Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Collection to target poverty November 11, 2011
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The Catholic Spirit News with a Catholic heart
GETTING A BEAD ON INDIANAPOLIS
College students strive to be ‘strong men of God’
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Sacred Liturgy is subject of archbishop’s first pastoral letter By Joe Towalski The Catholic Spirit
From left, Thang Chu, Andrew Nguyen, Andy Do (standing), Joseph Nguyen, Tony Pham and Tommy Pham of St. Anne/St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis work on making rosaries during a fundraising event Oct. 29 at Epiphany in Coon Rapids for their trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference Nov. 17 to 19 in Indianapolis. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Vietnamese youth pray ‘rosary marathon’ to attend National Catholic Youth Conference
By Kathryn Elliott The Catholic Spirit
During an eight-hour “rosary marathon” at the Epiphany Church rosary garden in Coon Rapids, youth from St. Anne/St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis prayed 1,000 Hail Marys. Splitting into groups, they traded off walking the garden, praying and hand-making rosaries on couches inside. The event was the final fundraiser for the group’s upcoming trip to Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference, which occurs every two years. This year, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will send 134 youth from 12 parishes. On the day of the fundraiser, the youth inside
chatted with one another while those outside asked Mary to intercede for one another’s intentions. The young people sought prayers for families going through difficult times and for help in knowing God’s will, among other requests. Friends, family and church members sponsored the day of prayer with pledges and donations that have so far amounted to $1,400. The conference draws 20,000 youth from around the country, and registration for it costs nearly $500 per person. A grant from Catholic Youth Foundation USA offset the expense for St. Anne/St. Joseph Hien youth. “There’s a great enthusiasm about life and
Since his childhood days growing up in suburban Detroit, Archbishop John Nienstedt said he has had a “love affair” with the Mass, and he hopes his first pastoral letter as head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Read the will help Catholics renew their own love letter inside for Christ in and this issue of through the liturgy. The Catholic The Mass is “a way of sitting down and Spirit telling the Lord once again, ‘Not only I but everybody in this church loves you — and you love me and you love us,’” the archbishop said during an interview Nov. 4 about his letter, “Do This In Memory of Me: The Sacred Liturgy as the Splendor of God’s Eternal Glory,” which is printed as an eight-page insert in this issue of The Catholic Spirit. The letter is divided into sections focused on answering four questions: ■ Why is the liturgy so essential to the well-being of the church? ■ How can our unity in worship build up our unity as church? ■ Why is it so important that we participate in the weekly celebration of the Sunday liturgy? ■ Why must all we do in this great archdiocese, individually and collectively, be informed by the liturgy?
Seizing an opportunity The letter comes as the U.S. church is preparing for the debut of the new
PLEASE TURN TO YOUTH ON PAGE 7 PLEASE TURN TO SACRED ON PAGE 7
Catholics urged to make voices heard in public square By Joe Towalski The Catholic Spirit
If you’re a Catholic who is hesitant about getting involved in the political process on behalf of the church and advocating for public policies consistent with church teaching, Anthony Picarello Jr. has some advice for you: “Don’t be afraid.” Parishes, church organizations and their representatives generally are not allowed to support or oppose political candidates or parties. But they can share the principles of Catholic social teaching, talk about issues and support specific ballot measures. Opponents of the church’s public policy involvement may claim it is overstepping its bounds, but “don’t believe it,” said Picarello, general counsel for the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops who spoke recently at Our Lady of Grace in Edina. It amounts to a way of trying to intimidate the church “in order to deter the effective preaching on the issues,” he said as part of a Nov. 5 panel on “Catholics in the Public Square.” “For the other side to win, they just need to scare you to self censor. Don’t be deterred from what you can do within the limits of the law.” The event, sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life and attended by about 225 people, came as Americans are preparing for elections next fall, when they also will vote on an amendment to the state constitution that would prePLEASE TURN TO RELIGIOUS ON PAGE 4
Anthony Picarello Jr., general counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, spoke Nov. 5 as part of a panel on “Catholics in the Public Square” at Our Lady of Grace in Edina. CNS photo / Paul Haring
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NOVEMBER 10, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Preparing for the reality of death
That They May All Be One Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
November is the month of All Souls and, as the last days of the liturgical year approach, the Scripture readings will soon be reminding us once again of the “last things” — that is to say, death, judgment, heaven, hell and the second coming of the Lord. Pondering such realities relates to an area of theology, called “eschatology.” It is a field of study that could be characterized by gloom and doom, but should more favorably be associated with the hopeful proclamation of Jesus Christ that “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” In fact, we live in a state of spiritual tension between the present and the future, the “already” presence of Christ which we experience in Word, sacrament and community and the “not yet” presence of seeing him face to face in the kingdom to come. This tension ought to provide the motivation we need to “die to self” in order “to live for Christ” in lives of heroic virtue. Thus, we need not view death as a hostile ending to physical life but rather as a welcomed event whose passage leads to eternal life with God. Preparing for death spiritually is, therefore, of paramount importance. But preparing for death psychologically and emotionally is also essential. Some years ago, I was at my par-
The Catholic Spirit
■ Friday, Nov. 11: 6:30 p.m., Washington, D.C., Willard Hotel: Umilta Award for North American College. ■ Saturday, Nov. 12: 6 p.m., Baltimore, Md., USCCB: North American College meeting of board of trustees. 7 p.m., Baltimore, Md., National Catholic Bioethics Center: Meeting of board of trustees. ■ Sunday-Friday, Nov. 13-18: Baltimore, Md., U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops general assembly. ■ Saturday, Nov. 19: 4 p.m., Albertville, St. Albert Catholic Church: Sunday Liturgy followed by dinner. ■ Sunday, Nov. 20: 10:30 a.m., Minneapolis, Church of SS. Cyril and Methodius: Sunday Liturgy on feast of Christ the King.
