The Catholic Spirit - June 6, 2011

The Catholic Spirit Nothing but . . .

We asked Catholics around the archdiocese to submit positive and inspiring stories from their parishes, schools and communities.

Read their submissions in this special 12-page “Good News� wraparound section and online at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

The regular issue of The Catholic Spirit is inside.

June 9, 2011

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Good News

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

Stories that inspire and give witness At The Catholic Spirit, we love telling “Good News” stories about how people, parishes and schools live out their witness to Gospel values and inspire others to do the same.

To help mark the newspaper’s 100th anniversary this year, we wanted to share as many good news stories as possible from our archdiocesan Catholic community.

So, a few months ago, we invited pastors, parish leaders and schools as well as Catholic businesses, organizations and the public to send us their most positive and inspiring stories — many of which are highlighted in the following pages of this special section.

Submissions we received ranged from volunteers helping with tornado recovery efforts in north Minneapolis to the celebration of milestone parish and school anniversaries, and from efforts to support military personnel to collecting books for a diocesan library destroyed by fire. You can read additional good news stories online at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. We hope you enjoy reading about these faith-filled endeavors. If you have story ideas for future issues of The Catholic Spirit, send them to us via email to CATHOLICSPIRIT@ARCHSPM. ORG, or by postal mail to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.

— Joe Towalski

Seminary to host prayer for pope, vocations the need for holy priests, seminarians, deacons and religious,” Archbishop Nienstedt said.

The Catholic Spirit

Catholics of the archdiocese are invited to mark Pope Benedict XVI’s 60th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood with 60 Worldwide call hours of eucharistic adoration, with prayer Pope Benedict was ordained a priest on for the intentions of the June 29, 1951 in Freising, Holy Father, an increase in Germany. In honor of his vocations and priestly anniversary, the Vatican sanctity.

Congregation for Clergy The local observance urged Catholics worldwill take place from the wide to celebrate the evening of June 28 to the event with prayer before morning of July 1 at the the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Paul Seminary’s St. The June 28 Mass at the Mary’s Chapel, located at St. Paul Seminary occurs 2260 Summit Ave., in St. on the Vigil of the Paul.

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patronal The prayer and adorafeast day of the archdiotion begins with a Mass at cese. Father John Paul 7 p.m. June 28 with Erickson, director of the Archbishop John Nienarchdiocesan Office of stedt and concludes with POPE BENEDICT XVI Worship, said Archbishop an 8 a.m. Mass on July 1 (see full schedule, right). The chapel also Nienstedt has imparted a plenary inwill be open to all during the night. dulgence to all who attend the Mass and Individuals and groups are encouraged to fulfill the usual requirements (no attachsign up for an hour of adoration in the sem- ment to sin, sacramental confession, receiving the Eucharist and prayers for the inteninary chapel.

Those who cannot participate in the tions of the pope.)

To mark the pope’s ordination anniverdevotion at the seminary are invited to pray sary, the U.S. Conference of Catholic at a parish that offers perpetual adoration. A list of those parishes can be found on the Bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations has designed a prayer archdiocese’s website: WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG. “My hope would be in having this at the card that be downloaded at wWW.FORYOUR seminary that it provides an opportunity VOCATION.ORG. for people of the archdiocese not only to To sign up for adoration or for more informapray and give adoration to the Holy tion, contact the St. Paul Seminary at (651) Eucharist but also to raise consciousness for 962-5050 or spssod@stthomas.edu.

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

JOE TOWALSKI Editor

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

Subscriptions: $29.95 per year Senior 1-year: $24.95 To subscribe: (651) 291-4444 Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444 Classified advertising: (651) 290-1631 Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Spirit Publishing Company, a non-profit Minnesota Corporation, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. 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

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Prayer, adoration schedule June 28 7 p.m., Solemn opening Mass with Archbishop John Nienstedt 8 p.m., 1st of 60 hours of adoration 9 p.m., Way of the Cross June 29 7:40 a.m., Morning prayer, with seminarians 8 a.m., Mass, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul 10 a.m., Rosary, Joyful Mysteries 12 p.m., Midday prayer, with seminarians 3 p.m., Divine Mercy Chaplet, Meditation on the Sorrows of Mary 6 p.m. Evening prayer, with seminarians 8 p.m. Rosary, Luminous Mysteries June 30 7:40 a.m., Morning prayer, with seminarians 8 a.m., Mass 10 a.m., Rosary, Sorrowful Mysteries 12 p.m., Midday prayer, with seminarians 3 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet, meditation on last words of Christ 5:30 p.m. Evening prayer, with seminarians 8 p.m., Rosary, Glorious Mysteries July 1 7:40 a.m., Morning prayer, with seminarians 8 a.m., Closing Mass

ST. PAUL Catholic Community Foundation

Good for the future “When it comes to charitable giving, Catholics in this archdiocese not only are responding to today’s needs, but they are remembering the future in significant planned gifts from their wills and estate plans.

“In the last several years, the Catholic Community Foundation has received more than $3 million from generous individuals and families who have named the foundation, or a fund held at the foundation,” according to CCF. “This money is already at work supporting the perpetual needs of a variety of ministries, parishes and schools including St. Matthew’s School in St. Paul, St. Francis/St. James United School in St. Paul, St. Helena in Minneapolis, the San Alfonso Mission and St. Hubert’s in Chanhassen.

“For local Catholic families, the foundation serves as a permanent repository that ensures their values will live forever. This is good news for the future of our church!”

Find out more at WWW.CATHOLICCOM MUNITYFOUNDATION.ORG.

Good News WAYZATA Holy Name of Jesus

Fundraiser success “One of the best bits of news that we at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community in Wayzata could share is the ongoing success of our relationship with Ascension in North Minneapolis — a relationship that spans two decades,” according to the parish.

“To support our sister parish and school this year, we held a second collection and hosted our 20th annual St. Pat’s Day Gala, which raises tens of thousands of dollars for Ascension each year.” This year, 475 supporters attended, and early estimates indicate the event raised at least $130,000.

Some of the money raised from this year’s gala went toward HNOJ School as well. The 2011 St. Pat’s Day Gala included both a live and a silent auction, with items ranging from concert tickets to handmade artwork by HNOJ students.

The evening also featured dueling pianos and dinner catered by Broders’ Pasta Bar.

ROCHESTER Sisters of St. Francis

Commencement call “Rochester Franciscan Sister, Katarina Schuth, an internationally recognized expert on seminary education, was the commencement speaker at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University,” according to the sisters.

“She received an M.A. and Ph.D. in cultural geography from Syracuse University, and a master’s of theological studies SISTER KATARINA and a licentiate in sacred theology from the former Weston Jesuit School of Theology.

“A widely consulted authority on the education of priests, she has studied and written extensively on the impact of the U.S. priest shortage, cultural challenges from foreign-born priests ministering in the U.S., the future of Catholic ministry, and other trends and teachings within U.S. seminaries.

“Since 1991, Sister Katarina has held

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT the Endowed Chair for the Social Scientific Study of Religion at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. She is the author of five books on ministry and education, and the recipient of many honorary degrees and awards.”

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VICTORIA St. Victoria Father Bob White, pastor of St. Victoria in Victoria, looks over a Gospel reading with parish volunteer Mary Bishop, who has been printing the Gospel readings for Mass in large type so that Father White, who has a vision problem caused by a hereditary eye condition, can read them.

ST. PAUL St. Thomas More Catholic School

Fifth in Quiz Bowl Five students from St. Thomas More Catholic School recently competed in the first National Academic Quiz Tournaments Middle School National Championship in Chicago. Eric Boehme, Brendan Geraghty, Alex Harris, Maddie Lee and Cameron Swenson competed against 34 teams from 12 states, earning a fifth-place trophy.

STILLWATER

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

St. Croix Catholic School

Dominican principal Sister Mary Juliana, of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia Congregation of Nashville, Tenn., will assume principal leadership, July 1, of St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater. Sister Mary Juliana comes to SCCS with a dozen years’ experience in teaching and administration to lead the school.

Dominican leadership will distinguish SCCS from Catholic educational options, not only in the Twin Cities area, but in the state. St. Croix Catholic School is the first and only school in Minnesota to receive the Dominicans. This growing religious order is known for its teachers, and they are highly sought after by Catholic schools throughout the country, according to a news release about the new principal. The sisters complement the experienced teaching staff currently in place.

MENDOTA HEIGHTS Visitation School

400 years new “At Visitation School in Mendota Heights, our good news is old news: the 400th anniversary of our founding order, the Visitation Sisters of Holy Mary, and the way they continue to energize the school by infusing their Salesian charism. This year, a record number of alumnae have made donations, which means more

Pastor sees through eyes of others

By Father Bob White For The Catholic Spirit

Talk about great volunteers! We have the best at St. Victoria and I am one of the beneficiaries!

In 1996, I was diagnosed with “angioid stripes,” a disease affecting my vision. By 2000, I had only a small amount of central vision remaining in one eye. No longer could I jump in the car, read a book or look to the rear of our church and recognize my parishioners.

The call went out for help. To date, I have had nearly 300 drivers who have driven me everywhere from a quick hop to the grocery store to destinations hours away from Victoria. What a wonderful way to get to know people, and, I think, I offer wives of newly retired husbands a great respite!

There are 60 people on the “dropoff dinner” list and I can’t count the number of invitations to parishioners’ financial grants so a Visitation education can be accessible for many students.

They will follow in the footsteps of Karrah O’Daniel ‘06, a talented opera singer who is holding a benefit concert at Visitation . . . to help rebuild Haiti.

Meanwhile, her former classmate, Alice

homes. Since my culinary skills were always in question, this is nothing short of fabulous.

Countless people read for me, tape-record books and materials, and a faithful volunteer puts everything in large type that I need for my liturgies. Along with a great staff and adaptive equipment, I’m able to do all that is expected of a priest with a growing parish — one that has nearly tripled in size since 1996, and during that time, we built a new church.

And, lest I forget, there’s my faithful dog, Miss Betsy White. No, she’s not a seeing eye dog, but she is a dog that sees a need to be a loving and faithful companion.

Sure, there are days I would like to jump in the car or pick up a book, but then I stop and think of all my blessings and thank God. Father Bob White is pastor of St. Victoria in Victoria.

Stoddart, is counseling homeless teens in New Jersey.” wrote Helen Wilkie.

“More than ever, we at Visitation are exercising the call of our founder St. Francis de Sales to ‘be who you are and be that well.’”

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

Good News

Good News

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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SOUTH ST. PAUL

DEEPHAVEN

St. John Vianney School

St. Therese Church

Living the Gospel

Raising good fruits

“Hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the school are the Catholic social teachings. But those bold, colorful signs are not just decorations, they are signs for living the Gospel at St. John Vianney School in South St. Paul. That is Good News! It is clear when you see the students with their elderly friends, either visiting at the Cerenity Care Center or after Mass with their grand buddies.

Much patience, kindness and enjoyment is shown to the pre-schoolers as the older students assist them with their lunch. The children collected Pennies for Patients and food for the food shelf. It’s truly Good News for the recipients of the delicious homemade soup delivered to our shut-ins. Cutting up vegetables and enclosing a decorated card is a longtime tradition.

“Caring for God’s Creation by cleaning up the street, packing wastefree lunches, reducing, recycling and emailing our weekly communications!

Classrooms recycle food waste with worms and students hosted a Waste Reduction Fair for the community to learn new ways to care for the earth,” wrote a school representative.

Gardeners at St. Therese in Deephaven are hoping to boost their harvest from 3,400 pounds of organically-grown fruits and vegetables in 2010 to 5,000 pounds this year to supply produce to the Intercongregation Communities Association Foodshelf.

Chief gardener Dan Saufferer is optimistic that the Catholic parish can help ICA double its level of fresh produce assistance to 7.5 tons.

Volunteers at St. Therese recently planted broccoli and cabbage and will soon add tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, carrots, pumpkins, cucumbers and beans. Mulberries may also be available this year from several mature trees on site.

“Most of the stuff we picked in the morning last year would wind up on people’s dinner plates the same night,” Saufferer said.

St. Therese had set a one ton production goal early last summer.

Favorable weather and a regular flow of help helped the team exceed its initial target, he said. This year, ICA’s decision to permit Saturday drop-off produce could help even more, by making it easier for volunteers with weekday work schedules to get involved.

ICA serves more than 700 Minnetonka families monthly.

MINNEAPOLIS Annunciation, Visitation, OLP

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

From left, members of the Nerd Herd, I.N.C. are: Kayla Beckel, Laura Wee, Kenzie Norton, Nate Becker, Carrie Mannila and Mikayla Kelly. All are seventh-graders at St. John the Baptist School in Savage.

Parishes for peace

SAVAGE

“Violence is best defined as that act of forgetting or ignoring who we are: brothers and sisters of one another, each one of us a child of God” (John Dear, SJ).

“Parishioners from Annunciation, Our Lady of Peace and Visitation faith communities in Minneapolis gathered together this past year to study Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service/JustFaith Ministries’ module ‘Engaging Our Conflicts: An Exploration of Nonviolent Peacemaking.’ In an effort to understand how violence impacts our daily lives, members engaged in role-playing events and thought exercises focused on nonviolent peacemaking strategies,” wrote Steve Osthus.

“We have scheduled a public event to celebrate what we’ve learned. Monday, Sept. 12, our three parishes will become a host ‘church’ for the ‘Every Church a Peace Church’ organization at the Annunciation Church location, 509 W. 54th St. The peace vigil begins at 6 p.m., potluck supper at 6:30 p.m. and speaker at 7 p.m. For more information, call (612) 926-7959.”

St. John the Baptist School

No. 1 in Global Final The Destination ImagiNation team Nerd Herd, I.N.C. from St. John the Baptist School in Savage placed first in the Global Final competition in Knoxville, Tenn., May 25-29.

Each year, 100,000 students across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries compete in Destination ImagiNation, an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournaments.

Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the challenges.

Nerd Herd, I.N.C. began practicing in November for the regional competition in March, where the team placed first and advanced to the state competition. At the state tournament, it was awarded a wild card position to advance to the Global Finals tournament. The Global Finals began May 25 with an opening ceremony for 1,156 competing teams from across the United States as well as Turkey, South Korea, Guatemala, Brazil and England.

Common Basket

by an alumnus with brain injury. The Common Basket is a wonderful opportunity for the students to truly understand and feel solidarity with others in need or those less fortunate. The students learn about and have the opportunity to respond by contributing money during the offertory collection (Common Basket) at the school liturgies.

The students are encouraged to skip the Starbucks or Chipotle they would have gotten that week, and to consider offering that as their sacrifice.

“During the school liturgies at BenildeSt. Margaret’s, students, faculty, staff and parents are offered an opportunity to learn about and financially contribute to a special cause as part of the Common Basket program. The causes are carefully selected and presented to the school during class time during the week prior to that liturgy. Often, the cause reflects something that is taking place in the world, such as a natural disaster like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. In cases like that, the students learn about the history or culture in that geographic area.

“Sometimes the need is an organization that supports the particular experience of one of the alumni, students or staff, such as a recent witness

“As a parent,” said Brenda Coleman, “I have been touched by the sight of passing the Common Basket amongst the hundreds of students. I have been impressed by how seriously the students listen to the witness prior to the start of Mass. And I have been edified by the response of the teens and parents to share their financial resources with others. The Common Basket is one of the many ways that BSM has formed young people into passionate Christian Catholics, with an awareness of others and a willingness to reach out to those in need.”

ST. LOUIS PARK Benilde-St. Margaret’s School

ST. PAUL Catechetical Institute

Renewing faith The “Good News” Linda Harmon wants everyone to know about is the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute.

“I am a 49-year-old wife, mother and business owner,” she said. “Until recently, I was a cradle Catholic who had little understanding of her faith and was constantly bombarded by secular messages reinforcing an idea that Catholicism should be questioned. My whole life I have listened to messages that told me success came from making money and acquiring things, but something was missing. My satisfaction with my new understanding of my faith, after completing the Catechetical Institute program, is only surpassed by the joy I experience as I realize my Catholicism is what will truly allow me and my family to thrive in our secular world. This program has changed my life!”

The catechetical institute is administered under the direction of the St. Paul Seminary. For more information go to WWW.SAINTPAULSEMINARY.ORG.

ST. PAUL The Leaflet Missal

Assisting souls “The Leaflet Missal in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood has been in the good news business for 82 years. Whether it’s helping a grandmother with a first Communion gift, shipping a package to a customer in Joplin, Mo., who was spared by the tornado, or outfitting a newly ordained priest, we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to assist thousands of souls on their journey toward heaven. We are also proud to have printed the one-millionth copy of our ‘Outlines of the Catholic Faith’ and to support the cause for canonization of Father John Hardon, who wrote ‘Catholic Family in the Modern World’ for us.

“A few things you may not know: we printed the Mass and Burial Booklet for John F. Kennedy’s funeral, Loretta Young of film fame was a regular customer, and the first lady of Leaflet Missal visited weekly with Bob Dylan’s mother while having their hair styled at a local salon!” wrote Geraldine Lopez.

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

FARMINGTON

MAHTOMEDI

St. Michael Church

St. Jude of the Lake School

Support for warriors

New preschool, IB

St. Michael and several other churches in the Farmington area have been involved with the Warrior to Citizen Yellow Ribbon Network program.

“This is a group of people that provides family support, community education and recognition of service members and their families,” wrote Sandy Glau.

“For example: we have provided meals for a family whose husband/father is serving in Afghanistan, have taken turns hosting a meal each month for veterans.

May 7, St. Michael provided the space for the Military Mother/Grandmother Luncheon. Approximately 106 women of military service members were royally treated to valet parking, professional chair massages, gift bags, door prizes, entertainment, a time to share stories and make new friends, and a delicious meal.

Laughter, tears, good conversation filled the social hall! Many people worked together to make this such a wonderful event — and are looking forward to doing it again next May!”

St. Jude of the Lake School is pursuing authorization to become an International Baccalaureate School. The programs of the IB organization are based on the premise that education can foster understanding among young people around the world. St. Jude would be the first Catholic primary school in the state to obtain such authorization, according to Father Ralph Talbot, pastor. In addition to that initiative, St. Jude has also entered into an agreement to lease space to Lake Area Discovery Center, a Christian-based early education program, which will begin preschool on the campus this fall.

CENTRAL MINNESOTA Books for Africa

St. Paul Church

Forming faith family

PRIOR LAKE St. Michael Church

Angels among us Denise Kadrlik wrote that “John and Mary Hamre, with wings in camouflage, did Gods’ work supporting military members of St. Michael in Prior Lake. In an effort to make folks aware and praying for our military, a bulletin board to display photos was created in 2006. Liz Speiker and Laura Rivisto soon joined. John and Mary held meetings regularly and continued to spread the word. The children got involved making care packages with the help of Laura Schupe.

“At church festivals, a coloring booth was set up. Mary made thousands of yellow ribbon pins with ‘pray for our troops’ on each of them. The group later learned about the organization ‘Beyond the Yellow Ribbon’ through Barb Johnson. With the help of Deacon Dick Roy and Pete Brown, we have blossomed into a ‘South of the River’ chapter, expecting recognition from the governor soon.

