Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Saints come marching in
The Catholic Spirit News with a Catholic heart
October 27, 2011
IN THIS ISSUE
With the approach of All Saints Day Nov. 1 and All Souls Day Nov. 2, readers tell which saints have inspired them most. — pages 18-19
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TRAGEDY TRANSFORMED
‘Ever Ancient, Ever New’ Social media, modern evangelization take center stage at Communications Day. — page 3
Vatican suggests fix for global financial crisis A new Vatican document calls for regulation of financial markets to stem greed and other economic injustices. — page 9
Planning your Catholic funeral Two parish funeral planners say planning in advance can ease the burden on loved ones. — page 20
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
As Michael and Anne Gross continue to grieve the death of their daughter, Teresa (shown), part of their healing process has involved planning an adolescent mental health seminar at their parish, St. Paul in Ham Lake.
As the first anniversary of their daughter’s suicide approaches, local couple feels called to help other families By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
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t was a normal day, a beautiful day on Nov. 1, 2010, when Anne Gross drove home a group of giggling girls from St. Agnes School in St. Paul. Among them was her 14-year-old daughter, Teresa, who was laughing and joking with two of her siblings — Rebekah, then a junior, and Mary, then a seventh-grader. At the time, Teresa seemed to have completely recovered from the depression that had caused her to start cutting herself just three months earlier. On their way home, they stopped briefly at Leaflet Missal in St. Paul, where Anne bought a prayer card of Blessed Mother Teresa as a way of encouraging her daughter’s devotion to her namesake. When they got home, Teresa bounced over
More inside ■ Pastor identifies with family’s tragedy ■ Warning signs every parent should know ■ Suicide facts and statistics ■ What does the church teach about suicide? — pages 14-15
to one of her neighbors to walk the dog, as she had been doing for folks in the neighborhood throughout the summer and fall. A future as a veterinarian seemed like a distinct possibility. Meanwhile, her father, Michael, was just returning home from a Catholic conference in which the featured speaker was Father Raniero Cantalamessa from Rome, Preacher to the Papal household. As Michael put it, he was “flying high from the conference” and, to add icing on the cake, his favorite song was playing on the radio on the way home — “Let the Healing Begin” by Tenth Avenue North.
Little did he know at that moment how deeply meaningful this song would become. Eventually, after a walk with friends, Teresa came back home and went upstairs to her small bedroom on the second floor. Anne was busy in the kitchen making a batch of chili for Michael and the six of their nine children still living at home. Inspired by the conference and his favorite song, Michael continued to play this tune, downloaded from iTunes, on his computer. Finally, dinner was ready about 5:30. Anne called everyone into the dining room, but the kids were slow to arrive. When Teresa failed to answer the summons, Anne sent Mary up to her room to get her. Mary knocked on the door, but there was no answer and it was locked. She came down and told Anne, who was growing irritated by the delay. She had worked hard on making the meal, and the least the kids could do was come promptly, she thought. She charged upstairs and knocked on the door. Again, no answer. Pulling out the key, PLEASE TURN TO FOLLOWING ON PAGE 14
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OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
One more step in learning how to pray the Mass well
That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
Impending arrival of new Roman Missal is about more than learning new words, it’s about drawing closer to the Eucharist
I was invited by Father Patrick Hipwell to make a parish visit to the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord on Sunday, Oct. 16 and to address the issue of the new Roman Missal. This homily was videotaped and will be used as part of a parish catechesis in preparation for the new missal’s introduction on the First Sunday of Advent. As I delivered the instruction, I thought it might be helpful to others as well. So, I share it here with that hope in mind:
My homily In St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, the great preacher to the Gentiles tells his readers, “We give thanks to God always for you.” The offering of thanksgiving is one of the foundational activities of the Christian believer. We are all called to offer thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon our life. The greatest of these gifts is the gift of faith, that profound mercy by which we come to know the true and living God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. As Catholics, we offer this thanksgiving most fully and fittingly in the Holy Eucharist, when we gather around the altar to break bread and to offer to God a sacrifice of praise. Indeed, as many of you know, the Greek word from which we receive the word “Eucharist,” “Eucharistia,” is the word for thanks. But our way of offering thanks to God is not by simply saying the words, “thank you” to the Almighty. Rather, we offer to God our hearts. This is the sacrifice acceptable to God — a heart full of love. In the Mass, when the celebrant invites “Lift up your hearts,” our response must be resolute and enthusiastic — “We lift them up to the Lord!” For nearly 40 years, most Roman Catholics have been offering this prayer of thanksgiving using what is called the “vernacular,” or our mother
The Catholic Spirit
tongue. In our case, this has been English. One of the truly powerful fruits of the Second Vatican Council was the allowance for the use of the vernacular in the liturgy. The purpose of this pastoral decision was the call of the council for an ever greater participation of all the faithful in the mysteries of the Mass. The church knows that the Mass is the pinnacle of her activity here on earth. Indeed, it is a participation in the worship of heaven, that homeland to which we are all called. To be attentive to the prayers of the Mass, making them our own while we offer our lives in union with Christ’s one sacrifice, is to grow in the true Christian spirit. The Mass is the source of our identity, our strength and our purpose as Catholics. When the revised Latin Missal of Pope Paul VI was released in 1969, a revision that involved much more than the allowance of the vernacular, the bishops of the Catholic world were given the monumental task of translating this new text into the many vernacular languages of the world so that their people would be better able to receive the graces of the Holy Mass. The principle of translation used at that time was known as “dynamic equivalence,” the idea that the conveyance of the basic meaning of a sentence was of utmost importance, even as particular words or phrases, even scriptural ones, found in the Latin text, could be paraphrased or, at times, eliminated. It’s important to point out that this principle, approved by the church and utilized in our current translation, has served us well as a community of faith. It has been an effective first step in learning how to pray and offer the Mass in the vernacular. The entirety of my priesthood has PLEASE TURN TO NEW ON PAGE 26
Big on service, not on waste
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. 21 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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Archbishop’s schedule ■ Saturday, Oct. 29: 1:30 p.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Open house reception for parents of seminarians. ■ Sunday, Oct. 30: 9:30 a.m., Minneapolis, Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Sunday Liturgy, celebrating 25th anniversary of the archdiocesan Deaf Catholics joining the parish community. 1:30 p.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Open House for deacons and wives. ■ Thursday, Nov. 3: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Planning for “lectio divina” at the University of St. Thomas. 9:30 a.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Staff meeting. 11 a.m., Buffalo, Christ the King Retreat Center: Mass with senior priests on retreat. 2 p.m. (to noon the following day), Collegeville, St. John’s Abbey: Catholic-Lutheran bishops’ retreat. ■ Saturday, Nov. 5: 8 a.m., Edina, Church of Our Lady of Grace: “Faithful Citizenship — Catholics in the Public Square” event. 6:30 p.m., Minneapolis, Blaisdell Manor: Partnership for Youth Increase the Harvest fundraising banquet. ■ Sunday, Nov. 6: 10 a.m., St. Paul, St. Paul Seminary: Closing of 40 Hours devotion and brunch. 3 p.m., St. Paul, Regions Hospital: Conclusion of 40 Days for Life. 7 p.m., St. Paul, University of St. Thomas: “Lectio divina.” ■ Monday, Nov. 7: 6 a.m., St. Paul, St. John Vianney College Seminary: Holy hour and Holy Eucharist, followed by breakfast. 10:30 a.m., St. Paul, St. Paul Seminary: Meeting with administration.
PLEASE TURN TO ARCHBISHOP’S ON PAGE 26
Poster contest: ‘I will keep the Christmas spirit alive all year by . . .’ The Catholic Spirit invites young artists in the archdiocese to participate in a poster contest with the theme: “I will keep the Christmas spirit alive all year long by . . . .” The completed sentence must appear on the front of an 8-and-ahalf-by-11-inch poster. Artists may use any media. Strong colors with a lot of contrast reproduce better than soft pastels in the newspaper. Entries will be judged on: ■ Originality and artistic ability. ■ Interpretation of the theme. ■ Newspaper reproduction quality. A first-place prize of $50 will be awarded for one poster in each category: grades three and under, grades four through six, grades seven through nine, and grades 10 through 12. Winning entries will be published in The Catholic Spirit’s Christmas edition, Dec. 22. Entries must be postmarked or dropped off at The Catholic Spirit offices by Friday, Dec. 9. Please include name, address, phone number, grade level and parish (include city). Mail to: The Catholic Spirit Christmas Contest, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. Artwork becomes the property of The Catholic Spirit and will not be returned.
“The truth of Christ is the . . . response to that human desire for relationship, communion and meaning . . . in the immense popularity of social networks.� Pope Benedict XVI
Local News from around the archdiocese
The Catholic Spirit
OCTOBER 27, 2011
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Communications Day cuts to heart of the message Fundamental mission of church is evangelization The Catholic Spirit Archbishop John Nienstedt welcomed about 525 parish and school leaders and priests to Archdiocesan Communications Day Oct. 13 and told them the church must use all means of communication to continue its mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “We are committed to embracing social media,� he said during the gathering at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie with the theme “Ever Ancient, Ever New.� He added that the archdiocese is working on unified protocols to ensure better communication with parishes, schools and parishioners. The local church, he said, has three “high-level goals� of improved communication: ■evangelization and re-evangelization, the fundamental mission of the church; ■fostering improved communications between the chancery and parishes, schools and other organizations; and ■making a commitment “to telling our story — maintaining good public relations and providing accurate information about the events and initiatives of this local church.� The day — a collaborative effort of The Catholic Spirit, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Coalition of Ministries Associations — included sessions featuring several national speakers. After the introduction by Archbishop Nienstedt and Father Peter Laird, vicar general and moderator of the curia, the morning session included a video on the theology of communication. The session continued with comments followed by a question-and-answer session with John Allen Jr., senior National Catholic Reporter correspondent who is frequently seen on CNN addressing Catholic issues; Paul Henderson, director of planning and operations with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Communications Department; and Lino Rulli, host of “The Catholic Guy� show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
Heart of church’s mission The archdiocesan strategic plan, announced a year ago, was developed to make the name of Jesus Christ known and loved by “proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed
From left, Kelly Wahlquist of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute at the St. Paul Seminary, Bonnie Delaney, Sandy Rosetter and Jackie Jager, all of St. Joseph in Waconia, react to a humorous moment during Archdiocesan Communications Day Oct. 13 at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
through vibrant parish communities, quality Catholic education and constant outreach to the poor and marginalized,� the archbishop said. “Communication . . . is at the heart of the church’s mission throughout the world,� he said. The archdiocese, he said, is in the process of hiring a new communications director who will oversee a newly reorganized communications office that will coordinate all print, electronic and video efforts. “We’ve developed a model, with your input, of how the office can better interact with and support parishes, schools and other organizations within this local church,� he said. Regional meetings to hear the communication needs in the archdiocese will take place early next year, and training sessions in new media will be offered by the end of 2012.
0ARISH "ASEDĂ&#x;#AREĂ&#x;#OORDINATOR "ENEDICTINEĂ&#x;(EALTHĂ&#x;3YSTEMĂ&#x; "(3 Ă&#x;ISĂ&#x;SEEKINGĂ&#x;AĂ&#x;0ARISH "ASEDĂ&#x;#AREĂ&#x;#OORDINATOR Ă&#x;4HISĂ&#x; POSITIONĂ&#x;WILLĂ&#x;BEĂ&#x;RESPONSIBLEĂ&#x;FORĂ&#x;DEVELOPINGĂ&#x;AĂ&#x;PARISH BASED Ă&#x;LONG TERMĂ&#x;CAREĂ&#x;CAMPUSĂ&#x; CONNECTEDĂ&#x;CAREĂ&#x;COORDINATIONĂ&#x;PROGRAM Ă&#x;2ESPONSIBILITIESĂ&#x;WILLĂ&#x;INCLUDEĂ&#x;ENSURINGĂ&#x;THEĂ&#x; DELIVERYĂ&#x;OFĂ&#x;HIGHĂ&#x;QUALITYĂ&#x;CAREĂ&#x;ANDĂ&#x;SERVICEĂ&#x;COORDINATIONĂ&#x;ACROSSĂ&#x;MULTIPLEĂ&#x;ORGANIZATIONSĂ&#x;ANDĂ&#x; DEVELOPINGĂ&#x;AĂ&#x;SUSTAINABLEĂ&#x;CAREĂ&#x;COORDINATIONĂ&#x;MODEL Ă&#x;!SĂ&#x;AĂ&#x;PILOTĂ&#x;PROJECT Ă&#x;THISĂ&#x;POSITIONĂ&#x;ISĂ&#x;AĂ&#x; TEMPORARYĂ&#x; ONE YEARĂ&#x;FUNDED Ă&#x;FULL TIMEĂ&#x;POSITIONĂ&#x;ANDĂ&#x;WILLĂ&#x;OF½CEĂ&#x;INĂ&#x;7OODBURY Ă&#x;-. Ă&#x; 1UALI½CATIONS Ă&#x;"ACHELOR´SĂ&#x;DEGREEĂ&#x;INĂ&#x;THEĂ&#x;#OUNCILĂ&#x;OFĂ&#x;3OCIALĂ&#x;7ORKĂ&#x;ORĂ&#x;EQUIVALENTĂ&#x;OFĂ&#x; EDUCATIONĂ&#x;ANDĂ&#x;EXPERIENCE Ă&#x;'ERIATRICĂ&#x;#ASEĂ&#x;-ANAGEMENTĂ&#x;EXPERIENCEĂ&#x;ALONGĂ&#x;WITHĂ&#x;AĂ&#x;LICENSEĂ&#x; INĂ&#x;SOCIALĂ&#x;WORKĂ&#x;ORĂ&#x;2.Ă&#x;WITHĂ&#x;PARISHĂ&#x;RELATEDĂ&#x;EXPERIENCEĂ&#x;ISĂ&#x;PREFERRED Ă&#x;Ă&#x; )NTERESTEDĂ&#x;CANDIDATESĂ&#x;SHOULDĂ&#x;SUBMITĂ&#x;COVERĂ&#x;LETTERĂ&#x;ANDĂ&#x;RESUMEĂ&#x;TO (UMANĂ&#x;2ESOURCES Ă&#x;"ENEDICTINEĂ&#x;(EALTHĂ&#x;3YSTEM Ă&#x;% Ă&#x;2UMĂ&#x;2IVERĂ&#x;$R Ă&#x;3 Ă&#x;#AMBRIDGE Ă&#x;-.Ă&#x; &AX Ă&#x; Ă&#x;Ă&#x;„Ă&#x;Ă&#x;% MAIL Ă&#x;JOBS BHSHEALTH ORG (/30)4!,)49Ă&#x;
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Father Laird followed up the archbishop’s comments, saying that beyond the communications office, the archdiocese is revamping its website, which will have a consistent message through graphics and text, to make it more helpful and accessible. “To use some secular language . . . we at the archdiocese have to get clear on our ‘brand value,’� Father Laird said. “It’s really the Gospel.� The hope is that when people see the new archdiocesan logo, they “will find in the brand of our archdiocese — the local church — a value that they intuitively and readily think of so they can pass on the faith to a new generation.� In January 2012, he added, the archdiocese will launch a “new brand� for schools and put its foot into social media. PLEASE TURN TO SPEAKERS ON PAGE 7
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 27, 2011
Bioethics conference examines fertility, end-of-life care By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit
The ability to make informed choices about fertility directly challenges the secular culture’s precepts that the body can be manipulated to express any desire and that fertility is a disease to be isolated or removed chemically or mechanically from the body, said Dr. Hanna Klaus, a Medical Mission Sister and OB/GYN doctor with extensive experience in reproductive issues who spoke at a recent biomedical conference. “You don’t take medicine for something when you’re not sick; fertility is not a disease,” said Klaus, who, based in Bethesda, Md., has worked in the United States and developing countries and serves as executive director of the Natural Family Planning Center and Teen STAR, an international program helping teens understand their fertility pattern to make responsible decisions and postpone sexual involvement. Klaus gave the keynote talk at a daylong biomedical conference for laypeople Oct. 15 at St. Michael in Stillwater that also featured talks by local doctors and nurses on NFP, reproductive technologies, dignity in the medical field and end-of-life issues. About 85 medical professionals and lay people attended.
Getting informed Women get pregnant while taking contraceptives for many reasons, but Klaus said teens she’s worked with take birth control pills irregularly because they value their fertility. “This suggests women still resist removing part of themselves from an act meant to signify complete mutual self-giving and complete mutual acceptance,” she said. “It just goes against the grain to cut this out.” When teens recognize and accept their fertility, it often affects their sexual behavior, Klaus said. “When the kids see that their bodies are an expression of their person, they behave in ways that tell us that they value themselves by making deliberate behavioral choices rather
“When the kids see that their bodies are an expression of their person, they behave in ways that tell us that they value themselves by making deliberate behavioral choices rather than behaving impulsively. And that’s a very countercultural message.
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DR. HANNA KLAUS Medical Mission Sister and OB/GYN
than behaving impulsively,” she said. “And that’s a very countercultural message.” By placing technology over ethics, reproductive technologies that cause permanent or temporary sterility prevent users from making free choices about their fertility, said Dr. Mark Druffner of Hudson Physicians in Hudson, Wis. “Whether it’s the pill or the [Depo-Provera] shot or the IUD or tying the tubes, it places you in a position of no longer being able to make a moral choice for each sexual act. It removes us from that.”