A state of tension This month of All Souls is a good time for families to talk about the subject
Archbishop Nienstedt’s schedule
4 p.m., Saint Anthony, Church of St. Charles Borromeo: Vespers and dinner. ■ Monday, Nov. 21: 3 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Catholic Community Foundation quarterly board meeting. ■ Tuesday, Nov. 22: 8:30 a.m., St. Paul, Archbishop’s Residence: Scheduling meeting with staff. 9:30 a.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archdiocesan Comprehensive Assignment Board meeting. 1 p.m., St. Paul, Chancery: Archbishop’s Council meeting.
ents’ home for Sunday dinner. It was just the three of us, and so I took the occasion over dessert to ask them what their desires would be in the event that they were to suffer a stroke or heart attack, rendering them unconscious. My father, always the funny man, looked at me with a
dead-pan face and replied, “Was there something wrong with your dinner? Did something you ate disagree with you?” I replied in the negative, but added,“Come on now, Dad, we’ve got to talk about this. None of us PLEASE TURN TO TALKING ON PAGE 17
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Official Archbishop John C. Nienstedt, has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective October 4, 2011 Rev. Juniper Cummings, OFM Conv., granted the faculties of the Archdiocese for the duration of his assignment to Saint Joseph Cupertino Friary in Prior Lake. Effective October 7, 2011 Rev. Michael Kueber, of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, granted the faculties of the Archdiocese for the duration of his residence in this Archdiocese. Effective October 14, 2011 Deacon William Carroll, of the Archdiocese of Mexico City, granted diaconal faculties in the Archdiocese, to be exercised in conjunction with his employment at the Church of Saint Odilia of Shoreview.
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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.
Two priests and a deacon from outside the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis were granted the right to minister here. Father Juniper Cummings, a member of the Conventual Franciscan, began serving Oct. 4 at St. Joseph Cupertino Friary in Prior Lake. Father Michael Kueber from the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., was allowed to minister beginning Oct. 7. Deacon William Carroll from the Archdiocese of Mexico City was given authority Oct. 14 to serve as a deacon in conjunction with his employment at St. Odilia in Shoreview.
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“When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice.” St. Gregory the Great, “Regula Pastoralis”
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News from around the archdiocese
Nov. 19-20 CCHD collection helps to reduce poverty By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit
Juventino Meza, a Mexican immigrant, had been living in the United States for about a year when he dropped out of high school to work in a restaurant. “A lot of my classmates were dropping out of high school, too, for work and things like that,” Meza said. “I sort of started believing that that’s what I needed to do because no one was telling me otherwise.” But it didn’t take long for Meza to realize that working in a restaurant wasn’t what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. So he went back to school determined to obtain something many people had told him was out of reach for an immigrant — a college education. But, where to begin, he wondered. “I picked up that I had to do a lot of work on my own because a lot of people weren’t going to help me,” he said.
Achieveing his goal It wasn’t until Meza joined Admission Possible, a program that provides guidance to low-income students seeking to attend college, that he learned about admission tests, the application process, financial aid and scholarships. To gain a competitive advantage, he worked hard to become fluent in English, enrolled in Advanced Placement classes and began volunteering. This year Meza, now 23, did what some people had told him was impossible. He marched across a stage at Augsburg College in Minneapolis to accept his diploma. Today, the justice and peace major is executive director of Navigate, a Min-
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NOVEMBER 10, 2011
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CCHD rebuts new charges that funded groups violate Catholic teaching Catholic News Service
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Rodrigo Vasquez, left, presentations coordinator for Navigate, talks with Chaska High School students Jaqueline Enriquez, second from left, Lilian Bonilla and Jessica Soto after a presentation he made at the school Nov. 4.
neapolis nonprofit organization that helps immigrant students achieve the same “impossible dream” of becoming the first in their families to get a college education. Navigate is one of several local organizations receiving grants this year from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development — the U.S. bishops’ domestic antipoverty program that funds community development programs around the country — or its local counterpart program, the Christian Sharing Fund. Meza, who helped found Navigate four years ago, said the $13,500 grant will go
toward providing internships and scholarships for immigrants. It also will help the organization conduct more presentations and conferences for students, families and school personnel.
Empowering the poor A combined CCHD/CSF collection will take place in most parishes Nov. 19-20, the weekend before Thanksgiving. The anti-poverty campaign’s aim, according to local CCHD/CSF coordinator PLEASE TURN TO COLLECTION ON PAGE 23
Sharing and Caring Hands is CELEBRATING ITS 27TH YEAR OF HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED, Thanks to your generosity! In today’s hard economic times many people are poor through no fault of their own and need your help. • Your donations provide: • Meals • Shelter • Food • Clothing • Household goods • Beds • Toys • Medical & Dental Services • Glasses • Showers • Shoes • Help with Emergency Needs • A Safe Haven for People Living on the Streets. • Your generosity allows us to help thousands of people each week. • 93% of your donations go to serve the needs of the poor. We take no government funding and rely solely on your donations.