We thank John and Mary for their passion to serve.”

By Julie Pfitzinger The Catholic Spirit

Aaron Seurer will be observing a unique anniversary next month at St. Wenceslaus in New Prague. As an altar server at his parish for the past 20 years, Aaron, 32, has made an impact on the parish community in ways he may not fully realize.

The youngest of eight children, Aaron was born with Down syndrome. When he was 12 years old, after observing his six older brothers serve at the altar at St. Wenceslaus, he indicated to his parents that he was ready to step up and take his turn.

“My husband Roman and I always treated Aaron just like our other kids,” said his mother, Noreen. “We wanted him to be involved in normal activities.”

Since that time, Aaron has volunteered as an altar server on rotating Sundays and at the weekly Thursday 8 a.m. Mass. Rain (and occasionally snow) or shine, he climbs on his bike and rides the two blocks from his home to the church, frequently arriving by 7:30 a.m.

“He beats me there every once in a while. We trade off,” said Father Dave Barrett, associate pastor, with a smile.

At the end of a school Mass June 2, Father Kevin Clinton, pastor of St. Wenceslaus in New Prague, honors Aaron Seurer for 20 years as an altar server at the parish.

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Reception set for July 10

HAM LAKE

Molly Koop wrote that: “Some of the best news in our parish, Church of St. Paul in Ham Lake, is ‘Family Formation,’ which forms the family in the richness of the Catholic faith.

“Through interactive home lessons and monthly gatherings with hundreds of other families, we are united in our mission to pass on the faith to our children. Parents who were not well-catechized learn and grow with their children. In our own family, we have seen our children grow to love our Lord through ‘Family Formation.’ It’s truly a blessing for a parent to witness his child’s excitement at Mass: ‘Father is wearing white! It’s a special feast day!’ or to grow with her child in her devotion to the Eucharist and sacred Scripture. It’s a blessing to be a part of the Holy Spirit’s work as ‘Family Formation’ is spread throughout the country!”

St. Wenceslaus welcomes help

Tragedy turns a page The Catholic bishop’s house and diocesan library in Northern Nigeria, which was gutted by fire last year, is receiving support from Central Minnesota, the Diocese of St. Cloud, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Books for Africa.

A shipment of 20,000 books donated by Books for Africa and several other groups should be on the way to Nigeria thanks to the help of Bassey Eyo, professor at St. Cloud State University, Father Vincent Bulus and others who coordinated book donations.

Father Robert Koopmann, president of St. John’s University in Collegeville, brought together a team of people to collect relevant books, according to Doug Stone.

At St. John’s/St. Ben’s, Carol Johannes, Sister Stephanie, Sister Ann-Marie Biermaier and Brian Wood with Liturgical Press, pulled in 14 boxes of books. Mariannsa Forde, retired from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, and Mary Preus, (also retired) who spent several years in Northern Nigeria as a theology professor, gathered 7,000 books at Luther Seminary. Elizabeth Polakowski, librarian at Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library, University of St. Thomas, gathered 16 boxes of books and journals. Rose Ford, a retired librarian and volunteer at St. Cloud City Library gathered 12 boxes of relevant books.

The Diocese of St. Cloud sent money to Bishop Joseph Bagobiri to replace laptops and internet services. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis donated money to ship the container. To support the Diocese of Kafanchan, contact Father Vincent Bulus at (701) 215-1681 or vINBABUS@YAHOO.COM.

During an all-school Mass on June 2, Aaron did double duty as the school community took the opportunity to commemorate his 20th anniversary milestone. (On Sunday, July 10, St. Wenceslaus will hold a parish-wide reception in Aaron’s honor).

In addition to his role as an altar server that day, Aaron and two eighth-grade students, Maddie O’Neill and Francesca Gliori, also brought up the gifts to the altar as the congregation sang “Be Not Afraid.” Once back at the altar, Aaron quickly resumed his role as server.

“Aaron likes working with the younger servers. He likes to train them in,” said Noreen, adding that her son’s favorite part of being an altar server is carrying the cross.

Father Kevin Clinton, pastor at St. Wenceslaus, admires the commitment Aaron has brought to altar serving for the past 20 years, along with the “reverent and respectful” example the pastor said the young man sets for the other servers.

“I am struck by the focus Aaron has. He is very centered and while he doesn’t say much, it is clear this is very important to him,” Father Clinton said. “He is very proud and eager to help.”

An important presence Father Clinton also believes Aaron’s presence at the altar resonates in another way as well.

“Going to church and being part of a worshipping community is not complicated. You do not have to be a theological genius to be part of the liturgy,” Father Clinton said. “Sometimes we make it so complicated that we forget how simple and how important worship is. I believe Aaron knows that.”

ST. PAUL Holy Childhood Church

One baby at a time “A woman in our parish has been managing a small house used to help one woman at a time in a crisis pregnancy since 2003 but wished to have more space,” wrote Joyce Nevins and Bernadine Scroggins. “‘We need to save more moms and babies from abortion!’ Gradually, people helped to design and print our stationery. A lawyer submitted our tax-free status. A woman said she would knit

In addition to his role as an three jobs. He works at the Fi restaurant in New Prague; at store and for New Options in vocational opportunities for p developmental disabilities.

Aaron is also a Special Olym competed in volleyball, bocc Aaron and Noreen, who w live together in the family ho but still works as a volunteer

afghans. Strangers placed money in our hands!

“As former counselors, we know 60 percent of women seeking abortion have said they ‘have no choice,’ and ‘will become homeless if they don’t abort this baby.’

“We can only imagine how much St. Philomena desires this safe place for the most afflicted because the third largest mega abortion mill is being built in the center of the Twin Cities!

“The Holy Spirit is building Philomena House with weak but willing hands. Join us in helping women in crisis make a choice they can be proud of.”

For information or to make a donation, contact Joyce Nevins at JOYCENEVINS@EARTHLINK.NET or Bernadine Scroggins at SCROGGINS2@COMCAST.NET or write: Philomena House, P.O. Box 130141, Roseville, MN 55113.

Good News 7A ST. PAUL

from seasoned altar server

NET Ministries

30 years in ministry “NET Ministries, an international Catholic youth ministry based in St. Paul, will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this coming year. NET is committed to challenging young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the church. It offers training in youth evangelization and leads more than 1,000 retreats annually. This year, 130 young adult volunteers will be sent out in teams across the United States to conduct retreats for Catholic teens. The 11 NET teams share their faith with more than 60,000 youth nationally every year,” wrote Alison Duffy Visit WWW.NETUSA.ORG for more information, or call (651) 450-6833.

FOREST LAKE The gesture was St. Peter’s way of “looking out for” the Catholic middle school and high school, situated minutes away from the church. The connection between the church and school is a strong one. Many of St. Peter’s parishioners have been or are current families at Hill-Murray.

The four vestments to be used during the liturgical year were duplicates, following the merger of St. Peter and Church of the Holy Redeemer in 2008. The closing of Holy Redeemer produced many extra items, which were donated to parishes locally and in other countries.

The merger was difficult for Holy Redeemer families who lost their home parish. Father Griffith said giving away the additional items to others is a “silver lining” to the sadness caused by the closing of Holy Redeemer.

“Holy Redeemer can live on,” said Susan Paul, president of Hill-Murray, who accepted the vestments. “And the spirit of the St. Peter’s community is alive and well at Hill-Murray.”

STILLWATER St. Michael and St. Mary churches

n altar server, Aaron has ishtale Bar and Grill, a the local Coborn’s grocery n Shakopee, which provides people with intellectual and

mpics athlete and has e ball and bowling. as widowed 14 years ago, ome. Noreen is semi-retired, coordinator at Queen of

Peace Hospital and is in charge of the hospital food shelf, where Aaron also helps when needed.

“Everyone knows Aaron in this community and he knows everyone,” said his mother with a laugh. “We’ll be walking down the street and people are always saying ‘hello’ to him.”

One of Aaron’s favorite stops after serving at Mass is Patty’s Place, a diner on Main Street, where he has a regular chair. When asked about his favorite item on the menu, Aaron smiled broadly and didn’t hesitate with his answer: “Blueberry scones.”

EXCELSIOR St. John the Baptist School

Playing the market Gina Buchholz was awarded the Best Prep Service Award this year for her volunteer efforts at St. John the Baptist School in Excelsior.

Committed to financial literacy education, Buchholz runs The Stock Market Game for students at the school. After working as a financial representative for 16 years, she believed that young adults were

ill-prepared to make smart financial decisions, so she got involved with Best Prep, a group of 330 partner schools and 320 companies in Minnesota that help prepare students for success. Under her guidance last year, five of the seventhgrade girls were in the top three Stock Market Game teams in the state.

NORTH ST. PAUL St. Peter Church

Gift to Hill-Murray With a gesture of good will and a symbol of their close relationship, Father Daniel Griffith, pastor of St. Peter, donated nearly $3,000 worth of vestments to Hill-Murray School in Maplewood on behalf of his parish.

“This is a concrete living out of our communion,’’ said Father Griffith. “We look to the needs of our neighbors.’’

Catholic Worker “One of the best things happening at the churches of St. Mary and of St. Michael in Stillwater is our Stillwater Catholic Worker Community,” Father Brian Lynch said.

“With the guidance of Thomas and Karen Loome, we in the St. Croix River Valley have an opportunity to live the Christian values championed by Dorothy Day, especially solidarity with those who are poor in one way or another. This manifests itself in a number of houses of hospitality through which our Catholic Workers offer assistance to women in need.

“If you would be interested in learning more about the Stillwater Catholic Worker Community or the Catholic Worker Movement in general, visit: WWW.STMICHAELSTILLWATER.ORG/LIFE/PARISHGROUPS/CATHOLIC-WORKER-GROUP.”

St. Peter School

50 years, many youth “This school year is exciting because St. Peter’s Catholic School in Forest Lake is educating its 50th group of students. In September 1961, the School Sisters of Notre Dame and the St. Peter’s community began a joint venture to educate the youth of St. Peter’s and the Forest Lake community.

“Initially serving 162 children in grades two through six, we are now serving 320 children in grades preschool through six. As we educate the second and third generation of students, we strive to continue the wonderful tradition of educating children both spiritually and academically that was begun by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. We are looking forward to our 50th anniversary celebration Aug. 6-7,” wrote Karen Anderson.

50 years

ST. PAUL St. Cecilia Church

Hand-crafted vessels “When the word came out several months ago that churches needed to use precious metal vessels for celebrating Eucharist, [St. Cecilia’s] knew that [it] would have to discontinue our traditional use of fine Waterford Crystal,” reported Father Michael Byron, pastor of the St. Paul parish.

“We elected to have vessels hand crafted specifically for our parish. We partnered with the same metal craftsman, Chris Rand, who fashioned our altar candle stands a few years ago. Chris is the son of a Presbyterian minister and has taken great interest in helping our church. Through his careful artistry, he incorporated images taken from our church building into the new vessels.”

Read more online The Catholic Spirit received so many submissions from our readers that we couldn’t get them all in this issue.

To read the rest of the articles, visit THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.

8A

Good News

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

ST. PAUL Highland Catholic School

‘Think possibility’ Barb Donohue, fifth-grade teacher at Highland Catholic School, wrote that John Tschida, HCS alum and parent of seventh-grade student, Phoenix, “spoke with our fifth-and sixth-graders.” For nearly 20 years, Tschida has faced the many physical challenges he encounters in his life as a result of a spinal cord injury from a bicycle accident in1993.

“To call him an inspirational man is an understatement! Tschida asked students about what comes to their minds when they think of disabilities and invited them to share stories about disabilities they or a family member may have.”

This brought an awareness of the many challenges people face — some of which we are obviously aware of — and it also provoked an awareness of less noticeable disabilities, Donohue wrote.

“We all learned so much about disabilities, perseverance, patience and acceptance.”

He also talked about the importance of technologies — from simple to complex — that make drastic differences in his day-to-day life and allow him to maximize his independence. He ended his talk with firsthand accounts of the value of accepting what life gives you and moving on — because, as he pointed out, life does go on.

HASTINGS St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church

Yellow ribbon honor St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church was recognized as a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Organization by the City of Hastings on May 28.

Hastings Mayor Paul Hicks presented the pastor, Father Jim Perkl, a proclamation stating that the parish is a Hastings Community Yellow Ribbon

OAKDALE

JORDAN

Transfiguration Church

St. John the Baptist

A touch of the sun

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

A meditation garden greets visitors to the parish office at St. John the Baptist in Jordan.

Family memorials seed parish ‘Meditation Garden’ Pamela Beckius, parish administrator, sent the following news about the garden: “Three years ago, when a member of St. John’s parish in Jordan died, her family requested that her memorials be used for a Meditation Garden at the parish. Her family (several are members of St. John and neighboring St. Michael in Prior Lake) and many volunteers from St. John have transformed a rather unattractive area into a beautiful entrance to our parish offices and 24-hour adoration chapel.

Arborvitae trees, shrubs, hostas, day lilies and nearly 2,000 daffodils line the walkways and patio. A statue of the Blessed Virgin, a fountain, bird feeders and benches enhance the meditative spirit. The family and volunteers have continued to provide financial and physical maintenance.”

Organization. The parish was instrumental in the community’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon initiative, which provides spiritual, physical and emotional support to the military and their families. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council of Catholic Women provides a forum for parishioners to support them in their ongoing needs.

Located near the entrance of the

church are photos and/or names of parishioners and their loved ones who are actively deployed. A military support Mass is offered the third Saturday of each month, followed by a reception and an opportunity to sign cards, gather information about ways parishioners can help and learn more about the resources available to those in need of support.

Emulating action taken by the Vatican a few years ago, Transfiguration Catholic Church in Oakdale recently blessed its new solar panel installation. The 40kilowatt array has more than 200 solar panels on the school roof. It will generate about 10 percent to 15 percent of Transfiguration’s campus electricity needs. It is estimated that it will save the parish about $40,000 over the next 20 years, wrote Deacon Glenn Skuta, deacon at the parish.

The installation was completed in November in partnership with Solarflow Energy through an Excel Energy program. The system helps the parish uphold the Catholic social teaching principle of stewardship of God’s creation by producing clean, renewable energy and cutting pollution. A solar energy curriculum is being developed for the school.

LE SUEUR St. Anne Church

Thanks for 150 years St. Anne in Le Sueur will celebrate 150 years of faith since its ancestors established the Church of St. Anne.

“Today, we stand with previous generations to give thanks and continue the work of God through our church and school. We are blessed with a wonderful priest, Father George Grafsky. We are proud of our Catholic heritage and eagerly pass it along to our next generation. Come help us celebrate on Saturday, June 25, with a Grand Buffet dinner and with Mass and lunch Sunday, June 26. We look forward to reconnecting with past and present parishioners.”

Call the parish center at (507) 665-3811 for more details.

Thank You Fr. Martin A Centennial Expression of Gratitude July 10th, 2011, 10:00 a.m.

Mass & Reception at Cathedral of Saint Paul 239 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN Maryknoll priests will celebrate all Cathedral Masses the weekend of July 9th-10th.

Please join us for 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday and reception to follow.

Our thanks to you for a century of prayers and support making our mission possible.

For more information: Tel: 773-493-3367, ext. 262 or E-mail: gdarr@maryknoll.org • Web site: www.maryknollsociety.org

The Community of Guardian Angels, Oakdale, would like to thank Reverend William Martin for 13 years of shepherding his flock.

Many Blessings in your Ministry Have a Letter to the Editor?

E-mail it to: catholicspirit@archspm.org

Good News

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

9A

ST. PAUL Cathedral of St. Paul

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Deacon Peter Akudugu prays a blessing after Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul June 5, with help from JoAnn Schuweiler (holding book) of the Cathedral Ladies Auxiliary, which sponsors a blessing for expectant mothers. Pregnant mothers receiving the blessing are Diane Scrafford, left, and Libby Brever, right, both of the Cathedral. Also receiving a blessing is visitor Frieda Blagogee, second from right.

Baby blessing “Gracious Father, your Word, spoken in love, created the human family. . . .

Watch over and support these parents and bring their child into this world safely and in good health” are some of the words spoken by a priest over expectant mothers, who are asking for prayers that God will grant them a healthy baby and delivery, wrote Colleen Hocking.

On the first Sunday of every month, following the 8 a.m. Mass, any mothers awaiting the birth of their babies, as well as family members who are present, are welcome to enter the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Cathedral of St. Paul. One of the members of the Cathedral Ladies’ Auxiliary presents to them a small parcel that includes a rosary and a bottle of holy water. Then the moms may kneel as the priest reads a Scripture passage and gives the blessing from the Book of Blessings. The mothers are open to feel God’s grace, and can be spiritually strengthened by this wonderful experience. . . . What a reminder of the great gift that God gives in each human life, Hocking said.

MINNEAPOLIS Our Lady of Peace School

Peaceful poetry “Our Lady of Peace is a PeaceBuilders school,” according to the staff. “This program is helping our preschool through eighth-graders become instruments of peace!

“Each day, all students recite this pledge: ‘I am a PeaceBuilder ‘I pledge: ‘To praise people ‘To give up put downs ‘To seek wise people ‘To notice and speak up about hurts I have caused

‘To right wrongs ‘To help others ‘I will build peace at home, at school, and in my community each day.’

“In addition to the daily pledge, students meet monthly in multi-age Peace Circles and recognize each other when they exemplify characteristics of being a PeaceBuilder.

The benefits of the program spill over into life at home, becoming a way for parents to build consistency in expectations for behavior at home and school for our children. It truly is a wonderful program!”

For more information, visit

NOW YOU HAVE A

CHOICE!

The Minnesota Catholic Directory is yours either “by the book,” online or both!

The 360-page book AND the Web version are available RIGHT NOW!

WWW.PEACEBUILDERS.COM.

WOODBURY Girl Scouts

A gift to others The Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys sent the following good news: “In a true act of being a sister to every girl, Girl Scouts in Woodbury donated a portion of their troop funds to enable their fellow Girl Scouts at Ames/Sheridan Elementary in St. Paul to attend camp this summer.

“Previously, the St. Paul troop relied on funds from Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, which provides financial support for camp and other programs, to ensure that all girls can have the same experiences.

“The donation to River Valleys was given in honor of Thomas Kendrick, secondgrade teacher and co-leader of the St. Paul troop. Kendrick promotes the benefits of offering Girl Scouting in schools because it enables lower-income girls to develop new skills and build their self-confidence.

“This act of kindness provides a powerful message to all Girl Scouts about giving back and the impact each girl can make by living the Girl Scout promise and law.”

Order the regular print version of the 2011 Official Minnesota Catholic Directory by calling 651.251.7700 or online at www.TheCatholicSpirit.com Purchase an online Directory subscription today and your subscription starts today with information that will be updated whenever changes are made throughout the year! Just go to www.MNCatholicDirectory.com for Web subscription rates that start at $30/year.

Either in the book or on the Web, finding names, addresses, phone and fax numbers, e-mails and web sites is so convenient. Find clergy, religious, lay ministers and over 1,000 Catholic institutions in each of the state’s six dioceses, plus driving directions to most of the 720 churches in Minnesota.

