The Courier - October 2018

The

COURIER

St. Ignatius of Antioch October 17

Bride of Christ October 2018

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

WINONA--On Saturday, September 15, 2018, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, Leandra Hubka was consecrated to a life of perpetual virginity at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Hers was the first consecration of a virgin in decades in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and was attended by conse-

Profiles of Social Justice

Mark Engesser

By TOM PARLIN

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n the parish cluster of Sacred Heart in Adams, St. Peter in Rose Creek, St. John in Johnsburg, and Queen of Peace in Lyle, is one of the best kept secrets in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. These parishes have a number of bible studies run simultaneously in various sites within the cluster, with as many as five studies at any given time. The leader of this movement is parishioner Mark Engesser, who has a veterinary practice that he runs from his home.

Mark is a graduate of the Institute of Lay Ministry (now renamed Institute of Lay Formation), a program of our diocese. This institute prepares lay people to be leaders in their parishes by providing basic training and education in the Catholic faith.

As Mark went through the institute, he began to reflect on how he could take what he had learned to benefit his parish cluster. The institute required crated virgins from around the country, Religious Sisters of a practicum, Mark Engesser Mercy, Servants of the Lord and Virgin of Matara, Rochester and Mark was Franciscans, Immaculate Heart of Mary seminarians, dioc- inspired to coordinate bible studies in esan parishioners and members of the general public. his parish cluster, but where to begin?

Bride, cont'd on pg. 4 Mark Engesser, cont'd on pg. 18

INSIDE this issue

"But It Shall Not Be So Among You" page 6

Meet Our New Seminarians! page 10

Say Hello to Aaron Lofy! page 12

The Courier Insider

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USCCB Releases Action Plan for Accountability WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 19, 2018 - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Administrative Committee has issued the following statement today in response to the recent sex abuse scandals. In the statement, the bishops say they pledge to “heal and protect with every bit of the strength God provides us.”

Turning to the Lord When each of us was ordained as a bishop, we were told:

Keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has appointed you to shepherd the Church of God.

We, the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, assembled last week in Washington at this time of shame and sorrow.

Some bishops, by their actions or their failures to act, have caused great harm to both individuals and the Church as a whole. They have used their authority and power to manipulate and sexually abuse others. They have allowed the fear of scandal to replace genuine concern and care for those who have been victimized by abusers. For this, we again ask forgiveness from both the Lord and those who have been harmed. Turning to the Lord for strength, we must and will do better.

The Administrative Committee took the following actions within its authority: 1. Approved the establishment of a third-party reporting system that will receive confidentially, by phone and online, complaints of sexual abuse of minors by a bishop and sexual harassment of or sexual misconduct with adults by a bishop and will direct those complaints to the appropriate ecclesiastical authority and, as required by applicable law, to civil authorities.

2. Instructed the USCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance to develop proposals for policies addressing restrictions on bishops who were removed or resigned because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors or sexual harassment of or misconduct with adults, including seminarians and priests.

3. Initiated the process of developing a Code of Conduct for bishops regarding the sexual abuse of a minor; sexual harassment of or sexual misconduct with an adult; or negligence in the exercise of his office related to such cases.

4. Supported a full investigation into the situation surrounding Archbishop McCarrick, including his alleged assaults on minors, priests, and seminarians, as well as any responses made to those allegations. Such an investigation should rely upon lay experts in relevant fields, such as law enforcement and social services.

The Holy Father's Intention for

October 2018 The Mission of Religious That consecrated religious men and women may bestir themselves, and be present among the poor, the marginalized, and those who have no voice.

October, 2018 w The Courier

This is only a beginning. Consultation with a broad range of concerned parents, experts, and other laity along with clergy and religious will yield additional, specific measures to be taken to repair the scandal and restore justice. We humbly welcome and are grateful for the assistance of the whole people of God in holding us accountable.

As these initiatives get underway, the Administrative Committee invites each of our brother bishops to join us in acts of prayer and penance. This is a time of deep examination of conscience for each bishop. We cannot content ourselves that our response to sexual assault within the Church has been sufficient. Scripture must be our guide forward, “be doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

In all of this, we do not want anyone - ourselves included - to lose sight of those who have suffered from those who have acted or failed to act as the Gospel demanded. For survivors of sexual abuse, these days may re-open deep wounds. Support is available from the Church and within the community. Victims Assistance Coordinators are available in every diocese to help you find resources.

We are grateful to hundreds of dedicated people who, since the adoption of the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, have been working with the Church to support survivors and prevent future abuse.

To anyone who has been abused, never hesitate to also contact local law enforcement. If you don’t feel comfortable for any reason with the Church providing help, your diocese can connect you with appropriate community services. With compassion and without judgment, the bishops of the United States pledge to heal and protect with every bit of the strength God provides us.

Acting in communion with the Holy Father, with whom we once again renew our love, obedience, and loyalty, we make our own the prayer of Pope Francis in his August 20 letter to the people of God, “May the Holy Spirit grant us the grace of conversion and the interior anointing needed to express before these crimes of abuse our compunction and our resolve courageously to combat them.”

How Would You Like Your Courier?

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ears ago, the Courier was delivered in bulk to churches for parishioners to pick up after Masses, rather than individually to homes.

Today, as we continue to evaluate our stewardship of diocesan resources, Courier staff is exploring the benefits and drawbacks of bulk mailings as one option for Courier delivery.

If you prefer to receive the Courier at home, you still can! Let us know, and we'll keep sending it to you, regardless of other changes we may make to our delivery method.

If you'd rather pick up the Courier at church, we'd like to know that as well.

Please send your response along with your name, parish and reader ID (number directly above your name on the mailing label) to: Diocese of Winona-Rochester The Courier 55 W Sanborn St. Winona, MN 55987 OR nreller@dowr.org Thank you!

Courier Staff

Articles of Interest

Roe v. Wade: Questions and Answers_________5 "But It Shall Not Be So Among You"_________6 Back to Basics...___________________________7 Catholic Schools Updates___________________8 We Are Fighting Against Child Sexual Abuse__9 Meet Our New Seminarians!_______________10 Say Hello to Aaron Lofy!__________________12 Theology of Stewardship__________________13 50 Years of the Permanent Diaconate______14 Guardians and Conservators...______________15 Rights of the Respondent__________________16 Seek First the Kingdom___________________17 Diocesan Headlines________________________18 Diocesan Calendar_________________________20 Officials The Most Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, announces the following appointments: Vice Chancellor Rev. Msgr. Thomas Melvin: currently Vicar General, Moderator of the Curia, and Director of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of WinonaRochester; in addition to his current assignments, appointed Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of WinonaRochester for an interim period of July 31, 2018 - December 31, 2018.

Dean Very Rev. Peter Klein: currently Pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Blue Earth and St. Mary Parish in Winnebago, and Dean of the Mankato Deanery; in addition to his pastorate assignments, reappointed Dean of the Mankato Deanery for a five-year term, effective August 31, 2018.

Parochial Administrator Very Rev. Donald J. Schmitz: currently Co-Vicar for Senior Priests; in addition to his current assignment, appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Mary Parish in Lake City and St. Patrick Parish in West Albany, effective September 6, 2018.

Parochial Vicar Rev. Miguel Proaños: currently Parochial Vicar at St. James Parish in St. James and St. Mary Parish in Madelia; appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Mary Parish in Worthington, effective August 1, 2018.

Society for the Propagation of the Faith Rev. Timothy Biren: currently Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in St. Charles, Holy Redeemer Parish in Eyota, and St. Aloysius Parish in Elba; in addition to his current assignments, appointed Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, effective September 1, 2018.

Deacon Rev. Mr. Andy Kmetz, IVE: appointed to diaconal ministry at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Mankato, effective September 1, 2018.

Residence Rev. Brian Sutton: assigned to live in residence at the rectory of St. Columbanus Parish in Blooming Prairie, effective September 4, 2018.

Charismatic Prayer Groups Deacon John Hust: currently appointed to diaconal ministry at St. Felix Parish in Wabasha and St. Agnes Parish in Kellogg; in addition to his current assignments, appointed Moderator for the Charismatic Prayer Groups in the Diocese of WinonaRochester, effective July 31, 2018.

Child Abuse Policy Information The Diocese of Winona-Rochester will provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employees, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should call the Victim Assistance Coordinator at 507454-2270, Extension 255. A caller will be asked to provide his or her name and telephone number. Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil authorities. The Diocese of Winona-Rochester is committed to protecting children, young people and other vulnerable people in our schools, parishes and ministries. The diocesan policy is available on the diocesan web site at www.dow. org under the Safe Environment Program. If you have any questions about the Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Mary Hamann at 507-858-1244, or mhamann@dowr.org.

The Courier is the official publication of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester 55 West Sanborn, P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 Vol 109 - 10

Most Reverend John M. Quinn, Publisher Nick Reller, Associate Editor

Telephone: 507-858-1257 Fax:507-454-8106 E-mail: nreller@dowr.org Subscription Rates: $5 per year in the U.S. Parishioners in the diocese subscribe through their parish. Periodicals postage paid at Slayton, MN Postmaster.

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

(ISSN 0744-5490)

Your Faith Strengthens My Faith ear Friends in Christ,

These past few months have been filled with revelations about the shameful and sinful deeds perpetrated against innocent and vulnerable young people by priests and bishops, and those sins covered up by bishops. The faith of all Catholics has been greatly tested and all of us in the Church are shocked and deeply hurt by these revelations.

Many of you have expressed to me that you are tired of apologies and expressions of sorrow and are looking for action to prevent sexual abuse from happening again to the young and vulnerable in the Church. Here in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Mrs. Mary Hamann is the full-time coordinator for safe environment, who provides training programs about identifying

possible danger signs of sexual abuse for all parish and Catholic school staff and for all volunteers who have contact with youth.

Wouldn’t it be a blessing if every member of every parish took this training? “If you see something, say something.” If the safety of a minor or a vulnerable adult is in question or there is suspicious activity leading toward sexual abuse, call law enforcement immediately. Together we can keep our parishes and Catholic schools places of safety, where human dignity is the cornerstone.

The priests of the diocese will join me on Friday, October 12, 2018, for an afternoon of Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Penance and prayers for reparation, at Resurrection Parish in Rochester, to beg God’s mercy and to pray for all the victims of sexual abuse in the Church.

Once again I thank you for your strong and loving faith, and commitment to coming to Mass on the weekends when at times you feel so conflicted by the sinful deeds of those who were to lead and protect the faithful. Your faith strengthens my faith, and I am grateful to you. Blessed are you.

Synod of Bishops and Canonizations

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

This month, bishops from around the world, including a delegation from the United States, will gather in Rome for the Synod of Bishops, on the theme of “Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment.”

The goal of the synod, as stated

by Pope Francis, is, “to accompany the young on their existential journey to maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they discover their plan for life and realize it with joy… actively participating in the edification of the Church and of society.” Please pray for this meeting, which will

October 2, Tuesday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Individual meetings with seminarians - IHM Seminary, Winona

October 3, Wednesday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. - Minnesota Catholic Conference - Chancery, St. Paul October 4, Thursday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 10:30 a.m. - Diocese of La Crosse Sesquicentennial Celebration Mass - St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral, La Crosse October 5, Friday 10:15 a.m. - St. Mary’s University Presidential Inauguration Mass 2 p.m. - St. Mary’s University Presidential Inauguration Convocation October 6, Saturday 9:30 a.m. - Holy Hour and Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting - St. Francis of Assisi Church, Rochester October 7, Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Confirmation and Last Mass at St. Mary’s Church, Ellsworth 2:30 p.m. - Confirmation at St. Leo Church in Pipestone with St. Joseph, Jasper; St. Martin, Woodstock; St. Catherine, Luverne; St. Adrian, Adrian; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Wilmont; and St. Anthony, Lismore

take place October 3-28. May the Lord give the participants wisdom in exploring how the Church can more effectively proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our youth and young adults, so that they may come to personally encounter and enter into a relationship with our Triune God and discern and live God’s will in their lives.

During this synod, Pope Francis will canonize several people, including priests, religious, and laity. One of those to be canonized is Blessed Pope Paul VI, who oversaw the end of the Second Vatican Council. He is perhaps most well known for his encyclical Humanae Vitae (On Human Life), published 50 years ago in 1968.

This landmark document reiterated the truth about human sexuality and the immorality of contraception, while also prophetically predicting some of the tragic consequences of artificial birth control and the sexual revolution.