End-of-life issues Dr. Don Wessel of the Stillwater Medical Group in Stillwater discussed euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, and why they contradict the Catholic faith. “Appeal to natural law is important in response to the claim often used in our culture that respect for diversity of opinion in a pluralistic society should allow us to tolerate such
acts,” he said. “They are intolerable for all people of good will.” Oncology nurse Janet Rother said she frequently faces end-of-life issues and sometimes feels discouraged in defending life. Fellowship she found with conference attendees and speakers will help at work, said Rother, who works at Rochester Methodist Hospital, Mayo Clinic in Rochester and attends St. John the Baptist in Vermillion. “It’s very encouraging to know you’re not alone in this fight to defend life and that there are other people who feel the same way on these important matters,” she said. Peggy Ryan attended the conference to learn about preparing for the end of life. The retiree and parishioner at St. Mary in Stillwater came away with more information than she expected. “I went for the purpose of finding out what I should do in order to be a good steward of my body as far as filling out these forms which I’ve been feeling almost like I had to do and to find out that I don’t have to do.” Also a St. Mary parishioner, Timothy Bertrand got an informed overview of medical issues. “I deal with a lot of ignorance of both the Catholic perspective and more involved medical viewpoints among my fellow nurses,” said Bertrand, a nurse at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul. Medical professionals deal with tough issues that don’t come up in polite conversation, he said. “This was a daylong looking at the subject intensely and not really backing away from it because the people there generally aren’t interested in doing the easy thing,” Bertrand said. “It’s very refreshing to hear physicians saying that they do hold their Catholic ideals right up there with any of their medical ideals.” For more on biomedical ethics, visit the web page of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Commission on Biomedical Ethics at WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG/DEPARTMENTS/BIOMEDICALETHICS/INDEX.PHP.
Hearing Tests Set for Senior Citizens Announcement — Free electronic hearing tests will be given all next week Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. The tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are not hearing clearly. People who generally feel they can hear, but cannot understand words clearly are encouraged to come in for the test, which uses the latest electronic equipment. Everyone, especially those over age 55 should have an electronic hearing test once
a year. Demonstrations of the latest devices to improve clarity of speech will be programmed using a computer to your particular needs — on the spot — after the tests. See (and HEAR) for yourself if newlydeveloped methods of correction will help you understand words better. Tests will be performed at one of 20 convenient Greater Twin Cities Avada Hearing Care locations.
Call 1-877-328-9161
www.avada.com ©2011 HHM, Inc. 304
St. John Neumann
Just Marketplace Ministry Invites you to
A FAIR TRADE SALE Saturday, November 5, 2011, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM St. John Neumann Church, Social Hall 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, MN Honduran food by Raquel will be available while supplies last. The sale will feature products from Catholic Relief Services/SERVV, Amias Project, Bead for Life, Cloudforest Initiatives, Expo Peru, Faces of Siberia, Global Mamas, Glad Tidings, Import Peace, Partners for Just Trade, San Lucas Toliman, Trade Winds, Women’s Bean Project. Representatives will be on hand to tell the stories of the people behind the products they sell and how fair trade helps the artisans and farmers. Products include handcrafts and food items made by economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers. The sale of these items provides a sustainable livelihood for these small-scale producers.
Cash or Check only. We are unable to accept credit cards. For More Information Contact: Jeanne Creegan 651-681-9575
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OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Chastity speaker Jason Evert offers tips to parents, teens Interview by Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit
Chastity speaker Jason Evert will present talks for both parents and teenagers in the archdiocese next month. (See box for details.) For more than a decade, Evert and his wife, Crystalina, have traveled the world speaking to youth about the benefits of living a chaste life. The Catholic Spirit recently interviewed him by phone from Peoria, Ill., where he was scheduled to speak at several high schools and churches. Below are excerpts from the interview. The church says Catholics are supposed to live a chaste life, but what does that mean exactly? Chastity is a virtue that frees you to love somebody with an undivided heart. It could be equated to purity. It’s not simply abstinence, which means no sex. I could be technically abstinent while still cheating on my girlfriend and looking at pornography and doing all kinds of other stuff, whereas chastity is a whole lifestyle — it encompasses my thoughts, my conversations, my friendships. It’s not some blind repression of your sexual desires, that sex is bad and dirty. But, on the contrary, what it will do for a girl, for example, [is] help her to weed out the guys who don’t love her for the right reasons. Chastity is having the strength to use God’s gift of sexuality according to his design, and what that does is it frees you from the selfish attitude of using people as objects and makes you capable of love. What can teenagers and their parents do to help lessen the temptations teens face? The first thing is parents need to get over their insecurities about this subject and talk to their kids about it on a regular and clear basis. It can’t just be “the talk,� where they
Jason Evert to speak in archdiocese “Raising Chaste Teens� — For adults. How is a parent to compete with MTV, Abercrombie and Fitch, Internet porn, and all the other influences that lure teenagers away from a pure life? In this seminar, Evert offers communication techniques, resources, statistics and a wealth of information to assist parents in their task as the primary educators of their children. 7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Transfiguration, 6133 15th St. N, Oakdale. $5 per person. To register, go to WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG/FAMILY or call (651) 291-4489. “Romance Without Regret� — For teens in grades nine through 12. Some people think that chastity simply means not having sex, but it’s more than that; it’s about what you can do and have right now — a chaste lifestyle that brings freedom, EVERT respect, peace and romance without regret. 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 2035 W. 15th St., Hastings. Free admission. For information, call Michelle Hess at (651) 437-4254 or email her at MHESS@SEASPARISH.ORG. Sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life.
wait till they’re 13 and then they drop a chastity bomb on them and expect that’s going to cut it. They have to receive a continual formation in human love and sexuality. That’s the best thing the parents can do. And, the parents need to live out the virtue in their own life. That’s a big thing. A big thing for teens is to find good friends, a youth group, campus ministry. You become like the people you spend time with, so you have to choose your friends very wisely. At what age should parents start talking with their kids about chastity? One or 2 years old. Really. Not the birds and the bees, but just the foundational principles, that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. You can teach little kids about privacy and modesty and the gift of purity. You can start teaching them all these things, self-control, delayed gratification, before they get to kindergarten. And then when
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– Metro Magazine
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the time comes for the sexuality aspect of it, it’ll fit into the picture much more easily instead of waiting for some big awkward talk when they hit puberty. What are some tips you can give to parents to help them raise this difficult topic with their teens? One of the most important things a parent can do, especially for the boys, is you’ve got to do Internet safety, you’ve got to become computer literate, check the history files, put a filter on that computer, because most boys see porn before they’re 11 years old. You used to have to pay to see porn; now you have to pay not to see it. Use teachable moments, like if you’re watching the Super Bowl and a “wardrobe malfunction� happens or something where there’s something obviously unpure on TV. You should change the channel, but don’t act like nobody saw it. You have to be able to say, “Hey, I know everybody just saw that, and I’m going to give
a little one-minute lecture about why that’s disordered.� What are some common mistakes parents make when it comes to talking with their kids about chastity? The most common mistake is not [talking about] it. Probably the second most common mistake is thinking that your kids are not going to listen to you when they do. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy surveyed a thousand teenagers and asked them what’s the biggest thing that shapes their sexual behavior, and the teenagers said it was their parents and what they were brought up to believe. Parents need to understand how powerful of a role they play in shaping the character of their children. Let’s face it, most teens wouldn’t voluntarily spend their evening listening to a talk on chastity. What will they get out of your talk? Girls can learn: How do I know if a guy loves me and he’s not just saying it? How can I decipher a man’s intentions so I don’t end up with a boy who’s all talk, but in reality his heart doesn’t truly love me? The boys can learn what it means to be an authentic man and what girls really long for in a guy and how a man can be enslaved by things such as pornography and lose his manhood in that. Through chastity and self-control we’re going to give them tips on how to become a man, to basically empty yourself for the good of a woman instead of emptying women for the sake of yourself. Evert, who has theology and counseling degrees from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, has written more than 10 books, including “How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul,� available at WWW.HOWTOFINDYOURSOULMATE .COM. His website is WWW.CHASTITY.COM.
Waging Peace in the Context of Violent Conflict Presentation by Rabbi Melissa Weintraub Wednesday, November 2, 7:30 p.m. O’Shaughnessy Educational Center Auditorium University of St. Thomas, St. Paul Campus Drawing on sixteen years of experience in Middle East face-to-face encounters, Rabbi Melissa Weintraub will explore how such encounters create human connections across lines of enmity. Rabbi Weintraub is cofounder of Encounter, an organization dedicated to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning www.stthomas.edu/jpc 651-962-5780
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 27, 2011
Parish partnerships forge reciprocal relationships a chapel so they could reinforce it with concrete walls. “Here we had a chance to be joking, smiling, drinking soda and sweating next to each other in the hot sun,” Kraemer said. “That was a way to build a relationship.” In October 2010, Most Holy Trinity signed a covenant agreement with San Maximiliano Kolbe, pledging mutual desire to deepen their communion of faith. A month ago, four Franciscan friars from San Maximiliano Kolbe visited Minnesota to offer Mass and visit. Before flying back, Pastor Isidoro Mejia went to Best Buy with local parishioners to purchase a laptop with a webcam so they could Skype.
By Kathryn Elliott The Catholic Spirit
Bonnie Steele associates the word “charity” with a government food truck. Growing up in North Minneapolis, the truck would pull up, neighbors would crowd each other out to get free food, and Steele remembers feeling ashamed. Her shame wasn’t in their poverty, she said, but in being somebody else’s goodwill project. In the context of Catholic sister parishes in Third World countries, STEELE Steele said it’s easy to focus on tasks instead of personal relationships. Some partnerships between dioceses in other countries and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are just beginning while others date back more than 20 years. All of them will refocus on strong relationship-building following an October conference put on by the Archdiocesan Parish Partnerships Team that formed in the spring. After the keynote address by Steele, director of pastoral ministry for St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, more than 50 men and women from a dozen parishes sat at round tables at Guardian Angels in Oakdale to talk about what a mutual sister-parish relationship looks like.
Human connections St. Edward in Bloomington sent its first group to sister parish Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Our Lady of the Angels) in Jinotega, Nicaragua, in 1988, to express solidarity during the Iran-Contra conflict. Most of St. Ed’s parishioners hear about their sister parish in the Sunday bulletin, at a yearly fundraiser or from the pulpit. Some, however, like Sue Kellett, have invested in the long-term relationships and frequent visits that sustain the partnership. The trick, Kellett said, is to look at your
Sharing ideas
Julie Carroll / The Catholic Spirit
Fatima Centeno of the Jinotega, Nicaragua, organization AVODEC visits a family in Jinotega that received solar ovens donated by parishioners of St. Edward in Bloomington in this 2008 file photo.
brothers and sisters and see the eyes of Christ. Doing mission means making human connections instead of simply bringing aid or working on a project. Unlike Steele’s government food truck, Catholic mission in foreign countries should be rooted in loving friendship. Kellett said she has as many friends in Nicaragua as she does in the U.S. They call her “Hurricane Sue” because her visits are such a whirlwind of activity and work. Kellett facilitates everything from building small chapels for “campesinos” (peasants) in remote areas to exterminating mice from a community food pantry. Receiving hospitality from the Nicaraguans is also part of the equation, though. Jinotega has deep Catholic devotion that Kellett enjoys during her two- to three-week visits several times a year. Nearly every family has an altar with holy pictures, statues and candles placed promi-
nently in their home, she said. Neighborhood groups enjoy snacks and fellowship after praying the rosary daily. Parish partnerships like the one between St. Edward and Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles are the product of many years’ effort on both sides. Other churches are just discovering the richness of relationship. Parishioners from Most Holy Trinity in St. Louis Park — soon to merge with Our Lady of Grace in Edina — transitioned away from the send-a-donation model that was standard since 1990. In 2006, the first-ever envoy of parishioners visited its sister parish, San Maximiliano Kolbe, in Comayagüela, Honduras. “There was absolutely no relationship in the beginning,” said Steve Kraemer, a Most Holy Trinity parishioner who has since visited Honduras three times. On a 2008 trip, Kraemer helped members of his sister parish dig a ditch around
The Parish Partnership Conference allowed people from churches around the archdiocese to share what has and hasn’t worked. “Our American culture is sort of a cando, fix-it, solve problems culture,” said Mike Haasl, global solidarity coordinator for the archdiocese’s Center for Mission. “But what happens is the people themselves can get left out of the conversation.” In some of the towns where the archdiocese has sister parishes, NGOs are already working on infrastructure to provide for people’s basic needs, so service projects aren’t necessary, Haasl said. In other places where work projects are needed, missioners need to work with residents in the planning. Working with, not for, sister parishes restores the people’s dignity and puts everybody on equal footing, Steele said in her keynote. It’s important that sister parishes in Haiti, Peru and all over the world know that they have gifts worth sharing with Minnesotans, she said. “The parish partnerships aren’t fundamentally about resolving people’s issues, they’re fundamentally about being brothers and sisters with one another,” Haasl said.
Two more parishes in the archdiocese exceed their Catholic Services Appeal goals Two more parishes have exceeded their 2011 Catholic Services Appeal goal, bringing the total number of parishes over goal to 92. The CSA has currently raised more than $9.5 million to help those most in need within this archdiocese. The two new parishes are: ■ Our Lady of the Prairie, Belle Plaine ■ St. Peter Claver, St. Paul Parishes that previously exceeded their goal are: St. Dominic, Northfield Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minnetonka St. Joseph the Worker, Maple Grove St. John Neumann, Eagan St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville St. Peter, Richfield St. Timothy, Blaine St. Stanislaus, St. Paul St. Ambrose, Woodbury Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul All Saints, Minneapolis St. Lawrence, Minneapolis St. Michael, Pine Island St. Andrew, Elysian St. Joseph, Miesville Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul
Assumption, St. Paul Corpus Christi, Roseville St. Mary of Czestochowa, Delano St. Michael, St. Michael St. Anne/St. Joseph Hien, Minneapolis Our Lady of Lourdes, Minneapolis Mary, Queen of Peace, Rogers St. Hubert, Chanhassen St. Luke, Clearwater Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul St. Mary of the Lake, Plymouth St. Michael, Stillwater St. Peter, Forest Lake St. Michael, Kenyon St. Helena, Minneapolis Ascension, Norwood Young America St. Bartholomew, Wayzata St. Adalbert, St. Paul 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 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. Francis de Sales, 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 It’s not too late to give a gift. If you’d like to make a pledge/gift to the Appeal, please go to WWW.ARCHSPM.ORG/ APPEAL to donate online. Or, if you have questions, contact the Development and Stewardship Office at (651) 290-1610.
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OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Speakers at gathering urge interaction, relativity and a touch of humor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Face challenges with patience and availability John Allen Jr. Senior National Catholic Reporter correspondent who is frequently seen on CNN addressing Catholic issues John Allen Jr. outlined the challenges the church faces in getting out its message. One example he offered was the overwhelming negative messages about the clergy abuse crisis in 2002. During the same year, the Catholic Church educated 2.3 million children, many of whom were poor and not Catholic. The church also provided $600 million in health care at Catholic hospitals and clinics, and 10 million families were
served by Catholic Charities. “The church must be in the content business” because word of that outreach does not reach the outside world, he said. To be successful, Allen said the church must use qualities such as patience, availability, universality and humor. Too many Catholic parishes today seem to be made up of people who think alike, so they aren’t talking with friends who have a different point of view, he said. “We need a grassroots determination to build zones of friendship,” he said. “Dialogue can’t accomplish anything if people don’t want to talk.” But don’t wait for the church to create a program, he said. “Think of yourself as the architects of these zones in the church” because change begins at the bottom.
From left, featured speakers John Allen Jr., Paul Henderson and Lino Rulli answer questions from attendees at Archdiocesan Communications Day Oct. 13 at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Leaders called to dialogue
Rules of the new media road
Paul Henderson
Lisa Hendey
Director of planning and operations with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Communications Department Paul Henderson told participants that the role of church leaders is changing. Developments in new media, which encourage interactive participation among users, are changing the role of leaders from being gatekeepers to facilitating and mentoring communication and dialogue. Catholics are mission-driven, he said. “We want people to develop a deeper relationship with Christ,” he said. The framework for that mission includes: 1. leading through the vision of mission; 2. creating a message and content that impacts people and: 3. engaging people. The vision drives the action, he said. So, you must begin with the end in mind, find the right people to deliver the message and be willing to take a risk. Although more bishops are blogging and using other social media, the USCCB needs to help them create a unified approach.
Almost too old to comment Lino Rulli Host of “The Catholic Guy” on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio
Blogger and founder of CATHOLICMOM.COM
Matthew Warner Founder of
FLOCKNOTE.COM,
TWEETCATHOLIC.COM and a National Catholic Register blogger Lisa Hendey and Matthew Warner led an afternoon session on “harnessing the power of new media in your ministry.” Noting that 80 percent of Americans use social media like Facebook and Twitter, Hendey and Warner presented five new media rules of ministry communication: 1. The parishioner is in control.
Communicators must respect parishioners’ time and attention and make it easy for them to connect, Warner said. Church communicators must speak to people in ways they want, often through social media, and listen more than talk. 2. Your website matters. It’s the “home base” for new media efforts and leaves a lasting first impression about a parish or school. 3. Reach people where they already are.
Rulli provided a personal and humorous perspective on the under40 perspective, adding that in just days he would no longer be among that group. To reach people from 18 to 40, church communicators must remember what it is like to be their age, he said. Young adults need to have someone they can relate to, someone who understands questions like, “Why is it important to go to Mass every Sunday?” and “Why should someone go to confession and tell their sins to a priest?” Rulli’s answer: “I want to be right with God. I want to know there is a plan for my life and peace in my life.” “Youth can relate to this,” he said.
Having a social media presence alone is not enough. There must be engagement and dialogue with social media users to make connections and create meaningful relationships. 4. Don’t give up. Parishes and schools should tap into local talent and resources for help and ideas, Hendey said. 5. Engage their hearts first. Technology will not bring people back to the church, people will, Warner said. Church communicators can seek to inspire others and build meaningful relationships through social media and other means.
