The Catholic Spirit - September 23, 2010 by The Catholic Spirit Publishing Co.

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September 23, 2010

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Eight permanent deacons will be ordained Sept. 25. But why are they the last class until 2015? — Page 6A Islam in America What the church, scholars have to say about MuslimCatholic dialogue.

She loves to make them smile

Catholic News Service

The big ques- shares her tion going into experience the Sept. 16-19 visit was wheth- of the pope’s er the German visit. — Page 8A pope would be given a fair hearing in a country where skepticism about religion runs high. The answer was a resounding “yes.” Not only did the pope speak his mind, but he also received unprecedented gavel-to-gavel coverage in the British media.

What is exorcism?

Page 14A

By John Thavis In terms of his primary objectives — preaching the Gospel to his flock and defending the influence of religion in society — Pope Benedict XVI can A letter from look at his four- Liverpool: day visit to Great Britain as St. Kate’s president a major success.

Page 13A

You may only hear of the ritual from Hollywood, but exorcism still has a role in today’s church.

In Britain, despite protests, pope gets a fair hearing

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Shelly Himsel, left, responds to a book being read to her by Patti Durham, a senior at Burnsville High School and a member of St. John the Baptist in Savage. Durham serves as a volunteer with the Dakota Alternative for the Severely Handicapped. Her efforts have earned her a Champion for Life Award for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Every year, the Office of Marriage, Family and Life recognizes outstanding pro-life volunteers.

Local Catholics honored as Champions for Life By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

Of all the kids she encounters at Burnsville High School, Patti Durham has gotten to know some special ones. During the past five years, she’s spent her study hall time at school working with severely handi-

capped peers, who, she said, have shown her more about what it means to be pro-life. “It’s kind of like Mother Teresa, taking care of absolutely everybody, no matter what,” said Durham, who will be honored Oct. 21 by the archdiocesan

Papal events were broadcast live, and every newspaper devoted several pages each day to the pope’s words, which focused largely on the right of the church to have its voice heard in the public square. Some newspapers even published full texts of his major speeches and sermons — something that rarely happens on papal trips. The flip side of such interest was that the pope’s critics also had their day in the limelight. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in peaceful but vehement dissent on

PLEASE TURN TO CHAMPIONS ON PAGE 15A PLEASE TURN TO POPE ON PAGE 8A

New website offers more than just a sharper look The Catholic Spirit If you’ve visited THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM since Sept. 10, you’ve likely noticed it received a makeover. It features larger photos, more easily readable fonts and a slicker overall image, thanks to The Catholic Spirit’s website coordinator, Craig Berry. It was time for a change, said Berry, who has worked in the information technology and Internet field for more than 13 years. The website’s open source content management system (CMS) had grown obsolete, and THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM needed to update or move to a new system. It chose a new system that is better designed to meet the heavy content demands of a newspaper website, Berry said.

New look, technologies Techie talk aside, the website was due for a fresh face. “It’s common for websites to ‘reboot’ with a new design every

TheCatholicSpirit.com two to three years, and not just for reasons of aesthetics,” Berry said. “New web technologies are being developed constantly, and a website has to take advantage of them to stay current and meet the visitors’ expectations.” THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM receives an average of 20,000 to 30,000 visitors a month — up significantly from three years ago, when the average was 5,000 a month. Regular visitors might notice three main changes, Berry said: A warmer and more pleasing color scheme. Better ‘readability’ through judicious use of white space and line spacing. PLEASE TURN TO SOCIAL ON PAGE 4A

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Many activities, blessings mark fall’s arrival

That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt

Diaconate ordination, Respect Life Sunday and World Mission Sunday are among the special events coming up

While the summer months never seem to slow down enough, September, by way of contrast, has certainly been characterized by a flurry of activities. One of the highlights for me thus far has been the opening Mass at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, which this year marks a record enrollment of 98 resident students of which 40 seminarians are from this archdiocese. What a tremendous blessing that is! The blessings continue this Saturday, when I will be ordaining eight men to the diaconate, again another sign of the Lord’s goodness to us as a local church. Then, there are the restarts to “lectio divina” at the University of St. Thomas, pastoral visits to both seminaries and parishes and a whole host of regular board meetings. This year, I have also accepted an invitation to celebrate a September Sunday evening liturgy at St. John’s University in Collegeville for the students there. Prayers requested October also appears to be an equally busy month of activity. Meetings are being scheduled around the announcement of

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. 15 — No. 20 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. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. www.TheCatholicSpirit.com e-mail: catholicspirit@archspm.org USPS #093-580

“Since mid-term elections are a month away, [Respect Life Sunday] also offers us the opportunity of stressing how important the issue of life is in building a society that ought to protect and defend the most vulnerable among us, especially the unborn and the aged.

”

ARCHBISHOP JOHN NIENSTEDT

our new Strategic Plan for Parishes and Schools, which will be made on the weekend of Oct. 16-17. I continue to ask for the prayers of everyone in the archdiocese for the specific intention of a general understanding and acceptance of the decisions that have to be made. In addition, Oct. 2-3 will mark Respect Life Sunday at the weekend liturgies. This is another opportunity for Catholics of all ages to renew their respect for every human being from conception to natural death. Since mid-term elections are a month away, this Sunday also offers us the opportunity of

stressing how important the issue of life is in building a society that ought to protect and defend the most vulnerable among us, especially the unborn and the aged. We must do all in our power to create a culture of life, and our use of the ballot box on Nov. 2 is one concrete way of doing so. October is also Criminal Justice Month, which draws our attention to the issues of criminal justice and imprisonment. Concerns in this area range from questions of rehabilitation, education and job training for inmates to programs of rePLEASE TURN TO I ASK ON PAGE 11A

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 1-800-435-5189

Catholic Charities names co-CEO CEO Paul Martodam diagnosed with cancer The Catholic Spirit The board of directors of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis has named Robert K. Spinner as co-CEO to share responsibility and authority with CEO Paul Martodam. The board has also named a search committee to begin a national search for a new chief executive officer. Martodam recently announced he MARTODAM has cancer. Martodam and Spinner will have equal responsibilities for and authority in the agency. Martodam recently informed the board of directors and staff of Catholic Charities that he has stage IV esophageal cancer that has spread. “The board of directors and all of Catholic Charities has dedicated themselves to supporting Paul and his family as they go through this journey. These decisions were made with Paul’s full support and at his urging,” Mary W. Frey, chair of the board of directors, was quoted in a press release from the agency. “We are heartbroken at Paul’s diagnosis. We are amazed by his grace and his sense of peace. And we are humbled by his dedication to taking care of the agency, allowing us to serve those most in need,” she said.

Ongoing leadership The board made these decisions because of the uncertainty of the course of Martodam’s cancer and how he will respond to continued treatment and because of the need to provide continued leadership to the agency. Martodam became CEO of Catholic Charities in January. He previously served as CEO of Catholic Charities in Phoenix, a position he held since 1993. Spinner served as interim CEO from June 2009 to December 2009 and was previously chair of the board. He also previously was president of Allina Hospitals and Clinics.

Obituary Father Wilfrid Upson served poor, alcoholics Oblate Father Wilfrid Upson, 80, died Sept. 5 at St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood. Father Upson served in the archdiocese as pastor of St. Mary in downtown St. Paul from 1976 to 1985. In 1998, he became a resident at St. Casimir in St. Paul and a pastoral volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission. He was noted throughout his priesthood for working with alcoholics and the poorest of the poor. For the past two years, he was a resident at the Cerenity Center in St. Paul. A funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 9 at St. Mary in St. Paul, with interment Sept. 14 at St. Henry’s Oblate Cemetery in Belleville, Ill.

“Meeting the needs of the poor and homeless requires everyone — including government — to be at the table.” Becky Lentz, communications director for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Local SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

News from around the archdiocese

The Catholic Spirit

Poverty rises: Can Catholic Charities keep up? in St. Paul has up to 210 people sleeping on mats on the floor, Lentz reported. As demand for services is increasing, Catholic Charities has been forced to decrease staff and freeze wages. “Because of the sacrifices of staff and the support of donors, businesses and foundations, we’ve been able to maintain our level of service to people in need,” she said. “This cannot go on indefinitely.” Cutting programs that serve the most vulnerable hurts families and children, Lentz said. “Studies show that the less time people spend homeless, the more likely they are to be successful at maintaining housing,” she said.

By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

Every day, Danquita Harris, 11, encourages her dad, Mark Harris, to pray: Pray for a job and a place of their own to live. Mark is struggling to find work that fits into Danquita’s school schedule, which runs from about 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ramsey County requires children to be with their parents at all times Read more while living at the about the U.S. family shelter at Census report Catholic Charities’ Family Service Center on poverty, in Maplewood, where page 9A the two have been living since Sept. 9. “I have three people that want to hire me, but I can’t work because of my daughter’s school schedule,” he said. “I don’t want to depend on the public system to take care of me and my child. I want to get out on my own and work.” Harris previously worked in Chicago at a McDonald’s restaurant as a supervisor for a security company. He and his daughter moved to the Twin Cities Aug. 31 to get away from frequent gunfire. Danquita said, “I feel this would be a good place for my dad to raise me, instead of every time he looks on the news, there is a little kid getting shot.” The Harrises are among the many people being served by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. They, like the others, face added hurdles due to the current economic crisis.

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Preventing homelessness Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Mark Harris and his daughter, Danquita, play a game in their room at Catholic Charities Family Service Center in Maplewood.

Poverty rate climbing A Sept. 17 report from the U.S. Census Bureau noted that the national poverty rate climbed to 14.7 percent, the highest since 1994. It said 43.6 million Americans — one in seven — were living in poverty in 2009. The number of people without health insurance, 50.7 million, is at an all-time high. “The last two fiscal years have proven difficult,” said Becky Lentz, Catholic Charities’ communications director. “We, like many nonprofits, saw a decrease (about 10 percent in 2009) in donations while seeing a huge increase in demand.”

After visits to the agency’s food shelves doubled between June 30, 2008, and July 1, 2009, the number increased 27 percent in the same period between 2009 and 2010. But, while the amount of increase was less this past year, it was not because the need lessened, Lentz noted. “We are at capacity. We literally cannot fit any more appointments into the hours that the food shelves are open,” she said. In addition, there has been a 70 percent jump in the number of clients in the counseling program who don’t have insurance, and emergency shelters are “beyond filled.” Most nights, the Dorothy Day Center

A Sept. 23 report on the Family Homeless Prevention and Rapid ReHousing Program in Ramsey County showed the benefits of helping people before they become homeless. Catholic Charities developed the program in 2009, in collaboration with the YMCA of St. Paul, with federal stimulus funding. In the first eight months, the program helped 173 families — 571 individuals — at “imminent risk” of being homeless to avoid homelessness. It cost $103,627 to help those 173 families, the report noted. It would have cost $731,790 to provide emergency shelter for the same families for 30 days. “Helping a family avoid homelessness in the first place not only saves society money in the long run but also provides the stability to a family that they need,” Lentz said.

Local

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Answering call of the Wild

Social media key to TheCatholicSpirit.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A

Faster load time. In other words, the website will appear in your browser more quickly. Another new feature — and one that Berry is particularly excited about — will allow readers to read the current print edition online. “You can virtually flip pages, zoom in or view it in full screen mode,” he said. “It is the print version, but optimized for reading on a computer.” The new website display is also optimized for smartphones, like the iPhone and Droid, Berry added.

Using social media

Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit

Above: Peter Best, a 10th-grader at Benilde-St. Margaret School in St. Louis Park, presented Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom with his new mask for the coming season Sept. 18 at the Xcel Energy Center. Best submitted the design for the mask in a contest sponsored by the Wild’s official website. Out of more than 500 submissions, Best’s artwork was chosen as one of five finalists. Backstrom himself chose it as the winner. At right: a close-up of the mask shows a silhouette of the St. Paul skyline and a growling wolf. “That’s the more fierce side of Nik,” Best said. The other side features a howling wolf, “and that depicts Nik’s more laid back, stealth side,” he said.

Social media like Facebook and Twitter play a big part in THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. “For any website that aspires to be relevant to today’s ‘Internet generation,’ it’s imperative that it has a social-media strategy,” Berry said. “Over the past two years, we’ve built up a decent presence on Facebook and Twitter, and our new

Love the tech world? Read Craig Berry’s blog, “Tech Bites,” at HTTP://COMMUNITY. THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. website leverages that.” In addition to following content via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and RSS feeds, THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM visitors can easily share stories and video on all of the major social networks. “It’s about the right media for the job,” Berry said. “With everyone connected to the web — whether at home or work, or maybe via Wi-Fi at your favorite coffee shop — and the proliferation of smartphones, you can now access our content just about anywhere at any time.”

Browsing the Spirit blogs this week There’s always something new on THE CATHOLICSPIRIT.COM blogs. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll find right now. Bobz Book Reviews. Catholic Spirit associate publisher Bob Zyskowski raves about “Thunderstruck” by Erik Larson (2006), who also penned “Devil in the White City.” The book is a narrative history about the founder of wireless telegraphy, Guglielmo Marconi, and American criminal Hawley Crippen.

Faith Outdoors. Photographer and outdoor enthusiast Dave Hrbacek describes the Nativity County Fair, his St. Paul parish’s annual fundraiser and community event. He spent most of the day behind a camera lens. Tech Bites. Web coordinator Craig Berry catches readers up on the latest Catholic application for iPhone — Saint of the Day, courtesy of AMERICAN CATHOLIC.ORG.

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Celebrating 100 Years of Service and Friendship The League of Catholic Women invites you to the opening event of our centennial year.

St. Casimir’s Fall Festival

“No Greater Love,” a Mass, composed, celebrated and sung by Fr. Michael Joncas, will be offered at the

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Basilica of Saint Mary 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 9th. All are welcome

Mark your calendar! Festivities begin with a 10 a.m. Polka Mass featuring Joe Glowacki and the Nordeast 5. After Mass the festival continues until 4 p.m. featuring food and fun!

Homemade Pork Roast Dinner with all the trimmings served until 3:30 p.m. $8 adults; $5 kids ages 6-10; 5 and under are free.

Silent Auction • Theme Baskets • Raffle • Cake Walk Familiar Booths and Games for Kids!

Call (651) 774-0365 for more information 930 E. Geranium Ave. at Forest St., St. Paul

For information about our centennial year events, check our website:

leagueofcatholicwomen.org

Local

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Celebrating a partnership

Protecting traditional marriage is focus of state bishops’ initiative The Catholic Spirit “As the chief pastor of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, I am writing to let you know of an important development that, if successful, will profoundly impact families throughout To read the text Minnesota,” of a speech on Archbishop John marriage Nienstedt wrote in a letter to Archbishop John Catholics in the Nienstedt gave archdiocese. Sept. 20 at “That is, the orSt. Helena in ganized effort to Minneapolis, go redefine marto THECATHOLICSPIRIT riage in our .COM. state.” Archbishop Nienstedt and other bishops in Minnesota are sending a letter and DVD to Minnesota Catholics on the church’s response to legislation recently introduced at the state Legislature that would change the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. During the 2010 legislative session, five bills to redefine marriage were introduced. “Defining marriage as simply a union of consenting parties will change the core meaning of marriage in the public square for every Minnesotan,” Archbishop Nienstedt wrote in the letter. “At best, socalled same-sex marriage is an untested social experiment and, at worst, it poses a dangerous risk with potentially far-reaching consequences.”

Dianne Towalski \ The Catholic Spirit

Above, visiting youth from Jesucristo Resucitado parish in San Felix, Venezuela danced with youth from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis during the 40th anniversary celebration of the archdiocese’s Venezuelan mission Sept. 18 at St. Pascal Baylon in St. Paul. The Venezuelan youth performed dances from various parts of their country during the celebration and asked local youth that had visited Jesucristo Resucitado in the past to join them for this dance. Since 1970, the archdiocese has staffed the Venezuela mission, which is located in the Diocese of Ciudad Guayana in the east-central part of the country.

Religious freedom

At right, one of the youth performed during the celebration. Groups of youth from Jesucristo Recusitado have been coming to the archdiocese each year for the since 2002.

Web Advertising When viewing The Catholic Spirit Web site (www.TheCatholicSpirit.com) be sure to check out our advertisers.

Archbishop Harry J Flynn Catechetical Institute (UST) Catholic Community Foundation Gianna Homes Innsbruck Healthcare Centers Mount Carmel Productions Pontifical Mission Societies St. John's University St. Norbert College St. Patrick's Guild St. Therese Southwest University of St. Thomas

If same-sex marriage were legalized in Minnesota, the law would require public schools to teach children that same-sex marriage and traditional marriage are the same, the archbishop wrote. In the video, Archbishop Nienstedt calls for an opportunity for citizens to vote on a state constitutional amendment to preserve the traditional definition of marriage. Thirty-one states have adopted constitutional amendments defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman, Chris Leifeld, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, pointed out. “The Minnesota Catholic bishops agree that Minnesota should follow this lead and let the people of Minnesota decide this issue, not our judges or legislators,” Leifeld said.

Read more online ■ Read about the Blue Mass for law enforcement and emergency personnel at the Cathedral of St. Paul where Bishop Lee Piché presided Sept. 11. ■ See photos from the annual Archdiocesan Mass for persons with disabilities at St. Paul Seminary’s St. Mary’s Chapel Sept. 12. Go to THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM

“The first goal of spiritual formation is the establishment and nourishment of attitudes, habits and practices that will set the foundation for a lifetime of ongoing spiritual discipline.” National Directory for the Formation Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States

Deacons 6A

The Catholic Spirit

A Catholic Spirit special section

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Meet your 8 new deacons: Next ordination will be 2015 James Bauhs Age: 51 Spouse: Margene Children: Jillian, 27; Cameron, 24 Home parish: St. Hubert, Chanhassen Occupation: IT security manager with Cargill in Minnetonka Internships: St. Anthony Residence, St. Paul; St. Margene and James Therese Hospice, New Hope; Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility, Plymouth; St. Paul’s Outreach to young adults Hobbies: Motorcycle trips, photography, nature walks, CPR/AED Red Cross instructor Favorite Scripture verse: John 3:30 and Matthew 15:28b29a Favorite books: “Be A Man! — Becoming the man God created you to be” by Father Larry Richards and “Hunt for Red October” by Tom Clancy Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. For approximately five years I had silently contemplated on one statement and one question: “To those whom much is given, much is expected” and “Is God calling me to do more?” While on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2005, I felt the direct call of God on the shore of the Sea of Galilee; “Lord if that is you, bid

Future formation to have ‘formal link’ to seminary By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

Following the ordination of eight men as permanent deacons Sept. 25 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the next group of men to be ordained in 2015 will usher in a new era of deacon formation and ministry. Although much of the program presented by the new Institute for Diaconate Formation will be similar to the formation that has been in place since 1973, diaconate formation will now have a “formal link” to the St. Paul Seminary, said Joe Michalak, diaconate formation director. PLEASE TURN TO FUTURE ON PAGE 27A

Permanent diaconate ordination Time: 10 a.m. Date: Saturday, Sept. 25 Place: Cathedral of St. Paul Eight men will be ordained permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Read more about them and the upcoming changes here and on pages 7A and 27A.