DID YOU KNOW. . . • Sharing and Caring Hands provides thousands of meals each week to the hungry adults and children in need. • Our Mary’s Place transitional family shelter has 92 free apartments for families in need of shelter. On average we house 385 children and 130 adults each night. They stay long enough to get back on their feet. • We paid for over 20,000 nights of shelter last year for single men and women in pay-to-stay shelters and families in area motels.
To learn more and see what a difference your tax-deductible donations make, or to donate online, visit our website: www.sharingandcaringhands.org Send your tax-deductible donation to: Sharing and Caring Hands, 525 No. 7th St., Mpls., MN 55405 Name______________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip _______________________________________________ ■ Check ■ Visa ■ MC Card#_________________________ Exp.__/__/__
___ $50 ___ $100 ___ $150 ___ $250 ___ $500 $___ Other
• We provided eye exams and glasses for over 600 people last year, over 1/2 of them were children referred to us by schools. • We gave thousands of showers last year to people with no other access to bathing facilities. • We provide over a thousand beds each year to adults and children that would otherwise be sleeping on the floor. • We gave out over 11,500 bags of groceries last year to people in need.
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Please help the poor and unfortunate. Assist the families and give help to the children.
Officials with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development rebutted a report that 55 agencies funded by the U.S. bishops’ anti-poverty program in 2010-11 were in conflict with church teaching. Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Calif., Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., and Ralph McCloud, CCHD executive director, said the charges leveled in an American Life League study against all but one of the agencies were unfounded. McCloud told Catholic News Service Nov. 4 that funding was withdrawn from one organization cited in the report. That case involved the immigrant rights group Centro Campesino in Owatonna, Minn., which was found to be distributing condoms. McCloud acknowledged the league’s role in pointing out the organization’s practice. McCloud also said the 54 remaining agencies were found in compliance after a follow-up investigation by CCHD staff that involved contacting each named group. The 212-page report — completed in March but not made public until October when it was posted on the American Life League’s website, according to its primary researcher — accused the grass-roots organizations of promoting abortion, homosexuality and Marxist ideology contrary to church doctrine. The report is the latest salvo from the American Life League and a small group of vocal critics, which, since 2008, have questioned the thoroughness of CCHD’s process for vetting grant applications from poverty-fighting agencies. The persistent questions were among the factors that led CCHD to revise its review process in October 2010 in an effort to renew the grant-making program. Capuchin Father Daniel Mindling, a moral theologian at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., also joined the program as a consultant on moral and ethical issues. McCloud referred to a Sept. 28 memorandum from Bishop Soto, chairman of the bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and Bishop Blaire, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, to their fellow bishops that outlined the concerns they had with the report. The bishops said the American Life League’s charges “are without substance.” For a full version of this article, go to WWW.THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM.
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Local
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Catholic health care faces local and global challenges By Pat Norby
the organizing work he did with Catholic Charities in Chicago. The president is well-versed in the language of the church and good work it does, Allen added. But the mandates are not just a Catholic issue. Other faith groups are affected, and everyone needs to let legislators know that this is a concern, he said.
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Catholic health care is facing many of the same challenges confronting the Catholic Church as a whole, John Allen Jr. told members of the Catholic Health Association during the group’s annual meeting Nov. 3 at St. Patrick in Edina. Allen, senior correspondent at National Catholic Reporter and a commentator for CNN, said religious freedom will be the greatest concern of the Catholic Church globally in the 21st century. During his talk on “Religious Freedom and Catholic Health Care,” Allen noted that, according to a report by one secular human rights organization: “There is an anti-Christian tide” around the world in which 80 percent of the religious freedom violations are against Christians, mostly in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent and China. Oct. 31 marked the one-year anniversary of the attack by terrorists on Our Lady of Salvation Catholic Church in Baghdad, which left 53 dead and hundreds injured, he said. Although there had been many previous bombings of Catholic churches in Iraq, this attack was by terrorists who burst into the church and started shooting. In 1991, he said, there were 1 million Catholics in Iraq and now there are 250,000 or fewer.
Attacks legal, not lethal “The U.S. situation is legal rather than lethal,” he said. Attacks on religious freedom in the United States are more political, such as the health care mandates proposed by the Department Health and Human Services, he said. The agency’s interim final rule requires coverage of contraception and ster-
“We are living in a Catholic Church which is increasingly concerned with its Catholic identity and increasingly resistant to pressure from the outside world.
Watch for ‘southern wave’
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JOHN ALLEN JR.