Regularly priced, the book costs $44.95, but order before June 30 and we’ll wave postage and handling AND cut the price to $40. You SAVE $7.95!

10A

Good News

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

When disaster strikes . . .

Catholics help north Minneapolis clean up, recover

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

Behind a steep pile of branches and debris in north Minneapolis came the sound of children laughing and playing.

Just days after a tornado ripped through the area, residents could be seen wandering the streets and viewing the damage.

The happy sounds of the children were most welcome in a profoundly sad and devastating scene. Also welcome were the scores of volunteers who swooped in to provide disaster relief.

Among the unsung heroes were two members of the same parish who did not know each other before meeting in the backyard of a home on Logan Avenue.

Paul Naumann and Jenny Orsborn both belong to St. Andrew in Elk River in the Diocese of St. Cloud. But neither was aware of that fact when Orsborn decided she wanted to help out and saw information for Naumann’s disaster relief group on the Internet.

Working together Orsborn had formed a group of her own in 2008 called the Traveling Angels and was looking for a Twin Cities group she could join in north Minneapolis.

A web search brought her to Catholic United Response, a disaster relief effort of Catholic United Financial Foundation in St. Paul. Naumann, the foundation’s executive director, is in charge of the group and made plans to go to north Minneapolis May 26 and 27.

“It’s funny we go to the same church and we’ve never met each other before,” said Orsborn, 39, who has taken her group to New Orleans for cleanup work every year since it was formed. “I was just looking for somebody to hook up with to clean up after this tornado in Minneapolis. I came across his [Naumann’s] information, so I signed up on their website.”

A total of nine volunteers combined

HUGO St. John the Baptist Church

Giving from the core St. John the Baptist in Hugo responded generously to the archdiocese’s call for a second collection to help victims of the tornadoes that occurred during the week of May 22 to 28. It was just three years ago that Hugo suffered from a tornado touchdown similar to the one that hit North Minneapolis May 22. The news of that storm and the storms in Missouri and Oklahoma renewed the sense of loss caused by the storm of May 25, 2008. It also reminded St. John the Baptist parishioners of the overwhelming generosity and blessings poured out upon them in their time of need, said Father Jon Shelley, pastor.

The proposal for the second collection was for half the money to be used locally and the other half to serve storm victims in Missouri and Oklahoma.

“The hand of God and the generosity of people provided many blessings to our community in our time of need. It was

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Jenny Orsborn, founder of the Traveling Angels, helps clean up debris in north Minneapolis alongside volunteers from Catholic United Financial Foundation in Roseville May 27. Orsborn belongs to St. Andrew in Elk River.

from the two groups teamed up on what Naumann called “the maiden voyage” of Catholic United Response. For the first time, the trailer carrying tools and equipment needed for cleanup pulled into a disaster relief zone to carry out the practical application of the Scripture verse from Matthew 25 stenciled on the outside of the trailer door: “Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me.”

“We’ve got about $20,000 worth of tools and equipment, and we keep

adding,” said Naumann, who printed out a four-page inventory of equipment, including three chain saws, two generators and two power washers.

“The crew was great,” he said. “Each day, we had three chain saw operators.

And, they were all experienced chain saw operators. Then, the [other] volunteers were there to remove the debris, working alongside the chain saw operators. They all worked as a team.”

Naumann was grateful to have the assistance of an experienced group like

the Traveling Angels. Orsborn said there is a core group of six people that goes on every trip. The other five core members are Anne Shields, Ron Olson, Carrie Bang, Gary Keifenheim and Joe Schultz.

All but Shields, who belongs to Holy Cross in Onamia, are members of St. Andrew. Though volunteers for both groups are mostly Catholic, both accept non-Catholic volunteers as well. In fact, Naumann gives special credit to a Jewish

now our turn to give, not from our excess but from our core,” Father Shelley said.

Father Shelley and parish leaders decided to give all of the Memorial Day weekend collections, totaling $3,740, to this worthy cause.

coordinator, wrote: “Since then, we have taken our truck to the corner of Lowry and Penn avenues, by the request of City Councilman Don Samuels and Mayor R.T. Rybak, on a nightly basis. This situation was far worse than we could have ever imagined. Parts of our Twin Cities community look like a bomb went off. Debris, trees and glass littered the streets. . . .

“Many stories have been shared in the last week. But the story that especially hit home was the story of a woman who had a tree come through the roof on her house. Devastating enough for most, but she then invited 10 of her neighbors into her home because the line of people needing to stay in a shelter was so long.

“MLF fully expects the challenges to continue and we plan on being part of the solution.”

For more information, contact Mobile Loaves-Minneapolis at MLFMPLS@GMAIL.COM or see WWW.MLFNOW.ORG. If you are interested in donating to the relief effort, please send a check to MLF-Minneapolis, c/o St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 4537 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55419.

MINNEAPOLIS

MINNEAPOLIS St. Joan of Arc Church

Help on wheels Father Jim DeBruycker, pastor of St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis, reported that its joint Mobile Loaves & Fishes venture with Knox Presbyterian Church, which has been serving the homeless and working poor on weeknights for 14 months, jumped into action after news of the May 22 tornado in north Minneapolis.

“Minutes after we heard of the devastation, volunteers came together and made up over 400 meals, which were distributed Sunday evening to people who had lost their homes and to the police who were working in the area,” he wrote.

Karen Waldron, MLF volunteer

PLEASE TURN TO GOD ON PAGE 11A

St. Bridget Church

God is present “There have been a record number of volunteers who have come forward to help families and individuals clean up their property, remove debris and tree branches, and generally be of help wherever it is needed,” wrote Father Anthony Criscitelli, TOR, St. Bridget pastor.

“People have also been spontaneously generous in offering monetary contributions to help families and individuals get back on their feet.

My suspicion is that once people get back in their homes, more of their needs will become apparent. I have also heard from people who grew up in the neighborhood and attended St. Bridget’s and who have sent generous donations to help — often in memory of their parents or grandparents.

“No matter where you turn, there is evidence of God’s presence in the midst of all this.”

Good News

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

God inspires disaster clean-up groups CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A disaster relief organization, Nechama, for providing disaster relief training for his group.

A Catholic response Naumann said the roots of his disaster relief group go back to the floods in southeastern Minnesota in 2007.

He went down to the area and supplied funds from the foundation to help members of Catholic United Financial (formerly known as the Catholic Aid Association), which founded the foundation but is a separate nonprofit, fraternal organization that sells insurance and other financial products to its Catholic members.

“At that time, we gave out about $49,000 in grants,” he said. “There were so many other faith-based organizations assisting in the disaster cleanup. But there was no organized, Catholic response. . . .

We decided to put the Catholic face on disaster response. Then, we began looking at ways we could increase the awareness and presence of Catholics living their faith.”

As the trailer rolled into north Minneapolis, employees of both Catholic United Financial and Catholic United Financial Foundation stepped in to put the tools to work, all the way to president Mike McGovern. Their bright, lime-green T-shirts were highly visible amid the rubble and debris. So were the light blue Tshirts of the Traveling Angels, which had “I’m an Angel” printed on the front.

Orsborn decided to form a group after St. Andrew’s sent volunteers to New Orleans three years in a row, beginning in 2006. It seemed like a natural step, though one infused by her faith.

“I felt like God was trying to tell me something,” she said. “And, I kept saying, ‘What is it?’ All of a sudden, one day, the pastor was speaking at my church and talking about being called to service. And, it just clicked.”

The same, simple revelation occurred when she was trying to come up with a name for the group. She was driving on the road one day, and the phrase

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Paul Naumann, left, executive director of Catholic United Financial Foundation in Roseville, works with Dave Evert of Holy Name in south Minneapolis and St. Anne in Wadena to clean up the backyard of a north Minneapolis home May 27. Naumann belongs to St. Andrew in Elk River.

“Traveling Angels” popped into her head.

Once again, she knew the thought was divinely inspired.

Next up for the two groups is cleanup northwest of the Twin Cities in Wadena.

A tornado devastated the area on June 17, 2010, leveling homes and creating a pile of debris and rubble that the town is still trying to clean up.

Catholic United Response will spend five days in the area starting June 13, while the Traveling Angels are planning to go for a weekend later this summer.

“We feel like God has called us to do this,” Orsborn said. “If we can just change one person’s life, it’s worth it.”

Naumann, who plans to retire from the foundation in October, but not from vol-

unteering in disaster relief, said: “We’re here to help. What can we do? What is the greatest need? One of the needs that kept coming up was the need for additional help in disaster cleanup and recovery — and, especially, recovery. After the initial rush of volunteers leaves the area, there’s a need to help in recovery and rebuilding.”

For more information about the Traveling Angels and to join the group, contact Orsborn by phone at (612) 281-3061, by email at THETRAVELINGANGELS@IZOOM.NET, or visit WWW.THETRAVELINGANGELS.COM. For more information about Catholic United Response, visit WWW.UNITED-WEHELP.ORG/ABOUT.HTML.

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TWIN CITIES St. Mary’s Health Clinics

Honors to program Barbara Dickie, executive director of St. Mary’s Health Clinics wrote about the success of the clinics’ Diabetes Program.

“Recently, St. Mary’s Health Clinics’ Diabetes Education Enhancement Program received recognition for its overwhelming success. The Minnesota Department of Health has recognized DEEP as a “best practice” program. St. Mary’s Health Clinics was invited to present the program at the American Diabetes Association’s 4th Annual Disparities Forum held April 2011 in Alexandria, Va. The Healthier Minnesota Community Clinic Fund is funding DEEP for calendar years 2011 and 2012.

“This cutting-edge program was initially developed in 2004 and has recently been expanded to include all eight of the St. Mary’s Health Clinics locations. The SMHC Diabetes Educators provide the following services: meet with the patients prior to their clinic appointment, follow them through their clinic visit with the physician or nurse practitioner, and follow up with the patient post-visit. DEEP is designed to review the patient’s understanding of their plan of care, identify and educate the patients on compliance issues, and schedule referrals to specialty care providers.

“St. Mary’s Health Clinics currently provide care to 246 diabetic patients who attended 1,173 clinic visits in the past year. The Diabetes Education Enhancement Program has been successful at improving compliance with treatment recommendations for people without access to health care and with income and language barriers.

“SMHC provides free, individualized, culturally appropriate care in churches and neighborhoods where their patients live.”

For more about St. Mary’s Health Clinics, visit the website at WWW.STMARYSHEALTHCLINICS.ORG.

MENDOTA HEIGHTS

BURNSVILLE

ANOKA

Convent of the Visitation School

Mary, Mother of the Church

St. Stephen Church

Senior winners

Military support

WHO can help

“In a season when many are preoccupied with graduations and weddings, teens in the archdiocese are focusing on community service,” wrote Helen Wilkie, for Convent of the Visitation in Mendota Heights.

“The final step for members of Visitation’s Class of 2011 before receiving their diplomas June 5 was to perform senior service projects.

“The young women offered up their time and talent for two weeks. Some joined the Visitation Sisters of north Minneapolis in their ministries of prayer and service in the community. They mentored at the Northside Child Development Center, planted in the Ascension Peace Garden and labored, living out the Gospel, to help clean up in the wake of devastating tornado damage.

Other students spread out to programs serving senior citizens, environmental agencies and many more.

“The projects allowed Visitation’s newest graduates to experience collaboration and compassion beyond the classroom. “It’s good news that 100 percent of Visitation’s Class of 2011 will be attending four-year colleges. And it’s good news that, before they make that leap, they took the time to serve their community, witnessing the many problems a good education can help solve. These young women know how to make a difference using their heads, hands and hearts.”

Maggie Sonnek, pastoral associate for communications at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, wrote: “Forget ‘Dancing with the Stars’ or ‘The Bachelor.’

These devoted volunteers are busy working on Monday night.

“They make up Mary, Mother of the Church’s Military Support Group, started by one woman who has lived a military life; first through her husband and now through her sons. Mothers, fathers, spouses, neighbors and friends of service men and women currently serving this country diligently pack boxes full of shampoo, soap, playing cards, chewing gum and coffee, hoping the soldiers who receive the small gift will feel loved and appreciated.

“The Military Support Group recently received a thank you note from Ssgt. Brian Bergson. He writes, ‘I want you to know that every time I open a box from Mary, Mother of the Church and see the crucifix, I get choked up. You have no idea how much it means to me to know that someone cares enough to remember me.’

“Knowing that they truly are making a difference in the lives of soldiers who are making such a difference for the rest of us keeps these devoted volunteers coming back again and again.”

“In September 2005, a group of volunteers was organized with the support of Joan Bednarczyk, pastoral care director, to provide outreach to the community and to improve the appearance of St. Stephen’s campus in Anoka,” wrote Julie Gerards, parish secretary.

“WHO meets on a weekly basis for half a day, beginning with prayer, followed by hospitality, and then they carry out scheduled projects.

“The group takes great pride in the campus by painting, building shelving, cleaning walls, maintaining the trees and bushes, cleaning up the cemetery and any other projects suggested by Dennis Trushenski, maintenance director.

“WHO balances campus work with community outreach. The 21 active members are constantly on the lookout for people needing help. They clean yards, visit with the homebound, paint, do repairs, wash windows, etc.

“One Wednesday per month, they work at Feed My Starving Children, packing food for the hungry throughout the world. “‘I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do (John 13:15).’”

2010 WINNERS

Celebrating 100 years of publishing, The Catholic Spirit proudly announces the 10th annual Leading with Faith Awards

Nomination time!

We are looking for folks like these, business owners, supervisors, anyone with management responsibilities who lives their faith in the work-a-day world.

The Catholic Spirit kindly requests nominations for the 10th annual “Leading With Faith" Awards.

Now is the time to nominate a Catholic manager, owner or business person for this prestigious award.

Presented by — PRESENTING SPONSOR — Available — PATRON SPONSOR — Available — SPONSOR — Available

AWARD CRITERIA REQUIREMENTS • Nominee must be employed currently in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

• Nominee must be an active member of his/her parish.

SUBMITTAL PROCESS:

Do it now: deadline is July 15 The 2011 awards will be presented to individuals who have influenced the workplace through business practices that reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church and who share of themselves in their parish and/or community.

Business people will be honored in both large and small companies as well as leaders of nonprofit organizations.

Forms are also available online at TheCatholicSpirit.com. You will find a "Leading With Faith" nomination form with requirements and criteria the nominees must meet.

Please duplicate blank forms and nominate individuals in any or all of the three categories: businesses with fewer than 50 employees; businesses with 50 or more employees; and nonprofit organizations. The more thorough the nomination, the better the chance of selection.

If you have questions or to make reservations for the awards luncheon, contact Mary Gibbs at (651) 251-7709 or gibbsm@archspm.org.

WORKPLACE PRACTICES — USE ADDITIONAL PAPER (Note: This is the most important part of the nomination. If you do not work with the nominee, it may be helpful to talk with him/her or someone who works with him/her.)

1. List and describe examples that demonstrate the nominee's faith-based leadership. Examples might include treatment of employees and/or shareholders, value-based wages and benefits, role modeling, mentoring and others.

2. Describe an ethical dilemma the nominee has faced in his/her work environment and how he/she resolved the dilemma.

3. List major parish, archdiocesan and/or spiritually based non-church community organizations to which the nominee belongs. Identify leadership roles with each organization.

NOMINEE INFORMATION:

NOMINATOR INFORMATION:

Name: ________________________________________________

Name: ________________________________________________

Mail or e-mail nominations to: Mary Gibbs The Catholic Spirit 244 Dayton Ave. St. Paul, MN 55102 or gibbsm@archspm.org

Parish: ________________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________________

Relationship to nominee: ________________________________

E-mail:_________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________________

Company name (note whether for-profit or nonprofit):

E-mail: ________________________________________________

Archbishop John Nienstedt will present the “Leading With Faith” Awards at a noon luncheon banquet on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011, in the Rauenhorst Hall Ballroom in the Coeur de Catherine building at St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul.

_______________________________________________________

Company contact information, if available:

Nominations must be submitted and postmarked by Friday, July 15, 2011.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Number of employees: _____

_______________________________________________________

Job title: _______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

How long has nominee held that position?_________________

_____________________________________

Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Getting ready for Rural Life Sunday

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Ascension welcomes St. Philip

The Catholic Spirit

June 9, 2011

News with a Catholic heart

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Five ‘young, eager’ men ordained priests

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit

A bagpipe’s distinctive skirl sounded the start of the 2011 ordination Mass May 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul, where five “young, eager men” — including a native of Scotland — became priests for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Archbishop John Nienstedt twice referred to these graduates of the St. Paul Seminary as young and eager before ordaining Fathers James Hart Lannan, Jonathan Joseph Kelly, Cole Thomas Kracke, Nathan William LaLiberte and Anthony Joseph Martin O’Neill, the Scot.

Ordaining new priests makes for a happy day, the archbishop said. “As a bishop, there is nothing I do that is so awesome.”

He challenged the newly ordained to “speak with the mind of Christ, listen with the heart of Christ, and see with the eyes of Christ.”

The same yet different Be servant leaders, Archbishop Nienstedt urged, and know that you are earthen vessels, human like the rest of us.

“Delegate, collaborate, share the burdens,” he said. “One of the great lessons of our time is that priests shouldn’t have to pastor the parish all by themselves.” He urged the new priests to take advantage of the many talents of lay people.

He noted, though, that “priesthood is not just one of many ecclesial ministries” but unique.

“The priest stands with Christ as teacher, priest and shepherd.”

Priests must have a disciplined prayer life and a friendship with Jesus Christ, the archbishop said, and he urged the newly ordained to follow the lead of the late and newly Blessed Pope John Paul II in his deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“John Paul told us to take Mary into the interior of our priesthood, and especially in challenges to turn to Mary. The priest is called to obedience, celibacy and simplicity of lifestyle,” Archbishop Nienstedt said. “Trust yourself and your mysterious vocation to her and you will always be close to Christ.”

Many owed gratitude The archbishop thanked the new priests’ parents, family, parish priests and friends for supporting the men through the discernment and formation process.

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Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit

The five men who were ordained priests for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis May 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul lie prostrate as candidates for ordination during the Litany of Saints. The men ordained were Jonathan Kelly, Cole Kracke, Nathan LaLiberte, James Lannan and Tony O’Neill.

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Marriage amendment deserves our support

That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt

Article by New York archbishop offers convincing argument for not changing definition of marriage

Our state House and Senate have placed a constitutional amendment on the November 2012 ballot that will define marriage in the State of Minnesota as the union between one man and one woman.

Regrettably, the media and some secular commentators have chosen to mischaracterize this measure as anti-gay, mean-spirited and prejudicial. This is not the case or the intent behind the initiative.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference, made up of the seven Catholic bishops from the state, support this amendment not for prejudicial or political reasons, but rather for reasons that are theological, biological and pastoral.

Theologically, the definition of marriage predates any government or religious denomination. As we read in the Bible, it reflects God’s plan for man and woman to share in his creative power of bringing new life into the world (Genesis 1:27-28).

This is ratified by Jesus himself in Matthew 19:8-9. It is a truth that is also evident in light of the natural moral law, which grounds our understanding of the dignity that belongs to each human person.

