New September 2016 | Vol. 37 | No .8
Earth
The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Fargo
Trade in the sofa f o r a pair of walking shoes
Nearly 130 from di
ocese witness faith
PLUS
From Bishop Folda: Reflections on World Youth Day
of universal church
at World Youth Day
Jubilee Year of Mercy: Couple visits all nine Holy Doors in2016 diocese NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER
Steve Wood: The most important job a man will ever have
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NEW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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September 2016 Vol. 37 | No. 8
ON THE COVER 18 “Trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes” Youth from the diocese catch a glimpse of Pope Francis
during the World Youth Day opening ceremony on July 28. About 130 pilgrims from the diocese attended the World Youth Day events in Krakow, Poland where about two million people from around the world gathered in solidarity of the universal church. (Kristina Lahr | New Earth)
FROM BISHOP FOLDA
4 5
Reflections on World Youth Day Official appointments
FOCUS ON FAITH
6
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help and the call to catechize
6
Pope Francis’ September prayer intentions
7
Ask a priest: What does a priest do all day?
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The most important job a man will ever have
AROUND THE DIOCESE 10 Moving Newman forward – #movenewmanforward 11 Carmelite Monastery celebrates 60th pilgrimage to Shrine of Our Lady of the Prairies 12 Catholic School students in the Fargo Diocese head back to school 14 Golf teams putt for seminarian education and youth programs 15 Summer retreat a welcome respite for seminarians 16 Sister Bernadette Jaeger, OSF, dies age 96
FAITH AND CULTURE
17 Tattered Pages: A review of Catholic books and literature
A review of Jim Defede’s “The Day the World Came to Town”
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OUR CATHOLIC LIFE
25 Stories of Faith
The faith story this month shares what it is like to be the new pastor of a parish and what parishioners can do to support them.
26 Catholic Action
Christopher Dodson explains the issues facing the next legislative assembly.
27 Seminarian Life
Ethan Kaste describes how living a life for Christ will naturally lead to surprises.
28 Stewardship
In this month’s column, Steve Schons uses the parable of the Good Samaritan to teach the importance of stewardship.
29 Little Sisters of the Poor
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Guest columnist, Sister Constance Veit, L.S.P., dares young and old alike to be of good cheer.
ON THE COVER: Pilgrims from around the world gather to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis at the World Youth Day celebration in Krakow, Poland July 31. (Bob Roller | CNS)
NEW
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(ISSN# 10676406) Our mission is to serve Catholic parishes in Eastern N.D. as the official monthly publication of the Diocese of Fargo.
Publisher
Most Rev. John T. Folda Bishop of Fargo
Editor
Paul Braun
Assistant editor Kristina Lahr
Designer
Stephanie Drietz - Drietz Designs
Subscriptions
Parish contributions make it possible for each registered Catholic household in the diocese to receive 11 issues per year. For those living outside the Diocese wanting a subscription, an annual $9/year rate is requested.
Postmaster
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35
WHAT’S HAPPENING
30 Events across the diocese 31 A glimpse of the past 33 Life’s milestones
U.S. AND WORLD NEWS
34 The mercy-filled life: Mother Teresa embodied what Pope Francis teaches SPECIAL SECTION: JUBILEE OF MERCY 35 Couple visits all nine Holy Doors in diocese
Send address changes or subscription requests to: New Earth 5201 Bishops Blvd S., Suite A Fargo, ND 58104
Contact Information
Use the following contact information to contact the New Earth staff: news@fargodiocese.org (701) 356-7900 Deadline to submit articles, story ideas, advertisements and announcements for the September issue is September 21, 2016. All submissions are subject to editing and placement. New Earth is published by the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, a nonprofit North Dakota corporation, 5201 Bishops Blvd. S, Suite A Fargo, ND 58104. (701) 356-7900. Periodical Postage Paid at Fargo, ND and at additional mailing offices. Member of the Catholic Press Association NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
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FROM BISHOP FOLDA
Reflections on World Youth Day
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ast month I had the privilege of traveling to the city of Krakow in Poland for the great Catholic celebration of World Youth Day, a nearly weeklong festival of faith called and presided over by Pope Francis. Please indulge me as I share a few memories and impressions from this remarkable journey. I know that many of us were drawn to Krakow by the life and witness of Pope St. John Paul II, the “founder” of World Youth Day. After his election as Pope in 1978, John Paul II became a national hero in Poland, and his memory is still revered, especially in Krakow. Young Karol Wojtyla grew into adulthood in Krakow, and I was able to visit the humble apartment that he shared with his father until he entered the seminary. I also visited the Cathedral chapel where the newly ordained Father Wojtyla celebrated his First Mass in 1946. And we walked the streets and visited the churches where he preached and served as a priest and bishop, even under the yoke of communist oppression. John Paul II constantly defended the rights of all people to live out their faith in God freely and openly. He challenged the authorities who sought to eradicate God and religion from public life, and he would not allow them to erase the Catholic heritage of Polish history and culture. For an entire generation of the faithful throughout the world, Pope St. John Paul II was a hero of strength, compassion and fidelity to Jesus Christ. Even now, eleven years after his death, he calls us to holiness, to union with God, wherein we find our truest selves. He stills cries out as he did in the first days of his pontificate: “Do not be afraid to open wide the doors to Christ.” Krakow is also the home of the Shrine of Divine Mercy. In the 1930s, just before the start of World War II, a young Polish nun by the name of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska received extraordinary revelations from our Lord, reminding us that God’s mercy is abundant and always available to those who would seek it.
In the face of the horrors of war and tyranny that Poland would see in the years to come, this message of Divine Mercy was especially timely. Without God’s mercy, we are lost, but with his mercy we can abide in his love forever. I was able to visit the tomb of St. Faustina in her convent chapel, and sensed the hand of God’s providence who raised up this unknown Polish sister to renew the faith of millions in God’s Divine Mercy. In the midst of all the exuberance and joy of World Youth Day was a sobering tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Auschwitz-Birkenau is a short drive from the city of Krakow, so it seemed imperative to me to see this infamous place that is synonymous with cruelty and hatred. It is difficult to fully comprehend the magnitude of the crimes of Auschwitz, but the tour made it clear that when we banish God from our culture and forget the dignity of every human person, terrible things will result. Auschwitz is a place of overwhelming sadness, but there is one spot that actually inspires. In one of the cell blocks, St. Maximillian Kolbe gave his life for another prisoner. Maximillian might have seemed, in the eyes of his captors, to be a weakling, a fool or just crazy. But by stepping forward and offering his life, he demonstrated quite the opposite. He had greater power than anyone there who was holding a gun. He had the power of mercy, the power of love, the power of Christ. He gave his life, and he saved a life. Maximillian Kolbe shows us that the grace of God’s mercy can penetrate even the darkest of places. The faith of the Polish people is itself an inspiration. Poland has experienced great suffering over the centuries, most recently during the Nazi occupation and then under the iron heel of atheistic communism. But throughout those dark times, the faith burned brightly in the hearts of ordinary Poles. Countless bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful were imprisoned or martyred in that sad era, but the faith endured and remains strong today. In our own nation, we can learn a lesson from those who sacrificed so much to remain true to our Lord and the Church he founded. A key figure in that heritage of faith is our Blessed Mother Mary, venerated in Poland as Our Lady of Czestochowa. The shrine of Mary at Czestochowa is often called the heart of Poland, and millions pray there every year before an ancient icon of Mary. I was blessed to celebrate Mass with a group of bishops and pilgrims in the shrine chapel, and I was deeply moved by the devotion to Mary that I witnessed. Within this setting, Pope Francis came to pray and celebrate with over a million young people from around the world. The universality of the Church was on full display, and it was
“When so many young Catholics from around the world come together in peace to pray and enjoy each other’s company, the Church and the world are better for it.” – Bishop John Folda, Diocese of Fargo 4
NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
amazing to see and hear the energy and enthusiasm of young people from every corner of the globe. They came to meet Jesus Christ and to experience his love for them, and they had a great time along the way. I had some delightful conversations with young people from the U.S., Ireland, Singapore, France and Poland, and I was deeply impressed with their joy and the depth of their faith. Some have questioned whether the World Youth Days have made a difference in the life of the Church. But from my experience, this event is an occasion for great hope. When so many young Catholics from around the world come together in peace to pray and enjoy each other’s company, the Church and the world are better for it. A highlight of the pilgrimage for me was the opportunity to celebrate Mass for all the pilgrims from the Diocese of Fargo at the Church of the Transfiguration in Krakow. Three different groups from our diocese made this trip, totaling almost 130 young people and adults. It was wonderful to pray with all of them gathered together, and I was extremely proud of them for making this journey. World Youth Day is not a vacation, and it certainly entails some hardship and sacrifice. But it was inspiring to see this group of the faithful from North Dakota praying and celebrating the great gifts of faith and God’s mercy. I know their experience will be a blessing to our diocese for a long time to come. Finally, I share a few words of encouragement that Pope Francis spoke to the gathered youth: “Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths.… Jesus can give you true passion for life. Jesus can inspire us not to settle for less but to give the very best of ourselves. Jesus challenges us, spurs us on and helps us keep trying whenever we are tempted to give up. Jesus pushes us to keep our sights high and to dream of great things.” May we all keep our sights high and reach for great things. May we reach for Jesus.
Bishop Folda’s Calendar Sep. 11-14 USCCB Meeting, Washington D.C.
Sep. 16-18 Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Omaha, Neb.
Sep. 22
Principals and Pastors Meeting, Pastoral Center, Fargo
Sep. 24
|
5 p.m.
Sep. 25
|
5 p.m.
St. Michael’s School Centennial Banquet and Program, St. Michael’s, Grand Forks Mass at Barn Blast, Mooreton
Sep. 26-29
Catholic Extension Mission Bishops’ Conference, Chicago Ill.
Oct. 2 | 12 p.m.
Walk with Christ for Life, Cathedral of St. Mary’s, Fargo
Diocese of Fargo Official Appointments/Announcements September 2016
Presbyterate Days, Jamestown
Most Rev. John T. Folda, Bishop of Fargo, has made the following appointments, announcements, and/or decrees
Oct. 8 | 9 a.m.