ilization in most health insurance plans — practices that the church opposes. That is a blow to Christian agencies that have long served people in poverty, migrant workers and trafficking victims. Without a broad religious exemption that protects Christian agencies from violating their consciences, the mandates will push out religious health care groups or curtail the services they provide. HHS also recently did not renew a grant with the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, ostensibly because the agency does not provide abortion and contraception to trafficking victims. Religious freedom is facing a one-two punch, Allen said. “We are living in a Catholic Church which is increasingly concerned with its Catholic identity and increasingly resistant to pressure from the outside world,” he said. At the same time, the outside world is less inclined to defer to religious authority or protect religious communi-
ties. “I suggest to you that religious freedom is where those two forces collide,” he said. Now and in the future, Catholic health groups will be facing new demands for global solidarity, more tension over “Catholic identity” in their facilities, and a variety of legal and political battles, Allen said. However, because the church is becoming an “embattled subculture,” there are opportunities to “recalibrate relationships” with the bishops and with the broader public, he added. As head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York has had several confidential meetings with President Barack Obama to discuss the church’s concerns about the HHS mandates, Allen said. “Our best hope is on getting Obama personally engaged,” he said. “He is the first U.S. president to be a former paid employee of the Catholic Church” through
Allen also urged CHA members to keep in mind that the 60 million Catholics living in the U.S. make up just 6 percent of the total Catholic population. “The global realities of the church . . . are increasingly going to set the leadership tone for the Catholic Church in the 21st century because that’s where our people are,” he said. That global influence from the “southern wave” — which includes Asia, Africa and Latin America — was evident in the recently released document from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on global economic reform, Allen said. The document calls for economic justice and was presented by Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, who heads the council. Allen’s book, “The Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church,” points out the disparities in global health care. Although poor countries account for 95 percent of the HIV/AIDS cases and 98 percent of the tuberculosis patients, only 5 percent of health care’s research and development is spent on those diseases, he reported. As Medicare and Medicaid costs continue to rise and the workforce continues to decline in the U.S., Catholic health care groups will need to continue to create partnerships with other religious health care groups and seek support from their constituents.
Religious liberty key to church’s participation in public square CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 serve the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Other panel members were Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, who spoke on what it means to be a Catholic in the public square, and Angela Pfister, assistant director of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, who talked about engaging today’s culture beyond the voting booth.
Fundamental concerns Picarello, who will become associate general secretary for policy and advocacy of the USCCB at the end of the year, focused his talk on religious liberty, a topic that has been getting a lot of attention recently from the U.S. bishops and Pope Benedict XVI. The bishops recently formed an Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty in response to government policies promoting contraception, abortion and same-sex marriage that pose threats to religious liberty. The pope, in an address earlier this year to the Vatican diplomatic corps, identified religious freedom as the “first of human rights.” Religious liberty is fundamental to the church’s participation in the public square, Picarello said, and for protecting the church’s right to speak and minister effectively on a wide range of issues. He cited recent assaults on religious
“I think right now we’re facing a situation where, more and more, the freedom of the church to be itself is under threat.
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ANTHONY PICARELLO JR.
freedom, including the lack of adequate conscience protections in the federal Department of Health and Human Services’ regulations that would mandate the coverage of contraception and sterilization in all private health insurance plans, an Alabama immigration law that threatens to punish those who help undocumented immigrants, and state laws redefining marriage that have only nominal religious freedom protections. When religious liberty isn’t protected, there can be ripple effects, Picarello said, such as lawsuits filed against the church and Catholic-affiliated agencies being forced to end certain programs and benefits to remain faithful to church teaching. In those cases, church agencies will struggle, he said, and services to Catholics and non-Catholics alike are affected.
Staying informed, involved ■ Visit the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s website at WWW.MNCC.ORG and click on the box on the right side of the page that says “Join MNCAN” to access the MCC’s advocacy network. ■ Go to USCCB.ORG/ISSUES-ANDACTION/FAITHFUL-CITIZENSHIP to access the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Faithful Citizenship” resources.
“I think right now we’re facing a situation where, more and more, the freedom of the church to be itself is under threat,” Picarello said.
Healthy ‘human ecology’ Adkins, from the Minnesota Catholic Conference, said individual Catholics — who don’t face the same restrictions Catholic organizations do — must be engaged in the political process, and he spoke about the need for a proper “human ecology” in which Catholics see themselves as “stewards of the vineyard of the Lord.” Defending life is crucial to any thriving ecosystem, he said, and Catholics need to promote a culture of life that opposes abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, wars against civilians and the death penalty, and that also promotes traditional marriage and family life as the cornerstones of society. Catholics are also
called to work for policies that promote human flourishing and the common good in areas such as education, health care, the economy, environment and immigration, he said. Every person in the church, not only bishops, are responsible for promoting just, civic laws that contribute to a healthy human ecology, Adkins said. Catholics must take the time to inform themselves on public policy issues and form their consciences based on what Catholic social teachings, not political parties, have to say about issues, he said. “If we could mobilize just 5 percent of the Catholic people in Minnesota — around 50,000 — we could shape political policy rather than have it shape us,” Adkins said. “But we have to stop being slaves to the political parties. We have to transform parties and not let them transform us.” Pfister of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture said Catholics must engage the culture beyond the voting booth through prayer, education and outreach. The most effective method of outreach, she said, is personal witness and living the faith in our day-to-day lives. But it’s also important to engage the marketplace by writing opinion pieces for local media, using social media, patronizing films with good messages and even considering a run for political office. “We need to be creative and not afraid,” Pfister said.
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NOVEMBER 10, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
New Prague-area Catholics ‘create’ their future By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit
Some 50 miles southwest of the See City of St. Paul, a good hour’s drive through picturesque farmland, Catholics are being asked to give up a part of themselves. Strategic Planning Part of their spiritual heritage. Part of their family tradition. Their parishes are merging with others. While that’s a door closing and a reason UPDATE for grieving, it’s also an opening with opportunities that small parishes don’t always have. The way Father Kevin Clinton put it, the merging is “an opportunity to create a future — to be sensitive to the past but to look forward.”