In addition, the very biological, not to mention spiritual, complementarity of the two sexes defines the reproductive nature of their relationship which, in turn, enhances

Newly ordained join other priests in parish assignments

Archbishop Nienstedt’s schedule ■ Saturday, June 11: 10 a.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Mass for World Marriage Day. 4:15 p.m., Belle Plaine, Church of Our Lady of the Prairie: Sunday liturgy.

■ Sunday, June 12: 2 p.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Confirmation in Spanish.

■ Monday, June 13: 9:30 a.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Meeting with new pastor and parochial vicar of the Church of St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis.

5 p.m., Seattle, Wash. Semi-annual meeting of the board for the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

■ Tuesday-Friday, June 14-17: USCCB Spring Assembly in Seattle, Wash.

■ Sunday, June 19: 10 a.m., St. Paul, Church of St. Bernard: Sunday liturgy followed by a lunch with the Burmese community.

■ Monday-Thursday, June 20-23: Presbyteral assembly in Rochester, Minn.

Good reasons

the well-being and joy of that union. The enfleshed oneness of a man and a woman is indeed a communion of life and love.

Pastorally, children flourish best in the context of having both a mother and a father. Every scientific study confirms this reality. We know that many single parents strive mightily to raise children in as normal a context as possible — and many do an excellent job at this.

Nevertheless, it is a proven fact that boys and girls develop better with the influence of a mother and a father, living in the same home.

It should also be remembered that the teaching of the church is always meant to uphold and enhance the inherent dignity of the human per-

An invitation from Archbishop Nienstedt to all Catholics in the Archdiocese

Honor Pope Benedict XVI’s 60 Years of Priesthood with Eucharistic Adoration A message from his Excellency, Archbishop John Nienstedt: “June 29th will mark the 60th Anniversary of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s ordination to the priesthood. In honor of our beloved Pontiff’s ordination anniversary, I invite all Catholics in this Archdiocese to join me, our priests, religious and seminarians for Eucharistic Adoration at our Saint Paul Seminary’s Saint Mary’s Chapel located at 2260 Summit Avenue in St. Paul. We will join in prayer for 60 consecutive hours to honor Pope Benedict’s 60 years of priesthood.

Those who cannot participate at our seminary’s devotion are invited to pray at one of our many parishes who offer Perpetual Adoration opportunities. Those parishes can be found on our Archdiocesan web site.”

Adorations and worship events begin with a Solemn Opening Mass on June 28th at 7:00 p.m. and conclude with an 8:00 a.m. Closing Mass on July 1. Both Masses will be held in St. Mary’s Chapel.

TheCatholicSpirit.com

Appointments

son as a son or daughter of God. In this regard, I publish here with his permission an article written by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. His argumentation is hard to refute:

‘Marriage: the core of every civilization’ It was one of the more uncomfortable moments in my life.

Outside of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Milwaukee, where I, as archbishop, was celebrating Sunday Mass on an otherwise magnificent Wisconsin autumn day, were a couple dozen very vocal protesters, representing some off-brand denomi-

The men who were ordained May 28 for this archdiocese were given assignments as associate priests that were effective June 15.

Father Jonathan Kelly will serve All Saints, Lakeville.

Father Cole Kracke was named to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings.

Father Nathan LaLiberte will serve St. Stephen, Anoka.

Father James Lannan was named to St. Joseph, West St. Paul.

Father Anthony O’Neill was named to St. John Neumann, Eagan.

Also given new assignments on June 15: Father Allan Paul Eilen was named to serve at Our Lady of Grace in Edina. He had served at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings since his ordination in 2009.

Father Jon Bennett Tran was named to St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park. After his ordination in 2008, he served at St. Stephen in Anoka.

The following priests will begin new assignments July 1: Father Timothy Cloutier, who has been serving as pastor of St. Mary in Waverly since 2003, will serve as the judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal. He previously served at St.

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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

www.avada.com ©2011 HHM, Inc. 304

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. . . . We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata

Local JUNE 9, 2011

News from around the archdiocese

Leon and Nancy Gergen, parishioners of St. Mary in New Trier, are hosting the June 26 archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday celebration at their Hastings farm. Ray and Elaine Gergen are co-hosting the event.

Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Spend a day on the farm June 26

By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit

When Leon and Nancy Gergen’s pastor, Father Stan Mader, asked them to host this year’s Rural Life Sunday celebration at their Hastings farm, they jumped at the chance.

“It’s a good way to show people just how we rural area people live,” Nancy said. “We kind of have our own little world out here. It’s beautiful.”

Leon’s brother and sister-in-law, Ray and Elaine Gergen, are co-hosting the celebration. The couples, whose houses are separated by a gravel road, work the 700-acre farm together.

The June 26 archdiocesan-sponsored event begins with a 1:30 p.m. Mass at the farm, with Bishop Lee Piché as celebrant.

After Mass, there will be food, family activities, a petting zoo, antique tractors, music and tours of historic St. Mary Church in New Trier.

Free-will donations will be accepted, and golf carts will be available for those who have difficulty walking.

A rural way of life Leon’s parents acquired the farm in 1936, during the

Great Depression.

Over the years, the family has raised dairy cows and beef cattle. Last summer they decided to devote their full attention to their corn and soybean crops.

Most days, the Gergens rise before 6 a.m. to begin the day’s work. During the spring months, they are occupied with planting, spraying and tending the fields.

Summer brings a slower pace. Then comes the fall harvest.

“What I like about farming is that you’re not doing the same thing all the time,” Leon said. “I like that variety. And I take a lot of pride in everything we do.”

On a recent Friday, Leon was planning to spray the corn fields to prevent weeds from growing, but it was too windy, so he had to wait until the time was right.

“That’s the way you live when you farm,” Nancy said.

“You would love to get up and say, ‘Today I’m going to do this,’ but you have to look first of all at what the weather is like. Maybe you can’t.”

“You do depend on nature,” she added. “Yet you know you’ve got the Lord with you. The good Lord definitely plays a part in our life. He controls everything.”

Gergen Farms is located at 22628 Kirby Ave. S in Hastings. For information, call (651) 437-5546.

The Catholic Spirit

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Professor proposes ‘green Thomism’ to reconnect Catholics to creation

By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit

When St. Paul Seminary professor Chris Thompson recently went searching for the top agriculture programs at U.S. Catholic universities, what he found — or, rather, what he didn’t find — shocked him: There aren’t any.

He made the discovery after receiving an invitation to present a paper on developments in American agriculture over the past 50 years at a conference in Rome last month.

“There seems to be no presence of [agriculture] as a focused discipline or professional formation in [any of the 244] Catholic univerTHOMPSON sities across the board,” he told The Catholic Spirit during an interview at the seminary, where he is academic dean. “That’s how I became the expert,” he added with a laugh.

In addition to serving on the board of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, Thompson has given lectures and participated in conferences on Catholic social thought regarding the environment. He also is slated to teach a seminary course on the topic in the fall.

“There’s this odd lacuna, this odd blind spot in Catholic higher education in agriculture,” Thompson said. “How can it be that the single largest economic force in the country has no presence or standing in the modern Catholic university?”

And, he added, what impact does that have, not only on Catholics interested in farming as a career, but also on society at large?

Family farms disappearing The May 16-18 Pontifical Council for Peace and PLEASE TURN TO LACK ON PAGE 9B

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

Joy pervades cathedral during ordination Mass CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B “The calling to priesthood is a marvelous mix of nature and grace,” Archbishop Nienstedt said. “Let me offer a word of heartfelt thanks to all of you who assisted in that process.”

All of the new priests entered the seminary during the episcopal tenure of former Archbishop Harry Flynn, who was present in the sanctuary for their ordination.

Archbishop Nienstedt extended a special note of gratitude View more to the archbishopphotos emeritus for “the from the influence you had on ordination at these men,” and a long applause soundTHECATHOLIC ed throughout the SPIRIT.COM cathedral.

After the liturgy, the newly ordained were stationed in various chapels of the cathedral to offer their blessings to, first, their parents, then family, friends and well-wishers.

One for the Scots The bagpiper’s tones were a musical deference to Glasgow-born Father O’Neill.

“He does Scotland great credit,” offered Stuart Hoarn, who took photographs as the new Father O’Neill offered his first blessing to his parents, Sean and Eilis, who traveled from Scotland for the ordination.

“He’s got a huge heart,” said Hoarn, former president of the Minnesota Coalition of Scottish Clans. “This man has heart and a generous spirit. He’ll bring a tenderness [to the priesthood], for such a big man.”

Proud parents Father James Lannan’s mother, Maureen, said he didn’t give his parents any early clues he might be called to priesthood, but moments after he’d been ordained, she thought his answering God’s call was “exciting, fabulous.”

His father, Bob — brother of the late Father Patrick Lannan, a beloved St. Paul pastor — welled up with tears as he described with pride the path of life his

Obituary Father Antus, OMI, served St. Casimir Father Lawrence Antus, 80, a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, died May 24. After his ordination in 1958, he served in the archdiocese at St. Casimir in St. Paul, where a memorial Mass was celebrated June 4. He also served various Midwest parishes and at missions in Denmark.

One of his brothers, Father Roland Antus, is a priest of the Duluth diocese.

Clarification In the May 26 article about St. Andrew merging with Maternity of the Blessed Virgin, both in St. Paul, the official merger took place Jan. 1. The last Mass at St. Andrew will take place at 10 a.m. June 12, with a reception to follow at the church, 1051 Como Ave., St. Paul.

Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit

Five men were ordained priests for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis May 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. From left, Jonathan Kelly, Cole Kracke, Nathan LaLiberte, James Lannan and Tony O’Neill are presented for ordination to Archbishop John Nienstedt during the ordination Mass.

son had chosen.

“What other vocation can you go into where you’re going to get the same grace, dignity, faith, hope, truth?” he said. “If it’s done right, it’s something that makes the church stronger.”

ing all the time,” said Delzetta Thomas, The smiling Father Tony O’Neill understood the feeling.

“It feels really good,” he said as he blessed well-wishers. “It feels like I’ve been waiting a long time. God is good.”

Joy all around

About the Father’s business

The new Father Jonathan Kelly has what it takes to make that kind of priest, according to friends Kelly and Nancy Leahy, who worked with him on retreats and extreme faith camps.

Asked why Father Kelly will make a good priest, Kelly Leahy answered in bursts: “Love. Total surrender. The Holy Spirit oozes out of him.”

Nancy added: “He connects with the kids. Our daughters got to know him, and they just adore him.”

The new Father Nathan LaLiberte stood out among the Class of 2011, and not just because he is a head taller. From the moment he stepped into the main aisle at the processional, he had a smile on his face that beamed.

His grandmother couldn’t help but notice.

“He seems to be so comfortable, smil-

The class of 2011 is the first ordination group that Father Robert Pish has had significant time to get to know in his post as vice rector of student affairs and dean of men at the St. Paul Seminary.

As celebrations at the cathedral wound down, Father Pish reflected on the men who had just joined him in the ranks of archdiocesan priests.

“One thing that seems amazing,” Father Pish said, “is the unique way God works in each of the men he calls to priesthood. No vocation is exactly the same, yet there is always this beautiful and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that is reflected in the business of what God calls every one of us to.

“Seeing this love of Christ reflected within the men of this ordination class, it reminds me they’re entering what the church is all about.”

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Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit

Archbishop Nienstedt lays hands on James Lannan during the rite of ordination. This is the sign of the permanent conferral of the priestly office.

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Ascension welcomes merging St. Philip parishioners Parish sign on June 5: Church of St. Philip 1906-2011 105 years of blessings

By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

It was fitting that Father Dale Korogi presided at the last Mass to be celebrated in St. Philip Church in Minneapolis on June 5, after the parish officially merged June 1 with Ascension Church, just eight blocks away.

The merger of the 250-household parish with Ascension’s 650 households was first announced by the archdiocese April 30.

“These people helped raise me,” said Father Korogi, pastor of Christ the King in Minneapolis. “My mother grew up in this parish and I grew up in this parish.”

In recent years, many members of the once tight-knit Polish community, however, have dispersed to other parishes, cities and states.

“I’ve learned in my 50-some years that every death has a new life,” Father Korogi said. Although the closing of the church ends an era of Catholic life on that corner, he added, “What was built there won’t go away.”

Since his arrival at St. Philip several years ago, Father Jules Omba Omalanga has ministered to a growing community of fellow immigrants from French-speaking African countries who traveled to St. Philip from across the Twin Cities.

Dick Picquet has attended Mass at St. Philip for about three years. In addition to serving on the parish’s financial committee and parish council, he also has been the custodian for the church building, he said.

“It’s a neat church with a neat background,” Picquet said. “But the financial sustainability wasn’t there . . . for about 10 years.”

When the parish had a number of financial challenges earlier this year, parish leaders went to talk with the archdiocese, he said.

New plan for St. Philip Father Peter Laird, archdiocesan vicar general, said St. Philip was not designated for structural change as part of the archdiocesan Strategic Plan announced last October, but soon after it came “on our radar screen as a parish that might also need to be merged.”

The strategic plan accounted for many needs and transitions taking place in the local church, “but we couldn’t see every eventuality,” he said. “It’s important to note that just a little more than a half-mile away is Ascension and a little more than one and one-half miles away is St. Bridget.”

The Catholic Church has always tried to respond to the distinctiveness of various communities of faith in ways that can be sustainable, Father Laird said. The Parish Services Team is currently working with the French-speaking African community, who gathered

Above, St. Philip parishioners walk toward the Church of Ascension in Minneapolis following the last Mass at St. Philip June 5.

Far left, a parishioner from Ascension welcomes the St. Philip community June 5 as they arrive for a reception.

around Father Omba Omalanga at St. Leonard of Port Maurice and then at St. Philip, to set up a chaplaincy to serve them at St. William in Fridley.

If St. William becomes their worship site, the “Francophone” community would gather there for Sunday liturgies, much like the Filipino community that meets at Guardian Angels in Oakdale for a Mass in Tagalog.

“Father Jules will be half-time chaplain at North Memorial and half-time chaplain for this new chaplaincy for the French-speaking African community,” Father Laird said. “But it will take some time for this to materialize.”

Committed to inner cities The Catholic Church has always made a strong commitment to the inner cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

In fact, there remain five Catholic parishes in north Minneapolis alone. However, in some areas, the “number and concentration of church buildings were really designed for another era and careful evaluation indicates in some cases the number of buildings may not be optimal for ministry today,” Father Laird said.

“Rather than duplicating weaknesses, we want to build on strengths,” Father Laird said. “The excellent work that Ascension is doing in that community is now

Left, Father Michael O’Connell, Ascension pastor, blesses sacred items from St. Philip Church that were carried by parishioners during the procession to Ascension.

Jim Bovin / For The Catholic Spirit

enhanced by the gift of the St. Philip’s community who will choose to come and worship at Ascension.”

Patty Stromen, parish administrator at Ascension, said Father Michael O’Connell, pastor, wrote in a Sunday bulletin: “If we have one overarching message, it is welcome, welcome, welcome.”

Besides the reception Ascension hosted after the final St. Philip Mass, the parish will incorporate several of its neighbor’s ministries, such as the Kids Club summer program and the parish’s food shelf. Parishioners also are invited to take part in Ascension’s liturgical ministry, garden ministry and tutoring at the school, Stromen said.

Space is also being sought at Ascension for St. Philip parishioners to reverence the large icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa that will be moved from the church.

“We are honoring the grief and loss of the parishioners of St. Philip, while welcoming them into the life of Church of the Ascension and the shared commitment to the neighborhood in which both churches exist,” Stromen said.

Schools commission collects feedback, prepares recommendations The Catholic Spirit A group charged by Archbishop John Nienstedt to make recommendations to him to help ensure Strategic Planning the strength and sustainability of Catholic elementary schools in the archdiocese is on schedule to deliver its report by the June 27 deadline.

“I’m confident UPDATE we’ll hit our deadline, but it’s really because of the committee work and the feedback we’re getting that’s making that

possible,” said John McMahon, co-chair of the 16-member Catholic Schools Commission that was appointed for the task following the announcement of the archdiocese’s Strategic Plan last October.

The commission, which includes educators, priests and business leaders among its members, is divided into committees focused on four strategic areas: academic quality, financial management, governance and advancement.

Commission members are crafting their recommendations in part based on feedback they received from focus groups that included school principals and presidents, teachers, pastors, parish business administrators, marketing directors,

parish finance and school council members and parents.

The commission has also been receiving information through web surveys focused on finance, marketing and the views of parents regarding their perceptions of Catholic schools and school choice decision-making.

As of June 6, some 1,625 parents have participated in the survey, according to Rita Beatty, archdiocesan planning process communications manager.

The survey — which can still be accessed at HTTP://PLANNING.ARCHSPM.ORG (click on “Schools Commission”) — is intended for current Catholic school parents as well as parents of school-aged

children not enrolled in Catholic schools and those of children soon to be school age, Beatty said.

Additional information is being collected through comments and suggestions made via email to CSCOMMISSION @ARCHSPM.ORG. “Overall, what we’re hearing is that people are excited we’re addressing this issue and that there is a commitment from the archdiocese to look at our Catholic schools,” said Catholic Schools Commission co-chair Karen Rauenhorst.

“People want some direction, and they want to participate.”

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

State budget solution must not harm poor, vulnerable The following is a legislative update provided by the Minnesota Catholic Conference, which advocates on behalf of the state’s bishops for public policies and programs that support the life and dignity of every human person.

Minnesota’s legislative session ended on May 23 without a state budget for fiscal years 2012-2013 that both the Legislature and the governor could agree to, which means that a Katie Conlin special session will have to be scheduled to create new finance bills.

If our governor and legislators cannot reach agreement before July 1, Minnesota will go into government shutdown mode.

In 2009, our lawmakers faced a budget deficit that was largely offset by one-time federal stimulus funds and by a decision to delay payments to school districts.

The lack of extra federal funding this budget cycle combined with projected spending increases and the still-present school payment debt created a $5 billion deficit in this year’s forecast.

The forecast calls for $39 billion in spending (of which about $1.4 billion is the shifted school payment).

The Republican majority in the legislative branch wants to keep the state’s general fund expenditures limited to the

Faith in the Public Arena

Make your voice heard Visit WWW.MNCC.ORG and click on the box on the right side of the page that says “Join MNCAN” to access the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s advocacy network. Once there, you can navigate to “Elected Officials” to find contact information for your lawmakers or navigate to “Issues & Legislation” to access current MCC action alerts.

forecasted $34 billion in revenues.

This approach will not keep the tax burden on Minnesotans static, however; local governments will have to raise property taxes in order to fund mandated programs.

Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, first recommended a $37 billion budget and then lowered that amount to $35.8 billion, recommending an income tax increase first for the top 5 percent and then for the top 2 percent of earners in Minnesota.

Various proposals Both the Legislature and the governor propose delaying the school repayment.

Some of the other funding proposals put forward by one or both sides include: ■ Shifting thousands of Minnesotans off of state health care plans and into the private insurance market with vouchers to offset some of the cost of private insurance.

■ Reducing funding for services such as child protection and child care assistance.

■ Cutting monthly assistance for families on income support who have an adult receiving federal disability benefits.

