The Catholic Spirit - June 21, 2012

Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Africa food crisis puts many at risk

10 June 21, 2012

The Catholic Spirit News with a Catholic heart

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IN THIS ISSUE:

The call

to Faithful

Parish mergers move forward in Shakopee, Hopkins and Minneapolis Page 4

Citizenship The first of a series of articles to help prepare Catholics for election day and beyond begins this week with an explanation for why every Catholic should be engaged in the democratic process.

Stewardship Toolkit helps parishes with all aspects of giving Page 5 Father’s Day celebration is extraordinary at St. Peter in Mendota Heights Page 6

PLEASE TURN TO POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT ON PAGE 14

Marriage Day at the Cathedral of St. Paul Page 7

Local man ordained a Jesuit priest Page 28

‘Freedom’ events set for lead-up to Independence Day The Catholic Spirit The U.S. bishops have called for a “Fortnight for Freedom” from June 21 to July 4 as a 14day period of prayer, study, catechesis and public action emphasizing our nation’s Christian and American heritage of religious liberty.

Turn to page 22 to learn more about the topic and the liturgical feast days that coincide with this observance.

Also, don’t miss the following local events that are co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Minnesota Catholic Conference (unless otherwise noted): ■ “Religious Liberty: Our Most Cherished Freedom,” 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., June 21 at Nativity of Our Lord Church in St. Paul. Speakers are Jason Adkins, executive director of the

Teresa Collett, professor of law, UST; R. Mary Lemmons, associate professor of philosophy, UST; Deborah Savage, clinical professor, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity.

Minnesota Catholic Conference; Father Daniel Griffith, faculty fellow of law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law; Teresa Collett, professor of law, UST. ■ “Religious Liberty and Healthcare,” 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., June 26 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Rochester.

■ “Deceits and Conceits: The False Conflict of Religious Freedom with Women’s Liberty,” 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., June 27, UST, 3M Auditorium, Owens Science Building, St. Paul.

Co-Sponsored by the Siena Symposium for Women, Family and Culture. Speakers are

■ “Religious Liberty, Conscience Rights, and Participation of Faith Communities in the Public Square,” 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 28 at UST Law School in Minneapolis. This Continuing Legal Education Seminar is open to the public, has a $20 registration fee for non-lawyers and includes lunch.

■ “Fortnight for Freedom Mass,” 5:15 p.m., June 28 at Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

Co-celebrants for this vigil Mass — which will also be a celebration of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patronal feast day of the archdiocese — will be Archbishop John Nienstedt and Bishop Lee Piché.

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JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Getting ready for the Year of Faith

That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt

We can mark this special time of grace in many ways in our parishes and in our families

In his apostolic letter dated Oct. 11, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI calls for a Year of Faith to mark two great events in today’s Catholic Church, the first being the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the second being the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

This commemorative year will begin on Oct. 11, 2012 and conclude on Nov. 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Christ the King. The year will follow upon two other special years that the same pope has already marked recently, namely The Year for Priests and The Year of St. Paul.

And, like those other commemorative years, the Year of Faith will provide a specific focus for our meditation as well as our preaching and teaching.

Time of grace The theme of the Year of Faith is taken from St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy (1:12), “I know him in whom I have believed.” This passage emphasizes both the encounter of the believer with the person of Jesus Christ as well as a growing understanding of the content of the faith.

On the macro-level of the Church Universal, the Year of Faith will encourage pilgrimages to Rome, to the Holy Land and to any number of Marian shrines. In October, the 13th

Synod of Bishops will address the question of the New Evangelization.

And the next World Youth Day, scheduled for Rio de Janeiro, will direct today’s Catholic youth to reflect on this same topic.

On an archdiocesan level, the Year of Faith dovetails nicely with our plans for a Year of the New Evangelization. A solemn archdiocesan liturgy will celebrate the beginning of this special period of grace and another will mark its closing.

I have also asked our archdiocesan Office of Worship to provide resources for a special Mass to be celebrated in each parish on the weekend of Oct. 10-11, 2012. These resources will be published soon.

In addition, I have asked for a special prayer to be composed and to be prayed either at the end of every Sunday Mass or at the end of the Prayers of the Faithful during liturgies celebrated in the archdiocese throughout this Year of Faith.

I would also hope that novenas could be conducted before the feasts of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Christmas and Pentecost; that Stations of the Cross be conducted on the Fridays of Lent throughout the local church; that a model 40-hour eucharistic devotion be celebrated in at least one parish in each of our vicariates and that eucharistic processions be planned on the Feast of Corpus Christi. All of these are ini-

tiatives that parishes could begin on their own.

I would like to see Perpetual Help devotions reintroduced to our parishes as well as an increased encouragement for eucharistic adoration, especially among our young Catholics. Parish missions would also be an appropriate activity to hold during this upcoming year.

Study days or seminars on the documents of the Council and/or the four pillars of the catechism could be offered in each of the three regions of the archdiocese. The Catechetical Institute at the St. Paul Seminary could serve as a rich resource for such an endeavor. Our two Catholic universities could offer a series of speakers on the relationship between faith and reason and how each serves, by different methods, in assisting us to find the truth.

In adult education courses, through the RCIA process and in our Catholic schools, parish groups might study and discuss how faith is both a personal encounter with the Lord as well as an interior adherence to the content of the Creed.

Prayer services could also be organized around this theme. Book lists of solid, Catholic-thought could be prepared and offered for various levels of age-appropriate discussion groups.

PLEASE TURN TO MANY ON PAGE 27

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.

Vol. 17 — No. 12 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT Publisher BOB ZYSKOWSKI Associate publisher

JOE TOWALSKI Editor

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

Subscriptions: $29.95 per year Senior 1-year: $24.95 To subscribe: (651) 291-4444 Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444 Classified advertising: (651) 290-1631 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.

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Adoption Option Council of Minnesota Benedictine Healthcare Center at Innsbruck Cerenity Senior Care, Marian of Saint Paul Gianna Homes Hill-Murray School Prenatal Partners for Life St. Patrick's Guild

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.

People who generally feel they can hear, but cannot understand words clearly are encouraged to come in for the test, which uses the latest electronic equipment.

Everyone, especially those over age 55 should have an electronic hearing test once

a year. Demonstrations of the latest devices to improve clarity of speech will be programmed using a computer to your particular needs — on the spot — after the tests.

See (and HEAR) for yourself if newlydeveloped methods of correction will help you understand words better.

Tests will be performed at one of 20 convenient Greater Twin Cities Avada Hearing Care locations.

Call 1-877-328-9161

www.avada.com ©2012 HHM, Inc. 304

The Catholic Spirit to combine with archdiocesan Communications Office The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is combining the resources and personnel of The Catholic Spirit and the archdiocesan Office of Communications.

The restructuring, announced June 14 and expected to take place by July 1, will help create a more integrated communications function committed to strengthening the archdiocese’s communications with more than 825,000 members of the Catholic Church in its 12-county area, the archdiocese said in a statement.

The changes also will more fully coordinate and expand the archdiocese’s print, electronic, online and video communications efforts, including increased use of social and emerging media, the statement said.

“The Catholic Spirit is a wonderful asset to our local church and our Catholic community. We want to build on this firm foundation and keep getting better and better as we reach out to members of the Catholic Church throughout the archdiocese,” said Sarah Mealey, archdiocesan director of communications. “There’s so much opportunity ahead of us.”

The Catholic Spirit produces biweekly print and e-newsletter membership publications, maintains a website at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM, a blog site at CATHOLICHOTDISH.COM, and a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. The archdiocese said it is committed to continuing these publications and communications networks.

“This is a time of transition in how people receive information and keep connected, and like other organizations, it’s important for the archdiocese to use its limited resources in the most effective and efficient ways,” said Bob Zyskowski, The Catholic Spirit’s associate publisher/general manager.

“Our own research agrees with the national studies that show that many current readers of Catholic publications like and even prefer to hold a print product in their hands as opposed to reading on a computer, so it’s a wise move for the archdiocese to continue to publish bi-weekly,” he added. “But we’ve not only got to continue to inform and inspire those engaged members of our parishes, we’ve got to reach out in new ways and share the stories of God alive in our world today, and do it in a smart, strategic way.”

Expanding reach As a membership publication designed to support the archbishop in his teaching mission, The Catholic Spirit has been seeking more cost-effective ways to fulfill this mission.

The changes are the culmination of nearly two years of strategic planning

by The Catholic Spirit and its board of directors to address decreasing readership, increasing costs of print publications and increasing use of alternative media.

PLEASE TURN TO DIRECTORS ON PAGE 6

“Community is a sign that love is possible. . . .”

Jean Vanier

Local JUNE 21, 2012

News from around the archdiocese

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Bidding farewell on a feast day LEFT: Pat Shea, right, carries a cross from the west campus church of St. Thomas More in St. Paul (formerly known as Immaculate Heart of Mary) during a procession to the east campus (formerly known as St. Luke) June 10 on the feast day of Corpus Christi. The final Mass at the west campus was celebrated the day before, followed by all-night eucharistic adoration, morning prayer, and the procession at 8:30 a.m. Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Luke merged in 2008 to form St. Thomas More.

People from both campuses participated in the procession, carrying sacred objects from the west campus, including icons, Stations of the Cross, lectionaries and a tapestry sewn by a parishioner. The items will be stored there and eventually incorporated into the worship space. Jesuit Father Joseph Weiss, pastor of St. Thomas More, carried a monstrance during the procession. Several times during the walk down Summit Avenue, the group stopped to say prayers in front of churches belonging to other faith communities. “It was so peaceful,” Father Weiss said. “And, I loved stopping and praying.”

Photos by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

INSET: Arline Datu, right, prays while holding a Lectionary from St. Thomas More’s west campus during a stop for prayer in front of Mt. Zion Temple, along with Michaelene Zawistowski, second from right. Datu is chair of the pastoral council, and noted that the farewell took place over three weekends, culminating in the procession. “There was some sadness,” Datu said. “But, we did this together. I think we have a solid core of people who will continue to be St. Thomas More community. And, I think we’ve got a strong foundation to build on.” St. Thomas More still owns the west campus building and will continue to lease space there to a St. Paul public charter school.

Open 24 hours a day: TheCatholicSpirit.com

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

Three parish mergers move toward formalization

By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

Three parish groups that were identified for clustering to potential merger or merging in the October 2010 archdiocesan strategic plan anStrategic Planning nounced in their bulletins and from the pulpit during Masses June 16-17 that they are moving forward to become merged parishes.

Those are: St. Mary of the Purification in UPDATE Marystown with St. Mary and St. Mark in Shakopee; St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph in Hopkins; and Holy Cross, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Clement and St. Hedwig in northeast Minneapolis.

Father Glen Jenson, pastor of three of the four involved northeast Minneapolis parishes, announced that all canonical measures of appeals have been exhausted, so the parishes will begin working toward a formal merger on July 1, 2013, as announced in the strategic plan.

Father Peter Wittman, pastor of the Shakopee parishes, and Father James Liekhus, pastor of the Hopkins parishes, both asked Archbishop John Nienstedt to move their respective parishes from the status of cluster to potential merger to merger.

Father Liekhus said that, for the person in the pew in Hopkins, there won’t be much change once the merger officially takes place on Jan. 1, 2013.

“We’ve already done the hard things of consolidating everything, our ministries and our staff,” he said. “The biggest change is we are requesting a new name.”

He added that the St. John’s and St. Joseph’s campuses would remain open.

“You hear about horror stories of how difficult it can be to bring churches together, but St. John’s and St. Joseph’s have a history of working together,” he said. “We shared John Ireland School for a long time and even Hopkins Consolidated School for decades.”

During the past year, after Father Liekhus was named pastor of both parishes, the pastoral councils have been meeting together, the Mass schedules were combined so they didn’t overlap and St. Joseph’s religious education director was hired full time for both faith formation programs when St. John’s DRE retired.

“We said, if it’s going to happen, let’s do it. Why wait forever,” Father Liekhus said. “This is a natural fit for St. John and St. Joseph to come together.”

Decades of working together Father Wittman said the Shakopee parishes have been talking about merging for quite a while, so it’s no surprise.

“The parish council has been meeting together for a half a year and so had the finance councils,” he said.

Father Wittman also emphasized that all the church buildings will continue to remain open and be used for Masses.

Deacon Bill Heiman said the three parishes have been collaborating for more than 40 years.

“The impetus was our Shakopee Area Catholic School,” he said, noting that: ■ In 1971, the parishes started the school collaboration and a cemeteries collaboration.

■ In 1981, they began a faith forma-

tion collaboration.

■ In 1985, they began collaborative perpetual adoration.

■ In 2003, they opened a newly built school.

■ In 2007-2008, they did a tri-parish study.

The six trustees, representing each of the three parishes, began meeting to discuss a potential merger.

“Under Father Wittman’s leadership, they looked at the question that came back to them: ‘With more than 40 years of collaboration, what more could they do?’ They arrived at the answer that a formalized merger was in everyone’s best interest — to look at combining resources to provide better ministries for the Shakopee Catholic community,” Deacon Heiman said.

The discussion went from the trustees to the parish councils and finance councils, with all agreeing to recommend a formal merger, which is scheduled to become official on Aug. 1. The archbishop and the presbyteral council, a representative body of priests, were consulted in the process.

Although the parishes have called themselves the Shakopee Catholic Community for some time, they will request a new official name from the archbishop for the merged parish community.

Father Wittman has informally submitted three names, which were brought forth from the parish leadership groups, to Archbishop Nienstedt, who will choose from among those or offer another parish name after the merger takes effect. He also will choose a name for the Hopkins parish community.

Father Jenson had a busy weekend, popping in and out of 13 liturgies in northeast Minneapolis, where he will be

overseeing the merger, which will become official July 1, 2013.

“We’re looking at opportunities for different groups . . . to plan and meet each other and get to know each other . . . to make it easier to work together and to want to do more together,” he said.

“Now that we can focus our energies on what lies ahead, it should be a good — though challenging — time.”

One priority the merged parish will have is to determine what ministries are needed now and in the future.

“We are working on a ministry plan and have retained a ministry consultant to look at what we have and where we have obvious gaps,” he said. “That will provide a road map on where we want to focus our energies first.”

But first the parishioners will be “heavily invested” in the process of entering into the merger and preparing to set it up well, he said.

Other mergers

In addition, three mergers announced in the 2010 strategic plan will become effective on July 1, 2012: ■ Annunciation and Visitation, both in Minneapolis; ■ Most Holy Redeemer in Montgomery and St. Canice in Kilkenny; and ■ St. Genevieve in Centerville and St. John the Baptist in Hugo.

The archdiocese will have a total of 188 parishes in July 2013, compared to 213 parishes in October 2010.

A merger decision does not necessarily mean that a merging parish’s church building will close. Decisions about the church buildings of the newly combined parish community are made by local leaders in proper consultation with the archbishop and the presbyteral council.

Charges filed against former archdiocesan lay employee A former lay employee of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was formally charged with seven counts of theft by swindle June 15 in Ramsey County District Court. The complaint filed with the court identifies the individual as Scott J. Domeier, former archdiocesan director of accounting services.

In a statement released the same day, the archdiocese said that in January, after accounting staff members identified irregularities related to documentation of certain archdiocesan credit card transactions, it conducted a preliminary investigation into the matter and placed Domeier on administrative leave.

“As additional evidence was uncovered, an independent committee was appointed to oversee the investigation, the individual in question was dismissed, and all information was immediately turned over to law enforcement,” the statement said.

“This matter will not affect the Archdiocese’s ability to meet its financial obligations or other responsibilities, including those to parishes, schools and employees,” the archdiocese added, reaffirming a statement it made on the matter last March.

