 • The Courier

SUBMISSION to the calendar 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 list of events is also available at www.dow.org. Thank you!

- Courier Staff

Action with Prayer St. Mary’s Church, Winona holds Mass for Life & Marriage the first Thursday each month at 5:15 p.m.

Holy Hour of Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty is held the first Saturday of each month 8:30-9:30 a.m. (after Mass) at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 360 Main Street, Winona. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed and a rosary offered. Gather in the Adoration Chapel. 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 62 E 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. For times & locations: cb@wabashaemail.com

Other Events Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mankato October 8, Saturday School Sisters of Notre Dame's 41st Craft Fair & Garage Sale. 8:30a.m.2:30p.m. at 170 Good Counsel Dr. in Mankato. Baked goods & crafts made by the sisters & assorted garage sale items.

Proceeds benefit sisters in retirement & active ministry.

Sacred Heart Care Center, Austin October 8, Saturday Sacred Heart Auxilary of Austin's Fall Craft & Bake Sale 9a.m.-1p.m. Crafts, plants, silent auction, baked goods, gourmet corner, homemade candy, & "trash & treasures." Sloppy joes and hopitality table available. All welcome!

St. Columban Church, Preston October 9, Sunday Pork Dinner 11a.m.-1:30p.m. Adults $12. Kids $6. Carry-outs available.

Traditional Latin Mass

TV Mass Update

Chatfield, St. Mary's, 1st & 3rd Sun. 1 pm

Due to NFL Football on 10/30, KEYC Mass will air at 6:30am on FOX 12 Mankato. Sunday Mass also airs on KEYC News 12 at 7:30am. Masses are now also posted to www.dow.org.

Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul, 1st Sat. 9 am Wabasha, St. Felix, every Sat. 8 am

The Televised Mass

Offered as a service for the homebound and elderly 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: TV Mass, PO Box 588, Winona MN 55987.

St. Mary's Church, Minneiska October 9, Sunday TX-Style French Toast Breakfast served 9:30-Noon. French toast, sausage, apple sauce & coffee, milk or juice. Adults $7, Children 6 & under $3.50. Also a bake sale. Following 8:30 morning Mass.

Information: 651-564-0476.

St. Mary's Church, Winona October 9, Sunday River City Festival 11-4 (following 10:30 Mass). Chicken-Q meal, Silent Basket Auction, Big Ticket Raffle, Ping Pong Pull, Jewelry Table, Craft/Bake Sales & Kids' Carnival.

Price Farm, Kasson October 13, Thursday Our Lady of Fatima celebration begins 4:30p.m. Celebrate in preparation for May 2017's 100th anniversary of the Fatima Miracles. Event directed by Fr. Thien Nguyen & Fr. Thomas Niehaus, featuring guest speaker Fr. Will Thompson. Confession, Adoration, Mass (& Harvest Blessing), & dinner (free-will offering). Also, a bonfire & music. 23274 670th St. in Kasson. Info: 507-259-7675.

Peace Plaza, Rochester October 15, Saturday Rochester Rosary Rally at noon downtown Rochester. Thousands of Catholics will gather to pray for our nation. All welcome. Bring an open heart, many friends & a rosary. To help lead prayer, contact Tasha Flicek ASAP: Tasha960@gmail.com.

St. Joseph's Church, Rushford October 16, Sunday Fall Festival & Swiss Steak Dinner with all trimmings served 11a.m.-1p.m. at Montini Hall, 105 N Mill St. in Rushford.

Adults $10, kids 5-12 $5, 4 & under free on-site. Carry-outs and deliveries available in Rushford. Event features bake sale, country store, cash raffle & silent auction.

Christ the King Church, Byron October 22, Saturday 9a.m.-2p.m. 8th annual Fall Expo featuring 30+ arts-crafts & home-based businesses. Most vendors will have cash & carry items for purchase. Products include: kitchen accessories, food items, fine jewelry, decorative and functional home items, holiday decorations, skin care & cosmetics, hand-crafted soaps, baskets, appliqued towels & aprons, candles, purses, toys & more! Baked goods, beverages & lunch available.

First 50 customers at 9a.m. & first 50 customers after noon will receive a gift bag! Church located at 202 4th St. NW in Byron.

Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Winona October 23, Sunday St. John Nepomucene Parish's annual Fall Festival in the Basilica Church Hall (625 E 4th St.). Lunch at 11a.m. Big ticket, gift card & quilt/cash raffles; silent auction, candy booth, kids' games & chair massages 12-3. Drawing for big ticket winners at 5p.m. Open to the public!

St. Agnes Church, Kellogg October 23, Sunday Annual fall festival and dinner served 11a.m.-2p.m. in Parish Hall. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes & gravy, rutabegas, drink & pie. Adults $10, kids 6-12 $7, 5 & under $4. Carry-outs available. Country store, bake sale, sportsman raffle & others, fun by the foot & theme baskets. Specialty auction at 1:30.

Christ the King Church, Medford October 29, Saturday Annual Fall Festival & Turkey Dinner served 5-6:30p.m. in church basement.

Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls & homemade pumpkin pie. $12 adults. $5 kids 7 & under. Quilts, crafts, Christmas greeneries & baked goods for purchase. Pre-sale tickets encouraged - call Martha at 507-4513187 or Simone at 507-213-5031.

Sacred Heart Church, Waseca October 29, Saturday Diocese of Winona Social Concerns Day. Explore the circle of poverty. Details on page 12.

St. Mary's School, Caledonia October 30, Sunday St. Mary's Parish's 50th Holiday Bazaar to be held at the school (308 E South St.) 11a.m.-5p.m. Roast beef family dinner includes roast beef, dressing, mashed potatoes/gravy, corn, coleslaw, roll, desserts & beverages - served 11a.m.1p.m. Lunch of sloppy joes, hot dogs & walking tacos also available 11a.m. until gone. Auction at 3p.m. Event also includes gift shop, stage raffle, pulltabs, tip boards, gun raffles, bake shop, chance booth, kids booth, sweet shop, cake walk, fish pond, ring-a-drink, bag toss, plinko, bingo, luck-of-the-draw. $20 Big Ticket - 1st prize $4,000; 2nd $2,000; 3rd $1,000; 4th-10th $500; 11th-20th $100. Need not be present to win Big Ticket. Hourly drawings for $50 Quillan's gift card sponsored by Bank of the West.

Must be present to win hourly drawings.

St. John the Evangelist Church, Rochester November 6, Sunday 4 p.m. concert by renowned organist Aaron David Miller, one of the most famous organ improvisers in the world and winner of numerous international awards. Don't miss this unique event.

Freewill offerings accepted.

Crucifixion School, La Crescent November 12, Saturday Crucifixion Parish's annual roast beef dinner served 3:30-7:30 at Crucifixion School gym (420 S 2nd St.). Homemade roast beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, coleslaw or apple sauce, rolls & MN's best apple pie squares (from La Crescent-grown apples!). Also, autumn boutique & bake sale. Dinner tickets $10 in advance (from parish or school office), $11 at door. $5.50 kids 12 & under. Preschoolers free. Info: 507-8954720.

Hispanic Priests / Sacerdotes Hispanos Padre José Morales Vicario Parroquial de Sacred Heart, Owatonna. jloralesr2008@yahoo.es Tel. 507-451-1588

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 Mariano Varela IVE Párroco de “SS. Peter and Paul”, Mankato. mvarela@hickorytech.net 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 y New Richland cluster.

PadreRaulSilva@gmail.com Tel. 507-433-1888

Spanish Mass Schedule Albert Lea, St. Theodore 11 a.m. Sunday

Owatonna, Sacred Heart 1 p.m. Sunday

St. James, St. James 12 p.m. Sunday

Austin, Queen of Angels 11 a.m & 5 p.m. Sunday; 5:15 Friday

Pipestone, St. Leo 2:30 p.m. Sunday (bilingual)

Waseca, Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m. Sunday

Rochester, St. Francis of Assisi 12 p.m. Sunday & 7 p.m.

Thursday

Windom, St. Francis Xavier 2:30 p.m. Sunday

Lake City, St. Mary 6:30 p.m. every 3rd Saturday Madelia, St. Mary 10 a.m. Sunday Mankato, Ss. Peter & Paul 1 p.m. Sunday

Worthington, St. Mary St. Charles, St. Charles 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.

Sunday; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Borromeo & Friday 11:30 a.m. Sunday October, 2016 w The Courier