Oct. 2-5
Men’s Conference, Fargodome, Fargo
Reverend Paul Duchschere has been appointed pastor of Sts. Anne and Joachim Parish, in Fargo, for a second term of six-years beginning June 15, 2016. Reverend Phillip Ackerman has been appointed the Dean for Deanery IV, effective July 1, 2016. Reverend Wenceslaus Katanga has been appointed the Dean for Deanery VIII, effective July 1, 2016. Reverend Christopher Markman has been appointed as an At Large member of the Priest Council, effective August 1, 2016. Reverend Msgr. Jeffrey Wald has been appointed as an At Large member of the Priest Council, effective August 1, 2016. NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
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FOCUS ON FAITH
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help and the call to catechize
The Our Lady of Good Help shrine in Champion, Wis. was named a national shrine Aug. 15. It is the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States. (The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help)
n the feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15, Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wis. announced that the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States was now declared the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. The story of the shrine goes back to Oct. 9, 1859 when Adele Brise was walking to Mass and she saw a beautiful Lady. She decided to seek council from her parish priest after Mass who advised her to ask the Lady who she was and what she wanted. On the way home the Lady appeared again. Adele described the Lady as “a beautiful woman, clothed in dazzling white, with a yellow sash around her waist, her dress fell to her feet in graceful folds. She had a crown of stars around her head, and her long, wavy, golden hair fell loosely over her shoulders.” The Lady identified herself as the “Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversions of sinners. If sinners do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them.” Then Our Lady asked, “What are you doing here in idleness while your companions are working in the vineyard of my Son?” Adele grew up in Belgium and had wanted to join an order of nuns who worked in the missions, but when her parents decided to immigrate to Wisconsin she was not able to do so. Adele asked Our Lady what more she could do. The Queen of Heaven responded, “gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.” Adele responded, “But how shall I teach them who know so little myself?” Our Lady said, “Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments. Go and fear nothing, I will help you.” Adele realized she had just received her vocation – to teach young people the catechism. She walked up to 15 miles, knocking on doors and even offering to do housework in exchange for
catechizing the children in the home. Eventually other women joined her and a community of Third Order Sisters were formed, calling themselves the Sisters of St. Francis. This lay group of sisters was recognized by the bishop and was given permission to wear religious habits. Sister Adele built a small wooden chapel and dedicated it to Our Lady of Good Help where she saw our Lady. Soon the property expanded to include a school. All was going well. However, 12 years after the apparition, a fire broke out in the town of Peshtigo, some 60 miles away. It destroyed everything in its path and was heading toward the property. The people in the area ran to the chapel and begged the intercession of Our Lady of Good Help. On Oct. 9 the fire subsided by the gift of rain. Up to 2,500 people were killed and everything in eleven counties was destroyed except the six acres of property consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Records indicated that even the wooden fence around the property was charred on the outside but not touched on the inside. Our Lady’s message is important because it was the first and only time she directed someone to take up the task of catechesis for the children in the local area. The Church still urges us to respond to the call of catechesis. There are people who have diligently worked in the vineyard of the Lord for many years, but there are still many who are called but sit in idleness. This year we celebrate Catechetical Sunday on Sep. 18 and the Jubilee of Catechists on Sep. 25 with the Holy Father as we contemplate his motto “Pitiable yet chosen.” This certainly resonates with all of us, as it would have for Sister Adele. Who of us feels qualified to evangelize and to catechize? There is a saying, though, ‘the Lord does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.’ So where is the Lord calling you?
By Mary Hanbury | Diocese of Fargo Catechesis Director
O
Prayer Intentions
OF POPE FRANCIS - September
Universal intention: Centrality of the Human Person. That each may contribute to the common good and to the building of a society that places the human person at the center.
Reflection: How do the centrality of the human person and the common good influence the choices I make, especially when I vote?
Scripture: Genesis 1:27. In the divine image God created humanity. Evangelization intention: Mission to Evangelize. That by participating in the Sacraments and
meditating on Scripture, Christians may become more aware of their mission to evangelize.
Reflection: How do the Scriptures and Sacraments make me more aware of Jesus’ passion for mission? In what ways does this passion lead me to offer myself with Jesus for the ongoing work of salvation?
Scripture: Luke 24: 13-35. “Were not our hearts burning within us…?” 6
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FOCUS ON FAITH
T
What does a priest do all day?
his is such a common question for people, Catholics and non-Catholics. The lives of priests – and people consecrated in other ways to the Church – are often very mysterious to the general public. Even seeing a priest somewhere like a restaurant or the grocery store (or just imagine seeing a priest at the gym!) can take people by surprise. Hopefully that surprise is followed by a reminder that priests are, in their heart, quite regular people, “taken from among men and made their representative before God” (Hebrews 5:1). Foundationally, priests exist to serve God’s people “in persona Christi, capitis,” (in the person of Christ, the head). By the sacrament of Holy Orders, these men become living representatives of Jesus among the people they live with. This would be impossible of course unless the priest was striving every day to be united with Jesus in his prayer and in his will. Each day presents choices and chances to do our work either with Christ – united with him in our mind and spirit, obedient to God the Father – or to do it separated from Christ, doing otherwise good things with bad attitudes or motives or maybe not even doing them at all. Priests spend years preparing to represent Christ well, by our study and our prayer. We learn that we represent Jesus as the “priest, prophet, and king” that he is. Therefore, in the sacraments and other liturgies, Jesus the Priest offers his sacrifice through the priest who is praying. When priests proclaim the Gospel Jesus the Prophet gives his Good News to the world, to help us know God as our Father and savior and become his children. When priests shepherd their flocks, Jesus the King helps people recognize the gifts he has given them and how they are to use them for the Kingdom of God. But what does all of this actually look like? Not that I am an ideal picture of a parish priest. Nonetheless, I’ll use my calendar from a somewhat random Tuesday last November as an example of how all of this is lived out. 6:15 a.m. – Rise and prepare for the day
7 a.m. – Hear confessions before Mass 7:15 a.m. – Daily Mass
8 a.m. – Breakfast and morning chat with the staff (I’m a pretty chatty person) 8:30 a.m. – Personal prayer (including the Liturgy of the Hours and a personal Holy Hour)
10 a.m. – Go to our elementary school to videotape interviews with several 4th graders about receiving the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion, which will be shown to the 3rd graders during their sacramental prep classes 11 a.m. – Check in with the NET Team who just arrived to conduct an evening retreat with our Middle School students
1 p.m.– Go to the hospital to visit our parishioners and other patients 3 p.m. – Afternoon break and Daytime Prayer (i.e. the Liturgy of the Hours)
Ask a Priest
Fr. Gregory Haman
3:30 p.m. – Prepare for RCIA classes later this evening (This was an easy session to prepare since we had invited several people to share their own stories of becoming Catholic.)
4:45 p.m. – Confessions before the evening Mass
5:15 p.m. – Daily Mass (my pastor happened to be gone on retreat that week which required me to offer both of our daily Masses)
6 p.m. – Supper
6:45 p.m. – Check in again with NET Team and the retreat going on in the church basement; Evening Prayer (again, the Liturgy of the Hours)
7:30pm – RCIA class
9 p.m. – Take down materials from RCIA, check up on next week’s lesson, and review tomorrow’s schedule
12 a.m. – Bedtime (I’m still working on getting to bed at a more appropriate hour) Quite a busy day that was! Of course not every day is the same; some days are busier than others and some parishes are busier than others. Other days may include exercise (hopefully regularly), funerals or meetings to prepare them, weddings or meetings with engaged couples, visits with people in their homes, blessings, etc. Also, being the “Parochial Vicar” in my parish, I assist my pastor who has even more concerns to handle, like administrative issues (hiring staff, making sure the parish’s facilities are kept up, etc.). Priests’ days are quite varied, but everything on their agendas are connected to the identity he shares with Christ, who is the great High Priest and the one mediator between God and man. Father Gregory Haman serves as parochial vicar at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Grand Forks. He can be reached at greg.haman@ fargodiocese.org. Editor’s Note: If you have a question about the Catholic faith and would like to submit a question for consideration in a future column, please send to news@fargodiocese.org with “Ask a Priest” in the subject line or mail to New Earth, 5201 Bishops Blvd. S, Suite A, Fargo, ND 58104, Attn: Ask a Priest.
12 p.m. – Take part in a small Bible study with several adults (lunch included)
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FOCUS ON FAITH
The most important job a man will ever have Men are critically important to their children’s spiritual development By Paul Braun
C
alling all dads. Here’s some big news…you are critical to your children’s spiritual development and their relationship with God. That according to Steve Wood, author, speaker and founder of the Family Life Center. Steve will serve as the keynote speaker at this year’s Redeemed Men’s Conference at the Fargodome on Oct. 8. “Our culture has changed so much and so rapidly, and it’s undermining Christian morals, Christian beliefs, family values and the whole nine yards,” says Wood. “In order to withstand that, the faith is going to have to be rooted deeper than what you could maybe get by with a generation ago.” That’s part of the main message Wood will bring to Fargo; how can fathers be successful in the situation that we are in today. Wood says Abraham was able to stay faithful and lead his people living next to Sodom and Gomora. St. Joseph was able to raise the infant Jesus in faith living the first part of their lives in pagan Egypt. Fathers today can also be successful in withstanding today’s distractions in order to guide their children on the right path, but they must be involved with the religious upbringing of their kids. “God’s plan from the beginning was that fathers would be involved in taking the servant-leadership of their families seriously, and make a world of difference,” according to Wood. “In order to do so, a dad can have a great time in doing this. There are some very guy-friendly ways to more deeply root the faith of their children.” Wood says there is a formula to do just that. The strength of
S t eve Wood is the keynote speaker for the Redeemed Men’s Conference in Fargo. He is a leader in youth, campus and pro-life ministries. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, he served as an Evangelical pastor for a decade before his entire family converted to Catholicism in 1990. Responding to a challenge from Pope John Paul II to strengthen families, he founded the Family Life Center International in 1992. Steve is the host of Faith and Family Radio, a weekly radio program covering relevant topics to the Catholic faith and family life issues. He is the author of several books included Christian Fatherhood, Legacy, The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband and The ABCs of Choosing a Good Wife. Steve and his wife Karen have been married for 36 years and are the parents of eight children and the grandparents of eight grandchildren.
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the faith conveyed from a parent to a child is equivalent to the strength of the relationship between the parent and child. In other words, quality time a parent spends with children will directly correlate to the child’s acceptance of the lessons parents teach, both socially and spiritually. “Too much of the family ministry today is trying to do family ministry without fatherhood,” says Wood. “The whole thing has to work. The father, the mother, the children, it’s the whole package.” Fathers need to make time for their children, especially in doing shared activities, according to Wood. These shared activities help create that bond between a father and son or daughter. Doing a shared activity, like fishing for example, gives time for interaction, talking and sharing between father and child. And the child will remember that time the rest of his or her life. “The deeper you go in a relationship with your child, when you share your faith in a very modest way, you get extraordinary results,” says Wood. “When dads kick in, this really transforms a family.” Wood suggests a father’s faith message to his children needs to be deep-rooted at a young age in order for that message to hold through their teen and adult years. Start now, take an active role, and you’ll see the benefits as your children grow in faith when they, especially sons, take a more active role in the faith formation of their own families in the future. What a legacy for a father to leave behind.