Two other people being canonized alongside Pope Paul VI are Archbishop Oscar Romero and Nunzio Sulprizio. Blessed Romero was archbishop in El Salvador, and was shot in 1980 while celebrating Mass at the time of an intense civil war. Because of his defense of the poor and oppressed, which led to his persecution and execution, he was declared a martyr, one who was killed in hatred of the faith.

Nunzio Sulprizio is not as well known, but he is notable as a young person of heroic virtue, fittingly being canonized during the Synod on Young People. Nunzio died of bone cancer at the age of 19 in 1836, and suffered many trials throughout his short life, including the death of his parents and cruel mistreatment at the hands of his uncle. Throughout it all, however, he offered up his pain in union with Christ on the cross, and took comfort in Eucharistic Adoration and praying the rosary. Pope Paul

October 8, Monday 4 p.m. - Sacred Heart Major Seminary Board of Trustees Meeting

October 9, Tuesday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 10:30 a.m. - St. Paul Street Evangelization Corner of 8th & Main St., Winona 5 p.m. - Rochester Serra Club Priest Appreciation Social & Dinner - Willow Creek Golf Course, Rochester October 10, Wednesday 11 a.m. - Mass for the Diocesan Pastor and Principal Day - St. Theodore Church, Albert Lea October 11, Thursday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 10 a.m. - Holy Hour 11 a.m. - Bishop’s Cabinet Meeting 8 p.m. - Guest at Newman’s Nights - St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, Winona October 12, Friday 12 p.m. - Priest Day of Prayer and Repentance - Resurrection Church, Rochester October 13, Saturday 11 a.m. - Mass - Diocesan Women’s Conference at Sacred Heart Church, Owatonna 6 p.m. - St. Paul Street Evangelization Gala - St. Hubert Catholic Church, Chanhassen, MN

VI, who not only will be canonized at the same time as Nunzio but was also the one to beatify the youth in 1963, held Nunzio up as an example to all young people, as he showed that “the period of youth should not be considered the age of free passions, of inevitable falls, of invincible crises, of decadent pessimism, of harmful selfishness.”

Rather, we see by Nunzio’s example that it is up to youth to “consecrate [themselves] for the salvation of a society that needs strong and fearless souls.”

These three soon-to-be-saints show us that we are all called and able to live lives of holiness with the help of God’s grace. Regardless of our situation and trials in life, the Lord wants us to be saints. Blesseds Pope Paul VI, Oscar Romero, and Nunzio Sulprizio, pray for us!

Midterm Elections

This year our country will be holding midterm elections, and many places will be voting for governors, congressmen and women, and many local offices.

I encourage you to research the candidates who are running for office in your district, so you are able to make an informed decision on election day in November. It is important for us to take advantage of our duties and privileges of citizenship, by exercising our right to vote. In order to responsibly do so, however, it is important for us to examine the issues at hand, learn what the Church teaches in regards to them, and be informed on how the various candidates will strive to implement laws for the common good. To help Catholics with this process, the Minnesota Catholic Conference has a webpage dedicated to a variety of voting resources, found at mncatholic.org/ resources/election. As Catholics, we are called to live our faith in the world, and one of the ways we can

October 17, Wednesday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Catholic Higher Education Committee - Loyola University, Chicago October 18, Thursday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 2 p.m. - Worthington Deanery Meeting

October 19, Friday 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. - USCCB Safe Environment Audit - Diocesan Pastoral Center, Winona October 21, Sunday 10 a.m. - Mass of Installation of Rector, Very Rev. Patrick Arens - Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Winona October 23, Tuesday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 10:25 - 10:45 a.m. - Guest on Real Presence Radio 970 AM 11 a.m. - Clergy Personnel Board Meeting 5:30 p.m. - White Mass - St. Marys Hospital Chapel, Rochester October 24, Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - Holy Hour and Diocesan Finance Council Meeting - Diocesan Pastoral Center, Winona

do this is by voting and electing candidates who will strive to uphold the values that Christ proclaims.

Respect Life Month

3 From the Bishop

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Every year the Catholic Church in the United States observes October as Respect Life Month.

It is an occasion to help Catholics better understand the Church’s teaching on life issues, from abortion and embryonic stem cell research to euthanasia and assisted suicide. It is an opportunity for all of us to become better equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to build a culture of life in our families, parishes, and communities.

October is a perfect time to renew our commitment to the cause of life, and work to uphold the dignity of every human life, including the unborn, elderly, poor, refugees, prisoners, and all those who are particularly experiencing the struggles of life. Let us not weary of defending the dignity of every human person! May we be a people that witnesses to the culture of life in all we say and do, and never cease to pray for the conversion of hearts, that all may respect and defend the beauty and dignity of every human life.

Sincerely in Christ,

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

October 25, Thursday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 9:30 a.m. - Holy Hour and Pension Plan for Priests Board Meeting - Diocesan Pastoral Center, Winona 7 p.m. - Guest Speaker at “Theology Uncorked” - The Oaks, Winona October 28, Sunday 9 a.m. - Confirmation at St. Mary Church, Worthington 5 p.m. - Annual Gathering in Honor of Holy Mary Queen of Palestine - Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Rochester October 30, Tuesday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 10:30 a.m. - USCCB Catholic Education Committee Conference Call

October 31, Wednesday 4:45 p.m. - Weekday Mass and Vespers - IHM Seminary, Winona November 1, Thursday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University November 6, Tuesday 8 a.m. - Teach at St. Mary’s University 10:30 a.m. - St. Paul Street Evangelization Corner of 8th & Main St., Winona 7 p.m. - Teach RCIA Class at Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Winona October, 2018 w The Courier

Bride,

cont'd from pg. 1

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Bishop John Quinn was the celebrant and consecrator. Principal concelebrants were Bishop Emeritus Bernard Harrington, Vicar General Msgr. Thomas Melvin, Judicial Vicar Fr. Glenn Frerichs, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Rector Fr. Mark McNea, and Director of Vocations Fr. Jason Kern, with many other priests from around the diocese also concelebrating. Attendants to the newly consecrated were Consecrated Virgin Jenna Cooper and Sr. Mara Lester, RSM. In his homily, Bishop Quinn encouraged Leandra to stand strong in her commitment to the Lord against opposing forces present in our world.

"To be countercultural - to be willing to go against that tide - takes an extraordinary call, and that call can only come from the Triune God," he said.

He continued, "Only through God can you receive that grace that will allow you to keep swimming. ...

Leandra, you're swimming against quite a tide. ...

What the world values are things; it values power; it values how much you can accumulate. You're swimming against all that consumerism, saying that possession that's important to you is Jesus Christ, and He and He alone is what you seek. ... Also, we live in a world that has so distorted the gift of human sexuality.

You have seen what has happened when human dignity is not the center - what happens when it becomes so distorted that human sexuality is about domination and pleasure, when it becomes so distorted you don't even need a person; it becomes pornography. You're swimming against the world, that says that pansexuality is what it's really about. ... And yet, you say, 'Jesus Christ is the center of my life, and I'm taught through Him the true meaning of human sexuality.' But you do this not as a trophy. It is not a badge of honor for you to carry in the midst of people. Most won't even know it's hidden. The candle that will burn from your heart will be your continual evangelizing by the choices you make, by your prayer life, by how you treat others.

They will begin to ask, 'Why did you turn this way, Leandra? What is it that motivates you?' And you can say, 'Jesus Christ. What He did for me He'll do for you.'"

Pro-Life Women Say They Were Overlooked by Reversing Roe WASHINGTON D.C., Sept. 22, 2018 (CNA/EWTN News)-A new Netflix documentary claims to show both sides of the abortion debate in the U.S., but pro-life advocates say the film depicts old stereotypes and ignores the many women leading the modern pro-life movement.

“In so many cases, it is women who are at the forefront of the movement to value and protect every human life. Sadly, that fact was left out of the documentary,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life.

“Had it been included, viewers would have been given the chance to see that the pro-life movement is fundamentally pro-women, because every abortion harms both mother and unborn child,” she said in a statement to CNA. According to Netflix, the new documentary Reversing Roe seeks to offer “candid and riveting interviews with key figures from both sides of the divide” over abortion.

Created by filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, a major focus of the film is the historical development of today’s polarized political views on abortion in the U.S. The movie premiered on September 13.

October, 2018 w The Courier

The documentary includes interviews from abortion advocates including doctor Colleen McNicholas and feminist leader Gloria Steinem, as well as pro-life advocates such as Operation Rescue President Troy Newman and National Right to Life President Carol Tobias.

Critics of the film note that appearances by abortion advocates far outnumber appearances by pro-life advocates, and three of the four pro-life individuals featured in the documentary are white males.

Several prominent women in the pro-life movement say they were contacted by the filmmakers, and in some cases spent multiple hours or days talking to the camera crew, but were not included at all in the final documentary. In addition to Mancini, these women include Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa, founder of New Wave Feminists; Catherine Foster, president of Americans United for Life; and Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee who runs And Then There Were None.

“What a waste of their time, actually, to spend two and a half days with me and these other amazing prolife women and not to use any of that footage,” said Johnson, who founded And Then There Were None as a nonprofit that helps abortion workers leave the industry.

Johnson noted that diverse women were included among the abortion advocates filmed, but the pro-life perspective was largely limited to white men. She suggested that filmmakers were intentional in how they chose to portray the pro-life movement.

“Being a feminist and being pro-life – that those two things go hand-in-hand – that’s something that they outright reject because it does not fit the narrative

that they have been trying to put forward for the past almost 46 years.”

She said advocates of abortion often present “this idea that the pro-life movement is out of touch with women and that it is only men who are speaking about abortion in the pro-life movement… That is not true. A majority of national pro-life organizations are led by women.”

Also overlooked was Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa, president of New Wave Feminists, a secular, feminist organization that was removed from the official list of sponsors for the Women’s March on Washington 2017 because of its pro-life stance.

“When we look at these feminist issues through a pro-life lens, I think you get a very refreshing and different take, but they weren’t interested in a refreshing and different take - they were interested in the stale, old narrative that this is completely religious, that …it’s men trying to control women’s bodies,” Herndon-De La Rosa told CNA. She said the film offers an outdated and inaccurate illustration of the pro-life movement, featuring prolife leaders from the ‘80s and ‘90s and highlighting extremists who have been involved with abortion clinic violence.

“They didn’t have anyone who broke the mold, so it was very clear that a pierced, tattooed, purple-haired feminist didn’t fit the narrative that they were looking for,” she said, describing herself.

“To act as though this is only a religious issue or to act as this is only a male-dominated issue, it’s disingenuous to the American people and a big chunk of American women who do hold these pro-life views.”

Questions and Answers Peter Martin

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

With October being Respect Life Month, we include the following article from the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. Please continue to pray for a greater respect for human life in our world.

ďż˝ oe v. Wade is well known as the 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United States.

With the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy--and as the confirmation hearings for his replacement have moved forward--Roe v. Wade has once again found itself at the center of public debate. Pro-abortion groups continue to spread misinformation about Roe, fearing its eventual reversal. Accurate answers to some common questions can help us to better understand Roe and to educate others.

What Did Roe v. Wade Do?

It said the right of privacy (not mentioned in the text of the Constitution) "is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy." The Justices ruled that a state may not restrict abortion at all in the first three months of pregnancy (first trimester). It may establish guidelines only to protect the mother's health during the next three months (second trimester). After "viability," when the unborn child could survive if delivered (which the Court placed at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation), the state may prohibit abortion unless it is deemed necessary to preserve the mother's "life or health."

Did the Court Find That Life Doesn't Begin Until Birth?

No. It argued that uses of the word "person" in the Constitution do not seem to include the unborn.

Then, citing wide disagreement as to when human life begins, the Court said it "need not resolve" this difficult question. Instead of considering the scientific evidence that life begins at conception, or even allowing legislatures to protect those who have never been proven to be anything but human beings, the Court decided to treat unborn children merely as "potential life"--and to prevent the people or their elected representatives from determining otherwise.

Do All Legal Experts Approve of Roe?

such a policy can be kept in place only by extraordinary measures--by insisting that Roe is untouchable, regardless of the evidence. Abortion advocates know that any return of this issue to the democratic process would produce a very different policy from what the Court created. But false judicial doctrines do not have a right to live. Human beings do.

For more information on Roe v. Wade including the full listing of questions and answers, visit: www.usccb.org/roe.