Get more at:
Cultivate the positive
THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM/COMMUNICATIONSDAY2011
Lou Carbone
Video of the speakers from Archdiocesan Communications Day and a theology of communication video will be featured on the website soon. The latter video is narrated by Father Jan Michael Joncas, a priest of the archdiocese and associate professor of Catholic studies and theology at the University of St. Thomas. Also visit the website to view other resources from Archdiocesan Communications Day, including the PowerPoint presentations of some presenters.
Author of “Clued In, How to Keep Customers Coming Back Again & Again” and founder of Experience Engineering, Inc. Carbone spoke about the importance of personal experience and its impact on how people feel about a business or organization like the church. A self-identified “satellite Catholic” who has struggled with the changes in the church following the Second Vatican Council, Carbone told a heartwarming story of how a priest created a positive experience for his daughter who sought to get married in the church. Such positive experiences are what the church needs to cultivate, he said.
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OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Same-sex marriage advance deepens concern for religious liberty By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service
The widening campaign by gay rights advocates to promote same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue is forcing Catholic and other religious institutions to confront charges of intolerance and discrimination. Also at risk, say church officials working on the legal front, is the way religious institutions and individuals opposed to same-sex marriage conduct business from hall rentals to receiving government contracts for social services.
Impact of new laws Recently, the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., withdrew from all state-funded social service contracts, citing increasing clashes between state law and church teaching on same-sex relationships. The Diocese of Rockford stopped offering state-funded adoptions and foster care services when the Illinois civil unions legislation took effect June 1. Catholic Charities in the dioceses of Joliet and Springfield and Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois in Belleville also have been involved in legal proceedings with the state since then. In 2006, Catholic Charities in San Francisco and Boston stopped adoption placements when laws required equal treatment of applicants in same-sex relationships.
Elsewhere, including New York where a same-sex marriage law took effect July 24, church institutions are carefully monitor-
ing how such laws are being applied and are vigilant for threats to religious liberty in the areas of taxes, housing, education
and employment. “The general issue is the definition of marriage creates many, many rights, not just one,” explained Anthony Picarello Jr., general counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “So changing the definition of marriage creates changes throughout the legal system.” Those changes can affect a wide range of practices far beyond marriage such as whether: ■ A private individual can deny renting an apartment to a same-sex couple on religious grounds. ■ A public school teacher who refuses to talk about same-sex marriage as a justice issue can continue to teach. ■ A counselor’s license can be revoked for declining to accept same-sex couples as clients. ■ A religious organization that does not recognize same-sex marriage can be considered discriminatory by a state or local government and lose any contract for services. “Redefining marriage has a multiplier effect,” Picarello explained to Catholic News Service. “The problems proliferate. The problems that we see under mere sexual orientation anti-discrimination laws multiply by order of magnitude when marriage is redefined. PLEASE TURN TO U.S. ON PAGE 27
Why a marriage protection amendment? Why now? The following column — the first in a series about the marriage amendment — is 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. In November 2012, Minnesotans will have the chance to preserve in law the institution of marriage as the union of one man and one woman from activist judges and rogue legislators who seek to undermine this bedrock soJason cial institution. Adkins A constitutional amendment on the general election ballot next year asks Minnesota voters: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?” The answer is emphatically “yes.”
Faith in the Public Arena
Threat to marriage Some people are confused as to why a marriage protection amendment is needed. After all, the marriage between one man and one woman is current state law. Unfortunately, there is an organized, nationwide campaign to redefine marriage or to eliminate it from law altogether, and Minnesota is not immune. Courts in places such as Iowa and Massachusetts have struck down traditional marriage laws as irrational relics of a society that allegedly used to be governed by religious dogma. Here in Minnesota, multiple same-sex couples have sued for a marriage license because, they argue, excluding them is state-sponsored religious discrimination that is both irrational and violates their
own deeply held beliefs. Their arguments were heard by the Minnesota Court of Appeals this week. Legislatures, too, are the scene of attempts to remake marriage. Just recently in New York, the Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo transformed New York marriage law from an institution focused on the well-being of children into a system of love licenses for adults, severing the inherent connection in marriage between children and their biological parents. “We’re about to redefine what the American family is, and that’s a good thing,” one New York state senator told the Wall Street Journal as the bill was being considered. Such comments are not unique or uncommon and are consistent with a broader cultural movement that is seeking to not only redefine the family, but to transform all of society. For example, activist Michelangelo Signorile, a man who self-identifies as gay, stated in Out! magazine that people like him should “fight for same-sex marriage and its benefits, and then, once granted, redefine the institution of marriage entirely. The most subversive action lesbians and gay men can undertake is to transform the notion of ‘family’ entirely.” In Minnesota, numerous pieces of legislation have been introduced over the last few years to redefine marriage along the lines of what happened in New York (see H.F. 1710), or eliminate it altogether (H.F. 1746) in favor of a system of “civil unions,” which might be more accurately called marriage “leases” — a legal union without the expectation of permanence or fidelity. Such a system would reinforce the emerging cultural norm that marriage is fundamentally about the happiness of adults, and that when the happiness or
Get involved To learn more about the church’s defense of marriage here in Minnesota, visit MCC’s marriage resource page at WWW.MNCC.ORG/ ISSUES/MARRIAGE. To get involved in the campaign to defend marriage, visit HTTP://MINNESOTAFORMARRIAGE.COM.
“love” ends, so does the marriage. One sees this trend in the ever-present slogan, “love + commitment = marriage.” But kids are the ones who lose when marriage is just like any other contract.
A public concern Love and commitment are necessary for marriage, but not sufficient. Society has an interest in supporting and sustaining a legal institution that is fundamentally about begetting children, attaches those children to their parents, and carries with it social norms of permanence and fidelity — which research clearly indicates are indispensable to a child’s well-being. In fact, a recent study from the Social Trends Institute confirms what we know from Catholic social teaching: the longterm success and economic prosperity of societies depends upon the health of intact families. So, the next time you are asked how redefining marriage hurts you, you can say that marriage is not just about the private relationship of two people, but a public institution that affects all of us, our children and the future of our community. The Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment ensures that judges and politicians do not have the final say about marriage in Minnesota.
hard work of sharing with Minnesotans what marriage is, why it is important, and the consequences that will undoubtedly occur if it is redefined. In many cases, this will be a challenging conversation. Unfortunately, there are many, especially in the media, who seek to perpetrate stereotypes that the church’s defense of marriage is a bigoted effort to harm people and deny them basic human rights. It is not. All of God’s children are created in his image and likeness, and we should love them all. But loving someone has never meant affirming all of their choices or desires. Jesus clearly demonstrates this in the Gospels time and again. Loving someone means we perform a work of mercy and share the truth with them, no matter how uncomfortable or difficult that may be. This is not a conversation we have chosen to have, but we cannot sit on the sidelines. Article I, section 1 of the Minnesota Constitution states: “Government is instituted for the security, benefit and protection of the people, in whom all political power is inherent, together with the right to alter, modify or reform government whenever required by the public good.” Like the church’s other work in the public arena defending human life and promoting social justice, the “public good” now requires we stand up for marriage and preserve it in our constitution — the very thing this important document was designed to do. With your help and prayers, we will pass the marriage protection amendment as part of our work as faithful citizens to reclaim a culture of marriage in Minnesota.
Faithful citizenship With just over one year until the November 2012 election, we must begin the
Jason Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
“An important lever for sustained action in tackling poverty and reducing hunger is money.” Gro Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway
Nation/World OCTOBER 27, 2011
News from around the U.S. and the globe
Vatican calls for global authority to regulate markets By John Thavis Catholic News Service
A Vatican document calls for the gradual creation of a world political authority with broad powers to regulate financial markets and rein in the “inequalities and distortions of capitalist development.” The document says the current global financial crisis has revealed “selfishness, collective greed and the hoarding of goods on a great scale.” A supranational authority, it said, is needed to place the common good at the center of international economic activity. The 41-page text is titled, “Toward Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of Global Public Authority.” Prepared by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, it was released Oct. 24 in several languages, including a provisional translation in English. The document cited the teachings of popes over the last 40 years on the need for a universal public authority that would transcend national interests. The current economic crisis, which has seen growing inequality between the rich and poor of the world, underlines the necessity to take concrete steps toward creating such an authority, it said.
Involve developing nations One major step, it said, should be reform of the international monetary system in a way that involves developing countries. The document foresaw creation of a “central world bank” that would regulate the flow of monetary exchanges; it said the International Monetary Fund had lost the ability to control the amount of credit risk taken on by the system. The document also proposed: ■ Taxation measures on financial transactions. Revenues could contribute to the creation of a “world reserve fund” to support the economies of countries hit by crisis, it said. ■ Forms of recapitalization of banks with public funds that make support conditional on “virtuous” behavior aimed at developing the real economy. ■ More effective management of financial shadow markets that are largely uncontrolled today. Such moves would be designed to make the global economy more responsive to the needs of the person, and less “subordinated to the interests of countries that effectively enjoy a position of economic and financial advantage,” it said. In making the case for a global authority, the document said the continued model of nationalistic self-interest seemed “anachronistic and surreal” in the age of globalization. “We should not be afraid to propose new ideas, even if they might destabilize pre-existing balances of power that prevail over the weakest,” it said. The “new world dynamics,” it said, call for a “gradual, balanced transfer of a part of each nation’s powers to a world author-
The Catholic Spirit
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Catholic groups, schools oppose health mandate By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service
Cardinal: Wall Street protesters, church agree
A coalition of national Catholic organizations and universities took to the pages of two Capitol Hill publications Oct. 11 to protest the Obama administration’s plan to include contraceptives and sterilization among the mandated “preventive services” for women under the new health reform law. “As written, the rule will force Catholic organizations that play a vital role in providing health care and other needed services either to violate their conscience or severely curtail those services,” the groups said in a full-page ad in Politico and The Hill newspapers. “This would harm both religious freedom and access to health care.” The coalition ranged from leaders of the National Catholic Educational Association and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities to the leaders of Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities USA. The advertisement appeared less than two weeks after the close of a 60-day comment period on a proposed religious exemption to the Department of Health and Human Services’ inclusion of sterilization and all FDA-approved contraceptives among the preventive services required for all health plans.
Catholic News Service
Conscience undermined
Catholic social teaching and the Occupy Wall Street movement agree that the economy should be at the service of the human person and that strong action must be taken to reduce the growing gap between rich and poor, a Vatican official said. “The basic sentiment” behind the protests is in line with Catholic social teaching and the new document on global finance issued Oct. 24 by Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said Cardinal Peter Turkson, council president. The U.S. protesters have focused on Wall Street because “Wall Street is considered to be a big engine house — a big financial structure whose power extends all over the world,” the cardinal told Catholic News Service. People who suffer from the way the financial markets currently operate have a right to say, “Do business differently. Look at the way you’re doing business because this is not leading to our welfare and our good,” he said. “If people can hold their government to account, why can we not hold other institutions in society to accountability if they are not achieving or not helping us live peacefully or well,” Cardinal Turkson said. “The Vatican is not behind any of these movements, but the basic inspirations can be the same,” he said.
Many of the signers of the ad had already submitted comments to HHS on the mandate and the religious exemption that they have called too narrow. Under the HHS proposal, to qualify for a religious exemption, an organization would have to meet four criteria: “(1) has the inculcation of religious values as its purpose; (2) primarily employs persons who share its religious tenets; (3) primarily serves persons who share its religious tenets; and (4) is a nonprofit organization” under specific sections of the Internal Revenue Code. “The HHS mandate puts many faith-based organizations and individuals in an untenable position,” the ad said. “But it also harms society as a whole by undermining a long American tradition of respect for religious liberty and freedom of conscience. “In a pluralistic society, our health care system should respect the religious and ethical convictions of all,” it added. “We ask Congress, the administration and our fellow Americans to acknowledge this truth and work with us to reform the law accordingly.”
CNS photo / Lucas Jackson, Reuters
Demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street campaign hold signs as a protest march enters the courtyard near the New York Police Department headquarters Sept. 30. For weeks, a cluster of protesters have camped in a park near Wall Street, telling the world how they believe America’s billionaires destroyed the economy. A similar protest began in Washington Oct. 6.
ity and to regional authorities.” “In a world on its way to rapid globalization, the reference to a world authority becomes the only horizon compatible with the new realities of our time and the needs of humankind,” it said. Helping to usher in this new society is a duty for everyone, especially for Christians, it said. While the Vatican document focused on financial issues, it envisioned a much wider potential role for the global political authority. The agenda also includes peace and
security, disarmament and arms control, protection of human rights, and management of migration flows and food security, it said. Establishing such an authority will be a delicate project and will no doubt come at a cost of “anguish and suffering” as countries give up particular powers, the document said. The authority should be set up gradually, on the basis of wide consultation and international agreements, and never imposed by force or coercion, it said.
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Nation/World
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 27, 2011
Pope announces ‘Year of Faith’ to start in 2012 By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
Pope Benedict XVI announced a special “Year of Faith” to help Catholics appreciate the gift of faith, deepen their relationship with God and strengthen their commitment to sharing faith with others. Celebrating Mass Oct. 16 with participants in a Vatican conference on the new evangelization, the pope said the Year of Faith would give “renewed energy to the mission of the whole church to lead men and women out of the desert they often are in and toward the place of life: friendship with Christ who gives us fullness of life.” The pope said the observance would begin Oct. 11, 2012 — the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council — and conclude Nov. 24, 2013 -the feast of Christ the King.
Ideas for celebrating Pope Benedict explained his intention more fully in “Porta Fidei” (“The Door of Faith”), an apostolic letter released Oct. 17 to formally announce the special year. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he said, will publish a “note” to help people live the year “in the most effective and appropriate ways at the service of belief and evangelization.” Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told reporters the document would be published by the end of the year; its tone will be pastoral, rather than doctrinal, giving bishops and Catholic faithful ideas for implementing the pope’s call to deeper faith and greater missionary commitment. In his apostolic letter, the pope said the year’s focus will be on Jesus Christ because “in him, all the anguish and all the long-
Italian archbishop named as new nuncio to United States Catholic News Service
CNS photo / Paul Haring
Young people cheer at the conclusion of an event to promote the new evangelization in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Oct. 15. Some 8,000 people, mainly from Catholic movements, turned out to support Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a new evangelization.
ing of the human heart finds fulfillment.” Pope Benedict said that in addition to studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church and gaining a greater understanding of the creed, the Year of Faith also must be accompanied with more acts of charity. Faith helps people recognize the face of Christ in those who are suffering, and “it is his love that impels us to assist him whenever he becomes our neighbor along the journey of life,” the pope wrote in his apostolic letter. Pope Benedict said Catholics cannot “grow lazy in the faith.” “What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people
enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end,” he wrote. The papal Mass and announcement of the Year of Faith followed a daylong conference Oct. 15 sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. Conference participants discussed how to better evangelize in the area of culture, among immigrants, in Catholics’ political involvement, through the use of media, in families, through the liturgy and in active, lively parishes.
Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, 70, to be the new nuncio to the United States. In his most recent position, the Italian archbishop had served for two years as secretary-general of the commission governing Vatican City. He succeeds the late Archbishop Pietro Sambi in Washington. Just minutes after his assignment was announced Oct. 19, Archbishop Vigano told Catholic News Service he hoped to get to the ARCHBISHOP United States in time VIGANO for the U.S. bishops’ general assembly Nov. 14-16. The archbishop said being nuncio in the United States is an “important, vast and delicate” task. Being a nuncio, he said, is “a call to know this people, this country and come to love them.”
Careful administrator A nuncio is a Vatican diplomat with the rank of ambassador. He is responsible for diplomatic relations with the government, but also serves as the pope’s representative to the church in a given country, which includes responsibility for coordinating the search for and vetting of candidates to become bishops. While at the commission governing Vatican City, Archbishop Vigano earned a reputation as a careful administrator, skilled at cutting costs and improving the efficiency of an office that oversees the care of Vatican buildings, as well as the Vatican post office, police force and the Vatican Museums. Born in Varese, in Italy’s far north, he was ordained a priest in 1968 for the Diocese of Pavia. He entered the Vatican’s diplomatic service in 1973 and served at Vatican embassies in Iraq and in Great Britain before working in the Vatican Secretariat of State in 1978-89. He served as nuncio to Nigeria from 1992 to 1998.
“Peace is not just the absence of war. Like a cathedral, peace must be constructed patiently and with unshakable faith.” Blessed Pope John Paul II
This Catholic Life OCTOBER 27, 2011
Opinion, feedback and points to ponder
The Catholic Spirit
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Pope puts his own mark on prayer summit’s third edition Cardinal Ravasi said Oct. 14 that it was the pope who had pushed to extend the Assisi invitation to nonbelievers.
By John Thavis Catholic News Service
Slowly and carefully, the Vatican is setting the stage for the third edition of the interreligious “prayer for peace” encounter in the Italian pilgrimage town of Assisi. The Oct. 27 event marks the 25th anniversary of the first such gathering. As in 1986, it is expected to draw representatives from many Christian denominations and more than a dozen other faiths. In convening the prayer summit, Pope Benedict XVI is clearly reaffirming the ecumenical and interreligious outreach of his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II. But the German pope has also marked out his own course, with modifications and additions that, in the Vatican’s view, leave the event less open to misinterpretation. For one thing, the participants will not pray together — at least, not in a formal fashion. They will gather at the end of the day for a moment of silence and testimonials to peace. Although the border between prayer and reflection may be ambiguous in such encounters, it appears that Assisi 2011 will not repeat the formula of 1986, when representatives of each major religion offered a prayer at a final joint service. Just as 25 years ago, participants will break off during the day for separate prayer services. But the difference is that this time around the prayers will be private moments in a cloistered monastery, not public performances throughout the town of Assisi.