PLEASE TURN TO BAUHS ON PAGE 27A

Kevin Downie Age: 54 Spouse: Linda Children: Heidi, 31; Michael, 29; Brian, 29 Home parish: St. Michael, Pine Island Occupation: Collision center manager, Jeff Belzer’s Chev-Dodge-Kia in Lakeville Linda and Kevin Internships: Ramsey County Social Service Center and Ramsey County Adult Detention Center; St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul; consolation ministry with The Catholic Cemeteries Hobbies: Farming, hunting, fishing, building customized cribbage boards and pegs Favorite Scripture verse: Jeremiah 1:8 Favorite books: “Abandonment to Divine Providence” by Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade and “Hinds’ Feet on High Places” by Hannah Hurnard Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. I had an inner message (out of the blue) to discern the diaconate while driving to work one morning. Not quite knowing anything about the diaconate, I put it kind of to a test, praying that if this were real, please give me an outward more specific sign than just my thoughts. PLEASE TURN TO DOWNIE ON PAGE 27A

Michael Nevin

Fulfillment of All Desire” by Ralph Martin

Age: 41 Spouse: Karen Children: Trevor, 16; Trenton, 13 Home parish: St. Michael, St. Michael Occupation: Sales manager with Menards Internships: Dorothy Day Center, St. Paul; St. Karen and Michael Therese, New Hope; Hennepin County Workhouse, Plymouth Hobbies: Following local sports teams, hunting, fishing, Russian literature and Western European history Favorite Scripture verse: Song of Songs 1:2b Favorite books: “Confessions of St. Augustine” and “The

Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. I had a reawakening of my baptismal faith during my wife’s cancer treatment eight years ago. This allowed me to hear God’s call to be a better servant to my wife and family, but, also, to give myself fully to the church as a deacon. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? We were allowed the opportunity to serve the archbishop as acolytes for confirmation Masses. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why? In whatever I am assigned to do, I hope to make God’s love known, especially to people who have never experienced him. I would like to continue studying holy Scripture and patristics.

Thomas Michaud Jr. Age: 38 Spouse: Theresa Children: Anna, 10; Jack, 8; Mary, 6; Elizabeth, 3; Joseph, 2 months Home parish: St. Nicholas, New Market Occupation: Owner of TPM Flooring, Inc. Theresa and Thomas Internships: St. Joseph’s Home for Children, Minneapolis; St. Therese Hospice, New Hope; Minnesota [women’s] Correctional Facility, Shakopee; parish RCIA and Marriage Mentor programs Hobbies: Boating with the family PLEASE TURN TO MICHAUD ON PAGE 27A

Congratulations Jim Bauhs

We rejoice with you in your ordination to the diaconate and we wish you many blessings as you continue your journey with Our Lord.

St. Hubert Catholic Community

Chanhassen, MN

Deacons

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Lawrence Lawinger Age: 51 Spouse: JoAnn Children: Ryan, 31; Jeremy, 29; Jason, 27; Brad, 25; Cody, 22 Home parish: St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park Occupation: Computer consultant, owner, JoAnne and Lawrence Lawinger Consulting, Inc. Internships: Dorothy Day Center, St. Paul; St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul; Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility, Plymouth; parish employment network Hobbies: Time with grandchildren at the cabin, fishing Favorite Scripture verse: Romans: 8:1-4 Favorite books: “Deep Conversion Deep Prayer” by Jesuit Father Thomas Dubay and “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. We started to look at the diaconate eight years ago

Ron Smisek

John Vomastek

Age: 55 Spouse: Mary Children: Maria, 23; John, 20; Michael, 15; Ann, 12 Home parish: St. John of St. Paul, St. Paul Occupation: Dentist at Smisek Family Dentistry; adjunct professor of radiology with U of M Mary and Ron School of Dentistry Internships: St. Joseph’s Home for Children, Minneapolis; St. Therese, New Hope; Volunteers of America Regional Correctional Center, Roseville; bringing a taped Mass to Presbyterian Homes Hobbies: Movies, photography, reading, history, gardening, carpentry, astronomy, music, including serving as director of the Gregorian Chant Schola and organist at both St. John and Holy Trinity in St. Paul Favorite Scripture verse: Luke 23:39-43 and Psalm 63 Favorite books: “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” by J.R.R. Tolkien and “Fire Within” by Jesuit Father Thomas Dubay

Age: 55 Spouse: Cathy Children: Andrew, 29; Anne, 27; Mary, 25; Nick, 24; Emily, 21; Rachel, 18 Home parish: St. Ambrose, Woodbury Occupation: Police commander with St. Paul Police Department Cathy and John Internships: Mary Hall men’s shelter, St. Paul; HealthEast Woodwinds Hospital, Woodbury; Ramsey County Adult Detention Center, long-term grief ministry Hobbies: Volunteer at Woodbury Health Care Center Favorite Scripture verse: Luke 18:35-43 Favorite books: “The Gift of Faith” by Tadeusz Dajczer and “The Hermitage Within” by an anonymous monk

PLEASE TURN TO LAWINGER ON PAGE 27A

Joseph Michalak Jr. Age: 50 Spouse: Anne Children: William (deceased); Andrew, 12; Katie, 11; Lizzie, 6; Maggie, 2 Home parish: St. Louis, King of France, St. Paul Occupation: Anne and Joseph Archdiocesan diaconate formation director; adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul Seminary, Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute and for other dioceses’ diaconate formation programs through the National Association of Diaconate Directors

Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. [The late] Deacon Dick Barrett had spoken to me once about becoming a deacon when we worked PLEASE TURN TO VOMASTEK ON PAGE 27A

Please turn to SMISEK on page 27A Internships: St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul; Volunteers of America Regional Correctional Center, Roseville Hobbies: Children’s education, home remodeling, hiking in the Scottish highlands, Pittsburgh Steelers football fan and Notting Hill Books, a used- and rare-book business Favorite Scripture verse: Psalm 63:1 Favorite books: Anything by philosopher Josef Pieper and any adventure story by John Buchan Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. Although I had considered diaconate soon after completing a degree in theology and working in several parishes, it was only after Archbishop Harry Flynn had asked me to be director of diaconate formation that I was directly exposed to the vocation. Later, both my wife Anne and Deacon James Keating (of the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Neb.) helped me realize that, for years, I had in many ways already been

living the vocation through evangelistic, pastoral and teaching service in the church. But, ordination is now both enthralling and frightening at once. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? Enjoying and benefiting from the fraternal relationships of the men in formation, while, at the same time, being director of formation. I am grateful for their generosity. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why? Other than to family and prayer and whatever parish life presents, my chief service just now is seeing to the establishment of the new Institute for Diaconate Formation at the St. Paul Seminary and helping other men — especially young men — discern this vocation. As for formation, that never ends.

St. John’s Parish on St. Paul’s East Side

Congratulates its organist

Dr. Ron Smisek Congratulations and Blessings

MIKE NEVIN From your parishioners at

Saint Michael Catholic Church 11300 Frankfort Pkwy. NE, St. Michael, MN www.stmcatholicchurch.org

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on his ordination to the diaconate.

“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” Blessed John Henry Newman

Nation/World 8A

The Catholic Spirit

News from around the U.S. and the globe

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

St. Kate’s president finds special patron in newly beatified Newman The Catholic Spirit St. Catherine University president Sister Andrea Lee, IHM, was in England during Pope Benedict XVI’s Sept. 16-19 visit to the United Kingdom. She spoke at a conference on Cardinal John Henry Newman’s work “The Idea of a University” in Liverpool. In Birmingham, England, Sept. 19, the pope beatified the cardinal, a Catholic convert and scholar who died in 1890. Newman was rector of Catholic University of Ireland in Dublin from 1851-58. Sister Andrea traveled to Birmingham for the beatification, and she described her experience in an e-mail to The Catholic Spirit. Does the beatification of Cardinal Newman hold any special significance for you? SISTER ANDREA Of course, having someone raised to [near] sainthood who actually held the position of university president is of enormous significance to me and to every Catholic university president! He is our special saint and patron! Newman’s groundbreaking ideas on the meaning of education, on the integration of faith and reason, on the power and possibility inherent in the disciplined development of the intellectual life are motivating and inspiring, even 120 years after his death. Aside from the clear higher education significance, Newman’s prolific writing, including his lovely poems and hymns, as well as his many eloquent letters, are often a source of personal meditation and reflection for me.

CNS photo / Toby Melville, Reuters

A card with an image of Cardinal John Henry Newman is displayed in a papal memorabilia stand next to Westminster Cathedral in central London Sept. 15. His compelling and timeless words are everywhere present in the United Kingdom during these happy days of celebration. What remarks of the pope on this visit have you found particularly inspiring? Two things come to mind. First, the Holy Father’s very obvious intent to use the powerful words and ideas of Cardinal Newman in preparing his homily. The theme of the liturgy was embodied by Newman’s famous words “cor ad cor loquitor” — heart speaks to heart. The Holy Father returned to this idea many times during his days in the United Kingdom, even as it was everywhere evident on Tshirts, posters, flags and banners. It was also inspiring and encouraging for me to hear the Holy Father say that John Henry Newman “has long

been an important influence in my own life and thought, as he has been for so many people beyond these isles.” The Holy Father also noted that passion for truth, intellectual honesty and genuine conversion carry heavy costs, as was so clearly evident in Newman’s life. Pope Benedict also credited Cardinal Newman with being a great champion of the ministry of lay people, urging everyone that our beliefs cannot be separated from the way we live our lives, and telling everyone to believe that (using Newman’s words), “God has created me to do him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another.” In addition to hearing the Holy Father use Newman’s own words to deliver his message, it was very moving to the crowd assembled to hear the Holy Father, as a German national, refer to the tragedy of World War II when England came to the defense of many in Europe who were under attack by the German Nazi army, while being relentlessly attacked themselves. Acknowledging his personal struggle when recalling this tragic reality, the Holy Father singled out the bravery and commitment of the people of central England who suffered great losses at the Battle of Britain 70 years ago. What do you intend to bring back from the trip and share with the St. Catherine community? During this academic year, St. Catherine University is celebrating the “Year of the Liberal Arts.” Not only do I hope to infuse the ideas and thinking of John Henry Newman into our work and study this year, but also to extend and deepen academic connections I was able to establish during these days in Liverpool with Catholic universities of “kindred spirit and mission” all around the world.

Pope ‘a guest who took the time to charm his guests’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A issues ranging from AIDS and condoms to the church’s record on sex abuse. Vatican officials said they accepted this as part of the public debate in Britain. “We expected this. We know there are groups that have differences with the Catholic Church, and they have a right to express it. But in general, the attitude of British society and the faithful has been positive,” said Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi. Not surprisingly, the image of the 83-year-old pontiff seemed to soften during his stay. Many people, Catholics and non-Catholics, often react to sound bites and headlines in forming opinions about Pope Benedict. When he comes to visit, they get a firsthand look and a double dose of content — something that usually works in the pope’s favor. What also impressed the British was the pope’s patient and gentle manner, which contrasted with the frequently strident tone of his critics. The pope has “a shyness that attracts,” a commentator said. “A guest who took the time to charm his guests” read one newspaper headline after the pope lingered with schoolchildren in a London suburb, listening to their testimonials and posing for pictures. His smile seemed genuine, and why not? He was looking out at a sea of banners and posters that offered friendship in language like, “We (heart) U Papa.” Pope Benedict came to Britain as a teacher, and his lesson plan was clear from the beginning. In a meeting Sept. 16 with Queen Elizabeth II and about 400 civic and cultural leaders in Edinburgh, Scotland, he warned against “aggressive” forms of secularism that risk undermining traditional religious values. His words came across as reasonable and respectful

Photos online View a slide show of photos from the papal trip at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM

largely because he drew examples of Christian cultural contributions from British history — the selfless service of Florence Nightingale, for example, or the missionary David Livingstone’s efforts to stop the slave trade. And when describing “atheist extremism,” he said the most sobering example was the Nazi regime, striking a chord with Britons as they commemorated the 70th anniversary of massive Nazi air strikes against the country.

Faith must be lived in public square In Glasgow, he donned a Tartan scarf and listened to bagpipe bands, then told Catholics it was not enough to live their faith privately; they should defend the church’s teachings in the public square, he said. “There are some who now seek to exclude religious belief from public discourse, to privatize it or even to paint it as a threat to equality and liberty. Yet religion is in fact a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect,” he said at a Mass with more than 80,000 people. The pope’s words were clearly aimed at critics such as Richard Dawkins, the popular British author who has championed atheism and who considers religion a destructive force in society. But the pope’s most eloquent answer to high-profile atheists came in his meeting Sept. 17 in London with some 4,000 young Catholic students, when he described belief in God as a “friendship” that can fill one’s life with love of virtue. The keynote address of the papal visit came in Westminster Hall later that day, where the pope laid out his vision of how religious belief can help shape the moral

and ethical life of a society. He warned against an effort to marginalize religion, and he pointed to an example that resonated with many: the campaign by some groups to ban public celebration of Christmas. In his meetings with Anglicans, the pope deliberately steered clear of ecumenical differences and instead underlined the common task of fighting for the voice of religion in public affairs. In ecumenical terms, he made his biggest impact simply by his historic presence in two places never before visited by a pope: Lambeth Palace, where he met with Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, and Westminster Abbey, where he joined an Anglican prayer service that a Vatican aide later described as liturgically “wonderful.” The beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Birmingham Sept. 19 was the central religious event of the visit. The pope held up Blessed Newman as an inspiration in two significant ways: in the wider culture, for his vision of religion’s “vital” role in society; and in the church, for his vision of Catholic laity who know their faith well and can defend it articulately. Finally, the British trip underscored that the priestly sex abuse crisis will never go away when Pope Benedict is on the public stage. The pope has embraced that fact, as illustrated by his decision to address the issue on his plane, at his only public Mass in London and in a private meeting with sex abuse victims. He used dramatic language, expressing his “deep sorrow and shame” and acknowledging the failings of priests and the failure of church officials to respond to abuse allegations with enough speed and vigilance. That was not enough for some sex abuse advocacy groups and other critics, who called for greater church accountability during a large protest demonstration in downtown London.

“Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.” Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

This Catholic Life SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Opinion, feedback and points to ponder

The Catholic Spirit

At 100, Catholic Charities seeks new ways to end poverty out of poverty. ■ Develop results-oriented programs so that success is measured by how well people fare as they move out of poverty rather than using statistical measurements of how many people are — or are not — receiving assistance. ■ Focus on individuals and their specific needs rather than taking a one-program-fits-all approach or sending people to multiple locations for assistance. The proposal incorporates suggestions and ideas collected in meetings with Catholic Charities partners, including program participants, Hill said. She and other agency officials traveled the country for a year to hear how well public assistance and social service programs work — or don’t work. “What we’re going to bring [to Congress] is a holistic approach built on what an individual needs to the national conversation, and look at ways to empower and support people, building on their assets to move them up and not wait until they fall into a safety net,” Hill explained. “What we’ve learned across the country is no surprise: Access to a good education and access to a job that pays good wages is the easiest route out of poverty,” she said. “We want to promote new policy concepts that highly value innovation and experimentation so that we measure the best, understand our successes, learn from our failures and scale programs accordingly,” she said.

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

atholic Charities USA officials Father Larry Snyder and Candy Hill say they honestly hope the agency never reaches its 200th anniversary in 2110. If there’s no celebration marking the second century of the church’s nationwide charitable network, it means the agency will have achieved the lofty goal of eradicating poverty in the United States. The goal is no small task, acknowledged Father Snyder, the agency’s president, and Hill, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs, in an interview with Catholic News Service amid preparations for Catholic Charities’ 100th anniversary convention in Washington opening Sept. 25. But they believe the goal can be met with plenty of hard work and a “sea change” in the country’s attitude toward the poor. “What we have to do now is show people it’s not only in our moral best interest as a country, it’s also in our economic best interest to reduce poverty and have people be contributing citizens rather than be citizens who rely on others for help,” Father Snyder said.

New approaches As Catholic Charities concludes a year of activities for the anniversary with its four-day centennial gathering, the agency is planning new approaches to tackling poverty, an undertaking it considers to be among the most important to the country’s future. The effort includes drafting what Hill called “transformational” legislation to address modern-day poverty. The bill, which Hill expected to be introduced in Congress with bipartisan support in midSeptember, is one of a series of initiatives related to Catholic Charities’ Campaign to Reduce Poverty. Opened in 2007, the campaign’s goal is to cut the number of people living in poverty in half by 2020 through significant improvements in programs related to hunger, health care, housing, economic security, education and employment. Father Snyder acknowledged the current economic recession, the deepest since the Great Depression, has hampered progress toward the goal. Months after the campaign was introduced, the current economic recession hit, pushing the number of people living in poverty from 37.2 million in 2007 to 39.8 million in 2008, the most recent year for which U.S. Census Bureau statistics are available. Still, the bigger challenge, as Father Snyder sees it, is creating the political will to make poverty reduction a priority. “One of the big obstacles that we have in promoting poverty reduction is that

A history of advocacy

What do you think? What new steps should be taken to reduce poverty in the United States? Send us your response in one of the following ways: ■ By e-mail to: CATHOLICSPIRIT@ARCHSPM.ORG. Please write “Poverty” in the subject line. ■ By postal mail to: Reader Response, c/o The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. Please include your name, parish and a daytime telephone number so we can reach you if we have any questions. A selection of responses will be printed in the newspaper and online at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.

there are a lot of people who have a stake in making sure that this industry will continue. It’s really a matter of saying we cannot support all of these pieces that simply continue that,” Father Snyder told CNS. “We’re saying right now the system needs attention. We really have to find a new way,” he said. As Catholic Charities’ chief legislative advocate, Hill expects to face tough questions and even criticism about the proposed bill from doubtful legislators. “When we’re on the Hill, to be honest,

we have those who believe that poverty is a result of a person’s individual failure,” she explained. “But [poverty] is really the result of the economy that we have.”

Objectives The legislation being proposed has three objectives: ■ Change the way public assistance programs operate by looking at the economics of poverty while providing incentives for people to escape poverty and for the business community and social service agencies to help people rise

Such legislative advocacy represents the kind of work Catholic Charities has readily undertaken since the early days of the National Conference of Catholic Charities. Convened in 1910 by Bishop Thomas Shahan, rector at The Catholic University of America at the time, the initial meeting allowed clergy and early 20th century social workers to see the similarity of their work and begin to professionalize, coordinate and consolidate services. Catholic Charities is banking on its long-standing reputation as an advocate for the poor and a convener of diverse voices to convince lawmakers and policy analysts that what the agency is espousing makes sense. “We cannot afford to do these [public] services the way we’re doing them now,” Hill said. “This idea of how we count success by how many meals [we serve] or how many beds [we fill] is counterintuitive to reducing poverty. “The success for the next century for our work is in fact to reduce those numbers served to zero and obviously end the kinds of services we do today.” More information about Catholic Charities USA programs can be found at WWW.CATHOLICCHARITIESUSA.ORG.

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Opinion-Letters

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

/ This Catholic Life

Whether technology or parish life, change is never easy ay was “old school” before you ever heard the phrase. In the 40 years and four cities that I’ve worked at newspapers — both dailies and Catholic papers — Kay was the absolute best proofreader I ever saw. She knew how to spell every word in the English language, she doublechecked the spelling of every name, and she added columns of numbers both up and down to make sure reporters’ math added up. But Kay loved her typewriter. When the Catholic Bulletin was switching to a new, computerized publishing system, she threatened to chain her typewriter to a radiator in the newsroom. Like many of us, Kay was anxious about the coming change. She wasn’t so sure this new way of doing things was going to work.

K Editorial Bob Zyskowski

To be good stewards of our resources, we must adapt to new realities

To live means to change Change is hard. It’s hard for lots of us. But we humans can deal with change. We do it all the time. Disasters happen — natural ones or those of our own making — and we handle them. Life happens — situations not of our making — and we adapt, we cope and we go on. We change jobs, we change careers. We move to different homes, different cities, even different countries. Can you imagine how difficult it is to emigrate to another country? Yet people do it, moving to places

to work at the parish festival. Instead of watching Monday Night Football we add our talents, experience and elbow grease to parish councils and committees and scores of ministries that make Jesus come alive in our time. Instead of bowling Wednesday evenings we teach children the Beatitudes and prepare them to receive the sacraments. And it’s all tied to our parish, or better, my parish. Which is why it’s so difficult to let go.