5 Life, Marriage & Family

Roe v. Wade No. Roe has been criticized by several Supreme Court justices and even by legal experts who favor legalized abortion. Justice Byron White called it "an exercise of raw judicial power." Yale law professor John Hart Ely has said that Roe is "a very bad decision .... It is bad because it is bad constitutional law, or rather because it is not constitutional law and gives almost no sense of an obligation to try to be." Edward Lazarus, former clerk to Justice Harry Blackmun who wrote the Roe opinion, says that "Roe, as constitutional interpretation, is virtually impossible to defend."

Why Are Abortion Advocates So Strongly Committed to Retaining Roe?

Roe v. Wade is increasingly recognized as bad law, bad medicine, and bad social policy. Most Americans object to an unlimited right to abortion. Therefore,

Join the Celebration!

By JEANETTE FORTIER

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omen of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, come and share a special moment in time! Come and join your sisters in Christ for the first ever combined Winona-Rochester Diocesan Women's Conference and Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention on Saturday, October 13, at Sacred Heart Church in Owatonna.

The theme of our day is Look to Mary, and it will feature Deb McManimon of St. Paul Street Evangelization as its keynote speaker.

Find more information for this event on the ad to the immediate left, and call 507-858-1273 with any questions you may have.

Bring your joy and generous spirit to a day designed just for you. I look forward to seeing you there. Come join the celebration!

Jeanette Fortier is the president of the WinonaRochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

October, 2018 w The Courier

Lay Formation & RCIA

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"But It Shall Not Be So Among You"

Jesus summoned [the disciples] and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

-Mark 10:42-45

�

s I write this, our beloved Church is facing intense turmoil and division due to a number of extraordinary events that have recently taken place - multiple and credible sexual abuse charges against a (now former) Cardinal of the Church; a state grand jury report detailing child sexual abuse by hundreds of priests; and a former papal nuncio to the U.S. charging the Vatican with a “cover-up” and calling for the Pope’s resignation.

I have worked for the Church in various roles for over 35 years now, and truly this is as dark and difficult of a time as I have known. When this article is published in a few weeks, the story may have changed in significant ways. It’s hard to know even what the immediate future may hold for us. But, the extraordinary challenges of this moment will remain with us for some time. And it is in how we respond to these challenges that I would like to offer some reflections.

First and most importantly, We must be sincere and dedicated in our prayer and support for all of those who have been abused by our clergy, and by all of those harmed by the devastating effects of this abuse. Please join me in praying

each day for these, our suffering sisters and brothers, as they seek healing from the wounds left by this horrific scandal. There is a “Prayer for Healing Victims of Abuse” on our diocesan website, and I would encourage you to consider offering this prayer yourself, and to share it with others.

Second, We must also pray for our Church, for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for our U.S. Catholic bishops, and for Bishop Quinn. The clergy and leaders of our Church need our prayer and spiritual support in a very profound way in this time, and our Church as a whole deeply needs healing, purification, and reconciliation. (Links to statements on our current crisis

by Bishop Quinn, USCCB President Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, and our Holy Father Pope Francis, can be found on our diocesan website.)

Third, We must maintain a strong and sustained spiritual focus amidst the upheaval around us. I recently came across an online article written by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D., a professor of pastoral and spiritual theology at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, titled, "The Great Danger in this Storm" (https:// nealobstat.wordpress.com/). I find the perspective he offers to be most valuable as we navigate where we are and our path forward from this crisis.

Dr. Neal instructs us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. The “great danger,” as Dr. Neal describes it, is to take our eyes off of our Lord, and, rather, to fix our eyes on the storm and “to become consumed by things other than grace.” He is reflecting here on the gospel story of Saint Peter beginning to sink in the water when he turns his focus away from Jesus and becomes frightened by the wind and storm around him (Matthew 14:28-31). We must keep our gaze ever on Jesus, and, like Peter, pray: “Lord, save us!”

He then shares some of the content of a letter he received from a mentor of his. I would offer these beautiful excerpts that Dr. Neal shares from the letter: Amid this sea of rash judgment, maintain a spirit of charity at all times. … You know Christ’s charity alone is the path of unity in the church that serves as a compass guiding our quest for truth. It is to be the signature of Christian witness.

Todd Graff

Director of Lay Formation & RCIA tgraff@dowr.org

Judge yourself by the standard of the cross in facing evil….

The world outside the church is watching us very carefully. What witness have we offered them? A model of civil discourse? Where do they see the fruits of the Spirit [love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control]?

Where do they see signs of grace super-abounding among us even as sin abounds? How is our response to failure and sin different from responses uninformed by those fruits, that grace?...

Above all things, keep in mind this is to be our final end, our ultimate criterion, the only witness worthy of the name Christian: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” In these days, who would say this of us?

By way of conclusion, I would assert that the way out of this darkness is to keep always before us, and to be, who we are. The Church is to be the Body of Christ in the world, and each of us is called to be the presence of Christ to each person we meet - and especially to the most wounded and vulnerable in our midst. We must not let politics (civil or ecclesial), or ideology, or the seeking of power and privilege distort and disfigure the face of Christ that we are called to be.

In the passage from the Gospel of Mark provided above, Jesus does not simply encourage his followers to shun privilege, power, pride, and prestige. He demands it - “But it shall not be so among you.”

Jesus is very clear! We, his followers and disciples, are called to lives of humble service. Only the grace offered through prayer, fasting, and participation in the sacraments (where we encounter Christ) will purify and "crucify" our hearts, and free us to offer our lives in self-sacrificing love. Ultimately, the Way of the Cross is the way, the only way, to new life. Deo Gratias!

Our reality is a Person given to us, both scarred by our sin and triumphant in resurrection, who continues to pour his Spirit upon us, despite the multiple ways we obscure God’s love. The reality of Christian mission has always been to walk trustingly in the midst of demons and darkness, knowing they ultimately are rendered powerless.

The reality we have is Christ living in us, calling us in judgment, and calling us to redemption. We feel far from joy at this point. We grieve with victims, pray for healing, and commit ourselves to a long journey of reconciliation.

As we threaten to be overwhelmed by this torrent of scandal and pain, may we not neglect the only One who can calm the storm, the One whose Good News we are called to proclaim.

October, 2018 w The Courier

-Fr. Frank DeSiano, CSP "Evangelization in Difficult Times" www.pemdc.org

It's About Jesus Christ Be a Disciple to Make a Disciple

7 Missionary Discipleship

Back to Basics

who are practicing reflects that: the drop, especially in the younger generations, has We are called by Jesus himself in the lines above to make been dramatic. disciples - that is, to lead others to encounter Jesus Christ, This puts us in a place where a recent Susan Windley-Daoust to accompany them on the way to fuller relationship, to Pew survey asked self-identified American Director of Missionary Discipleship learn what it means to be in communion with Jesus as the Catholics, “Which comes closest to your view swindley@dowr.org center, and to go out and lead more to of God: God is a perencounter Christ! But it is impossible son with whom peoto make disciples unless you are a This month's column is inspired by ple can have a relaSherry Weddell's Forming Intentional disciple first. tionship, or God is an What does that mean? “Disciple” Disciples: The Path to Knowing and impersonal force?” simply means follower: Jesus Christ Following Jesus (Our Sunday Visitor, - and only 48% said 'm writing this in the middle of September, and as any leads, we follow. When people wanted 2012). The book is strongly recommendthey were absolutely Catholic in the USA following church news knows, this has to follow Jesus, they asked to be bap- ed for anyone interested in missionary certain God was One been an incredibly difficult few weeks. People who care tized. And that baptism graced them with whom we could discipleship, and available for orderwith the call to evangelize. They acted for those who are hurting - and who also love the Church have a personal relaout of a living personal relationship ing at all landhave been reeling. A friend called this moment in time “the tionship (Forming based and online with Christ.

Catholic 9-11,” in terms of deep emotional impact.

Intentional Disciples, book stores.

Susan The challenge we have is embed43-44).

Sherry As I pray, fast, and talk to other Christians about this, ded in our American history. As an Windley-Daoust is Weddell, the author of Forming I am reminded of a word I heard preached immediately immigrant church, taking root in a available to presIntentional Disciples, notes the after 9-11: take your pain and confusion and anger to Jesus country that was largely anti-Catholic ent on the book to same study finds that 29% of pracChrist and get back to basics. In particular, go through the (read your history; it’s true), the local study groups. Our ticing Catholics do not believe in a parish was everything to Catholics office is also workOur Father line by line. Pray it like you mean it. Open yourpersonal God at all. Friends, this is in early America. It was where one selves to the graces that come with being obedient to Jesus' a problem. The faith that believes ing to create a encountered the consolation of Christ instruction to pray his way. Then reach out to those who in the incarnation of God in Jesus video series based in the extreme difficulties of a new suffer. Hold their hands and point them to the one who gives Christ absolutely holds that we are on this book. life. It was where your language of oricalled to a personal relationship peace in the storm. Pray for them, with them, for each other. gin was spoken. It was family. It prewith God - and his name is Jesus The root of what happens next starts with our attention to served a beloved ethnic culture, and Christ. We need to recover the most the basics. so is often called cultural Catholicism. basic relationship of our lives. We need to be his disciples in To some degree, we see this with our newer immigrants as order to make disciples. well. But transmission of the faith, for many decades, was Evangelizing When It’s Hard presumed to be carried along as part of the preservation of The Spiral of Silence the original home country culture. It was passed through This column is on an important and essential element of misrituals, language, and family ties. Discipleship (as a personal sionary discipleship: evangelization. The Great Commission Weddell mentions another challenge, related to the lack relationship with Christ, shared with others) was carried is not optional, and doesn't have an asterisk that says, "Stop of intentional discipleship: something political scientist along with the cultural Catholicism, but was not typically making disciples when times are hard." Let's read Matthew Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann calls the “spiral of silence” the focal point of transmission.

(Weddell, 58). In short, people are less likely to speak if 28:18-20 again: That history simply is not our reality anymore. Cultural they hold a minority opinion, for fear of being ostracized.

Catholicism is dead and buried as an evangelization stratJesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven Additionally, people in any group unconsciously look for egy. Not only have our first and second immigrant waves and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and social cues as to whether their opinion will be acceptable adopted American culture in its entirety, American culture make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name speech before they speak. itself has shifted dramatically since the mid-20th cenWeddell makes a strong case that in many parishes, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teachtury. Before, Catholics were striving to prove that we were there is a spiral of silence around the adult experience of Christians in an overwhelmingly Protestant country, but ing them to observe all that I have commanded you. And having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are one friendly to religious discourse. Now, Catholics live in an behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” people who want to talk about it, but they don’t want to be American culture where a dramatically increasing number Jesus’s last words before his ascension - our mission, first. So many are not talking about Jesus (outside of liturgy) of people are “nones,” and religious practice is increasingly that it is presumed by the casual and not-so-casual observer neither encouraged nor assumed. And the numbers of those the “what do we do now” - is clear. The question is how. that we don’t value a living relationship with Jesus in our faith. But nothing is further from the truth.

The mom, shared that the dad you" over and over and said to me, This is a hard question, but I ask you: how comfortable had been Catholic when they mar- "This was the best thing that ever are you even asking someone about his or her prayer life ried, and she had been an atheist. As happened to me in my whole life. at your parish? The spiral of silence around our Christian time went on, she grew in faith, and Thank you for praying with us." witness strangles both intentional discipleship and evanwith Deb McManimon, gelization. she and the kids became Catholic Wow, what an awesome

�

Evangelist’s Corner

St. Paul Street Evangelization

What another amazing month it was in August. We have a Catholic booth at our local county fair, with fair attendance averaging about 250,000 people, so it is a pretty big event.

One night, I was at the booth, and a teenage girl came running up when she saw our prayer station sign.

She said, "Can you pray for my dad?"

I thought maybe he was sick.

I asked the daughter what her dad needed prayers for, and she said he didn't believe in God anymore.

this year. Mimi, the daughter was very sad about her dad.

I asked Mimi if she loved her dad, and she said, "Yes, very much!"

I said, "As much as you love your dad, God loves him more than you can imagine." I asked them if I could pray with them right then, and we prayed for her dad to come home to the Church, for his heart to be open to God's love, for peace and comfort for Mimi and her mom, and that they would be shining examples of love for him.

They were both crying while we prayed, and Mimi was shaking. We all hugged, and Mimi said "thank

encounter. I was totally inspired by a teenager who loves her dad so much. It is incredible to me how many hearts have been opened to God’s love by simply being open to God’s call for us to be missionary disciples.

On October 13, we are holding a Gala in Chanhassen with our founder Steve Dawson and Bishop Quinn as speakers. Please join us if you can. If you are interested in coming to the gala, learning more about evangelization, or going out with a team, check out our Midwest Team site at www.streetevangelization.com/mret.

Break the Silence: Talk About a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ

In good times and in bad - especially in bad! - people need to hear your witness. Your family, your friends, your fellow parishioners, and maybe strangers. They need to hear that God is important to you. When you speak of this, you are giving them an introduction to God himself.

If sharing your witness is difficult for you, join or create a group of people with whom you practice this: a faith-sharing group, a Bible study, a group that focuses on learning forms of prayer. There are many options to grow here, and I am happy to talk to people about how to grow in confidence this way.

Whatever the circumstances, break the silence about Jesus. Do it as an act of hope. And remember the end of the Great Commission: "I am with you always until the end of the age." You can do this. We can do this. And it is our privilege to do so.

October, 2018 w The Courier

8

Pacelli: A School Family Under One Roof Marsha Stenzel

Catholic Schools

Superintendent of Catholic Schools mstenzel@dowr.org

Submitted by JEAN MCDERMOTT

�acelli Catholic Schools Board of Trustees announced last spring their approval of

building unification starting in the 20182019 school year. All academic learning for kindergarten through grade 12 has been moved into the former Pacelli High School building. After a summer filled with a magnificent number of volunteer hours given by parents, students, staff, alumni and friends, everything has been moved, cleaned, and refurbished to welcome students to the start of an exciting new school year in one building.

“Our building unification will continue to foster our close-knit family atmosphere and provide more opportunities for student-to-student mentorships,” said Dean of Students Laura Marreel.

Building unification provides many advantages, including more opportunities for flexibility in academic planning, department collaboration, and cohesion. In addition to the rigorous AP class schedule presently

offered through Pacelli, online AP courses with Lourdes and Loyola Catholic high schools, and PACC (Program for Advanced College Credit) classes through St. Mary’s University are available. Elementary students have regular access to science lab experiences. This unification changes the focus of resources from building maintenance to educational advancement.

“Placing students into one building can eliminate achievement loss during the transitional years,” said Superintendent of Diocese of Winona-Rochester Catholic Schools Marsha Stenzel. “Interaction between age groups, and the positive influence of older students on younger students, strengthens the school as a community - a community of faith. This is an opportunity for our young people to see and understand the role of faith in each other’s daily life from kindergarten through grade 12.”

Pacelli also announced limiting the number of class sections. Once a class is filled, a waiting list will be established.

Pre-K-12 Principal Jean McDermott explained, “We believe limiting our class sizes and deliberately choosing to be small allows us to provide low student to teacher ratios, a rigorous Catholic curriculum, and preparedness for college. In addition, it allows ample opportunities for every student to participate in athletics, science, fine arts, leadership and service opportunities. By choosing to be small we are able to provide a comprehensive experience for our students.” She added, “This is an exciting time for us to come together as a school community. I am grateful to all who helped make unification a reality. Our Pacelli family is truly blessed.”

Jean McDermott is the principal of Pacelli Schools in Austin.

Salad Luncheon Benefits New St. Felix Playground

By JAN GLOMSKI

WABASHA--St. Felix School Principal Eric Sonnek and Father Gregory Parrott recently received a check for $3,000, proceeds from the annual salad luncheon co-sponsored by St. Felix Church Ladies and St. Mary Court #208 of the National Catholic Society of Foresters. These funds will be put toward a new playground at the school.

Pictured L to R are: Betty Fischer, luncheon ticket and poster chairman; Father Gregory Parrott; Principal Eric Sonnek; Darlene Theismann, Church Ladies treasurer and luncheon kitchen and St. Mary Unit chairman; Pat Kolb, Forester secretary and luncheon dining room and St. Mary Unit chairman; Lana Ostrom, luncheon decorating and St. Agnes Unit chairman; and Jan Glomski, luncheon organization & publicity and St. Joan Unit Chairman.

Schoolchildren pictured L to R are: Breckin Skoug, Toben Tibor and Jaxon Rosenberg.

Jan Glomski is a member of St. Felix Parish in Wabasha.

October, 2018 w The Courier

We Are Fighting Against Mary Hamann

Safe Environment Program Manager mhamann@dowr.org

� hen I first heard of the allegations against Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, I became sick to my

stomach. How can this still be happening? At their meeting in Dallas 16 years ago, the United States Bishops addressed the sexual abuse crisis by implementing the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Now we have the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report! What has gone wrong? If we cannot trust our bishops, who can we trust?

I applaud the courageous victim-survivors for coming forward, even if it meant reopening their wounds, to seek the justice they rightfully deserve from the men and the church that so seriously let them down.

There is going to be a thorough investigation into the allegation against Archbishop McCarrick, which will be largely overseen by laity. There are going to be new ways introduced to report complaints against bishops.

The abuses outlined in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report are shocking. Of the 300 priest named in the report, only two were priests serving within the last decade, and those were immediately reported to the authorities. This is in no way an excuse, but is does show that the Catholic Church is moving in the right direction since the initiation of the Charter. We obviously still have a long way to go.

In a YouTube video titled "Why Remain Catholic?

(With So Much Scandal)." Bishop Robert Barron encourages us as Catholics not to leave the Church but to fight for the victims.

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester under the direction of Bishop John Quinn is fighting for the victims.

1. All allegations against clergy or laity in our diocese are first reported directly to the authorities. This includes past or present.

2. Anyone who works or volunteers in our Parishes and schools must attend a two-hour live VIRTUS training. The Protecting God’s Children program educates and trains adults (clergy, religious, teachers, staff, volunteers, and parents) about the dangers of abuse, the warning signs of abuse, the ways to prevent abuse, the methods

of properly reporting suspicions of abuse, and responding to allegations of abuse.

3. Through the ‘Circle of Grace’ curriculum children and youth are taught to identify and maintain appropriate physical, emotional, spiritual and sexual boundaries; recognize when boundary violations are about to occur; and demonstrate how to take action when boundaries are threatened or violated.

ever caring, ever strong, always present, always just: You gave your only Son to save us by his blood on the cross.

• because of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead”

4. All employees and volunteers must submit to a criminal background check

5. We have a Ministerial Standards Board comprised mainly of laity that review any allegations against clergy that advises the bishop.

6. Every year since the initiation of the Charter, we have been compliant in the Safe Environment audit through the USCCB.

I would like to close with more of what Bishop Robert Barron said in the above-mentioned video. He states all the reasons “Why we are Catholic:

the cries A Prayer for Healing Victims of Abuse �earsisters

�od of endless love,

Safe Environment

Child Sexual Abuse

9

�entle Jesus, shepherd of peace,

join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind, and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.

•

because of the trinitarian love of God”

•

especially because of the Eucharist”

• • • •

because of the Mystical Body of Christ” because of the sacraments”

because of the Blessed Mother” because of the saints”

We must continue the fight against child abuse of all kinds, start by praying for the church, clergy and the victims of abuse. Fight by attending a VIRTUS live training and become part of the solution to stop child abuse in our churches and communities.

of our brothers and

who have been gravely harmed, and the cries of those who love them.

Soothe their restless hearts with hope, steady their shaken spirits with faith.

Grant them justice for their cause, enlightened by your truth.

�

oly Spirit, comforter of hearts, heal your people's wounds and transform brokenness into wholeness.

Grant us the courage and wisdom, humility and grace, to act with justice.

Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors.

Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace in justice.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

©2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops October, 2018 w The Courier

Vocations

10

Meet Our New Seminarians! �his year, Immaculate Heart of

Mary Seminary welcomes two new seminarians who are discerning priesthood for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Please pray for Nicholas Gawarecki and Riley Becher, that they may remain open to God's call, wherever it leads!

Nicholas Gawarecki enjoys

music, card games, ultimate frisbee, reading, cooking, and movies.

He comes to IHM after working as a paralegal in Mankato and Rochester.

How did you first hear your call to discernment at the seminary?

Looking back on my life and the events that helped bring me to seminary, it is hard to point to this or that specific thing because it has been a long and continuous process.

I was raised in a practicing Catholic family, and the idea of priesthood was put in my mind fairly early on by my parents and grandparents. When it came time to choose a college, I looked at seminary, but decided I wasn’t ready and eventually went to Benedictine College. From my perspective, I wasn’t ready and I wanted more certainty from God. At Benedictine, I majored in theology for two reasons: first because I didn’t know what else I wanted to do, and also because the priesthood was in the back of my mind.

After graduating, I went to Minnesota State

University Moorhead, where I obtained a paralegal bachelors degree. While there, I had the opportunity to live in a Catholic men’s house. It was there that the idea of discernment really was emphasized, but I again put off the idea of seminary. After graduating from MSUM, I began working first in a law firm in Mankato and then at the courthouse in Rochester. It was there that I got more involved with the Rochester Catholic young adult activities. It was in that context, with the support of some great guys in the Frassati Fraternity and spiritual direction, that I began to pursue a religious vocation and then decided to apply as a seminarian for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.

When we talk about discernment, I think most of us want God to speak to us and provide some definite sign that we should do this or that, at least that is what I wanted.

But that wasn't how God worked in my life.

Often people speak of how God pursued them or of how people ran away from God, but in my life I have felt the inverse. I am not saying that God wasn’t seeking me; every good act is itself by God’s grace; but from my perspective, God was being elusive until he led me to go to seminary. One reason I say this is that, when I began to take steps toward applying to seminary, things began to become easier and certain obstacles diminished. That doesn’t mean it was all sunshine and roses, but it has given me the confidence, at least for now, that I am where I am supposed to be.

Who has had the strongest influence on your faith journey?

There are many people who have influenced my faith journey: my parents and grandparents, who first taught me the faith; my sister, who pursued a religious vocation for eight years and then had the courage to follow God when she discerned out; Fr. Matt Fasnacht, our parish priest when I was in high school; Msgr. Thomas Cook for his example and love for the liturgy; Msgr. Thomas Melvin and Fr. Will Thompson, who both took the time to meet and direct me spiritually; and Santi Ocariz for his friendship and example of a godly husband and friend.

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

Nicholas Gawarecki October, 2018 w The Courier

I remember a Benedictine priest once told me something to the effect that in discernment, you have to look at the ways God has been working in your life and leading you. Later that sentiment was represented in St. Ignatius’s rules of discernment. I would encourage someone discerning a vocation to do three things:

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

First, stop "discerning" and make a choice to do something. Talk to a priest. Commit to a half hour of prayer each day. Go to a retreat, or something. Whatever it is, decide to do something concrete and then work toward it.

Second, build virtue. Building virtue requires hard work, and self denial/discipline. For me, that was one of the biggest things that finally made me ready to pursue a vocation. Sacrifice is key for overcoming our defects but also for becoming free and fully human.

Finally, when you begin to enter the spiritual life and seek spiritual growth, if you can, find a spiritual guide and make use of the great spiritual authors who have gone before you. I found the following very useful: Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales, the 14 rules of discernment

by St. Ignatius of Loyola, Interior Castle by St. Theresa of Avila, and The Imitation of Christ

by Thomas a Kempis.

Riley Becher

was born in Wausau, WI, and moved to Rochester when he was about five years old. His childhood was full of endless backyard games with neighbors and ski trips with his family. In high school, he was active in liturgical ministries, choir, musicals, visual art, clubs, football, and (with particular joy) downhill skiing.

When did you first hear your call to discernment at the seminary?

I think my first inclination to the priesthood was in tenth grade at a confirmation retreat. We were having adoration, and at the benediction, I looked up at the priest and thought to myself, "Hey! I could do that!" Now, looking back at my life, it's somewhat obvious that God has always been pushing me in this direction.

Who has had the strongest influence on your faith journey?

Overall, I think my parents have had the largest impact on my faith journey. From a young age, they instilled the need to have a personal relationship with God. They taught me that when I'm having a tough time with something, the first person I should ask is

would invoke him in smaller everyday occurrences. One example was that whenever we would see an emergency vehicle, we would pray an Our Father for whoever needed those particular emergency services. Among other things, this was one of those small moments when my parents laid the foundation for my entire faith life.