‘Spiritual kaleidoscope’ In 1986, what generated the most interest among the media troops who went to Assisi were these very colorful and distinct forms of prayer, many of which took place inside Catholic places of worship. Buddhist monks chanted to the sound of a bronze gong. An animist from Ghana started a fire in a cup. A tribal chief from Togo invited spirits to enter a bowl of wa-
Broader focus
CNS photo from Reuters
A nun walks near the Basilica of St. Francis in the early morning in Assisi, Italy, Sept. 6. Pope Benedict XVI has convoked an Oct. 27 gathering with religious leaders in Assisi. The event will mark the 25th anniversary of Blessed Pope John Paul II’s groundbreaking 1986 interreligious encounter.
ter. A Native American “blessed” people on the head with eagle feathers. For a few hours, Assisi seemed like a spiritual kaleidoscope, with clouds of smoke, sheep-hair amulets, tambourines and multi-colored robes. And it left some critics with the impression that Christian and non-Christian elements were being mixed together inappropriately. The program for this year’s encounter appears designed to ensure that the private prayers will not have a public audience. The third and perhaps most striking element of Pope Benedict’s Assisi gathering is that four prominent nonbelievers will participate. The Vatican made a point of inviting them because, although they don’t identify with any faith, they are seen as actively engaged in a debate over ethics, metaphysics and truth. That reflects the aim of the Vatican’s new “Courtyard of
the Gentiles” project, which seeks to promote discussions between Christians and nonbelievers around the world. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, is coordinating the Vatican project. He will host a round table discussion in Rome with the four nonbelievers and Catholic intellectuals the day before the Assisi encounter. In Assisi, one of the four, Bulgarian philosopher and feminist Julia Kristeva, will speak at the main papal event. This is a riskier dialogue gamble than the Vatican normally takes, but it does seem to reflect a priority of Pope Benedict. On his recent trip to Germany, the pope shocked many listeners when he declared that agnostics who struggle with the question of God are closer to the kingdom of God than “routine” Catholics whose hearts are untouched by faith.
A fourth difference between Assisi 1986 and Assisi 2011 has to do with its message to the wider world. In 1986, the focus was world peace; Pope John Paul called for a global truce that day, and many governments in conflict areas publicly supported the prayer summit. Pope Benedict’s agenda appears to be broader. The theme of the day is “Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace,” and the pope has said it should highlight believers’ common responsibility to build a society based on truth. Part of that task, he recently told Muslim representatives, involves protection of the family based on marriage, respect for life in every phase of its natural course, and the promotion of greater social justice. It would be surprising if these issues do not surface at the Assisi gathering given Pope Benedict’s insistence that true peacebuilding is a “constant struggle against evil” and not merely negotiations between parties in conflict. The pope will give two main talks in Assisi — at the beginning and end of the day — and the program calls for talks by several of the non-Catholic participants as well. But as with many of Pope Benedict’s events, there will also be several moments of silence: following a simple meal in the style of St. Francis, at the lighting of lamps at sunset, and in individual prayers before St. Francis’ tomb. Repeating a gesture of Pope John Paul for the second Assisi prayer gathering in 2002, Pope Benedict will escort his guests to Assisi on a train that departs the Vatican in the morning and returns at night. Like the rest of the day, the train trip is expected to be less a socializing moment than an occasion for prayer and meditation.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 27, 2011
Opinion-Letters
/ This Catholic Life
Keeping our place at the public policy table lmost a decade ago, the U.S. Catholic bishops wrote a document titled “A Place at the Table.” Back then, the topic was poverty and the church’s recommitment to advocate for public policies benefiting the poor. Today, if the bishops were to release a document by the same name, the topic might appropriately be the role of faith-based public policy advocacy itself. Some increasingly vocal individuals and groups want to marginalize and sideline the church’s advocacy by arguing that it oversteps its bounds when it brings its principles and moral convictions to the public square to help shape laws and policies. What they are saying, in essence, is that there is no place at the table for the church when it comes to state and national political life.
A Editorial Joe Towalski
The nation benefits when people of faith bring their convictions and concerns into public life
“Despite what some may think or say or write, there is a place at the table for Catholics and the church when it comes to the political life of our state and country.
Not just one issue The current issue drawing most of their attention is the effort to pass a state amendment defending marriage as a union between one man and one woman — an initiative supported by Minnesota’s Catholic bishops, among others. But marriage isn’t the only issue that routinely draws fire: The church often hears criticism for its advocacy on behalf of the life and dignity of the unborn, the poor, immigrants — legal and undocumented — as well as its positions on war, the economy and environmental policy. On each one of these topics, The Catholic Spirit has received phone calls, letters to the editor or online comments disagreeing — sometimes vehemently — with the church’s position on these issues. It’s not unusual for these critics to protest the church’s involvement in the political process altogether. While the church’s position on any one of these issues may prove unpopular with some people, it’s simply wrong to argue that the church has no right to have its voice heard in the public arena and help shape the moral character of society. Such participation is part of the church’s mission to protect human life and human dignity. It is participation protected by the Constitution, and it is a fundamental expression of religious liberty that must be protected.
”
JOE TOWALSKI
In the end, the church works to educate Catholics and others about the implications of social policies and teaches Catholics how to go about forming their consciences as they prepare to participate in society as voters and citizens who are ultimately free to make their own choices. As the U.S. bishops said in their latest “Faithful Citizenship” document: “Our nation’s tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions and concerns into public life.” Despite what some may think or say or write, there is a place at the table for Catholics and the church when it comes to the political life of our state and country. It is a place that we must be diligent about maintaining in light of efforts by some to limit the seating.
Being in solidarity with the hungry The National Catholic Rural Life Conference recently issued a series of essays on “Food Security & Economic Justice: Catholic Call for a New Food System.” The series’ first installment notes that “by the end of this year, weather disruptions and rising food prices may drive [the number of hungry people] back to 1 billion, where it last peaked in 2008 due to a spike in food prices. That’s one in every seven people.” One way to raise awareness about food insecurity, which also affects some 17 million U.S. households, is to participate in the U.S. bishops’ First Fridays for Food Security event each month on Facebook. (Go to HTTP://USCCB.ORG and click on the First Fridays link.) The event, which began last May and continues until next April, asks participants to limit meal spending on the first Friday of each month to an amount allotted for a family of their size by the USDA Modified Thrifty Food Plan, which is used as the basis for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps). As the Facebook page explains, the cutting back that will likely be required to stay “in budget” is a form of fasting. The page includes a link to calculate your own food budget. It also provides educational and prayer resources and a forum for Catholics to comment about their experience. Each month focuses on a different theme, with Nov. 4 being “hunger in the land of plenty.” It’s a great opportunity for Catholic families to learn about an important issue and demonstrate solidarity with those at risk of going hungry. — Joe Towalski
Letters Disappointed in local PBS decision not to air ‘Catholicism’ Having long anticipated Father Robert Barron’s grand documentary “Catholicism,” I was hoping to see it for the first time on TPT Channel 2. This documentary was filmed in 50 locations, across 15 countries, using state of the art cinematography. Never before has such a documentary of such breadth and beauty about Catholicism been produced. And, this has been widely recognized. Public broadcasting services in Chicago, Los Angeles and dozens of other cities across the country are airing it now and in the next few weeks. But it will not be on the air in Minnesota. It seems TPT Channel 2 is even more aggressively secular than public broadcasting in all of these cities. A fellow seminarian and I suggested to TPT 2 that they review the series and consider joining the mainstream of public broadcasting stations in scheduling it. We received a negative reply from Tom Holter, their executive director of programming. He wrote: “While our programming policy does permit programming about religion and religious issues, the ‘non-sectarian’ requirement means we generally do not carry pro-
grams that express only a single religious point of view, or assert matters of religious faith as fact.” It is hard to imagine which religions do not assert matters of religious faith as fact. And showing a faith tradition from the inside requires that one believes it to be true. He further wrote: “In addition, the stated purpose of the producer (Word on Fire Catholic Ministries) is to ‘reach millions of people to draw them into or back to the Catholic faith.’ While tpt recognizes the importance of programming that brings understanding and illumination to matters such as religion, we do not believe the evangelical nature of this series is consistent with our standards.” Is it not normal for a documentary maker to want to attract people to his subject matter? And, in point of fact, the Catholicism series is not explicitly evangelical, as it does not engage in apologetic arguments or proofs. However, Mr. Holter is more correct in this observation than in his former defense of a naked public square. This is because Father Barron shows the beauty of Catholicism, and hence his film is intrinsically evangelical. ANDREW JASPERS The writer is a third-year seminarian
of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis attending St. Paul Seminary and is a recent philosophy instructor at Creighton University.
Ready to help with anti-bullying efforts The article “Practicing Christ’s Message: Antidote to Bullying Pandemic” in The Catholic Spirit [Sept. 29] points out that we have a moral responsibility to combat bullying. The Peace Maker Foundation stands ready to help schools obtain funding for their anti-bullying programs. In fact, the first school we funded was Trinity Catholic School, and we currently fund three other Catholic schools in the archdiocese. If schools need funding for their work, please direct them to our website — WWW.PEACEMAKER MN.ORG — to learn more.
Caldarola. Troy Davis was convicted of murder based on the testimony of 34 witnesses, not nine. The seven “recantations” weren’t all really recantations, but minor changes in their original testimony. The Georgia Supreme Court denied the appeal despite knowing about the “recantations.” Caldarola says there was “never any forensic evidence linking him to the murder.” I believe the cartridges from the shooting were matched to cartridges from another shooting Davis had done earlier that day. What other physical evidence does she need?
Death penalty op-ed missed the mark
When I read this sentence, I lost all respect for the author: “A fifth-grader could have made a more intelligent decision than that board [the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles].” Finally and most important, I dispute Caldarola's implication that America’s tolerance for the death penalty makes it difficult for a pregnant women to understand the life of the baby within her is sacred. I hope Ms. Caldarola understands the differences between criminal justice, punishment for convicted criminals, and the abortion of a helpless child. I sure do.
I want to rebut the “We are either pro-life all the way or not at all” oped article [Oct. 13] written by Effie
Epiphany, Coon Rapids
VALARIE GRIEP The writer is a volunteer with the Peace Maker Foundation.
JOHN HOLLAND
Where to write ■ E-mail: CATHOLICSPIRIT
@ARCHSPM. ORG
■ FAX: (651) 291-4460 ■ Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102
Material printed on the Opinion and Letters page does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the archdiocese or The Catholic Spirit.
This Catholic Life/Commentary
OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Bow making hobby brings spiritual benefits to seminarian omething happens to Jake Anderson when the leaves change colors in the fall. This year, it occurred while on retreat at Pacem in Terris retreat center near St. Francis earlier this month. A seminarian at the St. Paul Seminary, he was there to spend some time away from the classroom to reflect and experience God. “It was difficult for me to enter in because the leaves were falling and my instincts were to look for deer,” he said. “When it drops below 50 or 60 [degrees], something happens. It’s time.” Time for hunting. It’s a natural activity for someone who grew up in rural Wisconsin and spent many a morning and evening hunting whitetails with a bow. But, what makes Anderson unique is that before he even became a teenager, he started making his own bows. In fact, he has pieces of wood — ash, maple, osage — tucked into a corner of his small room at the seminary, along with the tool — a metal rasp — he uses to form them into bows.
a rewarding experience that connects him to the Native Americans who ultimately were responsible for his learning how to make a bow.
S The Outdoors Dave Hrbacek
Quiet reflection while fashioning bows helped seminarian discern vocation
Quiet reflection I got a chance to look into the world of traditional, primitive archery when I paid Anderson a visit last week. He doesn’t have a workshop at the seminary, but he manages to fashion his bows, nonetheless. He takes a piece of wood and the rasp and goes out the back door to sit in the patio and shave away. It is here where he can experience long periods of quiet reflection, the kind of reflection that has helped him solidify his decision to pursue
Native American connection
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Seminarian Jake Anderson enjoys making his own bows and deer hunting with them near his family’s home in Baldwin, Wis.
the priesthood. Currently a Theology I student, he will be ordained in May 2014 if all goes according to plan. “It’s an area where I can disengage from the rigors of the intellectual life and engage in a different form of leisure,” he said. “It’s peaceful, it’s relaxing, it’s also challenging. And, it’s a form of art.” He is hoping that, long before ordination, he will harvest his first deer with a homemade bow. He has taken three with a modern, compound bow, and has come close to getting one with one of his traditional bows. His best chance came in 2006, when he was hunting on land near his family’s home in Baldwin, Wis. He was hunting from the ground, again in traditional style. A deer came to about 10 yards, but turned and walked away before he could shoot. But, he is far from disappointed. He
seems to have developed his “patience muscles” just like any good archer develops shooting muscles in the arms and shoulders. These days, I’m learning about shooting muscles. I took up archery back in June when I purchased a compound bow. I had bought a recurve bow for my son, William, and thought it would be nice to get a bow for myself so we could shoot together. We’ve been able to do that, and I have enjoyed those occasions when we visit a local archery range. My interest has progressed to the point where I have decided to bow hunt this fall. For people like Jake, however, it’s less about the kill and more about the other elements of the experience. Before he ever sets foot into the woods, he already has taken part in
When he was 11, a friend told him about someone in the neighborhood who had learned how to make traditional bows from Native Americans experienced in the craft. Soon, Jake was invited over to the man’s house to watch how he did it. He had been making bows since he was 7, but with poor results. “I found out that the wood had to dry; I was using wet wood all the way along,” he said. The drying time? Two years. Anything less and the bow won’t be strong enough to put an arrow through a deer. Anderson likes to have draw weights of 40 to 50 pounds. Despite the tedious steps involved — it takes 15 hours over four weeks to make a bow out of the dried wood — Jake finds both fulfillment and spiritual value in the undertaking. Often, time spent making a bow or sitting in the woods with his bow clears his head and helps him make important decisions. In our fast-paced culture, this type of activity is a nice change of pace that can provide some great spiritual benefits, not to mention produce an effective hunting tool. I sincerely hope Jake is able to take a deer with one of his homemade bows someday. “That would be a big moment,” he said. “Absolutely.” Dave Hrbacek is a staff photographer for The Catholic Spirit.
Get to know God through both scientific reason and faith he Protestant theologian Paul Tillich once commented that “faith” is the most misunderstood word in the religious vocabulary. I’m increasingly convinced that he was right about this. Again and again, my agnostic, atheist and secularist interlocutors tell me that Father faith is credulity, Robert Barron naïvete, superstition, assent to irrational nonsense, acceptance of claims for which there is no evidence, etc. They gladly draw a sharp distinction between faith so construed and modern science, which, they argue, is marked by healthy skepticism, empirical verification, a reliable and repeatable method, and the capacity for self-correction. How fortunate, they conclude, that the Western mind was able finally to wriggle free from the constraints of faith and move into the open and well-lighted space of scientific reason. And how sad that, like a ghost from another time and place, faith continues to haunt the modern mind and to hinder its progress. Recently, Pope Benedict XVI announced that, commencing next fall, the church will celebrate “a year of faith.” A good way to mark that announcement is, it seems to me, a clarification of what Catholics do and don’t mean by that word. I will begin with an analogy. If you are coming to know a person, and you are a
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Commentary
relatively alert type, your reason will be fully engaged in the process. You will look that person over, see how she dresses and comports herself, assess how she relates to others, Google her and find out where she went to school and how she is employed, ask mutual friends about her, etc. All of this objective investigation could take place even before you had the opportunity to meet her. When you finally make her acquaintance, you will bring to the encounter all that you have learned about her and will undoubtedly attempt to verify at close quarters what you have already discovered on your own. But then something extraordinary will happen, something that will, inevitably, reveal to you things that you otherwise would never know: She will speak. In doing so, she will, on her own initiative, disclose her mind, her heart, her feelings to you. Some of what she says will be in concord with what you have already found out, but much of it — especially if your relationship has deepened and your conversations are profound and intimate — will be new, wonderful, beyond anything you might have discovered on your own. But as she speaks and as you listen, you will be faced with a choice: Do you believe her or not? Again, some of what she says you might be able to verify through your own previous investigation, but as she speaks of her feelings, her intentions, her aspirations, her most abiding fears, you
know that you have entered a territory beyond your capacity to control. And you have to decide: Do you trust her or not? So it goes, whether we like it or not, anytime we deal with a person who speaks to us. We don’t surrender our reason as we get to know another person, but we must be willing to go beyond our reason; we must be willing to believe, to trust, to have faith.
Trusting the person of God This is, I think, an extremely illuminating analogy for faith in the theological sense. For Catholics, authentic faith never involves a sacrifice of the intellect. God wants us to understand all we can about him through reason. By analyzing the order, beauty and contingency of the world, there is an enormous amount of “information” we can gather concerning God: his existence, his perfection, the fact that he is endowed with intellect and will, his governance of the universe, etc. If you doubt me on this, I would invite you to take a good long look at the first part of Thomas Aquinas’s “Summa theologiae.” One of the truths that reason can discover is that God is a person, and the central claim of the Bible is that this person has not remained utterly hidden but has, indeed, spoken. As is the case with any listener to a person who speaks, the listener to the divine speech has to make a
choice: Do I believe him or not? The decision to accept in trust what God has spoken about himself is what the church means by “faith.” This decision is not irrational, for it rests upon and is conditioned by reason, but it presses beyond reason, for it represents the opening of one heart to another. In the presence of another human being, you could remain stubbornly in an attitude of mistrust, choosing to accept as legitimate only those data that you can garner through rational analysis; but in so doing, you would close yourself to the incomparable riches that that person might disclose to you. The strict rationalist, the unwavering advocate of the scientific method, will know certain things about the world, but he will never come to know a person. The same dynamic applies to our knowledge of God, the supreme person. The Catholic Church wants people to use reason as vigorously and energetically as possible — and this very much includes scientific reason. But then it invites them, at the limits of their striving, to listen, to trust, to have faith. Father Robert Barron is the founder of the global ministry, Word on Fire and the Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
TRAGEDY TRA Following daughter’s suicide, family tries to raise awareness CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 she went in and immediately looked to the right, where her bed was. No Teresa. Puzzled, she looked behind the door to her left and was horrified by what she saw — her daughter’s lifeless body hanging from the door by a dog’s leash, the prayer card of Mother Teresa laying next to her. She screamed. Downstairs, Michael felt a chill at the sound and instantly knew something was wrong with Teresa. He feared the worst, and it wasn’t long before his worst fears were realized. Their daughter, who was so full of life and so deep in her faith, was gone. She took her own life while her dad’s favorite song was playing, a song that talks about healing.