“The more effort we put into making the new situation work the better we’re going to end up loving our new parish arrangement.

We’ll grieve and move on

”

BOB ZYSKOWSKI

where they don’t know where they are going, don’t know the language, don’t have family or friends. Compared to making that kind of change, learning new technologies seems relatively easy.

Bonded by love In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, we’re about to begin a period of unprecedented change in parish life, change that’s going to impact Catholics across all our 12 counties. It’ll make little difference that parish and school mergers, consolidations and closings are going to be based in solid reasoning; plain and simple, nobody would choose to have their parish situation change, and especially not have their parish close or merge with another. The reason is simple, too: We Catholics

love our parishes. So many of the high points of our lives and our family memories are tied to weddings, baptisms, first Communions and even funerals at our parish. Parishes are where our friendships often start. The common ground of our faith, the acts of praying together as a community, the taking the Eucharist into our hearts together, the working together on any number of projects, acts of kindness and advocacy for the common good — it all bonds the people of a parish in ways that few other things can. As a result, we commit goodly portions of our resources to support our parishes, to build and maintain our churches, schools and parish buildings. We forego the weekend at the lake

Everyone who has been involved in the archdiocesan strategic planning process for parishes and schools knows how much we love our parishes. Still, to be good stewards of our resources, we have to change the way we’ve come to know and love our parishes. Parish life will change. That’s going to be difficult. But we can adapt. We can make the best of it. And the more effort we put into making the new situation work the better we’re going to end up loving our new parish arrangement, whatever that ends up being. I don’t think Kay ever exactly fell in love with that electronic box with the cathode ray tube screen, but she learned to use it, to get the job done, and the world didn’t come to an end. She grieved, and she moved on. We will, too. Bob Zyskowski is associate publisher of The Catholic Spirit.

Letters Where to write ■ E-mail: catholic spirit@ archspm .org ■ FAX: (651) 291-4460 ■ Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 Material printed on the Opinion and Letters page does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the archdiocese or The Catholic Spirit. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Politics at root of mosque controversy My thanks to Joe Towalski for his thoughtful editorial about ground zero and the proposed site of a Muslim community center [Aug. 26]. It brought to mind the No. 1 rule of St. Benedict: All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ. This center has been in the works for years, three blocks away (and in New York City, that may as well be three miles away) from ground zero. I have not been there since 9/11. My husband has. It was surrounded by street venders, porn shops, strip clubs, skyscrapers and a million other “inappropriate” venues grandfathered in, with good old American entrepreneurs making the most of a tragic situation. It was and is politics, pure and simple, not religious differences, fueling the fire of paranoia, racism, hatred and fear of “otherness” that turned this “yet another building going up in New York” into a “we’re letting the very people who killed us slap us in the face desecrating our sacred ground.” Why not complain about all those porn shops and strip clubs? Surely

they are just as offensive? Why not complain about all those megalomaniacal corporations not three blocks away, but right next door, who devour our hard-earned tax dollars while getting immorally high bonuses? All this is happening on our “sacred ground.” Welcome to the ugly propaganda of politics. 9/11 has become our rallying cry. Yet, for every innocent killed, anywhere, the other side can mourn a hundred more; pointing fingers or bombs gets us nowhere. Politics, particularly before a pivotal election, is ugly. Stick with the real issues, and how they embrace or reject compassion, conciliation and care for the environment. Make your opinions based on fact, not fear. And love one another as Christ has taught us. ELIZABETH STREIFF St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis

Shouldn’t we be preaching Gospel? I write in response to Joe Towalski’s editorial calling on Catholics to “build bridges” to our Muslim neighbors and be open to the building of a mosque near ground zero in New York [Aug. 26].

Many may write in response to this editorial citing political sensitivities and the feelings of New Yorkers. I am open to these concerns. However, a much greater one exists within the editorial. Where does the author mention the kingship of Jesus Christ and our necessary commitment to “preach the Gospel to all nations?” The author frequently mentions the Muslim community and the need to “dialogue” with them. Talking is good. But are we willing to follow in the footsteps of the great saints who have preached the Gospel (in charity) but with great zeal to those who do not have it? We seem content to sit and talk, but what are we talking about? Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Mr. Towalski believes this, I’m sure. But to not mention it in his editorial is telling and a great sign of why we, as a church, are in the trouble we’re in. JACOB FLAHERTY Maternity of Mary, St. Paul

All immigrants deserve compassion I feel compelled to answer Mr. David Burke’s letter regarding un-

documented workers and how America treats them [Sept. 9]. Mr. Burke feels that they do not deserve to be treated with dignity because they broke the law. Crossing our border without permission is only a misdemeanor, not a felony, and does not call for harsh treatment if apprehended. There is no need to separate mothers from their children, no need to keep workers in confinement for long periods of time. He also asserts that these workers are taking jobs for lower wages than Americans will accept. Who is hiring these workers? Who has actively recruited workers inside Mexico and even offered free bus rides to new workers? I know who is really illegal — it is the American companies who love to exploit these workers and pay them poorly with little or no benefits. Catholic teaching strongly states that all immigrants deserve to be treated with compassion and dignity. Immigration is a difficult problem to solve. How we treat the people involved is not difficult. FRANK MORIARTY St. Joseph, New Hope

This Catholic Life / Commentary

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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What kind of Minnesota do you want? reating the space for civil discourse is a contribution the church could and should make as we debate the important issues before us. The church, as a sanctuary of peace, could be the place that gives us the solace and calm to listen attentively to other members of the community as we discern the kind of Minnesota we want for ourselves. To be sure, people have a lot on their minds these days: a jobless recovery, unemployed young adults returning home, the cost of a college education, ailing seniors afraid to give up a job, and more families in poverty. All of these can make it difficult for us to focus our energy beyond our own particular problems. The constant barrage of partisan ads makes it seem like there is no room for conversation and little opportunity for us to come together and talk about the varied perspectives we have on issues. The church has no role in partisan politics or debates over candidates. But it does have a role in inviting people to reflect on what kind of a state we want and the quality of life that will prepare our children for success.

C Faith and Justice Kathy Tomlin

Catholic Church invites community discussion on the issues

“The church, as a sanctuary of peace, could be the place that gives us the solace and calm to listen attentively to other members of the community as we discern the kind of Minnesota we want for ourselves.

”

Focusing on children About 19 years ago, when I first came to Minnesota, Archbishop John Roach had just declared that we spend a year focused on our kids. The “Blest Be the Children” campaign kicked off with a large forum at St. Paul Seminary. Nineteen years ago may seem like a long time, but in the early ‘90s, we were going through a recession and were debating some of the very same issues that are part of the political fray today. Looking back, I have to ask myself

KATHY TOMLIN

if it seems that our kids are more blessed today than they were back then. Will they have the education, health and housing stability that will ensure success? Perhaps the larger question is: “What does one generation owe the next?” There are a variety of perspectives on this question that guide the decisions we make as a society. Just looking at three of them clearly demonstrates the differences:

■ Viewpoint No. 1: Given the increased life expectancy and the advancing age of the U.S. population, it is impossible for younger generations to think that they could possibly provide for the generation or two ahead of them. The cost of health care alone would place a heavy burden on succeeding generations. Each generation must do its very best to save enough money to care for itself in its twilight years. ■ Viewpoint No. 2: Caring for the

elderly and caring for our children are ultimately the responsibilities of family. Parents are the best teachers of morals and values for their children. Adult children, in return, should assist their parents with the supports needed as they become more frail and less able to deal with the “chores” of everyday life. ■ Viewpoint No. 3: The success of one generation depends on the investment made by previous generations. Conversely, the health and well-being of older generations depends on the investment of younger generations. This isn’t just a private family obligation but a societal one that builds the common good and prepares for the future. Each generation cannot afford to just look to the one ahead or the one behind, but must recognize that actions taken today may affect generations 75 years away.

Civil discourse forum The staff of Catholic Charities’ Office for Social Justice believes that we should find ways to have a more civil national/state discourse on questions like these. To that end, Professor Mike Klein from the University of St. Thomas will be leading a forum from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 6 at St. John the Baptist Church in New Brighton. It is entitled “Civil Civic Discourse: Skills for Healthy Conversation.” It is our hope that Professor Klein will help us create congregations that are not only sacred spaces for common prayer, but safe and sacred places for community discussion. Please see WWW.OSJSPM.ORG for more information. Kathy Tomlin is director of Catholic Charities’ Office for Social Justice.

I ask each Catholic to be generous in support of World Mission Sunday CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2A orientation and assistance for those leaving prison. As followers of Jesus, we are called to foster the virtue of justice for all, which is, after all, an expression of love. Ideas on how to commemorate this theme may be found at HTTP://WWW.CSJSTPAUL.ORG. (Click on “Justice — Our Work” and then onto “Criminal Justice.”) Witnessing to Christ On Sunday, Oct. 10, we are given the opportunity to renew our Christian commitment to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations. On that day in this archdiocese, we will be celebrating World Mission Sunday, in which we join with Catholics worldwide in our common call to be the Body of Christ and to give witness to Christ in all we say and do. Our missionary mandate as a Catholic Church is to reveal the face of Christ to a seeking, wounded and hungry world. What is the face that we reflect to the world around us? How do we magnify the Lord? And how can the missionary mandate of Christ be fulfilled without a profound personal, communal and pastoral conversion to Christ? World Mission Sunday is therefore a call to conversion. We are privileged to encounter the real presence of Christ in every Eucharist and there to taste the love

Archbishop Nienstedt’s schedule ■ Saturday, Sept. 25: 10 a.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Diaconate ordinations. ■ Sunday, Sept. 26: 10:30 a.m., Lonsdale, Catholic Education Center for Lonsdale, New Market and Veseli parishes: Sunday liturgy. 6:30 p.m., Collegeville, St. John’s University: Dinner and Sunday liturgy for students. ■ Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 27 and 28: The Catholic University of America board meeting in Washington, D.C. ■ Wednesday, Sept. 29: 12:10 p.m., St. Paul, St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel at University of St. Thomas: Mass for Catholic Studies, celebrating opening of the academic year. ■ Thursday, Sept. 30: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Planning for “lectio divina” at the University of St. Thomas in October. 11:30 a.m., St. Paul, St. Catherine University: The Catholic Spirit’s “Leading with Faith” awards banquet. 2 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Catholic Services Appeal committee meeting. ■ Friday-Saturday, Oct. 1-9: Diaconate ordinations in Rome, Italy.

that God has for us. This is the communion we can’t keep to ourselves, but that must be shared. I ask each Catholic to be generous in your prayer and support of World Mission Sunday. Your financial support of the Pontifical Mission Societies will give concrete help to young churches in the Third World. You make it possible for the formation of future leaders in the most distant mission lands.

Together, we stand in solidarity and gratitude with the missionaries who leave their homelands to be witnesses of the face of Christ in places of great challenge. We are part of God’s plan “that the whole human race form one people of God, be united in the one body of Christ, and be built up into one temple of the Holy Spirit” (Ad Gentes, n. 7). God bless you!

“I can’t believe that God plays dice with the universe.” Albert Einstein

The Lesson Plan 12A

The Catholic Spirit

Reflections on faith and spirituality

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Finding ourselves in a ‘mess’ may be consequence of complacency hen I was a young boy, my parents and I would always try to attend my brothers’ wrestling matches. At one particular match, one of my brothers was either distracted or caught off guard by the other wrestler, and about five seconds later was in a rather awkward position, with a look on his face that read, “How did I end up in this position, or how did I get in this mess?” In the course of our lives as Christians, we sometimes find ourselves in a situation that begs the question, “How did I get in this Deacon mess?” Kristopher I would guess the Cowles rich man in this weekend’s Gospel also asked this question from his place in torment. He may have looked back on his life and wondered what event or lifestyle led him to his current condition. The answer to the rich man’s question may be much simpler than we would expect. He had become complacent. The complacent, those who are self-satisfied,

Sunday Scriptures

comfortable and many times oblivious to the needs of others, are condemned by Hosea in our first reading this Sunday: “Woe to the complacent in Zion . . . they shall be the first to go into exile” (Amos 6:1, 7). The rich man in the Gospel is a powerful example of one who became complacent. He only cared about enjoying his sumptuous dining and luxurious lifestyle. He became so absorbed with himself that he didn’t take the time to help Lazarus, who was suffering on his doorstep. We see from the lifestyle of the rich man that the way he lived his life led to his complacency. Complacency can also creep into our lives if we become excessively concerned about our own comfort and enjoyment without remembering others.

The road to complacency There are three dangers one faces with complacency. First, the complacent person can become so concerned with personal comfort and entertainment that he or she forgets that everyone is on a journey toward eternity. Each of us desires our salvation and hopes to enjoy a heavenly reward. But, if we become too concerned with the enjoyment of worldly pleasures, we stop

Readings Sunday, Sept. 26 26th Sunday in ordinary time ■ Amos 6:1a, 4-7 ■ 1 Timothy 6:11-16 ■ Luke 16:19-31

For reflection What luxuries have begun to make you complacent about your journey to eternity?

striving toward heaven. Second, if we become complacent, we can easily be caught off guard by sin. When we live a life focused on constant pleasures, sins can sneak up on us more easily. Third, those who are complacent usually forget the Great Commandment: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). Instead of loving God and neighbor, the complacent person is focused solely on loving themselves.

There are many ways to guard against complacency, but the most important defenses are small daily sacrifices, prayer and charity toward our neighbors. Each of these will help us to notice the Lazarus in our midst, and not end up asking, after we have fallen, “How did I get in this mess?”

struggle in life to recognize and grow beyond his own prejudices. I knew it was not easy for him to risk offending people he knew, but I couldn’t help admire his willingness to remain faithful to the Gospel, even when it meant risking rejection.

someone you disagree with as evil.

Deacon Kristopher Cowles is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D. His home parish is Sacred Heart in Yankton, S.D., and his teaching parish is Good Shepherd in Golden Valley.

Daily Scriptures Sunday, Sept. 26 26th Sunday in ordinary time Amos 6:1a, 4-7 1 Timothy 6:11-16 Luke 16:19-31 “Woe to the complacent in Zion!” — Amos 6:1 An older woman recently commented to me that she never gave much thought to people who were on crutches until she broke her foot. She suddenly became very aware of the restrictions it put on her life as well as the pain. Whose suffering are we called to be more deeply aware of today? Perhaps, it is the despondent teenager, the overwhelmed parents of young children or those who cannot afford health care. Pray that the compassion of Christ stirs your heart. Monday, Sept. 27 Vincent de Paul, priest Job 1:6-22 Luke 9:46-50 We deny the power of God by restricting who or what God can work through. Tuesday, Sept. 28 Wenceslaus, martyr; Lawrence Ruiz, martyr, and his companions, martyrs Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 Luke 9:51-56 Notice what happens when you try to control other people’s choices. Wednesday, Sept. 29 Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 John 1:47-51

Pray in gratitude for all those who have helped you believe in a God of compassion, mercy and power. Thursday, Sept. 30 Jerome, priest and doctor of the church Job 19:21-27 Luke 10:1-12 Are you open to receiving what others have to offer you? Friday, Oct. 1 Thérése of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the church Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5 Luke 10:13-16 To refuse to accept forgiveness is to deny the powerful compassion of God. Saturday, Oct. 2 Guardian angels Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17 Matthew 18:1-5, 10 Notice how you react when you are in situations in which you are not in control. Sunday, Oct. 3 27th Sunday in ordinary time Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 Luke 17:5-10 “Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.” — 2 Timothy l:8 The other day, I happened to be in the congregation when a popular priest I know gave a homily on welcoming the stranger. Some of the people around me began to murmur when he had the courage to apply this principle to the controversial topic of immigration. He was refreshingly honest about his own

Monday, Oct. 4 Francis of Assisi, religious Galatians 1:6-12 Luke 10:25-37 Remember that even the smallest desire to grow in goodness is pleasing to God. Tuesday, Oct. 5 Galatians 1:13-24 Luke 10:38-42 We don’t realize how difficult it is to listen with an open mind and heart until we try. Wednesday, Oct. 6 Bruno, priest; Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, virgin Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14 Luke 11:1-4 Which need do you find most difficult to ask for in prayer? Thursday, Oct. 7 Our Lady of the Rosary Galatians 3:1-5 Luke 11:5-13 Our prayers reflect what we really want. Friday, Oct. 8 Galatians 3:7-14 Luke 11:15-26 Beware of accusing and condemning

Saturday, Oct. 9 Denis, bishop and martyr, and his companions, martyrs; John Leonardi, priest Galatians 3:22-29 Luke 11:27-28 When we can accept the fact that we will never completely know the heart of God, we are teachable. Sunday, Oct. 10 28th Sunday in ordinary time 2 Kings 5:14-17 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Luke 17:11-19 “And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice.” — Luke 17:15 I have a friend who was physically and emotionally abused by a relative when she was young. It wasn’t until she reached midlife that she realized the damage the experience had done to her. Despite therapy and prayer, she remained angry and resentful but continued to pray for the willingness to forgive. One day, she realized that somewhere along the way her heart had opened and she no longer felt the bitterness that had once poisoned her life. Noticing is the beginning of gratitude. Is there an answer to prayer you have overlooked? The daily reflections are written by Terri Mifek, a member of St. Edward in Bloomington and a certified spiritual director at the Franciscan Retreat House in Prior Lake.

The Lesson Plan By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

Ramadan ended Sept. 10, but the controversy over the proposed Manhattan mosque that colored the Muslim month of fasting this year has not. The mosque debate has sparked a good deal of general anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States, and the phenomenon appears to be growing, said University of St. Thomas theology professor Adil Ozdemir, a Muslim who teaches courses on Islam. In an extreme example, U.S. leaders, including Gen. David Petraeus, were impelled to intervene in a Florida pastor’s planned “International Burn a Koran Day” to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The pastor eventually called off his plans to burn 200 copies of the Quran. “I can’t imagine anything that could hurt the Muslim world more than attacking the Quran and burning it,” Ozdemir said. “Islamophobia,” as some term it, is evident locally, too. In St. Cloud, vandals painted “Go Home” across Muslimowned businesses this summer, and, in another incident in December, a cartoon degrading the Muslim prophet Mohammed was tacked to electrical poles near a mosque and Somali-owned stores. Yet, many prominent Catholics have taken public stances to fight anti-Muslim sentiment. On Sept. 7, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, D.C., and Father James Massa, executive director of the Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, joined with 32 other religious leaders to denounce “categorically the derision, misinformation and outright bigotry being directed against America’s Muslim community.”

From the church’s view St. Thomas theology professor Terence Nichols hopes Muslims and Catholics can move toward mutual understanding and appreciation. Nichols and Ozdemir co-direct the Muslim-Christian Dialogue Center at St. Thomas. In his office, Nichols keeps a drawing of a mosque and church in Damascus, Syria, that share a courtyard. For him, it’s a symbol of a history of cooperation between the faith and a sign of hope for Christian-Muslim dialogue, what he calls a “dialogue of life.” Many Catholics are unaware of the church’s position on Islam, Nichols said. Part of the center’s work is explaining how the church understands its relationship with Islam. According to the Second Vatican Council document on the Catholic Church’s relationship with non-Christian religions, “Nostra Aetate,” the church has “high regard” for Muslims. “They worship God, who is one,” the document states. “Although not acknowledging him as God, they venerate Jesus as a prophet, his Virgin Mother they also honor, and even at times devoutly invoke. . . .” Vatican II called for Muslims and Catholics to forget past fighting and make a “sincere effort . . . to achieve mutual understanding.” Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have also encouraged interreligious dialogue between the two faiths and visited mosques while traveling in predominantly Muslim countries. Benedict XVI reiterated the words of “Nostra Aetate” in 2005 while meeting with Muslims in Cologne,

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Can Catholics and Muslims get along? St. Thomas professors’ take on the faiths’ interreligious dialogue Want to learn more? Terrence Nichols and Adil Ozdemir are available to speak to parishes about Christian-Muslim dialogue. To contact Nichols, e-mail him at TLNICHOLS@STTHOMAS.EDU. They also recommend the following books on Islam: “Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World” by Akbar Ahmed. “Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time” by Karen Armstrong. “The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an” edited by Marmaduke William Pickthall.