WHAT: Redeemed Men’s Conference WHEN: Saturday, October 8, 2016 WHERE: Fargodome REGISTRATION: Open to all men 14 years and older.
Registration and a registration fee is required to attend. Young men ages 14 to 17 are free.
CONTACT: To register go to www.fargodiocese.org /redeemedreg, or call (701) 356-7900.
Christ the King Retreat Center Buffalo, Minnesota
The readers of New Earth are cordially invited to a beautiful inexpensive lakeside retreat of wonderful relaxation and spiritual rejuvenation. The theme for the retreat is “Reawakening Hope.” For a free brochure please call 763-682-1394, email christtheking@kingshouse.com, or visit us at www.kingshouse.com.
Redeemed men’s conference
2016
MADE FOR GREATNESS
Steve Wood
saturday October 8 7:30am - 6:30pm FARGODOME DOOR PRIZES!
Msgr. Robert Laliberte
Rev. Robert Pecotte
Very Rev. Andrew Jasinski
Most Rev. John T. Folda
HOSTED by:
diocese of fargo www.fargodiocese.org/redeemed NEW EARTH
SEPTEMBER 2016
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AROUND THE DIOCESE
Moving Newman forward – #movenewmanforward By bisonCatholic
A
ccording to recent studies, 83% of college students between the ages of 18 and 23 will walk away from their Catholic faith during the collegiate experience. Whoever wants this generation will get them. The NDSU Newman Center not only wants them but desires to make them the future leaders of our Church and state. Newman is a home away from home where we do everything possible to lovingly form lives of virtue in the hearts and minds of our young adults. St. Paul’s Newman Center, bisonCatholic, is making a difference in the lives of over 4,300 Catholics on the campus of NDSU: the largest campus ministry program in the tristate region. Our program of personal discipleship continues to help our young adults develop the skills to live life well and the courage to make the world a better place with the principles of our faith and the personal witness of virtue. In the face of tremendous cultural headwinds on a secular campus lives are being changed and hearts, by grace, are opened to the wonder of personal destiny in Jesus Christ. The most effective and efficient means of producing tomorrow’s leaders today is campus ministry: being present to our young adults with the faith of Christ as they transition out of high school into what it means to be an adult. bisonCatholic has already reached out to countless students since it was established on the campus in 1928. The fruits from
the ministry have been incredible. Because of the great fruit that has come from this ministry and the vibrant activity of young adults involved today, St. Paul’s Newman Center would like to invite you to attend the 2016 bisonCatholic Special Announcement Banquet in Fargo on Oct. 22. This exciting event will take place at the Ramada Hotel in Fargo, 1635 42nd St S. and will begin with a social and check in at 4:30 p.m. Dinner and a program will follow from 6-8 p.m. featuring our keynote speaker, Curtis Martin, Founder and CEO of FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. Marin has said, “There is not a more effective Newman Center in the country than St. Paul’s Newman Center at NDSU.” We will also hear student and alumni testimonies from individuals who have directly been impacted by St. Paul’s Newman Center and have given their lives to be disciples of Jesus Christ in the world. Most importantly, we will take a look into the future of bisonCatholic with a special announcement by our director, Rev. James Cheney. Please, fill out the attached envelope to reserve a seat for this banquet. We hope to see you at this transformative event. If you are unable to attend, we ask for your prayers for the work St. Paul’s does at NDSU, that more students would be open and willing to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and become disciples for the church in the world today. Find out more today at www.bisonCatholic.org.
Fruits of St. Paul’s Newman Center – since 2004 we have witnessed: 63 men and women answered the call to be a FOCUS Missionary 40 men have entered the seminary 4 women have become professed religious sisters Countless men and women have entered into holy marriages centered on Jesus Christ
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AROUND THE DIOCESE
“There is not a more effective Newman Center in the country than St. Paul’s Newman Center at NDSU.” – Curtis Martin
All invited to the 2016 bisonCatholic Special Announcement Banquet: WHERE: Ramada Hotel, 1635 42nd St S., Fargo, WHEN: Oct. 22 - check in 4:30 p.m., dinner 6-8 p.m. WHO: Speaker Curtis Martin, Founder and CEO
The Carmelite Monastery, Wahpeton, celebrated its 60th pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Prairies Aug. 14. About 200 pilgrims honored Our Lady and thanked God for his blessings on the crops. The pilgrimage was sponsored by St. Boniface parish, Lidgerwood. Father Jason Lefor, pastor, gave an inspiring scripture-based talk before the Mass. (submitted photo)
Catholic CharitiesNorth Dakota Sunday
Save the Date! September 24 - 25, 2016
of FOCUS
Catholic Charities
Weekend dedicated to bringing awareness & support to the services offered by Catholic Charities North Dakota
North Dakota
CatholicCharitiesND.org
Monsignor Wald blesses Christopher and Rosalie’s packs in St James Basilica in Jamestown at the start of their pilgrimage. (submitted photo)
“St. Paul’s provided me the spiritual guidance to not only maintain, but to thrive in my relationship with Christ while trying to balance faith, academics and athletics.” – Kyle Emanuel NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
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AROUND THE DIOCESE
Catholic School students in the Fargo Diocese head back to school Two schools celebrating 100 year anniversaries in 2016 By Paul Braun
T Father Greg Haman blesses a class from St. Michael’s school in Grand Forks on their first day of school. (Paul Braun | New Earth)
Fargo Shanley High School students check their class schedules… 2016 style. (Paul Braun | New Earth)
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Students from St. Catherine’s in Valley City head to class while “The Greatest Teacher” looks on approvingly. (Paul Braun | New Earth)
ears, hugs, nervousness and anticipation for a new school year greeted parents and students as Catholic schools across the diocese kicked-off another school year. Just over 2,000 students are reaping the benefits of a Catholic education this school year in the diocese, which is up slightly from last year. The five St. John Paul II Catholic Schools in Fargo have seen an enrollment of 1,201 for 2016, an increase of 56 students over last year. According to Michael Hagstrom, President of JPII Schools, the enrollment increase was a blessing that was planned for. “We are in year one of our Enroll 360 program, which is an effort to bring in 360 new students to our school system by the year 2020,” said Hagestrom. “By teaching the five core values of community, excellence, faith, learning and service, we hope to show by example what a Catholic education can mean to the development of a child.” Two Catholic schools in the diocese are celebrating 100 year anniversaries in 2016. St. Catherine’s school in Valley City, with an enrollment of 45 students, celebrated with activities the weekend of Sep. 10-11 and a concert by Tony Melendez Sep. 11. St. Michael’s School in Grand Forks, with an enrollment of 161 students, has reunion activities and a dinner planned for Sep. 24 with a special reunion Mass on Sep. 25. Several of the schools across the diocese also offer a preschool program. At St. Joseph’s School in Devils Lake, 51 preschoolers are registered along with 121 K-6 students. Principal Tom Burckhard says many parents use the pre-school program as a daycare before their children start public school, but some of the preschoolers end up attending St. Joseph’s as kindergarteners. Please pray for our Catholic school students, their teachers and their parents and families as another school year gets underway.
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AROUND THE DIOCESE
Golf teams putt for seminarian education and youth programs Thank you to all who sponsored the tenth annual Putt 4 a Purpose golf scramble held Aug. 8 at Edgewood Golf Course in Fargo. This year 115 people participated to raise funds to benefit Seminarian education and youth programs throughout the Diocese of Fargo.
The Diocese of Fargo had another successful Putt 4 a Purpose event this year Aug. 8 at Edgewood Golf Course in Fargo. This year 115 golfers came to the course to support seminarian education and youth programs for the diocese. Congratulations to our first place team from St. Michael’s in Grand Forks. Lowell Schweigert, Jerry Johnson, Henri Caoili and Don Kuznia completed the course with a gross score of 64. (Kristina Lahr/New Earth)
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AROUND AROUNDTHE THE DIOCESE DIOCESE
Summer retreat a welcome respite for seminarians
Seminarians from the Diocese of Fargo, 19 in all, gathered with Bishop Folda for their annual retreat and social at the Franciscan Sisters of Dillengen Retreat House in Hankinson last month. The gathering is an opportunity for the seminarians to spend a few days of business, social, service and prayer together before they head out to the five seminaries currently educating seminarians from the diocese. (Paul Braun | New Earth)
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AROUND THE DIOCESE
Sister Bernadette Jaeger, OSF, dies age 96
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ister Bernadette Jaeger, OSF, 96, passed away Aug. 12 at St. Gerard’s Community of Care, Hankinson. She was a lifelong member the Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen, Hankinson. Sister Bernadette (Elizabeth) Jaeger was born Jan. 24, 1920, in Fulda, the daughter of Lawrence and Eva (Schall) Jaeger. She wrote in her auto-biography, “When I heard the Lord calling me to religious life it was a great gift and a joy. I had the help and prayers of my oldest sister, Magdalena, who was also a Franciscan Sister in Hankinson at that time. In obedience I followed this call. I went to Hankinson as a candidate in 1937, and in 1939 I was received into the novitiate. In 1940, I made my temporary vows and in 1943 my perpetual vows. “For eight years I worked in the bakery of St. Francis Convent in Hankinson. In 1950 I got my first assignment for a mission which was St. John’s in Collegeville, Minn. There I baked millions of loaves of bread, which sold like hotcakes, and which also went to 1,300 students we fed, plus the priests and employees.” Following Collegeville, Sister Bernadette transferred to St. John’s School in Wahpeton. From 1963-79 she worked in the hot lunch program at Holy Family School in Grand Forks and
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from 1979-87 she worked at Cardinal Muench Seminary. In 1987 Sister Bernadette worked for the Congregation’s General headquarters in LaStorta, just outside Rome, Italy. There she spent 13 happy years serving the Church, even getting to know Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI. In 2000 Sister Bernadette was missioned to St. Joseph Convent in Oakes. She accompanied Sister Leonida to West Fargo in 2005; however, a fall resulting in hip surgery necessitated her return to the provincial house in Hankinson just five months later. She transferred to St. Gerard’s Community of Care in Hankinson in 2012. In 2015 Sister Bernadette celebrated her 75th jubilee of religious profession. Sister Bernadette is survived by her Dillingen Franciscan Sisters, her sister, Irene (Jack) Igers; her brother, Christ (Diane) Jaeger; her brother, Jerome (Ann) Jaeger; and many beloved nieces, nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings, Sister Theresa (Magdalena), Joseph, Louie, Monica, John, Anne, Barbara, Margaret, Theresa and an infant sister also named Barbara. The funeral Mass of Christian Burial took place Aug. 18 at St. Francis Convent Chapel.
FAITH AND CULTURE
Where mystery and beauty abound
A review of Jim Defede’s “The Day the World Came to Town” By Father James Gross
away from home, but that’s exactly what they did. We learn about fast food restaurant managers driving vehicles filled with meals onto the tarmac, to humane society workers locating pets in cargo holds, to the town pharmacist who delivered supplies of nicotine patches and gum. The process of deplaning all those people, with the work of the Customs department, took both time and patience from the anxious and increasingly claustrophobic travelers. Recall, too, that local authorities had to be cautious about the possibility of explosive devices on the aircraft or in A review of Catholic books and literature packages, since at that stage no one knew the full scope of the attacks. Mobilizing school buses for transport, Gander and several outlying communities found lodging for all of them—550 hotel rooms for pilots and crew, and virtually every other public and private structure for the rest. Churches and affiliated properties, such as Knights of Columbus halls, factored in prominently in the effort, offering both spiritual and corporal works of mercy. One location brought in kosher meals for an Orthodox rabbi, observing that he was not eating the fare being served but was too polite to complain. he terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, despite having Defede weaves in a series of vignettes featuring many of the taken place fifteen years ago, carry vivid memories and people stranded in Gander, from a U.S. Army Brigadier General evoke visceral emotions from those of us who remember to the chairman of a global fashion business to a Texas couple that tragic day. Mingled with our sadness over the thousands bringing back a newly adopted daughter from Kazakhstan. At of lives lost are stories of heroism and virtue, often from first the swirl of names and stories may be confusing to the unlikely sources. One of my favorite books of the past decade, reader, but in short order their personalities shine through. The Day the World Came to Town, recounts the generous efforts of a remote Canadian city in the face of one of the darkest days What struck me the most was the small tokens of kindness that a great many citizens of Gander gave to the strangers who in the history of the Unitied States, their southern neighbor. had inundated their quiet town. Many families willingly allowed The province of Newfoundland is known for being fiercely people to shower and do laundry at their homes. People brought independent and marching to the beat of its own drum—it their spare golf clubs so that anyone who wished to play a round did not join Canada until 1949, and its time zone is 1½ hours at the local course would be able to do so. Businesses gave away ahead of New York and Washington, D.C. As chaos was breaktents and supplies for people who preferred the relative privacy ing out on the morning of 9/11, the northern Newfoundland of camping on front lawns. Overall, one gets the picture of folks municipality of Gander began receiving calls requesting that who put everything aside to help their brothers and sisters feel transcontinental passenger airliners be allowed to land at its a bit more at home in the midst of their anxiety, and a city that airport, since they were not being permitted to enter U.S. air I would want to see for myself someday. space. That late summer Tuesday, the Gander airport received 38 planes, “depositing 6,595 passengers and crew members in a town whose population is barely 10,000.” Author Jim Defede weaves an engrossing tale of Gander’s About the Book: efforts of hospitality during the ensuing five days, until the last of the waylaid travelers were able to depart for their final “The Day the World destinations. Defede humorously but respectfully points out Came to Town” idiosyncrasies of this city, such as the accent of its inhabitants (“an amalgam of English and working-class Irish”) and the Published by Regan Books. decision of town fathers to design the perimeter roads so that Hardcover 244 pages. they would trace a profile of a male goose’s head. Defede also nimbly portrays the means by which the passengers eventually Available via came to see images of the terrorists’ destruction, as they gradually Barnes and Noble, Amazon came to understand the gravity of what was happening. and other book resellers. It hardly seems possible that a community of its size was able to spring into action so ably and provide a temporary home
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“That late summer Tuesday, the Gander airport received 38 planes, ‘depositing 6,595 passengers and crew members in a town whose population is barely 10,000.’” – Father James Gross
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Pilgrims gather for a group photo after celebrating Mass with Bishop John Folda on July 30 in Krakow, Poland. Later that day pilgrims made their way to the World Youth Day Mass with Pope Francis. (Kristina Lahr | New Earth)
“Trade in the so f a pair of walking for a shoes” Nearly 130 from di
ocese witness faith
of universal church
By Kristina Lahr
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here’s no denying the energy of World Youth Day (WYD). When between 1.6 and 2 million people from around the globe gather for any purpose, it’s worth noting. When that purpose is to encounter Christ as the universal church, it is a beautiful site indeed, full of energy, encouragement and joy. Youth and young adults from 180 countries (out of 195 in the world) took the journey to Poland. During his homily of the final WYD Mass on July 31, Pope Francis spoke directly to young people and challenged them not to “vegetate” in comfort. He warned that “when we opt for ease and convenience, confuse happiness with consumption, then we end up paying a high price indeed: we lose our freedom.” We begin to believe that “to be happy is to live in a haze.” Pope Francis encouraged youth to instead “trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths,” emphasizing that “following Jesus demands a good dose of courage. Jesus is the Lord of risk, of the eternal ‘more.’” While Poland is a distant place for us in North Dakota, Pope
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at World Youth Day
Francis wants the spirit of WYD to extend to every corner of the world. This courage Jesus demands of us isn’t meant to stay just in Krakow. “The Lord wants to enter your homes, to dwell in your daily lives: in your studies, your first years of work, your friendships and affections, your hopes and dreams. How greatly he desires that you bring all this to him in prayer! How much he hopes that, in all the ‘contacts’ and ‘chats’ of each day, pride of place be given to the golden thread of prayer!” In addition to the WYD events many pilgrims explored the sites of Krakow, visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, saw the miraculous image of the Black Madonna, toured the birthplace of Pope John Paul II as well as many locations connected to his life, and met and stayed with Polish host families. About 130 pilgrims youth and adults from the diocese attended WYD in Krakow, Poland from July 18-Aug 3. The following reflections focus on the experiences of local pilgrims.
Pilgrims stayed with host families during part of their pilgrimage. Here pilgrims and host families gather for a farewell celebration. (Kristina Lahr | New Earth)
Spencer Marchand - St. Cecilia’s, H arvey
Arriving at the World Youth Day site
P Michael Wilde - St. Anthony’s, Fargo Generosity of the Polish people and the universal church
rior to the pilgrimage, I, as a Catholic, understood that I was part of something larger than myself, but I never knew how to comprehend the idea of the Universal Church. As soon as I arrived at Campus Misericordiae (where the Papal Mass took place), my mind and heart went absolutely numb in awe of the number of people I saw wanting to experience the very same thing I came for. Experiencing the Mass with over two million people left me utterly overwhelmed in further knowing that our Catholic faith is the one, true church that touches the hearts of so many men and women across the world.
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s overwhelmed as I was by the beauty, detail and history of each church building or sanctuary we visited in Poland, the Universal Church, the living Church, was even more prominent and present to me throughout our journey. Our hosts were more than gracious, they were truly generous! We stayed in the homes of strangers, but parted ways as family. We ate meals with them, laughed over failed translations and prayed together. We may never see them again, but they were each Christ to us, and we can only pray we somehow shared Christ with them as well. The generosity of hosts doesn’t stop in the homes where we stayed; in fact, hearts all across Poland were open to us all. Bus drivers, tour guides, volunteers and the WYD committee were of course kind and generous, but that warm welcome permeated through every person we met in Poland. Our pilgrimage often stopped traffic, yet as we crossed streets and crowded on trams, we were greeted with smiles and waves by those whose lives we were disrupting. When thousands of us crowded the streets and vehicles couldn’t pass through, these people leaned out their windows, cheering us on. Later when the hot sun of the day beat down on us, families sprayed us with their hoses, let us fill water bottles and let us into their homes to use their restrooms. They wanted nothing in return. They gave of themselves for us, not just the pilgrims of Fargo, but for pilgrims all over the world. As 1.6+ million people trampled through their neighborhoods, these people smiled and gave drink to the thirsty. The universal church was united as we encountered Christ living in the delegation and individuals from France, South Africa, Scotland, Puerto Rico, Sweden, New Zealand, Italy, Gibraltar, Panama, Canada, Chile and Brazil. We each carried the flags of our nations, cheered on those we met on the way, and offered condolences for our new friends in France, Germany, or Japan (each of which experienced tragedies at home while we joined together in celebration). Then as Mass began we all lowered our political banners as we bowed our heads. We united in the Mass, the same prayer we all live by, to praise and honor our Creator, the Spirit who moves us and the Son who died for each of us that we might adore him.
A crowd of bishops waves to Pope Francis at the site of the World Youth Day Papal Mass. One youth from each continent was chosen to ride with Pope Francis on the popemobile as he arrived. (Bishop John Folda)
Zach Howatt - St. William’s, Argusville The people of World Youth Day
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n this journey, God spoke to me in the way he always does: through the people I meet and observe every day. WYD offered me plenty of people I could never meet anywhere else, and through my host family, my fellow North Dakota pilgrims, and pilgrim travelers from around the world, I was able to observe millions of reflections of God. Seeing so many Catholics congregated in one area was incredible. Never before had I felt such a strong presence with God, and I know that I will take away many valuable lessons from the experience. Some lessons were learned while observing the huge masses of devoted followers, while others were learned in the meeting of new people along the way. I fully encourage every one of my Catholic friends to make the WYD pilgrimage at least once in their lives. I hope God can speak to them as strongly as he spoke to me.