■ Eliminating General Assistance and other related programs for disabled and vulnerable adults and creating an option for counties to offer adult assistance, funded by a block grant totaling $20 million less than projected spending needs.

■ Freezing or reducing spending and enrollment for certain disability and elderly assistance programs.

■ Cutting the renters’ property tax refund.

In his column in the last issue of the The Catholic Spirit, Archbishop John Nienstedt wrote about the principles that should guide budget decisions: human life and dignity, priority for the poor, and the common good.

Archbishop Nienstedt also pointed out that “[t]hose of us who are able must be willing to make shared sacrifices, including the raising of adequate revenues to pay our bills . . . .” Speaking last month

about balancing the budget, Bishop Lee Piché said, “Our state budget is a moral document that reflects our priorities as a society. The basic needs of the poor and disabled should come first.”

Priorities, not politics Throughout this legislative session, the Minnesota Catholic Conference, along with many other advocates, has been urging our lawmakers to put priorities, not politics, first.

Among those priorities should be health care programs that provide affordable coverage and protect life at all stages; adequate basic needs assistance for the most vulnerable Minnesotans, particularly the disabled and the elderly; and programs that effectively help lift individuals and families out of poverty.

Even as this article is being written, budget negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders are taking place.

Our lawmakers need to hear from you, their constituents, about which government services we think should be prioritized and which budget balancing approaches we want them to take as they work to find a solution.

You can take part in the budget making process by contacting your lawmakers today!

Katie Conlin is the MCC’s interim social concerns director.

55 parishes exceed Appeal goal The Catholic Spirit Ten more parishes have gone over their 2011 Catholic Services Appeal goal for the year. The addition of the 10 parishes brings a total of 55 parishes in the archdiocese now exceeding their CSA goal.

The 10 new parishes are: St. Genevieve, Centerville St. Bonaventure, Bloomington St. Albert, Albertville St. Rita, Cottage Grove Our Lady of Victory, Minneapolis St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony Risen Savior, Burnsville St. Jude of the Lake, Mahtomedi Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul St. Canice, Kilkenny

Rev. Mr. Mickey Friesen 328 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102-1997

Parishes that previously exceeded their goal are: St. Vincent de Paul, St. Paul St. Patrick, Jordan St. Thomas the Apostle, Corcoran Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Minneapolis St. Anne, Hamel St. Peter, Mendota St. Joseph, West St. Paul St. Francis of Assisi, Lakeland Holy Family, St. Louis Park St. Patrick, Faribault St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley St. Patrick, Edina Our Lady of Grace, Edina St. Francis Xavier, Taylors Falls St. Pius V, Cannon Falls St. Paul, Zumbrota St. Nicholas, New Market

St. Michael, Prior Lake St. Paul, Ham Lake Guardian Angels, Chaska St. Charles, Bayport St. John the Baptist, Hugo St. Bridget of Sweden, Lindstrom St. Joseph, Taylors Falls Lumen Christi, St. Paul St. Cecilia, St. Paul Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Paul St. Rose of Lima, Roseville St. Louis, King of France, St. Paul St. James, St. Paul St. Agnes, St. Paul Sacred Heart, St. Paul St. John of St. Paul, St. Paul St. Odilia, Shoreview St. John Vianney, South St. Paul St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings St. Henry, LeSueur Nativity, Madison Lake St. John the Baptist, Savage Most Holy Trinity, St. Louis Park Good Shepherd, Golden Valley St. Nicholas, Carver St. Joseph, Waconia St. John the Baptist, Dayton St. Katharine Drexel, Ramsey The Catholic Services Appeal has now reached more than $8.4 million in pledges for the 2011 campaign. However, it is not too late to make a pledge/gift to the Appeal; please visit WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG/ APPEAL to donate online. If you have questions, contact the archdiocesan Development and Stewardship Office at (651) 290-1610.

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JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Center for Mission office presents awards to students Students hit gold from Forest Lake to Prior Lake, Stillwater to Maplewood The archdiocesan Center for Mission awarded prizes for its second writing contest to four students and a group of third-graders.

Grace Mahowald and Rachel Schriever from St. Michael School in Prior Lake tied for first place in the Grades 1-3 category for their answer and picture illustrating: “We can follow the example of Jesus’ mission by ——-.”

Will Frisch, a fourth-grader from St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, took first place in Grades 4-6 with his essay outlining several ways to follow Jesus’ mission.

Michelle McKenzie, an eighthgrader from St. Jerome School in Maplewood, took first in the Grades 7-9 category for her essay, which is printed on this page.

St. Peter School in Forest Lake received a special award for the most innovative entries. Teachers — inspired by artist Doug Landis, who sketches with a pencil in his mouth — had the students draw by the same method to learn what it is like to live with a disability.

To see all the pictures and essays, visit WWW.CENTERFORMISSION.ORG.

Jesus’ mission in the world today The world of today is a complex mix of people. Can the mission of Jesus Christ affect the society of today? The teachings of Jesus are guidelines that all people can follow. They are a rubric for life. The Bible tells of the life of Jesus, the stories He told, and the miracles He performed. The troubles of today are very different than the troubles of the times of Christ, but the needs of the people are the same. People need love, kindness, and forgiveness. People also long for peace and harmony. The mission of Jesus Christ is about fulfilling the needs of all of God’s people.

The mission of Jesus Christ was to teach God’s people, all people, how to live in peace and harmony. He came down from heaven, born into a poor and simple family, and lived the life of a man. Jesus taught the people about forgiveness. He taught about loving one another and caring for each other.

Jesus taught the people about God, God’s expectations, and the kingdom of God. Jesus fulfilled his mission on Earth by example, through stories, miracles, and sacrifice. The resurrection and ascension into Heaven was not the end of Jesus’ mission on Earth but only the beginning.

The world of today has a fair amount of despair, hatred, and evil. But there is also a tremendous amount of love, kindness, and good.

All across the globe, there are countries at war, people fighting and killing. There are people who are poor, without food to eat and clothes to wear. And, there are people full of anger and hate.

Across the globe, there are also people of compassion, willing to help. There are people with riches looking to share.

And, there are people full of good, longing for peace. The world of today is full of people who need and people who can give. The troubles of today are many but the solution is easy, Jesus Christ.

People of today can learn how to manage some of the troubles of the world by following the examples of the mission of Jesus. Treat all people with respect starting with the no bullying programs in schools. Those who have more can give to those who have none through the food shelves and local missions. Forgive one another. Follow the examples of Jesus and there will be peace and harmony in the world.

The mission of Jesus and the world today have many things in common.

The needs of the people are the same and the message of Jesus is the key.

The people of today are very diverse. The mission of Jesus is to fulfill the needs of all God’s people. The life of Jesus is the rubric for a life of goodness.

Michelle McKenzie, Grade 8, St. Jerome School, Maplewood

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‘We are not anti-anybody; we are pro-marriage’ CONTINUED

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nation, shouting vicious chants and holding hateful signs with words I thought had gone the way of burning crosses and white hoods.

This frenzied group, taunting the people as they left Mass, were rabid in criticizing the Catholic Church, especially her bishops, for our teaching that homosexuals deserve dignity and respect.

To be more precise, this group was yelling at us because, they objected, the Catholic Church was so friendly, welcoming, and defensive of gay (they used other foul words) people.

They waved placards explicitly quoting and condemning #2358 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which affirms the dignity of those with same-sex attraction, and warns against any form of prejudice, hatred or unjust discrimination against them, and insists that homosexual acts, not persons, are not in conformity with God’s design.

Never have I faced such a vitriolic

crowd, blasting the church for simply following the teaching of Jesus by loving and respecting people regardless of anything, including their sexual orientation.

When a reporter asked me for a comment, I replied, “They’re right: we do love and respect homosexual people. These protesters understand church teaching very well.”

I’ve been recalling that episode often of late, because now I hear Catholics — and, I am quick to add, Jews, other Christians, Muslims and men and women of no faith at all — who have thoughtfully expressed grave disapproval of the current rush to redefine marriage, branded as bigots and bullies who hate gays.

Nonsense! We are not anti-anybody; we are pro-marriage. The definition of marriage is a given: It is a lifelong union of love and fidelity leading, please God, to children, between one man and one woman.

History, natural law, the Bible (if you’re so inclined), the religions of the world, human experience and just plain gump-

tion tell us this is so. The definition of marriage is hardwired into our human reason.

To uphold that traditional definition, to strengthen it and to defend it is not a posture of bigotry or bullying. Nor is it a denial of the “right” of anybody. As the philosophers remind us, in a civilized, moral society, we have the right to do what we ought, not to do whatever we want. Not every desire is a right.

To tamper with that definition, or to engage in some Orwellian social engineering about the nature and purpose of marriage, is perilous to all of us. If the definition of marriage is continually being altered, could it not in the future be morphed again to include multiple spouses or even family members?

Nor is it “imposing” some narrow outmoded religious conviction. One might well ask just who is doing the “imposing” here: those who simply defend what the human drama has accepted from the start, a belief embedded in nature and at the core of every civilization — the defini-

tion of marriage — or those who all of a sudden want to scrap it because “progressive, enlightened, tolerant culture” calls for it.

Sadly, as we see in countries where such a redefinition has occurred, “tolerance” is hardly the result, as those who hold to the given definition of marriage now become harassed and penalized.

If big, intrusive government can redefine the most basic, accepted, revealed truth that marriage simply means one man + one woman + (hopefully) children, in a loving family, then, I’m afraid, Orwell’s works will no longer be on the fiction shelf. As someone commented to me the other day, “Wouldn’t it be better for our government to work on fixing schools than on redefining marriage?”

And resistance to this rush to radically redefining the ingrained meaning of marriage cannot be reduced to an act of prejudice against people with a same-sex attraction.

Father Paul Kubista will serve at St. Hubert in Chanhassen. He has been serving St. Mathias in Hampton, St. Mary in New Trier and St. John the Baptist in Vermillion since his ordination in 2010.

Father James Liekhus was named pastor of St. Joseph in Hopkins, in addition to his current appointment as pastor of St. John the Evangelist, also in Hopkins.

After his ordination in 2005, Father Liekhus served at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul.

Father Kenneth O’Hotto was named associate state chaplain to the Minnesota

Knights of Columbus in addition to his appointment as pastor of St. Mary in Waverly. He has been serving at St. Michael in West St. Paul since 2003. Previously, he served at St. Anne in Le Sueur, Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul and St. Dominic in Northfield.

The following priests have been appointed pastors to the parishes where they have been serving as administrators.

They are: Father Dennis Backer at Nativity in Cleveland and Immaculate Conception in Marysburg.

Father Robert Hart at St. Patrick in Inver Grove Heights.

Father Michael Kaluza at Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine.

Father Kevin McDonough at Incarnation in Minneapolis. He remains pastor at St. Peter Claver, St. Paul.

God love you!

Appointments CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2B Raphael in Crystal and at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minnetonka.

Father Timothy Dolan was named pastor of Our Lady of the Lake in Mound. He is currently serving as pastor of St. Michael in Pine Island and St. Paul in Zumbrota. He also has served Annunciation in Minneapolis, St. George in Long Lake, St. Margaret Mary in Golden Valley, St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada, Holy Trinity in South St. Paul and North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.

OFFICIAL Archbishop John C. Nienstedt has made the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective June 15, 2011: Rev. Jonathan Kelly, associate priest, All Saints, Lakeville.

Rev. Cole Kracke, associate priest, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings.

Rev. Nathan LaLiberte, associate priest, St. Stephen, Anoka.

Rev. James Lannan, associate priest, St. Joseph, West St. Paul.

Rev. Anthony O’Neill, associate priest, St. John Neumann, Eagan.

Rev. Allan Paul Eilen, associate priest, Our Lady of Grace, Edina.

Rev. Jon Bennett Tran, associate priest, St. Vincent De Paul, Brooklyn Park.

Effective July 1, 2011: Rev. Timothy D. Cloutier, judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Rev. Timothy E. Dolan, pastor, Our Lady of the Lake, Mound.

Rev. Paul B. Kubista, associate priest, St. Hubert, Chanhassen.

Rev. James C. Liekhus, pastor, St. Joseph, Hopkins, in addition to his current appointment as pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins.

Rev. Kenneth L. O’Hotto, Associate State Chaplain, Minnesota Knights of Columbus, in addition to his appointment as pastor of St. Mary, Waverly.

Formerly parochial administrators, now appointed pastors (effective July 1, 2011).

Rev. Dennis J. Backer, pastor, Nativity, Cleveland, and Immaculate Conception, Marysburg.

Rev. Robert B. Hart, pastor, St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights.

Rev. Michael C. Kaluza, pastor, Our Lady of the Prairie, Belle Plaine.

Rev. Kevin M. McDonough, pastor, Incarnation, Minneapolis.

Local

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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Lack of reflection causes disconnect between people and land Continued from page 3B Justice conference marked the 50th anniversary of “Mater et Magistra” (“Mother and Teacher”), Pope John XXIII’s 1961 encyclical on Christianity and social progress, which addressed agriculture among a number of other topics.

“For the decades prior to ‘Mater et Magistra,’ the family farm was promoted by the Catholic Church as one of the most ideal conditions in which a family might be raised and a livelihood pursued,” Thompson wrote in his paper.

The U.S. bishops saw farming as conducive to family life because it often involved multiple generations and it relied on nature’s rhythms as designed by God, he explained.

Over the past 50 years, however, the number of family farms in the country has dropped by half, from 4 million to 2 million. “. . . The family farm has been decimated, and its status has been reduced to a nostalgic memory of an era largely believed to have evaporated,” Thompson wrote.

After World War II, the industrialization of agriculture gradually transformed society’s vision of the farmer as steward into an ideology of production and efficiency, he said. “There’s nothing wrong with those values, but when all of life is reduced to efficiency and production, you tend to lose something of the original vitality because nature is not a machine and creatures are not machines.”

In the book of Genesis, God instructed Adam to “till and keep” the earth, he pointed out. “Tilling,” Thompson explained, is agriculture, and “keeping” refers to caring for the environment.

While more and more people in recent years have become aware of our need to care for the environment, we also need to bolster our awareness of the moral dimensions of agriculture, he said.

“We really need a generation of thoughtful men and women, wellinformed in Catholic social thought, entering into conversations on food production, food security, human dignity, rural life — all these things that have been on the margins of the typical Catholic university experience,” Thompson said.

“I think we have to draw from our Catholic heritage,” he added, “and in my mind, [St. Thomas] Aquinas has supplied for centuries the philosophical architecture to help us navigate those questions.

Ideas for families and parishes Chris Thompson, academic dean at the St. Paul Seminary and a board member of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, offered these tips to help families and parishes cultivate a deeper appreciation for agriculture and God’s creation.

Individuals and families: ■ Start a backyard garden. “Learn with your children the experience of raising food, even if it’s at a modest level. This changes your attitude toward your land.”

■ Eat dinner together as a family. “The dinner table is one of the most important pieces of real estate in the Catholic home. . . It’s a fantastic place where the human person comes into contact with lower creation in a very intimate way.”

■ Bake bread. “Even if it’s no good, you’ll eat it with pride and joy because it’s something you’ve made and it’s something that has expressed the person.”

■ Visit a farm or farmers’ market. Meet the people who grow your food.

■ Shop mindfully. “If we can illuminate our habits of consumption and really introduce principles of justice and principles of stewardship in our habits of consumption, that would be huge.”

■ Purchase local, seasonal food directly from a farmer through a Community Supported Agriculture program. To find a CSA farm near you, go to www.localharvest.org/ csa/.

■ Go for a walk. Encounter God in nature.

Parishes: ■ Feature the products of local Catholic organic farmers at parish festivals.

■ Develop a partnership between an urban parish and a rural parish.

■ Purchase locally produced food for school programs.

■ “Ideally, parishes would have little gardens, and the produce would go to the poor, or they would have a Mary garden where they would grow flowers. Get out there and raise something, and you’ll enter into a relationship with the Creator that reaches back to the deepest roots of our faith.”

For more ideas, visit the National Catholic Rural Life Conference website at www.ncrlc.com.

— Julie Carroll

I think he can still do that, but it’s going to take some work on the part of educators to build that bridge.”

‘Green Thomism’ In his paper, Thompson said Catholic universities need to introduce a “green Thomism,” or a philosophy of creation as divinely ordered and a vision of stewardship that guides our participation in God’s creation.

Over the past half-century, Thompson discovered in his research, Catholic universities have moved away from teaching philosophy grounded in nature as a starting point for understanding what it means to be human.

“Over time, what was originally a dis-

cussion of the human person distinct from [the plant and animal kingdoms of] lower creation but in relation to lower creation became a discussion of the human person just as a distinct entity,” Thompson said.

“There’s no longer a philosophical discussion of what it means to be a human being in relationship to other creatures.”

Agriculture, he added, is the one area of work where people’s relationship to lower creation and their awareness of its rhythms are most essential.

This lack of reflection on nature and rural life in Catholic universities has led in part to the modern disconnect between people and the land, he said.

To illustrate his point, Thompson referred to a group of university students he led on a rural retreat to southwest Minnesota.

Afterward he asked the students to reflect on the experience. One graduating senior told him that before the retreat she hadn’t realized that farm animals were raised in Minnesota. “[Many people] have no idea where their food comes from,” Thompson said.

“I think that tends to sever our relationship to place; it severs our relationship to the land. If you can eat anything on demand at any time, anywhere, it seems to me you only naturally start to pay less attention to what’s happening to the soil in this region.”

“With the incredibly convenient life that we now have, the incredible abundance of food,” he added, “. . . came a certain loss of an awareness and attentiveness to the land and an awareness and attentiveness to the people that produce our food.”

To get people thinking again about agriculture as a moral endeavor, Thompson said he would like to see the creation of a pontifical institute or centers of Catholic learning committed to the study of agriculture and environmental issues, as well as agriculture-related courses at Catholic universities.

“I think many people would say: ‘. . . How can there possibly be Catholic principles in agriculture? Are you telling me that there’s something like Catholic farming? . . .’ And I’m going to say, “Yes, I think there is.”

“The church’s leadership must now step forward and give new vitality to its promise to protect and its pledge to heal.”

Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Wash., chairman of the USCCB Committee on Child and Youth Protection

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JUNE 9, 2011

News from around the U.S. and the globe

The Catholic Spirit

Pope urges nations to protect family, life Catholic News Service Pope Benedict XVI used his apostolic journey to the Croatian capital to encourage nations to build their communities on Christian values and to support the traditional family and the sanctity of life.

A culture guided by truth, reason and love not only will lead to peace, justice and solidarity, the community’s very survival is dependent on such transcendent values, he said during his brief two-day pilgrimage June 45.

Seeking the common good If religion, ethics and a moral conscience are banished from informing the public realm, “then the crisis of the West has no remedy and Europe is destined to collapse in on itself” and risk falling prey to every form of tyranny, he said in an audience with Croatia’s political, religious, cultural, business and academic representatives.

Free and just democracies thrive when citizens’ consciences have been formed by love and Christianity’s “logic of gift” in which the good of the whole human family is sought after, not narrow self-interests, the pope said June 4 in Zagreb’s ornate Croatian National Theater.