The archdiocese shared the results of an independent forensic audit with insurers who confirmed that insurance will cover substantially all of the loss, which was determined to total approximately $770,000 over eight years. In addition, the independent forensic audit resulted in recommendations for internal control enhancements that have been implemented, the archdiocese said.

As the criminal case moves forward, the archdiocese said it will continue to work with police and prosecution authorities.

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JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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More resources added to Stewardship Toolkit ‘box’

By Bob Zyskowski

nancial stewardship.

“So much of our life is about how we steward our time and talent as well as our treasure,” she said.

The new toolkit chapter on shared ministry includes a baker’s dozen ways to link parishioners’ gifts with ministry opportunities, plus samples of ways to invite people into parish ministry.

The Catholic Spirit

Corpus Christi parish in Roseville used elements of the Archdiocesan Stewardship Toolkit last year when it was first introduced.

“The toolkit was helpful in setting up our ministry fair,” said Tom Dohm, who is a member of the parish pastoral council as well as its stewardship committee.

“But more than that it helped us with the broader stewardship effort in our parish.”

Dohm was one of more than 300 parish leaders — clergy and mostly lay — who attended one of five workshops intended to present the new tools that have been added to the toolkit in its second year. The workshops were spread geographically across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis the first full week of June.

Along with presenting the new elements of the toolkit, the workshops offered parish leaders time to share challenges and ideas with others engaged in parish stewardship initiatives and to suggest other needs that might be addressed in the toolkit in the future.

At each workshop, Michael Halloran, archdiocesan director of development and stewardship, briefly ran through the elements new to the toolkit: ■ A chapter on shared ministry; ■ More scriptural references to stewardship; ■ A chapter on planned giving; ■ More samples of commitment forms, pastor talks about stewardship, and, ■ A section to facilitate the segmenting of parish lists through the Logos software system for more effective annual stewardship renewal efforts.

The toolkit is available both in three-ring binder form and on HTTP://WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG, and Halloran invited parish leaders to browse through the updated version to see what’s available now or to see what they may want to adapt for their own parish stewardship initiatives.

Help for Logos; planned giving

Time and talent pieces added At the workshops, Mary Kennedy and Sally CarlsonBancroft described the additions to the toolkit that are aimed at supporting approaches to parish volunteerism.

Kennedy, coordinator of stewardship at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie and chair of the Archdiocesan Stewardship Committee, pointed out that in its first year the toolkit’s emphasis was more on the financial aspects of the parish annual stewardship renewal effort.

“This year we collaborated with the Shared Ministry Association in the archdiocese to work on the time and talent part,” Kennedy said.

Carlson-Bancroft, coordinator of both volunteer support and new member welcome at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, noted the importance of encouraging all aspects of a giving community, not simply fi-

Mike Laughery introduced the new segment of the toolkit that shows the step-by-step process to segment donor lists using Logos, a process he used as business administrator at St. Michael in Prior Lake; Pam Burke, the Logos consultant to the archdiocese, walked attendees through a sample of the possibilities the software affords for better stewardship results.

Finally, Bill Marsella of the Catholic Community Foundation offered a glimpse at the new chapter on planned giving and the reasoning behind adding it to the toolkit.

The chapter includes sample letters, suggested resources and steps for building an endowment.

During a roundtable discussion with parish leaders from St. Patrick in Oak Grove, Corpus Christi’s Dohm said he liked the new things that have been added to the toolkit.

“I like the strength-finder idea, and maybe working on the endowment, too,” he said.

Mark Flynn from St. Patrick said his parish began using the new stewardship logo from the toolkit last year and is looking forward to the new portions on shared ministry.

“We need help with volunteer development,” Flynn said, “re-generation of volunteers. We need to work on how to ask for volunteers.”

Ideas for future additions to the toolkit that surfaced at that one table included stewardship education for children, family activities with a stewardship focus and education pieces on the benefits of electronic giving.

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JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Father Joseph Bergida, left, elevates the Eucharist as he prays the prayer of consecration with his grandfather, Father Bob Hamel, right, at his side during a special Father’s Day Mass at St. Peter’s historic church in Mendota. Father Hamel was ordained 29 years ago at the Cathedral of St. Paul and is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Father Bergida, who was baptized at St. Peter by Father Hamel, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Arlington, Va., on June 9.

historic church in honor of the occasion.

He was up at the altar with the two priests celebrating the Mass with them.

“It’s a remarkable thing to be here for such a rare event, the thanksgiving Mass of a newly-ordained priest and his grandfather here concelebrating,” Father Gallatin said.

Actually, the most amazing part of the story may be that Father Hamel is even alive today. In 2001, he was diagnosed with cancer in his brain. He had several surgeries, but the doctors couldn’t get all of the cancer. The last one took place in 2002 in Miami. Father Hamel remembers discussing the idea of another surgery with one of the doctors.

“He said, ‘I’ll tell you what, Father, if you let us operate, we’ll give you another year [to live],’” Father Hamel said. “So, there were seven of them hung over me for 18 hours.”

Father Bergida was attending college at Franciscan University in Steubenville at the time, and joined in with many others who were praying for Father Hamel.

Figuring he would die soon, Father Hamel nevertheless attended many healing Masses and healing services offered by charismatic prayer groups. At various points, people sensed that God was going to heal him and told him so. He didn’t believe it.

But, by 2003, the cancer was gone. Doctors confirmed it, and the cancer has never returned. The only sign of its existence is the head covering Father Hamel wears to cover up the scars from multiple surgeries.

By Dave Hrbacek

Praying together

Father’s Day . . . with a twist

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

The Catholic Spirit

Theresa Bergida sits in the front pew at St. Peter’s historic church in Mendota, where she was baptized 56 years ago. Up on the altar, two priests are celebrating Mass.

One is her son, and one is her father.

The day? Sunday, June 17 — Father’s Day. Of course.

Perhaps this all felt a bit strange to her.

After all, how many women can say they have both a father and a son who are Roman Catholic priests?

But she doesn’t give much thought to the oddity of this fact. Rather, the overwhelming feeling is joy. Amazingly, the Father’s Day Mass marks the third time in eight days she has watched the two celebrate Mass together.

These events were made possible on June 9, when her son, Father Joseph Bergida, 28, was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Arlington, Va. His grandfather, Father Bob Hamel, 85, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, vested him. Twenty eight years ago, Father Hamel baptized Father Bergida at

St. Peter. The Bergidas moved to Virginia two years later, where they have lived ever since.

Road to priesthood For Theresa, the ordination Mass was the most emotional part of this journey, which began more than 30 years ago when her father, Father Hamel, announced to his only child his intention to pursue the priesthood.

In the 1970s, he was raising Theresa by himself after getting a divorce from his then-wife Ann. Eventually, being single rekindled a childhood dream of being ordained a priest.

Now in his mid 50s, the road seemed clear, except for one last obstacle — an annulment. It was granted in 1979, and he entered a seminary in Milwaukee shortly thereafter. He was ordained a transitional deacon at St. Peter, then eventually a priest at the Cathedral of St. Paul in 1983.

Theresa attended the ordination, pregnant with Joe, the first of seven children she has had with her husband, Mike. Joe was born exactly four months later, and it didn’t take long for her to see that he was

headed on the same path as his grandfather.

“He always said he was going to be a priest — and he played Mass an awful lot,” she said. “I think it really solidified when he made his first Communion. We all just knew that this was what he was going to do.”

It was a calling that never wavered.

“Deep down inside, I was sensing this calling from God,” Father Bergida said. “It wasn’t just something my grandfather did. . . . There was a great desire to celebrate the Eucharist.”

And, celebrate he has — three times with his grandfather within eight days of his ordination. With just more than 100 people in attendance for the Father’s Day Mass at St. Peter — including a handful of priests and deacons — Theresa watched her father and son celebrate Mass together in a church that has special significance for all three.

“It’s just kind of unreal because so much of my history is here,” she said. “It’s such a great joy. It’s coming full circle.”

After greeting people in a receiving line after the Mass, the pastor of St. Peter, Father Joseph Gallatin, rang the bells of the

Among the many prayers offered, the Bergidas repeatedly recited the Chaplet of Holy Wounds, which Theresa says is similar to the Divine Mercy Chaplet, only it is more targeted toward healing.

“My dad was healed through that prayer,” Theresa said. “It’s a prayer we often pray at our house when someone is sick.”

Father Hamel did not mention his victory over cancer during his remarks at the Mass, instead focusing on his grandson and the significance of the Church of St. Peter in their lives.

Though showing signs of his age and needing to sit throughout the Mass, he had no trouble getting to his feet and standing next to his grandson during the eucharistic prayer.

All eyes were glued on the two as Father Bergida recited the prayer of consecration he had longed to pray since his own first Communion 21 years ago.

At that moment, the bread became the Body of Christ.

And, 100-plus people witnessed perhaps the most fitting Father’s Day celebration the Catholic Church could offer.

Director says those who lose jobs in restructuring covered by ‘Justice in Employment’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 “Our vision is to dramatically expand our reach,” Mealey said. “While we remain committed to traditional forms of media such as our bi-weekly print publication, increasing our use of social and new media will help us achieve that vision, especially with younger generations who get their news and information almost exclusively from the Internet and social networks.”

Catholics in the archdiocese also will notice more use of media such as video, Mealey said.

“People take in information in different ways today than they did even five years ago,” she said. “The use of video, for example, has really exploded, and we just really haven’t used that medium. . . . We’re going to see a much greater use of video to help pastors and parishes.”

Personnel integration As part of the restructuring, the archdiocese said the majority of former Catholic Spirit employees will be offered positions in the new, integrated Office of Communications.

The archdiocese operates with an employment agreement called “Justice in Employment.” In place since 1999, the agreement “reflects the Catholic Church’s longstanding advocacy for the dignity of work and workers’ rights,” and it provides extensive protections for employees, the archdiocesan statement said.

In addition, the archdiocese provides an Office of Conciliation to assist employees in protecting their rights afforded under “Justice in Employment.”

The archdiocese also provides a comprehensive benefits package, including more

generous coverage of health care costs than are currently available to Catholic Spirit employees.

Because the restructuring creates some overlap in functions, the archdiocese said a few employees of The Catholic Spirit will receive a severance package that is consistent with both their current employment agreement and the Catholic Church’s commitment to justice and fairness.

The archdiocese added that there will be no disruption to its publications, including the print edition of The Catholic Spirit, which reaches 82,000 households.

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JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Minnesotans rally for

religious freedom Matt Birk, former player for the Minnesota Vikings and graduate of Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, delivers his support for religious freedom at the "Twin Cities Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally" in downtown Minneapolis June 8. An estimated 2,000 people attended the noontime rally, one of 164 held in cities around the United States. It was organized by the Minnesota Catholic Conference and ProLife Action Ministries to voice public opposition to the federal Department of Health and Human Services' mandate on contraceptive coverage. Bishop John LeVoir of New Ulm was among the rally’s speakers. Visit THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM to watch a video story about the rally.

Teresa Borer of St. Peter in North St. Paul gives strong verbal agreement with the messages delivered by speakers at the rally.

Photos by Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Married couples give ‘light for everyone’ to see, bishop says

By Sara Kovach The Catholic Spirit

When asked what the secret is for making a marriage last, Leona Archeno said a spouse has to have a lot of patience, love and trust in God. Leona and her husband, Vincent, have been married for 69 years and were honored as one of the longest-married couples in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis during its Marriage Day celebration June 9 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

Bishop Lee Piché said the gathering was a great time to “give thanks to God for the gift of marriage.”

The celebration, sponsored by the archdiocese’s Office of Marriage, Family and Life, featured a large crowd for the 10 a.m. liturgy, at which couples celebrating significant milestone anniversaries of marriage — 25, 50, 60 years or more — were honored. Some couples, including the Archenos, will mark 70 or more years of marriage in 2013.

Bishop Piché’s homily began and concluded with a message from the Gospel of Mathew 5:13-16. He said marriage is similar to a lamp since it is not hidden from everyone but is “placed on a stand and gives light for everyone in the house.”

The married couples at the celebration were great mentors for those around

them, he said.

Bishop Piché said that “marriage is an art” and requires practice as any other career or vocation does, for it challenges both husbands and wives to give up themselves over again for their spouse.

And those present have continually shown “selfless love” and “a generous flowing of forgiveness” to each other by persevering in their vocation.

Renewing Vows Each of the couples stood after the homily, held hands and renewed the marriage vows they spoke on their wedding day. Many said the moment was very special for them.

“It meant a lot to me to renew our wedding vows,” said Elizabeth Slaby of St. Bonaventure in Bloomington who has been married to her husband, Thomas, for 50 years. “It was a truly blessed celebration.”

Cec Walsh, a member of St. Odilia in Shoreview who brought up the gifts during the offertory with her husband, Bill, said the Mass made her cry with happiness because it helped her to recall wonderful memories of the times they shared together.

They both said having “an understanding wife” and a “devoted husband” is what helped them make it through 50 happy and fulfilling years of marriage.

Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit

Lorraine Davies closes her eyes as she recites her renewal of marriage vows to her husband, Rod, during the annual Archdiocesan Marriage Day Mass June 9 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. The Davies have been married for 66 years and are members of Maternity of the Blessed Virgin parish in St. Paul.

Bernard Sturgeleski from St. John the Baptist in New Brighton said the one thing he learned from his marriage with his wife, Carol, that helped them face a world often hostile to marriage and

family was to never give up.

“We had plenty of ups and down in our marriage, but what made us different is we learned to accept them and we never gave up,” he said.

8

Local

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

St. Paul mayor to proclaim day in honor of Cathedral rector

By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit

Sunday, June 24, will be declared “Very Rev. Joseph R. Johnson Day” in the City of St. Paul.

The proclamation will be made at a reception for the departing Cathedral of St. Paul rector in Hayden Hall following the 10 a.m. Mass June 24 at the cathedral. Coleman is unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict.

During Father Johnson’s six years as rector, the cathedral has been designated a national shrine, the FATHER JOHNSON parish’s debt has been reduced, and efforts have been made to preserve the historic church through the Cathedral Heritage Foundation. “[Father Johnson] has been just a wonderful curator of the building,” Coleman said in a June 15 phone interview.

“I’ve had a number of occasions to actually take a tour of the cathedral with other guests with Father Joe in the lead, and he just always amazed me with his depth of knowledge — not just of the building itself, but really of art history and the architectural history and how all the iconography relates to the history of the church,” Coleman said. “He’s very impressive that way.”

Father Johnson announced to Cathedral parishioners in April that he would be leaving in July to serve as the new pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park.

“It has been my privilege to serve as your shepherd for the past six years,” he wrote in the Cathedral’s April 29 bulletin.

“That’s the kind of guy [Father Johnson] is. I think he burns with the passion of both his ministry, his charism, and of course his love of the cathedral.

”

LOIS BERENS

Cathedral museum volunteer

“We call a priest ‘Father’ because he truly exercises a spiritual fatherhood in this family of faith,” he continued. “I have loved you all imperfectly and can only hope that despite my human failings you have been able to experience some glimmer of God the Father’s unconditional and infinite Love for you. I feel richly blessed to have been part of such a beautiful spiritual family!

“At the direction of Archbishop [John] Nienstedt, I now prayerfully entrust you to a new shepherd.”

Father John Ubel, former pastor of St. Agnes in St. Paul, has been assigned the new Cathedral rector.

Leaving a legacy Cathedral parishioners and staff members contacted by The Catholic Spirit spoke about Father Johnson’s rapport with youth and young adults, his love of art and history, and his efforts to preserve one of the Twin Cities’ most important monuments.

Mary Schaffner, co-chair of the Cathedral Heritage Foundation and a Cathedral parishioner for 30 years, said Father Johnson “focused on raising the profile of the cathedral monument in the community and messaged very clearly and

articulately that it’s not just the mother church of the archdiocese but it’s also a civic treasure.”