“It is essential to move beyond our own stereotypes and prejudices, to put aside our dislikes and memories of wrongs, and approach our fellow participants in dialogue with genuine love.

”

ARCHBISHOP JOHN NIENSTEDT Speaking in May at the Islamic Center of Minnesota

Germany. “If the fundamental stance is that we worship the one God, that gives us a lot in common,” Nichols said. “It means that we’re believers, and we should stand up for one another. . . . Catholics need to know this.”

Moving beyond stereotypes In May, the Islamic Center of Minnesota in Fridley celebrated its 40th anniversary. Archbishop John Nienstedt spoke at the celebration. He emphasized that in order to achieve meaningful dialogue, both Christians and Muslims must be true to their own religions, and the conversation must begin with what they share in common, not with disagreement. “It is essential to move beyond our own stereotypes and prejudices, to put aside our dislikes and OZDEMIR memories of wrongs, and approach our fellow participants in dialogue with genuine love,” Archbishop Nienstedt said. Like Christians, Muslims also need to learn more about Christian-Muslim dialogue, Ozdemir said. They, too, have to move past negative stereotypes of Christians, he said. “There are Muslims who are eager to pursue dialogue, but there are [also] those who are unhappy with the dialogue,” he said. “We need to teach our co-religionists.”

The goals of dialogue There is a distinction between “Christ-

ian-Muslim” dialogue and “CatholicMuslim” dialogue, Nichols said. “You have to distinguish what kinds of Christians and what kinds of Muslims you’re talking about,” he said. “There are some Christians who hate Islam, and some Muslims who don’t seem to like Christianity, and they think of each other as enemies. . . . With those groups, there is no dialogue. There’s only polemics.” When St. Thomas’ Muslim-Christian Dialogue Center started in 2007, its goal was to foster genuine dialogue, which includes speaking with people who don’t think as Nichols and Ozdemir do, Nichols said. The center organizes speakers and events designed to bring Christians and Muslims together. Other Twin Cities groups, including some Catholic parishes like Pax Christi in Eden Prairie, have also embraced interreligious dialogue, NICHOLS Nichols added. As “Nostra Aetate” states, the goal of Christian-Muslim dialogue is “mutual understanding.” This includes welcome, appreciation and tolerance, Ozdemir said. The two faiths can also learn to live their own faith better through understanding the other, Nichols said. Muslims, for example, pray five times a day, like Catholic religious do in the Liturgy of the Hours. Lay Catholics can learn something from Muslims’ commitment to daily prayer, he said. Standing before a classroom of 20 the-

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ology students Sept. 14, Ozdemir lectured on the tenets of Islam, writing basic terms on the chalkboard. One of the meanings of the word “Islam” is peace, because a person can only find peace in God, he told them. Most of the students who take his class are not Muslim, Ozdemir said. They profess to be Christian or agnostic or searching. Some are interested in Islam because of its prominence in international politics. Others want to understand the religion for themselves. Those who think violence is at the core of Islam misunderstand the religion, Ozdemir said. “Identifying Islam with violence is devoid of any scholarly . . . justification,” he said. “Islam is anti-violence.” Yet, the misconception perseveres. Some point to verses in the Quran that seem to justify, or even call for, violence against non-Muslims. However, like the Bible, the Quran needs to be read in context, which is best done by scholars, Ozdemir said. Although Islam lacks a Magisterium, or teaching authority, like the Catholic Church, it does have a long legacy of scholars who guide Muslims in Quran interpretation. “These quick conclusions and literal reading are themselves very problematic,” he said.

Mirroring Catholic prejudice In the winter 2009-2010 issue of Notre Dame Magazine, history professor R. Scott Appleby argued in the article “The Differences Are Similar” that American Catholics should be able to sympathize with Muslim-Americans. In the 19th century, Catholic immigrants were accused — like Muslims today — of wearing strange religious garb, treating women poorly and seeking “worldwide domination.” The comparison is apt, although the accusations themselves are inaccurate, Nichols said. “I think it helps Catholics understand the position of Muslims today because we went through something similar in the 19th century,” he said. “Groups were strongly opposed to Catholic immigrants and to the building of Catholic churches.” Like America’s Victorian-era Catholic prejudice, today’s Islamic prejudice stems from more than a fear of immigration, Ozdemir said. However, it obviously has roots in the fear of extremist violence evidenced in the Middle East. “I don’t think most Americans know much about Islamic religion,” Nichols said. “I think it’s mostly as association . . . with terrorism, and the generalization of that. After all, we’re at war with two Islamic countries.” Americans cast the same pall of suspicion over Germans during World War I and II, and the Japanese after Pearl Harbor, going so far as to move Japanese Americans to internment camps, Nichols added. “This distortion of Islam is the cause of fear,” Ozdemir said.

Muslims in America Ozdemir remembers the first time he saw the U.S. Capitol and read its inscriptions describing the nation’s values. “It was as if I were reading verses from the Quran,” he told his traveling companion. “They’re so similar. This is why MusPLEASE TURN TO RICH ON PAGE 15A

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The Lesson Plan

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Exorcism: It’s on the big screen, but is it still in the church? By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

Heads spinning. Pea-soup vomit. Circuslike bodily distortions. Hollywood has certainly offered its take on the rite of exorcism, which the church uses to free a person from demonic possession. “The Last Exorcism,” which opened in theaters Aug. 27, is no exception. In the film, a doubting charismatic Protestant pastor sets out to debunk exorcism, but instead he encounters the real presence of evil. Exorcism isn’t only gaining attention on the big screen. In August, the Omahabased Institute for Priestly Formation offered a four-day conference on exorcism at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago. Several archdiocesan priests attended the conference. So, what does the church teach about exorcism and evil in general? Are demons real, or are they products of mental illness? What should someone do if they suspect an evil spirit is affecting his or her life? In order to address some of the most common questions people have about exorcism, The Catholic Spirit interviewed three priests of the archdiocese who have studied the matter: Father Mark Dosh, pastor of St. John the Baptist in Excelsior; Father Michael Skluzacek, pastor of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton; and Father Jon Vander Ploeg, pastor of St. Paul in Ham Lake. They explained the rite, its use and why it gets so much popular attention. What does the church teach about evil and the devil?

Q A

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the devil, or Satan, is a person — an actual being, not just an idea or a symbol. Scripture and tradition hold that he was an angel — a servant and messenger of God — who turned against the Creator and thus “fell” from heaven. Other angels rejected God and fell with him. The church calls these fallen angels “demons.” The Gospels describe Jesus driving demons from people with his own authority, and the church has done the same throughout the centuries, Father Dosh said. When it comes to the devil, there are two extremes people must avoid, Father

“Christ conquers Satan and demons on Calvary. All the rest is mopping up operations, including exorcism.

”

FATHER MARK DOSH

Skluzacek said. “One of them is to think that he doesn’t exist,” he said. “The other extreme is just to become so obsessed with demons that we think there’s a devil under every rock.” Why do you think our culture is interested in exorcism and evil?

Q A

“God has given us a deep yearning for himself, so we’re always yearning for something that transcends us, something that is outside of us,” Father Dosh said. When people don’t look to God, they’ll try to fulfill this desire somewhere else — such as idolizing celebrities or a system of government, he said. Others look to the occult. What is exorcism? Is the rite still used in the church today?

Q A

Exorcism is driving out demonic possession by the authority of the church — and yes, it’s still used today in very rare circumstances, Father Skluzacek said. “On occasions, demons have succeeded in inhabiting people; it’s as simple as that,” Father Dosh added. “That inhabitation, of course, is described as directing their mobility and activities, so [their actions are] not under the will of the person — it’s as if another is acting in him or her.” Exorcism is a sacramental — a sacred sign that prepares and disposes people to

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Q A

Who does exorcisms?

A priest can only perform an exorcism with the permission of his bishop. Some dioceses and archdioceses have appointed exorcists; the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis does not. Any need for the rite here would be handled on a case-by-case basis, Father Dosh said.

Q A

Who undergoes exorcism?

Only people determined to be possessed by priests experienced in the matter undergo exorcism, and most people who think they may be possessed are probably not, Father Skluzacek said. Instead, they may be experiencing a lesser form of demonic interference which does not require exorcism, such as demonic “harassment” or demonic “oppression,” which is also called “obsession.” How are other cases of demonic harm handled?

Q A

The church handles those situations through the normal sacraments and prayers of the church, Father Skluzacek said. In some cases, a priest may also pray a prayer of deliverance over the person. PLEASE TURN TO SACRAMENTS ON PAGE 26A

Catholic News Service The problem of abuse by clergy is solved more by a spirit of penitence and conversion by its members than by a radical change of church structures, Pope Benedict XVI said. He made his comments Sept. 8 during his weekly general audience at the Vatican’s Paul VI hall. He continPope ued his talk Benedict XVI from last week on the life of St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century German mystic. He called her a “great nun” who used her gifts to “work for the renewal of the church,” which was experiencing troubles similar to those of today. In St. Hildegard’s time, there were calls for radical reform of the church to fight the problem of abuses made by the clergy, the pope said. However, she “bitterly reproached demands to subvert the very nature of the church” and reminded people that “a true renewal of the ecclesial community is not achieved so much with a change in the structures as much as with a sincere spirit of penitence” and conversion, the pope said. He said she urged the faithful, especially the clergy and monastic communities, to live holy and virtuous lives. The pope called for greater study into the works of St. Hildegard and other medieval Christian mystics, which he said remain partly unexplored.

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

‘Champions’ winners support life at all stages CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A Office of Marriage, Family and Life for her contributions to the respect life movement. Durham is one of four individuals and groups selected from more than 50 nominations to receive 2010 Champions for Life awards for work on a range of respect life issues, said Sharon Wilson, the archdiocesan respect life coordinator. “I really love doing this and consider them all my friends,” Patti’s nomination quoted her saying. “I know I am volunteering to help them, but they bring a smile to my face and warm my heart. I love to make them smile and feel special.”

Honoring pro-life work In its third year, the awards program seeks to recognize those who have worked hard to advance life issues and to inspire other Catholics to follow them, she said. “It can be difficult work, sometimes in hostile environments,” Wilson said. “We just wanted to find a way to honor these people, especially some of the people who’ve been doing it for years and also to encourage those people who are just starting in doing this pro-life work.” Besides Durham’s award in the youth category, a committee of judges selected an adult recipient, as well as recipients in two new categories: couple/family and

church/school/Catholic-affiliated group. Durham, who attends St. John the Baptist in Savage, began working with disabled students in seventh grade after she had spent time helping an autistic friend. Typically, she assists with things students can’t do, plays games with them or reads to them. She plans to continue the work after she graduates and studies cosmetology. “I would like to, in my spare time, still be involved with caring for the kids with special needs,” she said. “I really like working with them.” The pro-life movement could better highlight its attention to people with disabilities through advertisements and pictures, Durham said. She thinks more students in her school might volunteer with her if the school let them know about the opportunity.

Causes to support life This year’s adult award goes to Virginia (Ginny) Sullivan, a fifth-grade teacher at Nativity of Our Lord School who started the “Mary Shower” more than 25 years ago. The “shower” invites the school’s fifth-grade classes to collect items and money for area pro-life organizations. Sullivan was also active in founding Human Life Alliance and worked with Citizens Concerned for Community Action to oppose a Planned Parenthood clinic’s move to Highland Park. In addition, Sullivan and her husband

‘Rich dialogue’ possible between Catholics, Muslims on social issues CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13A lims are more at home in America than anywhere else — because America is championing liberties, freedoms, democracy and human rights. “Your ideals are our ideals,” he added. “To build a better community, a just community, a peaceful community is a goal of Muslims, as it’s a goal of Christians and Americans.” To say that Muslim ideals oppose those of the United States is a distortion of the faith, he added. Muslims and Catholics share many of the same criticisms of modern American society, Nichols added, listing consumerism, promiscuity and racism. “There’s the possibility of a rich dialogue between Catholics and Muslims on areas of social thought,” he said. Yet, many Americans choose not to see similarities. Unlike many European countries, America identifies itself as a Christian nation. Many European countries view Islam as a threat to secularization, while America tends to view Islam as a threat to its Judeo-Christian foundation and, thus, its national identity. Americans tend to inflate Christianity

It’s

values

that

with national self-interests, Nichols said, adding that the temptation to do so is “extremely dangerous.” “You might almost say the No. 1 temptation to idolatry is to say our nation and God’s will are the same,” he said. Although some Americans fear Muslims will impose Shariah, or Islamic law, upon America, this fear is unfounded, Ozdemir said. “Such accusations are not very different from the accusations once raised against Catholics that they would bring theocracy and put America under the pope or against Jews who would apply the Jewish law,” he said. “[Shariah] guarantees freedoms of life, progeny, reason, religion and property,” he added. “It reflects the will of God, which is justice. It cannot be forced against the will and free choice of people without itself being violated.” Despite the challenges, America’s interest in religion means that ChristianMuslim dialogue could be more fruitful here than in Europe, Ozdemir said. And, Nichols added, there are exciting possibilities for the future of the dialogue.

guide

the heart.

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have mentored couples preparing for marriage. She is a parishioner at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. The couple/family category award goes to Bernadine and Merlyn Scroggins, members of Holy Childhood in St. Paul. In addition to raising their four children, the couple has worked for the pro-life cause for 40 years. Bernadine began serving at Birthright in 1974, and the couple has made presentations for the organization across the state. She also is an honorary board member of the Total LifeCare Centers and is involved in a number of other prolife organizations. Merlyn is past president of the Catholic Defense League and has given pro-life speeches for 35 years. The couple has opened their home to pregnant women in transition seven times. The award for church, school or Catholic-affiliated group was given to Respect Life Groups of South Central

Minnesota, a collaboration of more than 30 respect life parish committees and other organizations in the southern area of the archdiocese. The organization sponsors speakers as part of a multi-faceted educational program. With the service of Dr. Richard Weiland of Annunciation in Hazelwood and Anne Fredrickson of St. Dominic in Northfield, this group uses the talents of individuals from many parishes. What all the award recipients have in common is that they’ve brought the “Gospel of Life” into their lives, Wilson said. “Regardless of how it’s being presented, of what area, whether it’s working with disabilities or working on the education aspect of bringing in speakers, or teaching, or service in helping people in difficult pregnancies, they all get it — they all get the fact of respect for the human person,” she said.

“The only way to win audiences is to tell people about the life and death of Christ. Every other approach is a waste.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Arts & Culture 16A

The Catholic Spirit

Exploring our church and our world

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Chicago priest’s new show aims to ‘engage the culture’ Catholic News Service A Chicago archdiocesan priest who teaches systematic theology and is a wellknown homilist with a popular evangelization website and radio program is now launching a weekly national program on a commercial TV network. Beginning Oct. 3, “Word on Fire With Father Barron” will appear on WGN America Sundays at 8:30 a.m. Central time. The Chicago-based network, which offers its national programming across North America, is carried on various cable outlets. An announcement on Father Robert Barron’s website, WWW.WORDONFIRE.ORG, said his show will be “a groundbreaking broadcast” because he “will become the first priest since Archbishop Fulton Sheen in the 1950s to have a regular, national program on a commercial television network.” The archbishop’s show was called “Life Is Worth Living.”

Reaching out Father Barron, a professor at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary since 1992, has a global media ministry called “Word on Fire,”

“Our program will strive to show viewers the richness of the Catholic faith and how it is a treasure to be shared now and with future generations.

”

FATHER ROBERT BARRON

which aims “to educate and engage the culture.” The priest said he has the same mission for his TV show, which is being funded by private donations, according to the announcement. “Now is the time to reach out to Catholics and others who are searching for meaning in their lives or who have left the church because they are disillusioned,” he said in a statement. “In each episode, our mission will be to encourage

believers and bring the transformative power of the Gospel to the culture.” He holds the Francis Cardinal George chair of faith and culture at Mundelein. Ordained a priest in Chicago in 1986, he has published numerous books, essays and DVDs. Father Barron also lectures and leads retreats and workshops around the world. In downtown Chicago, he holds a series of missions for business, civic and cultural leaders.

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At 64, Marla couldn’t afford rent or medication on her ﬁxed income.At Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Center, a homeless shelter in St. Paul, caring and compassionate staff helped her ﬁnd a home she could afford. Marla’s health improved and she says, “I feel like I’m in heaven. I’ve been so blessed by all the help I received.”

His homilies can be heard Thursday mornings on Relevant Radio. He is a regular commentator on the Paulists’ “Busted Halo Show” on the Sirius satellite radio network based in New York. He appears on the Eternal Word Television Network, and videos of his commentaries can be found regularly on YouTube. Father Barron holds a master’s degree in philosophy from The Catholic University of America in Washington and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris.

Project preview For the past two years, he has been producing a 10-part documentary series called “Catholicism,” traveling to 16 countries to tell the story of the church. The release is set for next year, but Father Barron said he will preview some highlights of the series in his weekly broadcasts. “The faith of the church is our strength,” said the priest. “Our program will strive to show viewers the richness of the Catholic faith and how it is a treasure to be shared now and with future generations. The faith imbues our life with meaning and imparts to all a renewed sense of purpose.”

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Calendar Dining out Fish fry at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Sept. 24 and Oct. 1: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations.

Pork chop dinner at St. Joseph, Waconia — Sept. 24: 4 to 8 p.m. at the corner of E. First Street and Elm Street. Pork roast and sauerkraut dinner at St. Bernard, St. Paul — Sept. 25: 4 to 7 p.m. at the parish center on Rice and Geranium. Cost is $8 for adults and $3.50 for children. Chicken and rib dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Sept. 29 and Oct. 6: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $12. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations.

KC pancake and sausage breakfast at Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto — Oct. 3: 8:30 a.m. to noon at 145 Railway St. E. Free-will offering. KC pancake breakfast at St. Vincent de Paul School, Brooklyn Park — Oct. 3: 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 9050 93rd Ave. N. Proceeds go to Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis.

Parish events Festival at St. Rose of Lima, Roseville — Sept. 24: 6 to 9:30 p.m. at 2048 Hamline Ave. N. Features The Rockin’ Hollywoods outdoor concert, food and games. Festival at Our Lady of Peace, Minneapolis — Sept. 24 to 26: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5426 12th Ave. S. Entertainment, carnival rides, Fat Lorenzo’s Spaghetti Dinner and more. Festival at St. John the Baptist, New Brighton — Sept. 24 to 26: Market fair 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, polka Mass Saturday at 4:30 p.m. followed by a street dance. More games, music and booya Sun. at 835 Second Ave. N.W. Rummage sale at St. Mark, St. Paul — Sept. 24 to 26: Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to noon at 2001 Dayton Ave. Octoberfest at St. Therese, Deephaven — Sept. 25: from 3 to 11 p.m. at 18323 Minnetonka Blvd. Features authentic German food, beer and wine, live music, kids’ carnival and more. AngelFest at Guardian Angels, Chaska — Sept. 25: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 218 W. Second St. Begins with the World’s Shortest Parade and features tours and a display of the St. John’s Bible in the historic friary. Polka Mass at 4 p.m. followed by live music and a pork dinner. Also includes food booths, crafts and games. Children’s clothing and toy sale at St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove — Sept. 25: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 7180 Hemlock Lane. All items 30% off after 1 p.m. Presentation by Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life at St. Raphael, Crystal — Sept. 25: 7:30 p.m. at 7301 Bass Lake Road. Presentation and Benediction. A free-will offering will be taken.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT followed by Peruvian food and fellowship.