Principal begins welcoming work for new regional school The Catholic Spirit
Strong, deep connections Catholics have worshiped since the 1850s and 1860s in five churches in the farming communities just west of the growing town of New Prague (pop. 7,321). But circumstances — population shifts, financial stress, building concerns, clergy personnel issues — combined to require decision-making about which churches would be able to continue. When the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis delivered its Strategic Plan for Parishes and Schools in October 2010, St. Scholastica in Heidelberg, St. John the Evangelist in Union Hill, St. Thomas in St. Thomas, St. Joseph in Lexington and St. Benedict in rural New Prague were marked to merge with St. Wenceslaus, the much larger parish (1,400 families) in New Prague, where Father Clinton is the pastor. Deacon Bob Wagner, who lives in New Prague, has a good idea of how difficult the merging is and will be. “For some of these families, [their connection with their parish] goes back to the 1880s,” Deacon Wagner explained. “That’s an attraction, it’s almost built into the land, and that’s very precious and very fragile and needs to be very carefully attended to.” Being careful and attentive and flexible
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“For some of these families, [their connection with their parish] goes back to the 1880s. That’s an attraction, it’s almost built into the land, and that’ very precious and very fragile and needs to be very carefully attended to.
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DEACON BOB WAGNER
The steeple of St. Scholastica in Heidelberg is pictured in silhouette.
and moving slowly — but moving forward nonetheless — is the approach being taken. Even early on there was a change to the original plan. St. Thomas in St. Thomas is no longer part of the New Prague-area merger but merging with St. Anne in Le Sueur, at the
request of St. Thomas parishioners. “It made sense,” Father Clinton said. “People at St. Thomas have a much stronger affinity with Le Sueur than with New Prague.” The archdiocesan merger plan called for PLEASE TURN TO FLEXIBILITY ON PAGE 6
St. Michael School in West St. Paul has invited parents and students from St. Matthew in St. Paul to visit what will be their new regional campus next year. “This Tuesday night [Nov. 15] we are having a site visit,” said Maryanna Charley, St. Michael principal. “Hopefully, they will come and we’ll have some kids around and they will be able to show them around the building and get them comfortable.” The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Oct. 28 that five Catholic schools will come together to form a regional school with two PreK-8 campuses as well as maintain one parish school after the end of the 2011-2012 school year. The schools involved are Holy Trinity and St. John Vianney in South St. Paul; St. Joseph and St. Michael in West St. Paul; and St. Matthew in St. Paul. Beginning in fall 2012, St. Michael will host the campus for St. Paul’s West Side and part of West St. Paul. St. John Vianney will host the regional school’s South St. Paul campus. St. Joseph School in West St. Paul will remain as a parish school. The future of the Holy Trinity and St. Matthew school buildings will be determined by their respective parishes. Currently, the total enrollment of the four schools that will be a part of the new regional Catholic school is 494. St. Joseph School has 572 students. Charley said her main goal is to help the students who will be at the St. Michael site feel that they belong. She is also soliciting ideas from Doug Lieser, education and formation director at St. Matthew, and all the students about what traditions they have at their respective schools that they would like to maintain, such as St. Michael’s annual Posada celebration. She also asked students to come up with some projects they PLEASE TURN TO REGIONAL ON PAGE 16
President and Chairman of the Board Catholic United Financial, a 130+ year old Fraternal Life Insurance and Annuity Organization, is excited to announce its search for its next President and Chairman of the Board. This position requires an experienced insurance professional with traditional Catholic values to continue its legacy of Catholics helping Catholic through life insurance, annuities and fraternal benefits. Catholic United Financial is the largest Catholic Fraternal Life Insurance Association in Minnesota and 11th largest in the United States. Qualified candidates will have BA in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Actuarial Science or Law and 10+ years of progressive management experience in a financial services organization, working with a board of directors and supervising staff and demonstrated leadership at a strategic level. For complete job profile and qualifications, please visit our website at www.catholicunited.org and click on Careers. Please send resume and cover letter to Deborah Gephart in Human Resources at dgephart@catholicunited.org; or call 651-765-4122 with questions. Learn more about us at: www.catholicunited.org Catholic United Financial – Catholic is who we are – United is what we are – Financial is what we do
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Flexibility in rural community’s Mass times garnered credibility CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
“People know one
the churches at Heidelberg and Union Hill to remain in use, but for those in Lexington and St. Benedict to be closed, while the parishes themselves are intact as part of the merger with St. Wenceslaus.
another, there’s a lot of generosity. You don’t have to build community because it’s already there.
When the plan was presented, anger and hurt were natural reactions. One question from parishioners was, “How do you secede from the archdiocese?”
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Associate pastor Father David Barrett recalled, “People asked, ‘Why us? We’ve always made it before.’”
FATHER KEVIN CLINTON
Deacon Wagner was realistic: “Nobody was for their church being closed.”
Change a long time coming But groundwork begun five years before has borne fruit. When Father Clinton was first assigned to St. Wenceslaus, Archbishop Harry Flynn asked him to interview pastors and trustees at nearby parishes to begin to develop a pastoral plan for the area. At the time, one of the parishes had only 14 households. It was that knowledge of the parishes, the area, the people and their strengths, challenges and fears — and knowing the differences between the larger St. Wenceslaus parish and churches in the rural areas nearby — that led to the decision to try to create what’s being referred to as the Western Catholic Community portion of St. Wenceslaus Parish. The pastoral team is working at motivating people in those smaller parishes to create a united rural faith community that gathers at two sites, the churches in Heidelberg and Union Hill. “I didn’t need these folks to lose the rural parish identity,” said Father Clinton, who was raised on a farm south of Cleveland, Minn. “I wanted to preserve as much of that identity as I could.” His family’s parish was the rural parish of Marysburg, so he appreciates what rural parishes have. “People know one another, there’s a lot of generosity,” he said. “You don’t have to build community because it’s already there.” The downside, however, is that these smaller parishes are also very different, with certain ways of doing things. And they’d had pastors with different managerial styles. The aim now is to blend these very different parishes into one Catholic community. It’s not unlike blending a family, noted Deacon Wagner, to whom Father Clinton has assigned the administrative and financial duties of the rural community. Father Barrett, to whom Father Clinton has assigned the primary spiritual care of the Western Catholic Community, sees progress happening, if slowly.