Father Johnson started the Cathedral Heritage Foundation, which is a secular, charitable organization dedicated to the preservation of the Cathedral of St. Paul and the fostering of its cultural programs.

To date, it has raised about $3.5 million, making possible refurbishment of the cathedra, or archbishop’s chair; improvements to the archives and museum; and the restoration of two pipe organs, as well as other projects.

Father Johnson also raised the cathedral’s visibility by hosting public events like the centennial celebration in 2007 and the Red Bull Crashed Ice skating competition in January, Schaffner said.

“Both of those events encouraged people to see the cathedral with fresh eyes.”

Lois Berens, a cathedral museum volunteer and parishioner for 12 years, said Father Johnson is the best homilist she’s ever heard. “You almost wonder if he has theater in his background because [his homilies] are always so well-delivered,” she said.

Berens said she’ll never forget the Mass Father Johnson celebrated for her and her family on her 60th birthday in front of a shrine to St. Theresa that Berens and

her husband, Jim, helped refurbish through a donation.

“It was so meaningful,” Berens said.

“That’s the kind of guy [Father Johnson] is. I think he burns with the passion of both his ministry, his charism, and of course his love of the cathedral.”

Pastoral care Father Johnson also worked closely with the Cathedral’s young adults group.

Noah Beacom, one of the group’s leaders, said Father Johnson was a “fan favorite” at “Theology on Tap,” an ongoing Catholic speaker series held at area pubs.

He recalled a time when Father Johnson gave him spiritual direction and a book about St. Thérèse of Lisieux. “That made me feel good, like he was looking out for me,” Beacom said.

Everyone The Catholic Spirit spoke with commented on Father Johnson’s efforts to make the cathedral a welcoming place to parishioners and visitors.

Schaffner said Mass attendance, particularly by young families, appeared to have grown during Father Johnson’s tenure. She credited his strong preaching skills and pastoral care.

“One of the things I always appreciated is how much time he took after Mass . . . to actually greet people as they walked out the door,” she said. “It helped solidify a sense of parish.”

Father Johnson was traveling and unavailable for comment in the weeks before The Catholic Spirit went to press.

To read an article about the Cathedral’s new rector, Father John Ubel, that ran in the May 3 issue, go to THECATHOLIC SPIRIT.COM.

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"We will not rest until religious freedom in North Dakota is protected in the law as a fundamental human right."

North Dakota Catholic Conference, following the June 12 defeat — 36 percent in favor to 64 percent against — of a proposed constitutional amendment limiting government's right to "burden a person's or religious organization's religious liberty"

Nation/World JUNE 21, 2012

News from around the U.S. and the globe

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

9

Bishops discuss religious liberty, economy and charter Catholic News Service

whole church suffers,” he said.

Religious liberty concerns

During the public sessions of their spring meeting in Atlanta, the U.S. bishops received a 10-year progress report on their abuse charter, voted to draft a message on work and the economy, and heard reports about religious liberty issues in the United States and abroad.

They also listened as an Iraqi bishop made an impassioned plea on behalf of Iraq’s dwindling Christian population and called on the U.S. prelates to press the Obama administration to take steps to protect religious rights in the Middle Eastern country.

The meeting was June 13-15, with public sessions the first day and a half; the rest of the time was scheduled for executive session and not open to media coverage.

Message to struggling workers On the opening day, the bishops voted 171-26 to move ahead with a draft of a message on work and the economy as a way to raise the profile of growing poverty and the struggles that unemployed people are experiencing. It is expected to be ready in time for a final vote at the bishops’ fall meeting in November.

Titled “Catholic Reflections on Work, Poverty and a Broken Economy,” the message would advance the bishops’ priority of human life and dignity to demonstrate the new evangelization in action, explained Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, Calif., chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

It would be a follow-up to a Sept. 15, 2011, letter by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, in which he urged bishops and priests across the country to preach about “the terrible toll the current economic turmoil is taking on families and communities.”

CNS photo / Michael Alexander, Georgia Bulletin

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, center, talks with Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, left, and Bishop Edward Burns of Juneau, Alaska, before concelebrating Mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Basilica in Atlanta June 13.

Charter anniversary Al J. Notzon III, chairman of the lay-led National Review Board, presented a report marking the 10th anniversary of the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” The charter was part of the U.S. bishops’ response to the clergy abuse scandal that was a major concern when they met in Dallas in 2002.

While the Catholic Church has taken major steps in addressing allegations of clergy sexual abuse, it must continue to be vigilant in assuring that victims and their families will receive the attention and care they deserve, Notzon told the bishops.

Meeting that transparency remains a crucial component of building and maintaining credibility among the Catholic faithful as well as the general public, he said.

He credited the country’s bishops for developing more pastoral responses, rather than being concerned primarily with legal issues when allegations are made.

Notzon also commended the bishops for readily reporting abuse allegations to law enforcement authorities for investigation, a requirement of the charter. He cautioned that the bishops must continue to do so.

“When one bishop fails to do so, the

In a presentation on religious liberty issues, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Freedom, acknowledged the U.S. bishops’ “Fortnight for Freedom” campaign has come under heavy criticism in the secular media, in the blogosphere and by some Catholics as being a partisan political effort.

But the two-week period is meant to be free of politics and will emphasize church teaching on religious freedom, he said.

“Already we realize that defending religious freedom is not a walk in the park,” he said. “We’ve seen some reaction to our work that is sometimes hostile, sometimes unfair and inaccurate, and sometimes derisive.”

The upcoming fortnight, which takes place June 21-July 4, will be a period of prayer, education and action aimed at explaining how a federal health care contraceptive mandate violates religious principles. The mandate requires most religious employers to provide free health insurance coverage for contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations.

At the end of the discussion on religious freedom in the United States, the bishops affirmed by a unanimous voice vote a recent statement of the USCCB Administrative Committee regarding the HHS mandate titled “United for Religious Freedom.”

Year of Faith update In a report on the Year of Faith, set to begin in October, Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wis., chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, said the 2012-13 church-wide observance stems from Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a new evangelization. He said it will incorporate television, radio, social media and numerous online resources to better connect — or reconnect — Catholics with their faith.

Catechism of the Catholic Church goes online with browser-based e-book

By Daniel Linskey Catholic News Service

The Catechism of the Catholic Church now has more of a presence in the increasingly popular world of e-books.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has made the catechism available as a browser-based e-book at WWW.USCCB.ORG/ BELIEFS - AND - TEACHINGS / WHAT- WE - BELIEVE / CATECHISM / CATECHISM - OF - THE - CATHOLIC -CHURCH/INDEX.CFM. The catechism is a compendium of Catholic beliefs structured around the four pillars of faith: creed, sacraments, commandments and prayer.

Gaining popularity The USCCB announcement about the latest e-book format comes at a time when

more active readers are moving to e-books from traditional formats. A Pew study conducted in February shows 21 percent of adults say they read an e-book in the past year, compared with 17 percent in December 2011 who said they had done so.

In late 2011, the USCCB accommodated that trend by releasing the e-book edition of the catechism through Amazon, iTunes and the USCCB online bookstore.

Why make it available through browsers?

“Providing the catechism in this particular electronic format will make this foundational resource even more accessible to people,” Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Communications, said in a statement. “It is free to anyone who has

access to the Internet.”

The Pew study reports 42 percent of ebook users read their e-books on a computer. Therefore, not only is the catechism now more available but, statistically, readers may be more inclined to access it.

Reaching more people “The Catechism of the Catholic Church is proving to be as compelling if not more of an influence on the faithful,” said Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wis., chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.

“Our ability to use the new technologies means that many more millions will be able to find the Catholic Church’s teachings on their tablets, their smartphones and their laptops,” he said in a statement.

CNS photo / Nancy Phelan Wiechec

A woman displays the e-book version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on an iPad in Washington June 14. The ebook version can now be browsed and read for free on the USCCB website.

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Nation/World

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

West Africa faces food shortage

By Maria Pia Negro Catholic News Service

Millions of people in West Africa’s Sahel region face severe food shortages that could be catastrophic if international aid falls short in the coming weeks, according to representatives of Catholic and other humanitarian organizations.

“The crisis is already here. People are already starving in some parts of the region,” said Bill Worms, Sahel communications officer for Caritas Internationalis in Rome.

U.N. agencies estimate that 18 million people, including 3 million children, are at risk of hunger in parts of Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Cameroon and northern Nigeria.

Difficult months ahead Organizations like Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and Catholic Relief Services are working to solve problems of hunger and malnutrition. Even with the humanitarian response, there still is not enough money to address the overwhelming need, said Bill Rastetter, CRS country representative for Niger.

As the food crisis in the region grows, food prices skyrocket in urban centers, making it almost impossible to get enough food in the Sahel, the area bordering the Sahara Desert. In March, families started rationing food to survive.

“We found families that couldn’t afford to eat more than once a day,” said Philippe Mougin, CAFOD’s senior emergency response officer for Africa.

CAFOD, the aid agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, reported that families started selling their livestock, jewelry or farming equipment in order to afford food months ago, which makes them vulnerable to future crisis.

Things could worsen in July and August, when most

of the food stocks that have been at their lowest levels would be all but gone. As people wait for the September harvest, Rastetter said, even the aid from the international community could be exhausted if more is not sent.

Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of Catholic relief, development and social service agencies, has launched appeals to help Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

These countries have not yet recovered from the crisis in 2010 and last year’s failed harvest, Worms said.

For more information about the West African food crisis and how to help, visit WWW.CRS.ORG.

LCWR reform not criticism of religious orders Archbishop heading Vatican-ordered initiative says it is focused only on leadership group

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

A Vatican-ordered reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious is not directed at women’s religious orders or at any individual sisters, nor is it a statement on the general quality of religious life today, said the American archbishop overseeing the measure.

“The impression is given that the Holy Father or anybody involved is saying something negative about religious women in the United States, which is not the case,” said Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle. “This particular task is not about making comments on any particular religious order or religious women in general.”

ARCHBISHOP The archbishop spoke to Catholic SARTAIN News Service June 14 in Rome, two days after meeting with U.S. Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine for the Faith, and the LCWR’s top two officials, Franciscan Sister Pat Farrell, president, and St. Joseph Sister Janet Mock, executive director.

In April, the doctrinal congregation appointed Archbishop Sartain to provide “review, guidance and approval, where necessary, of the work” of the LCWR, a Marylandbased umbrella group that claims about 1,500 leaders of U.S. women’s communities as members, representing about 80 percent of the country’s 57,000 women religious. His tenure in that role is to last “up to five years.”

The appointment came the same day the congregation released an eight-page “doctrinal assessment” of the LCWR, citing “serious doctrinal problems which affect many in consecrated life,” and announced a reform of the organization to ensure its fidelity to Catholic teaching in areas including abortion, euthanasia, women’s ordination and homosexuality.

On June 1, the LCWR’s national board criticized the Vatican’s action as “based on unsubstantiated accusations and the result of a flawed process that lacked transparency.”

Archbishop Sartain told CNS he regretted “distractions from the outside that include misinterpretations,” and that he was especially “saddened” by the perception “that this particular doctrinal assessment is about American religious life in general or about particular religious orders or about particular sisters.”

“The task that’s been given to me and my brother bishops and others who will eventually help us is specifically about the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, that organization precisely,” he said, “because it has great importance for the relationships among the member religious communities and between those specific religious communities, the Holy See and the bishops’ conference of the United States.”

Archbishop Sartain defended the Vatican’s emphasis on the conference’s approach to doctrine, saying that a proper appreciation of church teaching is vital even for communities focused on practical service.

“For the Christian life, we’re always trying to delve more deeply into the truth who is Christ, into the mystery of Christ,” he said. “Sound doctrine . . . helps us to understand that truth and then to delve into it more deeply in prayer, and to live it more fully in our life every day.”

The archbishop said the need for sound doctrine “receives a particular focus for priests and religious” because they have a “vocation in the church, and so therefore their witness, their teaching and their own life of prayer, all those things should be centered in what the church believes and then also be a reflection of what the church believes.”

Such a focus on sound doctrine applies to all clergy and religious, he said, “whether they are directly involved in catechetical work, in preaching or teaching, or whether they’re involved in hospital work or whatever it might be.”

U.S. to stop deporting young adults under administrative order Repeating over and over that “it’s the right thing to do,” President Barack Obama announced June 15 that effective immediately, the U.S. will stop deporting certain young people who are in the country illegally because they were brought to the United States as minors.

The action — taken under existing law that allows for prosecutorial discretion — effectively creates an administrative version of the DREAM Act (the acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors), legislation that has long languished in Congress.

But Congress still needs to act, Obama said, and the sooner the better, because the changes are only a temporary fix. As Obama described the order, eligible applicants between the ages of 15 and 30, who arrived in the U.S. by the age of 16 and have been here at least five years, will be able to request “temporary relief from deportation proceedings and apply for work authorization.”

The new approach will apply to people who complete high school or get a GED, or serve in the military. It will require background checks, no criminal history and other criteria. Deportation will be deferred for two-year renewable periods, during which time the applicants could obtain work permits.

Among those hailing the announcement was Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Migration Committee. The young people to whom the action would apply “are bright, energetic, and eager to pursue their education and reach their full potential,” he said in a statement.

He echoed Obama’s point about needing more permanent action by Congress. “The action by the president today is no substitute for enactment of the DREAM Act in Congress,” the archbishop said. He encouraged elected officials to make a bipartisan effort to “give these youth a path to citizenship and a chance to become Americans,” and to enact a comprehensive immigration reform law.

CHA urges expanded religious exemption in health care law The Catholic Health Association, a major supporter of President Barack Obama’s health reform law, is urging the government to expand its definition of religious employers who are exempt from the requirement to provide contraceptives and sterilization free of charge to their employees.

In comments filed June 15 with the Department of Health and Human Services, the top three CHA officials also said the Obama administration should provide and pay for the contraceptives itself if it insists that they must be provided at no cost to women.

The five-page comments were signed by Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is CHA president and CEO; Robert Stanek, who recently completed a term chairing the CHA board; and Joseph Swedish, the chairman for 2012-2013.

The three said the administration’s proposed “accommodation” that would allow nonexempt religious employers to provide the contraceptives through a third party “would be unduly cumbersome and would be unlikely to meet the religious liberty concerns of all of our members and other church ministries.”

They said the current definition of a religious employer in the HHS rules raises “serious constitutional questions.”

To be exempt from the contraceptive mandate, a religious organization “has the inculcation of religious values as its purpose, primarily employs persons who share its religious tenets, primarily serves persons who share its religious tenets, and is a nonprofit organization” under specific sections of the Internal Revenue Code.

The CHA leaders proposed instead that an organization be defined as religious if it “shares common religious bonds and convictions with a church” — a definition already applied in Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Service code.

Even if the definition is expanded to include Catholic hospitals and health care organizations, as well as other ministries of the church, “the government will need to develop a way to pay for and provide such services directly to those employees who desire such coverage without any direct or indirect involvement of religious employers” under the expanded definition, the CHA comments said.

— Catholic News Service

“That’s adoration for me: I just soak in [God’s] beauty, his grace, his patience, his strength, his courage.”

Father Peter Grover, an Oblate of the Virgin Mary, who is director of the St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine in Boston

This Catholic Life JUNE 21, 2012

Opinion, feedback and points to ponder

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

11

Vatican II did not downplay eucharistic adoration, pope says

By Cindy Wooden

after the assembly disperses, remains with us with his discrete and silent presence.”

Spending time in prolonged silence before the Eucharist “is one of the most authentic experiences of our being church,” and it finds its complement at Mass when Catholics “celebrate the Eucharist, listening to the word of God, singing, approaching together the table of the bread of life.”