“The quality of social and civil life and the quality of democracy depend in large measure” on all citizens possessing and exercising a conscience that listens, not to subjective feelings, but to an objective truth that recognizes one’s duty to God and all human beings, he said.

Such moral consciences are formed in Christian families, parishes and Catholic schools, the pope said.

“This logic of gratuitousness, learned in infancy and adolescence, is then lived out in every area of life, in games, in sport, in interpersonal relations, in art, in voluntary service to the poor and suffering,” as well as in policy making and the economy, he said.

Holding to Christian identity The 84-year-old pope headed to the Croatian capital in an effort to encourage this predominantly Catholic country to resist secular temptations and hold strong to

CNS photo Nikola Solic, Reuters

People cheer as Pope Benedict XVI arrives in his popemobile at Ban Jelacic square in Zagreb, Croatia, June 4. The pope was on a two-day apostolic journey to the Croatian capital.

its Christian identity as it prepares for full integration into the European Union. It was Pope Benedict’s 19th trip outside Italy and 13th to a European nation.

Even though nearly 90 percent of the country’s population declare themselves Catholic, the bishops say the country is experiencing fierce pressure to allow adoptions by same-sex couples, ease restrictions on artificial reproduction and legalize euthanasia. Divorce and abortion are legal and same-sex civil partnerships are recognized in Croatia.

Before hundreds of thousands of families and young people gathered for Mass in Zagrab’s grassy hippodrome June 5, Bishop Valter Zupan of Krk, Croatia, decried current threats against the family saying alternative lifestyles “have no basis in European culture” and every child has the right to have both a mother and a father.

The bishop, president of the Croatian bishops’ commission for the family, urged the government to defend life by reconsidering its abortion laws and to stop calling something “that leads to death, progress.”

Charter review among topics facing U.S. bishops Catholic News Service Although the U.S. bishops’ spring general assembly will focus primarily on a review of the 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” and consideration of a new document on physicianRead more assisted suicide, the June 15-17 meeting about the in Seattle also will bishops’ include a variety of proposed presentations looking forward and back. statement

on assisted suicide, page 11B

The bishops are expected to look to the 2012 elections as they discuss their perennial “Faithful Citizenship” document on political responsibility, and Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington will report to them on progress toward incorporation of Anglican groups into the Catholic Church in the United States

under Pope Benedict XVI’s November 2009 apostolic constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus.”

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin will speak to the U.S. bishops about the International Eucharistic Congress to be held in his city in June 2012. Maryknoll Father Edward Dougherty, superior general of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, will talk to them about the 100th anniversary of the organization founded by the bishops to recruit, train, send and support American missioners overseas.

Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on National Collections, will report to his fellow bishops on a recent evaluation of national collections, and there will be an update on USCCB efforts in defense of traditional marriage, including a new Spanish-language video.

Charter issues Most of the changes to the charter under consideration in Seattle involve

bringing it into line with recent Vatican instructions in response to the crisis of sexual abuse of minors by priests. These include mentioning child pornography as a crime against church law and defining the abuse of someone who “habitually lacks reason,” such as a person with mental retardation, as the equivalent of child abuse.

The proposed revisions also reflect the recent release of the long-awaited report on “The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010,” which had been mandated by the charter.

The report, prepared by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and released in Washington May 18, concluded that there is “no single identifiable ‘cause’ of sexually abusive behavior toward minors” and encouraged steps to deny abusers “the opportunity to abuse.”

Discussion of this second set of revisions to the charter — the first was in 2005 — is likely to lead the bishops to a wide-ranging discussion of the report and

other aspects of the clergy sex abuse crisis. Although at least some of the discussion will take place during the meeting’s approximately seven hours of public sessions, some is likely to occur during up to 10 hours of executive sessions and regional meetings.

Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Wash., chairman of the USCCB Committee on Child and Youth Protection, wrote in the May 30 issue of America magazine that the release of the John Jay report “is a jumping-off point from which the Catholic Church and especially its leadership must continue to take steps to show that it will be steadfast in addressing the sexual abuse of minors.”

“This is not a time for the bishops to sit back and applaud themselves for getting a handle on a shameful moment in church history,” he added. “If anything, the church’s leadership must now step forward and give new vitality to its promise to protect and its pledge to heal.”

“The church needs to respond in a timely and visible way to this renewed challenge.”

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, commenting on the resurgence of the assisted suicide movement

This Catholic Life JUNE 9, 2011

Opinion, feedback and points to ponder

The Catholic Spirit

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Time right for bishops’ document on assisted suicide poses a commitment to their equal worth.

The practice also undermines patients’ freedom by putting pressure on them, once society has officially declared the suicides of certain people to be good and acceptable while working to prevent the suicides of others, the statement says.

It argues that assisted suicide would not supplement palliative care but would instead be a poor substitute that can ultimately become an excuse for denying better medical care to seriously ill people, including those who never considered suicide an option.

The draft statement speaks of the hardships and fears of patients facing terminal illness and the importance of life-affirming palliative care. It cites the church’s concern for those who are tempted to commit suicide, its opposition to physician-assisted suicide, and the consistency of this stance with the principle of equal and inherent human rights and the ethical principles of the medical profession.

If passed, “To Live Each Day With Dignity” would be paired on a USCCB website with a variety of fact sheets on such issues as the role of depression, views of medical experts, assisted suicide as a threat to good palliative care, lessons from Oregon and Washington state, lessons from the Netherlands and other topics.

It is by happenstance that the document will be debated and voted on in one of the two states where physicianassisted suicide has been approved by voters. The USCCB spring general meetings are held in various U.S. cities, and the locations are set years in advance.

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

When the U.S. bishops consider a proposed policy statement on physicianassisted suicide during their mid-June meeting in Seattle, they will be taking on for the first time as a body of bishops one of the most divisive issues in U.S. society today.

A Gallup Poll released May 31 showed that Americans are more closely divided on the issue of physician-assisted suicide than on any other issue, including abortion, out-of-wedlock births, gay and lesbian relations or medical testing on animals.

Asked whether doctor-assisted suicide was morally acceptable or morally wrong, 45 percent said they thought it was acceptable and 48 percent said they believed it to be wrong — a result that fell within the survey’s margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of GalvestonHouston, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said the time is right for the statement, titled “To Live Each Day With Dignity.”

“After years of relative inaction following legalization of physician-assisted suicide in Oregon in 1994, the assisted suicide movement has shown a strong resurgence in activity,” said the cardinal in a news release about the proposed statement.

“This renewed effort has led to the passage of an Oregon-style law in Washington by popular referendum in November 2008, a state supreme court decision essentially declaring that assisted suicide is not against public policy in Montana, and concerted efforts to pass legislation in several New England and Western states,” Cardinal DiNardo added.

“The church needs to respond in a timely and visible way to this renewed challenge, which will surely be pursued in a number of states in the years to come,” he said.

The document says physician-assisted suicide does not promote compassion because its focus is not on eliminating suffering but on eliminating the patient.

Statistics reported

Not compassionate option Although the U.S. bishops’ Administrative Committee issued a brief “Statement on Euthanasia” in 1991, the bishops have never commented on the topic as a group. The 1991 statement said euthanasia violates divine law, human dignity and basic “American convictions about human rights and equality.”

In the works since November, the proposed policy statement aims to counter two arguments of assisted suicide proponents — that their agenda affirms patients’ “choices” and expresses “compassion” for suffering. The assisted suicide movement once known as the Hemlock Society has rebranded itself as an organization called Compassion & Choices.

The document says physician-assisted suicide does not promote compassion because its focus is not on eliminating

suffering but on eliminating the patient.

True compassion, it states, dedicates itself to meeting patients’ needs and presup-

A recent report on physician-assisted suicide in Washington state during 2010 — the first full year that it had been a legal option — showed that 68 different doctors wrote prescriptions for lethal drugs for 87 patients.

The state Department of Health said at least 51 of those patients took the drugs and died and 15 died without taking the drugs.

Another six of the patients died, but the state did not know whether they had taken the drugs or not; the Department of Health said it did not know if the remaining 15 patients were alive or dead.

In its report covering 10 months of 2009, the state health department said it had lost track of 20 patients who had requested and received prescriptions for lethal drugs. At least 36 people died from physician-assisted suicide in Washington state in 2009.

Since physician-assisted suicide began to take place legally in Oregon in 1998, 525 deaths from assisted suicide have been reported there.

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Opinion-Letters

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • JUNE 9, 2011

/ This Catholic Life

No real identity crisis in time of transition he French must have an expression for the awkward feeling of being known primarily by some association. Not by name or accomplishment, but through some relative: “Hey, you’re so-and-so’s brother, aren’t you?” Or known simply through some institution.

Believe me, I know the humbling feeling of being known largely by the parish I am assigned to. Just to make things easier for folks, I should refer to myself as “Guardian Angels’ pastor.”

Wherever I go around Carver County or the archdiocese, I know that following my introduction I’ll hear something like, “Oh, you’re from Guardian Angels Church. I’ve heard about that church. Lots of exciting things happening there!

Doubled in size, I hear. You must feel privileged being assigned there, Father Pat.” (My name’s Father Paul.) “Yes, I do.”

They typically smile. And then mention the annual basketball tournament at GA, or the AngelFest block party they danced at, or the beef and sausage dinner they came from miles away for, or the SayHey5K race they’re running in around Mayberry-like downtown Chaska on June 25 (register at WWW.GACHASKA.ORG).

Those familiar with parochial schools will remember Guardian Angels School having two educators nationally recognized in the past seven years. And if they don’t know about them, they certainly know about GA School’s groundbreaking intercultural class linked with a school in Chile, thanks to Skype.

Nearly all mention the incredibly beautiful interior of the 1885 church — once referred to as the “Cathedral of the Valley” by German settlers.

Southwest metro residents usually enthuse over a tour they went on in the Old Friary, one of the state’s old-

years yet.”

T

Guest Column Father Paul Jarvis

Priest reflects on who a parish really is about: God and parishioners

Keeping focus

Photo by Rita Vannett

Father Paul Jarvis poses with parishioners following his installation Mass at Guardian Angels in Chaska in January 2008.

est landmarks and a vestige of the century-plus Franciscan ministry in the Minnesota River Valley.

As they reveal what they know, I nod my head. And smile. It’s a wellpracticed habit.

Valuable lesson I’ll be frank. This being known by association reminds me of how I went through high school as “Mark’s younger brother” or “Anne’s older brother.”

To be honest, it’s been good for me as a continuing lesson in humility — a lesson started several years back with my mentor, friend and former rectorymate, Father Bob Cassidy, former pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Edina, and now of happy

memory.

In my first year of priesthood, during a time when I think I was particularly full of myself for some minor parish project I’d overseen, Father Cassidy sat me down and set me straight.

“Let me give you some advice that’ll keep you sane, Paul,” he matter-of-factly intoned. “No matter where you’re assigned, or how well regarded you might become someday, you will be largely forgotten by parishioners within five years of reassignment or retirement. No doubt about it.”

I countered that he was still very much well-known and respected from his last assignment, to which he deadpanned: “It hasn’t been five

Being assigned to a super-engaged parish like Guardian Angels in Chaska is especially humbling as I ponder my re-assignment on July 1 to St. Joseph in Rosemount. Over the next few weeks, Guardian Angels parishioners are no doubt going to say pleasant and polite things about my pastoral experience at GA. There will be very nice cards given to me and a tribute or two.

But, truth be told, each and every one of them will know, not so deep down, that their parish’s incredible growth, welcoming hospitality, ministry success and collaborative spirit are really parishioners’ accomplishments, not any pastor’s.

As the years go by, and the parish grows from 1,000 to 1,500 households, veteran GA parishioners will remember me as: “You know, that guy who came before Father Doug Ebert. That bald guy — um, Father Bill.”

And in archdiocesan gatherings, I’ll hear: “You’re that priest who used to be at Guardian Angels. What are they up to now?”

Which is the way it really should be. Not just because it is true. Not just because it keeps a priest humble (someone who doesn’t have a wife or kids to straighten him out). Not just because it prevents the blurring of the line between a pastor’s and a parish’s identity (a surefire recipe for emotional confusion).

As Father Cassidy understood, it simply keeps the focus on who a parish is, and always has been, about: God. And parishioners.

There’s no telling how far God and parishioners will go when there’s no parish or pastor identity crisis.

Father Paul Jarvis is the soon-tobe former pastor of Guardian Angels in Chaska.

State budget should reflect community’s values and morals The politicians in Minnesota have not found common ground in the budget debate.

While they continue to work to resolve the budget differences, we offer a couple of thoughts to consider.

First, the moral measure of this budget debate is not which party wins or which powerful interests prevail, but rather how those who are jobless, hungry, homeless or poor are treated. Their voices are too often missing in these debates, but they have the most compelling moral claim on our consciences and our common resources.

Letter

Second, our Catholic social teaching does not believe that taxation is the state confiscating what is ours for its purposes. Nor does it teach that taxation is based on the Robin Hood syndrome — rob the rich and give to the poor. Rather, taxation, we believe, is the means by which a democratic society

gathers it resources to promote the common good. This is a shared sacrifice amongst all. And our society will be judged by future generations by the way we take care of those in the dawn of life, those in the dusk of life, and those in the shadows of life.

Third, in evaluating our direction as a society, we must remember that a good society is ordered to meet basic needs, both individual and communal. It ensures that needs for food, shelter, health care and physical safety are met.

It ensures opportunities to learn, to engage in meaningful work and play, and to participate fully in social, cultural, economic and political domains. In short, we must order our communal resources to ensure that these basic human needs are being met.

Health care for all For the Catholic Health Association of Minnesota, we apply this specifically to health care issues. As a statewide

organization of providers of older adult services as well as acute care and clinical services, we examine the health and human services budget very closely.

Through our teachings and traditions we make it clear that health care for all is a community responsibility. This responsibility has two key aspects.

First, our community cannot be deemed whole or just if it does not shoulder its responsibility to provide health care.

Second, our community is obligated to make sure health care is available to all, even those who cannot pay. Because of this community obligation, we are compelled to promote policies that ensure that every person has access to health care.

The application of these principles to the current proposals raises a couple of questions: ■ If, as the budget sheets say, we are restricting access to services provided to

the elderly in the elderly waiver program by cutting rates, and placing caps on enrollment, are we fulfilling our community responsibilities to our elderly?

■ If, as the budget sheets say, we will be removing health care coverage from more than 100,000 people, restricting access to health care to those who would be in the Minnesota Care and Medicaid early enrollment, are we moving to ensure that every person has access to health care?

In short, as a state, does the budget live up to our moral principles, which have always guided our everyday experience in caring for the hungry and homeless, offering health care and housing, educating children, and reaching out to those in need?

TOBY PEARSON Pearson is executive director of the Catholic Health Association-Minnesota.

This Catholic Life / Commentary

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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School of virtue teaches kids to be good parents couple of years ago, the Journal of Experimental Psychology published a study of Canadian air traffic controllers that compared the performance of older and younger workers. Predictably, it found that the older ones had slower reaction times, poorer memories and diminished perceptual and motor skills.

But when presented with complicated air traffic problems — situations with a lot of planes coming from all directions and a host of imminent conflicts — the older workers performed just as well as the younger ones.

The older controllers lacked fluidity and analytical quickness, but they had something else that their younger peers had not yet acquired: experience.

Like chess grandmasters, who are intimately familiar with thousands of opening variations and can anticipate the flow of a game in hundreds of directions, older air traffic controllers can assess complicated situations immediately because they have dealt with similar situations many times.

A Faith and Intellect John Garvey

Parents teach children by example

Setting an example Our culture has a tendency to idealize youth and downplay the importance of age and experience.

As a result, young people may not realize, until they are much older, the value that their parents added to their own character and understanding.

There is a trope in pop psychology about how young adults notice their parents’ failings. It may take them a little longer to see how their own practices of virtue are learned from the example their parents set through repeated practice and persistent struggle.

My wife and I have learned, in the course of raising our children over

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“Ninety percent of what we do is behavior we assimilate, consciously or unconsciously, from our own parents and other caretakers. And the most successful parents are the ones whose own parents set a good example for them.

”

JOHN GARVEY

the past few decades, how many of our actions are learned, almost instinctive behavior.

I remember one morning some years ago, when one of our five young children began to cry for what seemed like a frivolous reason.

I had changed three diapers and cleaned up after a new puppy, all before breakfast.

I said, “Keep that up and I’ll give you something to cry about.” The sentence just sprang to my lips. I

hadn’t heard it in 30 years. But my father would sometimes say it when provoked by one of his eight children.

Parents are a lot like air traffic controllers or chess grandmasters, except they play a much more complicated game. My mother used to speak disdainfully about “theories” of childrearing. What she meant was that raising a family is such a complicated enterprise that even the most intelligent person cannot

devise it from scratch.

Ninety percent of what we do is behavior we assimilate, consciously or unconsciously, from our own parents and other caretakers. And the most successful parents are the ones whose own parents set a good example for them. They begin the job with most of the knowledge they need.

When our kids were teenagers, it often fell to me to lay down the law for curfew violations (or more serious offenses). When I was tempted to react too much like Inspector Javert, my wife would remind me that I was really doing two things: ■ I was teaching the misbehaving child not to stay out after curfew.

■ I was also teaching him or her how to deal with children who stay out after curfew.

The second might, in the long run, be the more important lesson.

Learning from the right people The moral virtues are both taught and learned. We do not conceive them in our minds and work them out on our own. We learn them from the right people. In our own turn, we teach them by our example — especially those of us who have or will have children of our own.

As the catechism says, the Christian “learns the example of holiness [from the church]; . . . he discerns it in the authentic witness of those who live it.”

Of course, even our mutual help and example is not enough for a life of virtue. We need the word of God and the grace of the sacraments to sustain us. It is a need whose very acknowledgement depends upon our humility and openness, and upon the virtue of faith that only God himself can supply.

John Garvey is president of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Storm response brings opportunities for solidarity orth Minneapolis is a resilient community despite the many times it finds itself in the middle of a storm’s eye. A number of different storms have plagued the area over the years, some of them simultaneously. It has seen more than its fair share of poverty, gang violence, joblessness and racial exclusion.

No doubt, this most recent violent storm caused some to throw up their hands in desperation and ask God how one more trial could be sent to this community. But there is also a steady faith at work in north Minneapolis — a faith that brings people together in a spirit of solidarity.

There are a lot of wonderful people in north Minneapolis, bringing faith communities, business organizations and community groups together in a renewed effort to make the community more vital.

N Faith and Justice Kathy Tomlin

Going beyond clean-up efforts to improving people’s lives

Seizing the opportunity When our television and social media inform us with breakneck speed, the response from people

near and far can be practically instantaneous. The outpouring of helping hands and hearts from people outside of this community is adding great value and material to the clean-up effort.

But we also know that once the immediate basic needs are attended to, the community will be working for a long time to rebuild its homes and provide for its families.

This could be the end of our engagement in the area: tornado in, people respond, we move on to the next crisis. It could also be an opportunity for more of us to understand the many other storms that require solutions that would allow the residents of North Minneapolis to tap the untapped assets of the community, making it more whole and vital.