One year later The one-year anniversary of Teresa’s death is approaching, and the Gross family is amazingly energized and uplifted as they prepare for this sad anniversary. They have chosen to become better and not bitter and, to that end, have organized an event at their parish, St. Paul in Ham Lake, that is designed to help other families struggling with a child’s mental illness. The event, an adolescent mental health seminar, is called Teresa’s G.R.A.C.E. — Guidance Resources Awareness Catholic Education. It will take place Saturday, Nov. 19, beginning with Mass at 8 a.m. and going until noon. All six of the featured speakers are Catholic and will bring that faith perspective to their talks, not to mention practical wisdom about what to do if your child shows symptoms of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, which is what Teresa had been diagnosed with in August 2010. Despite the positive steps — and strong evidence of God’s hand on their lives and hearts — the Gross family still is struggling to come to grips with a tragedy that unfolded so quickly, and on the heals of what Anne and Michael believed to be a significant improvement in Teresa’s condition. Such a tragic and shocking reversal of progress is not surprising to one of the event’s speakers, Dan Reidenberg, who serves as the executive director of a national organization called Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE). Reidenberg, who attends All Saints in Lakeville, said this phenomenon of improvement is one aspect of suicide that many people may not be aware of. “Very often, somebody will be really struggling and then they will appear better, and then they’re just gone,” said Reidenberg of the often impulsive decision to commit suicide despite improvement. “That’s the kind of thing that is the most baffling about suicide for people. . . . It’s painful; it’s really, really hard on families when this happens. “What was going on for Teresa that day may have been nothing [negative] at all. She really might have been fine that day and she could have been smiling and laughing. Teenagers, almost by nature, are impulsive. And, it takes some degree of impulsivity to take your life. So, you add the two together — teenage impulsivity and somebody who’s at risk for this —
This photo of Teresa Gross, taken less than two months before her death in November 2010, is her parents’ favorite. Courtesy of the Gross family
“We believe very strongly that we are called to minister and called to bring an awareness about this very real disease. We want to bring new life out of what we’ve lost.” ANNE GROSS Teresa’s mother
Parish offers mental health seminar ■ What: Adolescent mental health seminar at Church of St. Paul in Ham Lake called Teresa’s G.R.A.C.E. (Guidance Resources Awareness Catholic Education) ■ When: Saturday, Nov. 19 ■ Cost: $15 per person, $25 per couple (scholarships available) ■ Includes: Mass at 8 a.m. followed by seminar from 9 a.m. to noon, featuring child psychiatrist Daniel Huesgen; family practice Drs. Mary and Matthew Paquette; therapist Catherine Mollner; pyschologist and suicide expert Daniel Reidenberg; and Father Jon Vander Ploeg, pastor of the Church of St. Paul (all six speakers are Catholic) ■ Registration: Call the Church of St. Paul at (763) 757-6910
and you worry. Then, it [suicide] happens, and you’re like, ‘How could they have gotten to this place?’”
Few warning signs In Teresa’s case, that is not an easy question to answer. Up until the summer of 2010, she was showing characteristics of someone at the opposite end of the spectrum from the deeply depressed teenager who began cutting herself and caused a worried friend’s mother to report the behavior to Anne and Michael in July of last year. “The words that describe her and come to mind, not only to us, but to anyone else you would talk to, are ‘joy,’ ‘a zest for life,’ ‘independent,’” Anne said. “She smiled all the time. We only have pictures of her smiling.” That smile and zest for life also drew others to her, her parents said. And, perhaps most significantly, she showed a deep faith that seemed to be beyond her years. “She was a very spiritual person,” Michael said. “She loved the Catholic faith; she understood it very well. She was home-schooled for several years. Before the day began, we would gather as a family in a room for morning prayer. The kids
were offered a time of sharing their insights on the readings for that day, which we read. And, she would have the most insightful thoughts and reflections of the readings. She kept a spiritual journal or diary — phenomenal things in there.” As her faith deepened, Teresa showed a strong interest in her namesake, Blessed Mother Teresa. Teresa even did some volunteer work with sisters of Mother Teresa’s order, the Missionary Sisters of Charity. Along with this developed a love for animals. It led to the family obtaining several pets and to Teresa walking dogs of people in the neighborhood. Both of those passions emerged when she applied to a local private school. “She, on her application, said, ‘I love animals, I want to be a veterinarian,’“ Michael said. “‘But, above all, I want to be a Sister of Charity.’” How does someone from a large, deeply religious, intact family with a strong parish community and lots of good relationships reach the point of taking her life? This question even can stump the experts. “You don’t see a lot of suicides in large families,” said Reidenberg, who spoke with the family after Teresa’s death and, subse-
quently, was invited to be a speaker. “We know that family does provide a protective factor [against suicide],” he said. “[In the case of] large, intact families very connected to their faith community — faith community is a protective factor — you go: ‘What happened? How did this happen? What made this one so different from others?’ And, I don’t know that we really know many answers to that.” Thus, the Grosses are left picking up the pieces and, perhaps, spending the rest of their lives asking questions they may never be able to answer. Yet, they are aware that they have important choices to make today, choices to heal and, more important, choices to help others do the same. “We believe very strongly that we are called to minister and called to bring an awareness about this very real disease,” Anne said. “We want to bring new life out of what we’ve lost. “The picture in my mind is of a dandelion that’s gone to seed, a beautifully formed, big puff — it’s just so beautiful, but yet the wind comes and blows it all apart and spreads those seeds. And, thus, new life. That’s the picture I have of Teresa.”
OCTOBER 27, 2011
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ANSFORMED
Pastor endured similar tragedy in his own family Father Vander Ploeg says that simply being present to people who are experiencing a loss can make a big difference By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
When Father Jon Vander Ploeg, pastor of St. Paul in Ham Lake, was notified that Teresa Gross had committed suicide on Nov. 1, 2010, he knew what the family was going through. Five years before that, his family had endured a similar tragedy when his brother, Mark, committed suicide. Mark “had mental illness for almost a decade, pretty severe schizophrenia and bipolar [disorder],” Father Vander Ploeg said. “It was very active the last six months. [My parents, Steve and Mary], were actually taking him into the hospital that day in order to get his meds redone. . . . He said he had to go to his car to get change. My mom looked out and he wasn’t there, and she ran and found him in the garage. He had shot himself.” Father Vander Ploeg went to his family’s home in Grand Rapids, Mich., and preached at the funeral. Then, just a few months later, he had
a suicide in his parish, after being the pastor at St. Paul for only a year. Like the Gross tragedy, this, too, involved a young teen. Meeting with that family in the hospital showed him how helpful his own experience was because he “could relate to them on multiple levels,” he said. “They knew that I knew what FATHER they were going VANDER PLOEG through.” Father Vander Ploeg had to deal with two more suicides in his parish before helping the Gross family last year. He has met with them several times, but said the key to their healing process has been the friendships they have with other parishioners. The parish staff initiated things like bringing meals over, with parishioners and their friends and family continuing the practice for four months.
Ministering to families Meeting practical needs is one important way people can help a family that’s suffering a loss. Father Vander Ploeg said another way folks can make a difference is by just being
with the people who are suffering. In fact, that can help more than any words they might say. “You just walk with the person and be with them,” he said. “My goal isn’t to make them feel better, it’s to simply be with them in the midst of the suffering they’re going through.” One challenge for a priest in cases of suicide is the question of whether heaven is possible for those who have taken their own lives. Although the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls suicide “gravely contrary to the just love of self,” it also acknowledges the possibility of salvation for that person, saying “by ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance.” (See sidebar containing passages from the catechism on suicide.) Father Vander Ploeg says it’s important to always follow what the church teaches, but at the same time, to be sensitive to the emotional state of the family members who have suffered a loss. What he tries to do is bring hope without dismissing the seriousness of the person’s act. “In the midst of tragedy, Christ can enter into that and transform us in the midst of even the greatest sorrow,” he said. “Our hope is in him, not in us having everything go our way.”
What does the church teach? The Catechism of the Catholic Church has four passages that specifically address suicide. They are as follows: 2280: Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of. 2281: Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God. 2282: If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law. Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide. 2283: We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.
Warning signs of suicide
Facts and stats
According to suicide expert Dan Reidenberg, executive director of SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), the following are warning signs that a person may be at risk for committing suicide. He recommends that those experiencing two or more of these signs be evaluated in a hospital as soon as possible.
■ Suicide takes the lives of nearly 30,000 Americans every year. ■ Between 1952 and 1995, suicide in young adults nearly tripled. ■ For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death. ■ More than half of all suicides are completed with a firearm. ■ Suicide rates among the elderly are highest for those who are divorced or widowed. ■ 80 percent of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully. ■ There are an estimated eight to 25 attempted suicides to one completion. ■ Substance abuse is a risk factor for suicide. ■ The strongest risk factor for suicide is depression.
■ Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself ■ Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun ■ Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live ■ Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain ■ Talking about being a burden to others ■ Increasing use of alcohol or drugs ■ Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly ■ Sleeping too little or too much ■ Withdrawing or feeling isolated ■ Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge ■ Displaying extreme mood swings
Source: WWW.SAVE.ORG
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Blessed Mother Teresa
The Lesson Plan 16
The Catholic Spirit
Reflections on faith and spirituality
OCTOBER 27, 2011
The priesthood of Christ is a priesthood of the heart hrough his Word, the Lord frequently reminds us that the calling to priesthood is a noble one, yet it is a vocation that carries grave responsibilities.
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The Judeo-Christian priesthood has a long and storied history, beginning with the Aaronite and Levitical priests of the Hebrew Scriptures and continuing with the New Testament priesthood inaugurated by Jesus Christ. Throughout salvation history, there have been faithful priests as well as some who were unfaithful and even evil.
Sunday Scriptures
In our first reading this Sunday, the Lord gives priests a stern warning, starting with the Israelite priests of the Old Testament. In the Book of Malachi, God says: “O Priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, if you do not lay it to your heart . . . I will send a curse upon you.” This admonishment was given because the priests were endorsing the illicit practices of the faith of the Israelites, such as men marrying outside of the faith and taking up the pa-
Deacon Steve Jones
gan worship practices of their wives. When Christ came, he inaugurated his ministerial priesthood, ushering in the fullness of authentic worship of the Father, which is worship in spirit (the Holy Spirit) and truth (Christ). This priesthood of Jesus Christ replaced the Old Testament priesthood, and the animal sacrifices offered by the priests of the Old Testament were replaced by the sacrifice of the cross. The Temple in Jerusalem, which was the center of Israelite worship, was replaced by Jesus himself. When we worship at the Mass, as Christ commands, the priest represents the sacrifice of the cross, and our own hearts and lives are offered to God. The Holy Spirit comes during the Mass and allows us to worship through the Spirit of Christ, which pleases God and saves us. Thus the priesthood of Christ is a priesthood of the heart, fully given to God and in service of his people.
Christ’s message to priests The Apostle Paul tells us, in this Sunday’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, that he is determined to share with us “not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.” Paul’s attitude exemplifies that of
Readings Sunday, Oct. 30 31st Sunday in ordinary time ■ Malachi 1:14b — 2:2b, 8-10 ■ 1 Thessalonians 12:7b-9, 13 ■ Matthew 23:1-12
For reflection Think of a time when a priest served you in some way. How does that act lead you to the heart of the Father?
the good priest, who always looks after the needs of his flock rather than his own interests. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives clear commands on how his priests are to behave. He condemns the Pharisees for laying heavy religious burdens on the people without practicing them. Priests must practice what they preach. Christ condemns those who might assume the title “Father” out of a sense of pride, superiority or elitism. Yet spiritual fatherhood is legitimate and, in fact, is
central to the vocation of Christ’s priesthood. Priests are to embrace living in the heart of Christ as to live a life of service, which leads the people to the heart of the Father. When we call our priests “Father,” we are looking through the humanity of the priest to the true Father in heaven.
world or my life is going to end, I feel closest to God when I recognize how I saw Christ, today, and how I can be present to him in the suffering of others.
end, what is the most loving choice we can make in the present moment?
Deacon Steve Jones is a transitional deacon incardinated into the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D. He was born in Minneapolis, and his home parish is St. Pascal Baylon in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Daily Scriptures Sunday, Oct. 30 31st Sunday in ordinary time Malachi 1:14b — 2:2b, 8-10 1 Thessalonians 12:7b-9, 13 Matthew 23:1-12 “Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.” — 1 Thessalonians 2:7 As I watch our youngest daughter with her newborn baby, I am especially aware of the demands on the mother while nursing a child. Besides patience and persistence, it also takes a willingness to put aside other desires and be inconvenienced. Behind Paul’s tender image is the reality of the cost of authentic love. The love Paul holds for the community and the love my daughter has for her child are glimpses into the heart of God. Monday, Oct. 31 Romans 11:29-36 Luke 14:12-14 When we are open hearted toward others, we reflect God’s generosity toward us. Tuesday, Nov. 1 All Saints Day Holy Day of Obligation Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12a What we most dread might be the vehicle for our transformation. Wednesday, Nov. 2 All Souls Day Wisdom 3:1-9 Romans 5:5-11
John 6:37-40 As we allow ourselves to be loved, we are changed for eternity. Thursday, Nov. 3 Martin de Porres, religious Romans 14:7-12 Luke 15:1-10 The closer we come to the heart of God the more people we are able to embrace. Friday, Nov. 4 Charles Borromeo, bishop Romans 15:14-21 Luke 16:1-8 We can be cautious without being cynical. Saturday, Nov. 5 Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27 Luke 16:9-15 Sometimes we are the last ones to realize when a good thing has become an obstacle. Sunday, Nov. 6 32nd Sunday in ordinary time Wisdom 6:12-16 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13 “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” — Matthew 25:13 Earlier in my life, I would have read this as a warning, but along the way I have realized that orienting my life around fear is counterproductive. I now hear this as a call to live in the present rather than wasting time regretting the past or fearing the future. Instead of worrying about when the
Monday, Nov.7 Wisdom 1:1-7 Luke 17:1-6 When we are aware of our own need for forgiveness, we are more generous toward those seeking our forgiveness.
Saturday, Nov. 12 Josaphat, bishop and martyr Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9 Luke 18:1-8 Our most powerful prayers are often born out of anguish rather than contentment.
Thursday, Nov. 10 Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the church Wisdom 7:22b — 8:1 Luke 17:20-25 God’s presence cannot be confined by any parameters we might want to set.
Sunday, Nov. 13 33rd Sunday in ordinary time Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 Matthew 25:14-30 “For you, yourselves, know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:2 Years ago, after accidentally leaving our garage door open, someone stole my car in the middle of the night. I still remember the shock I felt at such a totally unexpected turn of events. As much as we might want to control our lives, there are always going to be events and situations beyond our control. Not only do we not know when the world will end, we don’t know when our world as we know it might end. The question for us is whether we are spending our time and energy on what is life giving to ourselves and others or wasting it on what is destructive, divisive and deadening.
Friday, Nov. 11 Martin of Tours, bishop Wisdom 13:1-9 Luke 17:26-37 Considering everything will eventually
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.
Tuesday, Nov. 8 Wisdom 2:23 — 3:9 Luke 17:7-10 We know in our hearts when our only motivation is to transmit the goodness of God. Wednesday, Nov. 9 Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17 John 2:13-22 What are you passionate enough about to risk criticism and rejection?
The Lesson Plan
OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Taking a final look at the revised Roman Canon The following 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. e conclude our meditations on the revised Roman Canon by focusing on three sections of the newly translated prayer — the Mystery of Faith, the invocation and memorial of the saints, and that part of the prayer which we call the “final doxology.”
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Mystery of Faith At the conclusion of the words of institution, the priest celebrant currently says or sings to the congregation “Let us proclaim the Mystery of Faith.” This is a powerful acFather clamation, but it is not John Paul exactly what the Latin Erickson says in the typical edition of our prayers.
Lift Up Your Hearts
Rather, the Latin text simply reads “Mysterium Fidei,” that is, “The Mystery of Faith.” The new acclamation of the priest, corresponding more exactly to the Latin text, better captures the wonder of the moment, a moment in which we acclaim the substantial presence of Christ among us, the God become little, the Infinite One circumscribed in the form of a piece of bread that can be consumed. This
truly is a Mystery of Faith — the vulnerability of Love Divine, made truly present in the Sacred Host and Precious Blood. Without a doubt, the most common response of the people to this proclamation is currently, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” This is, of course, a true statement, and it serves as a compelling proclamation of the story of salvation in Christ. However, this acclamation is not in the Latin text, and hence, will no longer be used when the new translation is implemented on Nov. 27. However, what is in the Latin text are short acclamations that speak directly to Jesus, substantially present among us in the Sacred Host: ■ “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again.” ■ “When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.” ■ “Save us Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.” This is a unique moment in the Eucharistic Prayer, for while the prayer as a whole is directed to the Father in and through Jesus, this particular part of the prayer is spoken to Christ himself, the Savior who will return in glory at the end of days to put to death death itself. In the Mass, Christ returns hidden. At the end of time, he will return triumphant.