Truly entering into communion with someone, he said, is accompanied by “exchanging glances and intense, eloquent silences full of respect and veneration.”

“If this dimension is missing, even sacramental Communion can become a superficial gesture on our part,” the pope said.

Catholic News Service

A misunderstanding of the Second Vatican Council has led some Catholics to think that eucharistic adoration and Corpus Christi processions are pietistic practices that pale in importance to the celebration of Mass, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“A unilateral interpretation of the Second Vatican Council has penalized this dimension” of Catholic faith, which is to recognize Jesus truly present in the Eucharist and worthy of adoration, the pope said June 7 during a Mass marking the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.

The evening Mass outside Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran preceded a moment of silent adoration and the pope’s traditional Corpus Christi procession with the Eucharist through the streets of Rome.

Signs and rites needed

Jesus’ constant presence In his homily, the pope told the thousands of people gathered on the basilica lawn that it is important to recognize the centrality of the celebration of Mass, the moment in which the Lord gathers his people, nourishes them and unites them to himself in offering his sacrifice.

But if Christ is seen as present in the Eucharist only during Mass, “this imbalance has repercussions on the spiritual life of the faithful,” who need to be aware of “the constant presence of Jesus among us and with us,” the pope said.

CNS photo / Paul Haring

Pope Benedict XVI kneels in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament during the Corpus Christi procession in Rome June 7.

“The sacrament of the charity of Christ must permeate all one’s daily life,” he said.

Celebration and adoration are not in competition, the pope said. “Worshipping the Blessed Sacrament constitutes something like the spiritual environment in

which the community can celebrate the Eucharist well and in truth.”

Pope Benedict said Mass is most meaningful when the faithful recognize that in the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord is present, “awaits us, invites us to his table and then,

Pope Benedict said another misunderstanding — one influenced “by a certain secular mentality” of the 1960s and ‘70s — was the idea that the Bible teaches that with the coming of Christ, rituals and sacrifices no longer should have meaning; basically, he said, some people believe “the sacred no longer exists.”

It is true that Christ inaugurated a new form of worship, one tied less to a place and a ritual and more to his person, but people still need “signs and rites,” the pope said. In fact, without its annual Corpus Christi procession, “the spiritual profile of Rome” would change.

Making churches more welcoming for the disabled

“A

mazing Gifts” is a great title for a book by Mark L. Pinsky that carries the subtitle: “Stories of Faith, Disability and Inclusion.”

Ginny Thornburgh sent me a copy. She is the wife of former Pennsylvania Gov. and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, whose first wife, also named Ginny, was killed at age 26 in an automobile accident that left a 4-month-old son, Peter, with Jesuit Father disabling brain injuries.

William Byron When the second Ginny Thornburgh married Dick several years later, she adopted Peter and his two older brothers and began a second career of promoting and protecting the rights of the disabled.

A special interest of hers, beyond promotion and protection of the interests of the disabled, is inclusion of the disabled in faith communities and religious services of all denominations.

In her foreword to “Amazing Gifts,” Ginny Thornburgh writes: “More than 50 million Americans live with physical, sensory, psychiatric, and intellectual disability. But when one is at worship and looks around, there appear to be few people present who have disabilities.”

Of course not all disabilities are noticeable and some are surely present there. But this book tells the stories of 64 disabled people, their families and, most important, their congregations.

It makes a collective case for the removal of barriers of architecture and communication, arguing that “congregational disability work is about justice, not about pity” and shows that “enormous gifts and talents will come to

Opinion

“Reaching out for Father Joe

Metzger of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk, Va., meant getting fully vested and walking an 11year-old autistic child through an empty sanctuary so that she would feel comfortable when she received her first Communion with other children a few days later.

”

JESUIT FATHER WILLIAM BYRON

congregations, no matter what the faith, once people with disabilities are included, enjoyed and encouraged to be active and full participants.”

Extending an invitation Reading this book is like mixing randomly at a crowded reception, meeting interesting people and making new

friends. As you move through these pages, you will hear many stories that have a common theme — inclusion of persons with disabilities in the life of faith communities all across the country.

Pastors and seminarians should read this book simply to sharpen their vision and thus see, perhaps for the first time, a special group of people who might want to be in the pews, if invited.

Pastors and seminarians can heighten their awareness of the services that are waiting to be offered to people who surely are special to God, if only God’s ministers are resourceful enough to reach out to them.

Reaching out for Father Joe Metzger of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk, Va., meant getting fully vested and walking an 11-year-old autistic child through an empty sanctuary so that she would feel comfortable when she received her first Communion with other children a few days later.

At St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Exton, Pa., adult members with Down syndrome serve as greeters, altar servers and Sunday morning ushers. Inclusion for them means inspiration to others.

Jacob Artson, a young Southern Californian with autism, suggests in these pages that any congregant can turn to any other and simply ask: “What is it we can do to make it easier for you and your family to worship with us?”

Just ask that question and the disabled will be there.

Jesuit Father William Byron, a university professor of business and society at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, writes for Catholic News Service.

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Opinion

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

/ This Catholic Life

Family histories hold Fourth of July lesson for many Americans

G

Editorial Joe Towalski

The church calls us to be faithful citizens and help to preserve the rights and values that were beacons for our forebearers

enealogy is a popular hobby for many people, and I’ve been trying to learn more in recent years about the roots and branches of my own family tree to complement the stories my parents and grandparents told me as a child. The recent release of 1940 U.S. Census data was an opportunity to fill in some gaps and learn a few details I’ve been thinking a lot about as the July 4 holiday approaches.

I located the data about one set of my maternal great-grandparents living on the North Side of Chicago.

Stanley and Sophie emigrated from Poland with only a third-grade education to start a new life in the United States. Stanley worked as a welder and Sophie as a “janitress.”

The jobs paid enough for them to buy a house and pay the bills as they raised three daughters.

I found information about a set of my paternal great-grandparents living not far away. Also emigrants from Poland, Stanley (it’s a popular Polish name) worked as a laborer in a foundry, while his wife Pearl worked as a “machine operator.” Their formal education ended with the second grade, but their hard work allowed them to own their own home as well.

In many ways, the stories of Stanley and Sophie and Stanley and Pearl mirror the stories of many people who came from Europe in the first few decades following the turn of the last century. They were immigrants in search of economic opportunity and the freedoms on which our country was founded.

“The Fourth of July is about more than outdoor barbecues and fireworks.

”

JOE TOWALSKI

Stock photo

Preserving common good People are still coming in search of those things — not from Europe so much anymore, but from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

They are searching for the same economic opportunity and freedoms that drew many of our forbearers to the United States, and they are facing their own challenges once they get here: an economy that still can’t meet the demand for jobs, anti-immigrant attitudes and even threats to core freedoms like religious liberty.

The lead up to Independence Day is a good time to reflect on these concerns, the values upon which our country was built, and how we as citizens of faith can preserve them for the benefit of the common good.

The U.S. bishops have written a

document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” that can help us move beyond the polarization that exists around topics like the economy, immigration and other issues of human life and dignity so we can reflect on them more deeply, pray about them, discuss them in our families and parishes, and then become engaged with them as citizens and voters. You can find the document at WWW.USCCB.ORG/ISSUES-AND-ACTION/ FAITHFUL-CITIZENSHIP. The lead-up to the Fourth of July is also an opportunity to reflect more deeply on the topic of religious freedom — one of the foundational rights upon which our nation was founded and which is threatened today in various ways, including by provisions of a federal Department of Health and Human Services man-

date regarding contraceptive coverage. The U.S. church is observing a “Fortnight for Freedom” from June 21 to July 4 as a time of prayer and catechesis on the topic of religious liberty. You can learn more on the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s website at WWW.MNCC.ORG/FIRST-FREE DOM.

Getting involved The principles of life and freedom we commemorate on this upcoming holiday were won only after much hard work and sacrifice by those who came before us. They are what motivated many of our forebearers to risk everything to leave their homelands for the chance at a happier, more prosperous life. They are what many of our relatives fought to protect.

They are what drew my great-grandparents to Chicago.

We honor their memories when we answer the church’s call to be engaged in the political process and when we work to protect human life and human dignity, create a fair economy for families, promote a revamped immigration system that helps newcomers to prosper, and stand in support of our First Amendment freedoms. It, too, will require hard work on our part as well as sacrifice.

The Fourth of July is about more than outdoor barbecues and fireworks. That’s something Stanley and Sophie, and Stanley and Pearl, understood well. It’s something we need to remember — and act on — as well.

Degree of skepticism required for church coverage

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Faith in the Public Arena Jessica Zittlow

It’s no secret that mainstream media frame issues in a way that serve ideological biases

etting your news solely from mainstream media outlets, particularly when it comes to Catholic issues is, shall we say, imprudent.

It’s no secret that mainstream media frame issues in a way that serve ideological biases, particularly in their coverage of the Catholic Church. A healthy degree of skepticism about what we see in media is in order.

For example, during a conversation with Catholic News Agency, GETREL IGION.ORG, reporter Mollie Hemingway pointed out that media coverage of the recent religious freedom rallies compared to the Holy See’s review of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) “ranged from imbalanced to near-fraudulent.”

On June 8, National Public Radio apparently dedicated 14 minutes of broadcast coverage to highlight the LCWR but gave no coverage to the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies, which drew more than 60,000 people in 158 cities, including 2,000 in Minneapolis. Not even a news brief mention?

Hemingway credits some of this imbalance to an increase in partisan news coverage during election years, but the facts remain that disparity in mainstream media coverage is striking.

One side of the story The recent coverage of the HHS

mandate makes this clear. There were misleading reports that “98 percent of women use birth control.” Next, there were the congressional hearings on religious liberty that were inaccurately depicted as conversations about a woman’s access to contraception, which no one doubts.

Further, there was the disproportionate media coverage of the Georgetown student who supports the HHS mandate, Sandra Fluke, as though the HHS mandate was about a war on women. Finally, there was practically no coverage of the 12 lawsuits filed

by Catholic dioceses and organizations against the HHS mandate.

Hemingway noted that painting the HHS mandate issue as a battle over birth control “certainly matches the talking points of its supporters but doesn’t accurately reflect the concerns of its opponents.”

As the bishops have made clear, opposition to the HHS mandate is not about contraception, it is about forcing religious entities to buy products that they consider morally unsound. As Catholics, we have to repeat this over and over if we hope to be successful in the public arena and persuade others of the injustice of the mandate, because the media refuses to tell this side of the story.

Another example of blatant media bias is the marriage amendment. The media has a clear idea of the story it wants to tell, and that does not in-

clude discussing the need for the amendment or why there are important and compelling reasons to limit marriage to the union of one man and one woman.

To take one example, it is frequently reported that Minnesota law already limits marriage to the union of one man and one woman. The not so subtle suggestion by the reporter is that the amendment is redundant and unnecessary, and that the amendment is mean-spirited or harms people.

What the media conveniently fails to mention is that GLBT activists and marriage revisionists have been actively trying to redefine the one definition of marriage for everyone in Minnesota in both the courts and Legislature.

The Benson v. Alverson case, which seeks to have Minnesota’s marriage law struck down as bigoted, irrational and unconstitutional, is practically never mentioned as a reason why we need a constitutional amendment, which can only be changed by a vote of the people. Naturally, doing so would undermine the media’s narrative that the amendment is “anti-gay,” when in fact all the amendment does is preserve the traditional definition of marriage.

The worst part of the media narrative woven against the church generally is that it refuses to cover many things we do, particularly in the pub-

lic arena, and focuses its stories only on hot-button issues related to gender and sexuality, and then accuses the church of being focused only on gender and sexuality.

Did you hear about the Minnesota bishops’ recent statement on immigration, even as there is a related case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court?

Nope. How about the church’s role in opposing harmful cuts to Minnesota’s social safety net, or its advocacy for affordable housing funding?

Not a word.

Our responsibility

The media play a powerful role in shaping people’s perception of reality.

What we perceive and read about, however, is not always consistent with what truly is reality.

It is incumbent on Catholics to not get discouraged and let their perception of the world be shaped by the mainstream media. We need not completely reject what we read in the papers or see on TV, but we are responsible as citizens to approach what counts as “news” with a healthy degree of skepticism and ensure that we are being informed by diverse sources, including church media.

Doing so is instrumental in forming our consciences appropriately to serve as faithful citizens.

Jessica Zittlow is communications associate with Minnesota Catholic Conference.

This Catholic Life / Commentary

JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Document offers reflection for business leaders

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Faith and the Workplace Tom Bengtson

‘Vocation of the Business Leader’ is designed for people trying to integrate their faith in their work

f you’ve ever had the idea that the church is antithetical to business, please read the latest document to come out of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

“Vocation of the Business Leader,” unveiled in France on March 30 by Council President Cardinal Peter Turkson, is a practical reflection for people involved in commercial enterprises.

The document, written chiefly by Michael Naughton of the University of St. Thomas, acknowledges business as a catalyst for the common good and invites its participants into an integrated life where business decisions are the result of serious spiritual pursuit.

“The strength of the

document, in my opinion, is the way it personalizes the business enterprise, by calling business people of all stripes into a deeper relationship with Christ.

”

Sense of calling The ideas in this 30-page reflection are meaningful for professionals at all levels, from the CEO to the entrylevel employee. It regards the company as a social institution which has the opportunity to educate people in virtue.

Sadly, many businesses miss this opportunity, but those that get this right instill in their employees a “deep sense of God’s calling to be collaborators in creation.” These are the folks who see their work as a vocation, not merely a job or career. These are the folks who have the greatest potential to contribute to the common good.

The document proposes six practical principles for business, two each under three headings: Meeting the needs of the world through the creation and development of goods and services, organizing good and productive work, and creating sustain-

— TOM BENGTSON

able wealth and distributing it justly.

The reflection includes a healthy discussion on profit, saying: “The Church acknowledges the legitimate role of profit as an indicator that a business is functioning well,” but cautions “profit is a good servant, but it makes a poor master.”

Regarding the appropriate use of profits, the reflection notes the conscientious business person’s decisions “aim not at an equal but at a just distribution of wealth, which meets people’s needs, rewards their contributions and risks, and preserves and promotes the organization’s financial health.”

The strength of the document, in

my opinion, is the way it personalizes the business enterprise, by calling business people of all stripes into a deeper relationship with Christ. The writers warn against a “divided life” where employees and managers leave their moral compass at home when they leave for work.

Paragraph 68 nails it: “When the gifts of the spiritual life are embraced and integrated in the active life, they provide the grace needed to overcome the divided life and to humanize us, especially in our work. The first act to which the Church calls the Christian business leader is to receive the sacraments, to accept the Scriptures, to honor the Sabbath, to

pray, to participate in silence and in other disciplines of the spiritual life.

These are not optional actions for a Christian, not mere private acts separated and disconnected from business.”

Promoting the common good is a big, complicated proposition; without question business enterprise has an important role in contributing to the common good; “Vocation of the Business Leader” provides compelling material for reflection — and ultimately action — for business leaders of all kinds.

Tom Bengston writes about faith and the workplace. Reach him at WWW.TOMBENGSTON.COM.

Why does God allow people to commit evil acts?

If God knows everything, then he would have known what Hitler would do. In that case, why didn’t God just not make him?

Ask Father Mike Father Michael Schmitz

God gave us the freedom to choose the good, but with that comes the freedom to choose evil

O

ften when we talk about “Hitler,” we are really talking about the question of evil and suffering in the world. Even more to the point, we are talking about the reality of evil and suffering in my life.

What originally sounds like an abstract intellectual problem is more truly a cry from a heart that sees and experiences anguish.

Let’s begin with your first statement. What does it mean that God knows everything? Classical theology has reminded us of some important points. First, God made time. Sometimes, when we try to imagine God creating the universe, we leave out this crucial element. “Before” God made time, there was no time. This means that God is outside of time.