Money matters Finances have played a significant role as the merging of the parishes happens. A huge step toward acceptance of merging was made in the minds of some when a financial analyst did a five-year projection of the cost to run all five parishes and the anticipated income. “You quickly realized that having five parishes was not sustainable,” Father Clinton said. A key piece in making the merger work may be the building of an “economic fire-
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
In this file photo, Gilbert Schoenbauer, left, and Adeline and Bernard Sobczak react moments after Adeline tied a purple ribbon on the doors of St. Benedict Church last Jaunary, marking the closing of the church building in Scott County.
wall” that separates the financial transactions of St. Wenceslaus with the financial transactions of the parishes in the Western Catholic Community. That was done, Father Clinton said, to allay people’s concerns that the great economic needs of a 1,400-member parish with a Catholic elementary school would not gobble up the finances of the rural parishes that are being merged. Separate books make the distinction clear. However, while there is that separation, the merging of St. Scholastica, St. Joseph, St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist with the big church and campus that dominates Main Street in New Prague offers benefits like shared retreats for the confirmation candidates of all the parishes, religious education programs open to all, more pastoral ministries such as BeFrienders to volunteer for and to use, social justice work to become involved in, and programs to enhance prayer life and worship. An example coming up Monday, Nov. 14, is the evening of enrichment for lectors, lay presiders, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion to senior residences and the homebound and those who present the Liturgy of the Word for Children. Parishioners from St. Wenceslaus and the Western Catholic Community are all invited. And the pluses aren’t one-sided. This year the eighth-grade retreat for St. Wenceslaus pupils had the benefit of being held off-campus to move the day out of the ordinary school regimen — six miles away at St. Scholastica in Heidelberg. That said, the merging of these five parishes — completed on paper — is much a work in progress.
Credibility gained Some people are frankly still parish shopping. Others have found spiritual homes in nearby parishes, St. John the Baptist in Jordan for one, the closest parish to the north. “The people in these merging parishes tend to be real practical,” Father Clinton said. “The majority could see the handwriting on the wall. Folks have had to give up a lot. They did their grieving.”
A challenge for some was not having Mass at their church at the time they’ve always gone to Mass. Now if people want to go to Mass at the time they always have they may have to drive four miles farther — and celebrate Mass with people with whom they may not yet have a relationship. But, even there, there’s been flexibility. The Union Hill parish used to have an 8:15 Mass on Saturday evenings. It was originally eliminated. Folks missed having that late-Saturday Mass at St. John the Evangelist, so Deacon Wagner worked with parishioners to write to appeal that decision to the archdiocese,
and Father Clinton made the request to Archbishop John Nienstedt. The archbishop approved re-starting the late-Saturday Mass alternating, half the year at Heidelberg and half the year at Union Hill. “People said, ‘Oh, we can be listened to!’” Deacon Wagner said. “Father Clinton and the archbishop both gained credibility.” Deacon Wagner said he expects it to take two to three years for “everything to shake out.” Father Clinton said he’ll know the merger is successful when people see the positives, when they realize the economic firewall is just that, and when the Western Catholic Community is “functioning independently, paying its bill, and the leadership has been around for a couple of years and comfortable with the decisionmaking process.” Father Barrett, comfortable in his assignment since he grew up on a farm in Randolph, Minn., said the merger will be complete “when there’s less ‘them and us’ and more ‘we.’”
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Sacred Liturgy should inform all we do CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 translation of the Roman Missal on the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27. The new missal, however, was only one of the reasons the archbishop said he decided to write about the Mass at this time. “I wanted to make a positive statement about the fact that I think we do celebrate liturgy well here in this archdiocese,” said Archbishop Nienstedt, who since arriving four years ago has made numerous pastoral visits to parishes, schools and other Catholic institutions. “I do believe that staffs and priests and religious put great effort into it. “Now that we have this opportunity with the new missal, I think it’s not just a question of the words, as I indicated [in my Oct. 27 column in The Catholic Spirit],” he added. “The words are important obviously and the syntax is important. But can we take this opportunity to celebrate even better?”
Keeping the Lord’s Day “Do This In Memory of Me” includes citations from the documents of the Second Vatican Council as well as the writings of Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. The letter explains the connection between the Sacred Liturgy and the church as well as the importance of unity within the church and obedience “to the rubrics and the definitive legislation concerning our common liturgical texts, actions and practices.” He also writes about the importance of Sunday Mass to the life of faith.