Invocation and memorial Within the Roman Canon there is a
Coming up next ■ Nov. 10 — Questions and answers about the new missal ■ Read previous articles from the new missal series online at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.
kind of triptych, a three-part meditation on the mystery of salvation and the church. In the center of this triptych stands Christ himself, made present through the words of institution and the powerful prayer of consecration. But to the left and right of Christ stand the saints of the church, those men and women who have followed the Savior and accepted his call to total self gift in love. Prior to the words of institution, the priest celebrant remembers by name the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles and many of the great figures of the early church in Rome. After the words of institution, the priest celebrant remembers by name St. John the Baptist, St. Stephen and several of the women martyrs of the faith, heroines who bear the names Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecelia and Anastasia. The litany of these women, some of them virgins, others married, some rich, some poor, has always been quite moving to me, for it is a powerful reminder that sanctity is not dependent on age, or whether one is a man or a woman, or whether one is wealthy or in poverty. What made these disciples of Christ holy was that they said yes to Jesus and followed him wherever he went, even when that meant earthly death. We not only remember these great saints of the church when we gather to pray the Roman Canon. We also ask them to pray for us, they who have achieved what we are still striving for — that is, perfect love of God and neighbor. One of the truly important doctrines of the church is our belief in the Mystical Body, a connection stronger than blood
that baptized believers share in and through Jesus Christ. Truly, the great saints of the early church are with us on the road to heaven, urging us on and strengthening us by their prayers. As the Roman Canon states in reference to the prayers of these men and women, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, “we ask that through their merits and prayers, in all things we may be defended by [God’s] protecting help.”
Final doxology All of the Eucharistic Prayers of the Latin-rite church conclude with what we call “The Final Doxology.” As the priest elevates the body and blood of Jesus Christ, he alone says or sings: “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.” As we have stated throughout this series, the whole prayer of the Mass is directed to the Father, but always through Jesus, with Jesus and in Jesus. It is by means of our union with Christ that our salvation is effected. It is Christ who reveals the fullness of God’s life and plan to us, and it is by clinging to him that we will come to possess divine life. And so the final doxology is a wonderful summary of the life of holiness to which we are all called. Indeed, it is a set of instructions on how to achieve that life – we must strive to live in Christ, to walk with Christ and, indeed, to die with Christ. As Catholic Christians, we do this by making the Sacred Liturgy, and in particular the celebration of the Mass, the source and summit of our lives. It is in this prayer that Jesus is found and followed, and hence, it is in this prayer that the Father is found and loved. Father John Paul Erickson is director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship.
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The Lesson Plan
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 27, 2011
The Catholic Spirit recently asked readers to tell about the saint who has inspired them the most in light of the Solemnity of All Saints Nov. 1. (We also allowed submissions about those not yet canonized as saints but who have been beatified and declared “blessed.”) Several responses appear on this page and page 19. You can read more online at THECATHOLIC SPIRIT.COM. Many years ago when I was a freshman at Bethlehem Academy, my little first-grade sister suffered a ruptured appendix with subsequent peritonitis. Her body was severely swollen and distended. The doctor didn't hold out much hope for her to survive. Our B.A. homeroom teacher, Sister Aimee, taught us an intercessory prayer to St. Philomena. My little sister survived and the doctor felt it was a miracle. To this day, I recite the prayer in thanksgiving to St. Philomena. CONNIE CLARK Divine Mercy, Faribault ■■■
As a child, I was sexually abused by a teenage neighbor. While preparing for my confirmation, I read about St. Maria Goretti. I felt an instant connection with her and chose her for “my saint.” As I have worked on healing my past, St. Maria has been a source of strength and comfort. I believe the reason St. Maria Goretti became a saint is not because she died for her purity, but for the way she forgave her abuser. ST. MARIA GORETTI Anyone who has been abused or attacked knows how difficult it is to forgive. Maria has taught me that forgiveness is the only way to have true peace. Through her intercession, and by the grace of God, I have been able to forgive my abuser and now pray for God to heal him and use him as an instrument of his peace. While my abuse still affects me, it no longer controls me. I am thankful for the example of St. Maria Goretti and for her friendship. I look forward to meeting her face to face in heaven someday. NAME WITHHELD Epiphany, Coon Rapids ■■■
As a child I wondered why my parents named me Christopher, but I never asked. I first learned from adults that he was the saint of travelers, so when I was young and found a St. Christopher medal, I kept it and have it with me always. He has protected me wherever I have gone — through a car accident, sickness and a few other close calls. But more important is his name, which means "Christ-bearer.” I find that our name does mean something, I am destined to do something special for Christ. I just hope I am prepared for what this is and live up to my God-given name. CHRIS DUFFY Guardian Angels, Oakdale ■■■
In fourth grade I decided to take my best friend’s favorite saint as my own. I read what I could about St. Therese of Lisieux, “The Little Flower.” Several images from her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” remain vivid and have inspired me.
Understanding the communion of
By Father Michael Van Sloun
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he communion of saints is a timely topic as November approaches, the month we celebrate All Saints (Nov. 1) and All Souls (Nov. 2) and pray for the dead. This core belief is stated in the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” The communion of saints is a “communion,” a union, a common bond, a profound connection, a great fellowship — shared among the “saints,” the holy ones, the Christian faithful, those who are filled with grace, members of the one body with Christ as the head. “The communion of saints is the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 946). It’s a timely topic It has three states or divisions, the as we prepare to communion of saints of the living, those who are still on their pilgrim journey on celebrate the earth; and the communion of saints of the Solemnity of All dead or the faithful departed, some of whom are being purified, those in purgatory, and Saints on Nov. 1 the ones who are enjoying eternal glory in the presence of God, those in heaven and All Souls Day (Catechism, No. 954).
Spanning the ages
Nov. 2 and pray for the dead.
The living are “saints” because they are baptized, members of the Body of Christ, members of the church, unified in faith and belief, praying and receiving the sacraments, and advancing in holiness. Their sainthood is real but unfinished; “they are saints in training” or “saints in progress.” The dead, or the faithful departed, are saints because their time on earth is over. They are the ones who have completed the race, kept the faith, and have been given the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7,8). When they stood before the Son of Man, they were judged to be righteous and told, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). They are the sheep for whom the Good Shepherd freely laid down his life (John 10:1-18); the ones who have been escorted by Jesus to the Father’s house (John 14:1-3); and the great multitude which no one can count that are gathered around God’s throne (Revelation 7:9). The communion of saints spans the ages. It unites the saints who are living now with all who have gone before, whether they departed yesterday, last year, a generation ago or centuries earlier. The communion also encompasses all places, wherever the saints may be: in different rooms in the same home, nextdoor neighbors, across the country or to the four corners of the world; and unites those on earth with those beyond, those in purgatory and those who have arrived at their eternal home. The communion of the living has great concern for those who have died. While separated physically, the living are united to those who have gone before them in spirit through Christ. In their sorrow and grief, they long for the day of reunification in heaven, that where their ancestors have gone, they may also go. The living express their concern for the faithful departed in prayer, offering prayers for those in purgatory to speed their loved ones on to the fullness of joy, and for those in heaven, offering prayers that they might intercede on their behalf before God. The saints in heaven watch over those who continue their journey on earth by the constant watchfulness and prayers of intercession.
United in worship While the saints, those whose names are listed in the Book of Life, gather together in solemn assembly at the throne of God in the heavenly liturgy, bow down and worship God day and night, sing hymns of praise, cry out, “Honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever” (Revelation 7:12) and exclaim, “Amen! Alleluia!” (Revelation 19:4), the saints on earth gather together around God’s altar at liturgy week after week, and in praise and worship cry out, “Glory to God in the highest! We worship you. We give you thanks. We praise you for your glory!” And continue, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might!” The same Christ who reigns on the throne in heaven with his saints above is made present in the Eucharist with his saints below, and when the faithful receive the Eucharist, there is holy Communion between all of God’s saints. Father Miochael Van Sloun is pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka.
St. Therese admitted that the constant gum smacking of an older Carmelite nun in prayer drove her crazy. Eventually she was able to offer her annoyances to Jesus and hear the sounds with kindness. I have thought of this in various situations. In early 2001, a scene from the saint’s short life flashed through my mind. As a girl she decided to pray for a hardened criminal soon to be executed. She was almost foolishly confident In God’s mercy for the man. Therese was overjoyed when she read the newspaper account of his last few minutes. Although seemingly unrepentant, the murderer seized a crucifix as he mounted the scaffold to the guillotine. He kissed it three times. Inspired by St. Therese’s boldness, I embarked on a similar prayer mission. I prayed daily for Timothy McVeigh. In his last hours, he suddenly asked to see a priest and received the last rites. MICHAELENE ZAWISTOWSKI St. Thomas More, St. Paul ■■■
A saint that inspires me? How about one who was canonized relatively recently on Oct. 6, 2002. The founder of Opus Dei ("The Work of God"), St. Josemaria Escriva. Do we all have to become priests, monks and sisters to find holiness? Not by the thinking of St. Josemaria. He sought to show us how to sanctify ordinary work in the midst of the world without changing one’s state in life. His writings ST. JOSEMARIA remind us that in ESCRIVA carrying out with Christian love even the most insignificant daily actions, those actions can overflow with the transcendence of God. All of our daily activity can thus become a continuous prayer, and a sanctifying thing. Referred to by many as “the saint of the ordinary,” St. Josemaria has opened new vistas for everyone who has taken the time to get to know him through his many writings and through contacts with Opus Dei. CRAIG MESCH Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville ■■■
A saint to me is a role model for life. After losing my biological mother in an accident, at age 10 I was left alone, devastated and lost for the next 15 years. When I married in 1976 and converted to Catholicism, I found my saint for life, my constant friend and mentor, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Christ’s mother. I talk to her as my very best friend and pray her rosary every day, for I know she has been with me to guide and lead me in every decision in my life. There is no doubt that she knows suffering, watching her only son brutally beaten, scorned and hung on a cross before a cold, cruel world. Yet, she also believed he would rise again and become the Savior for this broken world for all mankind, and for all times, and she would be united with him in heaven one day, which is my hope as well. She has taught me how to embrace life on every level, and will be my first and foremost saint and guide forever. JOELLYN SOLER President, Minneapolis Council of Catholic Women
The Lesson Plan
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Saintly mom with wayward son inspires Minnesota mother I have never paid much attention to the saints, but that all changed one summer about 10 years ago. It was the summer that my oldest daughter was going off to college for the first time. Her move-in day was scheduled for Aug. 27. It should have been an exciting and fun day for all of us, except for one thing: My son was to appear in juvenile court that same morning due to his impulsive adolescent behavior. The court date was originally scheduled for an earlier day, but was moved to Aug. 27. I tried to reschedule again, but was not able to. I thought, how am I going to handle all of this in one day? I wanted this to be a memorable and fun day for my daughter, but with the court date in the morning, she was on her own for most of the day. That morning, the tension in our home was so high, tempers were flaring and none of us was handling the stress very well. I was angry with my whole family
and was very concerned and worried about what might happen in court. On a whim, I decided to go to Mass that morning. I thought to myself that I had to find some peace before I could face this day. The presiding priest was not our parish priest but a visiting Franciscan priest. He began the Mass by stating, “Today is the feast day of St. Monica. She is the patron saint for mothers with wayward ST. MONICA children.” Immediately I began to cry (and continued through most of the Mass). Some days God speaks softly to us, and at other times he needs to hit us over the head to pay attention. This was one of those days that he was hitting me over the head! The priest continued,
“Let’s pray for all those mothers who are struggling with their children.” Throughout the rest of the Mass, he referred to and called upon St. Monica. After Communion, I offered up a quiet prayer for my son. I asked God to soften the heart of the prosecuting attorney. I asked that [God] give my son what he deserved as punishment, nothing more, and nothing less. I left Mass that morning with a surprisingly calm and peaceful heart. I literally gave all my anxiety up to God. I thought the outcome of this day is up to him; there is nothing more I could do. At court that morning, the lawyer met with us first to explain what the judge was going to say. He started out saying the first charge is dropped, followed by the second charge is suspended. In return, he was given community service and to pay back his debt. As our lawyer was reading this to us, I started to cry again realizing that my prayers were being answered right there in front of me! As he
continued to read he interjected, “And if Helen keeps crying I will start to cry. too!” That afternoon as my husband and I were driving to college to help our daughter unpack and get her dorm room set up, I was marvelling at how this day had turned out. I remember sitting in the car, sunglasses on, and with tears streaming down my face. Tears of overwhelming gratitude and basking in the warmth and knowledge that God is great. Months later, I found out that the prosecuting attorney was ready to give my son the maximum punishment, but after talking with our lawyer, he changed his mind. This exchange took place after I attended Mass that morning. To this day, I try to attend Mass on Aug. 27 in honor of St. Monica. I will never forget the intercessions of St. Monica! HELEN (LAST NAME WITHHELD) Prior Lake
Blessed Pier Frassati was adventurer and man of virtue One particular saint that I continue to be inspired by is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. During my study-abroad in Rome, I had the opportunity to visit the office for his cause for canonization with my friend, (now) Father Andrew Liaugminas. Andrew and I took a picture holding his pickaxe, the very one he was holding in his iconic pose standing on top of La Lunelle Mountain a few months before he died. Although he died at the young age of 24, he lived life to the fullest, a life completely for God. He had a great faith that was manifested in his generosity for the poor, often giving away his train fare or even the sweater or coat he was wearing. He was also an avid mountain climber, and a favorite saying of his was “Verso l’alto,” which means, “Go to the heights.” This sentiment captured his sense of always seeking the greatest good in life, so to become a man of virtue, united with God. Because he was known for his adventurous and jovial disposition, he has become an example for young Catholics to follow Christ. Since that encounter in Rome, I have come to know Blessed Pier Giorgio more and more, asking for his intercession as I strive to be a man of virtue, always looking up toward God.
Pope John XXIII signs the bull convoking the Second Vatican Council on Dec. 25, 1961. The document said modern society was advancing with technological and scientific progress for which there was no corresponding advance in morality. He wrote that he would convene the council so that the church would contribute positively to the solution of modern problems. CNS file photo
THOMAS SCHULZETENBERG Administrative chancellor, Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis
Photo courtesy of Thomas Schulzetenberg
Thomas Schulzetenberg, right, and now-Father Andrew Liaugminas stand with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s pickaxe. Inset: Blessed Frassati with the pick axe.
Peasant, priest, pope and people lover The saint whose story inspires me the most is Blessed Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli 1881-1963). He was born into a peasant family, one of 13 children, and wore hand-me-down clothes until he was in gradate school. He was unabashedly human. He smoked cigarettes, drank wine and enjoyed eating. He was elected pope at the age of 77 in 1958 and convened the Second Vatican Council. It is the ecumenical council that is still changing the church today. In his opening speech at the Second Vatican Council, Pope John said that he “preferred the medicine of mercy to that of severity.” He practiced that throughout his life as a Christian, a priest, a bishop and as pope. The Italians called him “good Pope John.” Protestants and Jews alike loved him. During the Second World War he saved many Jews from being killed by the Nazis in the concentration camps. The Jewish community considers him a righteous gentile for this work. From the age of 14 on, John kept a diary. It is called “The Journal of a Soul.” It is still in print and makes for inspiring spiritual reading even today. He had a great sense of humor. Once, when he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror, he murmured with a chuckle, “Lord this man is going to be a disaster on television.” When he was the cardinal archbishop and patriarch of Venice he opined, “We are not on earth as museum keepers but to cultivate a flourishing garden of life and to prepare a
glorious future.” Blessed Pope John’s sayings provide a model by which to live one’s faith life. Just listen to them: “See everything, overlook much, correct little.” “There would be no pagans if we all lived like real Christians.” “Christian faith is this: serenity and inner calm while offering oneself to God.” One of the entries in his diary reads, “A day without prayer is like a sky without the sun, a garden without flowers.” On the occasion of his installation as pope, he said: “The secret of everything is to let yourself be carried by the Lord and to carry the Lord.” Good Pope John died of stomach cancer on June 3, 1963. On his death bed while pointing to the crucifix hanging on the wall at the foot of his bed, he said, “The secret of my life is in the crucifix. . . . Those open arms have been the program of my pontificate: they mean that Christ died for all, for all. No one is excluded from his love, from his forgiveness.” Blessed John XXIII lived his whole life that way, loving and forgiving people as Jesus did. Blessed John XXIII’s feast day is Oct. 11, the same date that the Second Vatican Council opened in 1962. On the feast of All Saints, I will remember and celebrate this marvelous Christian who was peasant, priest, pope, people lover and saint. ARTHUR E. ZANNONI St. Cecilia, St. Paul
“People plan for so many things in their lives, why would we not plan for this great transition, when we go from this life to the next.” Johan van Parys
Hospice/Funeral Planning 20
A Catholic Spirit special section
The Catholic Spirit
OCTOBER 27, 2011
My Catholic funeral — My way
Funeral planning workshop
Pre-planning lifts burden from family; ensures smooth transition By Pat Norby The Catholic Spirit
Pre-planning your own funeral is a final gift that you can give to your loved ones at the time of your death, say two parish funeral planners. Johan van Parys and Mia Ah Sani have each offered funeral pre-planning workshops and individual sessions for the past several years at their respective parishes in Minneapolis and St. Paul. “It originated from my experience in meeting with families after a loved one has died,” said van Parys, Liturgy and Sacred Arts Office director at the Basilica of St. Mary. About five years ago, he began offering a workshop each spring and fall (see box at far right) to discuss the whats, whys and hows of a Catholic funeral and to
BigStock Photo
provide pre-planning information. Ah Sani, pastoral care director at Lumen Christi, said she has actively recruited parishioners to come and pre-plan their funeral Mass for many years. “We do over 50 funerals a year, so when I come to work on Monday, it’s not will we have one, but how many,” she said.
The first seminar she planned was about four years ago, when Father Paul Feela became pastor. The parish organized a three-part seminar over three months, focused on various topics: the theology of dying and what a funeral Mass means to Catholic Christians, the theology of a Christian burial and the specifics of planning a Catholic funeral.