In a similar way God is “outside” of the universe. He is always present to all of his creation without being limited to one “where.” In a similar way, God is present to all time without being limited to one “when.”

This might seem like a minor point, but it is essential. In creating something (anything) outside of himself and giving it a certain degree

of autonomy, God runs the risk of it going awry. He could keep propping it up or interrupting misuses of freedom, but that would be no freedom at all. While God holds all creation in order (the only reason the universe exists is because God wills that it exists), he has limited himself by making room for freedom. God’s power is not limited, but he has chosen to make a world with certain natural laws (things like gravity, chemistry, physics, etc.) and with free beings (angels, humans). Because of this, God cannot violate certain elements of reason, nor will he violate the free will of those free creatures he has made.

Present at every moment Since God is outside of time, he can be present at every moment of time. There is no past or future with God; all time is now for him. For us, if we were to imagine that we knew the future, it would mean that we knew what was going to happen. It is not the same with God. For God, there is no “going to happen”; it is all happening. The main point that I need to call attention to here is that, while God has knowledge, this does not mean that God causes something to happen. Knowledge does not equal causality. We are free, not fated.

Further, when God made this world (and these free beings) he made it all good. But then this world went wrong. What happened? Well, the short answer is that these free beings (angels and humans) did something with their freedom: They chose evil. They chose not to belong to God and to use each other.

The real question (long before asking about Hitler) should be: Why didn’t God stop Adam and Eve (or even Lucifer) from sinning? Because that’s where the whole show went wrong in the first place. The world was going along so well. Why didn’t God just step in and stop Adam and Eve? Even better, if God knew that they would choose evil, why not just not make them? Or not give them freedom?

Apparently, God believes that freedom is worth the risk. Worth the risk? All of the pain and death we experience is worth freedom?

We know that this world isn’t all there is. If it were, then yes, physical suffering would be the worst thing that could happen. But if people are actually moral and eternal beings, then physical suffering isn’t really the worst thing that can happen to me.

There are higher goods than the mere avoidance of pain and death. God made us for greater things in this

world and this life.

But that is the problem: In making us in his image and giving us freedom, God made us for greatness. And the greater the thing is, the more potential it has to go rotten. This is what has happened with us. We can be very great, and we can be very wicked. The very thing that makes a Mother Teresa possible is what makes a Joseph Stalin possible.

Even so, this is a painful issue. I’ve known people in such pain (physically, emotionally or spiritually) that they’ve cried out, “Why doesn’t God just let me die?” That’s a difficult cry.

I’ve even come across it in the Bible.

The greatest response to the problem of evil is Jesus himself. He is the Suffering Servant who revealed that God is not unmoved or unaffected by our suffering. In fact, he is so familiar with it that he even allowed us to use our freedom to kill him.

Why would he do that? Because it is the same freedom that you and I are able to use at this very moment — to love him.

Father Michael Schmitz is diocesan director of youth/young adult ministry and he leads the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Reach him at MSCHMITZ@DIOCESEDULUTH.ORG.

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Commentary

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

/ This Catholic Life

Political engagement is every Catholic’s duty The following is the first article in the series “Catholics care. Catholics vote.”

By Don Clemmer U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

“Why is the Catholic Church getting involved in politics?”

When uttered aloud, the gut-level revulsion is clearly audible in that question.

It’s a fair question, one that comes up frequently. It’s grounded in history. People ask: “Didn’t the church get burned time and again through the centuries when it got too cozy with various medieval kings and secular powers? Isn’t that how, at one time, it became so corrupt that it sparked the Protestant Reformation?”

The question comes up today, almost regardless of the issue being addressed by the pope, the bishops or even a parish priest. Sandra Day O’Connor once quipped that the definition of an “activist judge” is “a judge who disagrees with me.” Similarly, the complaint about the church meddling in politics can fall conveniently along political fault lines. But there’s still something to be said for people being wary of a church that seems too wrapped up in secular matters and power.

Focus on moral principles The bishops recognize this and draw several key distinctions. To name a couple, the church’s focus is on moral principles and how they should influence policy positions. The church stakes out strong positions on issues, but does not endorse parties or candidates. It recognizes that lay people play a complementary role of more direct involvement in politics that the hierarchy cannot and should not play.

Pope Benedict XVI made this clear in his first encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est,” stating, “The direct duty to work for a just or-

‘Catholics care. Catholics vote’ series to run to Election Day

By Don Clemmer U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

With summer here, more Americans are turning their attention to politics, specifically, to the local, state and federal elections on Nov. 6.

In the 2008 election, we Catholics comprised a quarter of the electorate, by far the largest single religious denomination. We achieved this statistical feat in spite of making up less than a quarter of the total population. So not only are we Catholics a formidable demographic, but an over-represented one at the polls. I’d like to think this is a sign that U.S. Catholics tend to be civicminded and informed when it comes to the issues that affect them, their country and the rest of the world. In short, hopefully it’s because we care.

To feed this demand, The Catholic Spirit will be running a series titled “Catholics care. Catholics vote” from now until Election Day. It will unpack and explore the themes addressed by the U.S. bishops in “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” their document on political responsibility. This will include everything from issues affecting human life and dignity, to hot-button social concerns in our country today, to the principles that shape the conscience formation and civic involvement of Catholics.

Don Clemmer is assistant director of media relations for the USCCB. dering of society . . . is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the State, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity.”

The pope uses the word “called,” meaning not just a role, but a duty. Still one could ask, “Doesn’t political involvement seem kind of peripheral compared to my

other obligations to the faith like participating in the sacraments and helping the poor?”

In “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” the bishops respond with a vision of the church providing society a great service.

“Because we are people of both faith

and reason, it is appropriate and necessary for us to bring this essential truth about human life and dignity to the public square,” the bishops write. “We are called to practice Christ’s commandment to ‘love one another’ (John 13:34).”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says it another way, that it’s necessary for everyone to participate in promoting the common good (#1913-15). Either way, political participation, at its best, is an expression of faith lived out in the world.

Year-round activity The bishops, as pastors and teachers, apply the church’s moral voice to issues affecting human life and dignity in the public square, and Catholics as a whole engage in the political process through such means as voting and, according to the bishops, “running for office; working within political parties; communicating their concerns and positions to elected officials; and joining diocesan social mission or advocacy networks, state Catholic conference initiatives, community organizations, and other efforts to apply authentic moral teaching in the public square.”

This is a year-round deal, but not in the sense of the perpetual campaign that poisons so much political discourse.

Catholics aren’t called to be hyper-partisans waging a scorched earth campaign for permanent political dominance. In fact, the bishops offer the admonition that Catholics shouldn’t let their parties lead them to “neglect or deny fundamental moral truths.”

Instead, Catholics are called to be leaven. The duty of the politically-engaged Catholic isn’t just to take sides in the political debate, but to transform it.

Next issue: The question of conscience.

Many ways exist for Catholics to have a voice on issues “Political participation, at its best, is an expression of faith.”

Our Catholic faith is our life, not merely a Sunday morning hobby. As a church, we have a long tradition of living our faith through works of mercy, such as feeding the hungry or clothing the naked. We also bring hope to our communities by supporting policies in the public square that align with the Gospel — the same teachings that inform our works of mercy, in fact.

The church expresses its official position on public policy matters naJessica Zittlow tionally through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and locally through the Minnesota Catholic Conference. But in today’s political climate, it is not enough for our Catholic bishops to voice their position on an issue; it is necessary for the lay faithful to join the bishops by speaking up themselves and taking action.

Commentary

“The church has a right and responsibility to weigh in on public issues. Her role is to remind legislators and the public of those truths and principles that serve human dignity and the common good and are accessible to all people through reason.

”

Parish activities The church has a right and responsibility to weigh in on public issues. Her role is to remind legislators and the public of those truths and principles that serve human dignity and the common good and are accessible to all people through reason. The church only proposes; she imposes nothing.

To that end, parishes and church organizations may participate in a variety of political activities without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status, including: ■ Advocacy for or against ballot initiatives such as constitutional amendments.

■ Advocacy for or against legislation.

■ Distributing materials related to specific issues that do not reference candidates or parties.

JESSICA ZITTLOW

■ Participating in non-partisan voter registration efforts or get-out-the-vote-drives.

■ Organizing issue-specific letter-writing campaigns or lobby day events.

■ Sponsoring public voter education forums on specific issues.

Individual activities As individual citizens, we are called to be informed voters and to encourage our elected officials to act on behalf of the common good. How do you do this as a Catholic?

1. Educate yourself about both the policy challenges and legislative issues at the local, state and federal

level. Both the MCC and USCCB have numerous resources you can use to educate yourself about important issues facing the community.

2. Email or phone your local and state officials. Sign up for the Minnesota Catholic Advocacy Network (MNCAN) at WWW.MNCC.ORG to receive advocacy action alerts that include simple, quick emailing and calling instructions on your advocacy areas of interest.

3. Write letters. Send them not only to your local and state officials, but also to the editorial department of your local and state newspaper. Are you thinking: “What’s the point? They are biased and only cover what they want to fairly”? Despite secular media taking very public positions on certain issues, the more letters they receive expressing a particular position, the more likely they are to print one. MNCAN offers a media guide through which you can connect to a paper’s editorial department.

4. Visit legislators at district offices. Locations can be found at WWW.GIS.LEG.MN/OPENLAYERS/DISTRICTS/.

5. Attend community events to talk to legislators and public officials.

6. Inform others in your parish about a public policy issue of concern. This includes social justice, pro-life, and marriage and family committees as well as Catholic women’s groups and Knights of Columbus, among others. If you don’t have one of these groups at your parish, start one!

7. VOTE! Encourage others to do the same.

More faithful citizenship resources and ways to get involved can be found under the “Take Action” and “Resources” tabs at WWW.MNCC.ORG. Jessica Zittlow is communications associate with the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

“Hospitality is the virtue which allows us to break through the narrowness of our own fears and to open our houses to the stranger.”

Henri Nouwen

Senior Living JUNE 21, 2012

A Catholic Spirit special section

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

15

St. Joseph Sisters reach out to lay seniors at Carondelet Village

By Susan Klemond

but, not really, because we do know one another quite well.”

For The Catholic Spirit

The call of the St. Joseph Sisters of Carondelet at their order’s founding to “Divide the City” and go where there is need, has taken St. Joseph Sister Karen Kennelly to a variety of locations around the country during her 60 years in the community.

Now, that same call is bringing her and many other sisters together at the St. Paul senior living community, Carondelet Village, to serve each other in their retirement as well as to reach out to lay seniors.

Coming together from different places and living situations, Sister Karen and 141 other sisters are forming a new sense of community with an ecumenical dimension at Carondelet Village as they renew and deepen relationships, and form new ones with the 20 lay residents and other elders in the greater community.

“Carondelet Village is a place where the needs are and the needs are great there and therefore there is a concentration of our sisters there,” said St. Joseph Sister Meg Gillespie a member of the St. Paul Province leadership team.

Located near St. Catherine University, Carondelet Village is a shared ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province and Presbyterian Homes & Services, which, since last December, has offered senior apartments and a full continuum of care. When the development is completed by the end of the year, about 65 additional religious and lay residents will move in, said St. Joseph Sister Katherine Rossini, also a member of the leadership team.

Of the sisters, 100 have come from Bethany Convent, a retirement home operated by the CSJs; others have come from the community’s Provincial House adjacent to Bethany and from individual homes and apartments.

Place to practice ministry

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Carondelet Village, a collaboration of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province and Presbyterian Homes & Services, is a new senior living community in St. Paul that is open to members of the religious community and lay seniors. The facility offers senior apartments and a full continuum of care.

Community begins in chapel Regardless of where they’ve come from, the chapel is a meeting place for the sisters, who gather for daily Mass and prayer.

While the lack of a facility-wide public address system has sometimes meant communication challenges, the sisters keep each other informed, said Sister Karen, who moved from a single room in the Provincial House to a one-bedroom Carondelet Village apartment last December.

Although the move caused some anxiety at first, as the sisters “settled in and helped each other and the other residents that joined them, they became a little bit more relaxed and happy to be in their new space to help create a community en-

vironment,” Sister Katherine said.

St. Joseph Sister Agatha Grossman and her sibling St. Joseph Sister Marie Grossman moved from separate rooms at Bethany last December to the two-bedroom apartment they share. Living in an apartment gives the sisters a place to visit with relatives and other sisters, said Sister Agatha.

“We have more contact with those who are moving in,” she said. “It’s nice to get acquainted with some of the rest of them that are moving in.”

The setting may be new but many relationships between sisters are not, said St. Joseph Sister Jean Wincek, of the leadership team. “Coming to Carondelet Village is like coming together, yes, in a new way

Through a buddy system, the sisters are helping other sisters who have mobility issues and other needs, while also volunteering in other ways, Sister Jean said.

Now partially retired from her position as a St. Joseph’s Hospital chaplain, resident St. Joseph Sister Ann Michele Jadlowski volunteers as a pastoral care minister at Carondelet Village. Sister Ann Michelle said she is grateful to continue her ministry work. “I can see more and more how necessary it is.”

Along with caring for each other, the sisters are reaching out to lay residents and other seniors in the community, the latter whom they want to help stay in their homes by offering a range of services, she said.

“One of the main purposes for putting up the building is for our own sisters and then secondly for knowing the needs for an aging community to have a place in the Highland area,” Sister Katherine said.

“That’s part of our mission to reach out to others, and it’s perfect for us to create that kind of environment.”

Sister Agatha said: “It’s something new, where we’re living with other people, not just sisters. But I think it’s a thing for the future. The sisters more and more have been opening out to other people.”

In her own apartment, Sister Karen cooks for herself and other sisters, something she couldn’t do in her Provincial House room.

Living at Carondelet Village is teaching her to take the initiative, especially toward lay residents, she said.

“With the great majority of the residents here being sisters, we have so many relationships that even predate the building,” she said. “It’s really up to us to reach out to the lay residents.”

(651) 633-1686 innsbruck@bhshealth.org www.bhcinnsbruck.org

“Where health, independence, and choice come to life.”

16

Senior Living

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

Parish programs aim to narrow the generation gap

By Marylynn G. Hewitt Catholic News Service Although so much of today’s education takes place in segregated age groups, some parishes are bucking that trend by offering intergenerational faith formation — teaching everyone, of all ages, at the same time.

Currently, more than 650 parishes across the country are using this model, called Generations of Faith.

They offer separate religious education for sacramental preparation, but for everything else they provide once-a-month group sessions which engage all members of the parish in hands-on learning about central parts of their faith.

Mary Beth Nygaard said people have told her that the only time their family ever eats together is at the parish’s Generations of Faith evenings.

“That’s just incredible,” said the pastoral care director of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Mankato, Minn. “But it’s the way society is now and we do anything we can to bring people together.”

Structured sessions The intergenerational program draws parishioners of all ages together for an evening including an introduction, a shared meal, age-designated learning breakout sessions and a closing activity.

Each meeting is based on a foundational teaching of the church and includes takehome activities.

“It’s a very big change from dropping off your kids and going to the grocery store,” said Nygaard, who has been involved in the 1,200-member parish for 20 years. The Generations of Faith program was added at the parish 12 years ago.

Nygaard said, “We’d had a lot of conversations with people wanting something different and they wanted parental involvement.”

In the years since, she has seen less discipline problems, more family participa-

Catholic News Service

Parishes offer intergenerational faith formation classes for all ages.

tion and parishioners growing in their faith. The older members of the parish “are among those who like it the best,” she said.

Across the country Generations sharing experiences in faith is also the basis of a program called Invitation to Live in Love to be offered in the Diocese of Rockford, Ill. “It’s really a teenage catechesis on the sacrament of matrimony,” said Don Gramer, who with his wife, Lorrie, are diocesan family life directors. Married couples will meet with teens to explore such

topics as marriage as a vocation, masculinity and femininity, the power of affirmation in marriage.

Gramer said he hopes the intergenerational meetings will help teens look at marriage in positive ways.

In Middletown, Conn., Susan Ferraiolo, is just starting Generations of Faith at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, after seeing its success at neighboring St. Mary Parish. She serves as the director of religious education at both parishes.

With the St. Mary Parish now in its sixth year of the program, she has seen “Mass participation improved and an increase in

fellowship. People are more involved and they feel like they know others because of the shared meal.”

For the recent social justice topic local and national organizations were invited to set up stations. Families made sandwiches for a soup kitchen, donated supplies for a pro-life women’s center and learned about national service organizations.

“It was a way to learn part of what we believe as Catholics and to allow people to start participating more fully in ways that would not be a part of a classroom setting,” she said.

Senior Living

JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Seniors find great satisfaction in volunteering

By Liz O’Connor Catholic News Service

Retirees form the core of volunteer programs across the U.S., offering important services especially to the elderly — some of whom are younger than the volunteers.

In the Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y., for example, where Donna Nash coordinates Catholic Charities services for the aging, the majority of volunteers are themselves seniors.

They deliver Meals on Wheels, visit the homebound to provide companionship and outreach, offer a reassuring daily phone call to elderly individuals who live alone, offer counseling on tax preparation and dealing with insurance companies, function as nursing home ombudsmen, give a friendly check to elderly people discharged from hospitals to make sure they’re doing all right, and provide other services.

Stacey Lazurek, who coordinates a visitor program through Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C., said the majority of her volunteers are seniors.

She trains and matches about 100 volunteers to help older adults who are essentially homebound.

Mike Kronn, who is 74, has been a regular visitor to a few people during the past two years and is also on call if someone needs a driver in a pinch.

Visiting those who are very ill “isn’t always pleasant,” Kronn said, but there’s great satisfaction in knowing he’s brought

Volunteering helps seniors stay active and gives them a sense of satisfaction.

Catholic News Service

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Senior Living

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

Helping others keeps seniors active CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 pleasure into someone’s life.

Kronn noted that volunteers are screened and informed about not getting involved in dispensing medications and not lifting a disabled patient because that might endanger the elderly volunteer’s own health.

Finding joy in helping Sue Jepson, 70, is legally blind and has some difficulty walking, but that doesn’t stop her from being active in several organizations and volunteering three or four days a week at the “Loaves and Fishes” program of her local senior center.

She sets the table, helps serve lunch,

and gets coffee for people who range in age from 62 to 90. “I like helping others.

It keeps me from just being bored,” she said in an interview from her home at Catholic Charities-affiliated Caritas Villa in Portland, Ore. She enjoys “seeing people have a better day” because of a program in which she’s involved. She said those who come to the senior center also play bingo, listen to music and “do a lot of chatting.”

Being a senior citizen herself, she said,

“I love it, I really love it. It gets me off the couch, too. What a powerful feeling volunteering is!

”

CINDY HAMBERG

“I kind of can understand where they’re coming from.” Legally blind from birth, she said she cared for her own parents for 12 years and before that “worked lots of places — usually with people.” She said she has lots of memories and is “still making them.”

Cindy Hamberg, 64, recently started running an osteoporosis prevention program called “Bone Builders” at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Winona, Minn.

The group is for people as young as 55 and in their 90s and uses carefully graduated weight-bearing exercise to strengthen muscles, build bone density and improve balance.

“Word is getting out that people need to watch themselves,” and she said she now has about 40 who come regularly.

Hamberg is energetic and enthusiastic, saying, “I love it, I really love it,” and she loves the fact that she can help people who couldn’t afford to go to a gym.

“It gets me off the couch, too,” she said.

“What a powerful feeling volunteering is!”

Senior Living

JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

19

Exercise essential for good health as people age

By Sara Angle Catholic News Service

Exercise might not be able to stop the aging process, but it can certainly prevent or slow down some of its effects.

Exercise can improve the ability to do everyday tasks and manage diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis, and provide increased balance, strength and mood, according to the National Institute on Aging’s Go4Life outreach campaign, which promotes physical activity among older Americans.

A 2010 study from the American Geriatrics Society also found that exercise is especially effective in preventing cognitive disorders in women aged 65 or over. “Women who remain sedentary have nearly twice the chance of cognitive impairment as do women who are active,” said lead study author Laura Middleton of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Canada.

The American Geriatrics Society also points out that exercise can lower one’s risk for falling, which can lead to injury.

Different kinds of exercise The National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health recommends that seniors choose activities that involve four types of exercise: endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. Combining types of exercise not only improves different areas of the body, but it also reduces boredom and prevents overuse of certain muscles.

Exercise such as swimming, walking and yoga are lowimpact but engage the whole body, which makes them ideal for beginner exercisers or those in their golden years.

Whatever a senior’s fitness level is, there are countless options for improving his or her quality of life through exercise and socialization.

“We have a common saying that if you don’t use it, you lose it,” said Justine Merlin, director of therapeutic services at Immaculate Mary Home in Philadelphia.

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Senior Living

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

Helpful tips to prepare homes for senior living

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

When people plan for retirement, they usually make sure their finances are in order and make plans for their upcoming spare time.

Making their homes safer and easier to navigate isn’t often on the top of their todo list, but experts say it should be.

According to a recent AARP study, about 80 percent of Americans age 45 and older prefer to “age in place” or remain in their current homes and communities.

Manufacturers and contractors are responding to this trend by developing new products and technologies and talking a lot about universal-design homes that are accessible to people with or without disabilities.

For more than 70 million baby boomers who are on the edge of retirement, now is the time to remodel or modify potentially dangerous areas in the home — such as the kitchen and bathroom — to avoid future safety hazards.

The American Institute of Architects’ Committee on Design for Aging recommends the following steps: ■ Clear paths. Remove clutter inside a home that can obstruct pathways, such as plants and small furniture items. If a resident uses a walker or wheelchair, there

should be at least 36 inches between objects for easy navigation. Homes also should include plenty of light and have light switches at all room entry points.

■ Adopt a universal design. Small adjustments can enable basic rooms — bedroom, bathroom and kitchen — to be on one floor. Universally designed rooms feature lower countertops, grab bars, level door handles, entryways without steps, wide hallways, and showers without curbs for safety and accessibility.

■ Be more eco-friendly. Make adjustments to help lower energy costs such as substituting traditional light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, replacing old appliances with Energy-Star certified appliances and making sure renovations involve environmentally friendly materials.

AARP similarly suggests that retirees remodel their homes using concepts of universal design, which features a no-step entry, wide doorways, reachable controls and switches, and handles that are easy to use.

It also urges retirees to install universal-design products such as front-loading clothes washers and dryers, side-by-side refrigerators, easy access kitchen storage, nonslip floors, bathtubs and showers, and showers with built-in benches or seats. Other adjustments include windows that are easy to open and easy-to-grasp cabinet pulls.

For more than 70 million baby boomers who are on the edge of retirement, now is the time to remodel or modify potentially dangerous areas in the home — such as the kitchen and bathroom — to avoid future safety hazards.

Catholic News Service

No matter your fitness level or age, exercise options exist CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Residents of Immaculate Mary Home are encouraged to participate to the extent they can. Residents are offered daily exercise such as outdoor strolls to begin their morning and special events that include physical activities, such as gardening for Earth Day, are worked into the schedule.

Another option for exercise is joining a local gym, YMCA or health club, which gives seniors an opportunity to meet and socialize with others like them who are trying to stay healthy and active. Many fitness centers have group exercise sessions that can make exercising seem more like fun than work, alleviating a common roadblock to exercise.

Some facilities even offer specially designed classes for older generations.

Zumba, a Latin and hip-hop inspired dance class and one of the latest fitness crazes being offered at many gyms, also has a Zumba Gold program, tailored for older individuals who want to work at a slower pace with people their own age.

to overcome the obstacle.

“I’ve got a long time to live yet,” said Jones, who does all the exercises with his students.

He said he likes working with seniors because people can relate to his age and see that he takes care of himself.

He advises the group to try everything at their own pace, even sitting down if necessary.

“No matter what your age is, you can still do it; you can do something! You can do it, and it’s not going to hurt you,” he tells them.

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Senior fitness classes St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Roanoke, Va., hosts its own senior fitness class, taught by 83-year-old parishioner Gene Jones. Jones, who holds several regional, national and world titles in bench pressing, didn’t begin exercising until he was 68 years old, but is now certified as a senior fitness adviser.

He works with parishioners in wheel chairs and walkers, using exercise bands to provide resistance to their motions. Although he described his exercises as “nothing major,” he said they are important to health and longevity.

Jones, who suffered from colon cancer, only took off two weeks of exercise during a year of chemotherapy treatments and believes his fitness regimen helped him

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The Lesson Plan

21 John the Baptist sets example for living faith Daily Scriptures

JUNE 21, 2012

Reflections on faith and spirituality

I

magine that you are hosting a fancy party with the best of food and drink for your family and friends.

As the party begins and you’re getting warmed up in the small talk, your old friend John walks in with disheveled hair, wearing clothing made of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. The party grinds to a halt as everyone gasps at his appearance.

You kindly walk over to your old friend and say, “Ah, John, I hate to break this to you buddy, but camel hair hasn’t been in since the Deacon ’70s.”

Leonard Needless to say, our Andrie beloved John the Baptist, who we celebrate this coming Sunday, can teach about following Jesus the Messiah.

The second reading from the Acts of the Apostles relates that John says, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet” (Acts 13:25).

Now, I remember a lesson from school that finger pointing is rude. We aren’t supposed to point fingers at others. It is a sign that we fail to take responsibility. “I didn’t do it, he did!”

John’s pointing, however, is marvelous.

It is a good finger pointing. “I am not the Messiah, he is!”

If we do not have a bumper sticker that says, “I am not the Messiah,” at the very

Readings

Sunday, June 24 Nativity of John the Baptist ■ Isaiah 49:1-6 ■ Acts 13:22-26 ■ Luke 1:57-66, 80

For reflection How are you pointing the way to Jesus in the way you are living your life?

Sunday Scriptures

least, it should be in our hearts and minds as we live out our baptism. That, coupled with one of John’s most beautiful scriptural lines, “He must increase; I must decrease,” (John 3:30) truly makes John a wonderful example for us this week.

A break from tradition The Gospel says that the neighbors asked, “What, then, will this child be?”

(Luke 1:66), after Zechariah surprisingly broke with tradition of not naming the child after himself. “No, he will be called John” (Luke 1:60).

John’s life answers this question beautifully. While John is most commonly known as “the baptist” given that he baptized the people of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Mark 1:5), including Jesus himself (Matthew 3:13-17), he could also be known as John the preparer, the messenger or even the good pointer, as men-

tioned. His life attests to the fact that he was a man of deep prayer, courage and humility.

As we prepare and reflect upon the readings for this week, I suggest that you ask the Lord and yourself, “In what way am I like John the Baptist?” “Does my life ‘point to’ Jesus as the Messiah and if not, what changes could I make so that would better do so?”

Certainly, we would be taken back a little if John showed up at a party today.

However, after overcoming the initial shock, we would do well to pay attention to John because he has a lot to teach us about living the Christian life.

Deacon Leonard Andrie is in formation for the priesthood at The St. Paul Seminary for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His home parish is St. Patrick in Inver Grove Heights and his teaching parish is St. Odilia in Shoreview.

Pope prays Dublin congress draws people closer to Christ, others

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

Pope Benedict XVI called for prayers for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress under way in Dublin, expressing hopes it would lead to a greater appreciation of Jesus’ self-sacrifice and deeper love and unity in the church.

The weeklong gathering, which opened June 10, is “a precious occasion for reaffirming the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the church,” the pope said at the end of his weekly general audience June 13.

Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist is a reminder of his gift of self-sacrifice for all humanity, Pope Benedict said. It’s also through the Eucharist that Christ becomes nourishment for his flock so as “to assimilate ourselves to him and let us enter into communion with him,” which then unites

From the Vatican

all Christians to one another.

In his catechesis, the pope continued his series of talks on prayer in the letters of St. Paul, looking specifically at Paul’s realization that “God’s kingdom comes about not by our own efforts but by the power of God’s grace shining through our poor earthen vessels.”

God’s grace has power In today’s world of advanced technology, it’s easy to put too much faith in the power and efficiency of human invention, the pope said. The power of prayer and God’s grace cannot be underestimated, he said, as he called on people to rediscover and give witness to how growing closer to Christ through prayer, reflection and the sacraments changes lives.

What’s critical, he said, is a consistent and faithful relationship with God every day, “above all during barren, difficult or painful situations and when God seems absent.”

God doesn’t banish evil or suffering from people’s lives as much as he gives them the strength to withstand and over-

come it, he said.

St. Paul learned to face persecution and problems by recognizing his own human weakness and having faith in God’s grace, the pope said.

“We need to have the humility not to rely on ourselves, but to work in the Lord’s vineyard, entrusting ourselves as fragile earthen vessels to him.”

The more people open themselves up to prayer and contemplation of God’s word, the more the Lord will be able to reside in their hearts and “transform our weakness into strength for the Gospel.”

“The divine Word, which came to dwell among humanity, wants to live in us, set up his tent within us, in order to enlighten and transform our lives and the world,” said the pope.

Dedicating time to prayer and reflection is not escaping from reality, he said. It is by contemplating and experiencing the peace and beauty of God’s love that people face the reality of human weakness and the real presence of evil, and draw the strength needed to help others and make an impact on the world.

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Sunday, June 24 Nativity of John the Baptist Isaiah 49:1-6 Acts 13:22-26 Luke 1:57-66, 80 Monday, June 25 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18 Matthew 7:1-5 Tuesday, June 26 2 Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36 Matthew 7:6,12-14 Wednesday, June 27 Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor of the church 2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3 Matthew 7:15-20 Thursday, June 28 Irenaeus, bishop and martyr 2 Kings 24:8-17 Matthew 7:21-29 Friday, June 29 Peter and Paul, apostles Acts 12:1-11 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 Matthew 16:13-19 Saturday, June 30 First martyrs of the Holy Roman Church Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 Matthew 8:5-17 Sunday, July 1 13th Sunday in ordinary time Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 Mark 5:21-43 Monday, July 2 Amos 2:6-10, 13-16 Matthew 8:18-22 Tuesday, July 3 Thomas, apostle Ephesians 2:19-22 John 20:24-29 Wednesday, July 4 Independence Day Amos 5:14-15, 21-24 Matthew 8:28-34 Thursday, July 5 Anthony Mary Zaccaria, priest; St. Elizabeth of Portugal Amos 7:10-17 Matthew 9:1-8 Friday, July 6 Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 Matthew 9:9-13 Saturday, July 7 Amos 9:11-15 Matthew 9:14-17 Sunday, July 8 14th Sunday in ordinary time Ezekiel 2:2-5 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Mark 6:1-6a

22

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

The Lesson Plan

First Amendment is about the Bill not the Pill

By Peter Feuerherd It’s not about the Pill. It’s about the Bill (of Rights).

That’s the view of two legal scholars on religious liberty issues as they observe what they see as an orchestrated campaign against the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.

Helen Alvare, associate professor of law at George Mason University in Virginia, says that one of the most prominent religious liberty issues today revolves around the Obama Administration’s regulation that The First would force many religious Amendment organizations to protects the pay, through free exercise their health of religion, insurance premiums, for which sterilization and includes contraceptives, religious including abortioninstitutions being allowed inducing drugs, for their to operate employees. This with complete mandate would force the integrity.

Catholic Church HELEN ALVARE to violate its own teaching.