The letter includes Archbishop Nienstedt’s reminiscences of attending Sunday Mass as a child at his parish church. “There, at a very young age, I knew that I was entering not just a sacred space, but what I believed to be a vision of what heaven must be like,” he writes. “Every Sunday, the eight members of my family would pile into our station wagon and drive the short distance to the 8 a.m. Mass. We sat in the second row, left hand side of the main aisle, two rows in front of my grandparents. How well I remember those days!” Later in the letter, the archbishop recalls: “For me, the experience of attending Sunday Mass was not viewed so much as a duty, but rather as something I very much wanted to do. I might say it was a duty of the heart. . . . I looked forward to that Sunday morning worship primarily because it put me in touch with my God.” The rest of the day was devoted to family time, Archbishop Nienstedt told The Catholic Spirit. His father cooked breakfast and later everyone in the family would sit down for a big Sunday dinner and share conversation. In his letter, the archbishop says he realizes “there has been an incredible shift in how society views Sunday since I was growing up.” Weekends are often filled with sports competitions, errands and appointments from morning until night, and “for many, even good Catholics, Sunday Mass can become just one more activity to fit into the schedule,” he writes. “I believe it’s all about priorities and
Christmas poster contest
I will keep the Christmas spirit alive all year by . . .
The Catholic Spirit is sponsoring a Christmas poster contest for youths in grades one through 12 who are enrolled in the archdiocese’s Catholic schools and religious education programs. Home-schoolers may also enter. Prizes will be awarded to individuals producing winning entries. ■ Artists are asked to finish the phrase: “I will keep the Christmas spirit alive all year by __________.” The completed sentence must appear with a picture on each entry. ■ Artists may use markers, crayons, colored pencils and/or paints. ■ Entries must be submitted on 8.5-by-11-inch paper. ■ The artist’s name, address, telephone number, grade and parish should appear on the back of each entry. A first-place prize will be awarded in each of four categories: grades one through three, grades four through six, grades seven through nine, and grades 10 through 12. The winning entries, along with honorable mentions, will be published in The Catholic Spirit’s special Christmas edition, Dec. 22. A panel of Catholic Spirit judges will select the winners based on artistic skill, creativity and reproducibility. Each winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card. Entries must be postmarked by Friday, Dec. 9. Posters should be sent to: Christmas Poster Contest • The Catholic Spirit • 244 Dayton Ave • St. Paul, MN 55102.
Questions: Call editor Joe Towalski at (651) 291-4455, or e-mail him at TOWALSKIJ@ARCHSPM.ORG.
what’s really important,” Archbishop Nienstedt told The Catholic Spirit. “I know sports are important for young boys and young girls, but God has to be the center of our life, and it’s that Christocentric reality that we need to develop.”
Inspiring our lives At the same time, the archbishop said, “We need to do more to allow Mass to be inspirational.” In his letter, he cites Catholic author Matthew Kelly’s suggestion to bring a journal to Mass with a cover inscribed with the question: “What’s one thing I need to do today to be a better person?” “I think Kelly is on to something there,” Archbishop Nienstedt said during the interview. “I think if we ask that question, and it’s something we’re conscious of during Mass, we’ll pay more attention to what’s going on. We’ll pay more attention to the homily. We’ll pay more attention to the readings, and we would be inspired.” Ultimately, he says in the letter, all we do as a local church should be informed by the Sacred Liturgy. “Whether it is implementing our strategic plan for parishes and schools, studying the texts for the new Roman Missal, defending the family and the traditional understanding of marriage, working for peace and justice among all peoples, feeding the poor or sheltering the homeless — each of these activities should have a conscious link in our minds and hearts to what we celebrate at Mass.”
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Youth: NCYC can be life-changing event CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 being together,” said Bill Dill, youth ministry events coordinator for the archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life. “When you get 20,000 kids together, it’s an excited atmosphere. They’re singing, clapping their hands, sometimes they’re dancing. Most of that doesn’t happen at the average Sunday Mass.” Liz Chi Pham, youth ministry leader for St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien, grew up in the parish and was never exposed to the buoyant, open praise and worship she encountered at the first youth conference she chaperoned in 2007. As she watched a eucharistic procession move across the conference center, Pham remembers the entire crowd going silent, then kneeling. “We wondered who had showed up — and it was Jesus. . . . Nobody had to say anything,” she said. Pham’s experience of Vietnamese Catholic culture growing up, she said, was formal and “introverted.” There was real community — families at the parish would visit, hold lunches or clean the church together after Mass — but the prayers were recited and the posture was still, Pham said.
Life-changing experience Youth who attended the 2007 and 2009 conferences in Columbus, Ohio, and Kansas City, Mo., respectively, said they came away changed. Phong Do, a student at Champlin Park High School, said it’s always been a tough balance between school, social life and his parents’ faith. At NCYC 2009, however, Do was assigned to room with five other guys in a hotel suite. The camaraderie with people who shared his faith was so encouraging he still calls them up sometimes. “We had a habit of not turning out the lights when they said lights out,” Do recalled. Now, as his way of thanking God, Do always tries to make the sign of the cross before meals, even if it gets him weird looks at school, he said. The best part of the 2009 conference for Christine Lam, an Academy of Holy Angels junior, was listening to inspiring but down-to-earth speakers like chastity gurus Jason and Crystalina Evert, she said. This year’s NCYC brings 21-year-old Stacey Nguyen, a trip chaperone, full circle. When Nguyen accompanied Liz Chi Pham to NCYC four years earlier, she had just returned to the youth group after a time of high school rebellion and hanging out with the wrong crowd, she said. Nguyen remembers being moved to tears by the stadium of Catholics worshiping loudly and powerfully. After coming home, Nguyen began moving from long, memorized prayers to more conversational moments with God. Prayer became something she wanted to do, not had to do. The opportunity to watch NCYC transform youth in her parish from the other side, as an adult, excites Nguyen. “I’m hoping it will impact them as much as it impacted me,” she said.