Job training, economic development, community services and public policies that move toward eradicating poverty would go a long way toward reversing the downward spiral that some of our urban centers

are in.

The resulting home damage from this storm is requiring yet another urgency for the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, which have been working together tirelessly to put an end to homelessness. Unfortunately, and contrary to these efforts, the Minnesota Legislature seems to be joining Mother Nature in creating more obstacles rather than easing the burdens.

The budget proposals, vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton, would have made things much worse in many communities, including north Minneapolis. Cuts to health care, the renter’s credit, transit, child care, income supports, education and training would have weakened many communities, increasing the number of people at risk.

Some suggest that we can’t afford to fund these programs at the level of need any longer. And yet, just three years ago, there was bi-partisan agreement that if Minnesota put its mind to it, we could end poverty

in this state by 2020. (See the final report of the Legislative Commission to End Poverty at WWW. COMMISSIONS.LEG.STATE.MN.US/LCEP/.)

Examining deeper questions The naysayers in our churches and community who believe that this effort to end poverty is a ridiculously impossible notion often quote Scripture, saying, “The poor you will always have with you.”

Surely, Jesus wasn’t making a recommendation that absolves the rest of us from our responsibility to have a special concern for the vulnerable and those lacking the basics.

It is my hope that the events in north Minneapolis give the larger community pause to examine the deeper questions about how our communities are or are not working.

Kathy Tomlin is director of the Office for Social Justice of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“Those who are led by the Holy Spirit have true ideas; that is why so many ignorant people are wiser than the learned.”

St. John Vianney

The Lesson Plan 14B The Catholic Spirit Reflections on faith and spirituality J 9, 2011 Father Hennepin: Priest, Pentecost renews memory of life in Spirit UNE

he world is charged with the grandeur of God,” wrote Catholic priest and poet Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889). “Because the Holy Ghost over the bent world broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.”

As we contemplate the feast of Pentecost, those beautiful lines help remind us of the Spirit’s central role in the wondrous creation of the world — and in the even more wondrous re-creation of man in Christ.

At the dawn of creation, the Scriptures say: “the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2), bringing order and harmony where once there was chaos and darkness. This same Spirit breathed into the first man, Adam (Genesis 2:7), making him, along with Eve, a privileged bearer of the divine image and likeness, and the Deacon crown of creation.

Evan Koop We don’t need to read much further in the Old Testament to know what happened next: With the fall, the divine image in man and woman was marred by sin, and the order of the created world was disrupted.

On Pentecost, we celebrate the incredible truth that God brought an end to the reign of sin and restored the divine likeness in man through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He also went one step further in pouring out his Spirit upon the church. Where once Adam and Eve were created in the image and likeness of God, all who receive the Holy Spirit are given even greater dignity as God’s adopted sons and daughters.

“T

Sunday Scriptures

Readings

For reflection

Sunday, June 12 Pentecost ■ Acts 2:1-11 ■ 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 ■ John 20:19-23

What gifts of the Spirit are you sharing with others?

By breathing on the apostles in the upper room the evening of that first Easter Sunday, the Risen Christ was investing them with a dignity that surpassed that given to Adam in the breath of God at the dawn of creation.

Though only God can forgive sins (Luke 5:21), the Lord chose to share with his first priests this power by giving them a share in his own Spirit. Because as Christians we were all “given to drink of [that] one Spirit” in baptism, St. Paul reminds us that each of us is also given “different kinds of spiritual gifts” to be used for the benefit of all (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 13).

This Pentecost, it is good for us to pause and rejoice in the unparalleled gift of the Holy Spirit we have received as Christians — for he is indeed the “dator munerum,” giver of all gifts. Let us open our hearts to him in prayer, allowing him to remind us what particular spiritual gifts he has endowed us with, and asking him how we might use them to build up our brothers and sisters.

Deacon Evan Koop is in formation for the priesthood at The St. Paul Seminary for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His home parish is St. Rita in Cottage Grove and his teaching parish is St. Michael in St. Michael.

Daily Scriptures Sunday, June 12 Pentecost Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 Sometimes, we forget that the Spirit is given to all the members, including the young and those closest to us.

Monday, June 13 Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the church 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Matthew 5:38-42 How has prayer helped you end retaliation?

Tuesday, June 14 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 Matthew 5:43-48 Our pride is fed every time we demonize and slander those with whom we disagree.

Wednesday, June 15 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Do something kind today without being recognized.

Thursday, June 16 2 Corinthians 11:1-11 Matthew 6:7-15 It is the intention in our hearts that is important.

Friday, June 17 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 Matthew 6:19-23 One challenge of living in faith is to see ourselves clearly.

Saturday, June 18 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Matthew 6:24-34 What could you do with the time you spend worrying?

Sunday, June 19 Most Holy Trinity

Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 John 3:16-18 Part of spiritual maturity is appreciation of the world.

Monday, June 20 Genesis 12:1-9 Matthew 7:1-5 Before you criticize, pray for personal awareness.

Tuesday, June 21 Aloysius Gonzaga, religious Genesis 13:2, 5-18 Matthew 7:6, 12-14 Are you carrying an armful of resentments?

Wednesday, June 22 Paulinus of Nola or John Fisher and Thomas More Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Matthew 7:15-20 Silence helps us see if our actions are bearing good fruit.

Thursday, June 23 Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 Matthew 7:21-29 How have you been God’s presence amid conflict?

Friday, June 24 Nativity of John the Baptist Isaiah 49:1-6 Acts 13:22-26 Luke 1:57-66, 80 Awe grows when we see the deeper meaning in events.

Saturday, June 25 Genesis 18:1-15 Matthew 8:5-17 People of faith don’t always fit into our neat categories.

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.

missionary and explorer

By Father Michael Van Sloun For The Catholic Spirit

Hennepin is a name of great importance in Minnesota. Hennepin County is the most populous county. Hennepin Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Minneapolis.

Father Hennepin State Park is on the south shore of Lake Mille Lacs near Isle. And, the City of Champlin celebrates Father Hennepin Days the second weekend of June every year.

But Hennepin is more than a name in Minnesota’s rich heritage; it is also the name of a Catholic priest who was both a missionary and an explorer.

Father Louis Hennepin was a Franciscan priest. He was born on May 12, 1626, in Ath, Belgium, a short distance from Brussels, and died in Rome in 1701. His baptismal name was Anthony, and he took Louis as his name for religious life.

Young Hennepin was drawn to a rigorous ascetical life of virtue and simplicity. He entered the novitiate of the Recollect, a strict Franciscan community in Bethune, France, that emphasized the vow of poverty and practiced a spirituality of austerity. Sometime later he made his profession of religious vows and was ordained a priest.

Traveler’s disposition Father Hennepin was inspired by the missionaries of his community and had a natural inclination to travel.

His first journeys were to Franciscan monasteries and churches, first in Italy, then in Germany.

Upon his return, his superior opposed his desire to venture forth and insisted that he serve locally as preacher for a year. Upon completion, Father Hennepin was allowed to move to Artois, France, and then Calais, where he listened intently to the accounts of sailors and foreign missionaries who had braved the perils of the high seas.

Father Hennepin’s vocation as a missionary began when he was sent to Holland in 1673. He traveled from town to town during a war between the French and the Spanish and administered the sacraments to thousands of wounded soldiers. He himself became deathly ill, and almost succumbed to spotted fever and dysentery. Upon his recovery, his dream to be a missionary to the New World was realized.

King Louis XIV of France asked the Franciscan Recollect to send missionaries to New France. At the age of 39, Father Hennepin was chosen to be a member of an expedition led by Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

The priest set sail on July 14, 1675, for a voyage across the Atlantic, during which he survived the attacks of pirates, and arrived in Quebec in September.

Father Hennepin spent the next four years as a monk in the monastery of St. Augustine and a chaplain at a local hospital. He also prepared himself for the next phase of his westward missionary journey with prayer; local outings by canoe, snowshoe and dog sled; and an intense study of Native American language, art and customs.

At the direction of his Franciscan superiors, Father Hennepin joined a westward expedition led by La Salle.

They set sail from Fort Frontenac on the northeast corner of Lake Ontario on Aug. 7, 1679, in their ship, Le Griffon.

Their voyage went across Lake Erie, up the Detroit River, through Lake St. Clair, up Lake Huron, past St. Ignace, across Lake Michigan to Green Bay. The expedition went inland from the St. Joseph River to the Kankakee to the Illinois to the Mississippi. La Salle decided to PLEASE TURN TO FATHER ON PAGE 15B

The Lesson Plan

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Meet the new kids on the block The following, originally posted on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is the next in a series of articles regarding the new Roman Missal, which will be used in the United States beginning Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent. hen parishes start using the third edition of the Roman Missal, the texts of the prayers won’t be the only changes Catholics in the pews see.

The new missal will include 17 additions to the Proper of Saints, the part of the missal that includes prayers for the observances of saints’ days.

The Proper of Saints follows a calendar established by the Vatican and modified by the bishops of each country to include saints of local importance. Any changes to a national or Mary Sperry diocesan calendar require the consent of the Vatican.

The saints new to the third edition of the Roman Missal include people — like St. Augustine Zhao Rong — who were canonized after the second edition of the Roman Missal was published in 1985.

Some of these saints, including St. Lawrence Ruiz and St. Andrew DungLac, have been on the U.S. calendar for years. However, the new missal will be the first time their prayer texts have been available in the printed book.

Other added saints appeared on the liturgical calendar until 1969, when the calendar was simplified and many saints’ observances were removed. Also restored to the calendar are observances for the Most Holy Name of Jesus and the Most Holy Name of Mary.

Still other saints and observances added to the missal highlight important teachings of the church, such as the teaching on Mary (Our Lady of Fatima) and on the Eucharist as the sacrament of Christ’s love (as promoted by St. Peter Julian Eymard).

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Lift Up Your Hearts

Models for all By canonizing these holy men and women, the church presents them as models of Christian living.

The added saints come from all eras and areas of the church’s life — from the fourth century (St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Apollinaris) to the 20th century (St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Christopher Magallenes and St. Pio of Pietrelcina), and from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. They include priests, religious women, martyrs, a married woman and missionaries.

Whether or not Catholics hear about these saints at their local parishes will depend on the priest. With the exception of the memorials of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (better known as Edith Stein) and St. Pio of Pietrelcina (better known as Padre Pio), all of the new observances are optional memorials. That means the decision about whether or not to celebrate them at a particular Mass rests with the celebrating priest.

While a priest may not add the obser-

15B

The series Upcoming articles

New saints, observances in third edition of missal ■ Jan. 3 — Most Holy Name of Jesus. This is part of the church’s celebration of Christmas, recognizing that God bestowed on [Jesus] the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9).

■ Feb. 8 — St. Josephine Bakhita, virgin. Born in Darfur, Sudan, Josephine survived kidnapping and slavery to become a nun who embraced and lived hope as a redeemed child of God. ■ April 23 — St. Adalbert, bishop and martyr.

Martyred near the ST. JOSEPHINE end of the first millennium, Adalbert was a missionary in the countries of central Europe, striving to bring unity to God’s people.

■ April 28 — St. Louis Mary de Montfort, priest. This French priest is best known for his devotion to Mary, encouraging the faithful to approach Jesus through Jesus’ mother.

■ May 13 — Our Lady of Fatima. The Virgin Mary appeared to three children in the Portuguese town of Fatima in 1917. During these apparitions, she encouraged penance and praying the rosary.

■ May 21 — St. Christopher Magallanes, priest and martyr, and companions, martyrs. Martyred in 1927, this Mexican priest was noted for his care of the native peoples of Mexico and for his work to support vocations to the priesthood.

■ May 22 — St. Rita of Cascia, religious. A wife, mother, widow and nun, St. Rita was known for her patience and humility in spite of many hardships. Conforming herself to the crucified Christ, she bore a wound on her forehead similar to one inflicted by a crown of thorns.

■ July 9 — St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and martyr, and companions, martyrs. Canonized with 119 other Chinese martyrs, Augustine began his career as a soldier. Inspired by the martyrs, he was baptized and eventually became a priest and martyr himself.

vance of a saint or blessed not on the approved calendar, he is free to decide which, if any, optional memorials he will celebrate. In choosing among the possible observances, priests might highlight saints who offer a particular example to their people.

These new additions are not the final word about saints on the calendar. The church will continue to canonize new saints as models for the faithful. Some of these saints will be celebrated in those parts of the world where they served.

Others will be placed on the general calendar, celebrated by the universal church to unite the liturgy of heaven with that of earth.

Mary Elizabeth Sperry holds a master’s degree in liturgical studies from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and is a frequent speaker on Scripture and the liturgy.

■ July 20 — St. Apollinaris, bishop and martyr. Martyred in the second century, Apollinaris was the bishop of Ravenna in Italy. He was known as a great preacher and miracle worker.

■ July 24 — St. Sharbel Makhluf, priest. A Maronite priest in Lebanon, St. Sharbel spent much of his life as a hermit in the desert, living a life of extreme penance.

■ Aug. 2 — St. Peter Julian Eymard, priest. Founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Peter promoted first Communions and devotion to the Eucharist as the sacrament of Christ’s love.

■ Aug. 9 — St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr. Born of Jewish parents as Edith Stein, she received academic renown as a philosopher. After her conversion to Catholicism, she became a Carmelite nun. She died in Auschwitz in 1942.

■ Sept. 12 — Most Holy Name of Mary. After beginning in Spain in 1513, this celebration became a universal feast in the 17th century. A companion to the Memorial of The Most Holy Name of Jesus, it follows the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.

■ Sept. 23 — St. Pio of Pietrelcina, priest. Padre Pio was known throughout Italy and the world for his patient hearing of confessions and for his spiritual guidance. In poor health for much of his life, he conformed his sufferings to those of Christ.

■ Sept. 28 — St. Lawrence Ruiz and companions, martyrs. St. Lawrence and his companions spread the Gospel in the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.

■ Nov. 24 — St. Andrew Dung-Lac, priest and martyr, and companions, martyrs. St. Andrew and his 107 companions, both priests and laity, were martyred in Vietnam in the 17th through 19th centuries. Through their preaching, lives of faith, and witness unto death, they strengthened the church in Vietnam.

■ Nov. 25 — St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and martyr.

Martyred in the early part of the fourth century, Catherine was known for her intelligence, her deep faith and the power of her intercession.

— Mary Elizabeth Sperry

■ June 23: “The Lord be with you — and with your spirit.” Perhaps no other change has received more attention than this brief exchange. Why is it changing and what does the change mean?

■ July 7: “The Act of Penitence.”

Why is it important to acknowledge our sin as Mass begins? What is changing about the wording of this rite?

■ July 21: “The Gloria.” It’s appropriate that our first liturgical exposure to this retranslated text will not be Nov. 27, but rather at the Vigil Mass of Christmas, when we will gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Why? Because the new words sound an awful lot like the hymn of the angels at Bethlehem.

■ Aug. 4: “The Creed, part 1.” Why does the Creed matter, and why is it changing from “We believe” to “I believe”?

■ Aug. 18: “The Creed, part 2.”

■ Sept. 1: “The Preface Dialogue.” It is right and just.

■ Sept. 15: “The Roman Canon, part 1.” As a way of examining the Mass itself, we’ll explore the first Eucharistic Prayer, often called the Roman Canon. Many rich symbols and references are found within this ancient prayer, and by paying attention to the scriptural and traditional imagery, we can learn much about just what it is we are doing through, with and in Christ at the Mass.

■ Sept. 29: “The Roman Canon, part 2.”

■ Oct. 13: “The Roman Canon, part 3.”

■ Oct. 27: “The Roman Canon, part 4.”

■ Nov. 10: “Q&A.” As the implementation of the new missal becomes imminent, we will try to answer any remaining questions about the new texts and their use.

■ Nov. 23: “Q&A, part 2.”

Past articles Read them online at THECATHOLIC SPIRIT.COM. ■ Why a new missal?

■ New translation is a plus for Catholics.

Father Hennepin traveled up Mississippi River CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14B return to Quebec, but before he left he urged Hennepin to go up the Mississippi on a journey of discovery.

Father Hennepin and his two companions ascended the mighty river in 1680.

The precise details of his exploits vary.

Some historians believe the group was captured by local Indians and held as prisoners for up to two years somewhere near Minnetonka. Others believe they went north, crossed the Mississippi near present-day Champlin, and proceeded to the south side of Lake Mille Lacs, where they were captured by Sioux Indians.

Hennepin and his companions were forced to accompany the Indians on their travels. On one excursion they came upon a waterfall nearly 60 feet high in what is present-day Minneapolis.

Hennepin named them “St. Anthony Falls” after his baptismal patron, St. Anthony of Padua, and blessed the falls.

On another outing later in 1680, their entourage happened upon the famous French explorer Daniel Graysolon Du Lhut, who persuaded the Sioux to release Father Hennepin and his companions to join him. They eventually headed back to Montreal and Quebec.

In 1681 Father Hennepin sailed back to Europe, and during his last 20 years he wrote at least three books in French with in-depth accounts of his travels. He moved to a monastery in Rome, where he prepared for another missionary journey to the New World, but he died in 1701 before he could make the trip.

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

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.�

Leonardo da Vinci

Arts & Culture 16B

The Catholic Spirit

Exploring our church and our world

JUNE 9, 2011

Arts group reaches out to Vatican to help preserve human history

By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit

Members of the Minnesota and North Dakota Chapter of Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums plan to fund a new laboratory for the restoration of existing plasters and for the creation of new plaster casts of the famous works of art in the Vatican, said Johan van Parys, chapter chair and liturgy director at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. “It is the gift that will keep on giving,� van Parys said. The project, which will run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, is the largest commitment to date by the local PAVM, which is beginning a yearlong celebration of its 10th anniversary, he added.

Preserving history Courtesy Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museum

At right, Johan van Parys of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis views a restoration project in the laboratory at the Vatican Museums, where artisans restore both marble and plaster statues. Cross-contamination of the dust particles prompted a request for a new lab, which will be funded by the local PAVM chapter chaired by van Parys.

ASK. EXPLORE.

The big questions.

The first restoration cost the local PAVM chapter $150 for a hammer used for the verification of the death of a pope. Last year, members provided $45,000 to restore the first set in a series of the Stations of the Cross painted by the early 20th century artist Gaetano Previati.

Annual membership fees — $500 per person or $1,000 per household — are used each year to support a specific project at the Vatican Museums. Additional donations may be made by members or friends who are interested in preserving history, van Parys said.

Originally, the group planned to kick off its anniversary this spring with a trip to Italy, van Parys said. But the beatification of Pope John Paul II increased the cost of rooms and limited what is usually “super� access to Vatican sites. So, the trip to Rome and the Amalfi coast was postponed to the week after Easter in 2012 to celebrate the end of the group’s 10th anniversary.

According to its website, WWW.VATICAN ARTPATRONS.ORG, PAVM’s mission is to support the protection, restoration and preservation of human history as contained in the art and artifact collections of

the Vatican museums.

The 60 to 65 members of the local chapter are part of a worldwide network.

However, most of the chapters are based in the United States, van Parys said.

Although the majority of members are Catholic, many members come from other faith traditions with the same eagerness to preserve history.