“The First Amendment protects the free exercise of religion, which includes religious institutions being allowed to operate with complete integrity,” Alvare said. That integrity includes the right to offer health benefits consistent with “their origins, their mission statements and the teaching of their church.”

Martin Nussbaum, a Colorado Springs-based attorney who works on religious liberty cases, said the Obama administration’s claimed compromise — that would have insurance companies, not the church itself, pay for contraceptive coverage — is a thin fig leaf that doesn’t undo the violation of religious liberty.

“It didn’t change the substantive reality at all,” he said. For him, the administration’s position still compels religious organizations to pay for something even if they morally oppose it.

“

”

Who decides?

While the arguments over the health care mandate have taken center stage, Nussbaum argues that the most intrusive act the administration has taken against religious liberty so far was its stance in the Hosanna Tabor case, in which a Lutheran church was accused of violating employment rights.

The case touched on who decides who is a minister in the church, and the court said the government could not make that decision since it involved an internal church matter.

The administration had argued against the “ministerial exception,” which grants churches the right to select their own teachers and ministers, though the courts have long recognized that the government has no right to interfere in that process.

“The significance of this is impossible to overstate,” Nussbaum said. “[The administration] took the view that

Saints of ‘Fortnight for Freedom’

By Father Michael Van Sloun

(161-180), but Irenaeus held firm.

Catholic teaching was threatened by gnosticism and other heresies, so The Ad Hoc Committee for Irenaeus defended the Catholic faith Religious Liberty of the U.S. with a coherent treatise on Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops has doctrine. Tradition claims that he suggested that U.S. Catholics observe suffered a martyr’s death, but the a “Fortnight for Freedom” — a 14-day evidence is dubious. period from June 21 to ■ June 29: July 4 — as a special Solemnity of Sts. Peter time of prayer, study, and Paul. St. Peter is catechesis and public the first of the Twelve action that emphasizes Apostles; St. Paul is the both our Christian Apostle to the and American heritage Gentiles. Both played of liberty. major roles in the The committee establishment of the recommends Christian church in Rome, and both reflection on the great martyrs that were together in the capital city are remembered during this portion during the later portion of the reign of the liturgical calendar, saints who of the emperor Nero (54-68) who remained faithful in the face of ruthlessly persecuted the church. persecution by political power.

Peter was held in the Mamertine ■ June 21, the vigil, and June 22, prison, placed on trial, and executed, the memorial of St. John Fisher and crucified upside down in the year 64.

St. Thomas More.

Paul was placed under house arrest, St. John Fisher (1469-1535) was the later imprisoned in chains and put to bishop of Rochester, England and an death, beheaded in the year 67. articulate proponent of the Catholic ■ June 30: First Martyrs of Rome. faith at the time of the Protestant This memorial commemorates the Reformation in that country. He Christians in Rome who were courageously upheld the validity of martyred by the emperor Nero in 64.

King Henry VIII’s first marriage to The Great Fire broke out on either Queen Catherine of Aragon and July 16 or 19, 64; it burned for more refused to sanction his subsequent than a week and destroyed more than marriage to Anne Boleyn. He half of the city. Nero falsely blamed strenuously protested the king’s the Christians for the fire, and assertion that he was the “Supreme subsequently his troops went Head of the Church of England,” searching for Christians, arrested refused to sign an oath of loyalty, was them and tortured them. As a public imprisoned in the Tower of London spectacle in Nero’s gardens, large and beheaded on June 22, 1535. numbers were put to death, many St. Thomas More (1477-1535) was a burned at the stake, others devoured husband and father, lawyer, member by wild animals or crucified. of Parliament, devout Catholic and ■ July 3: St. Thomas. St. Thomas is fierce defender of the faith. Because of one of the original Twelve Apostles — his exceptional brilliance, King Henry the one who, when Jesus traveled to VIII appointed him to a number of Jerusalem, said to the others: “Let us increasingly important government also go to die with him” (John 11:16); positions, ultimately chancellor of the in his desire to deepen his faith, asked King’s Court. Like St. John Fisher, he Jesus, “How can we know the way?” would not recognize the king’s second (John 14:6); and after Jesus appeared marriage and refused to sign the oath in the Upper Room declared, “My of loyalty. Steadfast in his loyalty to Lord and my God” (John 20:28). the Catholic Church and staunch in Emboldened by the Holy his opposition to the Spirit after Pentecost, he king’s overreaching traveled as a missionary to authority, he was India. It is believed that he beheaded on July 6, 1535. was a martyr, possibly ■ June 23, the vigil, killed by a spear at “The and June 24, the Big Hill” near Mylapore, solemnity of the Nativity about eight miles from of St. John the Baptist.

Madras, India.

John the Baptist The heroic witness of the fearlessly opposed political martyrs is an inspiration to St. Thomas More power when he all believers. If the martyrs challenged the evil deeds could speak the truth and committed by King Herod Antipas stand up for right in the midst of and his adulterous second marriage to heated debate and ferocious Herodias, the wife of his brother opposition, even if it imperiled their Philip (Luke 3:19-20). Because of his health and safety, then we, the sharp public criticism, the Baptist was present generation of disciples, imprisoned and later beheaded inspired by the Holy Spirit and (Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-29). strengthened by God, can and must ■ June 28: St. Irenaeus (130-200). speak the truth and stand up for what St. Irenaeus was the long-time bishop is right. of Lyons, France. The church endured Father Michael Van Sloun is pastor a terrible persecution at the hands of of St. Stephen in Anoka.

Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor For The Catholic Spirit

government can supervise who your minister is. It can order you to reinstate that minister.”

However, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 9-0 vote, rejected the administration’s argument. Both Justices Antonin Scalia and Elena Kagan — former solicitor general in the Obama administration — expressed astonishment during oral arguments at the administration’s view.

Attacks on religious liberty can spring from disparate issues, Nussbaum said.

For example, he cited an Alabama law — opposed by Catholic and Protestant church leaders — that would have caused ministers and volunteers to risk imprisonment if they were found transporting and assisting Students are undocumented often familiar immigrants.

“That would with the struggle have made Good for individual Samaritan work civil rights. But illegal,” said they are often in Nussbaum, noting that the dark about the state of the rights that Alabama religious eventually backed away institutions are from that guaranteed provision in the under the law.

Constitution.

In New York City, religious MARTIN NUSSBAUM groups have been banned from using vacant public school buildings on weekends for worship services, again a blatant violation of religious liberty, Nussbaum said.

While these issues percolate, the most volatile religious liberty questions remain those around disputes about the nature of sexuality.

More education needed With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate to force employers, including many Catholic institutions, to pay for services that violate their religious beliefs, opponents of the bishops use “a ‘gender equality/ human rights’” argument, Alvare said.

“They hold that sexual expression is itself the good, such that the right to pursue it must be guaranteed to be free of later entanglements or complications.”

Nussbaum said those protective of religious liberty need to loudly warn off public officials who overstep their authority and, if necessary, support laws that overturn regulations that infringe upon religious liberty.

In the long term, he said, education on the prime role that religious liberty has played in American life needs to be bolstered.

Students, he said, are often familiar with the struggle for individual civil rights. But, he added, they are often in the dark about the rights that religious institutions are guaranteed under the Constitution.

Peter Feuerherd is director of communications for the Diocese of Camden, N.J. Reprinted with permission from the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

23

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

Catholic Charities Higher Ground sparks hope for homeless

Jim Bovin / For The Catholic Spirit

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Higher Ground grand opening was held June 7. Participants were Kate Kelly, (left, holding ribbon) interim director of communications and marketing at Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA; Don Samuels, Fifth Ward Minneapolis City Council member; Tim Marx, CEO-Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Gail Dorfman, Third District Hennepin County commissioner; Archbishop John Nienstedt; Mark Stenglein, president and CEO of Minneapolis Downtown Council; and Msgr. Jerome Boxleitner, former executive director of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Catholic News Service

participate in the People’s Summit, a parallel event. These groups will try to signal to government officials what is important to their specific communities.

The Vatican was represented by Sao Paulo Cardinal Odilo Scherer, Pope Benedict XVI’s special envoy to the Rio+20 conference.

U.S. Sister Caroljean Willie, representative of the Sisters of Charity Federation at the United Nations, said although the Rio+20 conference is not likely to produce

Twenty years after the Earth Summit, the world’s leaders will again gather in Brazil to try to set up environmental and development targets for the next decades.

In Rio, Catholics among those hoping to sustain Earth’s future

Higher Ground, Catholic Charities’ new $18 million, 74,000-square-foot home for the homeless at 165 Glenwood Ave. in Minneapolis, was dedicated June 7 with an open house, reception and tours.

During the dedication ceremony, Archbishop John Nienstedt presented a check for $100,000 — in honor of former CEO Paul Martodam and his 35 years of service to the work of Catholic Charities — to support the construction of Higher Ground. That contribution goes above and beyond the $1.4 million the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis provides to support Catholic Charities’ work of serving the poor.

The building, with light flooding in from 294 windows, boasts 336 total housing units — 171 emergency beds, 80 pay-for-stay beds, 74 single room housing units, 11 affordable efficiency units — housing assistance, a computer lab, medical care facility and support services.

John Petroskas, tenant services coordinator at Higher Ground, said in an earlier interview with The Catholic Spirit, the new campus will allow people to move up and move on to independent living. Read the article, which ran in the June 7 issue, at THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT.COM.

Although discussions at high government levels are taking place June 20-22 at the U.N. Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, beginning June 15 thousands of nongovernmental agencies and groups gathered in Rio de Janeiro to

any earth-shattering resolutions, her organization would like to see several things emerge from the conference.

Among them are mechanisms for accountability for concrete sustainable development goals; a carbon fee for fuel extraction; the end of fossil fuel subsidies; the right to food and water sovereignty and security; the development of a mechanism for corporate social responsibility and accountability.

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“We used to ask ourselves, ‘What do we need to tell the people?’

Now we have to ask ourselves, ‘What do people want to hear from us?’”

Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Communications

24

Arts & Culture THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Exploring our church and our world

‘Small Mercies’ found in life’s little moments

“Small Mercies: Glimpses of God in Everyday Life”

by Nancy Jo Sullivan. Loyola Press (St. Paul, 2012).

112 pp., $12.95.

Review by Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit

“Small Mercies: Glimpses of God in Everyday Life” is an easy reading collection of anecdotes from which Nancy Jo Sullivan has reached back and harvested the God moments.

Those are the small mercies of the title, mercies she suggests her readers take the time to share with others as part of their own lives.

You can speed through Sullivan’s newest work in less than an hour; the language is that familiar. Written at her kitchen table in St. Paul, it’s the kind of personal, real-life prose that makes you almost feel that Sullivan is sitting with you at your own kitchen table sharing the stories over a cup of coffee.

The points she makes in each of the 20 short chapters aren’t rocket science, just, well, small mercies — good things not to forget, good things to remember to do. They touch on topics like unconditional acceptance, remembering one’s dreams, dealing with the loss of a marriage and a child, fear of the future, taking risks, heartache and, of course, hope.

A divorced Catholic and mother of three daughters, one a girl with Down syndrome who lived to only 23, Sullivan senses God touching her life almost at every turn. She puts it this way: “The most precious revelations of God’s love are often hidden in the ordinary moments that shape our days. . . . We can find God’s small mercies in the mundane conversations we share at the kitchen table or in the unexpected chats we have with strangers. When we encourage a coworker, support a friend or receive the care of a loved one, God’s mercies shine brightly, like votive candles.”

Women “of a certain age,” as they say, may best ap-

preciate the voice that 50-something Sullivan writes from — that of a woman looking back at her motherhood years yet looking forward to being more than an empty-nester, finding the courage to see herself as more than a wife and mother, grieving yet coping.

She has a great line there. After cleaning out photos of her grown children and filling 10 scrapbooks, she writes about finally being ready to move on.

Her own future, as she puts it, is “an empty scrapbook waiting to be filled.”

You’ll find gems of that kind of turn-of-phrase sprinkled throughout “Small Mercies.” It’s inspiring writing.

At times Sullivan seems to reach a bit to connect an anecdote with a spiritual lesson, but it’s a minor fault if a fault at that. If anything, it’s a reminder to readers to look for God in all things. As Sullivan writes, “God is always closer than we think.”

At the end of each chapter Sullivan uses the framework of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to invite reflection and offer thoughts and ideas for how readers, too, can share God’s small mercies and put them into practice for the next chapters in their own lives.

For this Loyola Press 112-page paperback, it’s just the right, helpful touch.

Bob Zyskowski is The Catholic Spirit’s associate publisher. Reach him at ZYSKOWSKIR@ARCHSPM.ORG.

Website helps young Catholics grow in faith ‘Any Given Sunday’ features reflections on weekly Mass readings for teens

By Colleen Rowan Catholic News Service

Young Catholics have a new website available to them featuring nationally known Catholic speakers, musicians and comedians who have teamed up to help them grow in their faith.

Any Given Sunday, reflections for the young church, features 45 national Catholic youth ministry personalities — including Steve Angrisano, Chris Padgett, Matt Maher, Shannon Cerneka and Jamie Dillon — who write reflections for the weekly Mass readings. Each week, the site offers a reflection from one of the participating personalities.

The site — WWW.ANYGIVENSUNDAYPROJECT.COM — was created by Bob Perron, executive director of the Department of Youth Ministry in the Diocese of WheelingCharleston, W.Va., with the intent of reaching out to West Virginia’s Catholic youths but also to reach the young church wherever it may be.

“We want to make young disciples; we want to help young people grow in their faith,” Perron told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the diocese. “We wanted to give young people, 13 to 18 years old, something that would help prepare them for Mass and to maybe make it

a little more interesting to them.

“Each week, kids can go on their phone or on their computer and go to Any Given Sunday where there is a short video message for the week from me or a youth board member and then the reflection,” he said.

Good response Reflections are geared toward the young Catholic audience. The site contains background screens for youth, parish resources, information pieces on the site, links to Mass readings on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website and much more. The site has had a huge response, Perron said, and has had hits from Canada and Switzerland.

Perron said he got the idea for the site because of the diversity and geography of the Diocese of WheelingCharleston, which covers the entire state of West Virginia.

He said he hopes that the site will go viral as it has received much support from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.

Diocesan youth directors across the country will receive information about the site, and participating Catholic youth ministry personalities are also posting information about the site on their blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. The site also provides a mobile version; and visitors to the site may subscribe to weekly email reminders about the reflections.

JUNE 21, 2012

Vatican set to control new ‘catholic’ Internet domain

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

The Vatican is in line to control the new Internet address extension “.catholic” and decide who is allowed to use it.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit corporation that coordinates the assignment of Internet domain names and addresses around the world, announced the Vatican’s formal application June 13 in London.

The corporation is overseeing a huge expansion in the number of Internet extensions beyond the standard .com, .org., .edu and .gov. The extensions formally are known as generic top-level domains. The assignment of country-code toplevel domains, like the Vatican’s own .va, will not be affected by the change.

Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, told Catholic News Service that the Vatican’s application to control the top-level domain .catholic “is a recognition of how important the digital space is for the church.”

Controlling the top-level domain “will be a way to authenticate the Catholic presence online,” Msgr. Tighe said. The Vatican plans to allow “institutions and communities that have canonical recognition” to use the extension, “so people online — Catholics and nonCatholics — will know a site is authentically Catholic.”

The Vatican does not plan to allow individual bloggers or private Catholics to use “.catholic,” Msgr. Tighe said.

Use of the domain would be limited to those with a formal canonical recognition: dioceses, parishes and other territorial church jurisdictions; religious orders and other canonically recognized communities; and Catholic institutions such as universities, schools and hospitals.

The Vatican filed four separate applications for new domain names, seeking to control “.catholic” and its equivalent in other languages using Latin letters, as well as the equivalent of the word “Catholic” in the Cyrillic, Arabic and Chinese alphabets.

The fee for each application was $185,000, which Msgr.

Tighe said “is a lot of money, but if you think of the money you have to spend to maintain a church structure,” and then consider how important the structure of the Catholic presence on the Internet is, it was a good investment.

Vetting process ongoing

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has set up a process for resolving conflicting claims to the same or very similar names, although an auction of some extensions is possible. It said that of the 1,930 applications received, “there are 231 exact matches” with two or more applicants competing for the domain name. The Vatican was the only applicant asking for .catholic.

At the London news conference announcing the applications, Rod Beckstrom, president of the Internet corporation, said no one had yet been granted the rights to any of the requested domain names. The vetting process is ongoing and even entities that appear to have a right to the name and the ability to run the new domain are unlikely to have anything online before spring 2013, said Kurt Pritz, vice president.

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

Chicken and rib dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Every Wednesday: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations.

Parish events Summerfest at St. Stephen, Anoka — June 23: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 525 Jackson St. Features crafts, food, 5K Sun Run/Walk, inflatable games, entertainment and more.

For information, visit WWW.STSTEPHENCHURCH .ORG.

JUNE 21, 2012 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Don’t miss Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday This year’s annual Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday celebration will be hosted by Don and Judy Pfarr at Pfarr’s Pond in Le Sueur on June 24 and is sponsored by St. Anne parish.

Beginning at 2 p.m., it includes the Eucharistic Liturgy of the Sunday and a creation blessing with Bishop Lee Piché presiding.

Family activities will follow — including a pulled pork lunch.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Limited seating will be available.

Pfarr’s Pond is located at 38276 320th St. For more information contact the Office of Parish Services at (651) 290-1647.

Retirement picnic and reception for Father Stephen Adrian of St. Matthew, St. Paul — June 23 and 24: Mass and potluck picnic Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Cherokee Park in St. Paul. Reception Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at St. Matthew, 490 Hall Ave.

Summer concert series at Guardian Angels, Oakdale — June 24: 7 p.m. at 8260 Fourth St. N. ‘Closer to the Latin’ Ensemble Aventura performs music of Cuba, Argentina, Brazil and more.

Rummage sale at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — June 28 to 30: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday (bag day) at 155 County Road 24.

Retirement celebration for Father Charlie Froehle at Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis — June 30: 5:30 p.m. Mass followed by a reception in the Great Hall at One Lourdes Place.

Basilica Block Party at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — July 6 and 7: Features Headlining band Train, as well as The Avett Brothers, Matt Kearney and many more.

Visit www.basilicablockparty.org.

Prayer/ liturgies Sant’Egidio Community Evening Prayer at St. Richard, Richfield — every Thursday: 7 p.m. at 7540 Penn Ave. S. Legion of Mary prayers in front of Planned Parenthood, St. Paul — Every Friday: 3 p.m. at the corner of Vandalia and Charles. For information, call (651) 439-9098.

eye, professor of ethics and business law, University of St. Thomas. Speakers: Teresa Collett, professor of law, University of St. Thomas; R. Mary Lemmons, associate professor of philosophy, University of St. Thomas; Deborah Savage, clinical professor, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. Cosponsored by the Siena Symposium for Women, Family and Culture.

'Religious Liberty, Conscience Rights, and Participation of Faith Communities in the Public Square’ at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minneapolis — June 28: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Speakers include: Eric Magnuson, retired chief justice, Minnesota Supreme Court; Andy Eisenzimmer, chancellor for civil affairs, Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis; Father Daniel Griffith, faculty fellow, University of St. Thomas School of Law. This Continuing Legal Education Seminar is open to the public; a $20 registration fee for nonlawyers includes lunch. Co-sponsored by the University of St. Thomas Pro-Life Law Center.

Fortnight for Freedom Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, St. Paul — June 28: 5:15 p.m. at 239 Selby Ave. Co-celebrants will be Archbishop John C. Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A Piché. The Mass will invoke the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul to help us strive to defend the first freedoms of our nation.

Festival at Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — June 23: Noon to 8 p.m. at 401 Concord St. Features Latino music, Mexican and American foods, dancing and more.

Festival at Annunciation of Hazelwood, Northfield — June 24: Chicken and ham dinner from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Festival and consignment auction at 11:30 a.m. at 4996 Hazelwood Ave. Cost for dinner is $10 for adults and $5 for children 5 to 11.

25

Rosary of the unborn at Pregnancy Choices LifeCare Center, Apple Valley — Every Thursday: 7:15 p.m. at 15026 Glazier Ave. For information, visit WWW.ROSARYOFTHEUNBORN.COM. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Agnes, St. Paul — June 24: 2 p.m. at 548 Lafond Ave. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Columba, St. Paul — July 1: 2 p.m. at 1327 Lafond Ave. Taizé prayer service at St. Richard, Richfield — July 6: 7:30 p.m. on the first Friday of each month at 7540 Penn Ave. S. Taizé is an ecumenical prayer service that focuses on simple meditative songs, scripture, and contemplative silence.

World Apostolate of Fatima Vigil of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary at St. Joseph, West St. Paul — July 6 and 7: 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at 1154 Seminole Ave. For information, call (651) 457-3285 or WWW.FATIMAONLINE.ORG. All night vigil with the Blessed Sacrament at Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — July 6 and 7: 7 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday at 401 Concord St.

Other events ‘Turning Our Gaze to Christ’ evangelization event at the Mayo Civic Center, Rochester — June 22 and 23: Features a concert and holy hour at St. John the Evangelist Church,

Rochester, on Friday evening at 8:30 p.m.; Mass Saturday at 8 a.m., followed by a Eucharistic procession and an outdoor concert on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Diocese of Winona. For information and to register, visit WWW.DOW.ORG. ‘The Many Faces of Mary’ procession and celebration at Totino-Grace High School, Fridley — June 24: Start gathering at 1:30 p.m., procession begins at 2 p.m. at the school’s athletic field, 1350 Gardena Ave. N.E. Features images of Mary, banners, and native clothing from the representative countries of origin. Also enjoy ethnic food and music. For information, call (763) 780-9569.

‘The Magician’s Nephew’ presented by Open Window Theatre, Minneapolis —June 26 to July 1: 7 p.m. Tuesday thru Sunday, Matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. at 1313 Chestnut Ave. For information, visit WWW.OPENWINDOWTHEATRE.ORG.

Twin Cities Catholic Cursillo weekend retreat for men at St. Michael, Prior Lake — July 12 to 15: The Cursillo is an encounter of self, Christ, and others (friends in Christ) with an abbreviated course in prayer, study and fellowship. for information, visit WWW. TC-CURSILLO.ORG.

Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50-plus 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.

Singles group at St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park — ongoing second Saturday each month: 6:15 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N. Gather for a potluck supper, conversation and games. For information, call (763) 4250412.

School events

‘Religious Liberty: Our Most Cherished Freedom’ at Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul — June 21: 7 to 9 p.m. at Steiner Hall, 1900 Wellesley Ave., St. Paul. Speakers: Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference; Father Daniel Griffith, faculty fellow of law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law; and Teresa Collett, professor of law, University of St. Thomas. Co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.

Renaming event for Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, West St. Paul — June 21: 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 335 Hurley St. Registered and interested families will be able to meet the teachers, see the new school uniforms, and participate in the blessing of the school. Visit WWW.COMMUNITYOFSAINTS.ORG.

'Deceits and Conceits: The False Conflict of Religious Freedom with Women’s Liberty’ at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul — June 27: 7 to 9 p.m. Moderator: Jeanne Buck-

75th anniversary all-school reunion at Holy Spirit, St. Paul — June 23: 4:30 p.m. Mass with celebration to follow at 515 S. Albert St. For information, call (651) 698-3353.

Build your business with Catholic Spirit display and web advertising!

Call 651-291-4444 for information

Thank You to our sponsors for making this event possible!

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Archbishop John C. Nienstedt

Emcee Tom Hauser KSTP-TV

Archbishop John C. Nienstedt will present the “Leading With Faith” Awards at a noon luncheon banquet on Wed., August 15, 2012, Rauenhorst Hall, Coeur de Catherine building, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul.

PATRON SPONSOR

SPONSORS

For reservations, call Mary Gibbs 651-251-7709 or email gibbsm@archspm.org

Economic Justice for All We cannot separate what we believe from how we act in the marketplace and the broader community, for this is where we make our primary contribution to the pursuit of economic justice.

— Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986

27

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 21, 2012

Many ways to commemorate your Faith CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

The renewal, or even initial contact with our missions in San Felix, Venezuela and/or Kitui, Kenya by the parish council or another group of parishioners can help raise the consciousness among Catholics of our need to recognize the “missionary character” of our Catholic faith.

Ecumenical prayer services and discussions can help to deepen an appreciation of what our faith shares in common with other denominations as well as what are the major hurdles to that Christian unity for which Jesus prayed so ardently.

“It is my hope that every Catholic home will join in this evangelization effort by having on its bookshelf a copy of the Bible as well as a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Both provide great resources for meditation, study and prayer.

”

ARCHBISHOP JOHN NIENSTEDT

Family participation As for the important participation of families in the commemoration of this Year of Faith, I would suggest a renewal of

the custom of the blessing of homes by a priest or a deacon. Enthronement of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is another

powerful devotion that can be undertaken by families.

In addition, it is my hope that every

Catholic home will join in this evangelization effort by having on its bookshelf a copy of the Bible as well as a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Both provide great resources for meditation, study and prayer.

As Cardinal Levada of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wrote so perceptively in commenting on the Holy Father’s announcement: “Every initiative for the Year of Faith should be designed to aid in the joyous rediscovery of the faith and its renewed transmission.”

I urge our clergy, religious and lay leadership to begin thinking of ways in which we can make this Year of Faith truly effective and meaningful in the lives of our people.

May God bless you!

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“The faith that I had before is a faith of fear: fear of hell and fear of death. But the Catholic faith is different; it is a faith of love. We love people so we reach out to them. I want to work with the church and use my life and energy and talents for the good of people.”

Ying-Yi Lee, 32, Catholic convert

28

Overheard THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Quotes from this week’s newsmakers

First comes ordination, then comes joy

JUNE 21, 2012

Teachers hoping El Salvador trip provides lessons for students

By Sara Kovach The Catholic Spirit

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Father Paul Lickteig, center, begins the celebration at the conclusion of his ordination Mass June 9 at St. Thomas More in St. Paul. He was ordained a Jesuit priest along with Father William Blazek, right. Archbishop John Nienstedt was the principal celebrant and performed the ordination. Father Lickteig, 37, is from Bloomington, and said his Mass of Thanksgiving June 10 at St. Edward in Bloomington. The last time a Jesuit priest ordination took place in this archdiocese was in 2003, when four men were ordained by Archbishop Harry Flynn.

Father Adrian, long-time promoter of social justice, to retire St. Matthew in St. Paul will celebrate with its pastor, Father Stephen Adrian, his 44 years of full-time ministry and his upcoming retirement, with a 4:30 p.m. Mass The on Saturday, June 23, Catholic Spirit and a picnic at Cherokee Park in St. Paul. In case of inclement weather, the Mass and picnic will be at St. Matthew. The celebration will continue with a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 24, in St. Matthew’s social hall.

“Father Steve has been a tremendous advocate for education,” said Carol Mike, parish secretary and parishioner at St. Matthew. He served on the board at Archbishop Brady High School and St. Matthew and has been working on the establishment of the new Community of Saints Catholic School, Mike said. “He has supported the St. Mary’s Clinic, which operates out of our parish building during the week, and the Loaves and Fishes Program,” she added.

A long-time advocate of affordable housing, Father Adrian was one of the founders of the St. Paul Ecumenical Alliance of Congregations and the Neighborhood Development Alliance, which both provide help with housing for the poor and homeless.

He was presented the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Local Legend award by the General Mills Foundation in 2004.

News Notes

DeLaSalle High School names principal to post as president Barry Lieske was named president of De-

LaSalle High School in Minneapolis on June 11. Lieske, who has worked at the school since 1979, has served as principal for 19 years. He has served as interim president since January, following the illness and death of his predecessor, Brother Michael Collins. Lieske and his wife, Barbara, and three daughters are members of Our Lady of Peace in Minneapolis.

Catholic Charities during May and June.

Donate at CCTWINCITIES.ORG/DONATE and select “Spring Challenge Gift,” or send a check with “Challenge” on the memo line to Catholic Charities, 1200 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55403.

First girl to earn Marian Award attends Nativity, Bloomington

The Basilica of St. Mary’s Cathedral Choir is singing in Europe June 15-24. The choir will sing in the Belgian cathedrals of Antwerp, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Tielt and will end its tour in Paris with a concert and Mass at Notre Dame. Johan van Parys, the Basilica’s director of liturgy and sacred arts, said few choirs are chosen for the honor of singing at Notre Dame.

Julia Baier, a member of Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, was the only girl among 50 youth to receive religious scouting awards at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis recently.

Baier earned the Mary the First Disciple Award, also called the Marian Award, through American Heritage Girl, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country. She is the first AHG member to earn the award in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Father Peter Laird, archdiocesan vicar general, celebrated the Mass during which 29 Boy Scouts also received Ad Altare Dei awards and 17 high-school-aged Boy Scouts received Pope Pius XII awards.

Last chance to double your Catholic Charities contribution Time is running out to double the impact of your contribution to Catholic Charities. An anonymous donor has pledged $100,000 to match every dollar sent to

Basilica choir sings in Europe with concert at Notre Dame

Chaska’s SayHey5k supports city, Guardian Angels Church Some 75 percent of the funds from the SayHey5k are earmarked to support downtown Chaska storefront restoration and 25 percent for restoration of Guardian Angels, a Chaska landmark for more than 150 years.

The race is set for Saturday, June 30, in downtown Chaska. Registration includes race shirt, pre-race meal, post-race meal, live music, race, local discounts and more.

Registration starts at just $15 (early child registration).

Registrations are accepted in person at local businesses, by mail (print forms from WWW.SAYHEY5K.COM/REGISTER), or register online at WWW.SAYHEY5K.COM/STORE.

Seven Catholic school educators left June 15 for a week-long immersion trip to El Salvador.

The trip focuses on commemorating the lives of martyrs, including Archbishop Oscar Romero, assassinated in 1980.

“We call the trip more of an immersion trip because it gives them the chance to get to know our brothers and sisters in faith face-to-face,” said Mike Haasl, Center for Mission global solidarity coordinator.

Center for Mission, the global mission outreach office of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, partners with Friends Across Borders, a program run by the Maryknoll Lay Missioners, to offer the annual immersion trip.

The experience allows the educators to meet and make new friends with the Salvadorans and to learn about their culture, faith and history.

Continuing education Haasl said he hopes the educators carry what they learned with them back to their students.

“We offer two follow-up sessions when they return so they can receive continued education credits,” said Haasl. “There they can sketch a plan on how to integrate what they learned from the trip and how they will teach it.”

In years past, he said, groups have continued to meet even after the two sessions.

Sarah Carlson, a member of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, is looking forward to visiting the sites where Archbishop Romero lived and was assassinated. “To have the chance to pray at these sites will be life-changing for me,” she said.

To follow the group currently in El Salvador, Sarah Carlson is daily updating her blog, THEVIOLENCEOFLOVE. WORDPRESS.COM. Carlson said the group named the blog “The Violence of Love” from Archbishop Romero’s quote: “We have never preached violence, except the violence of love, which left Christ nailed to a cross, the violence that we must each do to ourselves to overcome our selfishness and such cruel inequalities among us.”

For more information regarding future Center for Mission trips or projects, contact Mike Haasl at HAASLM@ARCHSPM.ORG or (651) 291-4504.