Don’t miss

Festival at Holy Rosary/Santo Rosario, Minneapolis — Oct. 3: 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 2424 18th Ave. S. Chicken dinner, Mexican foods, games and activities.

‘World’s Shortest Parade’ in Chaska

Blessing of animals at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — Oct. 3: 1:30 p.m. at 88 N. 17th St. Festival follows.

Put your thinking caps on! Guardian Angels in Chaska is looking for entries in the “World’s Shortest Parade,” to be held during their AngelFest celebration Sept. 25. Prizes will be awarded for the most humorous celebration of a congregation, denomination or pastor; the most creative alumni entry and the most creative entry of any sort. Anyone can enter: faith formation classes, youth ministries, parish societies and community social groups are just a few examples. The parade starts at 11:30 a.m., participants should gather in the Friary Gardens behind the church no later than 11:15 a.m. Register at ANGELFESTPARADE@GACHASKA.ORG. Touch of Lebanon festival at St. Maron, Minneapolis — Sept. 25 and 26: Saturday 1 to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 602 University Ave. N.E. Features authentic Lebanese cuisine, games, live music, gift shop and more. Visit WWW.STMARON .COM. Festival at St. Francis de Sales and St. James, St. Paul — Sept. 26: Booya and fall festival at Highland Picnic Pavilion, 1200 Montreal Ave. Serving begins at 11:30 a.m. Also features games and live music. Festival at Most Holy Redeemer, Montgomery — Sept. 26: Polka Mass at 10:30 a.m. at 206 Vine Ave. W. A chicken and ham dinner follows from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also features music, Czech dancers, farmers’ market, homemade candy, crafts and more. Festival at St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul — Sept. 26: Noon to 5 p.m. at 1757 Conway St. Event includes homecooked spaghetti dinner, bingo, children’s games, raffles, the festival general store, tacos and more. Festival at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Minneapolis — Sept. 26: Marian procession following 10 a.m. Mass, spaghetti supper served from noon to 4 p.m. at 701 Fillmore St. N.E. Festival at St. Timothy, Maple Lake — Sept. 26: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 241 Star St. E. Chicken dinner served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also features games, food, raffles and booths. Festival at Mary, Queen of Peace, Rogers — Sept. 26: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 21304 Church Ave. Chicken dinner at 11 a.m. followed by bingo, farmers’ market, games and a food court. Festival at St. John the Baptist, Vermillion — Sept. 26: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 106 W. Main St. Chicken and pork dinner, kids’ pedal tractor pull, silent auction, bake sale and more. ‘What Catholics Believe’ speaker series at St. Odilia, Shoreview — Sept. 27: 7 to 8 p.m. at 3495 N. Victoria. Father Christopher Beaudet presents, “Divorce, annulments and re-marriage.” Lecture series featuring Charles Bobertz at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — Sept. 28: 7 p.m. at 155 County Road 24. Also meets Oct. 12, Nov. 9 and Dec. 14. Visit WWW.HNOJ

.ORG/MARK2010.HTML to register. Rummage sale at St. Joseph, Hopkins — Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and 2: Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1310 Mainstreet. $1 Bag day Saturday. Rummage sale at Holy Name, Minneapolis — Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and 2: Preview sale Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. with $1 admission, Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to noon at 3637 11th Ave. S. ‘Ten Signs of Alzheimers’ class at St. John, St. Paul — Sept. 30: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at 977 E. Fifth St. To enroll, call (651) 771-3690. ‘Will I Be Allowed to Grow Old?’ at St. Odilia, Shoreview — Sept. 30: 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 3495 N. Victoria. Scott Fischbach from MCCL will speak. Wine and beer tasting at St. Peter, Richfield — Oct. 1: 6 to 9 p.m. at 6730 Nicollet Ave. S. Also features hors d’oeuvres and a live auction. Cost is $25 at the door. Festival at St. Francis of Assisi, Lake St. Croix Beach — Oct. 1 to 3: Youth movie night from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, pet blessing at 10 a.m. and spaghetti dinner from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and games and food Sun. from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 16770 13th St. S. Garage sale at St. John, Little Canada — Oct. 2: 9 a.m. to noon at 2621 McMenemy Road. $1 bag sale at 11 a.m. and free after 11:30 a.m. Craft fair at St. Stanislaus, St. Paul — Oct. 2: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 398 Superior St. More than 20 crafters, silent auction and bakery. Chili feed/cook-off at St. Bernard, Cologne — Oct. 2: After the 4 p.m. Mass at 212 Church St. E. Chili supper, refreshments, activities and fellowship. St. Mary’s Harvest Bazaar at Bellechester Community Center, Goodhue — Oct. 2: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 101 First St. Features a bake sale and lunch, games and vendors. Festival and Booya at St. Mary, St. Paul — Oct. 3: Polka Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by festival and booya from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebration of The Lord of the Miracles at St. Olaf, Minneapolis — Oct. 3: Noon at 215 S. Eighth St. Spanish Mass

Festival at St. John Byzantine, Minneapolis — Oct. 3: 10 a.m. liturgy followed by festival until 4 p.m. at 2201 Third St. N.E. Features ethnic food, raffles and games. ‘Following the Spirit: Helping Young Adults Figure Out Their Next Steps,’ at St. Jane House, Minneapolis — Oct. 4: 7:30 to 9 p.m. at 1403 Emerson Ave. N. First in a three-part series sponsored by Visitation Monastery. For information, call (612) 521-6113, ext. 4. Rummage sale at St. Austin, Minneapolis — Oct. 7 to 9: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, bag day at 4050 Upton Ave. N.

Prayer/ liturgies Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul — Sept. 26: 2 p.m. at Stanford Avenue and Prior Avenue S. Lawyers’ Guild of St. Thomas More annual Red Mass at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas at the University of St. Thomas — Sept. 26: 9 a.m. at 2115 Summit Ave. Brunch follows. For information, call (651) 962-6437. All night vigil with the Blessed Sacrament at Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — Oct. 1: 7 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday at 401 Concord St. For information, call (651) 228-0506. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Francis de Sales — Oct. 3: 2 p.m. at 650 Palace Ave. Archdiocesan Mass of God’s Children at Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul — Oct. 5: 7 p.m. at 1900 Stanford Ave. Parents who have experienced the loss of a baby before or after birth are invited. Fellowship to follow. For information, call (651) 291-4488.

Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50plus Catholic singles — ongoing Sundays: For Catholic singles to meet and make friends. The group usually meets in St. Paul on Sunday afternoons. For information, call Judy at (763) 221-3040 or Al at (651) 482-0406. 50-plus singles dinner at St. Joseph, New Hope — Sept. 26: 5 p.m. at 8701 36th Ave. N. Includes social hour, dinner and speaker Cost is $10. Call (763) 439-5940.

Other events Lay (Third Order) Carmelite open house at Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul — Oct. 3: 1 p.m. at 324 S. Prior Ave. Learn about the classic Carmelite way of life. For information, call (651) 454-6123.

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Calendar Submissions DEADLINE: The Catholic Spirit is biweekly. Items should be submitted by Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. Items are published on a space available basis. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: ■ Time and date of event. ■ Full street address of event. ■ Description of event. ■ Contact information in case of questions. E-MAIL: SPIRITCALENDAR@ ARCHSPM.ORG.

(No attachments, please.) FAX: (651) 291-4460. MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.

“Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.” Harry Emerson Fosdick

Retirement Planning 18A

A Catholic Spirit special section

The Catholic Spirit

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Is your money safe? Five easy ways to make sure By Allison Kerfeld Wells

Resources online

For The Catholic Spirit

“You can’t cheat an honest man,” says W.C. Fields in the 1939 film of the same title. Jeff Robinson, owner and founder of Family Financial Services, believes this phrase provides key insight into everyday financial situations. Con artists, just like W.C. Fields’ character, are looking to take advantage of anyone they can — especially those nearing retirement, said Robinson. What is important to remember, according to W.C. Fields and Robinson, is if people protect themselves and are honest in their financial endeavors, it will be harder to cheat them in the end. But, it can be hard to know how to protect oneself when it comes to the intricate financial web. To make straight the path, here are five tips.

Be informed. “The first thing to do is decide if you have the time, interest, energy and emotional stamina to manage your finances. Not everyone needs a financial planner,” said Kristi Andersen, a certified financial planner and owner of Kristi L. Andersen Financial Partners, LLC. Many people will find that they are capable of making financial choices on their own. Regardless, one must research and ask questions to understand investments and finances. “All questions are good — ask until you understand,” Andersen said. “Our industry can be very intimidating. Don’t be

Looking into investing or watching out for scams? Check out these websites for helpful resources. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority at WWW.FINRA.ORG. The Office of Attorney General Lori Swanson at WWW.AG.STATE.MN.US. Better Business Bureau at WWW.BBB.ORG.

embarrassed; continue to ask until you understand what you are dealing with.”

Find a financial planner that understands your wants and needs. Many people do want someone to coach them through difficult decisions, said Andersen, but finding a financial advisor is not as simple as looking in a directory. “If you are a Christian, you probably want someone who will give you counsel from a biblical perspective,” said Robinson. “We make money decisions every day, but are they what God wants us to do?” He suggested IQUESTIONS.COM and KINGDOMADVISORS.ORG for those looking to integrate their faith and finances. All discussions should begin with a few important questions, Andersen said. For example, clients should always ask about the certification and experience of their prospective financial counselor. Check their certification on Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and then ask what the certification allows them to do. BROKERCHECK.FINRA.ORG is a website that shows complaints about any sort of

financial advisor. But, remember accusation doesn’t necessarily mean guilt. “People will lose money and try to get money back any way they can,” said Bob Hanten, a financial advisor, president of Solidarity Financial, Inc., and a portfolio manager and investment advisor representative for Pilot Capital Management Corporation. He is also a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park.

Be aware of common scams. Scam artists prey on those who have investments, own a home and maintain a good credit rating. According to the Office of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, 60 percent of all callers to the National Fraud Information Center describe themselves as senior citizens. The most common types of fraud that face today’s retiree include medical fraud, identity theft, investment fraud and telemarketing fraud. Thieves use many tactics to disguise their ploys, so don’t let this cloud your judgment. According to the Minnesota attorney general’s office, con artists use three main tactics to contact potential

victims: phone, mail and door-to-door sales. They may disguise themselves as other businesses, even using well-known names. Before entering into any agreement, check out the Attorney General’s list of common scams at WWW.AG.STATE. MN.US and the Better Business Bureau’s accredited businesses at WWW.BBB.ORG.

Don’t give out personal information. Keep your social security number, bank number and pin numbers private. Call and request more information if numbers are asked for via mail. Robinson said setting up a direct deposit account with your bank is a good way to keep your important information private. If you leave town for several months, have your mail locked, Andersen said. Shred any hard copies, including all bills, receipts, and other forms of personal information. And, check credit scores and get credit reports anually, Andersen said.

Practice patience for stability and satisfaction. Make sure you have a safety net before investing. The rule of thumb is to have three to six months of salary saved before you begin to invest, Hanten said. And, after beginning to invest, don’t make hasty decisions; you should never feel pressured for a quick response. Above all, being realistic and satisfied with investments is essential in the process, Hanten said.

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Retirement Planning

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

19A

More seniors crack the books, without the grades By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

You’re never too old to learn could be the motto of some students at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. That’s because for more than three decades the university’s Center for Senior Citizens’ Education has opened its regular undergraduate academic courses as well as special seminars to local seniors. Jan Viktora, director of the center, said these students — ages 55 and older — are taking everything from ballroom dancing to metaphysics classes and many subjects in between. The most popular classes are history and languages, especially Spanish. Most of the senior students — about 1,200 each semester — take these classes for a minimal fee and audit them, meaning they do not receive grades or take tests and write papers. As Viktora said, these students are simply “avid learners.” One student has taken more than 40 classes during the last 20 years and said he’s done more as an alumni than he did as an undergraduate. Another said he wanted to take the tests — in physics — because he wanted to compete with his high-school age grandchildren and discuss the subject with them.

Many universities offer classes to senior citizens interested in lifelong learning. For years, reports have indicated that staying active mentally and physically exerts a positive influence on how individuals age.

Lifelong learning

CNS photo

Viktora said the participants primarily want to learn more and have the free time to do so. “It gives them a chance to expand and complete their lifelong learning,” she

added. She also said the experience of older students on campus benefits the whole college community. She said the older

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Retirement Planning

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Seniors go back to work to make ends meet adults will continue to climb because Americans will be continuing to work during the traditional retirement years just to get by. Senior citizens looking for work find themselves competing in a market already stretched thin by ranks of unemployed. Lona Alder, administrative assistant at Senior Aides, a government-funded employment and training program for lowincome residents 55 years and older in Chicago, said there has recently been an increase in seniors needing financial help and wanting to learn more technological skills for job opportunities. In the fall of 2009 enrollment in the program doubled and about 100 people were on the waiting list.

By Sheila Archambault Catholic News Service

In today’s tough economy, more senior citizens are putting off retirement and are working or looking for work just to make ends meet. A case in point is the 92-year-old woman who recently called a Catholic Charities agency in Baltimore looking for help in finding a job to earn extra income. The woman spoke to Sandra Ferguson, project director at the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which assists low-income individuals who are 55 years and older in their search for employment. Ferguson said the program gives senior citizens the chance to earn extra income. Participants work 19 hours a week and make $7.25 an hour, minimum wage in Maryland, which adds a little more than $400 to their monthly income. The agency places senior citizens in nonprofit organizations and gives them paid training to refresh technical skills and learn new skills. She has seen a large increase in the number of calls from senior citizens needing financial help and a shift in the population age requiring job assistance. Younger people are also looking for help finding jobs, Ferguson said. At the age of 55, many people should still be working, she said, but because of the recession they cannot find jobs.

Retirement unaffordable More older Americans just can’t afford to retire and are looking for work for a number of reasons, including layoffs, forced early retirement, the need to supplement insufficient retirement funds or to make up for depleted retirement savings from stock market losses. The unemployment rate for adults age 65 and older reached 5.1 percent in December 2008, a 31-year high, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even though that figure was lower than the overall unemployment rate of 7.2 percent during that same time period, many say the unemployment rate among older

Catholic Charities helping

CNS photo

Many say the unemployment rate among older adults will continue to climb because Americans will be continuing to work during the traditional retirement years just to get by.

Catholic Charities in Kansas City, Mo., has a similar program called Seniors@ Work, which offers job training for local seniors and job placement at local nonprofit organizations, such as libraries, community centers and social service agencies. Catholic Charities agencies are not just helping seniors find jobs for extra income but providing basic financial services for struggling senior citizens including help with reviewing and paying bills, creating budgets and organizing tax records. Some agencies also are providing the training to get seniors up to speed with what their younger counterparts are already adept with: computer skills. Alder said participants in Senior Aides training learn the basics such as navigating Microsoft Word, Web browsers and even Excel spreadsheets. The classes are extremely helpful to the seniors because many coming into the program do not have a lot of experience with computers, she said. After the classes not only are these older students better prepared for the job market, Alder said, but they are also equipped to do more at home, such as online banking, shopping and bill paying.

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Retirement Planning

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

21A

Senior citizens learn to be tech savvy with Wii, Facebook competed in Wii bowling tournaments against another local retirement community and will likely continue to do this.

By Sheila Archambault Catholic News Service

Many senior citizens are learning something their grandchildren already knew: Computers and video games are fun and useful. Retirement communities across the country are offering senior citizens computer classes, training for video games on the Nintendo Wii console and workshops on texting and using social network sites such as Facebook. Sue Dane, the director of resident services at Milwaukee Catholic Home, a residential senior home, said students from local schools have helped residents learn basic computer skills and also video game techniques to play Wii golf, bowling, baseball and tennis. Casa Santa Marta II, a retirement home in Sarasota, Fla., similarly has a large group of seniors interested in learning new technological skills, according to Debra Greising, manager of the retirement residence. Greising said the residents are designing a computer class in collaboration with the Sarasota Military Academy to teach seniors basic computer skills. The center recently purchased a Nintendo Wii and some residents get together regularly to play video bowling and other games.

More than fun and games

CNS photo

Programs teach seniors to use new technology, including cell phone texting.

“The children and grandchildren are encouraging seniors to use e-mail and social networks to help stay connected.

”

Wii a sport alternative In Harrisonburg, Va., Wii bowling has taken a life of its own at the Virginia Mennonite Retirement community. Officials at the retirement community said the video game allows seniors to enjoy sports that they can no longer physically play. Anna Manikus, the community’s supportive-wellness coordinator, said Wii golf allowed a wheelchair-bound man who had played golf his entire life to once again enjoy the game. And Alice Borden, an 83-year-old

SUSAN KILBY Foundation for Senior Living, Phoenix, Ariz.

member of the retirement community who had to stop bowling because of a back injury, said the virtual bowling was “comparative to real bowling without the heaviness of the ball.” She also said it allowed her to get some exercise and enjoy friendly competition with other members of the retirement community. Wii bowling was introduced to the retirement community in 2007 and im-

mediately had a great intergenerational aspect. Students from a local high school service group visited members of the retirement community to train and educate the seniors in how to use the video technology. A great aspect of Wii bowling is that it gives seniors a social outlet and allows them to reconnect with sports they used to play at a younger age, Manikus said. She also noted that the community has

But the new technology isn’t just fun and games, though, as more seniors are learning. The Internet and basic digital technologies such as cameras and cell phones provide the means to stay in touch with family and friends and are tools for daily life. To help some seniors get over their hesitancy to use these new technologies, some groups are providing training and involving young people — those most adept at the new electronics — in the process. A nonprofit group called Older Adults Technology Services based in Brooklyn, N.Y., provides such training through one of its programs, “Hyperlinking the Generations,” which is offered at Catholic Charities-run Glenwood Senior Center in Brooklyn. The Foundation for Senior Living, a nonprofit group in Phoenix that works with local Catholic Charities agencies, began offering Facebook workshops in the summer of 2009. Susan Kilby, the organization’s director of community education, said the workshops show participants how to set up their own Facebook pages, establish privacy settings, offer status updates, post comments and search for friends and relatives. Many of the attendees at the first training session were grandparents who wanted to stay connected with their grandchildren. Kilby said the seniors have a lot of interest in current technology, often as the result of family pressure. As she put it: “The children and grandchildren are encouraging seniors to use email and social networks to help stay connected.”

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Retirement Planning

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Colleges help seniors learn more, stay young CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19A younger students, who may end up returning to the campus as auditing students when they’re of age. At some Catholic colleges, the emphasis for senior involvement is not just academics, but spiritual or cultural elements. The Baltimore campus of Loyola College in Maryland offers on-campus lectures, spiritual evenings of reflection and theatrical performances. Daily and weekend Masses also draw a number of local residents who are beyond the traditional college age. At St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., members of the local community join the campus community for daily and weekend Masses and in Advent reflections and Lenten missions. They also have the chance to join students at the college-sponsored senior ball. And across the country, seniors might not be going to colleges for classes or social events but they’re still in class — taking continuing education programs through their churches and civic groups or attending lectures on current events, history, international politics, music and literature.

rticipating • lov ing e is pa f i L

Many seniors can also take online courses or telecourses — viewed on television.

enjo ying • sharing • living

Looking to the future According to “The State of Aging and Health in America 2007” report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Merck Company Foundation, the number of older Americans is expected to reach 71 million, or roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population, by 2030. While some in this growing population may believe their prime years are behind them, others feel they’re just getting started and for that reason alone, they might be learning a new subject. Others might simply be hoping to ward off dementia by keeping their brains active. For years, reports have indicated that staying active mentally and physically exerts a positive influence on how individuals age. A study by the travel group Elderhostel, which changed its name in 2009 to Exploritas, showed strong correlations between lifelong learning and its positive effect on healthy aging. The lesson here — learn more and stay young at the same time — just might fit in the category of a no-brainer for students of any age.