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Nearly 18,000 yo uth gathered for the English speakin catechesis, Mass, g music and adorat ion at the World Yout Day Mercy Center h July 27. (Kristina La hr | New Earth)
Sherry and Anna Koch rest under their umbrellas, for a bit of shade. Many pilgrims slept under the stars the night before the Papal Mass. (Sherry and Anna Koch)
Sherry Koch - St. John’s Wahpeton
The simplicity of faith and walking to the World Youth Day site
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y daughter Anna and I agreed to join the group for the pilgrimage a year and a half ago. We had since been preparing for the experience but, were not sure what to expect and so went into it with an open mind and heart. We found that we were touched by God in so many ways. We learned from our Polish host family, during Days in the Diocese, what truly living in the faith was like. They were a very humble couple who reminded us how “simple” can be good and to stay strong in hard times. Maggie, our host mom, had a stroke 10 years ago and proved to us daily how important it is to keep moving forward and to accept that God has a bigger plan for all of us. They shared all they had and have become our new “family” in Poland. It was refreshing to see the Catholic faith everywhere we went, and how the Poles are not afraid to share it and show it! One of our most trying times was the pilgrimage walk to get to where we were having Mass with the Pope and our stay outside overnight. Our group had about a 10-mile walk in over 90-degree weather. I continually reminded myself of how small this was compared to what Jesus suffered for us as he carried our cross to his death. But, as we were there and meeting people from around the world, the excitement of God’s presence resonated throughout the crowd. It was amazing to see so many people in one place to celebrate God’s love for us (and, of course, to see the Pope!). From where we were camped out all you could see was a sea of people in any direction. Looking back we had times of happiness, sadness (Auschwitz), excitement (concerts) and many times of peace.
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s Wahpeton Anna Koch - St. John’ minence
od’s pro Adoration and G
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hen people ask me how my trip was I tell them it was a great experience. I can’t say that it was always fun because some days God was truly testing us. Other days were a blessing I will not soon forget. I’m sad to say that my favorite part of the trip was not the Vigil/Mass with Pope Francis but the very first night of the English speaking catechesis. Similar to Steubenville, adoration is a big deal. Adoration on such a huge scale always moves me very strongly. When the amazingly beautiful monstrance comes right next to me, being only two rows away from the floor, and just feet from the procession, I felt the closest to God I could possibly be. I let the spirit move me and cried very openly. After the monstrance passed me, I was praying to God to show me that I’m not alone. That all my struggles and sins I think he will not forgive will leave me and the guilt and pain will leave also. After seeing me cry, one of my close friends leaned over and asked me if I was okay. His small act of kindness only made me cry harder because to me, it was like God was acting through him. That just by making sure I was okay, and showing that he cared, God was showing me that I don’t always have to fight on my own. Another thing I really loved about Poland was how the local people are loud and proud about their faith. The beautiful churches in every single town, and small shrine and chapels just in their backyards was so refreshing to see. People in Poland are so proud of their Catholic faith, and truly believe in God’s love and grace. It seemed with every trial, (trams, missing buses, heat and walking) God would support me in some a small way. He would remind me everyone was going through the same things (exhaustion, tiredness, thirst) and that in his name we were all in this together. A friend would make a joke at just the right time, or a cloud would pass over for a couple minutes of shade and relief. I realized how prominent God is in my everyday life. He’s always watching out for me, even in the little things.
Loralie Fritel - St. William’s, Argus ville
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Regional World Youth Day
he reconciliation service and gathering of young people for the Regional WYD event was quite powerful and healing. The priests leading the event were full of energy and humor as well as sincere in prayer. I recall the prayer for the Holy Spirit to fill us and help us give a good confession. Surely, the Holy Spirit was with me and I felt the joy of being loved after my confession. The atmosphere of song, dance and prayer to glorify God was truly beautiful and uplifting.
During one of our last days in Poland, we celebrated Mass as a group of 80 in a side chapel at St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow. We didn’t all fit in the chapel, so some of us spilled out into the main sanctuary where many pilgrims were admiring the church just like we were a few moments before. But as Mass began, some of those pilgrims joined us. I don’t even know if they all spoke English, but they came to encounter Christ not just in the beauty of the church but for the celebration of the Eucharist. While driving through Krakow or the countryside, it wasn’t uncommon to see statues and shrines of Jesus, Mary or saints on the roadsides or in the middle of a roundabout. Our faith wasn’t just expressed on church grounds. Christ’s presence is physically everywhere. After seeing Auschwitz, I wondered how Poland, a place that has endured so much suffering, could still be standing. Then I remembered Christ on the cross. It was only after Christ’s suffering and death that he returned in the Resurrection. Through it all, Poland never lost its faith. I’m still trying to unpack this mystery for myself… how something so ugly as death can bring about such beauty.
Father James Gross - St. Anthony’s, Fargo
Drawing together as the Body of Christ
Youth from the dio cese gather at the stage for the Regio World Youth Day nal celebration for pr aise and worship July 22. (Kristina La on hr | New Earth)
Kristina Lahr - St. Anthony’s, Fargo y Auschwitz and Poland toda
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ur day at Auschwitz was about the biggest contrast imaginable to the joyful celebrations of WYD. Father Jasinski prepped us for the experience, encouraging us to pray and not downplay what we felt or didn’t feel while we were there. Whether our reaction to seeing the place where 1.6 million people were killed during WWII was sadness, anger, numbness or anything else, God was speaking to us through those feelings. While I occasionally felt a heaviness in my heart as we walked past each gruesome detail, ultimately I felt numb while I was there. It wasn’t until we saw more of Poland, learned more of its history, met our host families and witnessed the bright joy of pilgrims from all over the world that these details found more meaning for me. I never realized how many sorrows Poland has experienced in recent years (during WWII and while it was under communist control through the 1980s). Yet, it wasn’t just because of WYD that the country felt special. Poland is unapologetically Catholic, 95% by name, 60% practicing. Each church we encountered, whether in Krakow or a small town, wasn’t just physically beautiful, but breathed with a love and passion for our Lord from the people.
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t’s difficult to know where to begin as I describe my WYD experience. I felt a lot of joy in the Body of Christ from the people who participated from throughout the world. Despite our many differences, the love of Jesus drew us together in a noble purpose, and in a way that nothing else could. Also, the setting of Poland was very enriching. It seemed like each church, shrine or chapel that we visited was more beautiful and ornate than the last. This is a country that has gone through serious struggles, and instead of turning away from faith in disillusionment, they “doubled down” and expressed their Catholic identity, both in a spirit of courage and at great financial cost. We Americans have something to learn from their witness.
r nument to hono morial near a mo me e th is l ad ria re s mo im Pilgr The me schwitz-Birkenau. the victims at Au pean language. ro Eu jor ma y er written in ev w Earth) (Kristina Lahr | Ne
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COVER STORY
A big journey to keep a big promise By Jeff Benda
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Pilgrims from Holy Spirit parish, Fargo, wait for Pope Francis to arrive at Blonia Park, where he gave his opening address for WYD. (submitted photo)
awoke in my hotel room at 4:30 a.m. to the loudest and most annoying alarm noise that I could find on my phone. I had chosen this one in particular the night before, because there was no way I wanted to sleep in on this day. My exhaustion was quickly replaced by excitement and exhilaration when I realized it was Thursday, July 28, 2016 – and I was in Poland. For over 2.5 years, I had made repeated claims to the 28 teens and adult pilgrims of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fargo that we would be first to arrive and be in the front row to see Pope Francis give his opening address at WYD in Krakow, Poland. Today was judgement day. Would I keep my promise? Father Sean Mulligan celebrated Mass for our group in the largest of our hotel rooms at 5:45 a.m. before we all scrambled out the door with our backpacks full of food, water, and the religious items we wanted blessed by the Holy Father to bring back as gifts for our family, friends, and students. Everyone had
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their hats, umbrellas, and ponchos to protect us from whatever weather would come our way during the next 11 hours. Yes, 11 hours we would spend waiting for the Pope’s arrival in Blonia Park located 1.5 miles from our hotel. Thank goodness I purchased the last 15 folding chairs the local outdoor/camping store had in stock. The investment in chairs and comfort would help ensure the adult chaperones didn’t turn against me and revolt before we even got to lunchtime. As we walked to Blonia Park along the same streets of Krakow that St. John Paul II had walked as a young man and young priest, I kept repeating two prayers I felt fitting for the day, “Jesus, I trust in You” and “Be not afraid.” My wish for these young people was to have the same amazing and life-changing experience I had as an 18-year-old attending JPII’s Opening Address at WYD in Denver on August 12, 1993. It was here that JPII told me and the other 90,000 young people crammed into Mile High Stadium, “Jesus has called each one of you to Denver for a purpose… when the time comes to return home, each one of you will have a clearer idea of what Christ expects of you. Each one must have the courage to go and spread the Good News among the people… in particular among young people.” I was inspired by his words that day. What I saw and heard at WYD had an immense effect on the rest of my life. Would my students be inspired? Would they listen? We arrived at Blonia Park where over 500,000 young people from over 180 different countries would rally together that evening, waving their flags and cheering in response to the inspiring words of Pope Francis, “Jesus can give you true passion for life. Jesus can inspire us not to settle for less, but to give the very best of ourselves. Jesus challenges us, spurs us on and helps us keep trying whenever we are tempted to give up. Jesus pushes us to keep our sights high and to dream of great things.” My eyes spanned the immense green space in front of us. It was a mile long and 400 yards wide, and covered only in the early morning dew. On the far side of the field was a huge white stage where Pope Francis would speak that night. On the back of the stage was a giant Divine Mercy image of Jesus, his pale blue and red rays reaching out to us to greet us, and welcome us up to the front row. Because it was in that moment while so many others still slept, that 29 pilgrims from Fargo who had traveled 4,748 miles to see Pope Francis realized we were the first to arrive to see him that evening in Blonia Park. We felt like Lewis and Clark, traveling through a new frontier and blazing a trail to a great discovery. We had done it! Over 2.5 years of waiting and fundraising, we were finally here. And I got to keep my promise. So it was fitting after our long journey to see him, when Pope Francis greeted us that evening with the perfect words – “At last we are together!” Jeff Benda has been the DRE & Youth Director at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fargo since 2003.