“People think when they plan it at the funeral home they are done, Ah Sani said. “When you do funeral planning it is a three-legged stool: The church is one leg in planning the liturgy. The cemetery is another leg of it in planning the burial. The funeral home is the third leg of it.” PLEASE TURN TO ADVANCE ON PAGE 23
What: Johan van Parys will answer questions and provide all the materials you need to plan a Catholic funeral for yourself or a loved one. When: 10 a.m.noon, Saturday, Oct. 29 Where: Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Mpls. Register: (612) 3173410 or at WWW.MARY. ORG or at the door Cost: $5
Catholic funeral pre-planning checklist Make an appointment
✓
Contact your pastor, the pastoral minister, the liturgist or other staff person in charge of funeral planning. Find out what guidelines the parish follows. Some parishes have a helpful checklist of things to be considered.
a means of meditation on your life and on what death means for Catholic Christians.
the various services? Who might deliver a brief eulogy, if allowed by your pastor? Who could proclaim the chosen readings from Scripture?
Memorable music
✓
What are the hymns and music that are used for funerals at your parish? Which ones do you think are appropriate for your own celebration of new life?
Choose Scripture
✓
Consider readings that are special to you. What Gospel story speaks to you of your own life? Ask for a list of the optional readings for a funeral in your parish. Perhaps you can use that list as
Who will take part
✓
Review burial choices
✓
If you have not made arrangements with a cemetery, consider calling The Catholic Cemeteries to review burial options. If you have not made prior arrangements with a specific funeral home, your parish may assist with recommendations.
What members of your family and which friends do you want to have certain roles in
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Hospice/Funeral Planning
OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Palliative care pioneer sees essential role for Catholic health care policy at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, said the need for palliative care has been heightened by the fact that “fewer resources of a nonmedical nature, resources of faith and family” are available these days to patients with lifelimiting illnesses.
By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service
Dr. Ira Byock, a pioneer in palliative and hospice care, believes Catholic health care has a unique role to play as the nation’s understanding and acceptance of end-oflife care begins to turn a corner. “Catholic health care has a lot to contribute to helping our culture grow the rest of the way up,” the director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., told Catholic News Service. The goal, he said, is “integrating the fact of mortality into full and healthy living.” Byock calls palliative care — which involves management of pain as well as care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and his or her loved ones — “ardently life-affirming,” adding, “If you are committed to affirming life, you have to affirm all of life, including that part we call dying.” He spoke with CNS before addressing a summit in Bethesda, Md., on “The Science of Compassion: Future Directions in Endof-Life and Palliative Care.” Sponsored by the National Institute of Nursing Research and other agencies of the National Institutes of Health, the summit opened Aug. 10 with a town hall meeting on “The Ethics of Science at the End of Life.” Involved in the movement to improve end-of-life care since 1978, Byock said “we are swimming downstream now” in the attitudes of physicians, other health care professionals, patients and families toward palliative and hospice care. “We are wonderfully struggling to keep
Research raises questions
CNS photo / Nancy Wiechec
Catholic chaplain Susan Mitchell visits a cancer patient at her home in Rockville, Md., in this December 2010 file photo.
with the demand” at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, where about 600 new hospital patients and 520 new outpatients received palliative care last year, he said. Byock, who also is a professor of anesthesiology and community and family medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, said that “until recently, many doctors assumed there was no value in the time of life we call dying” and that their only role was to keep the patient alive at all costs. But he said there has been an increasing awareness, “even among nonpalliative care docs, that there is something really precious happening during this last time
of life.” Once familiar only to oncologists, who treat cancer patients, palliative care is now being suggested by physicians who work in intensive care, transplant surgeries, cardiac care, neurology and other specialties, Byock said. “After seeing us in action a few times, doctors want that for their other patients,” he said. “Patients and families are benefiting, and physicians and nurses are more satisfied with their ability to care for those they treat.” During the town hall meeting, Marie Hilliard, director of bioethics and public
“Death is less of a private matter than it once was,” said Hilliard, who served as mistress of ceremonies for the discussion. She cited a need to “discuss, debate and define whether the ethics of end-of-life research are different” than the ethics of other research. For example, patients who are dying might have “misplaced motivations for participation in research” that muddle the question of their informed consent to the research, she said. Dr. Joseph Fins, professor of medical ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, said some of the ethical problems that arise in medicine come from “the power of the technological imperative that is still out there.” Karla FC Holloway, a professor of English and law at Duke University in Durham, N.C., said the dying process must be seen as “a sacred transition” and called for moves to “restore the privacy to death” that used to surround it when most people died quietly at home. She said research on the dying should be guided by the legal principle of “strict scrutiny” and conducted only when there is “a compelling and overwhelming interest in our need to know” something related to the research.
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Hospice/Funeral Planning
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 27, 2011
Catholic grief ministries provide needed support solitary journey. In Scripture they see that Jesus himself experienced what they are going through. At this most critical time in their lives, our church is there to comfort, not judge,” McConville added.
Catholic News Service Although people often feel alone after the death of a loved one, they can find support from parishioners who help coordinate funeral Masses and parish bereavement groups that provide coping skills. One of the ways some parishes minister to the bereaved is through the Arimathean ministry, which prepares and coordinates funeral Masses. The ministry derives its name from St. Joseph of Arimathea, who, according to all four Gospels, asked for the body of the crucified Christ from Pontius Pilate to give him a proper burial in a tomb the saint donated. Jack Costello directs the Arimathean Society at Holy Redeemer Church in Kensington, Md. “It is one of the seven virtues to bury the dead,” Costello said. The duties of the Arimatheans include setting out vessels and bread and wine, lighting altar candles, as well as serving as lectors, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion, altar servers, ushers and greeters for the funeral Mass. At Holy Redeemer, the society includes 15 parishioners, all retirees, who find their volunteer service rewarding, Costello said. No volunteer helps with more than three funerals a year and usually three members are needed for a service.
A vital ministry “Although families may not see the di-
“The only way to heal is to walk through grief, but it doesn’t have to be a solitary journey. In Scripture they see that Jesus himself experienced what they are going through. At this most critical time in their lives, our church is there to comfort, not judge.
Awareness needed
”
PATRICIA MCCONVILLE
rect benefit of our work,” Costello said, “it is virtually impossible for the pastor to run the service without us.” Patricia McConville runs a six-week bereavement program co-sponsored by two Melrose, Mass., parishes: St. Mary of the Annunciation and Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, where she has been involved for many years. In the program, McConville and a facilitator discuss different topics and encourage attendees to participate or remain quiet if they prefer. After the sessions end,
participants often try to keep in touch with one another to continue the healing process. “The main thing is to create a safe, confidential space for them to be together and share whatever is in their hearts,” McConville said. She said the ministry is important because “people often feel so isolated, confused, abandoned and desperate after they lose someone.” “The only way to heal is to walk through grief, but it doesn’t have to be a
The bereavement program teaches coping skills that can help the grievers in the short term and long term. People benefit from the ministry, said McConville, because they begin to understand that symptoms they are experiencing are normal. At the national level is the National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved, a faithbased ministry established in 1990 to provide grief support to individuals, parishes and organizations. “Our biggest obstacle is getting the public to be aware that we are out there to offer our help,” said staffer Georgia Zarbo. The organization offers educational classes for bereavement ministers and sells support resources including books, brochures and pamphlets for both grievers and ministers. All types of grief are dealt with including death, job loss, divorce and even the death of a beloved pet. Currently, the organization has more than 500 members from across the U.S. and in Guam, Ireland, Canada and elsewhere. The ministry is based in St. Louis. Its website, WWW.GRIEFWORK.ORG, offers information on membership and its various resources.
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Hospice/Funeral Planning
OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Advance planning eases details when death calls CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 Specifics may differ from parish to parish, van Parys said, but, in general, Catholic churches adhere to the same principals for a funeral Mass: All the readings must come from Scripture, the music must be appropriate for a Catholic liturgy, a brief eulogy may or may not be allowed at a specific time. People often ask funeral coordinators to use a poem or secular music such as Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” or to have multiple speakers during the liturgy. “I tell them to look not just at that one hour of the funeral Mass,” van Parys said, but also to look at what can be done at the vigil typically held the night before at
the funeral home, at the cemetery, and afterward at the lunch, if one is held. “It’s very important when explaining what we can do in the actual liturgy and what we cannot do, that we are extremely pastoral and to offer alternatives that people can find peace with,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is alienate people when they come to church to bury their loved one.” Both van Parys and Ah Sani say they suggest using personal poems, music or stories at other appropriate times, such as the vigil or lunch, even providing a microphone for guests to use during the meal. Ah Sani said there is a significant difference between having the survivors plan a
funeral after spending hours at the funeral home or having it pre-planned by a parishioner. “[The families] are so relieved,” she said. “They are not able or capable of making so many decisions and trying to guess what Mom would have wanted.” Although van Parys holds a doctorate in liturgy and teaches pastoral liturgy at St. John’s University in Collegeville, ministering to families after a death is more than going through the motions outlined in a text. “It’s also dear to my heart because encountering people when a loved one has passed away is a very sacred moment,” he said. “People open their hearts and their souls to me.”
Do you like what you’re reading? Would you like to read more inspirational stories and stay in touch with what’s happening in the local Catholic community? You can — by becoming a regular subscriber to The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. For subscription information, please call 651-291-4444. And, don’t forget to visit us online at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
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“Beauty is not, in fact, simply in the eye of the beholder, from the viewpoint of reason. For reason tells us that beautiful, good, true and one are interchangeable; therefore, whatever is beautiful is also good and true, and expresses unity and harmony.” Bishop Robert Morlino, Diocese of Madison, Wis.
Arts & Culture 24
The Catholic Spirit
Exploring our church and our world
‘Mighty Macs’ offers lesson in perseverance By Joseph McAleer Catholic News Service
“The Mighty Macs” (Freestyle) is the factbased story of a women’s basketball team from a Catholic college who, through the grit and determination of its rookie coach, got a shot at the national title. This old-fashioned, family-friendly film is “Sister Act” without the singing, “Rocky” with basketballs, and “The Trouble with Angels” with Ellen Bursytn in the Rosalind Russell role of the mother superior. The year is 1972, the feminist movement is picking up steam, and change is in the air. For Cathy Rush (Carla Gugino), 23 and recently married, this means searching for a role to play beyond that of dutiful housewife to her husband, Ed (David Boreanaz). A star basketball player herself, Cathy missed out on her own chance for glory, as her college eliminated the sport. Against Ed’s wishes, Cathy takes a job at Pennsylvania’s Immaculata College (now University), run by the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The stern mother superior, Mother St. John (Bursytn), has no time for sports; she’s trying to keep the school afloat, fighting off appeals from the board and the church to close its doors. Impatient and irritable, she gives Cathy free rein to build a team from scratch.
Believing in themselves This is Cathy’s big chance and, although not a Catholic, she is determined to fit in and succeed, inspiring a ragtag group of girls to become a fighting force by believing in themselves. They practice despite not having a court, with improvised uniforms fashioned from nuns’ smocks. Cathy’s faith never wavers, as she hands out “We Will Be #1” buttons all over town. Help arrives in the form of the youngest
OCTOBER 27, 2011
‘The Priests’ to perform concert in Minneapolis The Catholic Spirit
CNS photo / The Maximus Group
Marley Shelton, who portrays Sister Sunday, and Carla Gugino, who portrays head coach Cathy Rush, star in a scene from the movie “The Mighty Macs.” The movie tells the story of the women’s basketball team at Immaculata College in the Philadelphia suburbs that won the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women basketball championship in 1972, the year that college women’s basketball converted to the full-court game played today.
nun, Sister Sunday (Marley Shelton). Like Cathy, she is struggling with her vocation, trying to find her place in a traditional world. She also shares an interest in basketball. The two bond, and Sister Sunday becomes the assistant coach, drawing out the older nuns to cheer the team on at games. Against all odds, the “Macs” of Immaculata College make their way to their sport’s first-ever national championship game. Cathy not only saves herself and her marriage, but the fortunes of the college — melting the cold heart of Mother St. John in the process. Directed by newcomer Tim Chambers, “The Mighty Macs” is a feel-good movie offering lessons in friendship, teamwork, trust and perseverance. For the most part, Catholicism is treated with respect, but it serves
more as a colorful backdrop than a source for commentary. Sister Sunday provides some harmless comic relief. She lends Cathy a habit so they can qualify for free tickets on United Airlines. (“Second nun flies for free.”) Explaining her call to the religious life, Sister Sunday expresses her love for Jesus. “That whole Cana thing?” she observes, “Jesus just wanted everyone to have a good time.” The entire family will have a good time at “The Mighty Macs.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. All ages admitted. Joseph McAleer is a guest reviewer for Catholic News Service.
Fathers Martin O’Hagan, Eugene O’Hagan and David Delargy, better known to their millions of fans as the classical music group “The Priests,” will perform at Minneapolis’ Pantages Theatre Saturday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. When “The Priests,” who hail from Northern Ireland, released their self-titled debut album in 2008, they had no idea how successful it would become. The album featuring traditional favorites like “Ave Maria” and “Pie Jesu” has sold more than 3 million copies, earning it a place in the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the fastest-selling classical debut of all time. The collared trio has since released two other albums: “Harmony” in 2009 and “Noël,” a collection of Christmas music, in 2010. “The Priests” donate a majority of their proceeds to a charitable fund that supports retired priests, helps the homeless, and contributes to the building of schools in Cambodia, Uganda and Thailand. “As priests, it is important to live within our means, and we do that quite comfortably,” Father Martin O’Hagan said in a press release. “To redistribute the rest of our royalties elsewhere is, we believe, the right and proper thing to do.” To order tickets, go to WWW.TICKET or call (800) 745-3000.
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Calendar Dining out Fish fry at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Every Friday: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations. Chicken and rib dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — Every Wednesday: 5 to 9 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10.95. Call (952) 888-1492 for reservations. KC brunch at Epiphany, Coon Rapids — October 30: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1900 111th Ave. N.W. Cost is $5.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and $3.25 for ages 6 to 11. KC pancake breakfast at St. Patrick, St. Paul — October 30: 8 a.m. to noon at 1085 DeSoto St. Cost is $7 for adults. French toast breakfast at St. Vincent de Paul School, Brooklyn Park — October 30: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N. Proceeds to benefit WomanSource non-profit pregnancy center. KC Pancake breakfast at St. Michael, Farmington — October 30: 9 to 11:30 a.m. at 22120 Denmark Ave. Free will offering. KC Ladies Auxiliary spaghetti dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall, Bloomington — November 8: 5 to 7 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 11, and 5 and under are free. Call (952) 8881492 for reservations.
Parish events Boutique craft fair at St. Peter, Richfield — October 29: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6730 Nicollet Ave. S. Features handmade treasures, baked goods and more. Monster Mash sock hop at St. Timothy, Blaine — October 29: 6 to 10 p.m. at 707 89th Ave. N. Cost is $5 per person with food available for purchase. Halloween costume contest, entertainment and more. Pete’s Boutique at St. Peter, Richfield — October 29: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6730 Nicollet Ave. S. Features handmade treasures, baked goods, gifts and more. Great Pumpkin Bingo at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — October 29: 6 to 9 p.m. at 88 N. 17th St. Bingo follows Mass. Costumes are encouraged. Boutique and bake sale at St. Paul, Ham Lake — October 29 and 30: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and after the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Masses Sunday at 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. N.E. ‘Closing the Achievement Gap: Justice for Minnesota Students’ at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — October 30: 1 to 2:30 p.m. at 88 N. 17th St. Educational leaders in the community will address the reality and challenges found within the education system in Minnesota. ‘Hymnos Voices in Music’ sacred music concert at St. Mary, St. Paul — October 30: 7 p.m. at 261 Eighth St. E. Free will offering. Fair trade sale at St. John Neumann, Eagan — November 5: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4030 Pilot Knob Road. Hon-
OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
School events
Don’t miss Northeast parishes sponsor panel discussion on homelessness The panel discussion, ‘Lord, When Did We See You homeless?: An Introduction to Homelessness,’ will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 15 at St. Genevieve, Centerville. The panel features June Jordan from Catholic Charities’ Maplewood Family Shelter, Mary Westlund of New Pathways, Inc. in Cambridge and Robert Fischer from St. Stephen’s Human Services in Minneapolis. The event is a collaborative effort of the following parishes: St. Genevieve, Centerville; St. John the Baptist, Hugo; St. Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake; St. Peter, Forest Lake; St. Bridget, Lindstrom; St. Timothy, Blaine and St. Gregory, North Branch. Admission is free, please bring a non-perishable food item for the area food shelf. duran food will be available for sale. Features products from CRS/SERVV, Amias Project, Bead for Life, Cloudforest Initiatives, and many more. Cash or check only. Luncheon and style show at Holy Cross, Minneapolis — November 5: Social at 1:15 p.m. with lunch to follow at noon at 1621 University Ave. N.E. Style show after lunch. Cost is $20, call (612) 789-7238. Christmas fair at St. Timothy, Blaine — November 5: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 707 89th Ave. N.E. Features more than 70 tables of gifts, food and decorator items. KC bingo at Mary, Queen of Peace, Rogers — November 5: 2 p.m. at 21304 Church Ave. $7 for 1 card, $12 for two and $15 for 3. Snacks and beverages available. Holiday Bazaar at Assumption, Richfield — November 5: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 305 E. 77th St. Features crafts, jewelry, home baked items and more. Children can hear a story while parents shop. Lunch will be available. For information, call (612) 866-5019. Holiday Faire and craft sale at St. Joseph, Hopkins — November 5 and 6: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 to 11 a.m. Sunday at 1310 Mainstreet. Homemade chili lunch Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., $5. ‘All is Bright Bazaar’ at Epiphany, Coon Rapids — November 5 and 6: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at 11001 Hanson Blvd. Features more than 70 crafters, bake sale, St. Nicholas and a Kids’ Corner. Turkey dinner and boutique at Holy Childhood, St. Paul — November 6: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1435 Midway Parkway. Turkey bingo at St. Catherine, Spring Lake Township — November 6: 2 p.m. at 24425 Old Hwy 13 Blvd., Jordan. $5 per card for the entire afternoon and $1 per coverall game. Free lunch will be served. ‘Empowering the Caregiver’ presentation at St. John Neumann, Eagan — November 7: 7 to 9 p.m. at 4030 Pilot Knob Road. An evening of reflection, affirmation and information for those who provide or those preparing to
provide care for a loved one. Register by Nov. 1. For information, visit WWW.SJN.ORG. Fall concert at St. John Neumann, Eagan — November 11: 7 p.m. at 4030 Pilot Knob Road. Features adult, teen, Latino, Asian, childrens’ and handbell choirs. Refreshments will be served. Remembrance: Veteran’s Day Concert at the Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul — November 11: 1 p.m. at 239 Selby Ave. Features music selections for organ and brass from Bach to Widor with Cathedral organist Robert Ridgell. Free will offering. Free showing of ‘Catholicism: Journey Around the World and Deep into the Faith’ at the Lake 5 Theater, Forest Lake — November 26 and December 3, 10 and 17: 9 to 10 a.m. at 1480 S. Lake St. Showing four parts of this 10part series featuring Father Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire. Night on the Town Gala at Epiphany, Coon Rapids — December 3: Begins at 5 p.m. with cash bar and live music at 1900 111th Ave. N.W. Continues with fine dining at 6:30 p.m. Silent and live auctions follow. Tickets are $45 each and must be purchased by Nov. 20. For information, visit WWW.EPIPHANYMN.ORG.