How does it feel to be entering the seminary?

God. They also brought God into every day of my life. God wasn't just a part of our lives on Sundays and before meals; rather, my parents

Has anything changed in your life since answering your call to the seminary? Has anyone been surprised by your decision?

IHMS to Host Vocation Information Weekend

11

Vocations

Riley Becher

I am extremely excited. Honestly, there isn't much else to say, except to express how much I am looking forward to everything that the seminary will bring.

I think one of the most difficult things anyone can do is place his trust in God. I am no different. I have taken the first step in trusting his plan in coming to seminary. Like most people, I just need to keep walking toward him.

It is safe to say that I have become a much different person than I was before answering God's call. Since that moment in my life, I have truly begun to strive for sainthood. I have been striving, with the assistance of God, to become the best that I can be.

When I began to tell people about my decision to go to seminary, I was quite afraid that people wouldn't think that I belong at seminary. (I don't think I thought that I belonged here at the time.)

However, when I did tell people, they always expressed a lot of joy and affirmation. I often heard, "You know what? You would make an amazing priest!"

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

Trust in God. Learn his will and go do it!

By SUSAN FISER

ďż˝

mmaculate Heart of Mary Seminary (IHMS) in Winona has been blessed to be able to educate men from all over the country, as well as a number from other countries as well, and help them discern God’s will for their lives.

This process of discernment, of truly committing themselves to figuring out if God is calling them to priesthood, can take many years and comes with a lot of questions.

To start this process and try to answer any questions that prospective seminarians may have, IHMS hosts two opportunities each year - one in November and one in March - for men to learn more about life as a seminarian and to think deeply about if they are being called to be a priest.

Called the Vocation Information Weekend, this retreat weekend gives men interested in being a seminarian a better understanding of life at IHMS through meeting current seminarians, tours of IHMS and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota campus, and time for prayer.

The chance to meet and talk to others about why they chose this path, and the joys and difficulties that it presents, is important to those thinking about discerning to the priesthood. Not only do the prospective men see how they can overcome doubts that they may have about the process, but it also helps de-mystify what being a seminarian at IHMS entails.

Showing the prospective seminarians around campus helps introduce them to what daily life is like. Seminarians are not only

studying to be priests; they are also studying to better understand the world around them.

To do so, they must balance their college-level school work with their duties and studies as seminarians.

To tie together all of the opportunities of the retreat, time for prayer and eucharistic adoration is central to the weekend. Being able to join the current seminarians in daily Mass, morning and evening prayer, eucharistic adoration and stations of the cross helps the men focus on why they want to become priests - to live lives devoted to Jesus Christ.

The Information Weekend is open to men from all dioceses, and we would like to open the doors to anyone considering becoming a seminarian. The first of the two information weekends IHMS will host is November 10-12,

2018, and the second is March 16-18, 2019.

Registration is required, and forms must be turned in to Vocations Director Fr. Jason Kern by October 26, 2018, to attend the November weekend, and by March 1, 2019, for the spring weekend. The event is free to attend, but bringing personal spending money is encouraged.

If you are interested in attending and would like a registration form or more information, you can contact Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary by phone at (507)494-8845, by email at info@ihmseminary.org, or by visiting www.ihmseminary.org.

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

October, 2018 w The Courier

Youth & Young Adults

Say Hello to 12

Aaron Lofy! �reetings

from the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry!

My name is Aaron Lofy, and I am the new director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry here at the Pastoral Center in Winona. My family and I are excited to be back in the Diocese of WinonaRochester after seven years of being away. I wanted to introduce myself, my family, and what some of my hopes are for my role with the diocese.

I grew up in southeastern Wisconsin (Hartford) on a dairy farm. After high school, I attended the University of WisconsinMadison to pursue my bachelor’s in biological systems engineering. During my time in Madison, I rediscovered my faith through the Catholic Church and began seeking a life joined with Jesus Christ. After college, I decided to become a missionary for the Church through FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). In my six years as a missionary, the Lord took me to

serve here at Winona State, at Benedictine College (KS), and at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (CO). During my time in Winona, I met my wife, Emily, and we have been married for five years. We are blessed with two great kids, George (4) and Ella (2), and are expecting another child at the end of December. God is good!

I am excited to be able to work for Christ by serving the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.

As we read in the USCCB’s recent release of Living as Missionary Disciples, the Church is moving toward encountering, accompanying, building community and sending the laity out on mission. I hope, as director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, that all faithful of the diocese start having conversations on these four principles (encounter, accompany, community, send), and what we can do in our specific roles in the Church to make these principles a reality. I hope to meet many of you as my role brings me to different parishes throughout the diocese!

12-Day Holy Land Pilgrimage

Bethlehem - Mt. Beatitudes - Mt. Olives Jerusalem - Jericho - Nazareth - Samaria

March 18-29, 2019 $3,690/person (includes roundtrip air transportation from Minneapolis, first-class hotels, double occupancy, 2 meals a day breakfast & dinner, daily sightseeing, airport taxes, fuel surcharges - which are subject to change, and tips to guides & drivers)

Join Spiritual Directors

Fr. Robert Schneider & Fr. Kurt Farrell All Saints Catholic Church Madison Lake, MN October, 2018 w The Courier

Aaron Lofy

Director of Youth & Young Adults, alofy@dowr.org

The Lofy Family

Theology of Stewardship 13 Executive Director Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota mherman@catholicfsmn.org

Earlier this summer, I had the privilege of attending the Regional Stewardship Conference in Sioux Falls, SD. One of our speakers was Most Rev. Robert Morneau, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay. Bishop Morneau is engaging, dynamic and a nationally known speaker on the subject of stewardship. The following words are his.

�

tewardship is a way of life. For Christians who follow in the way of the Lord Jesus, stewardship is an expression of discipleship. When we recognize that God is the origin of all life, the giver of everything that we have and are, the source of our freedom and giftedness, the healthy person responds by thanking God through prayer, by serving God and God's people through ministry, by sharing our financial resources with those in need. Stewardship is a way of life based upon conversion of heart.

Why conversion? Because too often our hearts lack the vision and compassion that makes us true followers of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament the prophet Ezekiel, speaking for God, says, "A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). Our God is a promise-maker; our God is a promise-keeper. When the Holy Spirit breaks into our lives, our hearts become prayerful, our ministry joyful, and our generosity extravagant.

Stewards, according to the pastoral letter Stewardship: A Disciple's Response, do four things: •

receive God's gifts gratefully

•

return those gifts to God abundantly

• •

nurture God's gifts responsibly

share God's gifts justly and charitably

Gratitude is the cornerstone of stewardship. All is gift for those who see life with the eyes of faith. God gives us our existence and talents, our time and our treasure, our family and friends. Stewards express their gratitude by a life of generosity.

Stewards are serious about naming and developing the gifts and talents given to them for the sake of the community. As one poet asks: "What have you done with the garden entrusted to you?" (Antonio Machado).

Responsibility and accountability are part of our call as disciples.

Stewards share. What has been given to us is not simply for our own use. Recipients are to become benefactors. Therefore, we return to the Lord and our needy sisters and brothers a just and sacrificial portion of all that comes our way.

A theology of stewardship looks to the future. Our lives here on earth are relatively short. One day we return to the Lord from whom we came. If we have lived in Christ and in the Spirit, then we will bear fruit, abundant fruit. Stewards yield a rich harvest.

Stewardship as a way of life based upon conversion of heart is broad in its range and demanding in its claim.

Stewardship embraces all of life and challenges us to be faithful to our calling. The following passage from the pastoral letter Stewardship: A Disciple's Response articulates the range of this way of life:

Using the image of a garden, we might ask ourselves: how well are we tending the following gardens of our life?

•

the garden of our body (physical garden)

•

the garden of choices (moral garden)

• • • • • • • • • •

the garden of family and friends (social garden) the garden of the globe (ecological garden)

the garden of our emotions (psychological garden) the garden of the city or nation (political garden) the garden of the "chip" (technological garden) the garden of history (historical garden) the garden of mind (intellectual garden) the garden of the arts (cultural garden)

the garden of money (economic garden)

the garden of our soul (spiritual garden)

Obviously, these gardens overlap and intersect.

However, each of them calls for a certain amount of tending and care. Each person must decide how we allocate our limited time and resources in attempting to be good stewards of these many gardens.

Stewardship: A Way of Life

Over the years, many people, in talking of stewardship, have used the categories of time, talent, and treasure.

In our stewardship thrust, we will be using the terms prayer, service, and sharing.

Stewardship of Prayer

Prayer is about our relationship with God. The most recent doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux, speaks of prayer in this way: For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands the soul and unites me to Jesus.

Stewards nurture their relationship with God by having a prayer life. Whether that is two minutes or two hours a day, listening and responding to God is at the core of the disciple's life. At times, the prayer will be that of thanksgiving. At other times, the prayer will be that of praise or petition or forgiveness. Whether private or communal prayer, the purpose is to stay connected to God so as to do the divine will. This dimension of stew-

ardship can be measured to some degree.

Of the 168 hours per week, of the 144 daily ten-minutes slots, how much time do we use in prayer? And, of course, the most important prayer of all is the Eucharist, in which we hear God's word and receive Jesus. Stewards are Eucharistic people.

Stewardship of Service

Catholic Foundation

and concerns: life and health, along with their intellectual and spiritual well-being and that of others; material goods and resources; the natural environment; the cultural heritage of humankind.

Monica Herman

Ministry is about gifts and needs. We name and nurture the gifts God has given us; we place these gifts at the service of those in need. Ministries are many in number and find expression in the areas of worship, education, community, social justice, leadership, and evangelization. The Epistle of St. Peter reminds us: "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied graces" (1 Peter 4:10).

A theology of ministry and service emphasizes that it is not so much that we do things for others, but rather Jesus is doing something for others through us. Being aware of the difference between "for" and "through" changes our whole manner of service. That is why prayer is so important: it keeps reminding us that all stewardship is ultimately the work of the Lord taking place through the actions of faithful disciples.

Jesus came not to be served but to serve. Through baptism and confirmation, we are called to a life of commitment to the wounded of the world. The Eucharist strengthens us in that mission, and the Christian community hopefully supports us in our responsibilities.

Stewardship of Sharing

"The budget is a moral document" (Jim Wallis). How we earn and spend our money is both a highly personal issue as well as a social concern. Having access to someone's checkbook is also having access to that person's value system.

"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be" (Matthew 6:21).

Stewards are generous people. Again, they have a grateful heart, realizing that all gifts come from the Lord. They feel an obligation to return a portion (be it 3%, 6%, 10%, 20%) to the Church and other charities.

They refuse to be co-opted by a culture of greed and live a life of hoarding. A tough question has to be asked: can a person claim to be a disciple of the Lord if they are not sharing generously of their financial resources?

A strange phenomenon happens in the stewardship world. The greater the generosity and the greater the sacrifice, the greater the joy. Joy, according to some authors, is impossible without generosity. And, as one author states, joy is the infallible sign of God's presence.

Congratulations!

Since our last printing, the following parish has met its goal for the 2018 Catholic Ministries Appeal:

St. Leo, Pipestone

Stewardship plays an important role in the lives of people who seek to follow Christ. In particular, Christians must be stewards of their personal vocations, for it is these that show how, according to the circumstances of their individual lives, God wants them to cherish and serve a broad range of interests

October, 2018 w The Courier

14

50 Years of the

Permanent Diaconate Deacon Justin Green

Diaconate

Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. John Nepomucene Parish, Winona

The Winona-Rochester delegation attended the 50th Anniversary Congress in New Orleans. Standing in front of Lake Ponchartrain are (L to R): Msgr. Tom Melvin, Dn. Vern Behrends, Judy Doyle, Dn. Preston Doyle, Dn. Justin Green, Nancy Hust, Dn. John Hust, Joan Behrends, Dn. Bob Yerhot, Dn. Chris Orlowski, and Dn. John DeStazio. Photograph by Barb Orlowski.

�n the early days of the Church, the apostles faced

a challenge not unlike the ones confronted by our communities today. The Church gathered for meals and to pray. But, the widows of pagans who had converted to Christianity complained that they did not receive their meals, unlike the widows of Jewish men who also had converted. They asked the apostles for justice. This was not a problem of insufficient food.

It was a problem driven by prejudice on the part of the servers, principally men who formerly had been Jews. Echoes of this behavior can be found today in prejudice against people because of their race or gender or religion or national origin or many other factors.

The apostles clearly had to deal with the problem. Their solution is found in the opening verses of Chapter 6 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. They told the victims of discrimination to choose seven men whom they trusted. The apostles then prayed over them, and laid hands on them - the ancient sign of ordination - and assigned them to wait on tables and assure that justice was done. The Church recalls these seven men as the first deacons. Although all seven names are found in Chapter 6, only two appear in the history of the Church - Stephen who was the first martyr of the new Church, and Philip who converted the Ethiopian official. Both stories are also in the Book of Acts.

For the next thousand years, bishops ordained men to the diaconate as a permanent ministry. They often became the bishop’s top assistants, helping him in the performance of his duties. Many became bishops themselves, and several dozen were elected Pope while a deacon. Perhaps the most famous of the early deacons is Francis of Assisi, who was never ordained to the priesthood.

The diaconate gradually became part of the formation process for the priesthood, and the idea of deacons in permanent ministry more or less faded away. During World War II, movements began in Europe, principally Germany, to bring back the October, 2018 w The Courier

ancient institution of the diaconate as a permanent ministry. When the bishops met in the Second Vatican Council, they voted overwhelmingly to give national bishop conferences the option of asking the Holy See for permission to ordain men as deacons with no intention of continuing formation toward priestly ministry. Pope Paul VI approved the recommendation, and issued a letter re-establishing the diaconate as a permanent ministry.

In the spring of 1968, the bishops of the United States petitioned the Vatican for permission to ordain men as permanent deacons. On August 30, 1968, the Vatican approved their request.

Move ahead now about 45 years. With the 50th anniversary of the re-establishment of the diaconate approaching, the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations (CCLV) of the USCCB asked the National Association of Diaconate Directors (NADD) to plan an anniversary celebration. NADD formed a committee, and the work began.

On July 22, 2018, the USCCB convened a Congress in New Orleans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the permanent diaconate in the United States. It truly was a grand affair. All of NADD’s expectations about attendance and program were blown away. In the end, more than 1,300 deacons representing almost every diocese in the United States, and a few in other countries, attended the Congress. Many were accompanied by their wives and children. Total attendance was about 2,800 people. In the end, it was a marvelous event that received very high evaluations from the deacons and family members who attended.

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester was represented by Vicar General Monsignor Thomas Melvin, who is the director of the Diaconate. Others attending were: Deacon Bob Yerhot, the associate director for Ministry and Life, assigned to Crucifixion Parish in La Crescent, Holy Cross Parish in Dakota and St. Patrick Parish in Brownsville; Deacon Vernon Behrends, of St. Mary Parish in Worthington, and his wife, Joan; Deacon John DeStazio, of St. Joachim Parish in Plainview and Immaculate Conception Parish in Kellogg; Deacon Preston Doyle, of Sacred Heart Parish

in Waseca, and his wife, Judith; Deacon Justin Green, of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. John Nepomucene Parish in Winona; Deacon John Hust, of St. Felix Parish in Wabasha and St. Agnes Parish in Kellogg, and his wife, Nancy; Deacon Chris Orlowski, of Pax Christi Parish in Rochester and Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Mazeppa, and his wife, Barbara.

The Congress began with Mass celebrated by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans was homilist for the Mass.

During the week, the Congress featured general sessions by several of the bishops who had been leaders in the early days of the diaconate in the U.S. Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson reflected on the past and offered some suggestions for the future.

Bishop Frederick Campbell of Columbus, former chair of the Bishops Committee on the Diaconate, spoke of the events that led to the decision to reestablish the diaconate in this country and the process of developing standards for formation and ministry.

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City formerly served as staff to the committee and was instrumental in developing the current status of the diaconate.

Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver, the current chair of the CCLV, talked about the value of the diaconate in his archdiocese and how deacons had helped so many parishioners in time of need.

Deacon Bill Ditewig of the Diocese of Monterey, who was the last staff person of the Bishop’s Committee on the Diaconate before it merged with other committees to create the CCLV, reflected on his experiences as a deacon and working with the bishops to strengthen diaconal ministry in this country.

USCCB President Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston spoke during the last General Session and celebrated the closing Mass. He spoke on the value of the diaconate to the Church today and the ways in which deacons minister in the archdiocese.

In addition to the General Sessions, the program included dozens of workshops addressing aspects of diaconal ministry.

All of the Winona-Rochester delegation were very pleased with the Congress. We often commented on the vision statements offered by the bishops and on suggestions for changes that might come in the future. Many of the bishops challenged the deacons to continue their work in the Church and to help the Church respond to changing times and conditions.

We are very grateful to the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota for supporting our attendance with travel grants from the Seeds of Faith endowment for clergy continuing education.

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester has 18 deacons in active ministry and several who have retired but minister from time to time.

Guardians and Conservators 15 Deciding for Those Who No Longer Can Jan Wieser

�

s the director of the Guardian/Conservator Program with Catholic Charities, I get asked the following question a lot: “What is a guardian and what is a conservator?”

To put it simply, a guardian is someone who has been given by the court legal authority to make some or all personal decisions for an individual who is unable to do so because of an injury, illness or disability. A conservator is someone who has been given by the court legal authority to make decisions regarding a person’s property and financial affairs. Although these are simple definitions, the service we provide is far from simple. Let me share the following scenario:

Your mom goes in for a significant yet relatively uncomplicated surgery only to suffer a stroke during the procedure which renders her paralyzed on the left side and leaves her with significant brain damage. Your once capable and independent mom is now unable to understand, let alone make, a sound decision regarding her own healthcare, including where she can now safely live. The stroke has also significantly altered her personality. Your pleasant mom is now nonsensical and angry, and the target is you - her only involved relative. She is suspicious of you and even accuses you of stealing from her. Her new and bizarre behaviors are unrecognizable to you. Your vibrant mom is unrecognizable to you because she’s

A court-appointed guardian, such as Catholic Charities, can help with decisions such as where to live once leaving the hospital, consent to any future medical care, and apply for any necessary benefits such as Medicare or Medical Assistance.

Your parent may actually be able to return home if the appropriate supports are put into place supports that a guardian will help orchestrate.

It is also evident that your parent may require a conservator to assist with paying the bills, caretaking of the home and estate, and settling outstanding debt.

The Guardian/Conservator Program at Catholic Charities frequently sees scenarios such as the one described above. Replace the word "mom" with "son," "daughter," "sibling," "grandparent," or "spouse." Replace "surgery induced stroke and subsequent brain injury" with "developmental disability," "mental illness," "dementia," "addiction," "financial exploitation," or "abuse." We provide guardianship and conservatorship for anyone over the age of 18.

While it is logical to appointment a family member as the guardian and/ or conservator, there is an unquestion-

able peace of mind that our clients’ family members experience by having a professional guardian and/or conservator, such as Catholic Charities, appointed. I wish I could count the number of times that family members have told me that they just want to remain that - a daughter or son or brother, or parent, etc. They’re not interested in being the people saddled with decisions that need to be made, such as how and where to move loved ones because those loved ones are no longer safe to remain in their own homes that they’ve kept for decades. At Catholic Charities, we are accustomed to “taking the heat” while making these tough decisions. It’s not often easy, but I can pretty much guarantee that it’s much easier for us to announce the changes resulting from these decisions than it is for family members to do so.

The Guardian/Conservator Program team members at Catholic Charities possess college degrees in the helping professions and have many collective years of experience. We are compassionate, empathic, patient and competent.

We embrace our work with humility and joy. We involve our clients as much as possible regarding the decisions that affect their lives, such as medical care, housing, employment, nutrition, socialization, faith traditions, and finances. We are committed to keeping our clients, your loved ones, as independent as possible.

For further information, please email me at jwieser@ccsomn.org, call 507454-2270, ext. 241 or visit our website at www.ccsomn.org.

Catholic Charities

Director Guardian/Conservator Program Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota

become bedridden with only a faint hope of being able to utilize a wheelchair in the future.

The doctors affirm that your mom cannot return to her own home or live independently but instead will require around-the-clock care, at least initially. There is discussion about having to sell your mother’s home to pay for her care going forward. How can you possibly tackle this incredibly challenging situation when you, yourself, work full-time and have a spouse and children at home?

October, 2018 w The Courier

Ask a Canon Lawyer

16

Rights of the Respondent �ast month, I wrote about how to

begin the marriage nullity process.

Naturally, it focused primarily on the Petitioner, or the person who is actively seeking the declaration of nullity. However, just as the decision to marry takes two people, the Church’s laws governing the nullity process acknowledge that two people are involved, each with their own rights and fundamental dignity.

So what are the rights of the Respondent (i.e., the other party in a marriage nullity trial)?

The Right to Be Informed A Trial Is Taking Place

One of the most important early steps in the marriage nullity process is the “citation of the Respondent” by the Tribunal.

That is, once the Petitioner’s initial libellus application is accepted, the Tribunal must send an official written notice to the Respondent letting him or her know that a marriage nullity trial will be taking place. If this step were to be skipped, it would make the trial itself invalid.

Usually, the Tribunal is able to cite the Respondent by using a current mailing address, which the Petitioner provides. If the Petitioner cannot find the Respondent’s current address, in the Tribunal we will undertake our own diligent search. In rare situations, it might happen that the Respondent truly cannot be located by anyone. But in cases like this, we don’t simply consider the Respondent to be out of the picture— rather, we appoint a “Procurator-Advocate,” or a canon lawyer whose job it is to represent the missing Respondent’s best interests throughout the course of the trial.

(Note: occasionally, a Petitioner will express concern about an abusive Respondent being contacted by the Tribunal. While we can’t omit the citation of the Respondent, we can take other steps to ensure the Petitioner’s safety, such as keeping the Petitioner’s contact information private upon the Petitioner’s request.)

The Right to Participate in the Trial

Once the Respondent is located and informed, he or she is given the same opportunities to participate in the trial as the Petitioner.

Among other things, this means that the Respondent is able to provide his or her opinion on the grounds of the case when they are first proposed; he or she is able to call witnesses or submit other evidence; the Respondent is able to have an in-person official interview with a Tribunal official to give testimony in the case; and, like the Petitioner, the Respondent is given the opportunity to review October, 2018 w The Courier

the acts of the case (i.e., to look through everything we have in the case file) at the Tribunal Jenna Cooper office in Winona before the trial date.

The Tribunal certainly encourages Tribunal Coordinator & Judge Respondents to participate in this way, since a jcooper@dowr.org marriage nullity trial is most essentially a search for the objective truth about a given marriage, and hearing from both parties gives the Judges a still a valid one. In these cases, the Respondent much clearer picture of what actually occurred. is free to present evidence in defense of the marBut, at the same time, we do understand riage bond; that is, to argue against a that not every Respondent will want potential declaration of nullity.

Do to be involved. Because of this, we y o It could also be that a u h qu will never force a Respondent to cano e s t i o n ave a Respondent has no strong opinparticipate any more actively n la a you ions either way on whether w t bout than he or she is comfortable w h o a to s u t or not a declaration of null d e with; and a marriage nullity h e r e answ l i k e lity should be granted, but trial can still move forward e e r e ? d jcoo still wants to participate in even with a non-participatper@ E m a i the trial just for the sake of l w dow ith ing or “absent” Respondent. r. o r g " sharing his or her side of the C o que stio u r i e r story.

The Tribunal welcomes n" The Choice of the i n this kind of Respondent parsubj How to Argue ect ticipation as well. line .

Oftentimes, while the Petitioner The Right to an Advocate is the one who is most motivated to engage the nullity process, it is Just as Petitioners can ask the Tribunal both parties who desire a declaration of to appoint an Advocate (a trained canon lawyer nullity. In these kinds of situations, a Respondent who acts in a way similar to a “personal attorney” can opt to participate in such a way so as to supin a marriage nullity trial) to help guide them port the arguments made by the Petitioner. through the process, a Respondent has the same On the other hand, it can also access to this benefit. Typically, a Respondent happen that a Respondent is will be offered the services of an Advocate at not happy that a nullity trial the time of the first citation, but a Respondent is taking place, as he can request an Advocate from the Tribunal or she might believe at almost any point during the trial. that their marriage, For more basic questions about the despite its probway the marriage nullity process works, lems, was and is a Respondent can also call the Tribunal and ask to speak to one of the Judges.

Here in the Tribunal, we do understand that the nullity process can be stressful and confusing at times, especially for those who didn’t initiate the process in the first place. Even while the steps we need to take to ensure justice is carried out for all parties mean that we can’t always make things easier on a purely practical level, we’re always happy to do what we can to make the process less mysterious and more “human.”

Seek First the Kingdom 17 �

aithful citizenship requires transcending the ideologies and partisan divides of our time and working primarily for the salvation of souls, not for short-term political gain on high-profile issues.

Though Christians can make prudential alignments with various candidates or parties to achieve specific goals, we should not conform to them or become beholden to them. Rather, we should form our consciences, inform our political activity and votes, and transform the parties and our state.

Today’s Challenge

A political arena not characterized by virtue or respect for the common good has left people angry and looking for leaders who speak to their core concerns. One temptation for Christians in this context is to give their full allegiance to one of the fragmented programs offered by parties and politicians—neo-liberal, neo-Marxist, or populist.

Each program speaks to authentic social concerns in some way. But each also offers a strange mix of secular morality clothed in bastardized Christian vocabulary. The result is grotesque: revivals of racism and nativism, increasing attacks on First Amendment freedoms, and the cancerous spread of a throwaway culture that can rationalize disposing of the most vul-

Two Witnesses

Catholics can look to some of the saints as leaders who modeled faithful citizenship. Their lives demonstrate that the Gospel never loses its potency to transform human life and society, in whatever age or circumstance. Times may change, but the principles do not.

One such witness is Archbishop Oscar Romero (canonized this October). He was murdered for his condemnation of injustices in his native El Salvador and his constant exhortations to the perpetrators to repent or face the judgment of God. Though criticized as being a “political” (that is, partisan) bishop, his witness was rooted in a truly Gospel-centric vision of Our Lord’s care for the poor and the responsibility of the Church to proclaim the kingdom of God. He condemned ideology, corruption, and violence on all sides and instead stood for the dig-

nity of the human person, especially the poor.

Likewise, Servant of God Dorothy Day, who co-founded the Catholic Worker movement in the 1930s, was criticized for her refusal to take sides in the Spanish Civil War. Communists were killing clergy, religious, and lay Catholics by the thousands in Spain, and many allied (not imprudently) with the Franco regime, but Dorothy refused to be complicit in violence as a means of resolving social and political conflict.

Instead, Dorothy built farming communes and houses of hospitality for the poor, advocated non-violent social change, and promoted economic democracy rooted in a system of widely distributed property. Not content with either party, she rarely bothered to vote.

These two figures courageously fought against injustice and worked for a better world, but the Church ultimately honors them because they witnessed to a vision of Christian social concern that extends far beyond party lines. Their goal was to bring about the Kingdom of God by making the world, as Day famously said, a place where “it is easier to be good.”

Faith in the Public Arena

Jason Adkins

Executive Director Minnesota Catholic Conference

nerable in our midst—among other things.

These developments, while disturbing, should not surprise us. Politics reflects culture, and as our nation becomes more secular, peoples’ horizons will inevitably shift from the eternal to the temporal.

Political ideologies are so appealing because they promise a perfect world, here and now; they identify an enemy, offer simplistic solutions to destroy it, name the saviors, and promise renewal and lasting prosperity.

But because they place all their hope in this world, they cannot tolerate dissent of any kind; everyone who does not subscribe fully to their agenda is an obstacle to progress. Here is where we find ourselves today: locked in an uncompromising power struggle between “left” and “right,” with little room for compromise or dialogue, because to do so would mean compromise with the “devil.”

Moving Forward

In today’s context, there is so much focus on specific outcomes—ending abortion, ending poverty, protecting migrants, saving the environment—that we sometimes lose a vision of the whole and fall into the trap of an uncivil politics that dehumanizes others and ends in more anger.

But Christians should refuse to be co-opted by the parties in this dis-integrated political dynamic. It undermines our Gospel witness. We ought to vote and work for social change but do so motivated above all by the love of God and neighbor, with Catholic social teaching as our foundation, while also maintaining a healthy detachment from specific political outcomes.

God is ultimately sovereign over human affairs.

This reality should free us from the need to win every battle in the short-term. The temporal order is passing away, and our priority is the Gospel command: “seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness…”

(Matt. 6:33).

Prepare yourself for election day with our wealth of resources. Go to MNCatholic.org/election where you will find resources to form your conscience and cast an informed vote instead of simply conforming your vote to political ideologies, and ways to begin to transform politics in Minnesota.

October, 2018 w The Courier

Mark Engesser, 18

cont'd from pg. 1

In the Diocese

Mark enlisted the help of Deacon Chris Walchuk, Catholic Charities' director of parish social ministry at that time, to come and do a training on facilitating a bible study in the fall of 2016. A number of people came to this meeting, and, to Mark’s delight, five others agreed to be facilitators. Deacon Chris trained them for the Life in Christ program, which came from the Rural Life Office. From that training, five groups were formed to lead this study.

But that is not the end of the story. Often when a bible study's sessions are completed, the groups cease to meet; but, when the Life in Christ series ended, Mark organized the groups for bible studies on the Letter of Paul to the Philippians, Letter to the Ephesians and the Gospel of Mark. Most recently, Mark organized a study on the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching put out by Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota. In these additional bible studies, the number of groups that met ranged from three to five.

One of the keys to a vibrant parish is to form small base communities that meet throughout the week. Mark has noticed that a sense of community in the parishes has grown because parishioners come to know each other in Christ. When asked what motivated him to coordinate this effort, Mark said he had a nagging feeling that he needed to do more than just go to Mass on Sunday. This he attributed to the movement of the Holy Spirit in his life. Mark sees the bible studies as evangelization.

The small groups have allowed him to know fellow parishioners on a deeper level while also growing in his faith.

What makes Mark's work noteworthy in his cluster is not just that he is continuously running bible studies, but that he has a team of people who are willing to lead as well. This form of discipleship is a worthy goal in any parish cluster.

Tom Parlin is the director of the Parish Social Ministries program at Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota.

Obituaries

Sister Germaine Hullerman (Sister Roxanne), 86, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, died at Assisi Heights September 12, 2018.

Germaine Cecilia Hullerman was born July 31, 1932, in Heron Lake to George and Bernadette (Schneider) Hullerman. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1951 from Sacred Heart Parish, Heron Lake.

Sister Germaine made first vows in 1954 and perpetual vows in 1957. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, in 1956.

Sister Germaine served as a registered nurse at Saint Marys Hospital for 38 years, at St. Francis Convalescent Home in Denver, CO, for two years, and at Assisi Heights for six years. On retiring from nursing, Sister Germaine served as sacristan at St Mary’s Hospital Chapel for three years and then as an auxiliary volunteer for eight years until she moved to Assisi Heights in 2016.

Sister Germaine is survived by her Franciscan Sisters, with whom she shared life for 63 years; a sister, Marlene Hermes of Salina, KS; nieces and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers: Richard, Alvin and David Hullerman.

The Funeral Mass was Tuesday, September 18, in Lourdes Chapel. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, Rochester.

Addiction Speaker to Visit Diocese Scott Weeman, founder of Catholic in Recovery, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping those fighting addictions, will present What Does the Catholic Faith Have to Do with Addiction Recovery? at St. Francis Church in Rochester on Monday, November 5, and St. John the Baptist Church in Mankato on Tuesday, November 6. Weeman's presentation will begin at 7 each night and be followed by a Q & A session. Admission is free.

Weeman's own journey through drug and alcohol addiction has led him to help others. His

Annual Prayer Vigil Held for Aborted Children

October, 2018 w The Courier

WINONA--On Saturday, September 8, pro-life people around the country gathered for the sixth annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children, sponsored by Priests for Life, Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society.

Bishop John M. Quinn presided at the Winona vigil, held in St. Mary's Cemetery, to remember the more than 61 million lives of preborn babies lost to legal abortion since 1973. The Hearts for Life group of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart organized the local vigil, which marked Winona's second year participating in the national event.

"It has grown from last year," said Hearts for Life Coordinator Kathy Foerster. "There were about 70 people at the prayer service. There were several families with lots of children, so that was nice to see."

Participants in the local vigil were invited to place long-stem carnations on the memorial site. A Cathedral parishioner shared personal testimony of an abortion's effects, and musicians

Sister Joan Kettler, SSND, (Sister M. Francis Regis), 94, professed in 1944, died September 17, 2018, at Good Counsel in Mankato.

A native of Eden, SD, she entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1941 and professed first vows in 1944. She served as a Catholic School teacher at all grade levels for most of her SSND ministry, and was also principal in some of the schools. In the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, she taught primary grades at Ss. Peter & Paul, Mankato (1944-51) and Ss. Peter & Paul, Blue Earth (195363). Following her retirement from teaching, she was a parish visitor at Holy Childhood Parish, St. Paul, for several years. In her retirement years at Good Counsel, she became the librarian for the Good Counsel Learning Center.

Sister Joan is survived by her nieces and nephews and their families; her friends, colleagues and former students; and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and SSND Associates.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Francis Regis and Emma (Opitz) Kettler; her sisters, Germaine Patterson, Marita Kettler and Emilyne Anderson; and her brothers, Frank and James. Her twin brothers, Peter and Paul, died at an early age.

The funeral liturgy, with her cousin, Bishop Donald Kettler of St. Cloud, as presider, was held September 24 in Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel, followed by burial of her cremains in the cemetery at Good Counsel.

first book, The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments, was published in November of 2017 by Ave Maria Press.

According to Catholic in Recovery's website:

The goal of every encounter and interaction that one has with our organization is connection - connections with others who have struggled or still struggle from a similar state of hopelessness as well as connection to Jesus Christ, the Lord that delivers new life. This organization was started as a call from God, and He will continue to be the source of all functions and organizational development as we reach out to serve parishes, communities, and individuals across the world.

Vigil participants laid carnations at the base of a memorial to unborn children in St. Mary's Cemetery.

performed "The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor," "Where Charity and Love Prevail," and "The Giver of All Life."

There are 51 grave sites for aborted children across the United States, as well as dozens of other sites dedicated as memorials to aborted children.

A paragraph released by Hearts for Life to publicize the event said, "For those affected by abortion, the chance to grieve at a gravesite or have a memorial service is an important step in the healing process. In addition, it serves to remind our society of the gift of life and the humanity of the preborn child."

Franciscan Sisters to Celebrate Jubilees ROCHESTER--Eight members of the Sisters of Saint Francis, Rochester, will celebrate their 60th Diamond Jubilee with their religious community on October 4, 2018.

Sister Mary Glynn, formerly known as Sister Brideen, was born in Janesville and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from St. Ann’s Parish, professing first vows in 1958. Sister Mary obtained her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa in Winona. Her primary ministry was spent teaching in Sleepy Eye, Waseca, Owatonna, Winona, Austin and North St. Paul, as well as in Chicago, IL. In addition, Sister Mary was a home health care aide in Rochester for five years.

Currently, she is retired and resides at Assisi Heights.

Sister Audrey Goldschmidt, formerly known as Sister M. Roderic, was born in Sleepy Eye and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from St. Mary’s Parish, professing first vows in 1958. She attended the College of St. Teresa in Winona, receiving a Bachelor of Science in elementary education. Her teaching career was spent in parish schools in Jackson, Rochester and Sleepy Eye. Currently, she is retired and resides at Assisi Heights, where she is known for her mouth-watering caramels!

Sister Marcella Klein, formerly known as Sister Benilde, was born in Waverly, SD, and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from St. Joseph’s Parish, professing first vows in 1958. She attended the College of St. Teresa in Winona and received her bachelor’s degree in education. Sister Marcella went on for further studies and received a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD. Her primary ministry was spent teaching in Austin and Glencoe; in Watertown, SD; and in Chicago, IL. She also worked at the Boys and Girls Club in Watertown, SD. Currently, Sister Marcella is retired and resides at Assisi Heights.

Sister Shirley Schmitz, formerly known as Sister Kipha, was born in Caledonia and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from St. Peter’s Parish, professing first vows in 1958. She received a Bachelor of Science in education and social sciences from the College of St. Teresa in Winona and went on to get her Master of Science in education, focused on curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading, from the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. Her primary career was spent teaching; first in parish schools in Adrian and Austin, and also in Mokena, IL. She taught at the College of Saint Teresa for 22 years, which included serving as the director of residential hall for two years.

Currently, she resides at Assisi Heights, where she serves as the director of archives for the College of St. Teresa.