Each year, the Vatican Museums puts out a wish book of restoration projects, and groups bid on the project they want to support.

When the restoration is complete, the group receives a detailed account of how the money was spent on materials and labor. If any money is left over, it is returned to the group or can be held to help pay for the next project it sponsors.

More than art Although the group is interested in art, the members also enjoy fine dining, educational events and fun get-togethers, van Parys said. This month, one of the members is hosting a dinner in her garden. In the fall, another member is coordinating a “Catholic tour� at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, with the curator and van Parys offering a faith perspective on the works.

The group also planned outings together to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Vatican Museums exhibits at the Science Museum of Minnesota and Minnesota History Center. Some of the pieces the group paid to have restored were displayed and acknowledged as such during the Vatican Museums exhibit. “We are working on a new exhibit [from the Vatican Museums] to travel the United States,� van Parys said. “It will be a much bigger one than we had in St. Paul, but I don’t know if it will be here.�

For more information about the local PAVM chapter, contact Johan van Parys at (612) 232-1951 or CHAIR@VATICANART PATRONS.ORG.

Graduate Studies in Theology Master’s degree and certiďŹ cates for women and men who want to engage in a dynamic exploration of Christian thought. s !DD AN INSPIRATIONAL DIMENSION TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE s )NCLUSIVE REmECTIVE AND RIGOROUS s -ASTER S DEGREE IN 4HEOLOGY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SPIRITUALITY s #ERTIlCATES IN #ATECHETICS 0ASTORAL -INISTRY AND 3PIRITUAL $IRECTION 4O LEARN MORE CALL 651-690-6933 OR VISIT stkate.edu/theology.

www.TheCatholicSpirit.com

Calendar 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.

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JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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

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

KC shrimp and steak dinner at Knights Events Center, Shakopee — June 9: 5 to 8 p.m. at 1760 Fourth Ave. E. Cost is $10 for shrimp or steak and $13 for both. Children’s meal available for $2.

KC pancake breakfast at St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Paul — June 12: 8 a.m. to noon at 2119 Stillwater Ave. Cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 12.

KC benefit breakfast at Knights of Columbus Hall, Stillwater — June 19: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1910 S. Greeley St. Cost is $6 for adults and $3.50 for children 12 and under.

Parish events Rummage sale at St. George, Long Lake — June 9 and 10: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Friday ($3 bag day) at 133 N. Brown Road.

Rummage sale at St. Richard, Richfield: — June 10-11: 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday ( $4 bag day) at 7540 Penn Ave. S. For information, call (612) 869-2426.

Polka Mass and dinner at St. Stanislaus, St. Paul — June 11: Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a pork dinner at 398 Superior St. Cost is $9 for adults and $4 for children under 12.

Senior Wellness Education series, ‘Healthcare Directives: A “Must Have” For Everyone’ at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — June 14: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. A light lunch will be served prior to the presentation. To RSVP, call (651) 698-5581.

‘Money and Meaning’ with Nathan Dungan of ShareSaveSpend at St. Olaf, Minneapolis — June 14: 8 to 9:30 a.m. at 215 S. Eighth St. Dungan will will present ideas to help families develop healthy money habits. Presentation is especially on target for parents of children ages 10 to 21.

RSVP by calling (612) 643-4121. Continental breakfast will be served. For information about Dungan, visit WWW.SHARESAVESPEND.COM. Rummage sale at Annunciation, Minneapolis — June 16 to 18: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday ($3 early bird admission until noon), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday ($2 bag day) in the school building at 525 W. 54th St. Rummage sale at St. Boniface, St. Bonifacius — June 16 to 18: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday ($3 bag day) at 4025 Main St. Rummage sale at St. Michael, West St. Paul — June 17 and 18: 8 a.m. to 5

17 and 18: For girls completing 6, 7 or 8th grade and their mom or another significant female adult. Features a blend of activties designed to strengthen the mother-daughter connection and provide an inside look at the sisters’ lives at 170 Good Counsel Drive. For information WWW. SSNDMANKATO.ORG.

Don’t Miss Annual Eucharistic procession in northeast Minneapolis The six Catholic churches of northeast Minneapolis will hold their 7th annual Eucharistic procession June 12 at 3 p.m.

The procession begins at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave. N.E. and moves on to Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Anthony, St. Boniface, St. Maron and closes with Benediction at All Saints.

A social with refreshments will follow at St. Maron, 602 University Ave. N.E. p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 337 E. Hurley St. Refreshments available. For information, visit WWW.STMICHAELWESTSTPAUL.ORG. Annual chicken cook-out at St. Nicholas, New Market — June 19: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 51 Church St. Also features music, games, bingo and more. Tickets for the dinner are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.

Rummage sale at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — June 23 to 25: Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon (bag day) at 155 County Road 24. Proceeds go to pro-life groups.

Visit WWW.HNOJ.ORG. 50th ordination anniversary celebration for Father Bill Whittier at St. Michael, Farmington — June 26: 10:30 a.m. Mass followed by a reception until 3 p.m. at 22120 Denmark Ave. For information, visit WWW.FRBILL WHITTIER.COM. 150th anniversary celebration at St. Anne, LeSueur — June 25 and 26: Grand buffet and social at 6 p.m.

Saturday at the school, 511 N. Fourth St.10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday with Archbishop Nienstedt in the church, 217 N. Third St. followed by a luncheon in the school.

Parish festival at Annunciation of Hazelwood, Northfield — June 26: Consignment auction begins at 11:30 a.m. and chicken dinner from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4996 Hazelwood Ave. Cost for dinner is $10 for adults and $5 for children 5 to 11.

Golf tournament and dinner to benefit St. Peter, North St. Paul at Sawmill Golf Club, Stillwater — June 27: 11:30 a.m. at 1177 N. McKusick Road. Dinner to follow at the church, 2600 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul. For information, visit WWW.CHURCHOFSTPETERNSP. ORG.

Prayer/ liturgies Legion of Mary prayers in front of Planned Parenthood, St. Paul — every Friday: 3 p.m. at 1965 Ford Parkway. For information, call (651) 439-9098.

Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Francis DeSales, St. Paul — June 12: 2 p.m. at 650 Palace Ave. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary

17B

‘The Eucharistic Miracles of the World: A Vatican International Exhibit’ at St. Joseph, Hayward, Wisconsin — June 30 to July 4: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at 10586 Dakota Ave. Features 160 photographic panels that recount documented miraculous occurrences. For information, call (715) 699-1287.

at St. John, St. Paul — June 19: 2 p.m. at 977 Fifth St. E. Communion service with Deacon Dennis Chlebeck at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — June 20: Rosary at 7 p.m. and service at 7:30 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Bernard, St. Paul — June 26: 2 p.m. at 187 W. Geranium St.

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

‘A Taste for Learning’ 8th annual wine and beer tasting to benefit Sacred Heart Catholic School, Robinsdale — July 7: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 4087 W. Broadway Ave. Taste more than 70 wines and 50 beers. Tickets are $22.

For information, visit WWW.SACRED HEARTSCHOOLROBBINSDALE.ORG. Annual Cities 97 Basilica Block Party at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — July 8 and 9: 5 to 10:30 p.m. both nights on the Basilica campus,16th Street and Hennepin Avenue. Features local and national acts, food, beverages and raffles. For information, visit WWW.MARY.ORG. Senior Wellness Education series, ‘Be Wise, Be Informed, Be Empowered: Senior Fraud and Scam Alerts’ at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — July 12: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. A light lunch will be served prior to the presentation. To RSVP, call (651) 698-5581.

Summer celebration at Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville — July 16: 5 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road. Visit WWW.MMOTC.ORG.

Other events Annual Archdiocesan Marriage Day celebration at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul — June 11: 10 a.m. at 239 Selby Ave. Event honors couples celebrating silver and golden anniversaries in the 2011 calendar year.

Those married more than 50 years also will be honored.

Summer Splash with the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Mankato — June

Parish festival at St. Albert, Albertville — July 17: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 11400 57th St. N.E. Chicken dinner from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., games, live music and more.

Golf tournament to benefit All Saints Church at Crystal Lake Golf Course, Lakeville — July 18: 12:30 p.m. start at 16725 Innsbrook Dr. For information, visit WWW.ALLSAINTSCHURCH.COM.

NOTICE Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

CATHOLIC CHARITIES in all copies of this issue.

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You can — by becoming a regular subscriber to The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

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18B

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Developing ‘best practices’ likely one outcome of commission’s work CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5B

Commission members are also crafting their recommendations based on successful strategies employed in other dioceses as well as information gathered previously by the Strategic Planning Task Force and recommendations made by a national Catholic education consulting group, the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame.

Among ACE’s recommendations were: ■ to establish an archdiocesan schools advisory council as well as advisory boards at individual schools; ■ to establish archdiocesan learning standards for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade; ■ to develop a centralized program to identify, recruit and develop principals; ■ to ensure all Catholic elementary schools develop individualized marketing and enrollment management plans; and ■ to establish a framework for consistent financial management and reporting.

As Catholic schools face a variety of challenges today — including shifts in

“I really hope this Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Advisory Council will be the key in fostering this culture of collaboration.

”

KATHLEEN O’HARA CATHOLIC SCHOOLS COMMISSION

socio-economic trends, economic pressures and the proliferation of new technology — one outcome of the Catholic School Commission’s work will hopefully be to help schools develop “best practices” in strategic areas, said McMahon, a member of Holy Spirit in St. Paul and director of federal tax services with Ernst & Young.

Looking ahead While the recommendations that will ultimately be presented to the archbishop are still being finalized, Rauenhorst is confident they will lead to a stronger Catholic education system in the arch-

MEMBER

diocese.

“We want strong benchmarks in quality, and we want people to feel good about Catholic education,” said Rauenhorst, a community volunteer, trustee of the archdiocese and member of Holy Name of Jesus in Medina.

“We need to refine our message or develop a broader message for the archdiocese on Catholic schools, highlighting some of the great things we’re doing,” added McMahon. “Beyond the immediate constituency, there’s a perception that Catholic education is a bit unknown. You will see a fair amount [of effort] around elevating that. It really is a community

asset.”

An Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Advisory Council will be appointed later this summer to build upon the work of the Catholic Schools Commission and provide ongoing evaluation and support to Catholic schools, as called for in the Strategic Plan. Both the council and the archdiocesan Office of Catholic Schools will also make use of the data gathered via the online surveys, Beatty said.

Kathleen O’Hara, a member of the commission and principal of St. Vincent de Paul School in Brooklyn Park, said she hopes the commission’s collaborative approach to issues affecting schools in the archdiocese continues in the future “because we have so much to learn from each other.”

“I really hope this Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Advisory Council will be the key in fostering this culture of collaboration,” she said.

For more information about the membership and work of the Catholic Schools Commission, visit HTTP://PLANNING.ARCHSPM.ORG and click on “Schools Commission.”

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DIRECTOR OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC: Large suburban parish is seeking a musician to lead one weekly contemporary rehearsal and liturgy Sunday at 5:30 p.m. during the school year, and one baptismal liturgy per month beginning in July. Position includes planning and selecting music and recruiting musicians. Knowledge and experience of Catholic liturgy and good keyboard skills needed. Salary negotiable.

Contact Jay Hunstiger at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in New Brighton at (651) 633-8333, ext. 1212.

30214 St. Mary Catholic Church, a 600 family parish, is seeking a full time Pastoral Minister of Youth and Young Adults. The successful candidate is an active Catholic, passionate about the faith and wants to share it with others. Responsibilities include programs/ministries for youth and young adults. Candidate will assist in stewardship and parish communication and outreach through technology and print media. Call 319-624-2228 for a job description. Send resume and two letters of reference to: Fr. James Vrba at 1749 Racine Ave. NE, Solon, IA 52333 or email VRBAJ@DIODAV.ORG. Application deadline is July 15.

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Travel / Pilgrimages

JUNE 9, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

19B

Don’t forget Sunday Mass in vacation travel plans

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

“If there ever was a

Getting away from it all on a vacation should not mean getting away from one’s faith.

time that God deserves extra thanks, it would be vacation time.

So, while Catholic travelers pack their suitcases and car trunks with necessary travel items, they should also be sure to include schedules for nearby Sunday Masses.

Obtaining this information before a trip takes a few minutes on an Internet search engine with the words “Catholic church near (fill in the blank).”

There is also a website: WWW.MASS which lists Mass schedules, church addresses and interactive map locations of more than 115,000 churches in 201 countries around the world.

TIMES.ORG,

40 million hits a year

”

FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN St. Stephen, Anoka

So the modern churchgoer cannot really say that a Catholic church was impossible to find unless the vacationer was in the remote wilderness. Also the claim that some like to use, that they have “traveler’s dispensation,” similarly doesn’t hold water.

‘Traveler’s dispensation’?

Before the Internet, the process of finding a distant Catholic church was more involved. It meant checking a map and calling a church or asking local residents for church directions and times.

Robert Hummell, founder of the Mass times website, remembers all too well the frustrations of trying to find Masses while out of town. In fact, “nearly impossible” is how he describes this search. But he turned that frustration into the now 17year-old listing of Mass times.

This list also used to be more difficult to navigate since it was launched before the Internet rage and was accessible only by phone. Now the website gets 40 million hits a year, Hummell told Catholic News Service.

The site has recently partnered with Parishes Online, an online directory of U.S. Catholic parishes that also provides web services for parishes.

Msgr. Anthony Sherman, executive director for the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, said he never heard of a dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation simply because of travel or vacation.

This issue is raised periodically in the Catholic blogosphere and was covered in a 2009 column in The Catholic Spirit.

The column, written by Father Michael Van Sloun, pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka, said the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy was not a suggestion or option but a “solemn obligation.”

The priest said regular Sunday worship dates back to the early church when Christians gathered to study the teachings of the apostles and to break bread.

The priest said he was “shocked” by the

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number of people who tell him they are excused from Sunday Mass when they are on vacation. “This is not the case,” he said. Quoting canon law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he said Catholics are “bound to participate in the Mass” and there is “no exception for vacation or traveling.”

Legitimate reasons to miss Sunday Mass involve illness or disability, a natural disaster or the absence of a priest.

“If there ever was a time that God deserves extra thanks, it would be vacation time,” he added, noting that it “is a huge blessing to be able to take time off, to have the resources to travel, to have the wherewithal to enjoy a cabin or RV or a lake home, to be blessed with the beauty of the lakes and the forests, and to have the leisure time to spend with family and friends.”

Seasonal influx Msgr. Murrough Wallace, pastor emeritus of St. Theresa in South Lake Tahoe,

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Calif., has seen his share of vacationers at the church with a view of the Heavenly Mountain ski resort behind its altar. The parish is made up of about 60 percent visitors during the winter and summer.

Ten years ago the parish built a new church to accommodate the seasonal crowds. The church holds 700 — although during the off season there are usually only about 200 in the pews.

Father Wallace said the seasonal influx of vacationing Catholics is “a sign of their dedication to their faith” because “no one is pushing them” to go to Mass.

He also noted, realistically, that there may be just as many Catholics who don’t go to Sunday Mass while they are away.

The vacationers who attend St. Theresa Parish tend to be generous with their donations, he said.

And he certainly appreciates the support, but he doesn’t want to be the sole recipient either. The priest makes it a point to remind visitors to continue to support their home parishes while they’re away.

JERICO

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TheCatholicSpirit.com

“Being Christian is not a kind of outfit to wear in private or on special occasions, but is something that is alive and all-encompassing.”

Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization at their plenary assembly May 30-June 1

Overheard 20B The Catholic Spirit

Quotes from this week’s newsmakers

Icon gets new life

JUNE 9, 2011 “Assisted suicide is and will always be an affront to the dignity of the human person, a heinous practice that must be aggressively confronted and contrasted by true compassion, support and love.”

— From a statement by the Michigan Catholic Conference marking the death June 3 of Jack Kevorkian, a longtime advocate of assisted suicide

“We’ve got to tighten up as a family and get involved with the lives of our own people. Mind someone else’s business with a Jesus’ love and a Jesus’ level of compassion.”

— Therese Wilson Favors, in an essay promoting the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life’s declaration of June as Abortion and All Acts of Violence Awareness Month

“He never passed by an opportunity to bring someone to the faith. He was a hands-on evangelizer.”

CNS photo / Asmaa Waguih, Reuters

— Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Ill., speaking about famed radio and television host Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who was the subject of an official position paper the bishop recently presented to Pope Benedict XVI outlining why the Catholic Church should recognize Archbishop Sheen as a saint

Mohammed Fathi, a restoration specialist, works over an icon of Mary and the Christ Child inside St. Mary’s Church in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba May 25. The 26-year-old is one of a vast group of mostly Muslim craftsmen tasked with restoring the church after militants set it on fire May 7.

Christ the King Retreat Center gets new director Father James Deegan, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate, has been appointed the new director of Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, effective May 23.

FATHER DEEGAN Father Deegan was director of the retreat center from 1994 to 2003 and was most recently on the preaching team.

New Hill-Murray principal David Meyer has been appointed principal of Hill-Murray School in Maplewood effective July 1.

Meyer replaces Susan Paul, who served as principal for almost 20 years before assuming the role of president.

Prior to his most recent post at Greeley Central High School in Colorado, Meyer served at Faithful Shepherd Catholic School in Eagan

News Notes

Parish hosts walk/bike ride

‘Community Superstar’

Parishioners at St. Katharine Drexel in Ramsey were asked to ride bikes or walk to Masses June 4 and 5 for the parish’s fourth annual Walk/Bike Ride event.

The event is held in conjunction with the Twin Cities Bike/Walk Week celebration June 4 to 12 and demonstrates in a public way the parishioner’s commitment to god environmental stewardship.

and Nativity of Mary School in Bloomington. Meyer’s The appointment at HillCatholic Spirit Murray will allow him to return to the Twin Cities.

Dorothy Ferrian, a member of Incarnation in Minneapolis is being honored June 16 for her work with Fairview Southdale Project Comfort Quilt.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres honors one Community Superstar each week of the run of its production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” As a volunteer, Ferrian has sewn and donated 1,400 quilts for families of Fairview Southdale Hospital ICU patients.

Friends and family are invited to help celebrate and can get discounted dinner and show tickets by calling the box office at (952) 934-1525. Mention that you will be celebrating with the Community Superstar for June 16 and give the offer code “fifteen.”

her job as controller May 13. Her position was created to help the vice president of finance and investment with the foundation’s overall financial plan, policies and performance. She is a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.

Longtime teacher retires

Foundation adds staff Two people have joined the staff of The Catholic Community Foundation of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Bill Marsella started last month as the director of institutional relations. This new position was created to respond to the needs of the schools, parishes and institutions for which the foundation manages endowments and long-term investment funds. He is a member of Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata Monica McCracken-Tietjen began

SISTER MARIANN

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mariann Franzgrote is retiring after 59 years of teaching.

She has been art director at Carondelet Catholic School in Minneapolis for the past 24 years.

A native of Peoria, Ill., Sister Mariann has been teaching art and music at Minneapolis schools since 1967.

She previously taught at Our Lady of Peace, formerly Resurrection, and the now-closed Regina High School.