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STORIES OF FAITH
NEXT GEN
Welcoming a new pastor to your parish
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By Father Bert Miller
s I transition from a city parish to a country parish, I have been reflecting on previous moves. The most profound experiences came on a move from the country to the city. To this day, I still do not know whether this “welcome” was the brainchild of one coordinator or whether it was “inspired by the Holy Spirit.” And today, many years later, there are few participants to ask; most have taken the hand of Jesus and gone to the Kingdom. After I arrived at the new parish, a call would come in to the parish office. The person would ask for the pastor, my secretary would connect us, and during the conversation, I would be asked to dinner. This would happen repeatedly; once every three weeks for about 18 weeks. I went to six or seven homes for dinner on the nights when there were no meetings. At each home, I was met by the man. The spouse was usually in the kitchen slaving over dinner. A drink would be offered. Socializing would happen in the family room and soon we would be at table enjoying a tasty meal of many courses. The conversations ranged from my history and likes to their history, family, business and travels. During dessert, the conversation usually turned to their fantastic experiences of their parish and the roles they had played in its ministries. Everything discussed was very informative. No negative stuff or “you could improve this by doing…” The evenings ended gracefully with an invitation to return whenever I needed someone to listen. This was most satisfying to me. A welcome, a great meal, conversation to enlighten me about their role in the community and a witness to the goodness of our parish. Between the third and fourth invite, I had heard around town that someone was upset about the placement of the US flag in the church. The next time a dinner invite came, I thought for sure I was going to be called on the carpet at dinner or dessert. The fourth call came and I avoided calling back. Finally, my secretary asked me about this situation. I fessed up that I had heard the rumor about the flag issue and I thought, for sure, that this was the couple who would be confronting me! The secretary assured me this couple would not confront me about
the flag and they were only inviting me to dinner like the previous three had done. So, I called back. Sure enough, the experience was as pleasant as the previous three dinners had been. I was delighted I had not been confronted about the placement of the US flag, but I had had my answer ready. After the sixth or seventh welcome dinner, I knew I could always trust these couples. I could and did return to these homes to discuss sticky issues in the parish. I always received great counsel. They helped me be comfortable in a new parish and they helped me wrestle with difficult issues and outcomes. They set the foundation for me to enjoy great success in that parish. I wish this had happened more often in my journey through six new beginnings at parishes. If your parish does not have a “welcome” plan for new pastors, maybe you could adopt this one and help my brother priests get connected and be successful beyond measure in your parishes. Father Bert Miller serves as pastor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Park River and St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Veseleyville. Editor’s Note: Stories of Faith is a recurring feature in New Earth. If you have a faith story to tell, contact Father Bert Miller at bert.miller@fargodiocese.org.
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OUR CATHOLIC LIFE
Issues facing the next Legislative Assembly
T
he next legislative session is, d e p e nding on Catholic how you look at Action it, “only” or “still” five months away. Christoper Dodson Either way, the session is approaching and now is a good time to recognize some looming issues for the next session.
The budget
The state budget is already the dominant issue. The legislature just had a special session to address declining revenues, but the real work remains for the regular session. On the one hand, North Dakota is, by some standards, doing well financially. Unemployment is low and the state is funding some very real needs in infrastructure and education — though still not parental choice. On the other hand, oil revenues are very low and agriculture commodity prices are taking a hit. This means that the state is not expected to bring in as much revenue as previous years, which leads to new and difficult challenges with spending and collecting revenue. Expect heated debates about the budget to dominate the session.
Human service needs
“Just as the Jubilee of Mercy closes, concerned citizens will have to work to make sure that our most vulnerable citizens are not left behind.” ~ Christopher Dodson
of reforming its delivery system through the Human Service Centers and the State Hospital. In the meantime, an interim legislative committee has studied the matter and is preparing draft legislation for the next session. Some of the proposals will require state funding. There will exist tremendous pressure to not devote new funding to mental health and substance abuse services in light of the state’s budget problems. Not acting, however, could put even more of our neighbors at risk and cost us more money in the long run through incarceration.
Incarceration reform
Addressing our incarceration numbers is linked to addressing our behavioral health needs. North Dakota locks up too many of its non-violent citizens for low-level drug-related crimes. The situation is financially unsustainable and short-sighted as a policy matter. Recommendations to lower penalties for non-violent offenses and offer alternatives to incarceration have met with some resistance. Meanwhile, it is certain that any serious effort to address our skyrocketing incarceration rates must work in tandem with efforts to provide better and more extensive mental health and substance abuse treatment.
In February the governor ordered a set of across the board cuts for all state agencies. These cuts hit the provision of human services especially hard. For one thing, despite the fact Medicaid expansion that Department of Human Services targeted “new” programs Over 19,000 North Dakotans have medical coverage as a result for elimination, the fact remains that these were still needed of Medicaid expansion passed by the legislature in 2013. Passage programs and they were identified as such by the legislature. of the legislation, which the North Dakota Catholic Conference Secondly, the truly needy are most impacted and are in less of and the state’s Catholic health care facilities supported, was a position than most of us to adjust the reduction or elimination difficult. To appease some concerns, the legislation was given of services. Thirdly, some of those reductions, especially in the a “sunset” of July 31, 2017. This means that the legislature area of long-term care, resulted in additional losses in federal must renew the program during the next legislative session or thousands of North Dakotans will lose or lack health care matching funds. coverage they otherwise would have. The families impacted The Department of Human Services was spared in the second usually earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but round of reductions that occurred in August, but it will likely don’t earn enough to receive subsidies under the Affordable have to present a reduced budget for the next biennium. Just Care Act. as the Jubilee of Mercy closes, concerned citizens will have to work to make sure that our most vulnerable citizens are not This is a peek at some of the issues facing the next Legislative Assembly, and space does not allow me to write about the refugee left behind. program, revision of the state’s marriage laws, and protecting Behavioral health and substance abuse legislation to help the unborn and their mothers. Stay tuned Just about every observer agrees that the state is in a crisis to ND Catholic Conference’s Facebook page and be sure to ask when it comes to behavioral health and substance abuse. The your candidates about these issues. situation was already bad before the opioid and fentanyl Christopher Dodson is executive director of the North Dakota Catholic epidemic hit the state. Nevertheless, while most would agree Conference. The NDCC acts on behalf of the Catholic bishops of North that something needs to be done, not everyone agrees on what Dakota to respond to public policy issues of concern to the Catholic should be done or whether there is enough funding and will Church and to educate Catholics and the general public about Catholic to get it done. social doctrine. The conference website is ndcatholic.org. The Department of Human Services is already in the process 26
NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
OUR CATHOLIC LIFE
“H
ow has seminary been for you Ethan?” Every time someone asks me this question I feel like I need to sit down with them and take an hour of their time. I can never really have an answer planned out, so every time it is asked, it feels like it’s the first time. Everyone, including the Lord, deserves a reply that is not just “It’s good,” but a “good” answer. I try, but it’s tough to sum up these past two years, so if I had to I would say that every time I come back it’s like a nine-month retreat. There is time for prayer, studies, fun, everything that life has where you can call it an adventure… and there definitely are surprises. I have found this to be true in my life as well as the other seminarians’ lives.
“When you are living a life for Jesus Christ, every day is an adventure and surprises are always around the corner. Beautiful opportunities and exciting experiences just fall in your lap.” – Ethan Kaste, Fargo Diocese seminarian There is a tradition that deacons have when they are getting ordained to the priesthood. When their nose hits the marble and the faithful are invoking the saints the soon-to-be priest prays for a particular intention for his whole priesthood. I had the chance to ask one priest in the Bismarck diocese what he prayed for and he said, “That God would never stop surprising me.” What that meant to me is that his relationship with the Lord would, in a sense, never grow old. Every day he would experience something even more beautiful than the last surprise. When I think of it now, I realized that I would never have to ask for that, because if the Christian is living a faithful life, he cannot expect to be the same as he was yesterday. When you are living a life for Jesus Christ, every day is an adventure and surprises are always around the corner. Beautiful opportunities and exciting experiences just fall in your lap. One particular surprise that we experienced was at Buffalo Wild Wings. About 12 of us seminarians went out to eat and the food was great (as always) and the conversations were holy. We talked about saints to what living life as a seminarian is like, sin, the world, etc. By the time we were ready for the check, we found out that someone already paid the bill. The waiter said that the person wanted to remain anonymous. This was an incredibly generous thing, 12 guys in their 20s was not going to make for a small bill. We tried to figure out why this person might have done this and we figured that it must’ve been the fact that someone found out we were seminarians or because of the content of our conversations. Some surprises are obvious like this, but others can be more intimate and be experienced in the quiet of the chapel. Every year I return to seminary, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I always know Jesus Christ is going to make something happen. Every time it is a surprise because he makes me grow in ways that I never thought I could. I have found out that living the Christian life is an emanating thing. God affects you and changes you and inadvertently
Surprise! Surprise!
changes others around you. This is where the adventure and surprise comes in. Things start to happen to you that you would never expect. Who wouldn’t say an unexpected life is adventurous? The Christian life is the true human experience.
Seminarian Life Ethan Kaste
Kaste is a College IV student studying at St. Gregory the Great Seminar, Seward, Neb. Originally from Grafton, he enjoys running, reading, spending time at the lake and Ultimate Frisbee. What he enjoys most about seminary is the disciplined lifestyle that allows him to take part in the 24/7 call of the priestly vocation. Editor’s Note: Seminarian Life is a monthly column written by current Diocese of Fargo seminarians. It gives New Earth readers a glimpse of what these discerning young men are experiencing. Please continue to pray for them.
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OUR CATHOLIC LIFE
Stewards of our neighbors: Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan
A
fter many centuries of recounting Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samari Stewardship tan (Luke 10:25-37), Steve Schons the story seems to have lost the “sting” Jesus intended for it. This past July, we once again heard the proclamation of this Gospel story which reveals Jesus’ encounter with the legal scholar and his response to the question: Who is my neighbor? Perhaps now is a good time to reflect more deeply on Jesus’ teaching and its practical implications for our lives today. In the Gospel story Jesus affirms the legal scholar: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” But the lawyer asks: “And who is my neighbor?” This is the question that prompts Jesus to offer a story revealing the vastness of God’s mercy, and of course, Jesus’ expectation of his followers. It is significant that Jesus offers a Samaritan as the ideal model of God’s mercy. Jews despised Samaritans as a lower form of humanity. So, of course, it provoked his audience when Jesus told of the priest, then the Levite, walking thoughtlessly by the half-dead robbery victim lying at the side of the road. It is the third man, the Samaritan, who stops, renders the victim first
aid and generously pays the innkeeper in advance for taking care of the brutally beaten victim. Jesus’ parable teaches us that the neighbor is the person we encounter in our daily lives who is in dire need of our help. We are called to be good stewards of our fellow human beings, God’s precious children whom we meet on our own journey in life. Our love and mercy are not confined to our families, friends, co-workers or fellow parishioners. The “sting” to the parable is that Jesus Christ expects us, his followers, to extend his love and mercy to others regardless of their race, religion, gender, culture, ethnicity or social standing. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, uses the Parable of the Good Samaritan to urge us not only to imitate the mercy of Jesus in our personal lives, but to have the courage and compassion to promote a culture of Christ’s mercy in our society as well. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ obliges us to love and show mercy to those we don’t know or recognize as “one of us.” The Samaritan in Jesus’ story did not see a stranger, alien or foreigner. He simply saw a suffering human being who needed help. Jesus asks: “So who was the neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” The legal scholar replied: “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to the scholar as he would say to us today: “Go and do likewise.” We are called to be good stewards of our fellow human beings, God’s precious children whom we meet on our own journey in life. Steve Schons is director of stewardship and development for the Diocese of Fargo and president of the Catholic Development Foundation. He can be reached at steve.schons@fargodiocese.org or (701) 356-7926.