Prayer/ liturgies Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Agnes, St. Paul — October 30: 2 p.m. at 548 Lafond Ave. World Apostolate of Fatima Vigil of Reparation to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart at Holy Trinity, South St. Paul — November 4 and 5: 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at 161 Eighth St. For information, call (651) 216-4734 or visit WWW.FATIMAONLINE.ORG. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Columba, St. Paul — November 6: 2 p.m. at 1327 Lafond Ave. Healing Mass at St. Michael, St. Michael — November 11: 7 p.m. rosary followed by Mass at 7:30 p.m. at 11300 Frankfort Parkway N.E. Father Jim Livingston will be the celebrant.
Open house at Visitation School (upper school), Mendota Heights — October 27: 7 p.m. at 2455 Visitation Drive For students entering grades 9 to 12. For information, visit WWW.VISITA TION.NET. Campus visit day at St. Croix Catholic School , Stillwater — November 2: 9:30 to 11 a.m. at 621 S. Third St. For information or to schedule a private tour, visit WWW.STCROIXCATHOLIC.COM. Open house at Cretin-Derham Hall School, St. Paul — November 3: 7 p.m. at 550 S. Albert St. For information, call (651) 690-2443. Open house at Visitation School (lower school), Mendota Heights — November 5: 10 a.m. at 2455 Visitation Drive. For students entering Montessori preschool to grade 5. For information, visit WWW.VISITATION.NET. Open house at Visitation School (middle school), Mendota Heights — November 5: 2 p.m. at 2455 Visitation Drive For students entering grades 6 to 8. For information, visit WWW.VISITA TION.NET. Open house at St. Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights — November 6: 1 p.m. at 949 Mendota Heights Road. Includes an informational program and campus tours. Open house at Cretin-Derham Hall School, St. Paul — November 7: 7 p.m. at 550 S. Albert St. For information, call (651) 690-2443. Open house at Transfiguration School, Oakdale — November 10: 6 to 8 p.m. at 6135 15th St. N.
Other events ‘Catholics in the Public Square’ an event on faithful citizenship at Our Lady of Grace, Edina — November 5: 8:30 a.m. to noon at 5071 Eden Ave. Registration and breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m., conference from 9 a.m. to noon. Speakers include: Anthony Picarello Jr., counsel for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference; and Angela Pfister, assistant director of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture. Call (651) 291-4488 for information or to register, deadline is Oct. 31. Christmas boutique at St. Therese Care Center, New Hope — November 5: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 8000 Bass Lake Road. Features handmade items, baked goods and raffle items. Lay (Third Order) Carmelite information Sunday at Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul — November 6: 1 p.m. at 324 S. Prior Ave. For adult Catholics in good standing to learn about the classic Carmelite way of life. For information, call (651) 454-6123. Annual Mass in celebration of adoption at Our Lady of Grace, Edina — November 12: 5:15 p.m. at 5017 Eden Ave. Parents, birth parents, grandparents and adopted persons, as well as friends and family are welcome. For information, call (651) 291-4506.
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Calendar Submissions DEADLINE: The Catholic Spirit is biweekly. Items should be submitted by Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. Items are published on a space available basis. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event. • Full street address of event. • Description of event. • Contact information in case of questions. E-MAIL: SPIRITCALENDAR@ ARCHSPM.ORG. (No attachments, please.)
FAX: (651) 291-4460. MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
26
OCTOBER 27, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
New missal translation about more than just getting the Latin right more brilliantly.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 utilized this current translation, and I can state without hesitation that I have been touched and formed by the rich and effective words we currently say in the Sacred Liturgy. But the church is a teacher and a mother, and through years of observing the use of “dynamic equivalence” in our churches and communities, she has determined that we can do even better in conveying the rich meaning of the liturgical prayers of our tradition. This determination has been guided by the Holy Spirit and only after many years of consultation and deliberation. The new translation is not a betrayal of the Second Vatican Council, as some have erroneously charged, but rather a fulfillment of the council’s own call for an ever greater and more precise use of the vernacular in our liturgical prayer, utilizing translations that are faithful to the base Latin texts. Simply put, we are continuing to learn how to worship in the vernacular, and the new translation, which will be introduced on Nov. 27, is but one more step in learning how to pray the Mass well. Rather than the principle of “dynamic equivalence,” the new translation utilizes what has been called “formal equivalence,” a translation that follows more closely the Latin text upon which the English is based. But the new translation is about much more than “getting the Latin right.” It’s also about making the many scriptural references of the Mass shine
Unveiling Scripture “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar, and to God what is God’s.” Ask any passerby on the street and I would wager that they will know the origins of this phrase. That’s not to say that they will be able to state which Gospel it comes from, or perhaps even whether it is an Old Testament or New Testament quotation. But that the saying comes from the Bible? Despite our culture’s often ignorance of Scripture, there are some sayings that we just know are biblical. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” “forgive us our trespasses,” “the last shall be first and the first shall be last,” and today’s quote from the Gospel of St. Matthew, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” These are all quotes that are widely acknowledged as biblical, even by non-believers. One of the great goods of the new translation of the Roman Missal, to be used in the Sacred Liturgy in just over one month, is an unveiling of the many scriptural references that are obscured or even eliminated in the current translation. Again, the new translation is about so much more than just getting the Latin right. It is also about making the many images and references to Sacred Scripture found in the Holy Mass clearer and more poignant. This can only be of great benefit for the church and for all believers. The new translation also aims at fostering what has been called a “higher register.” A language register is the tone we assume in certain circumstances. The way I
spoke to my mother and father is far different than the way I speak to my nephews and nieces. So, too, in the Mass — we are speaking to God, and the new translation attempts to remind us of the supreme dignity of the liturgical context of the Mass.
Taking time to listen But my dear brothers and sisters, this time in the church’s life is about more than just learning new words. It has to be about drawing closer to the mystery of the Holy Eucharist and making it a greater reality in our own lives as Catholics. Learning new words will take time and effort, to be sure. But we will learn them and we will use them, and soon they will be just as familiar to us as the words we currently use. But if we can take this time to listen again to the words of the Mass and the many scriptural allusions within it; if we can spend this time in truly lifting up our hearts in the sacrifice of praise that is the Mass; if we can use this time to make the Mass the source and summit of our lives as Christians — then we will have benefitted from this time. We will not have let this time of preparation go to waste. May God bless this time of preparation for the new translation. And may God bless us today, as we approach this altar and this sacrifice, to offer a fitting prayer of thanksgiving to the True and Living God. God bless you!
Archbishop’s calendar CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 11:35 a.m., St. Paul, St. Paul Seminary: Holy Eucharist, followed by lunch with seminarians. 3:30 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Meeting with MCC administration. 6 p.m., Minneapolis, University of Minnesota SPO men’s household: dinner. ■ Tuesday, Nov. 8: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Scheduling meeting with staff. 9:30 a.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archbishop’s Cabinet meeting. 1 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Presbyteral Council meeting. 3:30 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Meeting of College of Consultors. 6 p.m., St. Paul, St. Mark’s Rectory: Dinner with priests and seminarians. ■ Wednesday, Nov. 9: 9 a.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Meeting of the Caleb Group. 12:45 p.m., Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, Moos Tower Region: Liturgy of the Hours. 6:30 p.m., Loretto, Church of Sts. Peter and Paul: “Man Night” event. ■ Thursday, Nov. 10: 9 a.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Meeting with staff. 11 a.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Blessing of St. Agnes’ pilgrims. 11:30 a.m., St. Paul, Cathedral of St. Paul: Mass for deceased clergy of the archdiocese and lunch. 3 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archdiocesan Finance Council meeting. ■ Friday, Nov. 11: 2:30 p.m., Washington, D.C., Willard Hotel: Umilta Award for North American College.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • OCTOBER 27, 2011
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U.S. bishops’ lawyer says redefining marriage has a multiplier effect CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 “Marriage is a legal lever, because in our society we have a legal infrastructure that rewards those who support marriage, and punishes those who oppose it. When that legal structure . . . is then applied to a relationship that isn’t marriage, the people who object to that definition are going to suffer severe disadvantages,” he added. Picarello pointed to the February announcement by the Justice Department that it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act — DOMA — because it is biased and prejudicial against homosexuals and therefore is discriminatory as among the mounting challenges facing religious institutions opposed to same-sex marriage. “They basically suggested that any law that distinguishes between same-sex couples and different sex couples, whether it’s for purposes of marriage or anything else, violates the Constitution if the government is doing it, [that] the government can’t make those distinctions,” Picarello said. “But all DOMA does is define marriage as it’s always been defined,” he said. “The church stands behind that definition and now the church has been lumped in with bigots and haters.” For states to imply such a comparison is a major leap because it dismisses religious tradition and the morality of same-sex relationships while portraying religious objections to same-sex marriage as equivalent to racial discrimination. The religious liberty issue has largely been played out at the state level. Samesex marriage has been legalized through legislation or by court decisions in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the District of Columbia. Illinois and Rhode Island this year enacted civil union laws; come Jan. 1 civil unions will become legal in Delaware and Hawaii. In California, Proposition 8, a ballot initiative approved by voters in 2008 to ban same-sex marriage remains in the courts and may end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. Same-sex marriage is banned by law or constitutional amendment in the remaining 40 states.
Religious exemptions vary In states where same-sex marriage has been enacted by law, at least a basic religious exemption has been included. The breadth of the exemption varies with some jurisdictions offering a general exemption from performing same-sex marriages to more wide-ranging protections like those in Connecticut that spell out specific protections for religious institutions. Michael Culhane, executive director of the Connecticut Catholic Conference, lobbied for three exemptions following the state Supreme Court’s 2008 decision that legalized same-sex marriage. In addition to the normal exemption for clergy from participating in a same-sex marriage ceremony, Connecticut’s law has one provision protecting fraternal societies from providing insurance benefits to anyone if doing so violates the free exercise of religion and another safeguarding the rights of a religious organization in the delivery of adoption, foster care or social services as long as government funds are not involved. In Iowa, where the state Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal, Tom Chapman, executive director of the Iowa
“The danger is that faith-based organizations will get crowded out of the provision of services that are desperately needed.
”
ROBERT GILLIGAN, Executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois
Catholic Conference, said the church has been minimally affected by the court’s decision. “We have the same concerns a lot of places do and would have,” he said. “For example, Catholic schools in Iowa are accredited by the state. So anything that can be required in public schools can be required in Catholic schools as well.” The likelihood that the issue will be addressed by the legislature is slim, Chapman told CNS. “My own feeling is there is a desire on everybody’s part who wants samesex marriage to leave it alone because they don’t want us to have a defense of marriage amendment or legislation (that could restrict same-sex marriage),” he said. Such an exemption in Illinois’ civil unions law failed to resolve the dilemma faced by the Peoria Diocese. The predicament arose when state Department of Children and Family Services mandated that the diocesan Catholic Charities system end the practice of referring adoptions and foster placements to same-sex couples to another agency. Catholic Charities appealed, but lost in court, leading the diocese to back out of state social service contracts. Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, told CNS that state law affords protections for religious practice, but that the state has the right to contract with any agency it wants for the delivery of services. “The danger is that faith-based organizations will get crowded out of the provision of services that are desperately needed,” he said.
No guarantees Even with specific exemptions for religious institutions, individuals everywhere face possible infringements on the practice of their faith, said Daniel Avila, policy adviser for marriage and family to the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. “Even if you think you’re protected and this is not an issue in your own state, given you have a state DOMA, they should be quite aware of events happening at the national level that could then bring these very issues and problems into their own lives,” he said. Avila suggested that at least two cases, including California’s legal battle over Proposition 8, will likely make their way to the U.S. Supreme Court and determine the legal status of same-sex marriage in the country. The cases are likely two years away, he said. That leaves states to follow their own course on what actions are discriminatory and what are not and religious organizations guessing which way they will go.
“In the Catholic tradition, you’re not allowed to be either addicted to government or allergic to it.” John DiIulio, professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, speaking Oct. 18 during conference on “Keeping the Faith in a Season of Spin” at Fordham University
Overheard 28
The Catholic Spirit
Quotes from this week’s newsmakers
OCTOBER 27, 2011 “The new evangelization of America must be our only task for Hispanic theology and ministry, indeed our only task for all theology and ministry in our church.”
Three new saints
— Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, ARCHBISHOP speaking Oct. 11 GOMEZ during the inaugural lecture in Loyola Marymount University’s Latino Theology and Ministry Initiative
“We believe the global food system as dominated by transnational corporations and industrial interests is leading the world away from food security. A new balance is needed in farming, industry and services so that no one will lack in bread or work.”
CNS photo / Paul Haring
U.S. pilgrims hold a banner celebrating St. Louis Guanella before the start of a canonization Mass for three new saints celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 23. The new saints are: St. Guido Maria Conforti, an Italian who founded the Xaverian Foreign Missionary Society; St. Louis, the Italian founder of the Servants of Charity, the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence and the Confraternity of St. Joseph; and St. Bonifacia Rodriguez Castro, a Spanish cord maker in Sala manca who gathered working women for spiritual encounters in her house-shop.
Longtime champion for life to retire at end of year After 14 years of guiding the family and pro-life efforts The for the Archdiocese Catholic Spirit of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Kathy Laird says it is time to move on. She will retire Dec. 31 from her position as director of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life. “The reality is at my stage and age I don’t want to be working full time,” she said. “I have loved the work. It’s been a privilege to have done what I have so enjoyed.” Laird said she has been enriched by the people who have come to the office LAIRD looking for the support of the church; by the staff and volunteers who have worked to support life; and by the strong support of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn. She also credits the support of her husband, Stewart Laird, who recently retired for the second time, she said. “We’ve had this [winter] place for 20
News Notes
years and I haven’t spent three weeks there yet,” she said, with a laugh. “I’ve been blessed to have a lot of energy. My dad used to say if you’ve had more laughter than tears, you are a lucky person.”
$109,000 goes to Basilica Thanks to the many votes cast for the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis on the Partners in Preservation Facebook page, the church will receive a $109,000 grant to help preserve and maintain its historic building. Partners in Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express focused on historic buildings in the Twin Cities, for this year’s $1 million in grants. The remainder of the funds will be distributed to the other 24 sites that were competing for the top prize.
DVD marks merger A DVD celebrating Como Park’s first Catholic church was produced to mark the merger of the 116-year-old Church of St. Andrew with the Church of The Maternity of The Blessed Virgin in St. Paul, according to Father Peter Williams, pastor of Maternity. The DVD includes two of the final Masses at St. Andrew; a photo tour of the church set to the music of the parish’s combined choirs;
and reflections by parishioners and former pastors, including Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piché who led the parish from June 2008 until his appointment as bishop in 2009. Cost is $20, with profits going to the newly merged parish. To order, call the office at Maternity at (651) 489-8825 by Nov. 10.
Praying for your enemies Father Terry Rassmussen had a sad announcement for parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Plymouth and New Hope, where he is pastor. On Saturday morning, Oct. 22, he walked out to check on what he thought was a fallen gravestone in the parish cemetery, which is next to his residence in Plymouth and the 100-plus-year-old “Little Church.” That is when he discovered the challenge of the Sunday Gospel message and his homily about loving God, your neighbor and praying for your enemies. The cost of the vandalism to more than 40 gravestones — some that date back to the 1800s — is estimated to be as much as $15,000. The destruction made him angry, he said during the Sunday evening Mass at the parish center in New Hope. There were no suspects at the time The Catholic Spirit went to press.
— National Catholic Rural Life Conference, which has published an essay series that includes “a Catholic call for a new agriculture”
“The people of Illinois do not want to see Catholic Charities and other religious-based foster care agencies driven out of business, period. Lawmakers intended when they passed the civil union law to protect religious groups from compromising their beliefs regarding civil unions.” — Peter Breen, an attorney representing Illinois Catholic Charities agencies, commenting on a state bill introduced in mid-October to allow the agencies to continue their foster care and adoption services only to married couples and single individuals who are not living together
“There are many men and women in uniform who are full of faith in Jesus, who love truth, who want to promote peace and who work as true disciples of Christ by serving their country and favoring the promotion of fundamental human rights.” — Pope Benedict XVI, speaking Oct. 22 at a meeting of several hundred military bishops who are responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces