The Catholic Spirit - October 7, 2010

Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Finding true beauty in Rome

The Catholic Spirit October 7, 2010

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News with a Catholic heart

Victory — at last

In Respect Life Month message, cardinal promotes world vigil for life Nov. 27

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

In a message marking Respect Life Month in October, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities called on U.S. Catholics to join Pope Benedict XVI in a worldwide vigil “for all nascent human life” on Nov. 27, the Saturday evening of Thanksgiving weekend.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of GalvestonCARDINAL Houston also encourDINARDO aged Catholics to demonstrate their commitment to life “through a loving concern for the good of others” and to work to ensure that health care reform, in its implementation, “is not misused to promote abortion or to trample on rights of conscience.

“With each passing year, the need for personal and public witness grounded in God’s boundless love for each and every human being grows more urgent,” he said in a Respect Life Month statement.

Three main ‘risks’

Photo by John Kruger / TommieMedia

University of St. Thomas senior running back Ben Wartman celebrates after scoring a touchdown in overtime that eventually gave his team a 27-26 victory over St. John’s Oct. 2 in Collegeville. After dropping 12 consecutive games to the Johnnies, the Tommies finally were able to put their losing streak against their rivals to an end. Wartman, whose playing status was in doubt because of an injury two weeks earlier, was a key contributor with three touchdowns, including his 10-yard run in overtime.

The cardinal cited three particular risks in today’s society — abortion, embryonic stem-cell research and “a renewed campaign for legalizing physician-assisted suicide.”

Cardinal DiNardo said the U.S. bishops’ pro-life and divine worship secretariats were working together to develop worship aids for the vigil, which the pope has asked be observed by every bishop in the world, as well as in “all parishes and religious communities.”

Parishes gear up for Oct. 16-17 planning announcement The Catholic Spirit

Priests and parish leaders from around the archdiocese are preparing for the Oct. 16-17 announcement of the Strategic Plan for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, “Promote and Proclaim a Communion of Faith, Hope and Love.”

The archdiocese recently provided suggestions for prayers, petitions, bulletin information, liturgy and music for use during the announcement weekend and in parishes’ preparation.

Archdiocesan leaders are encouraging pastors to meet with their parish staffs and leadership on Friday evening, Oct. 15, or Saturday morning, Oct. 16, to share how the plan will affect their parish.

Pastors were reminded that all parishes will be affected by the strategic plan. Even those where little

structural change will occur under the plan should be aware of the emotions that people at merging or clustering parishes will be feeling that weekend.

The comprehensive plan will be made public at 4 p.m. Oct. 16 at WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG and WWW.THECATHOLIC SPIRIT.COM. A printed summary of the plan will be available after the weekend Masses.

That weekend, archdiocesan staff members and representatives will be present at all Masses of parishes that will be merging into another parish under the plan.

For more information about the strategic planning, visit HTTP://PLANNING.ARCHSPM.ORG.

Strategic planning affects parishes nationwide See page 4B

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OCTOBER 7, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

School visit offers glimpse of the future

That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt

Three-parish effort exemplifies collaboration and strategic planning at its best

I have been thinking lately how nice it would be to have a crystal ball in order to see clearly the future success of our Strategic Plan for Parishes and Schools. Well, I had an experience a week ago Sunday that came very close to that experience.

The occasion was the fifth anniversary of Holy Cross Catholic School in Webster. This is a consolidated prekindergarten-to-eighth-grade school sponsored by three parishes: Immaculate Conception in Lonsdale, St. Nicholas in New Market and Holy Trinity in Veseli. The fact that these three parishes came together to form this one school is in itself a great example of pastoral collaboration, but that is not the entire story.

You see, the origin of this cooperative venture really began 41 years ago when those three parishes, each having its own separate school, came together under one administration.

For 36 years, they operated as a united entity, using all three sites, busing students to a central cafeteria for lunch each day. It took almost 40 years for them to raise the money for a new school building, but that didn’t stop them from coming together in a collaborative effort.

This is really strategic planning at its best. And the leaders at Veseli, New Market and Lonsdale were way ahead of the curve. Ultimately, what a good strategic plan should provide is a direction for the future. One may not be able to realize full results in six months

The Catholic Spirit The Catholic Spirit’s mission is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It seeks to inform, educate, evangelize and foster a spirit of community within the Catholic Church by disseminating news in a professional manner and serving as a forum for discussion of contemporary issues.

or a year, but there is a plan and, with that plan, movement may begin toward positive outcomes.

I have tried to calm the apprehensions that some have expressed about the decisions that will be announced on Oct. 16-17. Not all of those decisions need to be implemented immediately. Rather, pastors and parishes will work with the Chancery staff to find the best way to begin the collaborative process of merging or clustering parishes, their staffs, buildings and other resources.

I am grateful to the pastors and people of Holy Cross Catholic Grade School in Webster for showing all of us how good strategic planning can be done. They are wonderful examples for the rest of us!

DVDs not an attack On another point, I thought it unfortunate that the media has characterized the DVD that was mailed to our Catholic people last week as “an attack on gay marriage.”

In truth, they could have said it was “an attack on divorce” or “an attack on cohabitation.” But the reality is that it was not an attack, but rather the positive promotion of marriage as God intends it to be.

Scripture testifies to the fact that God made man and woman, as complementary beings, in his image and likeness. And he commanded that they “be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28). Marriage is the vehicle by

which this God-given gift is accomplished.

The obvious connection between the conjugal act and the conception of new life, along with the universally recognized importance of stable marriages for the education and formation of children, removes marriage from the private sphere and places it into the public realm, Minnesota an institution bishops issue very much a part catechesis of the common on marriage, good and, therefore, a concern of page 12B the state. This has been true across cultures.

To say that marriage is a kind of relationship that is “reproductive in type” is to define it as unique and, therefore, different from other relationships. To uphold this distinctiveness is not to discriminate against other types of relationships, but rather to acknowledge what God intended in the created order.

The Canadian bishops admit that they were caught off guard when the definition of marriage was changed by their government. The bishops of Minnesota do not want the same thing to happen here. Now is the time to raise the issue. Now is the time to preserve the meaning of marriage as God intended it “from the beginning.”

(Matthew 19:8).

God bless you!

Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010 7:30 p.m.

Guardian Angels Church 8260 Hudson Boulevard North, Oakdale, MN

JOE TOWALSKI Editor

Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by Catholic Spirit Publishing Company.

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New deacons given assignments Eight deacons were ordained for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and received assignments, beginning Oct. 4. Photos from the Sept. 25 ordination are on page 20B. OFFICIAL Archbishop John C. Nienstedt has made the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT Publisher

Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Spirit Publishing Company, a non-profit Minnesota Corporation, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.

■ Friday-Saturday, Oct. 1-9: Diaconate Ordinations in Rome, Italy.

■ Sunday, Oct. 10: 11:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Catholic Services Appeal first benefactor Mass and reception.

8 p.m., St. Paul, University of St. Thomas: “Lectio divina.”

■ Monday, Oct. 11: 6 a.m., St. Paul, St. John Vianney College Seminary: Holy hour and Holy Eucharist, followed by breakfast.

10:30 a.m, St. Paul, The St. Paul Seminary: Meeting with administration.

11:35 a.m., St. Paul, The St. Paul Seminary: Holy Eucharist, followed by lunch.

■ Tuesday, Oct. 12: USCCB Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Committee meeting in Chicago.

■ Wednesday, Oct. 13: 10 a.m., St. Paul, Lumen Christi Catholic Community: Mass, school tour and lunch with seniors.

7 p.m., St. Paul, Town and Country Club: Legatus dinner and address.

■ Thursday, Oct. 14: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, St. Pascal Baylon: School Mass.

11:30 a.m., St. Paul, Town and Country Club: Retired priests luncheon.

■ Friday, Oct. 15: 8:30 a.m., New Brighton, St. John the Baptist

Appointments

Vol. 15 — No. 21

BOB ZYSKOWSKI Associate publisher

Archbishop’s schedule

Effective October 4, 2010: Deacon James Bauhs; deacon, Guardian Angels Church, Chaska, and Archdiocesan Diaconate Office to assist with community events.

Deacon Kevin Downie; deacon, St. Pius V, Cannon Falls, and to Catholic Cemeteries Office, Bereavement Ministry outreach.

Deacon Lawrence Lawinger; deacon, Good Shepherd, Golden Valley, and to Maple Grove Hospital pastoral care.

Deacon Joseph Michalak Jr.; deacon; Holy Spirit, St. Paul.

Deacon Thomas Michaud Jr.; deacon, Immaculate Conception, Lonsdale and to coordinate area RCIA and Adult Education Ministry.

Deacon Michael Nevin; deacon, Mary, Queen of Peace, Rogers, and to Hennepin County Home School, Plymouth.

Deacon Ronald Smisek; deacon, St. Augustine and Holy Trinity, South Saint Paul, and to Presbyterian Homes, Arden Hills.

Deacon John Vomastek; deacon, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights, and Woodbury Health Center, Woodbury.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.”

Jeremiah 1:5

Local News from around the archdiocese

OCTOBER 7, 2010

The Catholic Spirit

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Play offers inside view of U.S. abortion legalization

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

Bob Hindel of St. Andrew in St. Paul grew up surrounded by family members who supported abortion.

“Everyone was pro-choice except me,” he said.

Hindel’s passionate pro-life stance continues today, and he recently has found a stage to express his views — literally.

Within the last month, he finished writing a play called “Jenny,” which will be performed at three local venues this month. The debut is Oct. 14 at the University of St. Thomas, followed by performances at St. Andrew Oct. 15, 16 and 17, and another show Oct. 28 at the University of Minnesota’s Coffman Memorial Union.

Echoes of real life The play, a musical, is set in and around New York City and centers on how several key people and organizations worked to make abortion legal in the United States. Among the characters is an abortionist named Dr. Bernard Abramson, played by John Steinert of St. Olaf in Minneapolis.

The character is patterned after Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a former abortion doctor who wrote a book titled, “Aborting America.” He also helped found the National Abortion Rights Action League, and said he performed 75,000 abortions at a clinic in New York before becoming pro-life and eventually converting to Catholicism.

“For me, personally, the driving thing for writing this play was the

From left, Andrew Menke of St. Louis, King of France in St. Paul, Joseph Turner of St. Agnes in St. Paul, and John Capistrant of St. Columba in St. Paul rehearse a scene from the play, “Jenny,” written by Bob Hindel of St. Andrew in St. Paul. Menke plays Rick, who gets romantically involved with Jenny, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy that creates a subplot in the play. Turner and Capistrant play two of his friends.

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

actual story of Bernard Nathanson,” Hindel, 55, said. “He’s not a crook.

He’s not a criminal. He’s just a misguided secular humanist [during his days as an abortion doctor].”

As the plot unfolds, two of Abramson’s medical students, Jenny and Rick, become romantically involved, and Jenny eventually gets pregnant.

This becomes one of the play’s subplots as Jenny wrestles with what to do about her unplanned pregnancy.

As much as Hindel hopes his play will be attended by pro-lifers, he hopes to draw those who support abortion rights as well.

“I believe it gives pro-abortion people a pretty fair shake,” he said.

“We have to portray abortion people in a fair light, not a degrading or demeaning light.”

Though he intends to use the play to show why the pro-life argument

Correction The religious order to which Father Thomas Dubay, an author, belonged was incorrectly noted in the Sept. 23 issue.

The priest, who died Sept. 26 , was a Marist.

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is the right one, he also wants to help audience members understand why pro-choice people believe as they do. He considers this an important part of the current cultural debate.

“In order to defeat [the pro-abortion mentality], we have to understand why people get into it,” he said. “I think I have a first-hand idea of why people are pro-choice, and that is what we try to put out in the play.”

Long time in the making The roots of writing the play go back about 10 years, when Hindel helped form a group called Neighbors for Life with friend Jim Tarsney, who ended up writing some of the song lyrics eventually used in the play.

“We performed these songs in

concerts and we said they were excerpts from our play, ‘Jenny.’ But, the play did not exist,” Hindel said.

“I definitely had the intention of writing it, but it had to wait a while.”

“A while” ended up being this past June, when Hindel scrambled to finish writing the play and quickly moved to recruiting cast members and director Nancy Barrett of St. Mary in St. Paul.

The play features 19 local actors, most of whom are Catholic. Playing Jenny is Christine Nicholson of Maranatha Church in Minneapolis, and Rick, her boyfriend, is played by Andrew Menke of St. Louis King of France in St. Paul. Also in the play are Sue and Ed Adams of Holy Family in St. Louis Park. They are the parents of Father James Adams, pastor of St. Nicholas in New Market.

Want to go?

■ What: “Jenny,” a pro-life musical.

■ When: 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the University of St. Thomas, O’Shaughnessy Education Center; 7 p.m. Oct. 15 and 16, and 3 p.m. Oct. 17 at St. Andrew in St. Paul; and 8 p.m.

Oct. 28 at the University of Minnesota’s Coffman Memorial Union.

■ Cost: Free; a freewill offering will be taken.

Suggested donation is $10 per person, $20 per family.

■ More info: Contact Bob Hindel at (651) 2716405 or REHINDEL@ ISD.NET.

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Local

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Lansing, Buffalo dioceses models in strategic planning process

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

A slumping economy and population declines have impacted every facet of life around Buffalo, N.Y., over the last several decades as industry began to wane along Lake Erie’s shore. Many businesses, schools and banks closed or merged.

Mass attendance, ARCHDIOCESAN Catholic school enPLANNING PROCESS rollment and baptisms declined.

In 2005, the Diocese of Buffalo decided to address the challenges facing the local church through a comprehensive plan.

In the same year, the Diocese of Lansing, Mich., began its own planning process. Its population was shifting across the diocese from city centers to the suburbs and other areas — a trend that became more pronounced after General Motors announced plans in 2005 to close a Flint-based plant in 2009.

Nine parishes in Flint alone were nearly empty on weekends, said the diocese’s pastoral planning director, Dominican Sister Rita Wenzlick.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis drew from the collaborative examples of these and other U.S. dioceses as it prepared for its own planning process, said Jim Lundholm-Eades, a member of the 16-member Strategic Planning Task Force that made recommendations to Archbishop John Nienstedt in July.

An archdiocesan team spent seven years before the planning process launch researching best practices in comprehensive diocesan planning as well as learning from dioceses whose processes were unsuccessful, Lundholm-Eades said.

Like the archdiocese, both the Lansing and Buffalo dioceses had new demographic realities, inefficiently used resources and fewer priests to minister in their parishes. The Diocese of Buffalo has a similar Catholic population to the archdiocese of approximately 650,000 Catholics. The Diocese of Lansing has about 217,000 Catholics.

Leaders in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis appreciated the structure of the Lansing and Buffalo dioceses’ process, said Lundholm-Eades. Both dioceses were addressing demographic changes, both provided a variety of ways for Catholics to share their concerns and

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“We’re going to become better stewards of our resources.

”

SISTER RITA WENZLICK Diocese of Lansing , Mich.

ideas, and both implemented their plans on a cascading timeline.

Other dioceses, including Metuchen, N.J.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Cleveland, Ohio, were models in addressing the needs of new immigrant populations.

The archdiocese looked to the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D., for good examples of data analysis and finding solutions to regional challenges.

The archdiocese launched its planning initiative in February 2009. About 80 percent of U.S. dioceses have undergone some form of comprehensive restructuring in the past 10 years, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, based at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Dioceses that restructure point to the same challenges: changing demographics, fewer numbers of active priests to serve the parishes and inefficient use of resources among parishes and schools.

“The main goal of the [planning] process is to foster a revitalized and sustainable local Church, one that is responsive to the pastoral needs of all our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Archbishop Nienstedt said in a video about the planning process in May. The archbishop will announce the Plan for Parishes through materials that will be provided at weekend Masses Oct. 1617.

Broad changes An empty steel plant south of Buffalo, N.Y., could be the symbol for a declining region. Once home to Bethlehem-Lackwanna steel, the world’s largest steelmaking operation during World War II, the plant closed most of its operations by 1983.

At the peak of its production, the plant had employed almost 300,000 people, most of whom worked in ship building, a trade fueled by adjacent Lake Erie. As Buffalo lost its steel plant and other industries, the region’s population declined. Today, Buffalo has half the population it did in 1950. The city has lost 11 percent of its population since 1990 alone. People have moved out of the region to look for jobs and education elsewhere.

In contrast, the population of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is growing, largely due to an influx of Latino immigrants, many of whom are

Catholic. By 2016 the number of Catholics registered at parishes will be approximately 695,000. At the same time, the number of priests able to pastor a parish is declining. Yet, many Catholic parishes and schools are not located in areas where growth is strongest.

In the Diocese of Buffalo, Catholics expressed mixed reactions to the plan’s 2008 announcement, said its director of research and planOld churches, ning, St. new uses Mary Sister R e g i n a What happened to M u r p h y, the closed and sold SSMN. church buildings in the Buffalo’s dioceses of Buffalo plan reand Lansing? duced the Read the story at d i o c e s e ’s THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. 274 parishes and oratories to 176 through mergers. As a result, 81 church sites closed. The diocese also encouraged all parishes to collaborate better with one another.

The diocese had always had a disproportionate number of parishes to Catholics, Sister Regina said. “It was way beyond what we really needed. We were overbuilt seriously,” she said.

Different immigrant groups built national parishes, sometimes right next to each other. In Le Roy, N.Y., one could walk down the driveway of St. Peter, the Irish parish, into the front door of the Italian parish, St. Joseph. Sometimes, immigrants from different regions of a country, such as Poland, would build churches within the same town.

“You could have eight churches concentrated in a 20-bock area,” Sister Regina said.

Responding to the region Over the past several decades, the region’s Catholic population declined faster than the rest of the population, Sister Regina said. Many people moved to the city for jobs. In 1970, the Diocese of Buffalo hit its population peak of 935,000 Catholics. In 2009, it recorded about 656,000 Catholics.

And those are people who self-identify as Catholic, Sister Regina added — it doesn’t mean they attend Mass regularly or contribute to parish life.

The Diocese of Buffalo tried to make

the strategic plan as “grassroots” as possible, Sister Regina said. In the end, some people were still upset with the changes, but most understood they were necessary.

“Change is something that human beings are not comfortable with,” she said. “And when you’re changing their churches, which is affecting their emotional self, their spiritual being, then you have a very negative reaction.”

Those preparing the plan tried to show care and compassion in their communication about it, she said.

The Diocese of Lansing took a similar approach and asked its 97 parishes to start the planning process with a selfassessment, which they shared with their neighboring parishes. When the plan is fully implemented, the diocese will have 81 parishes. Six parishes will have closed church buildings. Ten parishes will merge, 27 will cluster and five former parishes will be designated “chapels.”

Collaborative processes Parish leaders in the archdiocese expect some Catholics to be upset by the changes the plan will bring, but they hope Catholics will embrace the plan with open minds and look to the future.

Yet, change is “painful, it’s very hard,” Sister Rita acknowledged. However, people understood why the strategic planning was necessary.

“We’re going to become better stewards of our resources,” she added. “The emergence of these new communities have brought new life, excitement, and the willingness to stay the course in figuring out what needs to be done to serve the needs of these newly formed communities in the time of economic downturn.”

Part of the new parish communities’ challenge is to build hope among their members, she said.

For Lansing, the plan is never complete, she said. The diocese and state faces an uncertain economic future, and the plan may have to be re-evaluated in the future.

In Buffalo, Sister Regina is pleased with the results of the plan, she said. It achieved its goal of consolidating resources, she said.

“We have accomplished basically what we set out to do, maybe better than we even expected,” she said.

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Papal preacher trusts God’s message Capuchin Franciscan Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household since 1980, will be in the Twin Cities Oct. 29-Nov. 3 to speak at the Catholic Charismatic Renewal national conference and to various other groups. (See accompanying schedule.) He responded by e-mail to the following questions from The Catholic Spirit.

What is your specific role as the preacher to the papal household?

My specific role as preacher to the papal household is to give a meditation in the presence of the pope, the cardinals, bishops and prelates of the Roman Curia and the general superiors of the religious orders, every Friday morning during two periods of the year, Advent and Lent. This preaching is distinct from the annual retreat the pope and the Curia make during the first week of Lent and which is preached every time by a different person, usually a cardinal or a bishop.

How did you get the job of preacher to the papal household?

The general superior of the Franciscan Capuchin Order, to which the office is traditionally assigned, presents to the pope three names and the pope chooses one. I have been doing this job for the last 31 years, being appointed by pope John Paul

Speaking schedule Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household, will address the following events: Oct. 29-31: Catholic Charismatic Renewal national conference, Oct. 29-30 at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul. Presentations set for clergy, lay leaders and young adults.

Oct. 31: Fundraiser dinner for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal office, Crowne Plaza, St. Paul.

Nov. 1: Retreat with Father Cantalamessa and Father Timothy Nolan: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Brooklyn Center.

Nov. 2: Ecumenical gathering at 7 p.m., All Saints Church, Lakeville. Free.

FATHER Nov.3 : Ecumenical gathering at 7 p.m., North Heights CANTALAMESSA Lutheran, Arden Hills. Free.

For conference information and registration, call 1-800-338-2445 or visit WWW.NSC-CHARISCENTER.ORG. For information or registration for the fundraiser dinner or the retreat on the Holy Spirit at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center, call (763) 5715314 or visit WWW.MNCRO.ORG. II at the beginning of 1980. It has been the longest period in charge of a preacher in history, which shows the heroic patience and endurance of our two last popes!

Is it intimidating preaching to the pope?

Yes and no! I felt a little anxious just the first moments of my first sermon back in 1980, then the Lord gave me a great peace.

What has helped me is to know that I don’t have to preach a message of my own, but PLEASE TURN TO CANTALAMESSA ON PAGE 19B

Champions for Life to receive awards at upcoming banquet Archbishop John Nienstedt will present the Champions for Life awards during a lunch that begins at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, at the University Club in St. Paul.

Father Andrew Cozzens of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity will give a keynote address.

This is the third year the Office of Marriage, Family and Life has recognized pro-life volunteers in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Judges selected recipients in four categories: church/ school/Catholic affiliated group, couple/family, adult and youth.

Recipients are: Respect Life Groups of South Central Minnesota; Bernadine and Merlyn Scroggins of Holy Childhood in St. Paul; fifth-grade teacher Virginia Sullivan from Nativity of Our Lord School in St. Paul; and Patti Durham from St. John the Baptist in Savage.

For lunch registration information, call (651) 291-4488 or visit WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG.

NOTICE Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

Center for Mission in all copies of this issue.

Hearing Tests Set for Senior Citizens Announcement — Free electronic hearing tests will be given all next week Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.

The tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are not hearing clearly.

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The National Association of Pro-Life Nurses

congratulates

board member Bernadette Scroggins and her husband Merlyn Scroggins on their “Champion For Life” award from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

We thank them both for their dedication to the fostering of a ‘Culture of Life.’

Medical professionals are on the frontlines of battle in life issues.

From abortion to assisted suicide and euthanasia and all issues in between we are challenged in the workplace to defend our beliefs and risk our employment. The National Association of Pro-life Nurses has been here for nurses since the beginning of this battle. Join with us in our efforts to protect those voices. www.nursesforlife.org

“We must continue to do everything possible to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.”

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Vatican secretary for relations with states, addressing the U.N. General Assembly Sept. 29

Nation/World 6B The Catholic Spirit News from around the U.S. and the globe Synod aims to bolster Middle East church presence

By John Thavis Catholic News Service

The Vatican is setting the stage for another Synod of Bishops in mid-October, this one aimed at turning a spotlight on the Christian communities of the Middle East.

Pope Benedict XVI convened it rather unexpectedly a year ago, after church leaders from the region — particularly Iraq — requested the special assembly.

The problems of minority Christian churches in the Middle East include: the massive emigration of Christians, political and military conflict, economic hardship, travel restrictions, discrimination and interreligious tensions, especially in predominantly Muslim countries.

The pope’s visit to the Holy Land last year briefly turned the church’s attention to the daily struggles of Christian communities there. Now he wants to bring those struggles to the heart of the universal church for more systematic discussion.

The synod will run Oct. 10-24 and focus on the theme, “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness: ‘Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul.’” The quotation comes from the Acts of the Apostles, and reflects the unity of the early church — something that plays into the agenda of this assembly.

The goal of the synod is to strengthen Christians in their faith identity and deepen communion among the churches that exist in the region, so they can witness the faith more effectively. Synod

CNS photo / Paul Haring

A man helps an altar server light a candle during Mass at the Melkite Catholic Church in Jordan, Sept. 19.

planners are underlining ecumenical cooperation as an essential aspect of credible Christian witness in the Middle East.

Synod topics outlined Pope Benedict has modified synod rules to allow for more free discussion, but the main topics of this assembly have already been distilled in preliminary documents: ■ Relations with Muslims. The crux here is religious freedom, and the synod’s working document analyzed the problem in unusually blunt language. It said that in predominantly Muslim countries where Islam is the state religion or where Islamic law is applied in society, human rights are eroded.

■ Religious extremism. While being careful not to criticize Islam with too broad a brush, the synod’s preparatory

documents have underlined the threat posed by the rise of a radical “political Islam” that doesn’t hesitate to resort to violence.

■ Regional political conflicts. The synod will hear reports from bishops in Iraq, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will undoubtedly receive detailed discussion.

■ Emigration. The synod will examine the causes of what has been called a Christian “exodus” from the Middle East. In general, the bishops are convinced that peace and democracy, along with economic development, will create environments in which Christians no longer feel the need to leave.

■ Relations with Judaism. The synod will discuss Catholic-Jewish relations, but will try to distinguish between the religious sentiments of anti-Judaism and the political animosity between Arabs and Jews.

■ Catholic educational and social services. Education is seen as the church’s best investment for the future in the Middle East. Because its network of schools, hospitals and charity activities are open to all, they also demonstrate in concrete terms the church’s openness and willingness to find common ground with Muslims and others.

■ Changing religious and cultural values. Protecting the nature and stability of the family is viewed as a particular concern.

■ Scripture. The synod is expected to urge Middle Eastern Catholics to read and reflect on the Bible to strengthen their historical identity.

Haitian bishops agree on church reconstruction program

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

Haitian bishops agreed Sept. 24 to the creation of a broad-based reconstruction program involving church partners from around the world that will guide how parishes and Catholic schools destroyed in the January earthquake are rebuilt.

They met in Miami Sept. 22-26 with Catholic officials from the United States, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guadeloupe and Mexico and the Inter-American Development Bank. The bishops were considering the proposal developed over several months primarily by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services.

The four-day gathering came on the heels of meetings Sept. 20-21 the Haitian bishops had in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, to discuss reconstruction needs and other church programs.

Called the Program for the Reconstruction of the Church in Haiti, the plan would establish a commission with both Haitian and international members

that will review and approve parish projects and ensure that building plans meet construction standards based on appropriate building codes.

Church walks with Haitians “As Haitians continue to struggle to recover from this unprecedented natural disaster, the church walks with them, bearing the cross of Christ, in hope that suffering will give way to new life and to a new Haiti,” the Haiti bishops’ conference said in a statement released Sept. 24 in Miami.

The church aims to “build up every Haitian man and woman in his or her totality: physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually,” it said.

“The task ahead remains formidable,” it continued. However, with the reconstruction plan is “an important stem to rebuild the church’s infrastructure,” it added.

Richard Balmadier, a CRS adviser to the U.S. bishops who crafted the reconstruction plan, said it is “going to create for both the church in Haiti as well as the episcopal conferences around the

world that want to support the church in Haiti with a forum where they can really work together in solidarity.”

“It will provide support to the church in Haiti by basically creating a capacity there to help it realize its mission,” he told Catholic News Service in an interview in Washington in advance of the Miami meeting.

The Haitian church has struggled to recover since the magnitude 7 earthquake Jan. 12 destroyed 70 parishes, including the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince, dozens of schools, several convents and the national seminary.

Three Port-au-Prince archdiocesan leaders were killed in the quake along with seven priests, 31 seminarians, and 31 men and women religious.

Archbishop Bernardito Auza, papal nuncio to Haiti, told CNS Sept. 22 that the effort is “setting up what’s always been absent in the church in Haiti.”

“The idea [behind the commission] is to make sure the buildings will be built well and the money will be well spent,” he said.

OCTOBER 7, 2010

Cardinal George urges Hispanics to be rooted in faith Catholic News Service Hispanic Catholics can be leaven for the church, but that can only happen if they remain rooted in their faith, Chicago Cardinal Francis George said in a Sept.

24 address at a national Hispanic ministry congress held in Rosemont, Ill. But some Hispanic Catholics are leaving the church, lured by fundamentalist Protestant churches and the secularism threatening all faith.

“Their temptation is to be Catholic only on Dec. 12 and Ash Wednesday, and forCARDINAL GEORGE get everything else,” said Cardinal George. Dec. 12 is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The event was organized by the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, which includes more than 50 Hispanic Catholic movements and organizations, in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church.

The goal was for people in Hispanic ministry to decide what that ministry will look like as Hispanics become more mainstream members of the U.S. Catholic Church.

The meeting agenda was organized around the five priorities the USCCB has set for all of its offices: ■ Marriage and family.

■ Faith formation and sacramental practice.

■ Young people and vocations.

■ Life and dignity of the human person.

■ Diversity with special emphasis on Hispanics.

Sister Dominga Zapata, a member of the Society of Helpers and a board member for the conference who works with permanent Hispanic deacon formation in Chicago, said it was important to focus on common issues with the bishops and the broader Catholic community.

To make it relate better to the Hispanic experience, the formation area was expanded to include academic education, life and dignity focused on immigration, and the baptismal vocation of all Catholics, said Carmen Aguinaco, National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry president. She also directs the Hispanic Ministry Resource Center at Claretian Publications in Chicago.

“In the past, when we talked about Hispanic ministry, it was about ministry to Hispanics from a position of superiority,” Aguinaco said. “Now it’s about ministry Hispanics can have for each other and for the wider church.”

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.”

Helen Keller

This Catholic Life OCTOBER 7, 2010

Opinion, feedback and points to ponder

The Catholic Spirit

7B

Looking beneath the surface Vatican pilgrimage journeys to the heart of beauty

in the museums’ ancient statue gallery.

One day will be spent in Siena focusing on the life of St. Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century saint who is probably best known for persuading Pope Gregory XI to come back to Rome from exile in France. In her numerous letters to popes, cardinals, monks and priests, she was also very vocal in urging priests to reform and faithfully live their vocation at a time when church corruption was prevalent.

Mass will be celebrated most days, including at the site of St. Maria Goretti’s martyrdom in Nettuno. The 11-year-old Italian girl was repeatedly stabbed by a young neighbor after she refused his sexual advances. She died in the hospital the next day, July 6, 1902, after forgiving her attacker.

Father Haydu said he wanted to highlight the life of St. Maria Goretti because “we thought she was a good example for young women. She represents the heart of beauty as being found in one’s own personal integrity.”

She courageously protected her virtues and shows that real love is not about desire for external attractiveness, but entails respecting the other’s inner being and dignity, he said.

Today, if a young woman wants to protect her integrity, he said, “a certain heroic virtue is involved.”

What do Renaissance masters have to teach today’s women about feminine beauty? One Vatican official thinks quite a bit.

U.S. Father Mark Haydu, international director of the Vatican Museums’ Patrons of the Arts office, has invited mothers and daughters to attend a Carol Glatz special pilgrimage to Italy.

He will open the doors to the museums’ artistic treasures and “provide the beauty of the arts,” he said, in an effort to reveal the Christian vision of femininity and how it has been depicted in paintings, frescoes and statuary over the centuries.

Talks and discussions will be led by art historian Elizabeth Lev; U.S. radio host Teresa Tomeo of Ave Maria Radio; and Brenda Sharman, national director of Pure Fashion — an apostolate run by Regnum Christi members that encourages young women to live and dress with a Christian sense of dignity.

Titled “Feminine Beauty in the Arts,” the eight-day pilgrimage will journey to Rome, Siena and Nettuno Dec. 27-Jan. 3.

Analysis

Fathers and sons welcome

More than skin deep Father Haydu, a member of the Legionaries of Christ, told Catholic News Service that he came up with the idea because he wanted to help families have a deeper conversation about what makes a woman beautiful.

Female beauty is not revealed by skimpy, faddish fashions, but by an inner quality and “the way you carry yourself,” he said.

He said conversations between mothers and daughters about what is appropriate to wear in public may sometimes take place “in a heated moment” in front of a clothes rack at a mall or after the fact when a teen comes home with her purchases.

Father Haydu said he wanted to give mothers and daughters a chance to fix or pre-empt these problems by “creating a nice atmosphere” to discuss what real beauty is and how best to emulate it.

Lev, a professor of art history at the Rome campuses of Duquesne University and the University of St. Thomas, told CNS that women’s unique quality of feminine genius “has been depicted in Christian art for 2,000 years.”

In early Christian art, she said, women were often adorned with heavy cloaks or clothed like a queen “because we want to see them in a spiritual sense, not a physical sense,” and send the message, “Love me for my soul, not my body.”

With the Renaissance, Lev said,

CNS photo / courtesy of the Vatican Museums

Michelangelo’s “Libyan Sibyl,” a pagan prophetess, is one of the figures on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

For reflection Discuss this article with your spouse or children. What do you think constitutes real beauty? How can men and women best emulate it?

women in art are no longer shapeless forms; they become soft and beautiful “like 1940s movie stars, reclining and languid, exuding an atmosphere of delight and delectation.”

She said the change reflected “the natural recognition of the humanity of Christ,” which meant paying greater attention to the nurturing body of Mary, who bore the son of God. “Then along comes Michelangelo’s startling and unconventional depiction of women in the Sistine Chapel,” she said.

In a style that lasted well until the 17th century, Michelangelo turned women into heroes who command space and presence; they stand next to men and show they have an equally critical role to

play in salvation, said Lev. No more are women just reclining, passive figures who are just a showcase for jewelry and clothes, much like models in many fashion magazines today, she said.

The women in Michelangelo’s world come in all shapes and sizes, young and old, she said.

“They’re all strong: strong in faith, strong in who they are and their vocation. That’s what beautiful is in Michelangelo’s world,” Lev said.

The pilgrimage’s tentative itinerary includes a general audience with the pope at the Vatican and a private visit to the Vatican Museums with guided tours of many of its artistic treasures. Guests will get an after-hours peek of the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms before dining

The U.S. priest said fathers and sons are also welcome to join the journey. The men will receive a special itinerary looking at Greek and Roman heroes and discuss fundamental human virtues like “what it takes to be a man of virtue and a real leader,” he said.

Lev, who is a mother to two teenage girls, said she hopes young women attending the pilgrimage learn to not be driven by powerful commercial and fashion industries “who do not want the well-being” of young people. She said she hopes to instill in young women a strong self-image and sense of who they really are.

She would also like families to see “how much the church loves and respects women.”

Most people only look at “the red flag of ordination” in which the priesthood is limited to men and, from that, erroneously conclude that the church is somehow incapable of appreciating women, she said.

She said sacred art shows that the church has long recognized the “really extraordinary beauty,” ability and heroism of women.

Go to THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM for more information on the pilgrimage and how to reserve a place.

Carol Glatz is a Rome correspondent for Catholic News Service

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Commentary-Letters

/ This Catholic Life

Catechism, not politics, guides bishops on marriage

Editorial Joe Towalski

The church teaches that sex is something to be reserved for a lifelong union between a man and woman who are open to having children

The decision by Minnesota’s bishops to send a letter and DVD on marriage to Catholic households in Minnesota has generated a substantial amount of media coverage and accompanying commentary in newspapers around the state.

While people — Catholic and otherwise — are certainly entitled to their opinions, some characterizations of the bishops’ initiative have been inaccurate and unfair.

First, the bishops’ effort is not rooted in hate of homosexuals, as some critics have claimed; rather, it is rooted in church teaching about marriage and sexuality. Homosexual persons have the same Godgiven human dignity as heterosexual persons and deserve our Christian love and respect. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states no less.

But the church teaches that sex is something to be reserved for a lifelong union between a man and woman who are open to having children and are committed to raising strong families for the common good of society. Everyone else — whether they are gay or “straight” — is called to abstinence. The church realizes this call can be a struggle, particularly in today’s sexsaturated society, and so it offers information, resources and programs as a means of help and support. The bishops’ opposition to same-sex marriage is rooted in this teaching, nothing else.

Speaking out Second, many critics of the bishops’ marriage initiative have taken them to task for speaking out on an issue that has public policy implications as well as religious ones. But the bishops have every right to enter public policy discussions, as they have for a very long time on both the state and national levels.

Minnesota’s bishops, for example, recently spoke together on immigration, designating a day last January as Immigration Sunday to educate Minnesotans about the issue and remind residents of the importance of welcoming the stranger. During the last legislative session, the state’s bishops spoke in favor of a reformed program for

“The bishops have every right to enter public policy discussions, as they have for a very long time on both the state and national levels.

”

JOE TOWALSKI

General Assistance Medical Care to help the poorest of the poor. And, several years ago, Archbishop Harry Flynn initiated an interfaith antipoverty effort in the archdiocese.

Few people cried foul when the bishops spoke out on these issues, as it should be. Public policies have moral implications, and every member of the church is responsible for studying those implications and making voting decisions in light of them. The bishops have a responsibility to teach about them.

An additional point of clarification: the bishops’ support of particular public policies doesn’t make them partisan, although they are sometimes accused of that. The bishops, if one looks at the full breadth of issues they address during any legislative cycle — which ranges from poverty and immigration, to abortion and caring for God’s creation — advocate positions that the major parties sometimes support and sometimes oppose, as do individual candidates of both parties.

The bishops’ marriage initiative is all about teaching the faithful on an important societal topic — not party politics.

Education, listening needed Perhaps some of misunderstandings and mischaracterizations about what the church teaches shouldn’t be surprising in light of a recent survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public

Life. Catholics didn’t score impressively on questions about religious knowledge, including a question about Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, to which only a little more than half of Catholic surveytakers responded correctly.

While it would be unwise to draw too many conclusions from a single survey, we might reasonably conclude that if a large number of Catholics fail to understand the church’s teaching on something as basic as the Real Presence, they might also struggle to understand church teaching on other matters, including sexuality and marriage.

That’s something catechists and other formers of the faith should take to heart as they teach youth and adults. Many Catholics have questions about faith and morality, and they need catechists who are willing to listen, empathize, and articulate church teaching in an accurate and loving manner.

Likewise, Catholics who are unfamiliar with basic church teaching or who struggle to understand it with regard to important social issues like marriage should check out their parishes’ educational offerings and read The Catholic Spirit’s Lesson Plan section, which offers articles to help form them in their faith.

Ongoing education and conversation around issues like marriage is a good thing, but it should be rooted in accuracy, fairness and Christian charity.

Letter We need to change our approach regarding poverty The Catholic Spirit asked readers in its Sept. 23 issue to answer the question: “What new steps should be taken to reduce poverty in the United States?” The following is one response we received. Read all the responses at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. It is my opinion that our approach to poverty within the Catholic Church, and for that matter within the United States, is backward, or more accurately, upside down.

We donate monies at the parish level, which find their way up the ladder to regional or national levels, with the hope that some of that money will trickle back

from whence it came. We have obviously needy people within our community; we donate money for poverty, but the poor people in our community are still there.

I believe that each parish should make the commitment that “No one within our parish, or within the community which we serve, will go to bed hungry tonight.”

If every parish in the United States made and kept that commitment, basic poverty would be grossly reduced. I appreciate that reducing poverty is more than feeding and housing people, but that is where it must start.

JACK HEI

Where to write ■ E-mail: catholicspirit@archspm.org ■ FAX: (651) 291-4460 ■ Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102

Material printed on the Commentary and Letters page does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the archdiocese or The Catholic Spirit. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Answers to questions on ‘Preserving Marriage’ initiative After taking phone calls protesting the Minnesota Bishops’ creation of the DVD “Preserving Marriage in Minnesota” and reading many emails, there are common presumptions that are repeated again and again, which are simply not accurate.

■ “This is an anti-gay campaign by the Church and the bishops.”

A. It is not. The Catholic Church and its dioceses and parishes welcome all those with same-sex attraction and minister to Dennis them. This is an McGrath educational, catechetical effort to educate Catholics about the need to preserve and protect traditional marriage in its time- and Christ-honored form as being between one man and one woman.

■ “This is an expensive campaign, the costs of which could have been used for the needy, the homeless and children.”

A. All costs for this program were paid for by private donors who came forward to support the effort. Despite rumors to the contrary, none of these donations came from political sources. And the cost has been vastly overstated. The DVDs were supplied by the Knights of Columbus, and the DVD reproduction and mailing costs were kept to a minimum with low-cost methods. Furthermore, the archdiocese, in concert with Catholic Charities, continues its commitment to the poor through millions of dollars of financial assistance and other types of aid.

No one, other than county governments, gives more.

■ “What gives the Catholic Church and the bishops the right to define what marriage is and is not?”

A. The teachings of the church over centuries, Sacred Scripture, the commandments and natural law, among other things.

■ “How can the church make these judgments after it has gone through the clergy abuse scandal?”

A. This effort is about the defense of marriage and the health and protection of our society — our way of life. The horrible revelations about clergy sex abuse have been forcefully dealt with in a way that has become a model for other institutions.

As a national lay Catholic writer and commentator said recently, “There is no place that is safer for a child today than a Catholic school or parish.”

■ “Were you prepared for negative fallout from this DVD mailing campaign and, in retrospect, would you still do it?”

A. The church makes its decisions based on its teachings, the Scriptures and the laws of God. Decisions are not based on polls or “what if” scenarios. It is the role of the bishops to preach, teach and lead.

Commentary

Dennis McGrath is the archdiocesan communications director.

This Catholic Life / Commentary

OCTOBER 7, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Catch the contagious love taught by Mother Teresa ne of the many wise sayings of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta is: “Never let anyone come to you without coming away better and happier.”

Every human being has a hero to admire and for me it is Mother Teresa. Her impact in my life is so deep that it comes into every sphere of my priestly life and it is contagious to others, young and old.

Recently, Kyle Korkowski spotted something very special when he was running behind his mother, who was busy shopping. He told his mother, pointing his finger to the bookshelf, “Father would like the book about Mother Teresa; we should buy it for him.”

Kyle’s sister Krista and their mother Jodee responded to Kyle’s wisdom and purchased the book right away.

Later that evening, little Kyle, with pride and joy, came to see me, along with his sister. With the book hidden behind his back, he said, “I know what you like,” and instantly handed the book to me.

Only a few days later, a fine Vietnamese man named Hung sent a nicely wrapped gift with his wife. As I felt it, in my human weakness, I thought to myself, “Gosh! I hope it is not the same book.”

O Commentary Father Thomas Joseph

Like a magnet, like a consuming fire, [Mother Teresa] attracted believers and non-believers to the Truth

A contagious idea My suspicion was right. Through my instant discouragement, Mother Teresa illuminated in me a brand new idea: “Let this book be in circulation.”

Both little Kyle and Mr. Hung brought me this book because of my deep love and respect for Mother Teresa. I am glad to know the icon of Mother Teresa is contagious because she taught that our love, our way of

Kyle Korkowski encouraged his mother to buy a book about Mother Teresa for Father Thomas Joseph, their pastor at St. Nicholas in Carver.

life, should be contagious.

Mother Teresa was humble in stature and nature, yet a friend of the powerful and the vulnerable.

She was a saint to a dying person in the shadows of Mumbai, India, or the Bronx, N.Y., at the same time she was a friend to magazine icons like Princess Diana.

When I first met her, she took hold of my right hand and folded my fingers down one by one. She asked me to repeat the words, “You — did — it — to — me.” She intended to teach Matthew 25:40, which reads: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

She grabbed my left hand and once again folded my five fingers one after another and asked me to repeat, “I will — I want — with God’s blessing — be — holy.” As a

little guy, I was so humbled by how thoughtfully and respectfully she treated me. She treated me as if I were the most important person on the face of the earth. Her ability to give her undivided attention to the person she was talking to should be a source of inspiration to us as well.

Still working miracles Mother Teresa continues to be a “miracle worker” for me and many others.

First, she taught all of us that it is not enough to be holy. Rather, our holiness must be contagious. It should be attractive, and inspire others to be holy like us. Holiness should not threaten or drive people away from us. She always spoke the truth. As she would say: “Truth hurts.” The truth challenged people but it did not make them run away

from her. Like a magnet, like a consuming fire, she attracted believers and non-believers to the Truth (Jesus). Let us pray to Blessed Mother Teresa, so that our conviction of working for truth attracts people to Jesus Christ and does not threaten them.

Second, it is true that Christians called her the “Living Saint,” and non-Christians called her the goddess. She taught me personally, as she taught billions around the world, that each of us is special, each of us is Mother Teresa. When a mom changes the diaper of her child; when a dad remains faithful in taking children to faith formation or Sunday Mass; when we take time to visit an elderly person in a nursing home; we are Mother Teresa. While it is true that Mother Teresa was blessed with some special graces, she said, “Holiness is not a privilege of a few people; it is the basic duty of everyone.”

Third, in the year 1996, Mother Teresa gave me a rosary (which I still have) and said, “Cling to our Lady like a child that clings to the mantle of its mother’s saree.” Jesus grabbed onto Mary and Mary delighted watching her son Jesus grow up — God of the universe, yet kind at heart, full of compassion, humble like a lamb, riding on a donkey.

May Mary be the inspiration to all mothers who watch their children grow up — learning to succeed, compete. Mothers, always tell your children as Mother Teresa would say, “I prefer you make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.”

Father Thomas Joseph is pastor of St. Nicholas in Carver.

Our search for solitude is likely to lead us into a restless peace uring the last years of his life, Thomas Merton lived in a hermitage in an attempt to find more solitude in his life. But solitude is a very illusive thing, and he found that it was continually escaping him.

One morning, however, he sensed that, for this moment at least, he had found it. But what he experienced was somewhat of a surprise to him.

Solitude, it turns out, is not some altered state of consciousness or even some heightened sense of God or the transcendent in our lives.

Solitude, as he experienced it, was being fully inside his own skin, inside the present moment, gratefully aware of the richness that is contained inside of ordinary human experience. Solitude consists in being enough inside of your own life to actually experience what is there.

But that’s not easy. It’s rare that we find ourselves truly inside of the present moment. Why? Because of the way we are built. We are overcharged for this world. When God put us into this world, as the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us, he put “timelessness” into our hearts, and because of that we don’t

D Food for the Journey Father Ron Rolheiser

The past is forever sowing restlessness into the present moment

make easy peace with our lives.

We read this in the famous passage about the rhythm of the seasons in the Book of Ecclesiastes.

There is a time and a season for everything, we are told: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to gather in what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal . . . so the text goes on.

But after listing this natural rhythm of time and the seasons, the author ends with these words: God has made everything suitable for its own time, but has put timelessness into the human heart so that human beings are out of sync with the rhythms of this world from beginning to end.

Rhythm gets a jolt The Hebrew word used to express “timelessness” is “Ha olam,” a word suggesting “eternity” and “transcendence.” Some English translations put it this way: God has put a sense of past and future into our hearts.

Perhaps that captures it best, at least in terms of how we generally experience this in our lives.

We know from experience how difficult it is to be inside the present moment because the past and the

future won’t leave us alone. They are forever coloring the present. The past haunts us with half-forgotten lullabies and melodies that trigger memories, with love that has been found and lost, with wounds that have never healed, and with inchoate feelings of nostalgia, regret and wanting to cling to something that once was.

And the future impales itself into the present as well, looming as promise and threat, forever asking for our attention, forever sowing anxiety into our lives, and forever stripping us of the capacity to simply drink in the present.

Restlessness renamed Philosophers and poets have had various names for this: Plato called it “a madness that comes from the gods”; and Augustine, in perhaps the most famous naming of them all, called it an incurable restlessness that God has put into the human heart to keep it from finding a home in something that is less than infinite and eternal: You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.

And so it is very difficult to be peacefully present to our own lives,

restful inside of our own skins. But this “torment,” as T.S. Eliot, once named it, has its purpose. Father Henri Nouwen puts it this way: Our life is a short time in expectation, a time in which sadness and joy kiss each other at every moment.

There is a quality of sadness that pervades all the moments of our life.

It seems that there is no such thing as a clear-cut pure joy, but that even in the most happy moments of our existence we sense a tinge of sadness. In every satisfaction, there is an awareness of limitations. Behind every smile, there is a tear. In every embrace, there is loneliness. And in all forms of light, there is the knowledge of surrounding darkness.

But this intimate experience in which every bit of life is touched by a bit of death can point us beyond the limits of our existence. It can do so by making us look forward in expectation to that day when our hearts will be filled with perfect joy, a joy that no one shall take away from us.

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.

“It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: ‘Be reconciled to God.’” Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Lesson Plan 10B

The Catholic Spirit

Reflections on faith and spirituality

OCTOBER 7, 2010

God wants to save us from the greater disease of sin we find meaning and joy in our sufferings; without him, only misery and hopelessness.

O

ur readings this Sunday present two stories about the healing of leprosy.

Naaman, who was a high-ranking army commander for the king of Syria, sought a cure for his leprosy. He traveled to the foreign land of Israel to find the prophet Elisha, about whom he had heard great things.

Elisha commanded Naaman to wash in the Jordan River, and when he did so he was healed. Realizing that he was cured of his leprosy, Naaman returned to Elisha to give thanks to the God of Israel.

Likewise, as Jesus was traveling through Samaria, he encountered 10 lepers who called out to be healed.

As they went to show themselves to the priests, they become cleansed of their leprosy, but only one of them Deacon returned to thank Jesus.

Jordan No matter what physical ailments Samson you may experience in this life, we all suffer from the wounds of sin. The point of these stories is not to guarantee that God will bring us bodily health, although he surely can and at times does do so; rather, it is the spiritual leprosy that the Lord longs to heal.

The wounds, sufferings and sorrows caused by sin affect us all, and we would do well to follow the example of Naaman, who searched eagerly for a cure, or the

Readings

Pain pulls us toward Christ

Sunday, Oct. 10 28th Sunday in ordinary time

We have to be open to the fact that the Lord might want to use the most painful things and events in our life to draw us closer to him, just as he used the terrible disease of leprosy to show Naaman and the thankful leper his great power and love.

In this Sunday’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, we have a beautiful example of how one suffers with Christ and not apart from him. Paul reminds his readers that it is for the sake of the Gospel message that he is in chains like a criminal. He is aware that the sufferings of this world, if united with Christ’s suffering on the cross, produce eternal life, for “if we have died with him we shall also live with him” (2 Timothy 2:11).

Dying with Jesus, and uniting our suffering joyfully with the cross of Christ, produces for us eternal life.

Naaman and the lepers were both healed of their leprosy. God wants to save us from an even greater disease: sin. Believe in his power to heal even when we are blinded by our suffering and know that “if we persevere, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12).

■ 2 Kings 5:14-17 ■ 2 Timothy 2:8-13 ■ Luke 17:11-19

For reflection The most powerful tool that Catholics have to heal the wounds of sin is reconcilliation.

Take part in this sacrament regularly.

Sunday Scriptures

10 lepers who called out unreservedly to the Lord seeking his help. It is good to ask ourselves if we seek Jesus, the healer of our souls and source of our salvation, as eagerly as Naaman and the lepers sought mere physical healing.

No one is immune to the suffering and strife that fill our world. Yet, there are only two ways to cope with it.

Either we suffer with Christ or without him. With Christ

Deacon Jordan Samson is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D. His home parish is Sacred Heart in Eden, S.D., and his teaching parish is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.

Daily Scriptures Sunday, Oct. 10 28th Sunday in ordinary time 2 Kings 5:14-17 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Luke 17:11-19 “And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice.”

— Luke 17:15 I have a friend who was physically and emotionally abused by a relative when she was young. It wasn’t until she reached midlife that she realized the damage the experience had done to her. Despite therapy and prayer, she remained angry and resentful but continued to pray for the willingness to forgive. One day, she realized that somewhere along the way her heart had opened and she no longer felt the bitterness that had once poisoned her life. Noticing is the beginning of gratitude. Is there an answer to prayer you have overlooked?

Monday, Oct. 11 Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31 — 5:1 Luke 11:29-32 As we recognize the barriers in our own hearts, we are more willing to put aside our judgments and assumptions about others.

Tuesday, Oct. 12 Galatians 5:1-6 Luke 11:37-41 We fail to recognize the good in people when we focus only on some external behaviors.

Wednesday, Oct. 13 Galatians 5:18-25

Luke 11:42-46 Who would you challenge, if you were not afraid?

Thursday, Oct. 14 Callistus I, pope and martyr Ephesians 1:1-10 Luke 11:47-54 Is there a message that you resist hearing because you would have to change your heart?

Friday, Oct. 15 Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor of the church Ephesians 1:11-14 Luke 12:1-7 We forget that a person’s integrity is not determined by his or her title or position.

Saturday, Oct. 16 Hedwig, religious; Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin Ephesians 1:15-23 Luke 12:8-12 When we remain in the present moment, our words are more likely to be a channel of grace rather than an outlet for our fears and frustrations.

Sunday, Oct. 17 29th Sunday in ordinary time Exodus 17:8-13 2 Timothy 3:14 — 4:2 Luke 18:1-8 “Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.”

— Exodus 17:12 Even Moses, the great leader who displayed such tenacity and persistence,

needed help sometimes. Anyone who has been on the faith journey for decades knows that sooner or later we will experience such weariness. Injustice continues to plague our institutions, partisan groups threaten to tear apart our country and church and our own hearts grow hardened. In such times, may we have the wisdom to reach out for support and the humility to accept it.

Monday, Oct. 18 Luke, evangelist 2 Timothy 4:10-17b Luke 10:1-9 Notice in what ways the burdens you carry keep you from reaching out to others.

Tuesday, Oct. 19 John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions, martyrs Ephesians 2:12-22 Luke 12:35-38 The ability to live in the present moment requires faith in a compassionate power greater than us.

Wednesday, Oct. 20 Paul of the Cross, priest Ephesians 3:2-12 Luke 12:39-48 Pray for the interior sight to recognize the presence of Christ where you least expect it.

Thursday, Oct. 21 Ephesians 3:14-21 Luke 12:49-53 Making choices out of compassion,

justice and mercy will not always be popular.

Friday, Oct. 22 Ephesians 4:1-6 Luke 12:54-59 Ultimately, we are each responsible for taking time to examine our hearts and minds before making choices.

Saturday, Oct. 23 John of Capistrano, priest Ephesians 4:7-16 Luke 13:1-9 The process of transformation is mysterious and can take place when you least expect.

Sunday, Oct. 24 30th Sunday in ordinary time Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18:9-14 “For he is a God of justice, who knows no favorites.”

— Sirach 35:12 If we really believed this statement from Sirach, we would be changed forever. Any feelings of self-hatred, selfrighteousness or moral superiority we might have would disappear. We would all understand that we are both cherished and in need of forgiveness and mercy no matter what our religious or political viewpoint. Today, slowly and prayerfully, repeat this statement until it seeps into your heart.

The daily reflections are written by Terri Mifek, a member of St. Edward in Bloomington and a certified spiritual director at the Franciscan Retreat House in Prior Lake.

The Lesson Plan

OCTOBER 7, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Eyes of faith are needed to see miracles around us

By Father Michael Van Sloun For The Catholic Spirit

What is a miracle?

A miracle is a fantastic, unexplainable occurrence that defies the rules of science or exceeds normal human capacity.

Miracle recognition The eyes of faith are needed to see a miracle. Without faith, a phenomenal happening might be explained merely as a stroke of good luck or “the way the world works.”

Believers, on the other hand, see the power of God behind all that is great and awesome. There are no mighty deeds where there is no faith (Mark 6:5,6).

Who performs miracles?

Every person of the triune God works miracles, either alone or together: the Father, the Creator; Jesus, the son of God, who did signs and wonders in his Father’s name; and the Holy Spirit, the power of God and the breath of life.

Miracles are also mediated by God’s agents, those who do mighty deeds in God’s name with the power that God provides: angels, apostles and saints, as well as ordinary people, both in former ages and in the present day.

The purpose of miracles Miracles are a demonstration of the infinite power and glory of God. Miracles of the Old Testament The greatest miracle is creation itself, a miracle of epic proportions (Genesis 1-2).

Other miracles include the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 7-14).

Courtesy Father Michael Van Sloun

St. James church in Duluth displays this depiction of Jesus curing the sick.

Miracles that look ahead A number of the miracles of Elisha prefigure the miracles of Jesus: Elisha’s raising of the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:32-36) anticipates Jesus’ raising of the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11-17); Elisha’s multiplication of the 20 barley loaves to feed 100 (2 Kings 4:44-44) foreshadows Jesus’ multiplication of the five loaves to feed 5,000 (Luke 9:12-17); and Elisha’s cure of Naaman the leper (2 Kings 5) prefigures Jesus’ cure of the 10 lepers (Luke 17:11-19).

The miracles of the Gospels Jesus is the greatest of all miracle workers. He demonstrated superhuman capability when it came to the four things that terrified people the most: the forces of nature, demons, sickness and death.

Jesus calmed the storm at sea and walked on the water; he exorcised a man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue in Capernaum, healed the Gerasene demoniac and cured a convulsive boy with a mute and deaf unclean spirit; he cured the blind and the lame, paralytics and hemophiliacs; and he raised the widow of Nain’s son, Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus.

The purpose of Jesus’ miracles Jesus’ mighty deeds prove that he was sent by God (John 5:36b; Acts 2:22), that he and the Father are one (John 10:38), that he is the promised Messiah (Luke 7:18-22), and that the kingdom of God has arrived.

Miracles are intended to lead to belief and strengthen faith. When Jesus changed the water into wine, “His disciples began to believe in him” (John 2:11), and as Jesus performed more and more signs, “Many of the crowd began to believe in him” (John 7:31).

Miracles are granted so the person will be able to complete an unfinished part of God’s plan, as when Peter’s mother-inlaw was cured so she could resume her service (Mark 1:31).

Miracles of the New Testament “Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles” (Acts 5:12). For instance, Peter

cured the paralytic Aeneas (Acts 9:32-35) and he raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-43); Philip cured the paralyzed and the crippled (Acts 8:7b); and Paul cured a crippled man (Acts 14:8-10) and raised Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:7-12).

Miracles over the centuries In every generation over the history of the church, there have been saints who have performed great and mighty deeds.

The Blessed Mother Mary stands above all other saints, and she is well known for the healing miracles of Fatima. St. Francis of Assisi cured a leper and St. Anthony of Padua cured epileptics and raised a young man form the dead. Miracles are so characteristic of saints that proof of a miracle through the saint’s intercession is necessary for beatification, and proof of a second miracle is needed for canonization.

Miracles never cease We are surrounded by miracles. Every new day is a miracle. Ask the parents of a newborn, and most will say their child is a miracle. There also have been instances of people with serious or terminal illnesses who were told by their doctors that their condition was terminal, only to recover without a scientific explanation.

Do not undersell yourself Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these” (John 14:12). We are the hands and feet of Jesus, and he needs us here to perform great and mighty deeds of all kinds in his name.

Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka.

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

The Lesson Plan

Minnesota bishops issue brief catechesis on marriage The following catechetical statement and an accompanying summary statement on marriage were issued Sept. 22 by Minnesota’s Catholic bishops. The documents’ release follows the bishops’ recent statewide marriage initiative in which they sent a letter and DVD to Catholics on the topic of protecting traditional marriage. You can read the summary statement on marriage as well as The Catholic Spirit’s previous story about the DVD initiative at THECATHOLICSPIRIT. COM. We, the Catholic bishops of Minnesota, believe it is our responsibility to speak in support of marriage as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman in an enduring bond of love. This union is ordered to both the mutual good of the spouses and to the procreation and raising of children.

Marriage from the perspective of faith Based on God’s Word given in divine revelation, we believe that marriage creates a sacred bond between spouses. We hold this to be true not only for ourselves, but for all humanity. In the context of faith, marriage is willed by the Creator from the beginning to mirror God’s love for the human family, and it was raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament of the New Covenant of grace, a visible and effective sign of Jesus’ sacrificial love revealed on the cross. As such, marriage is a constant reminder of God’s love for the human race, as well as a reflection of the permanent, faithful, and fruitful bond of love between Christ and the church (cf.

Genesis 1:27, 2:22-24; Ephesians 5:31-32.) The perspective we hold on this issue is also shared by many other people of faith both Christian and otherwise (cf. “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience,” Nov. 20, 2009, WWW.MANHATTANDECLARATION.ORG/THE-DEC LARATION/READ.ASPX).

Marriage from the perspective of human reason Our convictions about marriage, strengthened and reinforced by our belief in divine revelation, find ample support in principles which can be discovered by human reason and which have been reflected throughout human history. The obvious and intimate connec-

tion between the conjugal act and conception, along with the universally recognized importance of stable marriages for the education and formation of children, removes marriage from the private sphere and places it into the public realm, an institution very much part of the common good and therefore a concern of the state.

This has been true across all cultures.

Both faith and reason agree, then, that marriage is an institution central to the life of human society. The committed relationship between one man and one woman calls forth the best of the spouses, not only for their own sake, but also for the well-being of their children and for the advancement of the common good. It is neither possible for us to change the definition of marriage nor wise to attempt to do so.

The question of same-sex unions Authentic human rights make powerful moral demands on us, so the appeal to human rights in order to legitimize same-sex relationships appears persuasive to many. All persons, regardless of sexual orientation, do have rights to common, basic relational needs, rights that correspond to the duties imposed on us by our nature and knowable by faith and reason. The strongest such duty is love itself, which is the call to give oneself freely to another, a gift of self that is by no means limited to sexual expression.

Persons with same-sex attractions are our sisters and brothers, and their same-sex attraction does not define them as persons nor deprive them of their authentic human rights, including the most fundamental rights of all — the right to life and the right to love. Consequently, we oppose any discrimination against persons based on their having a same-sex attraction.

At the same time, meeting authentic human needs does not require changing society’s definition of marriage or creating a marriage-like status for those with same-sex attraction. As pastoral leaders within the state of Minnesota, we believe that efforts to bestow legal

Pope: Attention to liturgy is path to relationship with God St. Matilda was devoted to Liturgy of the Hours, Mass Catholic News Service Describing the exemplary life of a 13th-century German nun, Pope Benedict XVI stressed the importance of liturgy in building a close relationship with God. The pope illustrated the virtues of St. Matilda of Hackeborn during his weekly general audience Sept. 29 with several thousand pilgrims and well-wishers gathered in a sunny St. Peter’s Square.

St. Matilda was one of several strong and influential women who lived at the convent of Helfta, in the Saxony region of the pope’s native Germany, he said.

St. Matilda, a mystic whose lovely voice led her to become the leader of the convent’s choir, proPope gressed in spiritual understanding Benedict XVI through the formal prayers of the church, the pope said.

“Dear friends, the personal and liturgical prayers, especially the Liturgy of the Hours and holy Mass, are the roots of the spiritual experience of St. Matilda of Hackeborn,” Pope Benedict said.

“By letting herself be guided by the sacred Scriptures and nourished by the bread of holy Communion, she followed a path of intimate union with the Lord,” he said.

Her example, he said, can teach contemporary Christians to “intensify our friendship with the Lord, especially through daily prayer and attentive, faithful and active participation in the Mass.”

St. Matilda was born in 1241 or 1242 to a noble fam-

From the Vatican

ily whose eldest daughter already served as abbess at the Helfta convent, he said. Fascinated by her elder sister and the atmosphere of the convent, the young Matilda decided early on that she wanted to follow a life of contemplation and service to God, Pope Benedict said.

She soon became known as an intensely spiritual and intellectual figure who was able to underST. MATILDA OF HACKEBORN stand and console her spiritual sisters when they were troubled.

Her devotion to mystical contemplation also led to her “gift of divine illumination,” the pope said.

Incorporation of liturgy into daily life She was appointed the leader not only of the choir, but also of the convent’s novices and its school. St. Matilda’s ability to “live the liturgy in all of its components, even the most simple, and incorporate them into the daily monastic life was remarkable” and her knowledge of Scripture very profound, the pope said.

St. Matilda became the spiritual guide of St. Gertrude the Great, another important figure of Germanic monasticism, the pope said.

St. Matilda died at age 58 after eight years of a painful illness, an experience that allowed her to “live in suffering for the salvation of others,” the pope said.

She should be an example of devotion to Christ, he said, encouraging Catholics to “grow, too, in that devotion through the power of her intercession.”

Pope Benedict arrived for the audience by helicopter from his summer villa at Castel Gandolfo and returned to the villa afterward.

recognition on same-sex unions are mistaken. They are based on the erroneous notion that “a committed homosexual relationship” is a human right and therefore can be legitimately defined as a marriage, enjoying the privileges that accompany marriage.

The specific privileges granted to married persons by the state are not granted for the personal advantage of spouses but to advance the common good, now and in the future. Protecting all persons, including those with same-sex attractions, from discrimination advances the common good. But not recognizing same-sex union as marriage is not discrimination, because it does not deny a basic human right.

While we again acknowledge that all persons have a natural right to love another and to marry, that right is limited in significant ways by the very nature of the human person and the institution of marriage, which is a unique relationship that can only exist between one man and one woman.

Conclusion We urge our state government, our fellow Catholics, and all people of good will in the state of Minnesota to support marriage, both in theory and in practical measures that safeguard, promote and enhance the institution of marriage and its inseparable counterpart, the family. One practical measure would be the passage of a constitutional amendment clearly defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman. On the other hand, changing the definition of marriage and legitimizing same-sex unions would work against the socially vital goal to support and strengthen marriage between one man and one woman, as it has always been understood.

For further reading, see: “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan,” by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Nov. 17, 2009. See also the website at WWW.USCCB.ORG/ DEFENSEOFMARRIAGE.

Rulli is engaging the wider culture, and he’s having fun doing it The Catholic Spirit How do you get a lobster, pub grub and a whole day named after you? If you’re Catholic media personality Lino Rulli, you just ask. Sept. 29 was Lino Rulli Day in St. Paul and Minneapolis, officially declared so by the cities’ mayors, Chris Coleman and R.T. Rybak.

Fans of Rulli’s afternoon SIRIUS XM Radio show “The Catholic Guy” probably aren’t surprised by the Lino Rulli Day antics. They know him as an ardent Catholic with self-deprecating humor. Rulli grew up attending St. Ambrose in St. Paul and went to high school at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood. He got his start in Catholic media in Minneapolis as producer and host of “Generation Cross.” The Catholic Spirit asked Rulli to recap his day of hometown glory and answer the obvious question: What’s the point?

RULLI TCS: Do you hope that Lino Rulli Day draws more attention to your show or the church, or gets people to reconsider people’s conceptions of the Catholic faith?

Rulli: What this is also about is Catholics being normal.

Having Catholics in the public eye not for the negative publicity that Catholics are always in the press for. To be doing something entertaining in Catholicism. . . .

We’re not in the church for ourselves, but to be influencing and impacting culture, and this is one more reminder of what we’re supposed to be doing as Catholics — being in and among the people, and impacting the culture, sometimes in a sincere way, and sometimes in a comical way. Obviously, I never do it in a [serious] way, so I do the comical part.

Read the whole interview at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.

“Religion is as necessary to reason as reason is to religion. The one cannot exist without the other.”

George Washington

Arts & Culture The Catholic Spirit

Exploring our church and our world

OCTOBER 7, 2010

13B

‘God in America’ highlights how religion shaped history mericans,” observed Alexis de Tocqueville, writing in the early days of the Republic, “combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other.”

The crucial influence of faith in shaping U.S. history, and in molding the national character, receives a searching analysis in the six-hour miniseries “God in America.” The documentary — a joint presentation of “Frontline” and “American ExperiJohn Mulderig ence” directed by David Belton — premieres on PBS stations Monday, Oct. 11, 8-10 p.m. CDT (check local listings to confirm date and time).

Through interviews with scholars, archival images and dramatizations, the initial episode screened recounts how the religious heritage of the Old World — first brought to the future United States by Catholic missionaries moving north from Mexico — was radically reshaped by a series of all-too-worldly conflicts among believers of various stripes.

Puritan leader John Winthrop’s rejection of Anne Hutchinson’s innovative views, which resulted in her banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony he ruled as governor, for instance, is portrayed as having at least as much to do with Winthrop’s desire for social cohesion in the fledgling community as with any zeal for Calvinist doctrinal purity.

Similarly, the individually focused preaching of evangelical pioneers such as George Whitefield was perceived as a threat to the power and financial security of Anglicanism, the established religion of the Southern colonies. A third struggle, pitting Virginia Baptists against that commonwealth’s Anglican Church, saw Thomas Jefferson enter the fray on the side of the Baptists, some of whom had been imprisoned for preaching without a license.

the city’s dauntless first archbishop, John Hughes (17971864).

The program presents Hughes as a sympathetic figure, eloquently appealing to his Protestant fellow-countrymen to live up to their constitutional responsibilities.

But his use of his office to sway voters — Hughes explicitly endorsed a slate of candidates in the 1841 elections for the New York State Legislature — is treated as problematic. Some viewers may perceive a subtext here implying narrow constraints on the church’s proper role in the political debates of our own day.

A much earlier incident, a disastrously unsuccessful Franciscan-led effort to evangelize the Pueblos of New Mexico, comes in for predictable criticism as the script rather naively applies 21st century values to the Age of Discovery. It suggests, moreover, that the friars were cruelly narrow-minded not to accept the Pueblos’ improvised mingling of Christianity and paganism.

“A

TV Review

Informative for the well-grounded

Standing on principle

While this neutral perspective, which carries with it the assumption that all religions are either equally true or equally false, may rankle with believers, the historical value of “God in America” is undeniable, informatively tracing as it does the complex process by which the steady irritant of dissent and disagreement gave birth to the pearl of religious liberty.

The sophisticated issues under study, and the maturity required to sort through them — together with briefly seen artwork featuring Adam and Eve sans fig leaves — mark this as best for religiously well-grounded adults.

The program, which is rated TV-PG — parental guidance suggested, continues Tuesday, Oct. 12, and concludes Wednesday, Oct. 13, 8-10 p.m. CDT each night.

Nativist prejudice led to riots and to a more peaceful, but nonetheless significant, battle over the denominational slant of the curriculum in New York City’s public schools. Leading the Catholic forces in this crusade was

Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.

More reviews are available online at WWW.USCCB .ORG/MOVIES.

CNS photo / courtesy PBS

A Franciscan monk is pictured in New Mexico in a scene from the upcoming PBS documentary series “God in America.”

A few decades after the religious freedom Jefferson championed had been enshrined in the Bill of Rights, Protestant Americans’ loyalty to this cornerstone principle was put to the test by the arrival of large numbers of Catholic immigrants in their midst.

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Calendar

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Dining out Fish fry at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Oct. 8 and 15: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations.

KC Shrimp and steak dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Shakopee — Oct. 8: 5 to 8 p.m. at 1760 Fourth Ave. E. Cost is $10 for shrimp or steak, $13 for both. Children’s meal available for $2.

Polish dinner at All Saints, Minneapolis — Oct. 9: 6 to 8 p.m. at 435 N.E. Fourth St. Cost is $12. Call (763) 5614756 for reservations.

KC chicken barbeque dinner at St. Joseph, Red Wing — Oct. 9: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 426 W. Eighth St. German dinner at St. Boniface, Minneapolis — Oct. 10: 10 a.m. polka Mass followed by dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 629 Second St. N.E. Cost is $10, $4 for children 12 and under. Take-out available. Call (763) 572-2377 for information.

KC all-you-can-eat breakfast at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — Oct. 10: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 155 County Road 24. Free-will offering.

French toast breakfast at St. John the Baptist, Jordan — Oct. 10: 8:30 a.m. to noon at 313 E. Second St. Free-will offering.

Chicken and rib dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Oct. 13 and 20: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $12. Call (952) 8881492 for reservations.

KC Auxiliary casserole and salad luncheon at Knights of Columbus Hall, Shakopee — Oct. 13: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1760 Fourth Ave. E. Cost is $7.

KC Pancake breakfast at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Oct. 17: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $6 for adults and $3 for ages 9 to 12. Features a clown, balloon art and face painting for kids.

KC benefit breakfast at Knights of Columbus Hall, Stillwater — Oct. 17: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1910 S. Greely St. Cost is $6, $3.50 for children 12 and under.

KC turkey dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Shakopee — Oct. 17: 4 to 7 p.m. at 1760 Fourth Ave. E. Cost is $10, $4 for ages 3 to 10.

Pancake breakfast at Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights — Oct. 17: 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. at 4030 Jackson St. N.E. Sausage, eggs and pancakes. Free-will offering.

Parish events Rummage sale at St. Austin, Minneapolis — Oct. 7 to 9: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thurs., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri. and 8 a.m. to noon Sat., bag day at 4050 Upton Ave. N. Rummage sale at Holy Childhood, St. Paul — Oct. 7 and 8: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Friday at 1435 Midway Parkway.

Fall festival at St. Peter, North St. Paul — Oct. 8 to 10: Event features New Orleans Jazz Night, chicken dinner, boutique and more. 2600 N. Margaret St.

LINE.ORG.

Don’t miss

‘Songs to Mary’ concert at Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale — Oct. 17: 4 p.m. at 4087 W. Broadway Ave. Music to commemorate the Month of Mary.

Free-will offering.

Hildegard of Bingen events at St. Olaf

Rummage sale at Sacred Heart, Robbinsdale — Oct. 21 and 22: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thurs. and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fri. ($3 bag day) at 4087 W. Broadway.

“Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light” will be presented at St. Olaf, Minneapolis at 7 p.m.

Oct. 28. Professional mezzo soprano Linn Maxwell will perform her 70-minute one-woman play.

There will also be an exhibit of art inspired by Hildegard of Bingen. “Hildegard’s House of Light,” paintings by Elizabeth Erickson will run from Oct. 28 to 31. St. Olaf is located at 215 S. Eighth St. ‘Developed and Developing Countries,’ a workshop at Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park — Oct. 8: 6 to 9 p.m. at 3946 Wooddale Ave. A discussion about poverty and our response to it facilitated by Mike Haasl, global solidarity coordinator for the Center for Mission.

Parish festival at St. Charles, Bayport — Oct. 9: Noon to 10 p.m. at 409 N. Third St. Features booya and beer tent, live music, dance and games.

Flea market and bargain boutique at All Saints, Minneapolis — Oct. 9: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue N.E. Oktoberfest at Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville — Oct. 9: 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road. German food and entertainment. Cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Call (952) 890-0045, ext.

232 to reserve tickets.

Pot luck and cards at St. Genevieve, Centerville — Oct. 9: After the 4 p.m.

Mass at the Community Center, 6995 Centerville Road. Cost is $1.

Antique appraisal at Holy Cross, Minneapolis — Oct. 9: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1621 University Ave. N.E. $5 for three items, $1 for each additional item. For information, call (612) 7897238.

Dixieland Mass and spaghetti dinner at St. Stanislaus, St. Paul — Oct. 9: Mass at 4 p.m. followed by dinner at 398 Superior St. ‘Heaven on Earth: An Introduction to Liturgy and the Sacraments’ at Our Lady of Grace, Edina — Oct. 9: 9 to 10:30 a.m. at 5071 Eden Ave. Joe Michalak will present. Part of a series of lectures on the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.

Fall festival at Holy Name, Minneapolis — Oct. 10: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3637 11th Ave. S. Features games and prizes, face painting, Eat Street and more. Pancake breakfast 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Blessing of animals at St. Mary, St. Paul — Oct. 10: 12:30 p.m. at 261 E. Eighth St. Gather on the front lawn of the church.

Polka Mass and Polish dinner at Sacred Heart, Minneapolis — Oct. 10: Mass at 10 a.m. followed by dinner at 11:30 a.m. at Pulaski Hall, 2114 Fifth St. N.E. Cost is $12. Call (612) 781-9328 for reservations.

Sunday Night Dinner at St. Peter, Richfield — Oct. 10: Dinner, followed by presentations. Choose between “The Gospel of Luke,” and “Lights, Camera, Faith.” First in a 5-night series, also meets Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and 21 and Dec. 5. 5:30 p.m. at 6730 Nicollet Ave. S. RSVP to (612) 866-5089.

MAXWELL

Two to speak on freedom of religion at St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins — Oct. 11: 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 6 Interlachen Road. Father Peter Laird will present, “The Gift of Truth and Catholic Resposibility.” Attorney David Murrin will present, “Current Law and Court Cases: Specific Issues Affecting Freedom of Religion.”

‘The Value of Suffering-Why does a “Loving Father” allow so much pain in this world?’ at SS. Peter and Paul, Loretto — Oct. 13: 5:30 p.m. dinner and social, 6:15 p.m. talk by Father John Gallas at 145 Railroad St. E. Rummage sale at St. Cyril, Minneapolis — Oct. 13 to 15: 3 to 7 p.m.

Wed., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs. and 9 a.m. to noon Fri. ($2 bag day) at 1301 Second Ave. N.E. ‘Masculine/Feminine: Francis and Clare in the Medieval Culture at the University of St. Thomas — Oct.14: 7 to 8 p.m. Jacques Dalarun, senior researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France will present.

Cemetery tour at St. Genevieve, Centerville — Oct. 15: 6 and 6:30 p.m. on Main St., Anoka County Road 14. Call (651) 653-1732 for information and to sign up.

Vocal ensemble CANTUS performs at St. Olaf, Minneapolis — Oct. 15: 7:30 p.m. at 215 S. Eighth St. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students and children. Tickets are available online at WWW.CANTUSONLINE.ORG. ‘Who is the real Francis of Assisi? Seasons in Franciscan Hagiography: A Contemporary Reflection Upon the Early Sources on the Life and Identity of St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)’ at the University of St. Thomas — Oct.16: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Workshop presented

by Jacques Dalarun, senior researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.

Great Pumpkin Bingo at the Basilica of Mary, Minneapolis — Oct. 16: 6 to 9 p.m. at 88 N. 17th St. Food, fun and prizes. Tickets are $20 in advance at WWW.MARY.ORG or $25 at the door.

Family Festival at St. Austin, Minneapolis — Oct. 16 and 17: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sat. features ‘50s diner and dance lessons. 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sun. features ham dinner and games at 4050 Upton Ave. N. Organ recital at St. Olaf, Minneapolis — Oct. 17: 7 p.m. at 215 S. Eighth St. Alison Luedecke will perform.

Vocal ensemble CANTUS performs at St. Bartholomew, Wayzata — Oct. 17: 7:30 p.m. at 630 Wayzata Blvd. E. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students and children. Tickets are available online at WWW.CANTUSON-

Rummage sale at Immaculate Conception, Lonsdale — Oct. 22 and 23: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri. and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat. at 116 Alabama St. S.E. Next to New sale at St. Rose of Lima, Roseville — Oct. 22 and 23: 1 to 8 p.m. Fri. and 8 a.m. to noon Sat. at 2048 N. Hamline Ave.

Prayer/ liturgies Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Columba, St. Paul — Oct. 10: 2 p.m. at 1327 Lafond Ave. Taizé prayer at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — Oct. 12: 5:30 p.m. at 88 N. 17th St. Healing Mass at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — Oct. 18: 7 p.m. rosary, Mass at 7:30 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. Father Biju Mathew will be the celebrant.

Healing Mass at St. Joseph, Hopkins — Oct. 19: 7 p.m. at 1310 Mainstreet.

Father Jim Livingston will be the celebrant.

Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at Marian Center — Oct. 17: 2 p.m. at 200 Earl St.

Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50plus Catholic singles — ongoing Sundays: For Catholic singles to meet and make friends. The group usually meets in St. Paul on Sunday afternoons. For information, call Judy at (763) 221-3040 or Al at (651) 482-0406.

50-plus Second Sunday Supper event at St. Joan of Arc, Minneapolis — Oct. 10: 5 p.m. at 4537 Third Ave. S. Includes social hour, supper and program. Cost is $10. Call (952) 8845165.

Young adults Frassati Night at St. Joseph, W. St. Paul — Oct. 18: 7 p.m. at 1154 Seminole Ave. W. Meet for a Holy hour and fellowship. Sponsored by the Frassati Society of Minnesota. For information, e-mail DYBADUK@YAHOO.COM.

Other events MCCL director Scott Fischbach to speak at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Oct. 21: 7:30 p.m. at 1114 W. American Blvd. Part of the Knights of Columbus Respect Life lecture series. Includes a Rosary for Life.

Calendar Submissions DEADLINE: The Catholic Spirit is biweekly.

Items should be submitted

by Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication.

Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted

by Catholic parishes and institutions.

Items are published on a space available basis.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event.

• Full street address of event.

• Description of event.

• Contact information in case of questions.

E-MAIL: SPIRITCALENDAR@ ARCHSPM.ORG.

(No attachments, please.)

FAX: (651) 291-4460.

MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.

15B

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Hundreds visit Capitol to promote poverty-fighting legislation alongside quantitative data to illustrate the success or failure of existing programs.

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

Hundreds of Catholic Charities leaders and staffers took to Capitol Hill Sept. 28 to promote new legislation that they believe could transform the U.S. approach to fighting poverty.

Participants in Catholic Charities USA’s centennial gathering in Washington, D.C., visited their senators and representatives on the convention’s final day to urge support for the National Opportunity for Community Renewal Act, introduced that day by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

The $125 million bill, drafted by Catholic Charities USA itself, would set up 10 community-demonstration projects, including three in rural areas and one near a military base, that would operate with more up-to-date poverty measures and create “individual opportunity plans” for each client.

Legislation lends new hope “With this legislation, today we tell the tens of millions of Americans living in poverty that there is a new hope,” said Father Larry Snyder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, in a breakfast talk Sept. 28. “That they are not destined to live in poverty for their entire lives.

That with the help provided in this legislation, people in need will be propelled onto a path of self-sufficiency, enabling them to achieve new legacies of health and happiness for their families.”

New poverty index Poverty levels would be based on the United Nations’ Human Development Index and the supplemental poverty measurement being developed by a task force of the U.S. Census Bureau, rather than the current formula developed in 1964. Critics say the present formula relies too heavily on the cost of groceries, when other expenses such as housing, clothing and utilities have risen at a faster pace than food costs.

CNS photo / Nancy Wiechec

Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, addresses the Catholic Charities USA centennial gathering in Washington Sept. 28.

Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Ted Kennedy, as well as Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, and Casey also addressed the breakfast gathering before convention-goers boarded buses for Capitol Hill.

In a fact sheet on the legislation, Catholic Charities USA acknowledged that the bill “will not make it through Congress this session,” but added, “We feel that a conversation on poverty needs to be had, and your support for their bill

will help start that conversation.”

The legislation would establish three targeted levels of social services — services to prevent people from falling into poverty, services to help those who have fallen on hard times recover, and services for those who require long-term support to live a dignified life.

It also seeks to develop an adequate measurement for evaluation of povertyrelief programs through the gathering and analysis of qualitative information

In a talk to convention participants about the legislation Sept. 26, Candy Hill, Catholic Charities’ senior vice president for social policy and government affairs, said poverty is “too complex, too personalized to be solved by a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.”

“We need a system that has as its first priority the desire to guide people onto a path of self-sufficiency and dignity, and away from the safety net,” she added.

“This is not charity; it’s justice, and we must demand it.”

Hill spoke less than two weeks after the Census Bureau announced that the number of Americans living in poverty in 2009 was 43.6 million, or 14.3 percent of the population, compared to 39.8 million people, or 13.2 percent of all Americans, the year before.

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16B

From Age to Age

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Plan your life now to help family face future issues

By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

Over the past eight years, Diana Robertson said she has handed out about 10,000 health care directives to people at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee, parish health fairs and area seminars.

She will be speaking about the topic at a regional seminar at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, at Guardian Angels in Chaska; the event is open to the public.

As a hospital chaplain, Robertson said she talks about health-care directives with about three people each day.

“I’m often involved in end-of-life decision making with the family, and I’m also the chair of the ethics committee. We often are called to help determine the most ethical course of treatment in complicated cases,” she said. “Because I am involved in so many of these complex cases, it’s obvious to me the stress put on families when they have not received any kind of guidance from a loved one.”

By having a medical directive in place that designates a patient’s wishes, decisions by family members are more guilt free, she said.

Planning for all ages Although many people think health care directives and powers of attorney are for the elderly, Robertson said that is far from reality.

“Every patient who is admitted is asked if they have a health care directive and if

Life planning seminar

Laker Insurance Service.

What: A seminar for adults, 30 and older, to plan for the future, medical emergencies, your family, peace of mind, a memorial for the church. Get help filling out documents and making important decisions for yourself and your family members.

■ Beneficiary planning to pass on assets by Mark Sanda with Principal Financial Group.

When: 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18.

Where: Guardian Angels, Chaska, in the church basement.

Presentations: ■ The scriptural basis and church teaching for funeral services by Deacon Gregg Sroder.

■ Funeral, cremation and memorial options by Matthew Hendrickson of Bertas Funeral Home.

■ Wills, trusts and powers of attorney

by Barbara Brekke with Brekke, Clyborne and Ribich, LLC. ■ Medical assistance and the fiveyear look back by Pat Zalusky of

they want help preparing one,” she said.

That is a directive from the joint commission of hospital standards.

Any living, breathing human being should fill out a directive because accidents that leave people unable to talk about their medical care wishes can happen to people of any age, she said.

One important point, Robertson

■ Health care directives and health care power of attorney by Diana Robertson from St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

■ Benefits of leaving a legacy by David Fisher with the Catholic Community Foundation.

Each presentation will be about 10 minutes, with presenters available to answer questions. The evening is free and includes refreshments and music before and after the event. Open to the public.

Pre-registration is required to plan for handouts, seating and refreshments.

Contact Jean Rief at (952) 227-4095 or JRIEF@GACHASKA.ORG.

added: Don’t keep the health-care directive in your safe deposit box. Make copies and give it to the person named and an alternate, to your doctor, to the hospital and others.

“I keep a copy in my glove compartment,” Robertson said. She also has one in her suitcase when she is traveling.

Jean Rief, pastoral care director at

Guardian Angels, said she has seen the difference between families that have planned for the future and those that have not. So, the parish pastoral care staff decided to offer a program that dealt with a variety of life-planning issues — from health care directives to funeral planning, another issue to which many people fail to give sufficient attention.

Guardian Angels teamed up with Bertas Funeral Home in Chaska, which is sponsoring the seminar at the parish.

“They have seen a lot of families coming in and we have seen a lot of families coming in, when we are planning a funeral, who don’t have a clue about where to start,” she said. “They have very little time to get it planned, so tension runs high.”

Life should be celebrated at the time of death, but that is difficult when family members can’t agree or it is unclear what the deceased would want, Rief said.

The parish’s first life-planning program in July was offered on a weekday morning. It drew about 60 people who suggested that the program be offered in the evening for people who work.

Bite-sized information “People loved that it was short presentations,” Rief said. “They got the important pieces of what each of these people do. . . . If they wanted more information from a presenter, they could follow up with a one-on-one.”

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From Age to Age

OCTOBER 7, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

17B

Prompt parents with your own plan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16B Rief said people were especially affected when asked to close their eyes and envision the person who would be making funeral arrangements for them.

“Once you’re gone, you are where you want to be,” she said. But no one wants to have their loved ones struggle with funeral decisions or medical decisions, she said.

Having funeral, medical care and other end-of-life plans in place is important no matter how old you are, she said.

A benefit for adult children is that attending a program such as this presents an opportunity to talk with aging parents about issues that can be difficult to bring up or discuss. Everyone at the July event received a health-care directive and was encouraged to give it to a family member.

They were happy to get the document and to learn that it does not need to be notarized, just signed by two witnesses not named in the directive, she said.

“Another surprise for people is that the will is one of the last things to be used,” she said. “People were also surprised at the

things they should be getting done besides the will.”

Among those things are trusts, joint tenancy, beneficiary designations, transfer and payment upon death, avoiding probate costs and charitable gift wishes.

“It was a great place for all the resources to come together and plan what you need to do,” Rief said.

Deacon Gregg Sroder said he is still preparing his presentation about church teaching on death and dying and the scriptural basis for funeral services.

“This is my first shot at this kind of event,” said the deacon for Guardian Angels. But, he is not without experience.

Deacon Sroder has walked with many people as they have planned wakes and funerals at the parish.

“My experience is that people are really open, especially if they’ve never done it before,” he said. “The basis of our faith is the hope of resurrection.”

Rief said, “It’s not just about being Catholic or being a parishioner of Guardian Angels, it’s about smart planning.”

Regional, National & International religious news weekly in The Catholic Spirit and 24/7 at www.TheCatholicSpirit.com

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18B

OCTOBER 7, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Bethlehem Academy in Faribault launches capital campaign

Archbishop Nienstedt’s schedule CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2B Church: Meeting with archdiocesan priests on strategic plan.

■ Saturday, Oct. 16: 7 p.m., St. Paul, University of St. Thomas: St. John Vianney College Seminary vs. The St Paul Seminary Rector’s Cup flag football game.

■ Sunday, Oct. 17: 2 p.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Mass for Cursillo’s Grand Ultreya.

7:30 p.m., St. Paul, St. Agnes Catholic High School: Visit to youth group.

■ Monday, Oct. 18: 9 a.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Series of media interviews on strategic plan.

6 p.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Miryam Dinner.

■ Tuesday, Oct. 19: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Scheduling meeting with staff.

12 p.m., St. Paul, St. Catherine University: Board of trustees meeting.

6 p.m., St. Paul, Crowne Plaza Hotel: St. Jeanne Jugan Award Dinner, honoring Archbishop Flynn on his 50th anniversary of priesthood.

■ Wednesday, Oct. 20: 8 a.m., St. Paul, St. Catherine University: Continued board of trustees’ meeting.

2 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archdiocesan corporate board meeting.

5:15 p.m., St. Paul, Church of St. Olaf: Catholic Services Appeal second benefactor Mass and reception.

■ Thursday, Oct. 21: 11:30 a.m., St. Paul, The University Club: Archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life Champions for Life luncheon.

3 p.m., St. Paul, The St. Paul Seminary: Board of trustees meeting.

6 p.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Operation Andrew Dinner.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20B choir, a theater, field house to address athletic and additional fine arts needs, an elevator and ramps for accessibility, and an endowed scholarship fund.

The school’s existing facility was built in 1949 and serves more than 300 students.

New prayer line The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women has developed a prayer line exclusively to pray for individuals who suffer from mental illness.

The “ACCW Mental Illness Prayer Connection,” can be accessed 24 hours a day by calling (651) 290-1636.

Holy Angels award The Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield awarded its Angelus Award to Kathleen Hanley during a special ceremony Sept. 22.

The award is given

The Catholic Spirit Heaven knows there’s nothing like it.

HANLEY

to an AHA alumnus who has made significant contributions to the school, church, profession or community.

Hanley is a 1971 graduate of the school and has been teaching there for 30 years. She also has been the recipient of the school’s Lunde Award, which honors teachers who have made outstanding contributions to the education, faith and well-being of AHA students.

Professing vows Sister Marie Monique Uppgaard, a former parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, made her first profession as a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, SISTER MARIE Tenn. Aug. 8.

MONIQUE A graduate of Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, she is currently studying at Aquinas College in Nashville, preparing for the teaching apostolate.

She is the daughter of David and Marie Uppgaard.

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19B

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Cantalamessa: Christian preaching is communication of life, love of Christ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5B the word of God, and I am convinced that the message of Jesus deserves to be heard by everybody. It also helped me tremendously the fact that, before being appointed, I had received (in the States, in New Jersey) the baptism in the Spirit.

The Holy Father, on the other hand, makes the task easier doing his best to make the preacher at ease.

What Scripture passage do you most enjoy preaching about?

In 31 years, I had the opportunity to deal with countless passages of the Scripture. Scripture is always the backbone of my preaching. I usually start from a quotation of the Bible, trying to focus on the core message and then apply it to the concrete and present situations of the church and the world. I am free to choose the topic of my sermons. Only once, during the day of penance and reconciliation following Sept. 11, did John

Paul II express his desire of a particular topic, fasting. Usually in choosing the theme of my preaching, I try to be guided by the particular problem or grace the church is living in a certain moment. For instance, in the year of St. Paul, I commented on some passages of his letters, especially those expressing his ardent faith and love for Jesus; in the past year of the priests, the theme has been the passage where St. Paul defines the ministers of the New Covenant: “Servants of Christ and administrators of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1). In the next Advent preaching, I am planning to use some spiritual and theological insights of Cardinal John Newman, recently beatified by the pope.

Has your preaching style been different for Pope Benedict XVI than it was for Pope John Paul II? Not really. Of course, I try to keep in mind the special interest on theology of

Pope Benedict and, at the occasion, insist more on the doctrinal aspect of a particular subject, as I insisted more on the pastoral aspects while speaking to Pope John Paul II. Already as cardinal, Pope Benedict, while in Rome, he was always present at the preaching, sitting in the first row, and I can assure you that it gives a certain shiver to speak while the prefect of the Congregation of Faith is looking at you.

What is Pope Benedict’s favorite Scripture story?

This I can’t really say. Pope Benedict is a very discreet and respectful person and doesn’t show openly his feelings and preferences. One thing I can say, in a sermon I delivered last Lent, while quoting Jeremiah 15:19-20: “I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you,” I had a sudden inspiration to turn toward

the pope saying: “Holy Father, this word is for you!”

What message do you most want to share with all of the groups you will address in Minnesota: priests and deacons, lay leaders, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, seminarians, college students and ecumenical groups?

I want to be consistent with my deep conviction that Christian preaching is not a communication of doctrine, but a communication of life; better, it is a communication of life even when it is a communication of doctrine. Life means for me the life and the love of Jesus Christ, through the power of his Spirit. My hope and my prayer is that there will be a “strong wind” blowing over Minnesota and “tongues as of fire” to be seen as leaders of the Charismatic Renewal nationwide, local clergy and Christians of different denominations gather in the Twin Cities from the end of October and beginning of November.

Credibility needed to communicate truth Catholic News Service No matter how many technological gadgets and social networks communicators have at their disposal, faith and truth cannot be communicated well without personal witness and authenticity, the Vatican said.

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications announced Sept. 29 that Pope Benedict XVI had chosen “Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity

of Life in the Digital Age” as the theme for World Communications Day 2011.

“Even in an age that is largely dominated, and at times conditioned, by new technologies, the value of personal witness remains essential,” the announcement said.

Most dioceses will celebrate World Communications Day 2011 on June 5, the Sunday before Pentecost.

We would like to invite Everyone to join us for a

Cursillo Mass with Archbishop John Nienstedt at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

Sunday, October 17th, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

We will gather with some Music at 1:30 p.m.

Mass will be celebrated with Archbishop Nienstedt at 2:00 p.m.

Make new friends, renew old friendships, and recharge your commitment to Christ through Cursillo. Fellowship will follow Mass downstairs of the Cathedral with Cookies & Coffee. www.tc-cursillo.org

“As Haitians continue to struggle to recover from this unprecedented natural disaster, the church walks with them, bearing the cross of Christ, in hope that suffering will give way to new life and to a new Haiti.”

Haiti bishops’ conference, in a Sept. 24 statement, following creation of a reconstruction program to help rebuild following January’s earthquake

Overheard 20B

The Catholic Spirit

Quotes from this week’s newsmakers

Ordination joy Eight men become permanent deacons

OCTOBER 7, 2010 “One of the biggest obstacles to peace in the Middle East is cynicism. As people of faith, we must remember that with God all things are possible.”

— Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, in a statement after he and other religious leaders met Sept.

29 to voice support for continuing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority

“We are living in an era where people believe in Christ, but not in his church. They want the king, but not the kingdom; they want to believe without belonging; they want the faith, but not the faithful. But for the committed Catholic, the answer to that is, ‘no can do.’ Jesus and the church are one.”

— Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, speaking recently at the sixth annual Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Above: Deacon John Vomastek, left, Margene Bauhs, Deacon James Bauhs and Deacon Ron Smisek begin the celebration moments after the deacon ordination Mass Sept. 25 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

“We are no longer just finding a place in the church. We are the church — we are part of the church. Before, we were looking for a place to be Catholic. Now we are looking at how to make our contribution.”

— Jaime Buscanan, a board member of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, speaking about Hispanic Catholics at a recent national ministry congress held in Rosemont, Ill.

Right: Deacon ordination candidates James Bauhs, Kevin Downie, Lawrence Lawinger, Joseph Michalak, Thomas Michaud, Michael Nevin, Ron Smisek and John Vomastek listen to Archbishop John Nienstedt during the Mass. They are the last class to be ordained until 2015, as the program undergoes changes.

Youth trip planned to national March for Life The archdiocesan Office for Marriage, Family and Life is organizing a trip to Washington, D.C., for high school students to participate in the annual March for Life. The trip, which runs from Jan. 21 to 25, will include the march, a day at the The Students for Life Conference and a Catholic Spirit day visiting historical sites.

Registration is open until Nov. 1 and the cost of the trip is $215. Registration is by group only, no individual registrations will be taken.

For information about bringing a group, contact Bill Dill, marriage preparation and youth ministry events coordinator, at (651) 291-4553 or DILLB@ARCHSPM.ORG.

News Notes

New province The School Sisters of Notre Dame are reconfiguring and forming a new province in North America. The more than 1,200 sisters in the current provinces of Mankato, Dallas, Milwaukee and St. Louis will become

the “School Sisters of Notre Dame of the Central Province.” The inauguration of the new unit will be June 12, 2011.

The new province will have four campuses: the campus of Our Lady of Good Counsel (also known as the Provincial House) in Mankato, The campus of Dallas, the campus of Notre Dame of Elm Grove in Elm Grove, Wis., and the campus of Sancta Maria in Ripa (also known as the Motherhouse) in St. Louis.

The new province is just one of many throughout the world. The sisters currently serve in 35 countries and have been in the U.S. since 1847.

Stewardship awards Pax Christi parish in Eden Prairie was honored with three awards at the annual International Catholic Stewardship Council conference Sept. 19 to 22 in San Diego.

The awards included: Outstanding Parish Stewardship Video, for a video designed, directed and

produced by parishioner Ed Heil; Total Parish Stewardship, awarded for excellence in communication and materials that promote stewardship as a way of life; and The Stewardship Parish Recognition Award, which recognizes parishes that give witness to stewardship in many areas of parish life.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis also received an award at the annual conference. Anne Rodenberg of the Catholic Community Foundation accepted an award for Excellence in Total Foundation Efforts.

School launches campaign Bethlehem Academy, a K-12 Catholic school in Faribault, launched an $11 million capital campaign Sept. 19.

The campaign, “Embrace the Miracle,” will provide for improvements and additional space for the band, PLEASE TURN TO BETHLEHEM ON PAGE 18B

The

Those who have served in mission work share how it has impacted their lives and faith. — Pages 4A-6A

World Mission Sunday October 10

The Catholic Spirit October 7, 2010

8-page wrap-around section.

Regular edition of The Catholic Spirit inside.

2A

World Mission Sunday

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

We are many faces, but we share in one mission hen you think of “the missions” what images come to mind?

Maybe you are propelled to foreign and remote parts of the world where the people look, talk and act very differently than you.

Maybe you think of missions as places of extreme poverty, war and civil conflict in the “Third World.”

Maybe you think of missions as that part of the world where the majority of people profess a faith other than Christianity or where Christianity is shunned or persecuted.

Or maybe you think of missions as the people and places that reject religion and are secular, materialistic and skeptical of all things spiritual.

No matter which image best represents your view of mission, I would say they are all correct.

reflect and pray about mission — the primary work of the church.

Spiritual and material sharing enables all of us, rich or poor, to be evangelized and to serve.

W Mission Link Deacon Mickey Friesen

Mission is the birthright of all who are baptized into Christ

Reaching out to others

CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

Washington Auxiliary Bishop Martin Holley blesses a child in Akwanga, Nigeria, at Our Lady of Apostles Hospital, which Catholic Relief Services helps.

Jesus is key There are many faces to mission today, but there is still only one mission — God’s mission — revealed in the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus Christ.

The so-called “mission territory” of the world increasingly becomes less a geographical question and more a question of the borders of the human heart and human communities on all continents.

In a similar way, we can no longer limit who the missionaries are. Mission is the birthright of all who are

“The face of mission includes building communities of faith and providing services that heal lives and lift up human dignity.

”

DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN

baptized into Christ. Whether we are poor or rich, male or female, from north or south, east or west, we are all called to be missionaries.

On World Mission Sunday — celebrated in our archdiocese Oct. 10

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685) Title 39, United States Code

— every Catholic parish in the world is called to celebrate God’s mission and renew our baptismal call by announcing the Good News of Jesus to those who need it most.

This annual weekend is a time to

Across the world and especially in the rapidly growing church in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Island region, the young churches urgently need support — just as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis did upon its founding more than 125 years ago.

The mission is people! It is lay people, religious sisters, brothers and priests sharing Christ in multiple ways.

The face of mission includes building communities of faith and providing services that heal lives and lift up human dignity.

Today, World Mission Sunday means the building of 194,855 schools, 5,246 hospitals, 17,530 health clinics, 577 leprosy centers, 80,560 social and pastoral projects.

The World Mission Sunday collection will reach 1,150 dioceses in 120 countries.

We are the face of mission today!

Let us join with others worldwide to be the Good News we profess.

Deacon Mickey Friesen is director of the archdiocesan Center for Mission.

The New Generation of Appliance Specialists

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Robert E. Zyskowski Associate Publisher/General Manager

Angela Warner

Joe Warner

Third-Generation Appliance Specialists St. Paul s Edina s Woodbury Maple Grove s Apple Valley Rochester s Mpls. Outlet

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World Mission Sunday

OCTOBER 7, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Venezuelans, priests celebrate 40-year gift exchange

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit

When priests from Minnesota came to the barrios of San Felix, Venezuela, it made all the difference in the world to Isabel de Troisi.

“I got a new life when the American priests arrived and started evangelizing,” she said between hugs of the Minnesota clergy outside Jesucristo Resucitado Church.

De Troisi remembered Fathers Ray Monsour and Larry Hubbard by name.

“Padre Raymundo and Padre Lorenzo, they were so important to me because they evangelized my family and brought them into Christianity,” she said.

Hugs were the order of the day Oct. 2 when Jesucristo Resucitado celebrated the 40th anniversary of priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis serving as pastors in San Felix, a poor and constantly growing town of cement block and corrugated-roofed housing on the Orinoco River in east-central Venezuela.

Venezuelans flocked to reconnect with Father Hubbard and two other Minnesota missionaries — Fathers Frank Fried and Tim Norris — who returned to San Felix for the anniversary celebration.

Greetings and gratitude At the anniversary liturgy, the lively music and festive feel of the day had people swaying in the pews, clapping as they sang and breaking into applause reg-

ularly.

Bishop Lee Piché brought greetings and congratulations from Archbishop John Nienstedt and the people of the archdiocese to Jesucristo Resucitado parishioners and Ciudad Guayana Bishop Mariano Parra, who presided.

Bishop Piché named Minnesota priests and some parishes they had served in Venezuela, noting, “Each one of these priests has returned to Minnesota a better priest for the experience here in Venezuela.

“As more and more of our lay ministers come to visit you, and work hand in hand with you in announcing the Good News to the poor, our church in Minnesota is blessed with a more profound love and blessed with a wider vision and a greater appreciation of the universal church.”

The bishop said there was just one word he could say in response to those blessings: “Gracias.”

Bob Zyskowski / The Catholic Spirit

Father Larry Hubbard shares a happy reunion with members of Jesucristo Resucitado parish Oct. 2 as the Venezuelan parish celebrates its 40th anniversary. Father Hubbard and several other priests who served at the archdiocesan mission joined Bishop Lee Piché in traveling to Venezuela for the occasion.

Sacrifices recognized Bishop Parra thanked the archdiocese for the gift of its priests, and he thanked the American priests for leaving “family, material things, even their language.”

He told the hundreds inside Jesucristo Resucitado Church that they, too, deserved thanks for helping the Minnesota priests be missionaries, but he challenged the Venezuelans to be missionaries themselves.

“We are called to do the same, to make

Visit THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM for more on the mission’s 40th anniversary.

Photos and stories are being updated on the “Mission Venezuela” blog.

sacrifices to bring the Word of God to others,” he said.

Gerardo Moreno, an English teacher, said he admires the Minnesota priests.

“I appreciate all the time that they have spent with us,” Moreno said. “They left their country and their own comfort

to come here to help people, to help the poor.”

A festival in the parish center courtyard followed the Mass, with music, games, young girls dancing, older boys playing drums, colorfully costumed actors, food and drink.

Mission’s pastor and youth renew relationships with Minnesota friends

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

Eight teens and young adults dressed in bright colors walked through a store in St. Paul recently, looking carefully for clothing and other items.

The prices were dirt cheap, matching their economic status — dirt poor. Yet, that reality didn’t wipe away their beautiful smiles as they found treasures to take back home.

In this case, home is San Felix, Venezuela, home of the archdiocesan mission that is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The pastor of the parish, Jesucristo Resucitado, where the mission is located, is Father Greg Schaffer, who has brought a group of young Venezuelans to the archdiocese for the eighth

time since he began serving at the mission more than a decade ago.

Despite distance and cultural differences, two of the Venezuelans, José Antonio Brito and Jackaline de Jesus Bompart, both 19, felt at home in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, which takes donated items and sells them at modest prices to the poor of St. Paul.

Brito and Bompart both are members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Venezuela, which was started there about eight years ago. They currently are attending college in Venezuela, where Brito is studying philosophy in the minor seminary in the hope of becoming a priest, and Bompart is studying civil engineering.

The shopping trip was one of many excursions taken by the eight Venezuelan

rticipating • lov ing e is pa f i L

youth, plus Father Schaffer, during their trip to the Twin Cities last month. They visited more than 10 parishes and schools, doing singing and dancing performances. Plus, they went to Valleyfair, the Mall of America, a Twins game and a cabin up north. It was part of an effort to develop relationships with archdiocesan Catholics and strengthen ties with the mission.

The visit to the thrift store also set up a reunion with Lou and Joan Wiggin, who have hosted Venezuelans at their home on eight different occasions, from 1998 to 2006. Seeing the visitors shop in the store rekindled memories of the month-long stays at their St. Paul home. They belong to St. Francis/St. James, where Lou is president of the parish St. Vincent de Paul Conference.

In Venezuela, Brito and Bompart are the face of Jesus to the poorest of the poor served by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which numbers about 20 youth and 11 adults. Every Saturday, members go to the homes of poor people to prepare and serve food, do household chores, talk and pray with the residents.

“This ministry is one of the things I’m very excited about,” Father Schaffer said.

“We’re living it out as church, working together to serve the poorest of the poor wherever they may be.”

The group headed back to Venezuela Sept. 28 with Bishop Lee Piché, priests who served in the mission and Bob Zyskowski, associate publisher of The Catholic Spirit. (See Bob Zyskowski’s article on this page.)

Catholic Studies Overnight Nov. 12-13, 2010 Come experience community life and Catholic culture at the University of St. Thomas!

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High school seniors are invited to: • Attend a Catholic Studies class • Stay on the Catholic men’s or women’s floor • Socialize with current students • Learn about faith-based clubs

Spaces are limited. To reserve a spot contact Theresa at (651) 962-5704 or cathstudies@stthomas.edu

4A

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Dan McNeil Dan McNeil served as a missionary from fall 1992 until fall 1995 in Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia, with Franciscan Mission Service, out of Washington D.C. While growing up, he attended St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. He and his family now attend St. John the Baptist in New Brighton. He works part time for both Peace Maker Foundation, an organization that develops community support for school-based violence prevention programs, and as a fundraiser for Guild Incorporated, an organization founded by The Guild of Catholic Women that helps people with mental illness.

How did you become interested in missionary work?

After graduating from college with a Russian language minor, I was turned down for jobs with several Minnesota companies that were starting to do business in Russia. I tried catching on with Catholic Relief Services, but in their rejection letter they suggested I look into a directory of missionary groups to gain overseas experience. The Franciscan Mission Service was the only group in the directory saying that it would send people anywhere in the world where there were Franciscans. At nearly the same time that I contacted the Franciscan Mission Service, they were being visited by the minister general of the order of friar minor. The minister general said that he had been asked by the bishop in Novosibirsk to send friars to run Caritas — their version of Catholic Charities. So, there was a position waiting for me, as if it was meant to be.

How was your service connected to your faith? What did it teach you about faith?

I lived with the Franciscan priests in Novosibirsk. These friars were people of deep faith and strong examples of selfless service. I moved to Russia a year and a half after the Soviet Union collapsed. . . . Just being there was a statement of faith, that the light of Christ burns on.

Faces of

Talk about one memorable story from your life as a missionary.

When I first arrived in Moscow, one of the workers at Caritas said I needed to buy a warmer coat. I was surprised, because I had just bought the coat before leaving Minnesota, thinking it would be warm enough. But, seeing I might have been a little taken aback, he tried to assure me and said, “Don’t worry. No one has ever starved in Siberia.” I thought, “If this is the best he can say about where I’m going, I might be in trouble.”

What was the most important lesson you learned from your experience?

I worked with sisters and priests who took great risks to keep the faith alive. By their example, they taught me that my faith is worth making sacrifices for. Mostly, I saw that God is with us in the hardships we take on to live in his Spirit. Even though I gave up a lot of things, I have never felt closer to God’s presence.

Sister Kerry O’Reilly Sister Kerry O’Reilly felt fortunate to be selected to serve 15 years as a missionary for her community, when the Sisters of St. Benedict in St. Joseph opened a mission in Recife, Brazil. While growing up in Goodhue, she attended Holy Trinity parish. Today, she celebrates Eucharist with Christ the King in Minneapolis and is on staff at Catholic Charities’ Office for Social Justice.

How did you become interested in missionary work?

Brazil, in 1982, was a church alive with seeking liberty and justice. Church leaders were courageous in speaking the truth and Catholics were coming together to pray with Scripture as a guide for their living with acute poverty. I wanted to be a part of this.

How was your service connected to your faith? What did it teach you about faith?

I lived among people who had few material resources and, most difficult, others who were destitute, lacking the basic necessities. I quickly learned the experience was about people; meeting them in their situation and seeing beyond the chaos of poverty, not wrinkling my nose at the smell of it, and accepting the hospitality offered. I encountered people who knew God in a way that I had never experienced. The quiet confidence of this relationship gave them a steadfastness that allowed them to live another day.

Talk about one memorable story from your life as a missionary.

The local church was a place for a praying, learning, growing community. One evening, I was meeting with a group of young women leaders in the sacristy of the church. I was the only person facing the door, so, when a young man came in with gun in hand, only I saw him. The women told me my already white face went very much whiter, so they knew something was wrong. He threw a shirt at us telling us to give over all our money. No one spoke until finally I croaked out — we are in church, we don’t have money here. Oh, was his reply and asked for us to throw back his shirt. The following day one of the young women was approached by the leader of the local gang who apologized for the intrusion. The “church people” were to be left alone because “they do good things.”

Sister Kerry O’Reilly

What would you like others to know about being a missionary?

The mission of Jesus is our heritage. He showed us how to live with each other and asked us to take care of each other. People make different choices in life and some are from other cultures; some people we don’t like very much and some customs seem strange. But we cross boundaries of preference and prejudice to bring “good things” and get to know people. We are missionaries when we do this.

Deacon Sherman & Gisela Otto Deacon Sherman Otto and his wife Gisela served with the Mercy Volunteer Corps of the Sisters of Mercy in Savannah, Ga., and surrounding counties from Aug. 1, 2006, to July 31, 2007.

They served people with multiple disabilities (medical, physical and speech), and tried to re-connect them with jobs and services so they would no longer be so alone. After moving from a farm in Annandale when he was in seventh grade, Deacon Sherman attended Ascension parish in north Minneapolis. Gisela attended St. Katharina parish in Solingen, Germany. Today, they are members of St. Francis Xavier in Buffalo, where Deacon Sherman serves as deacon.

How did you become interested in missionary work?

We retired from our full-time jobs in 2001. We were grateful to God for our marriage, three healthy children and seven grandchildren, good jobs and housing, so we decided to give back some dedicated time to God. How was your service connected to your faith? What did it teach you about faith?

Our service required us to live on a fixed minimum budget as MVC missioners so as to allow us to experience, somewhat, the lives of those we were privileged to serve; how it was to have food scarce at month’s end; going into homes of which several were in great need of repair and cleaning; and to experience holidays as being just “another day of the week” because family was not there.

Our time in MVC allowed us to experience being loved and welcomed not because we held titles or degrees, or could give what our people did not have, but just because we were there, with them.

Talk about one memorable story from your life as a missionary.

One we remember because it took us about seven months to put into place involved a 50-some-year-old man who had cerebral palsy and other physical, speech and hearing disabilities. He was from a town in Charleston, S.C., but was raised in Savannah. When his parents and brother died, he had no one in Savannah and had by then lost all connection with relatives in South Carolina. He was truly alone and lived in a much worn trailer home. . . . Months and scores of dead-end phone calls later, we finally located a relative. . . . He called us when he was there and wanted to stay longer, and they wanted him to stay longer, but he had to come back. But the delight and joy in his face and heart at being loved and wanted by relatives was truly awesome and worth the search.

Did your missionary experience prompt you to live differently when you returned home?

Yes. We are now more aware of those around us who have need of someone to “be present and patiently listen to them” as a worthy human being.

Dan McNeil

Read more profiles on pa www.TheCath

World Mission Sunday 5A Father Steve Pawelk

mission

Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk, 50, just celebrated the 25th anniversary of his first profession with the Glenmary Home Missioners. He attended St. Timothy church and school in Maple Lake, where many family members still live and worship. During the summer before his sophomore year of college, he served six weeks in mission service with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in St. Paul and three weeks in Guatemala with the Maryknoll Missioners. Both experiences motivated him to consider the life of a missioner. Soon after graduating from St. John’s University in Collegeville, he volunteered with Glenmary. He served 10 years as the Glenmary vocation director and is currently on sabbatical at the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the North American College in Rome.

How did you become interested in missionary work?

I credit the Benedictine Sisters from St. Joseph, who taught me in grade school for my first six years.

Volunteering and serving others was always part of my upbringing. Also, I kept thinking of places where the Catholic faith was not strong and where there were people living in poverty.

Father Steve Pawelk

How was your service connected to you faith? What did it teach you about faith?

I was blessed during my 10th-grade year to have a very deep spiritual experience. The result is, the Bible became part of my regular life, so much so that, by the beginning of my senior year, I was reading it every day. Matthew 25 always stayed with me as what we need to do, as well as Matthew 28:16. The Acts of the Apostles also inspired me to journey out and spread the Good News to others. When I did simple volunteer work at the Catholic church during my senior year of high school or the numerous volunteer services during college, I always felt I was trying to do what Jesus would do. As I entered more deeply into the missionary spirit of helping those most in need, my faith grew with a sense of joy and happiness.

Talk about one memorable story from your life as a missionary.

Two stories I enjoy telling are about the oldest person I baptized and a family who joined the church.

The oldest person I baptized was 98 years old. Her

daughter-in-law was Catholic but not married in the church for a variety of reasons. When she came down with cancer, I helped reconcile her back to the church. Later, the son on his death bed asked to be baptized Catholic and was thus buried from the church. This left his mother alone, since he was an only child. I visited her once a week. One day, I asked her why she was never baptized.

Her response was, “You see my neighbor over there,” pointing to the next farmhouse over, “Their dog chases and sometimes kills my chickens. How can I be baptized since I do not love them because they don’t control their dog?” She was baptized and attended Mass two weeks before she died. This was in southern Georgia.

The other story takes place in Mississippi where I was pastor for six years. Every year, I placed a large ad in the local paper, inviting people to come to the inquiry portion of the RCIA. The advertisement was titled, “Curious about Catholics: A six-week session where all questions are welcomed.” Leonard and his family responded. In time, many of them were received into the Catholic Church.

Today, Leonard has completed a master’s degree in pastoral theology and is the administrator of the parish.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your experience?

One lesson I have learned is do your best and God will do the rest. Jesus’ love for folks who are poor, who are sinners, who are lost or lonely is far greater than mine. He is there first and working very hard to bring everyone into his loving flock. Millions of people are in need of his love. Yet, all I have to do is love God and love my neighbor. If I do one loving act a day, God will multiply it 10 times to build his kingdom.

What would you like others to know about being a missionary?

The last three popes have reminded us that the church is missionary by nature and that all the baptized are called to mission. Some of us dedicate our entire life to going to places where the faith is weak or not evident and where there is a lack of resources, both materially and spiritually.

We can all be missionaries. Going out to all the world includes your own neighborhood.

Maureen Araya Maureen Araya served as a missionary in Bolivia and Chile with the Holy Cross Associates from 2004 to 2006. Since 2007, Araya has worked with Latino immigrants and schools around education equity issues for a non-profit organization. She grew up in Eden Prairie, where she attended Pax Christi. She and her husband, Matias, attend Santo Rosario/Holy Rosary in Minneapolis.

Deacon Sherman & Gisela Otto

How did you become interested in missionary work?

When I was 15 years old, I crossed the border to Guaymas, Mexico, on a 10-day youth mission trip. That trip changed my life path and opened my eyes to a reality that I no longer wanted to turn away from. Sitting in rural Mexico while watching the sun rise and listening to the roosters crow I felt certain that God was preparing me to live abroad for an extended period of time in my life. At that point I wouldn’t have been able to explain in what capacity, or even why I felt God was calling me in such a way. All I knew was that in that moment I felt more alive, more authentically whole, and surrounded by God’s grace than in any other moment in my life. I returned to Guaymas the following year, and my life path became cemented in stone.

How was your service connected to you faith? What did it teach you about faith?

The foundation for my spiritually was formed to include facets that addressed issues of social justice, faith being moved into action, and experiencing God through encounters with a wide array of cultures and people. As a Holy Cross Associate, these facets found themselves being lived out through the four pillars of the program: spirituality, simplicity, community and service. I have learned that faith must be brought from word into flesh, and that for me that happens through daily actions with others.

Maureen Araya

age 6A and also online at holicSpirit.com

Talk about one memorable story from your life as a missionary?

I remember my dad calling me and explaining that on more than one occasion he was questioned by co-workers about what I was doing in Chile. When he explained that I was accompanying fellow community members, visiting

the sick, having tea with neighborhood families, working with local youth groups and in general “being present,” a look of total confusion would follow. I was struck to realize that in the US, I had been formed to believe that productivity and “doing” were valued over “being.” My life in Chile had taught me that what I was doing was a lot less important than how I was doing it. I now sought to do small things with great love, and that was enough.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your experience?

I do not think that it dawned on me that I was taking on the title of “missionary” until I read a quote by Max Warren, a Maryknoll missionary, that changed my understanding of service and spirituality. He stated: “Our first task in approaching another people, another religion, another culture is to remove our sandals, for the place we are approaching is holy; else we may trample on people’s dreams or, even worse, we may forget that God has been there before our arrival.” I learned that I did not go to Chile to serve those who were poorer than me nor because they needed me. No, I went to Chile to serve and to receive, to experience the richness of the gifts and holiness that others constantly were sharing with me as I also sought opportunities to do the same.

Did your missionary experience prompt you to live differently when you returned home?

Absolutely! My life as a missionary did not end because I left Chile at the end of 2006. My spirituality is defined by what some have called a “missionary heart.” Mission is no longer defined by external parameters such as geography or specific acts of service. Instead, it is a way of being, the answer to the call of discipleship. I find that it is often more challenging to respond wholly while living in the U.S., yet I continue to seek ways to live the fullness of the call.

What would you like others to know about being a missionary?

We are all called to be missionaries in our everyday lives.

6A

World Mission Sunday

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Kathy Cleveland Kathy Cleveland grew up in Burnsville and attended Mary Mother of the Church with her family. Her missionary service did not begin until 1998, when she was married with three children and went to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. After taking her first trip to Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in Guatemala in 2004, Cleveland has accompanied many youth groups from Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Holy Family Catholic High School on mission trips around the U.S. and South America. Cleveland and her family attend St. Therese in Deephaven.

Faces of mission

Talk about one memorable story from your life as a missionary.

In September 2009, Juan Cutzil, also a resident of NPH, showed brilliant potential, and the home wanted to give him an opportunity to study in the U.S. So, on Sept.

3, 2009, Juan showed up at my door. He lived with our family for the entire school year as he enjoyed and succeeded at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Oh, we all suffered our ups and downs, but we stuck to it and we made it a good year. On June 13, I escorted Juan and about 25 other Holy Family students back to Juan’s home at NPH Guatemala.

I thought I was going to leave Juan back at NPH, fly home and get on with my life. But once again, God had another plan for me. We have all heard the adage that you must be careful for what you pray for. Well, that held true last June for me. My prayer was that Juan would some day open up and share with me his hopes and dreams. That prayer came true and more. I spent most of my recent trip with Juan. He opened up to me and we talked freely for hours. He shared his deepest pain as a street kid in the city and we became very close. It was very difficult to leave Guatemala and return home. As I left Juan, he hugged me and said “you’re like the mother I was praying for.” Juan and I email a few times each week, mostly reflections, but often what is on our minds. Of course I told him I would be his Minnesota mom, but no one can take the place of his birth mom. She did the best she could.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your experience?

I found I could make a difference by taking baby steps during those times that Christ was holding my hand and leading me.

Rafael Harrington served as a missionary in Trujillo on the Northern Caribbean coast of Honduras from October 2004 to December 2006. He worked in Finca Del Niño (Farm of the Child) orphanage, which is operated by the Franciscan sisters.

He was encouraged to consider missionary work by his family, school and parish while attending St. Matthew and St. Stanislaus, both in St. Paul. He now attends Holy Name in Minneapolis and works in the financial counseling office at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

How did you become interested in missionary work?

As a child until age 10, I, too, lived in an orphanage in Venezuela. I was adopted and brought to the United States by a North American couple who were missionaries at the last orphanage I lived in. From that moment, a seed was planted within me to share with others who were less privileged than me. As time went on, I was able to solidify the type of missionary work I wanted to do. As I reflect on my childhood, I can vividly remember the times when other missionaries spent time with me, made me laugh and took time to love me. It left a very big impression on me. From that moment, I realized that I was privileged enough to be able to replicate these same actions and touch someone else’s life like others once did for me,

How did you become interested in missionary work?

During my younger years, I had little interest in mission trips. Family vacations were pretty much what you would expect: road trips, ski trips and trips to the beach.

Until one day, our oldest son Sam came home and told me that he signed me as a chaperone on a five-day mission trip that he was required to complete in order to be confirmed. That was the beginning of mission work for me. Christ had a plan for timid me and he knew we had to start with baby steps .

How was your service connected to your faith? What did it teach you about faith?

Growing up I was very shy and insecure. God’s love and grace for me transformed me to who I am today: his humble servant.

I have learned to share my faith with young people by serving on many mission trips around the U.S. But God continued to stretch me even further, to remote parts of Central America.

Now I spend summer vacations at the home of the 375 children of Nuestros Pequeños Hermonos in Guatemala. NPH is the permanent home to orphaned and abandoned children. For several years I have led or accompanied high school juniors and seniors from Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Holy Family Catholic High School to the home of the Guatemalan children that now feels like my own. I cannot think of a more blessed way to spend my summer vacations then helping these two cultures blend as one. The students come back changed and it is a gift to be a part of that process.

I also sponsor two beautiful girls who live at NPH Guatemala, Wendy, 17, and her sister Leticia, 14. We have been writing back and forth since the first time we met at Mass at NPH. I feel in my heart that God put us together. Lettie and Wendy lost their mother when they were very young, and their father could not care for them. Their new home at NPH rescued them from the streets of the city, and I was blessed to become their godmother through a sponsorship program through Friends of the Orphans Minnesota.

Rafael Harrington

Kathy Cleveland

Rafael Harrington Friends orchestra to perform Children from Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) orphanage in Guatemala will perform at various locations from Oct. 8 to Oct. 19.

The tour is sponsored by Friends of the Orphans.

Many local churches and parishioners sponsor children, donate funds and volunteer for the organization, which was founded in 1954 by the late Father William Wasson. Currently, 3,600 children are living in NPH homes in Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Peru. Learn more about this mission at the following events: • Oct. 8: Orchestra performance at Our Lady of Grace in Edina, 6:30-8 p.m.

• Oct. 10: Orchestra performance and day in the life of a pequeño at St. Ambrose in Woodbury, noon.

• Oct. 15: Orchestra performance and day in the life of a pequeño at St. John Neumann in Eagan, 6 p.m.

• Oct. 16: Orchestra performance at St. Hubert in Chanhassen, 6:15 p.m.

• Oct. 19: Orchestra performance at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, 7 p.m.

For more information about the homes and the NPH mission, visit WWW.FRIENDSOFTHEORPHANS.ORG.

How was your service connected to your faith? What did it teach you about faith?

Thanks to the Franciscans sisters who ran the mission where I was stationed, the mission service had everything to do with faith. I was in charge of a teenage boys group home. With spiritual directions from the sisters, we read the Gospel every morning, said prayer before every meal, went to church on Sundays, had community night on Mondays and went to Holy Hour on Thursdays. I was not used to praying so much, that at first it seemed excessive. Over time, the spiritual life of the orphanage grew on me. The teenagers had so much to teach me about faith. They lacked education, but their spiritual life was very mature. From my experience, it is always interesting how some people have so little but have so much faith and so much love to give. While in Honduras, I learned the importance of incorporating God in my life through prayer. If I could boil down all that I learned, it is that God is love.

Talk about one memorable story from your life as a missionary.

One story that made a big impression on me while I was in the teenage group home is something one of the teenagers did on a frequent basis. Honduras has a dry season and a rainy season that some like to call winter. During the rainy season it can get into the 60s (Fahrenheit). At night, it can get a little cold, especially for someone who is used to hot weather. One cold night, I went into the boys’ room and saw one of the teenagers curled up into a ball, sleeping. When I went to go give him a sheet to keep him warm, he woke up and said, “No thanks.” The next day, I asked him why he doesn’t sleep with a sheet and his response to me still continues to shock me. He said that there are thousands of people suffering and attempting to sleep in the cold and this is one way that he, too, can feel what they feel and not take his sheets for granted.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your experience?

The most important lesson I learned throughout my experience in Honduras is to simply be present to people. So many times in our lives we want to make a difference in profound ways, black and white ways that have a beginning and an end. We have learned to expect immediate gratification and have a hard time with not seeing immediate results.

Do you have any future missionary trips planned? If so, where and when?

My wife and I are very excited and currently exploring our options of places where we can go as missionaries in the near future. We have a deep passion for the Latin culture and hope to go to South America.

What would you like others to know about being a missionary?

Being a missionary is a privilege. The majority of the world does not get this privilege because of trying to meet the basic needs of life. Being a missionary is an opportunity and a gift given to me.

World Mission Sunday

OCTOBER 7, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Maryknoll program teaches about missionaries, world

By Anne Neuberger For The Catholic Spirit

Early this school year, at St. Michael Catholic School in Prior Lake, a mixed group of seventh- and second-graders poured over Maryknoll Magazine together.

Their teachers, William Olson and Angela Gorman, had just explained what a missionary is and challenged the students to imagine themselves as missionaries. Each group was to look in the magazine for kinds of work missionaries do. Maryknoll, the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America founded in 1911, includes brothers, sisters, priests, and lay missionaries.

This led to impromptu skits showing sisters providing food and clothing to children, a priest saying Mass, and lay missionaries helping build roads.

Olson feels that adults need to nurture in children the ability to see others as God’s family, as well as the desire to reach out to those in need.

He says this is like developing a muscle, and “it takes a lot to develop it.”

Teaching, serving One of several ways he does this is by using the Maryknoll Classroom Program. This provides every student with a copy of Maryknoll Magazine. The teacher also receives a poster for display and a lesson plan for grades kindergarten through five, or grades six through 12. These free materials are sent each month of the school year.

Olson finds he can easily tie in the Maryknoll program with themes in the religion textbook the seventh grade uses. He says the Maryknoll materials “are like subtitles to the textbook.” He combines both with scriptures that are applicable to these themes.

In addition to teaching religion, Olson is a social studies teacher. He says the topics in both classes, along with the Maryknoll materials, overlap constantly. This helps young people begin to see how they bring their faith to the world outside of the classroom.

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Sharing Gospel helps build better world, says pope’s Mission Sunday message Catholic News Service

Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit

Rachel LeMair, a second-grader at St. Michael School in Prior Lake and Sophie Wenthe, a seventh-grader, work Sept. 17 making a booklet with photos cut from Maryknoll magazine.

He feels that teaching youngsters to serve one another, along with prayer, are two of the greatest privileges of a Catholic school teacher.

Often his seventh grade works with Gorman’s second graders as “prayer buddies.” Together they learn about social justice, faith and mission.

Gorman, who has also taught kindergarten and first grade, says young children are very capable of learning about “big” topics and concepts. While some still think the world is about as large as their neighborhoods, the Maryknoll materials introduce them to people and places far away. This leads to discussions about their faith and Catholic social teaching.

“Even kindergarteners can ask themselves what they can do for others,” Gorman said.

“There is so much in the world that is negative,” she adds. “And yet, even though there may be sad or difficult topics in Maryknoll Magazine, it is presented in such a positive way.”

Program a useful package The poster included with the materials is a visual reminder of

what the second-graders learned that month about missions, a different culture, and God’s family in other places. Often the children suggest they pray for all the people they encountered in the lesson.

“They realize that that if they can’t go to these places, they can still pray for the people there,” Gorman said.

Like Olson, Gorman finds the program contributes to other aspects of the curriculum. Through it, children are reading, learning language, printing, cutting, observing and gaining a faith vocabulary.

Gorman also plans to use it as part of sacramental preparation for reconciliation and first Eucharist later in the school year.

Some of the stories in the magazine give examples of forgiveness.

Photographs in it may show others receiving the Eucharist.

Gorman and Olson continue to bring their students together to look at the photos, answer questions, cut out pictures and make their own booklets as they absorb the essence of God’s love through mission work.

“You never know when you may be influencing a child who has the heart of a missioner,” Olson said.

Christians committed to building a world where all people recognize they are brothers and sisters need to share the good news of salvation in Christ, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“The fundamental law of human perfection and, consequently, the transformation of the world, is the new commandment of love” taught by Jesus Christ, the pope said in his message for World Mission Sunday 2010.

The annual observance will be marked Oct. 24 at the Vatican and in most countries. World Mission Sunday will be observed Oct. 10 in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

In his message for the day, the pope focused on how faith in Christ must lead Christians to build strong faith communities, which become signs for the world that it is possible for people of different races and cultures to live and thrive together.

The fact that World Mission Sunday is held in October, the month the church dedicates to the rosary, is a further reminder of God’s love for the world, a love that took flesh because Mary said yes to God’s plan, the pope wrote.

Champion ‘newness of life’ To be missionaries today and respond to people’s need for hope and their desire to live in a new way means “to become champions of the newness of life made up of authentic relationships in communities founded on the Gospel,” he said.

“In a multi-ethnic society that is experiencing increasingly disturbing forms of loneliness and indifference, Christians must learn to offer signs of hope and to become universal brethren, cultivating the great ideals that transform history and, without false illusions or useless fears, must strive to make the planet a home for all peoples,” the pope’s message said.

The world needs God’s love, which people encounter in Christ, he said.

All Catholics have an obligation to participate in the church’s missionary outreach in their own families and communities, and to support foreign missions, the pope said.

“I therefore renew to everyone the invitation to pray and, despite financial difficulties, to offer fraternal and concrete help” to support the churches in missionary lands and the pontifical missionary societies, which fund the training of priests and catechists and the education of children, he wrote.

www.TheCatholicSpirit.com

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World Mission Sunday

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 7, 2010

Annual Mustard Seed Grants help overseas missionaries The Catholic Spirit The archdiocesan Center for Mission awarded five Mustard Seed Grants this year to Catholics from the archdiocese who have become overseas missioners for one or more years. The awards totaled $2,800.

This year’s winners include Dan and Meri Diamond, members of St. Lawrence in Minneapolis; Keenan Ryan, a member of St. Hubert in Chanhassen; Maggie Mattatini, a member of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul; and Sister Pat Forster, a Franciscan who has been a member of Sacred Heart in St. Paul.

The Diamonds are serving with the Columban Fathers in Peru. Ryan is working with the Farm of the Child in Honduras. Mattatini is serving with the Voluntary Mission Movement in El Salvador. Sister Pat is serving with the Little Falls Franciscans in Mexico.

The Mustard Seed Grants are made possible by an endowment for the Center for Mission. The grants can be awarded at up to $1,000 per missioner, and they are renewable.

The program started in 2001 after a $100,000 endowment was created through an estate donated to support mission vocations. The center has awarded 40 grants in the past nine years.

Making mission possible The grants do not get many applicants, said Mike Haasl, the center’s global solidarity coordinator. He’s met many people who could have used them who

“The respect and dignity that the return missioners can share just helps people to see how important it is to be attentive to how people are fairing.

”

Mike Haasl

didn’t know they were available. He hopes more people apply for them in the future.

“It’s rare that we turn anybody away,” he said.

Missioners use the money in a variety of ways, Haasl said. Most missionary organizations ask their participants to raise funds to cover their cost of travel, room and board, formation, language school and health insurance. These costs could be $10,000 or more per year, Haasl said.

“It’s really to make mission possible for them,” he said.

Supporting overseas missionaries from the archdiocese is important because it recognizes that part of Christians’ baptismal call is to be missionaries, Haasl said. “Some of us may not be called to leave our homes and go overseas, but some of us do feel

that,” he said.

Since Vatican II, the Catholic Church has viewed its mission work as finding Christ in one another, Haasl said. All of the 2010 Mustard Seed Grant recipients are working with poor and marginalized populations, he said.

“To really encounter them face to face and to mutually share as well as receive the gifts of the other is so important,” he added.

Most missioners who receive Mustard Seed Grants aren’t lifelong missionaries.

Many will come back to the archdiocese where they will share their experiences.

Haasl calls this “reverse mission.”

“The respect and dignity that the return missioners can share just helps people to see how important it is to be attentive to how people are fairing,” he said.

Conference to explore relationship between prayer, mission The Catholic Spirit The archdiocesan Center for Mission is among the organizations sponsering the conference “Seeking the Face of God,” which will explore the connection between prayer and mission. The conference will be held Thursday, Nov. 4, at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road, in Burnsville from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Keynote presenters include Father John Kaserow, a Maryknoll priest who has ministered in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China; and Sister Judy Gomila, a member of the Marianite Sisters of the Holy Cross who is an educational consultant with the National Pontifical Mission Societies and is a board member of the United States Catholic Mission Association.

Workshop presenters will include Father Paul Feela, pastor of Lumen Christi in St. Paul; Sister Judy Gomila; Maryknoll Father John Kaserow; Jesuit Father Matthew Linn; Dick Rice; Benedictine Sister Mary White; and Jackie Witter.

Registration costs $35 per person.

Student tickets cost $15. Attendees are encouraged to register before Oct. 25.

For more information, contact Deacon Mickey Friesen at (651) 291-4445 or FRIESENM@ARCHSPM.ORG. To register and learn more about the conference visit CENTERFORMISSION.ORG.

Stewardship A Way of Life Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, February 26 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Pax Christi Catholic Community, Eden Prairie

2010 ARCHDIOCESAN STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE Stewardship a Way of Life: Building Vibrant, Engaged Communities Featuring 3 highly regarded national experts: Father Daniel Mahan, executive director of the Marian University Center for Catholic Stewardship in Indianapolis, author of More than Silver or Gold: Homilies of a Stewardship Priest.

Mr. Jim Kelley, president and chairman of the board of the International Catholic Stewardship Conference and director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte, NC. Author of The Stewardship Manual: A Guide for Individuals and Parishes Developing Stewardship as a Way of Life, plus Sustaining and Strengthening Stewardship.

Ms. Leisa Anslinger, nationally recognized speaker and author of Forming Generous Hearts: Stewardship Planning for Lifelong Faith Formation.

JUST FOR PRIESTS A Roundtable discussion and boxed lunch

Stewardship is an Integral Part of your Parish’s Mission Presented by Fr. Daniel Mahan

Friday, February 25, 2011 • 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Hayden Center • 328 Kellogg Blvd W. • Saint Paul, MN 55102

wwwTheCatholicSpirit.com