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NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
OUR CATHOLIC LIFE
Dare to be of good cheer! they look back and realize that their unrepeatable life story has been a matter of Little Sisters of the Poor Guest God’s love revealing itself in successive Commentary –Sister Constance Veit, L.S.P. chapters. Like fine Sister Constance Veit, wine, what results n May I was asked to offer a spiritual reflection at the is a deep, abiding, L.S.P. National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. I used my moment in contagious joy. the spotlight to share three pieces of advice that helped carry me through the weeks surrounding our appearance at I n E v a n g e l i i the U.S. Supreme Court: Dare to be of good cheer. See Christ Gaudium Pope Francis wrote, “Joy is not expressed the same in each person, whether friend or foe. Believe that nothing is way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker impossible with God. This simple advice seemed to strike a chord with my audience, of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is especially the admonition to be joyful. The crowd actually said and done, we are infinitely loved.” This is what the elderly laughed when I suggested that evangelizers must not be have taught me – they have shown me how to be of good cheer, “sourpusses.” Afterward a gentleman who is highly esteemed no matter what, because love always has the last word! in Catholic circles told me that it was the first time he’d ever How wonderful it would be if we all made it a priority to heard the word “sourpuss” used in a speech! It might be the spend time with our grandparents or older friends this month, first time it ever made it into a papal document as well – I was that we might learn from them the secret of lasting joy! quoting Pope Francis! Sister Constance Veit is director of communications for the Little Joyfulness is a recurring theme of Our Holy Father. It is a subject Sisters of the Poor. he speaks of in both witty and practical terms. For example, in Evangelii Gaudium, he wrote, “An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral!” … “One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, ‘sourpusses.’ Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand.” To consecrated persons the pope once said, “None of us should be dour, discontented and dissatisfied, for ‘a gloomy disciple is a disciple of gloom.’” … “Never any sisters with faces like ‘chilis pickled in vinegar!’” And to seminarians, “There is no holiness in sadness! St. Teresa said: ‘a saint who is sad is a sad saint!’” (That means you!) Although she experienced countless obstacles and humiliations All Catholics in North Dakota are eligible to join our Credit during her long life, our foundress, Saint Jeanne Jugan, was Union. Members get exclusive access to our virtual banking joyful. She considered joy a vocational obligation. “Making the and low-interest loans. Contact us today to get started. elderly happy, that is what counts!” she often told the young Little Sisters. “My little ones,” she would repeat, “we should always be cheerful, for our old people do not like long faces!” None of us like long faces, but all of us encounter sad situations and bad news daily. We Little Sisters of the Poor face death all the time, and yet our lives are not depressing or morose. I experience indescribable joy in serving the sick and the elderly. as low as 3.25% This joy comes, in great part, through the gift of self, for as human persons we are made to become a gift to God and to others. It is in transcending ourselves and laying down our lives for the New & Used Auto Loans sake of others that we most resemble God who is Love. as low as 2.015% The joy I experience has another source as well. It springs from the elderly themselves, who have taught me so much about life. Although wisdom does not come automatically with age, those as low as 3.99% who have lived in the shadow of God’s love experience their final years as a time of thanksgiving for his faithfulness. It is a time when
“Although wisdom does not come automatically with age, those who have lived in the shadow of God’s love experience their final years as a time of thanksgiving for his faithfulness.”
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Events across the diocese
From left, Sister Paula Ringuette, Sister Andrea Arendt, Sister DelRey Rudnick, Sister Georgiana Sprunk, Bishop John Folda and Sister Marie Glennon.
40 Days for Life campaign begins Sep. 28
The 40 Days for Life campaign is a three-fold effort of prayer, fasting and peaceful vigil that is being conducted in cities across our nation. The North Dakota 40 Days for Life effort will be begin at 8 a.m. on Sep. 28, in front of the abortion facility, 512 1st Ave. No., Fargo and ends Nov. 6. Our campaign will provide a peaceful, prayerful presence in front of the abortion facility from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the campaign. For more information or to sign up for an hour of prayer visit www.40daysforlifend. com or contact the Pregnancy Help Center at (701) 284-6601 or phc@polarcomm.com.
Fargo Presentation Sisters celebrate 50th Join Bishop Folda for the Walk with Christ for Life Oct. 2 and 60th jubilees of consecrated life
Bishop Folda invites the faithful to join August 16 was a great day of rejoicing at Sacred Heart Convent him in the annual Eucharistic procession, as five sisters celebrated 290 years of service in the Fargo area. Walk with Christ for Life, on Respect Life Sister Andrea Arendt celebrated her 50th year of consecrated Sunday, Oct. 2. The day’s events will begin life and Sister Georgiana Sprunk, Sister DelRey Rudnick, Sister with Mass at noon at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Marie Glennon and Sister Paula Ringuette each celebrated 60 Fargo, followed by a prayerful, peaceful years of vowed life. They publicly renewed their vows of poverty, procession to the state’s only abortion facility. celibacy and obedience and recommitment to the service of the A short prayer service will be held outside people of God. the abortion facility, and then those gathered Bishop John Folda celebrated the Eucharistic Liturgy with the will return to the Cathedral for Benediction. Presentation Sisters. In his homily he expressed appreciation A lunch will be served by the Cardinal Muench Council Knights for the years of service these sisters have given to the church of Columbus in the church social hall after Benediction. The in the Fargo Diocese. The spirited music and the joy of the Walk is sponsored by the Diocese of Fargo Respect Life Office. congregation resulted in a great celebration of their lives Contact Rachelle Sauvageau at (701) 356-7910.
Jason Evert to speak at Cupcakes for Life event
Do you want to learn strategies to guard the innocence of your loved ones and communicate the message of chastity to them? If so, come to the annual Cupcakes for Life event Oct. 3 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Sts. Anne and Joachim church, Fargo, for a presentation by Jason Evert. Jason will be sharing the techniques and resources needed to guide our young people to chastity. This event, sponsored by the Shanley Teens for Life, is free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be extended, with the proceeds helping students go to Washington D.C. for the March for Life. Evert is a well-known Catholic youth speaker who has spoken about the virtue of chastity to more than one million people, including World Youth Days in Sydney, Madrid and Krakow. He is a frequent guest on radio programs throughout the country, and his television appearances include Fox News, MSNBC, the BBC and EWTN. All are welcome. If you have any questions, contact Father Charles LaCroix at (701) 893-3219 or father.lacroix@jp2schools.org.
Youth called to March for Life in January 2017
Youth in grades 9-12 are invited to the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. on Jan. 27, 2017. The pilgrimage begins in Fargo Jan. 23 and returns Jan. 29. Father Greg Haman, Parochial Vicar for St. Michael’s Church, Grand Forks, will be our spiritual director. In addition to participating in the March for Life and Vigil Mass for Life at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, youth will travel to Emmitsburg, Md. to visit the Mother Seton Shrine and the sites of D.C. Cost is $850 and includes air and ground travel, lodging, meals and tour fees. Registration deadline is Oct. 10. Contact Rachelle at (701) 356-7910, rachelle.sauvageau@fargodiocese. org or go to www.fargodiocese.org/respectlife.
Get Connected Find more stories and information about the diocese at:
www.fargodiocese.org
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NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Beginning Experience supports the separated, divorced, widowed
Beginning Experience, a non-denominational support group for separated, divorced and widowed persons, will be offering the 10-week program “Coping with Life Alone” beginning Sep. 15, at Liberty Lutheran Brethren Church, Fargo. Registrations is at 6:30 p.m. with sessions beginning at 7 p.m. Now offering childcare; please call if needed. Newcomers welcome. Contact (701) 277-8784.
Valley City parish mission to focus on the mercy of God
St. Catherine’s parish in Valley City is excited to host an upcoming parish mission Oct. 9-11. Father Tom Allender S.J., nationally known author and preacher, will share with us the theme of the unconditional love that God has available to each of us. Father Allender focuses on how we develop a grounded, realistic and psychologically honest spirituality. The three mission topics are, God loves us the most when we deserve it the least; help with our struggles of guilt and fear; and freedom from anger allows us to love. Each evening the talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. The same talk will be presented the following day at 9 a.m. Everyone welcome. Bring a friend. Contact Deacon Joe Leitner (701) 845-0817.
All welcome to the Friends of Chimbote fall gala celebration
On Sep. 22 Friends of Chimbote will host their 5th annual fall gala fundraising celebration at the Holiday Inn, Fargo. Come and support the amazing life-changing transformation taking place in the lives of thousands living in poverty in Chimbote, Peru. Hear from a panel of mission visitors as they share personal stories of heartfelt connections, inspiration and enduring moments of friendship. The evening begins at 5:30 pm with a Pisco-Sour social and Chimbote craft market. Dinner, program and auction begins at 7 p.m. Register at www.friendsofchimbote.org or (701) 364-0162.
Catholic Charities Sunday brings awareness to its services
During Catholic Charities Sunday, Sep. 24-25, a short video
presentation will be shown in each parish. Parishioners will then join together in prayer for the clients, staff and supporters of Catholic Charities ND and have an opportunity to learn more about this ministry. Please support the works of mercy that happen each and every day at Catholic Charities ND.
A Glimpse of the Past - September
These news items, compiled by Dorothy Duchschere, were found in issues of the Diocese of Fargo newspaper, New Earth, and its predecessor, Catholic Action News.
50 Years Ago....1966
A new eight-room religious education center has been completed and is now in use at St. Benedict’s Church, Wild Rice. The $35,000 building replaces the old St. Joseph’s school. St. Joseph’s school has been condemned because of structural deficiencies and the Sisters of the Presentation of Valley City decided, with the consent of the bishop and the pastor of St. Benedict’s, to close the school. Students are now attending various public schools in the area. Fr. Albert H. Binder is pastor of St. Benedict’s and St. Maurice’s.