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Retirement Planning

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Caregivers of elderly must take care of themselves, too By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

People who take care of elderly or sick family members often devote so much energy to this role that they neglect to take care of themselves. Websites on caregiving repeatedly warn against falling into this pattern giving advice akin to the instructions airline flight attendants give passengers before takeoffs: put on your own oxygen masks before helping others. “Caring for yourself is one of the most important — and one of the most often forgotten — things you can do as a caregiver. When your needs are taken care of, the person you care for will benefit, too.” according to the National Alliance for Caregiving, a nonprofit coalition of family caregiver groups. The group notes that older men and women caring for a spouse are at risk for significant health problems because of mental or emotional strain, prolonged stress and the physical demands of caregiving. Younger caregivers, such as children caring for aged parents, also can put their well being and health at risk while juggling the caregiving role with going to work and raising children. Overall, it said, caregivers have reported sleep deprivation, poor eating habits, failure to exercise and depression.

Lifestyle advice To help those who have taken on this crucial role, the group recommends that

caregivers do the following: Learn and use stress-reduction techniques. Attend to health care needs. Get proper rest and nutrition. Exercise regularly. Take time off without feeling guilty. Seek and accept the support of others. Seek supportive counseling when needed or talk to a trusted counselor or friend. Another key component caregivers should not overlook is their spirituality, said Monica Dodds, author of “A Catholic Guide to Your Aging Parent.” Monica and her husband, Bill, founded the organization Friends of St. John the Caregiver (WWW.FSJC.ORG) in 2005 to address the spiritual needs of family caregivers by providing training and educational material to dioceses and parishes, spiritual resources for individual caregivers and a membership association that pledges prayerful support for those who receive and give care.

Prayer is ‘best strategy’ The Dodds, who live in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., just north of Seattle, are also family columnists for Catholic News Service. Monica said her personal experience of caring for her aunt and her professional role as a social worker for seniors led her to see a common thread: Not only do caregivers tend to neglect their physical needs, they also deprive themselves of PLEASE TURN TO PRAYER ON PAGE 24A

CNS photo

It’s not unusual for caregivers of elderly people — including spouses and children — to forget to take care of themselves, too, experts warn. The National Alliance for Caregiving recommends caregivers exercise regularly, eat well and seek support. That support should include spiritual assistance, Catholic caregivers add.

Looking for spiritual support? Free resources available Free spiritual resource materials for caregivers are available from Friends of St. John the Caregiver. For information visit their website at WWW.FSJC.ORG or call 1-800392-JOHN.

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Retirement Planning

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

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Prayer provides calm, support caregivers need to handle vocation’s stress CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23A much-needed spiritual support. When she speaks to caregivers across the country she advises them to see their role as a vocation — even if they feel the task was thrust upon them. Once they accept that, she said, caregivers should “hand over their work to the good Lord.” “Prayer is the best strategy available: It’s instant, powerful and private,” she said. Monica said personal prayer not only provides a quiet break, but gives the caregiver the sense that he or she is not alone. “It’s amazing the calmness it brings,” she added. That inner calm, may be just what a caregiver needs to feel, at the very least, that they can cope with their situation, and on better days it may help them see their work as “a journey.” The Dodds don’t gloss over the demands of caregiving. One of the articles on their website stresses the realities of this work in this way: “Caregiving is exhausting. Caregiving is maddening. Caregiving is frightening. Caregiving is frustrating. But the truth is also that, in the middle of all that, you can experience an awareness of the presence of God.” “Whether you feel it or not, God is constantly present with you in your new role,” it continues. “And whether you like

“Caregiving is exhausting. Caregiving is maddening. Caregiving is frightening. Caregiving is frustrating. But the truth is also that, in the middle of all that, you can experience an awareness of the presence of God.” FROM THE DODDS’ WEBSITE

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Retirement Planning

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

25A

For seniors, preventing falls requires a few simple steps along stairways and grab bars in the bathroom. The significant damage caused by simple falls explains why the CDC offers grants to groups that teach seniors and their caregivers how to prevent such falls. Several Catholic Charities agencies have received these grants, including the Catholic Charities Adult Day Services in Cincinnati, which first received a grant in 2005.

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

The Stations of the Cross that focus on Jesus falling likely have special significance to senior citizens who deal with the challenges and dangers of falling on a regular basis. For older adults, falling is a serious problem. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the dangers in its report: “Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview,” which highlighted the following facts about falling: In 2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls, about 1.8 million people in this age group were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized. Twenty to 30 percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises or head traumas. These injuries can make it hard to get around and limit independent living. They also can increase the risk of early death. Many people who fall, even those who aren’t injured, develop a fear of falling. This fear may cause them to limit their activities, leading to reduced mobility and physical fitness, increasing their actual risk of falling.

Prevention is key A major step to avoid falls is prevention, the agency says. The CDC advises that older adults to take several steps to protect their independence and reduce their risk of falling, including: Exercising regularly. Asking their doctor or pharmacist to review their

Parishes offer education

CNS photo

Falling is a serious problem for older adults. Prevention includes regular exercise and annual vision checks.

medicines — both prescription and over-the-counter — to reduce side effects and interactions. Having their eyes checked at least once a year. Improving the lighting in their home. Reducing the hazards in their home that can lead to falls, such as safely tucking telephone and electrical cords out of walkways, keeping the floor clear and clean, using nonskid throw rugs to reduce the chance of slipping on linoleum or vinyl, and installing handrails

Parishes also have taken on the seriousness of this problem by offering workshops on fall prevention. The Health Ministry Office of the Diocese of Wheeling, W.Va., has offered training seminars for parish leaders to help their senior citizens prevent falls and address other issues such as being active, eating well and managing health problems. Alma Cunningham, director of the diocesan office, said there is a great need for ministries that aid senior citizens in parishes. “If we can keep (the elderly) healthy . . . keeping their parish connected with them, I think that’s a good thing,” she said. Educating senior citizens on fall prevention seems to be working. An article in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 said falls among the elderly were cut by 11 percent when researchers at Yale School of Medicine looked at a combination of fall prevention educational campaigns and practices of health care providers such as rehabilitation specialists, home care nurses, hospital emergency room staff and other clinicians and providers. Groups such as AARP and the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence are working with seniors and those who help them to stop falls from happening by sharing fall prevention practices, providing education opportunities and promoting senior-friendly policies. Although many seniors have simply resigned themselves to the notion that “falls just happen,” more efforts are increasingly in place today to make sure these missteps don’t occur.

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Sacraments, normal prayers of the church combat evil, priests say “Christ conquers Satan and demons on Calvary,” Father Dosh added. “All the rest is mopping up operations, including exorcism.”

possession from mental illness], Father Skluzacek said, like the ability to speak in foreign languages of which the person would have no knowledge.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14A However, frequent reception of the sacraments is vital to overcoming demonic interference, Father Skluzacek said. “What is so important to remember is that the sacrament of reconciliation, for example, is much more powerful than an exorcism,” he added.

Why don’t Catholics hear about this anywhere outside the cinema/popular culture?

Movies like “The Exorcist” (1973) or “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”(2005) make exorcism look like a one-time deal, but people could undergo exorcisms for years before the demon is driven from them. Exorcisms don’t always look dramatic, but possessed people could act with unusual strength, vomit, or be used by a demon to speak. “It depends what you’re dealing with,” Father Vander Ploeg said. “Demons are fallen angels, so a lot depends on what type of angel you’re dealing with that fell.” The church’s tradition describes a hierarchy of angels, and demons have a similar hierarchy, Father Skluzacek said. Another difference between movies and actual exorcisms is that good always triumphs in the end, Father Vander Ploeg said.

Priests haven’t done as good of a job as they should have to explain this in recent years, Father Skluzacek said. “My own seminary training is not very good in this area,” he said. “So, it’s an area where we need to do a better job, and I think we are. There are lots of signs that there’s more training for priests and for people in the church to learn about this.” Priests also don’t want to needlessly alarm parishioners, or attract unwanted attention. “I think that [Catholics] should be aware that there are things out there, but I don’t think that they should get overly fascinated by it,” Father Vander Ploeg said. “By its nature, too much focus on it distorts the truth and the reality. God is more powerful than the demonic, and our fascination with it often

How do movie portrayals of exorcism compare to the real thing?

How does an exorcist distinguish between demonic interference and mental illness?

One of exorcism’s greatest criticisms is that those who undergo the rite actually need a doctor, not a priest. Yet, there’s a difference between mental illness and possession, Father Vander Ploeg said. In some cases, however, both are present. Priests often consult with psychologists in determining what the afflicted person needs. Sometimes it’s the psychologist who contacts a priest when he or she thinks a person’s problem is beyond the purview of science, Father Dosh said. There are signs of supernatural phenomena [that distinguishes

gives the demonic more power than it actually has. Those concerned about these matters should speak to their pastor or a priest, the priests said.

Read more Father Michael Skluzacek suggested the following books for further reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church. “Angels and their Mission” by Jean Danielou. “Catholics and the New Age” by Father Mitch Pacwa. “Exorcism: Understanding Exorcism in Scripture and Practice” by Father Jeremy Davies (available at HTTP://WWW.CTSONLINE.ORG.UK/A CATALOG/INFO_E X27.HTML).

Why does the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults contain “exorcism” as part of candidates’ and catechumens’ preparation? Does it have anything to do with this?

“There are really instances of minor exorcisms that are very common, and most people don’t even realize that they are exorcisms,” Father Skluzacek said. One is baptism. “Before a baby is baptized, there’s a simple minor exorcism, where the priest or deacon prays a prayer to cast out the power of evil from the person, and then the person is anointed with the oil of catechumens,” he said. “That is a minor exorcism.”The same rite is included in RCIA in the scrutinies before baptism, he said. “So those are bona fide exorcisms. They’re not the Hollywood style, but they’re real exorcisms,” he said.

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27A

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Diaconate candidates look forward to new ministry BAUHS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6A me to come. Come!” I first shared this with Margene the next day, and while neither of us knew what this truly meant, we trusted God. Our journey of discernment and formation has affirmed and strengthened that trust. We have experienced the reality that, when following God’s will, barriers and obstacles are removed and we are strengthened, encouraged and filled with peace to continue the journey. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? The forming of the deepest fraternal relationships with my candidate brothers. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why? God gifts each person with talents that can, and should, be used for the betterment of his church. I will happily serve wherever the archbishop decides.

MICHAUD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6A Favorite Scripture verse: Matthew 18:20 Favorite books: “Pierced by a Sword” by Bud Macfarlane Jr., Mother Teresa’s biography and whatever book my kids ask me to read to them. Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. When I first thought I was being called to be a deacon, I remember thinking, “No, that is my dad’s vocation, not mine.” (My dad was ordained a deacon in 1989.) The fact that I had young children, three under the age of 7 at the time (my wife and I have had two more children during formation), was another reason I felt this wasn’t my calling. But the thought of serving the church as a deacon continued. So, I read everything I could find about what a deacon is and the role of the deacon in our Catholic faith. The more I read, the more I felt that this is what God was calling me to be. After about a year of praying and research, I mentioned to my wife, Terry, that I believed I was being called to be a deacon. Terry said, “I was wondering when you were going to talk to me about this.” So, Terry and I attended the informational meetings in 2005. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? We had two children during formation — that was significant and memorable. The spiritual direction was phenomenal. Both my spiritual directors were named bishops — Bishop Lee Piché and Bishop Paul Sirba. My prayer life grew by leaps and bounds. I didn’t know prayer could be like that. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why?

I hope to continue serving at the women’s prison in Shakopee, and I hope that wherever I am assigned to serve, that I do it well. Also of interest: My dad Thomas Michaud was ordained a deacon in 1989 and my cousin John Wallin was ordained a deacon in 2006.

DOWNIE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6A A couple of days later while playing cribbage with a friend of ours over for dinner — then seminarian, now Father — Stephen Hoffman, out of the blue, relayed that my name had come up in the recent “Called by God” program, that I should consider becoming a deacon. That was the start. God had answered my test. I would now answer his call, at least to discern it. That was five years ago. Here I am still being called. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? Saturday morning Mass in the chapel was and is a memorable part of the formation. Learning to pray and then praying the Liturgy of the Hours leads to and opens up everything. The internships along the way and their accompanying classes were awesome. The level of instruction and the instructors are truly top notch. The drives in the snowstorms during the four-plus years to and from Pine Island were sometimes both significant and memorable. Sometimes miraculous! The relationships that have been forged with my classmates. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why? I am just looking forward to see what needs God will ask me to fill and where that will be. . . . Getting a 29point hand in cribbage someday would be nice. To deal my dad one would be even better!

VOMASTEK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7A together at the police department. I started thinking about it then. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? I will always remember the beautiful and reverent Masses at the St. Paul Seminary on Saturday mornings. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why? With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will go wherever I am called to serve. I simply want to be open to God’s will. In post-ordination formation, I want to pursue more Scripture study. These last four years have simply been beautiful. I am very thankful for God’s grace, his love and mercy during formation.

SMISEK CONINUED FROM PAGE 7A Tell us something about your call to become a deacon. Since my childhood, I have always had a closeness to the church. I have been involved with church music and liturgical events on the parish level for over 30 years. However, I felt drawn to serve God and the church in an even greater way. It was in the diaconate that I hoped to achieve this. When I first expressed this interest, over 10 years ago, I was told that my children were too young and to wait. This was no longer a problem when I researched the program again about six years ago. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? I was not able to study my Catholic faith at a college level at the University of Minnesota pre-dental program. It was exciting and humbling to learn more about this in the many courses that we took in the diaconate program. . . . I was honored to be part of a wonderful, devoted group of men. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why? I would like to work with the aged population, as this group of people is so very special. It would also be wonderful to continue, in some way, my ministry of church music. I want to continue to learn in the areas of theology and canon law. Also, I would like to gain more experience in working with the sick and dying.

LAWINGER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7A and I thought it wasn’t for me. But, five years ago during perpetual adoration, I was moved to look at it again. I found myself being called. Deacon Sherman Otto walked me through this as well. What was the most significant or memorable part of your diaconate formation? Working at Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility, after spending weeks there, finally seeing those “tough” men open up about why they felt their life had led them to where they were and breaking down in front of the others. What aspect of ministry are you most looking forward to and why? JoAnn and I have spent time working with orphanages in Latin America and hope to do similar work in the future. Also of interest: God created man and woman, but through formation I really learned how beautiful and diverse his creations are. All of life’s experiences bring this out if we just look around and take notice.

Future bright as new diaconate program to begin aspirancy in 2011 Continued from page 6A “We will have greater access to faculty resources, and we will be able to utilize the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute as a direct pre-requisite,” Michalak said. The changes are a move to fully implement the U.S. bishops’ 2004 norms for the diaconate. Key changes in the formation program include: ■ The diaconate formation program will increase from four years to five years. ■ Qualified candidates will have the option of working toward a master’s degree while in formation, although the formation program is not a degree program. ■ Men will be ordained while still in formation, so they will learn homiletics, rites and pastoral care in a more structured and reflective way in a parish, similar to the men preparing for priesthood.

One order of diaconate During this past year of preparation, deacon candidates and seminarians went through all the canonical rites together, Michalak said. “There is only one order of diaconate. The rite of ordination is the same, whether it is permanent or transitional deacons,” he noted. “The church’s preference is

that they are ordained together.” The obvious advantage, Michalak said, is that the men get to know each other, and establish mutual respect and a greater sense of collaboration. That collaboration will be important in the future as the archdiocese rolls out its strategic plan, he noted. “I think [deacons] will have a more visible, varied and responsible role,” he said. “A deacon is a bishop’s man — not just a helper to the priest — who is assigned wherever the bishop discerns that there is a pastoral need. That may be in a parish or not in a parish.” About 30 men are now in the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute because they are discerning a diaconate vocation, Michalak said. Next fall will be the first revised aspirancy program, and he anticipates a large class. He attributes the interest to two things: the program has not taken in anyone for three years and an entire generation of people have grown up seeing deacons in ministry and are attracted to the vocation, himself included.

A vocation of his own Michalak said he first spoke with Archbishop Flynn 15 years ago about entering the diaconate but, instead, the

archbishop asked Michalak to oversee the program. Over the years of teaching and helping form more than 50 deacons, Michalak said he has been humbled and inspired by the men, their wives and families. “I’ve come to fall in love with this vocation,” he said. Ordination has an important added dimension for Michalak. “To be ordained is to receive a sacrament and, now, there is sacramental grace for living the role and doing what I’ve been doing at a different level,” he said. Because the bishops’ new norms require that the formation director be a deacon or priest, Michalak also will be able to formally receive an ecclesial appointment after his Sept. 25 ordination as a deacon. For more information about the new Institute for Diaconate Formation, men and their wives should attend the upcoming four-part diaconate inquiry series at the St. Paul Seminary. Times and dates are: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, and Nov. 9, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 20. The series, which details the application process, the program and the theology will be repeated in the spring. More information will soon be available on the St. Paul Seminary website, WWW.STTHOMAS.EDU/SPSSOD.

“I have to tell you, my 9-year-old grabbed his rosary and forgot his soccer stuff. That really was the clarifying moment of what is so important in life.” Michelle Murphy-Pauletto, recalling what her 9-year-old son chose to save when a recent wildfire forced the family to evacuate its home in Boulder County, Colo.

Overheard 28A

The Catholic Spirit

Quotes from this week’s newsmakers

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 “We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in God alone, not in money, in a career, in worldly success or in our relationships with others, but in God. Only he can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts.”

Singing the praises of new space

— Pope Benedict XVI, speaking Sept. 17 in London to 4,000 schoolchildren

“We’re looking at hope for our communities, that we would be communities of hope and that we would have SISTER NANCY hope that would spill over into the church and the world.”

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

— Sister Nancy Bauer, prioress of St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minn., who was among ninety Benedictine nuns from more than 30 countries who gathered in Rome Sept 8-15 to discuss ways to strengthen their sense of hope and better share it with others

Teacher Terry Voss leads his students in song in the new choral music classroom at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley. It is part of the new addition and renovation that was recently completed and dedicated by Archbishop John Nienstedt on Sept. 10. The new facility also includes an art room, a multi-purpose wrestling room, an instrumental classroom and rehearsal room, a fitness center, auditorium and a number of meeting rooms, offices and storage spaces. The cost of the construction was $7 million; fundraising is nearly completed.

Two local couples to receive national Catholic education award Two couples from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will receive the Elizabeth Ann Seton Award from the National Catholic Educational Association for their support of Catholic education. The awards will be given Oct. 4 during The the 20th annual Seton Awards Catholic Spirit ceremony at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Lee and Penny Anderson of New Brighton have been major benefactors to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, providing funds for scholarships at the School of Law and support for university humanitarian activities in Cuba and for Cuban students. Frank and Judy Sunberg of Lilydale have supported Cretin-Derham Hall School through the school’s “Promoting the Vision, Preserving the Values” capital campaign and the “Access to Excellence” matching gift initiative. A graduate of Cretin High School, Frank currently serves on the school’s investment committee. The couple also has created a scholarship program at the University of St. Thomas to promote diversity in admissions. The Elizabeth Ann Seton award is the NCEA’s highest award and honors philanthropy, leadership and service to Catholic education.

News Notes

Red Mass set for Sept. 26 Stephen Kelly, an attorney with Wick & Rowe, LLC, said he recalls attending the annual Red Mass with his father when he was a child. He plans to continue the tradition by taking his children to the 60th annual Red Mass at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, in St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel at the University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. The tradition of the Red Mass, Kelly noted, is rooted in the 13th-century European custom of asking divine assistance for lawyers, judges, civic leaders and academics in their professional endeavors. The Mass and a brunch are sponsored by the Lawyers’ Guild of St. Thomas More. For more information, contact Liz Pojar at (651) 962-6437.

Honoring Archbishop Flynn The Little Sisters of the Poor will honor Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn with the St. Jeanne Jugan Award Oct. 19 at a gala in St. Paul. The dinner, which begins with cocktails and a silent auction at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m., will be held at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel. Tickets are $125 per person. For reservations, call (651) 227-0336 or e-mail DVSTPAUL@LITTLESISTERSOFTHEPOOR.ORG.

All proceeds from the event benefit chapel sanctuary renovations.

New principal Jennifer Cassidy has joined St. Jude of the Lake School in Mahtomedi as principal. She taught third grade at St. Matthew School in St. Paul for many years and was also assistant principal there. She held various positions at St. Bernard School in St. Paul, including director of the early childhood program, grade school principal and high school principal. She most recently served as president and principal of St. Bernard School, which closed last year.

Monastic profession Brother Michael-Leonard Hahn of Robbinsdale made his first profession of vows Sept. 14 at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville. Brother Michael-Leonard attended Sacred Heart parish and school in Robbinsdale and Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park. After graduating from St. John’s University in 2005, he taught at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., for three years. Most recently before joining St. John’s Abbey, he taught at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud.

pu 12 llo -p ut ag se e cti on

What’s the key to unlocking good business practices? This year’s

Leading With Faith winners share their views.

The Catholic Spirit September 23, 2010

– Inside

Leading With Faith

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

SMALL BUSINESS

JAMES CAHILL

Researcher finds secret to success in prayer Biography ■ Title: Founder and president of Marketing Roundtables, Inc., Burnsville ■ Parish: St. Bonaventure, Bloomington ■ Spouse: Norma Cahill ■ Children: Tim Cahill, Molly Volker, Luke Cahill, Mike Cahill ■ Activities: Member of People of Praise ecumenical Christian community, volunteer at Trinity School at River Ridge

By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit

“How’s it going?” James Cahill, 71, asked the grocery store manager he met while conducting market research in a store. “Boy, it’s just terrible,” the man replied. “Unless we get some increased traffic in the store today, they’re going to start taking money out of my pay to cover the store’s overhead.” Cahill didn’t miss a beat. “Let’s pray,” he suggested. Almost immediately, the store began to fill up with customers. The next morning when Cahill returned to the store, he ran into the same manager. This time, when he asked the man how it was going, the man exclaimed: “You won’t believe it! Not only did we meet our budget, but I’m getting a bonus!” Cahill, founder and president of Marketing Roundtables, Inc. in Burnsville, laughed almost in disbelief as he told the story, just one of countless times during his career when prayer has made a difference, he said. A typical day for Cahill begins with eucharistic adoration, a recitation of the rosary, the Stations of the Cross and Mass. “You just have to pray,” Cahill

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

James Cahill is founder and president of Marketing Roundtables, Inc. in Burnsville.

said. “That’s the answer to everything really.”

A marketing pioneer Cahill started Marketing Roundtables in 1989 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture hired him to do research for farmers inter-

ested in selling their products to consumers. Rather than conducting expensive focus groups, Cahill asked local store managers if he could interview customers in their stores. “Jim immediately saw the strength of in-store research, and Marketing Roundtables has focused on intercepting shoppers in stores and interviewing them on the spot ever since,” his nominator wrote. “He was truly a pioneer of this methodology.” Today, the company’s clients include both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies. Still, Cahill’s faith remains intertwined with the way he does business. His son and business partner, Luke Cahill, wrote: “All of our Fortune 500 clients are fully aware of the importance of his faith. He has prayed with many of them.” Cahill is a person of integrity. He never cuts corners. He never skews data to please his clients. “We’re just not going to do business the worldly way,” he said. Next year, Cahill’s son will take control of the business when Cahill retires. “Working with Luke and turning the company over to him gradually was my greatest accomplishment,” Cahill said.

Catholic Spirit honors local business leaders For the ninth consecutive year, The Catholic Spirit is honoring Leading With Faith winners — men and women whose business practices reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ and the church. These winners are business owners, managers and executives who hail from a variety of fields — ranging from managing a teen center and leading a foundation to hospital administration and overseeing a global business. Nominations were solicited from throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and MInneapolis. Winners were selected in each of three categories: large business, small business and nonprofit organizations. The winners are to be honored at the annual Catholic Spirit Leading with Faith lunch Sept. 30 at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Archbishop John Nienstedt will present their awards. Profiles of winners can be found on pages 2B to 12B. — The Catholic Spirit

Leading With Faith

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

PAUL PIAZZA SR.

SMALL BUSINESS

For produce seller, business honors dad’s memory Biography ■ Title: President and owner of Minnesota Produce, Inc., Minneapolis ■ Parish: Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis ■ Spouse: Marilyn Piazza ■ Children: Paul Piazza Jr., Frances Rivera, Richard Piazza ■ Activities: Helped start parish council, lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion, parish renovation committee, helped start liturgical ministry team at parish

really considered myself to be the owner,” Piazza, 58, said. “I still think of this as my dad’s company, even though he’s been dead for 12 years. I consider myself to be a steward. “The company has to be successful,” Piazza added. “If it wasn’t, it would somehow be adverse to the Fourth Commandment because, to me, this is honoring my father.”

By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit

Years ago, Paul Piazza made a pact with his brother: Never would they sit at a desk selling produce like their father. After college, Piazza, determined to forge his own destiny, found work in the stained glass trade. Then, a funny thing happened. Upon hearing that a sales position had opened up at his dad’s company, Minnesota Produce, Inc. in Minneapolis, Piazza inexplicably found himself applying for the job. After a year and a half, Piazza, still resisting the idea of working for his father, left the business to take a job as a graphic artist. It wasn’t long before Piazza realized he had made a mistake. “I totally suffocated,” he said. “I knew immediately that I was in the wrong place.” Piazza’s father welcomed his prodigal son back with open arms. Later, Piazza noticed his father had written in the company books that he had taken a temporary “leave of absence.” “He knew all along that somehow I was destined for the family business,” Piazza said with a laugh.

Like father, like son Perhaps the elder Piazza predicted

Putting people over profits

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Paul Piazza Sr., president and owner of Minnesota Produce, Inc. in Minneapolis, holds a photograph of his late father and role model, Richard Piazza.

his son’s behavior because he saw so much of himself in his son. “My siblings love to tease me that I was cloned and not begotten because they think that I’ve so closely paralleled my father’s life,” Piazza said. A framed black-and-white photo of Piazza’s father, now deceased, sits on a cabinet behind Piazza’s desk, as if he were looking over his son’s

shoulder. “I like the photo because it pictures him with his headset on, pencil in hand, ready to write a customer’s order,” Piazza said. “He’s with me every day in the office.” Keeping the family business going strong is something Piazza feels he owes his father. “Since I became the sole stockholder of the company, I’ve never

Like his father, Piazza believes his responsibility as an employer extends beyond his employees to their families, his nominators wrote. “Even during the current economic struggles, he has kept full benefits for the employees and their families at the cost of the company,” they said. When Piazza has to make difficult decisions, he relies on divine providence and his father’s example for guidance. “What I always saw my father do was exercise the golden rule,” Piazza said. “He never asked anybody to do anything he wouldn’t do himself, and he always considered how he would feel if he were the employee asking the employer for something. “I’ve adopted that as my own management style,” he added. “The golden rule is my business plan.”

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Leading With Faith

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

NON-PROFIT

MARILOU ELDRED

Transparency, collaboration fruits of foundation president’s values Biography ■ Title: Catholic Community Foundation president. ■ Parish: Assumption, St. Paul. ■ Spouse: Don Eldred. ■ Children: Sarah Powell (married to Steve Powell). ■ Activities: Convent of the Visitation School board of directors, St. John’s University board of regents, St. Paul Seminary board of trustees, Archdiocesan Strategic Planning task force, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

sion making,” she said. “It plays out in the kind of people we hire, the way we work together as a staff as we focus on collaboration and . . . transparency.” She added: “Because of the work that we do investing money that is really parish money, or donors’, we feel a really serious obligation not to hide anything, to be very open about what we do.” Honesty is also key, she said. “When things are going good, it’s easy to be honest; when things are bad, there’s often the tendency to gloss over. I hope we’re being very true and direct with all the people with whom we interact,” she said.

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

Catholic Community Foundation president Marilou Eldred sums up her leadership in three words: collaborative, decisive, transparent. And with humor, she added. “I don’t think I could get through the day without laughing a few times,” she said. The Catholic Community Foundation is the largest U.S. community foundation serving Catholic philanthropy. CCF does not invest with any corporations whose work contradicts the teachings of the church, and it requests that people with donor-advised funds give at least half to Catholic organizations. “We’re very conscious of being supportive of what the church, in its many, many forms, is doing to improve the lives of people and hopefully [puts] us on our way to heaven,” she said. When CCF trustee Gerald Brennan nominated Eldred for a Leading with Faith Award, he wrote, “It is so apparent that she is engaged in advancing the Kingdom of God through her contributions to making a number of Catholic institutions more effective in our local Catholic community.” Eldred grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After high school, she joined

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Catholic Community Foundation president Marilou Eldred at her desk.

the Iowa Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubuque, where she was a sister for 10 years. It was there that she began working in college administration, and after leaving the community, she pursued a doctorate at New York University. Eldred worked as an administrator at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul and as president of St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind. She became the CCF president in 2005. “My faith and my Catholic values inform my leadership style and deci-

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Listening carefully When Eldred began serving the foundation as president, she faced the challenging task of taking over from the organization’s founding president. “I feel like CCF is advancing to the next level, and that we’ve gone from an organization somewhat in its infancy and toddlerhood, to maybe its adolescence,” she said. “We’re not a mature organization yet,” she added, noting there is room for the foundation to continue to grow. Eldred’s sense of ethics is clear when she explains some of the

stands she’s taken on behalf of the foundation. She’s deterred a parish’s financial planner from crafting a dishonest investment scheme, and she’s been upfront with investors throughout the economic recession. Despite budget constraints, she hasn’t laid off any staff members. Instead, CCF found other ways to cut its expenses. Eldred has faced challenging ethical dilemmas in other institutions, she added, and her approach is always direct. “You cannot ignore a difficult situation,” she said. “A principle I’ve always tried to live by in all decision making is [that] my absolute, first concern has to be for the good of the organization,” she added. She also strives to listen carefully to others before judging a situation. “Every issue has many perspectives, and you hear one person’s perspective . . . but then you investigate a little bit more and find out there are a lot of ways to look at a situation,” she said. Today, she feels blessed to be involved with all of the donors, clergy and institutions she works with, she said. Seeing the different facets of the church at work has provided a unique vantage point, she added. “I feel like there’s never a boring moment in this job,” she said.

Leading With Faith

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

PAT WASHATKA

LARGE BUSINESS

Prudential executive has rock-solid foundation By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

Pat Washatka pointed to a plethora of inspirational quotes and photos in her office at Prudential Insurance Company of America in Plymouth to explain her thoughts on leading with faith. Washatka, vice president of operations control services, noted a poster that said: “Character: Adjusting to an ever changing road while holding on to your everlasting values.” “That sums up what it’s all about,” she said. Washatka strives to stay true to the values she learned from her parents and her Catholic faith while she attended Sts. Peter and Paul Church and grade school in Loretto. She continues to practice that faith at St. Michael in St. Michael, where she has led many committees.

Stepping up to a challenge When Washatka was asked to serve on another committee after the parish completed building a new church, her husband advised her to be on the committee, but not lead it. “My problem is, I can’t say no,” she said. She also couldn’t say no to the new position offered in October

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Patricia Washatka, center, vice president of operations control services at Prudential in Plymouth, meets with business analyst Audie Yingling, left, and senior accounting associate Christa Aurentz.

2008 by Prudential. “I got the privilege of selecting the people and setting the organization’s foundation,” which has a strong moral compass, she said. “It’s both exciting and stressful.” Washatka said she has an opendoor policy that allows employees to talk freely about any issue. “I will keep it confidential or I will take action if they want me to take action,” she said. “I find that a lot of

times, people just need an outlet.” With three departments reporting to Washatka, she has to make ethical decisions every day, such as those related to staffing and equitable pay based on performance, ensuring that people have the right authorizations and following up when systems fail. But the most fulfilling part of her job, she said, is the relationships she has developed.

When she first became a supervisor in the 1980s and was struggling with how her team was working, her boss provided some helpful insight. “He said, ‘First of all, you have to understand that not everybody works the way you work, No. 1. And second, the way you work is why you are in this position,” she said. Another lesson Washatka said she learned was about respect. “I was working with somebody one on one and the person said, ‘When you talk to me like that, you make me feel stupid,’” Washatka said. “I didn’t realize I had grown impatient and had a tone in my voice when I was talking with her.” She often shares that story with people she mentors. Washatka said she takes the most pride in her family and the projects she has led at church. “There’s no better place to be than at church, whether I’m there working, or playing or praying or going to Mass,” she said. She acknowledged that, at work, the organization she created has come a long way in the past year. But, Washatka was quick to credit her team for inspiring her: “They step up to every challenge . . . and have this positive attitude,” she said.

Biography ■ Title: Vice president, operations control services, Prudential Insurance ■ Parish: St. Michael, St. Michael ■ Spouse: Jerry Washatka ■ Children: Ellen, Billy, Nick ■ Activities: Chair of the parish finance committee, capital campaign, stewardship committee, Mass coordinator, extraordinary minister of holy Communion, mentor

w w w . p a x c h r i s t i . c o m

The Parishioners and Staff of

Pax Christi Catholic Community, Eden Prairie, Proudly Congratulate

We appreciate all you do.

2010 Leading with Faith Award Recipient

Parishioner, Tom Keane Individuals working together toward a common goal can solve

Celebrating 30 years in business 1980 - 2010

problems and save lives. Congratulations to John Kelly of UnitedHealth Group for receiving the Archbishop’s Leading with Faith Award for 2010. You’ve got heart.

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Leading With Faith

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

NON-PROFIT

ROB WILLS

Teen Center manager sees Christ in kids with troubles Biography ■ Title: Manager, Teen Center at Sharing and Caring Hands and night manager at Mary’s Place. ■ Parish: St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park. ■ Spouse: Marci Wills. ■ Stepchildren: Shelby Baker and Molly Baker. ■ Activities: Work supporting Sharing and Caring Hands.

Wills is his best man. “Rob is so phenomenal,” Hill said. “Through all the hard times, I was able to call Rob. . . . For a man who can’t walk, he sure helped me walk through a lot of my situations.”

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

It was almost 11 a.m. — opening time for the Teen Center at Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis. Already, 13 kids stood by the door, restlessly awaiting the arrival of the center’s manager, Rob Wills. Within minutes, Wills’ white van appeared, and six kids hurried to meet him. He wore camouflage shorts, a black “security” cap and a black, sleeveless T-shirt with “Teen Center Powerlifters” in white on the front, an ode to one of the activities he runs at the center. The back had his name, along with a maxim that could read as his motto: “Failure is not an option.”

Overcoming challenges

A willing role model Many of the kids who spend time at the Teen Center live at Mary’s Place, a family transitional housing facility on the Sharing and Caring Hands site, best known for serving a copious number of meals daily to the hungry and homeless. The organization’s founder, Mary Jo Copeland, is one of Wills’ inspirations, he said. Since Wills, 43, started managing the center in 1998, he has ensured the center’s safety and order, and has organized activities like movie outings, pizza parties and weekly discussion groups. The Leading With Faith award honors the way he leads kids, many of whom hunger for direction, a listening ear and a positive role model

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Rob Wills, second from left, talks with kids at Mary’s Place, a housing facility run by Mary Jo Copeland.

as they face a world of broken families, addiction and violence.

‘Kids who make it’ The kids hunger for God, Wills said. “What’s so fortunate is that we’re at a place where you can talk about God — it’s so important. Whatever the devil is pushing you into, you can talk about it,” he said. He’s formed two groups for boys — one for ages 7 to 11, the other for teens — to share their joys and struggles. Because prayer and faith-sharing are central to what Wills does, he

strives to share the Catholic faith without turning off youth who aren’t religious or belong to other denominations or religions. When asked what he’s most proud of in his work, he pointed to Seville Hill, 20, who works in the center. “Kids like him,” he said. “Kids who make it.” Wills met Hill when he was 8 years old and his family was staying at Mary’s Place. Later, when Hill stopped attending high school, Wills helped him re-enroll and get his life on track. Now, Hill is in college and engaged to be married.

Wills is a paraplegic — he broke his back in a car accident at age 19. Before the accident, “everything I touched was gold,” he said. He had been an all-metro bench-press champion. When doctors told him that losing his ability to walk would limit his life and that he would never lift weights again and likely not get married, he was determined to prove them wrong. And he did. He competed in the Paralympics twice — in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996 — as a weightlifter. His personal best — 501.7 pounds — is tattooed on his right bicep. And in 2006, he married his wife, Marci. Wills also hasn’t let his wheelchair stop him from heroic actions. He’s risked his safety to help Mary’s Place residents during a fire and calmly handled an incident when young men brought guns into the Teen Center. In the latter situation, he invited the men into his office so as not to alarm other kids and told them to leave. They did. Wills sees the face of Jesus in the kids, adults and even men from the street, he said, adding, “That’s how fortunate I am — to be able to view that.”

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Leading With Faith

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

DR. THOMAS KEANE JR.

SMALL BUSINESS

Oral surgeon sees mission to treat poor, uninsured ■ Title: Oral surgeon at Esthesia Oral Surgery Care, Edina ■ Parish: Pax Christi, Eden Prairie ■ Spouse: Leslie Keane ■ Children: Charles Keane, Kelly Grundell, Neil Keane ■ Activities: Member of parish faith formation council, state regional delegate for American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, state chair of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery political action committee, member of parish Hard Hat Group

By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit

The patients who go to Dr. Thomas Keane’s Edina dental clinic aren’t like the patients one might expect to encounter at a suburban clinic. That’s because Keane is one of only two oral surgeons in the Twin Cities who take most of the area’s Medicaid patients, he explained. “We don’t close our doors to anybody,” said Keane, 59. When Esthesia Oral Surgery Care began accepting patients enrolled in state-funded health plans and uninsured patients 12 years ago, other oral surgeons thought he was crazy, Keane said. Today, about 70 percent of Esthesia’s patients lack private insurance, costing the clinic up to $35,000 per year in unreimbursed expenses. “Other people criticize me for doing it, and they call me a chump because I’m taking these patients I don’t get paid much for,” Keane said. “But I realized a long time ago that I didn’t get this advanced training . . . on my own. I was given this by God, our maker, and he expects me to utilize these skills to treat all of his children.”

Leading by example Years ago, when Keane started reading Scripture and learning more

Dr. Thomas Keane, an oral surgeon at Esthesia Oral Surgery Care in Edina, talks with patient Avis Frethem after performing a tooth extraction at his dental office, with help from dental assistant Erinn Lauby, right. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

about his Catholic faith, particularly the church’s social justice teachings, he realized it wasn’t his job to convince other oral surgeons to act as he does. Rather, he believes God was asking him to lead by example. Keane accepts patients others deny, he said, because “No. 1, I need to take care of the people that need to be taken care of, and No. 2, it’s my calling.” “It really hurts the bottom line, so a lot of months it’s really dicey and it’s really touch and go,” he said. “But I’m not here to make the most money of any oral surgeon in the community.”

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Every year, the number of uninsured and poor people seeking his services has been increasing, Keane said. A friend of his recently told him about an unemployed homeless woman who was in desperate need of dental care. Keane knew the woman would not be able to pay him, but he agreed to treat her nonetheless. After removing 28 teeth, he asked a dentist friend if he would make the woman dentures for half the normal price. Other patients are referred to Keane by cardiologists, who will not perform heart surgery if the patient

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Biography

has abscessed teeth because of a link between heart disease and certain dental problems. Most of the patients referred to him are on Medicare, which doesn’t cover dental procedures, he said. If they cannot afford to pay, Keane does the work for free. Keane also advocates for the poor legislatively. “He works tirelessly on bills that would provide children access to reconstructive surgery and also for Medicare physician reimbursement reform,” one of his nominators wrote.

Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, Indiana congratulates

Marilou Eldred who served as our College President from 1997-2004 on receiving the 2010 Leading With Faith Award from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

saintmarys.edu

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

NON-PROFIT

Leading With Faith

MARGARET AHLES

Equality, joy at heart of parish administrative assistant’s work Biography ■ Title: Administrative assistant ■ Parish: St. Jerome, Maplewood ■ Spouse: Michael Ahles ■ Children: Elizabeth and Christopher ■ Activities: St. Jerome School play director, parish fundraiser coordinator, rosary-making group, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, women’s softball team

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

“Make a good day,” Margaret Ahles’ father used to tell her when he dropped her off at Benilde-St. Margaret’s in St. Louis Park, where she attended high school. Today, she tells her own children the same thing. They are words she strives to live by, she said, and she applies them to her work as administrative assistant at St. Jerome in Maplewood. “It’s in the journey,” she said. “The joy is everywhere around you, at every moment, every day.” And apparently it shows. “[Ahles] always makes you feel like you are the most important person in the office,” wrote St. Jerome School secretary Nancy McGraw as part of Ahles’ Leading With Faith award nomination. And for Ahles, who is often a newcomer’s first point of contact with St. Jerome, welcoming others is a beloved part of her work — “just to let people know this is a place of love,” she said. She wants people who join St. Jerome to feel like they’ve come home. After Ahles, 41, began working at St. Jerome in 2007, the parish business administrator resigned. The parish has not rehired for the posi-

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Parish administrative assistant Margaret Ahles sits inside St. Jerome’s church in Maplewood.

tion, and Ahles fills the leadership gap, drawing upon 18 years of property management experience.

Purposeful work Ahles’ parents taught her and her 12 siblings to work hard and treat everyone equally, and those qualities are essential to Ahles’ leadership style today, she said. Joy and laughter are also important, she added.

The Center for Catholic Studies fall lecture series: Monday, October 4, 7:30 p.m. George Weigel, Ethics and Public Policy Center “Pope John Paul II: An Assessment and Appreciation” Tuesday, October 26, 7:30 p.m. Peter Cardinal Turkson Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace “Caritas in Veritate: Good News for Society” The lectures will be held at the O’Shaughnessy Educational Center Auditorium on the University of St. Thomas St. Paul campus. Free and open to the public. For more information, call (651) 962-5700.

Because she works for a parish, leading with faith is easy, she said. That wasn’t always the case in her previous work, when she had to confront mangers about unethical business practices, such as unlawfully withholding rental deposits or sketchy record keeping. She once left a job because higher management refused to stop cutting corners in building maintenance.

Property management also required a lot of evening meetings, which took time away from her family. Her frustration with that work grew, and after her parents’ deaths in 2007, she spent six months away from work. During her sabbatical, she applied at St. Jerome, even though the job meant a huge career change, including a 75 percent reduction in pay. She doesn’t regret her decision, however. “I have been seeking my whole life [to do] something with purpose and that has real meaning,” she said. Yet, working at St. Jerome does have challenges, especially in the absence of a business administrator. Ahles took an active role in cutting parish costs and finding savings within its current insurance plan. She also moderates between parish committees that sometimes differ on how they see a situation, and she tries to provide “the whole picture” to those who may have a limited view, she added. Ahles also volunteers time to her parish by monitoring the prekindergarten-to-eighth-grade school lunch hour and directing the middle school play. The play is her “true passion,” she said. This year she’s planning to do “Peter Pan.”

Leading With Faith

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

PHYLLIS NOVITSKIE

NON-PROFIT

St. Joseph’s administrator roots values in founding sisters’ vision By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

When Phyllis Novitskie, 59, began her nursing career at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul in 1977, she was fresh from Winona State University and was adventurously planning to move to Alaska in a year’s time to be a public health nurse. As her first year ended, however, she decided to stay. She loved the work, the community and the health care philosophy inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who founded the hospital in 1853. Now an administrator, Novitskie has been at the hospital for 33 years. She has educated nurses, led teams of nurses and overseen expansion projects. She plans to retire Oct. 1. Her work is deeply inspired by the sisters, she said. At the beginning of her career, sisters still worked at the hospital; the last one retired about a year ago, Novitskie said. “They were quiet but very deliberate in how they chose to be with patients and with employees,” she recalled. Today, lay physicians, nurses and other caregivers are responsible for embodying the sisters’ spirit, which includes respect for the dignity of all people, Novitskie said.

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Phyllis Novitskie, right, talks with nurse Aniko Brang at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

She strives in her own leadership to reflect these values, she said, describing it as leading with dignity, consistency, positivity, professionalism and humor, along with hope, caring and compassion, she said. And she is just one of many at the hospital who share that vision, she added. “I’ve learned over time that [caring] for a person in illness, and certainly in a critical illness, is a privilege, and it’s a gift — that someone would allow you into a space as a complete stranger when they are so vulnerable with themselves and

Leading with vision Leading with heart Leading with faith

with their families,” Novitskie said. She learned that lesson from the sisters. “So much of who they were and what they believed was modeled,” she said. “It wasn’t overt, but it was very deliberate in their going about their day.”

Caring for inmates, others St. Joseph’s Hospital’s identity and philosophy of care shape her ethics, she said. They’re what compelled her to lead the hospital to partner with the Minnesota Department of Corrections to offer health care to prison inmates. The arrangement drew concern

when it began more than 10 years ago. Some feared it jeopardized the hospital patients’ safety in an already-troubled downtown neighborhood. However, Novitskie insisted it was the right thing to do. “[Inmates] need the basic care with the same dignity and the same respect as every other human being,” she said. “I do believe that many of these people, for the very first time in their lives, have been treated with respect and dignity and unconditionally, in terms of their care.” As she discerned the arrangement, Novitskie visited other hospitals that care for inmates, and spent time listening to staff concerns. Since initiating the program, the hospital and corrections officers have worked to ensure the safety of the inmates and their caregivers, she added. Novitskie says knowing the hospital’s history helps to root her in her approach to faith-based leadership. She keeps the history book on her office shelf but said she knows its contents by heart. Novitskie views herself as a steward of the Catholic faith on behalf of the hospital, she said. “Sometimes it helps to know where you’ve been to know where you’re going,” she said.

Biography ■ Title: Executive lead/ associate administrator at St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul. ■ Parish: St. Joseph’s Hospital chapel, Cathedral of St. Paul ■ Spouse: Dr. Thomas Yue. ■ Children: Allison Yue and Emily Yue. ■ Activities: Convent of the Visitation School board of trustees, St. Paul College General Advisory Committee, Catholic Health Association of Minnesota board member.

Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010 7:30 p.m. Guardian Angels Church 8260 Hudson Boulevard North, Oakdale, MN

Congratulations, Marilou, and thank you for your leadership.

Marilou Eldred, Ph.D., President

Proceeds to benefit Music Ministry Alive! An annual liturgical music formation program

One Water Street West, Suite 200 Saint Paul, MN 55107 651-389-0877 www.ccf-mn.org

Tickets: $18 advance, $20 at the door Guardian Angels Church 651-738-2223 or St. Patrick’s Guild 651-690-1506 Visit us on the web: musicministryalive.com

10B

Leading With Faith

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

LARGE BUSINESS

JOHN KELLY

UnitedHealth Group support helps V.P. give back at Arc Biography ■ Title: Vice president-Tax Department, UnitedHealth Group ■ Parish: St. Joseph, West St. Paul ■ Spouse: Paula Kelly ■ Children: Jack, Bridget ■ Activities: Arc board, Wakota Life Care Center, Catholic Charities finance committee, Relay for Life team, sponsor for a child in Mexico and a seminarian from American Samoa, who is studying in Rome

By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

When John Kelly read in a 2006 Wall Street Journal article that UnitedHealth Group was one of several companies accused of not appropriately accounting for executive stock options, he was concerned. “I did a lot of soul searching,” said Kelly, vice president of the company’s tax department since 2001. “My morale was going down, our stock price went down, people were saying a lot of bad things about us.” He considered leaving the company. But after investigating the company’s actions, “I determined that it was accounting minutia that no one really understood,” Kelly said. “We changed our programs, modified our systems, spent tons of money fixing the problem.” UnitedHealth Group is a better company now, he said.

Creating a new culture “We wanted to create a different image at UnitedHealth Group. We said, we’re going to become a very active, socially responsible company,” Kelly said. Because of those changes, especially the encouragement and support of his volunteer work at Arc Greater Twin Cities, Kelly credited a

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

John Kelly, vice president of the tax department at UnitedHealth Group in Minnetonka, has been part of the company’s effort to be more socially responsible.

portion of the Leading With Faith award to UnitedHealth Group. Kim Keprios, Arc’s CEO, said in the nomination form: “John’s son, Jack, has autism, so he has a personal understanding of the challenges people face when they, or a loved one, have an intellectual or developmental disability. . . . John has taken on some of Arc’s most challenging volunteer leadership positions.” Kelly said he is most proud of his

accomplishments with Arc, not because they nominated him for the award, but because he took on the challenge of fundraising. “I did something that was a little bit outside of my comfort zone and I got comfortable at it,” he said. Kelly and his wife, Paula, spent three years as co-chairs of Arc’s annual gala, for which John recruited many sponsors. This year, he is leading Arc’s capital campaign.

“I learned a great lesson: Sometimes the Lord puts in front of you opportunities and challenges,” he said. Kelly said he is certain that God also put his son Jack, 20, in his care “to make me a better person.” “My son — who barely communicates with me, barely talks because of his disabilities . . . has been a way for me to access God in a different way than I ever could before,” Kelly said. “He clearly accelerated my move into doing things in the community . . . for people who are vulnerable, for the unborn. . . . He is my quiet mentor.” Although the workplace is supposed to be secular, Kelly said his Catholic faith guides his decisions and actions. The first basic value he promotes is doing the right thing. “If you are not seen that way, you are not leading with faith,” Kelly said. “Your faith should be intrinsic. It should be so much a part of you that you don’t think about it.” The importance of leading with faith is that people know where you stand, he said. They see it by the way you live your life. “What I won is recognition that I’m willing to stand up and live the faith that I preach, and that’s Catholic,” he said.

The New Generation of Appliance Specialists Please join us as we gather for Mass, dinner and memories to celebrate 70 years of Catholic education in Roseville, Minnesota. Bishop Lee Piché will celebrate Mass with us at 4:30 in the church followed by a buffet dinner and class gatherings. A time to: Reunite with old friends and classmates Visit with teachers and staff members from your childhood Tour Saint Rose School today Share memories and memorabilia from your school days (please bring any Saint Rose memorabilia to share with classmates) Angela Warner

Joe Warner

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

.com w.Warn ersStellian

Buffet Dinner $12./adult, $6./child (12 and under) For dinner reservations 651.646.3832 or contact@saintrose-alumni.com

Leading With Faith

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

KATHLEEN and EDWARD GORMAN

11B

SMALL BUSINESS

Restaurant owners take on pro-life mission Biography ■ Title: Owners of Gorman’s Restaurant, Lake Elmo ■ Parish: Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul ■ Children: Jason, Kevin, Angela ■ Activities: Edward: Parish trustee, vice president of the board of directors of the Women’s Life Care Center in Little Canada, member of Knights of Columbus Kathleen: Volunteer counselor at Women’s Life Care Center in Little Canada

The couple know many of their patrons personally. Some of their photos occupy places of honor on the walls alongside hundreds of historical photos of farmers and turnof-the-century scenes of Lake Elmo, prompting one Internet reviewer to dub the restaurant “The Lake Elmo Historical Society.” “All of these people coming in are like a big family,” Kathleen said. Priests who frequent the restaurant carry VIP (Very Important Priest) cards, good for a free meal. Several groups of disabled adults also eat at the restaurant for free once a month.

By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit

Even before patrons pull into the parking lot at Gorman’s Restaurant alongside a bustling stretch of Highway 5 in Lake Elmo, they get a taste of what the owners, Kathleen and Edward Gorman, stand for. Planted in front of the restaurant are about 30 political campaign signs all with one thing in common — they promote pro-life candidates. “People say, ‘Isn’t it a big risk to put those signs out in front of your business?’” Edward said. He acknowledges that the restaurant has lost some customers, but gained others as a result. “I think it’s a bigger risk not to say something,” said Edward, 58. “We have a busy highway, 30,000 cars a day. So when you’re given opportunities like that and you feel the way you do, I think it’s a mistake not to take it to the next level. “Basically, what we’re doing with these signs out front is we’re helping people form their consciences,” he added. “We’re getting them to debate it and talk about it.”

On a mission Since 1980, when the couple opened the restaurant known for its malts and home-style American classics, their own three children, nieces and nephews, and countless area teenagers have landed their first

Leading by example Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Kathleen and Edward Gorman, opened Gorman’s Restaurant in Lake Elmo 30 years ago.

job at Gorman’s flipping burgers or taking orders. The Gormans have used the opportunity to educate the young people about the realities of abortion. They distribute baby-feet pins and videos produced by pro-life organizations to employees and customers. “These kids are the future of the pro-life movement,” said Edward, who has had many frank discussions with his young employees about his beliefs. He even helped one employee

prepare a presentation on abortion for her high school class. The Gormans became involved in the pro-life movement about eight years ago when they started praying the rosary. “That dramatically changed our life,” said Kathleen, 56. “It brought us into a deeper faith, and I think everything stemmed from that.” “Now we’re trying to do God’s work,” she added. Kathleen said she often talks about God at the restaurant. And, she prays for her customers.

EMERY KOENIG

For the Gormans, leading with faith means leading by example. They’ve both worked every job in the restaurant at some point. “We don’t ever feel like we’re too good to do anything,” Kathleen said. “We wouldn’t ask anybody to do something that we wouldn’t do ourselves.” They also treat everyone who walks through their doors with respect. “When people come in, I want to treat them like I would if my dad were sitting at the counter,” Kathleen said. “Same with our employees.” “You need to have your goals,” Kathleen added, “and if your goal is heaven, then I think that really helps.”

LARGE BUSINESS

Cargill’s mission to nourish world inspires executive Biography ■ Title: Cargill, Inc. senior vice president ■ Parish: St. Joseph, Waconia ■ Spouse: Karen Koenig ■ Children: Kristina, John, Joseph, Catherine ■ Activities: Black River Asset Mgmt., board chair, United Way campaign at Cargill chair, Minnesota Public Radio board trustee, parish trustee, Focolare Movement, mentor for women and men in Cargill and the greater community

By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

One of the mementoes Emery Koenig keeps on a shelf in his office is a stone turtle that he received at a leadership retreat. “They said they had never seen an individual with such a tough outer shell, but a very soft underbelly,” he said. “That really described my leadership. . . . I keep the turtle by my desk to remind me of the paradox between the importance of having the armor to protect yourself and, at the same time, to have that soft, human, compassionate touch that is important when engaging the hearts and minds of people.” Most people have a strength that can become a weakness, said Koenig, who is one of six senior vice presidents at Cargill, Inc. “One of my strengths is that I have a perseverance and persistence that just doesn’t quit. That’s a very good quality, but I’ve got to pull it back sometimes, because I can get locked on like a heat-seeking missile,” he said.

Perseverance prevails “It’s one of those personal qualities that’s helped me to be with

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Emery Koenig, senior vice president at Cargill, talks with his assistant, Sharon Mischke.

Cargill for 32 years, to be married for 31 years, to have four children, to go through the adoption process we did, to move to eight different locations, to work overseas half my career,” he said. That persistence and perseverance has helped him work with others to turn around a number of businesses, including one in the Middle East. After one of the company’s largest customers in Egypt was killed in a plane accident, Koenig helped get a plant there up and running. “It is

now one of our more successful plants,” he said. Leadership is all about influence, whether that is in a family, a parish or business, Koenig said. “I was born and raised Catholic and I am still a daily communicant,” he said. “To practice your faith, it takes practice.” Integrity, principles and ethics with a long-term view are important to Koenig and Cargill, he said. “To the degree we can make the world a better place, without sound-

ing too trite about it, I think that is a good contribution,” he said. One of the reasons Koenig has stayed at Cargill is that its mission is to nourish people around the world. He also has been inspired by his mentors and colleagues at work and individuals in the Catholic Church, such as Pope John Paul II, Archbishop Harry Flynn, Father John Corapi and Chiara Lubich, the late founder of the Focolare Movement. “That is why I enjoy mentoring people: I always learn something from them,” he said. “Those are inspiring relationships, where you have to have the humility and openness to learn.” Besides learning every day, Koenig is praying throughout every day. “My entire day is filled with small simple prayers, recognizing the gifts God has given us and recognizing that presence,” he said. With new employees, Koenig stresses the importance of integrity and knowing what you stand for and what you won’t stand for. “I recognize the ways you can help them have clarity . . . helps them in their personal life and at Cargill,” he said.

SMALL BUSINESS JIM CAHILL Founder and President, Marketing Roundtables, Inc. St. Bonaventure, Bloomington

EDWARD AND KATHLEEN GORMAN Owners/Operators, Gorman’s Restaurant Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul

Archbishop John Nienstedt will present the 9th annual

DR. THOMAS KEANE, JR. DDS Oral Surgeon, Esthesia Oral Surgery Care Pax Christi, Eden Prairie

PAUL PIAZZA, SR.

Leading With Faith Awards at the 2010 Catholic Spirit Business Leaders Luncheon

Thursday, September 30 Reservations now being taken!

Jin oinhonoring Archbishop Nienstedt and The Catholic Spirit those who live out their faith life in the workplace and in their parish and community. The Leading With Faith Awards Luncheon will be served at Noon (gather at 11:30 a.m.) in the Rauenhorst Hall, Coeur de Catherine building at St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. Individual reservations are $30. Table of 10: $300. For reservations and information, contact Mary Gibbs at The Catholic Spirit, 651-251-7709 gibbsm@archspm.org Emcee Tom Hauser KSTP-TV

Silver sponsors:

President/Owner, Minnesota Produce, Inc. Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis

LARGE BUSINESS JOHN KELLY Vice President, Tax UnitedHealth Group St. Joseph, West St. Paul

EMERY KOENIG Senior Vice President, Cargill St. Joseph, Waconia

PATRICIA WASHATKA VP Operations Control Services, Prudential Insurance St. Michael, St. Michael

NONPROFIT MARGARET AHLES Administrative Assistant, Church of St. Jerome St. Jerome, Maplewood

DR. MARILOU ELDRED, PhD President, Catholic Community Foundation Assumption, St. Paul

PHYLLIS NOVITSKIE, RN Executive Lead/Associate Administrator St. Joseph’s Hospital/HealthEast Care System Cathedral of St. Paul

ROBERT WILLS Manager, Teen Center Sharing and Caring Hands, Mary’s Place St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park

Bronze sponsor:

Catholic Community Foundation

FAF Advisors, Inc., is a registered investment advisor and subsidiary of U.S. Bank National Association. U.S. Bank does not guarantee the products, services, or performance of its affiliated. The Leading With Faith Business Leaders of 2010 were determined by an independent panel not legally affiliated with Catholic Community Foundation, FAF Advisors, Inc. or U.S. Bank.