Sister Delores Simon, formerly known as Sister Cleta, was born in Owatonna and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from Holy Trinity Parish in Litomysl, professing first vows in 1958. She received her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa in Winona and served her entire career as a teacher in parish schools throughout Minnesota and Ohio and in Chicago, IL. Currently, she is retired and resides at Assisi Heights.

Sister Colleen Waterman, formerly known as Sister Mary Darcy, was born in Rockwell City, IA, and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from St. Francis of Assisi Parish, professing first vows in 1958. She graduated from St. Marys Hospital School of Nursing in Rochester in 1955.

She also attended Marquette University School of Nursing in Milwaukee, WI, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her career in nursing was spent at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester for 10 years, followed by a position with Catholic Charities in Charleston, SC, for 42 years. During those years, she also was involved in religious and music ministry at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Charleston, SC, as well as serving in Kairos prison ministry, particularly with death row visitations and literacy ministry, and AIDS ministry, and she was co-director of Neighborhouse and Echo House, serving the last 12 years as director of Echo House. Currently, she is active in various volunteer ministries at Assisi Heights, where she also resides.

60th Diamond Jubilarians. Standing L to R: Sisters Colleen Waterman, Shirley Schmitz and Audrey Goldschmidt.

Seated L to R: Sisters Mary Glynn, Marcella Klein, Delores Simon and Ingrid Peterson.

Three members of the Sisters of Saint Francis in Rochester will celebrate their 75th Diamond Jubilee with their religious community on October 4, 2018.

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Sister M. Severina Caron was raised in rural Marshall and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from St. Clotilde Parish in Green Valley, in 1943. Sister Severina received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and theology from the College of St. Teresa in Winona and a master’s degree in mathematics and counseling from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Her primary career was spent teaching in various parish schools throughout the archdioceses of St. Paul & Minneapolis and Chicago, as well as the dioceses of Winona-Rochester; Columbus, OH; and Steubenville, OH. She also served in the financial office at Winona Public Schools, in the Tribunal of the Diocese of WinonaRochester, and as the math coordinator for the parish schools in the Diocese of WinonaRochester. In addition, she served in the Congregational Archives office for the Sisters of Saint Francis. She received the Bishop Lucker Award from the Diocese of New Ulm, in recognition of her service on the Diocesan Pastoral Council of the Board of Education, Diocesan Planning Committee, Regional Pastoral Council and Diocesan Sisters Council of the Diocese of New Ulm. She received a certificate from the Adler Institute and completed a three-year course in liturgy. Currently, Sister M. Severina is retired and active in various ministries at Assisi Heights in Rochester.

In the Diocese

Sister Rita Brom, formerly known as Sister Laverne, was born in Winona and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from St. Mary’s Parish, professing first vows in 1958. She attended the College of St. Teresa in Winona, receiving her bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

She continued her studies and obtained a degree in studio art from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA; followed by studies in biology at St. Mary’s University in Winona. She taught art and religious education at the primary grade level in Rochester and Albert Lea, and in River Falls, WI, followed by seven years teaching at Lourdes High School in Rochester. For the past 30 years, Sister Rita has served as a naturalist, and today she volunteers at Oxbow Park in Byron. She continues to create art in various formats during her spare time.

Sister Ingrid Peterson was born in Grantsburg, WI, and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from Immaculate Conception Parish in New Richmond, WI, professing first vows in 1958. She received a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the College of St. Teresa in Winona, followed by a Master of Arts in speech from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, and then a PhD in English from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. Her primary career was spent in teaching secondary grades in Portsmouth, OH. She is the author of Keeping the Memory Green: Mother Alfred Moes and the Sisters of Saint Francis, the congregational history of the Rochester Franciscan Sisters. Sister Ingrid received an award from the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University in 2000 for her outstanding contribution to scholarship in Franciscan Studies.

She also was the recipient of the Avery Hopwood for Poetry while at the University of Michigan. Currently, Sister Ingrid is retired and resides at Assisi Heights.

Sister Casilda Chavez was born Margaret Mary Chavez in San Pedro, CO, and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from San Luis, CO, in 1943. Sister Casilda received a bachelor’s degree in education from the College of St. Teresa in Winona. Her primary career was spent as a teacher in Rochester, Iona, Fulda, Winona, and North St. Paul. She loved teaching first grade students. Additionally, Sister Casilda served in administrative functions for the Sisters of Saint Francis at Assisi Heights. She currently is active in prayer ministry and resides at Assisi Heights in Rochester.

Sister Marcan Freking was born in Heron Lake and entered the Rochester Franciscan Congregation from Sacred Heart Parish in 1943. Sister Marcan received a Bachelor of Science in education from the College of St. Teresa in Winona and a Master of Science in education from Winona State College in Winona. Her primary career was spent as a teacher for 25 years, serving in Austin, Albert Lea, Sleepy Eye, Winona, Glencoe, Golden Valley and Fulda. She also served in pastoral and social ministry for 30 years in Kentucky's Lewis, Carter, Butler and Union counties. Sister Marcan is retired and active in book clubs and volunteer ministries at Assisi Heights, where she currently resides.

75th Diamond Jubilarians. L to R: Sisters Marcan Freking, M. Severina Caron and Casilda Chavez October, 2018 w 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@dowr.org by the deadline to assure receipt and possible inclusion in the events calendar.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Televised Mass

Other Events Sacred Heart Care Center, Austin October 6, Saturday Auxiliary Craft & Bake Sale 9-1. Quilt and Samsung tablet raffles, crafts, plants, baked goods, gourmet corner, homemade candy, sloppy joes, hospitality table, trash & treasures.

Christ the King Church, Byron October 7, Sunday Fall Dinner 11-1, following 10:30 Mass. Home-style ham & turkey.

Raffle & silent auction at 1:15.

Immaculate Conception Church, Kellogg October 7, Sunday Fall Dinner served family-style 11-2, following 10:30 Mass. Chicken & ham.

Big Ticket, grocery cart & basket raffles; bake sale, garden produce. Take-outs available. Handicap accessible.

St. Ann Church, Slayton October 7, Sunday Pit BBQ Chicken Dinner & Bazaar 11-1 St. Ann's Hall. $9 adults. $7 kids.

BBQ chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, homemade pies, beverages. 2837 Maple Ave. Carry-outs available at the school.

St. Mary Church, Ellsworth October 7, Sunday Final Mass at St. Mary Church 10:30 a.m. Bishop Quinn will confirm the parish confirmation class. All invited.

St. Matthew Church, Vernon Center October 7, Sunday Turkey dinner w. pie, served family style 4-7. $10 adults. $6 kids (free under 4).

Sacred Heart Church, Owatonna October 13, Saturday Diocesan Women's Conference 9-3.

Info: pmartin@dowr.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 2018 Holy Family Church, Kasson October 14, Sunday Harvest Dinner, Bake Sale & Silent Auction 11-1, after 10:30 Mass. Roast pork with mashed potatoes, homemade dressing & gravy, famous squash, coleslaw, dinner rolls, coffee, milk and apple crisp. Adults $10. Kids 5-12 $5. Under 5 free. Take-outs available.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Wilmont October 14, Sunday Fall Bazaar with silent auction, quilt and big ticket raffles, and bake sale. Dinner served 11-1. Roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, buns, desserts and beverages. $9 adults. $4.50 ages 3-11. Free 2 & under. Take outs available; call 507-926-5197 after 10:30 a.m.

Pax Christi Church, Rochester October 14, Sunday Sunday Speaker Series 4 p.m.

McCauley Hall, lower level. Can Amish Traditions Teach Us to Forgive?

St. Mary Church, Minneiska October 14, Sunday Texas-style French toast breakfast 9:3012, following 8:30 Mass. French toast; sausage; apple sauce; and coffee, milk or juice. Adults $7. Kids 6 & under $3.

Bake sale & ticket drawing at noon.

St. Mary Church, Winona October 14, Sunday River City Festival 11-4. Chicken-Q ($10) and hot dog meals ($3) served 11 til gone. Kids' carnival 11-2. Big ticket raffle (55 items!). $10 raffle for pair of Vikings tickets (11/25 home game against the Packers!). Ping pong pull 11:30-1:30 (multiple prizes per round, including quilts!). Basket silent auction, jewelry & knick-knacks, bake sale, country market. Popcorn, slushies, desserts and treats all day.

Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka, Winona October 21, Sunday St. John Nepomucene Parish Fall Festival in St. Stan's Church Hall (625 E 4th St. in Winona) 11-5. Lunch, raffles, silent auction, candy booth, kids' games and chair massages (12-3). Big Ticket winners drawn at 5. Public welcome.

Pax Christi Church, Rochester October 25, Thursday The 177 Project is a tour bringing an evening of music and eucharistic adoration to every US diocese this fall.

6:45 p.m. Rosary. 7 p.m. Adoration.

8:15 Concert. Music by Dave Moore and John Tibbs. Free tickets at www. itickets.com/events/403779 Resurrection Church, Rochester October 26, Friday Catholic Evangelization Outreach to feature Sheila Pelowski at 7 p.m. Sheila will speak on the mystical battle for her soul. Light refreshments will follow in Fr. Zenk Hall. Childcare provided. Free.

Christ the King Church, Medford October 27, Saturday Fall Festival & Turkey Dinner 5-6:30 in basement. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls, pumpkin pie bars. $12 adults. $5 kids 7 & under.

Quilts, crafts, 50/50 raffle. Christmas greeneries and baked goods. Pre-sale tickets encouraged; call Martha (507456-8217) or Simone (507-213-5031).

St. John the Baptist Church, Minnesota Lake October 28, Sunday Turkey Supper 4-7. Turkey, dressing, potatoes & gravy, salad, desserts.

Take-outs available. $12 adults.

Kids under 5 free. Tickets at door.

Handicap accessible. 100 Park St. N. St. Mary School, Caledonia October 28, Sunday St. Mary Parish Holiday Bazaar 11-5.

Roast beef family dinner 11-1. Lunch (sloppy joes, hot dogs, walking tacos) 11-gone. Auction at 3. Gift shop, stage and gun raffles, pull taps, tip boards, bake shop, chance booth, kids' booth, sweet shop, kids' games.

Crucifixion Church, La Crescent November 3, Saturday Roast beef dinner served 3:30-7:30 in school auditorium (420 S 2nd St.).

Roast beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, coleslaw or apple sauce, rolls, apple pie squares (with La Crescent apples). Autumn boutique and bake sale. $11.50 advance tickets (at parish or school office). $12 at the door. $5.50 kids 12 & under. Info: 507-895-4720.

St. Ann Church, Slayton November 3, Saturday Basic evangelization training by St. Paul Street Evangelization in St. Ann's Divine Mercy Hall (2747 29th Street in Slayton).

Mass at 9 a.m. Registration at 9:30.

Training from 10-4. $10 registration fee covers training, materials and lunch.

Scholarships available upon request.

Marcie Cowan has information: 507360-1885 or faith@acmcatholic.org.

St. Francis Church, Rochester November 5, Monday 7 p.m. presentation by Scott Weeman, founder of Catholic in Recovery, a nonprofit helping those fighting addictions. Q & A follows. Free.

St. John the Baptist Church, Mankato November 6, Tuesday 7 p.m. presentation by Scott Weeman, founder of Catholic in Recovery, a nonprofit helping those fighting addictions. Q & A follows. Free.

• The Courier

Christ the King Church, Byron November 10, Saturday 10th Annual Fall Expo 9-2. 30+ arts & crafts and home-based businesses. Cash & carry items for purchase from most vendors. Pampered Chef, Avon, Watkins, Scentsy, Tastefully Simple, Tupperware, Thrive, Monat, fine jewelry, decorative & functional home items, holiday decorations, skin care & cosmetics, hand-crafted soaps, baskets, appliqued towels & aprons, candles, purses, toys, and more. Baked goods, beverages & lunch available. First 50 customers at 9 and first 50 after noon receive gift bags! 202 4th St. NW in Byron.

St. Charles Borromeo Church, St. Charles November 10, Saturday Turkey Bingo & Holiday Pie Bake Sale, sponsored by Ct. St. Charles Catholic Daughters #1791, following 5 p.m.

Mass. $5 lunch (sloppy joe or hot dog, bar and beverage), turkey bingo at 6:30. Info: 507-421-0564.

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

Revitalize your marriage!

SouthMNWWME.org or 507-227-8229.