20 Years Ago....1996
Bishop James Sullivan appealed to all Catholics of the Diocese of Fargo, as well as all concerned citizens, to abstain from meat and to fast on Fridays for the next year for the intention of reforming laws allowing abortion. The scene of the appeal was the boulevard in front of the Fargo Women’s Health organization abortion clinic, the destination of the diocese’s annual Walk with Christ for Life. An estimated 850 people participated in the walk, which started at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
10 Years ago....2006
Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church of Aneta celebrated the parish’s centennial on Sunday, September 17. Bishop Samuel Aquila concelebrated Mass with Fr. Richard Finneo and former pastors. A parish dinner followed the Mass. Mass for the Aneta Catholics was first celebrated in 1889 at the home of Mr. & Mrs. George Burger. Masses were celebrated in homes until 1906, when a church was erected on two lots donated by Peter Lippert for a cost of $4000. The parish serves approximately 100 parishioners from 20 families.
Diocesan policy: Reporting child abuse
The Diocese of Fargo is committed to the protection of youth. Please report any incidents or suspected incidents of child abuse, including sexual abuse, to civil authorities. If the situation involves a member of the clergy or a religious order, a seminarian or an employee of a Catholic school, parish, the diocesan offices or other Catholic entity within the diocese, we ask that you also report the incident or suspected incident to Monsignor Joseph P. Goering at (701) 356-7945 or Larry Bernhardt at (701) 356-7965 or VictimAssistance@fargodiocese.org. For additional information about victim assistance, visit www.fargodiocese.org/victimassistance.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Celebrating tradition and community as parish families
Jerome and Lloyd Wieland help with the fall supper at St. Mary’s church near Dazey. (submitted photo)
S
for many generations. Everyone helps by washing, cutting and shredding 300 pounds of cabbage, which takes a month to ferment into “good” sauerkraut. Then on the day before the fall supper, the women cook the kraut until tender and add grated onion that has been fried to a golden brown. Then they add browned pork and a thickening which creates our delicious and much sought-after German sauerkraut. On the day of the supper, everyone in the parish has a job, including the students, who wait tables and help out in the kitchen. In recent years we have served up to 600 guests. While waiting to eat, it is a great time to visit inside the church with friends and neighbors. In addition, you can browse the many unique gift baskets that are donated by the church women and sold at the front of the church.
t. Mary’s church is located six miles east of Dazey. It became a mission when it was dedicated by Bishop John Shanley on July 4, 1905, and has been a thriving parish ever since. This parish was started predominantly by German settlers which is where the tradition began to serve homemade sauerkraut at their annual church dinner. The rest of the dinner menu is turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries, rolls, homemade pumpkin or apple pie, and of course coffee. The first fall suppers were hosted by the women of the Altar Society, but, as attendance grew, husbands and sons also helped. The work starts a month before the dinner when the parishioners arrive on cabbage cutting day armed with their own wooden kraut cutters, which have been in their families
Connect with parishes at fall festivals
F
all events are great opportunities to connect with parish communities. The following is a list of fall dinners and festivals submitted to New Earth.
Medina: St. Mary’s church in Medina will serve a chicken dinner Sep. 18, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Medina Legion Hall. Menu includes oven-baked chicken, baked potato, side dishes, relishes, dessert and beverage. Adults $10; ages 6 -12 $5; children 5 and under free. Country Store with baked goods and craft items available for sale. Contact Elly Rau at (701) 486-3414.
a fall supper Oct. 2 from 4-7 p.m. Adults $12; students $5; preschool $2. Turkey dinner served family style with all the trimmings, homemade pie and our famous homemade German sauerkraut. Unique gift baskets for sale. Contact Nancy Bryn at (701) 733-2292 or tbryn@ictc.com.
West Fargo: Holy Cross church in West Fargo will be holding their fall festival Oct. 8 from 4-7 p.m. and Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Trinity Elementary School. Children’s games, silent auction, country store, raffle, baskets, a dance in the gymnasium, petting zoo, bingo and meals. Contact (701) 282-7217.
Horace: St. Benedict’s church in Horace will hold its annual fall dinner Sep. 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Menu includes our famous Fingal: Holy Trinity church of Fingal is having their annual baked ham, special cherry sauce, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, turkey dinner to be held Oct. 9 from 11 am to 1:30 pm. Menu corn and homemade pumpkin and apple dessert. Silent auction, includes turkey with all the trimmings, mashed potatoes, corn, bake sale and kids’ activities. Adults $10; age 5-11 $6; and age dressing, gravy, coleslaw, pickles, buns, dessert and beverage. 4 and under free. Contact parish at (701) 588-4288. Adult $11; youth $5; preschool free. Grand Forks: Saint Mary’s church in Grand Forks will be holding their annual Old Fashioned Sunday Chicken and Meatball Dinner, Sep. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Adults $12; age 5-10 $5; children 4 and under free. Contact Mary at (701) 330-5310. Dazey: St. Mary’s church, six miles east of Dazey will host 32
NEW EARTH SEPTEMBER 2016
Milnor: St. Arnold’s church in Milnor will hold their annual Chili and Pie Supper on Oct. 12, from 5-7 p.m. A quilt raffle will also be held. Harvey: St. Cecilia’s church in Harvey will host a turkey supper Oct. 16 from 5-7 p.m. Contact parish at (701) 324-2144.
Life’s milestones
Hoggarths celebrate 60th anniversary
DeVerne and Margaret Hoggarth will celebrate 60 years of marriage Oct. 1. They are parishioners of St. Catherine’s church in Valley City and are blessed with four children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Henry and Leota celebrate 70th anniversary
Henry and Leota Leintz celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Sep. 10. They were married at the parish house of St. Cecelia’s church in Harvey. They were charter members of Nativity parish, Fargo and remain parishioners there today. They have six children, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Lemers celebrate 70th wedding anniversary
Ben and Rita Lemer, long time parishioners of St. Cecilia’s church in Harvey, and now residents of Minot, celebrated 70 years of marriage June 18. They were married in St. Francis Xavier church in Anamoose and are blessed with four children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Charles and Dorothy Peters celebrate 60 years of marriage
Charles and Dorothy Peters, parishioners of Holy Rosary church in Bisbee, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Aug. 17. They have six children, 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Rieders celebrate 60 years of marriage
Terence and Arlene Rieder, parishioners of Sacred Heart church in Cando, celebrated 60 years of marriage Aug. 4. They were married there and have been lifelong parishioners. They have eight children, 20 grand-children and three great-grandchildren.
Nettie Greicar celebrates 101 years
Nettie Greicar celebrated her 101st birthday at St. John Nepomucene church in Pisek June 12. She has eight children, 27 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great grandchildren. She married the late Charles Greicar, and they farmed outside of Pisek for 33 years and were the caretakers of Homme Dam for nine years.
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The mercy-filled life: Mother Teresa embodied what Pope Francis teaches By Cindy Wooden | Catholic News Service
In this 1996 black-and-white file photo, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta talks with Ken Hackett, left, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See and former president of Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore, Md. Mother Teresa was canonized a saint Sep. 4. (CNS photo/courtesy Catholic Relief Services)
the ambassador said. “From conception to death – she was the whole thing and didn’t pull any punches.” Like Pope Francis, he said, Mother Teresa drew energy from personal, one-on-one contact with people and consciously chose to live as simply as the poor she befriended and tended. In life and after her death, Mother Teresa faced criticism for not using her fame and contacts to advocate more directly for social and political change to improve the lives of the poor she served. “You can find all the things she wasn’t,” the ambassador said, “but what she was was much more important than what she wasn’t. She was a model and now she will be a saint.” “What Mother Teresa lived, Pope Francis teaches constantly: compassion in the face of pain and never accepting indifference in the face of suffering,” said Archbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Italy. Mother Teresa modeled “a church close to the poor, a church that is mother to the poor and that lives the joy of serving the poor.”
F
or many people, the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Mercy reached its culmination when Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa Sep. 4, recognizing the holiness of charity, mercy and courage found in a package just five-feet tall. Ken Hackett, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, worked closely with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity in his previous positions at the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Relief Services. He was at her funeral in 1997, her beatification in 2003 and will attend the Mass where she will be declared a saint. “Where Mother pushed the Missionaries of Charity was to the edge, to the most difficult places,” said the ambassador, who said he visited her houses “all the time, everywhere.” “They were always way out there, both geographically and with the people who absolutely fell through the cracks,” he said. Mother Teresa opened homes in Ethiopia during the communist military dictatorship, in the most destitute neighborhoods of Haiti’s capital, in Rwanda after the genocide and in Yemen, where four Missionaries of Charity were murdered in March. “When there was war, when there was fighting, there they were,” Hackett said. “They stayed.” Mother Teresa demonstrated that living a life committed to mercy took “selflessness and courage,” he said. Her courage also was demonstrated in her ability to “speak truth to power,” he said. Mother Teresa visited the United States regularly, speaking to Catholic groups, opening homes and meeting with presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton. “She was straight out against abortion,”
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Couple visits all nine Holy Doors in the diocese By Jim and Carolyn Exner
Jim and Carolyn Exner of Jamestown visited all nine Holy Doors in the diocese from April through July. Here they visit St. Philip Neri church, Napoleon. (submitted photo)
W
hen Pope Francis named this year the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, Bishop Folda selected nine churches in the Fargo Diocese to have special Doors of Mercy. Jim and Carolyn Exner, parishioners of St. James Basilica in Jamestown, decided they wanted to take an active part by making a pilgrimage to each of these nine churches. They accomplished this between April and July. In August they also made a special trip to the Door of Mercy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck. While traveling from church to church they enjoyed some of Gods’ great blessings in the changes in the trees and flowers as the spring progressed into the summer. It became a wonderful time to pray the rosary together. Their pilgrimage took them to some towns they’d never been to before. At each step in their pilgrimage, they were able to pause for a period of time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament to reflect on the many graces they’d received. They realized that God wants each of us to receive the mercy that he so freely gives and to show that mercy to others. The pamphlets available at these special doors remind all of us of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy that should be included in our daily lives. Jim and Carolyn feel that the pilgrimages they have done during the Jubilee of Mercy were vital and have learned a lot that they plan to continue in their daily lives. The Year of Mercy ends Nov. 20. If you have not yet made a pilgrimage to a Holy Door, consider taking advantage of this special opportunity in our local communities. Pilgrimages to a Holy Door are a journey to walk closer with God and discover “moment[s] of grace and spiritual renewal” (Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy). These doors are symbols of God’s mercy and are a welcome to everyone into the compassion of God’s love that Christ proclaimed. For more information about the Holy Doors in the diocese, see www.fargodiocese.org/holydoors.
Banners on either side of the Holy Door at St. Stanislaus church, Warsaw. (submitted photo)
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