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“There can be no peace in the world without peace between religions.” Atonement Father Elias Mallon, speaking at a Spirit of Assisi Gathering, Garrison, N.Y.
Nation/World NOVEMBER 10, 2011
News from around the U.S. and the globe
In Assisi, a sense of deeper crisis in society Catholic News Service
A common thread ran through many of the speeches and invocations of this year’s “prayer for peace” encounter in Assisi: the uneasy sense that the world is facing not merely conflicts and wars, but a much broader crisis that affects social and cultural life in every country. Environmental damage, the rich-poor divide, erosion of cultural traditions, terrorism and new threats to society’s weakest members were cited as increasingly worrisome developments by speakers at the interfaith gathering in the Italian pilgrimage town Oct. 27.
Different challenges
CNS photo / L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters
Pope Benedict XVI greets unidentified delegates from the Assisi, Italy, interfaith gathering Oct. 28 at the Vatican. The pope meet with 300 religious representatives in Clementine Hall in the Apostolic Palace the day after they returned from Assisi.
Twenty-five years ago, the success of the Assisi prayer summit was measured in part by how many warring parties respected Pope John Paul’s call for a oneday truce. In the 2011 edition, there was no truce call and no mention of specific conflicts by participants, with the exception of a brief reference to Jerusalem as a contested city. That’s not because wars have disappeared from the horizon, but because world harmony is seen as threatened in alarming new ways: The world is ignoring massive loss of life among the poorest, said Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, making a point echoed by several leaders. Others said the economic crisis
has placed everyone’s future under a cloud. Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople expressed concern that changes set in motion by pro-democracy movements in Arab countries may end up leaving Christian minorities less protected than before. Several speakers warned of ecological disaster unless lifestyle changes are made. Naturally, there were many hopeful words and prayers at Assisi to balance these rather dramatic assessments. As one pastor representing Reformed churches said at the closing ceremony, a world with more open borders, shrinking distances and better communications should make it easier for people of faith to have an impact.
U.S. bishops’ agenda includes internal matters Catholic News Service The U.S. bishops’ fall general assembly in Baltimore will be shorter than usual and focus more on the inner workings of the church than on larger societal issues. The Nov. 14-16 meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will include a discussion on religious liberty that could touch on a wide range of topics. But the main business of the gathering will be on liturgical, financial and organizational matters. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, elected to head the USCCB for a three-year term last November, will open the meeting with his first presidential address. If tradition holds, the talk will present a “state of the U.S. church” message and a look at the challenges Archbishop Dolan foresees for the coming year. Looking back on one of their biggest
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Briefly Bishops urge Senate committee to uphold Defense of Marriage Act
By John Thavis
Pope Benedict XVI, addressing the 300 participants, echoed those points in his own analysis of the state of global peace 25 years after Blessed John Paul II convened the first Assisi meeting. In 1986, he noted, the world was caught up not only in simmering armed conflicts but also in a cold war between two opposing blocs. Today, the Cold War is over and there is “no threat of a great war hanging over us,” but “nevertheless the world is, unfortunately, full of discord,” he said. The pope said this discord has taken on “new and frightening guises,” and he singled out two forms: terrorism, including acts of violence that are religiously motivated; and the spiritual erosion that has occurred in highly secularized societies. “The worship of Mammon, possessions and power is proving to be a counter-religion, in which it is no longer man who counts but only personal advantage,” he said. He cited the illegal drug trade and drug dependency to show how desire for happiness today can degenerate into “an unbridled, inhuman craving.”
The Catholic Spirit
challenges of the past 18 months, the bishops will vote on whether to make their former Task Force on Health Care into a permanent Subcommittee on Health Care Issues under the Committee on Doctrine. Also up for a vote at the meeting is a resolution to support yearly voluntary financial reporting by each diocesan bishop in the U.S. to the archbishop who heads his ecclesiastical province. Several liturgical matters are scheduled to come before the bishops for a vote. They will decide whether to include two new optional memorials, for Blessed Marianne Cope and Blessed John Paul II, in the proper of saints calendar for the United States and whether to approve a new translation of the Rite for Blessing the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick, and for Consecrating the Chrism.
Archbishop is nominee for doctrine committee Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis is one of the nominees for the position of chairmanelect of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine. Also nominated for the position, which will be voted on when the bishops meet Nov. 14-16 in Baltimore, is Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester, Mass. The bishops also will choose a USCCB secretary-elect as well as chairman-elect of several other committees, including communications, cultural diversity, national collections and pro-life activities. — Catholic News Service
The U.S. bishops have urged the Senate Judiciary Committee not to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, calling it important for human rights and the common good. “DOMA advances the common good in a manner consistent with the human dignity of all persons,” Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland, Calif., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, wrote in a Nov. 2 letter to committee members. DOMA defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman and gives states the authority to reject samesex marriages that may have been legally recognized in other states. The Senate Judiciary Committee began debate Nov. 3 on legislation to repeal the law. Called the Respect for Marriage Act, the legislation would end what its supporters consider illegal discrimination against legally married same-sex couples. However, advocates for traditional marriage said the Senate bill, S. 598, and an identical House bill, H.R. 1116, would open the door to redefining marriage and would eventually force states where same-sex marriage is illegal to recognize such unions.
Wis. bishops: Keep guns out of ‘sacred spaces’ Wisconsin’s bishops have urged Catholics not to take weapons to church even though a new state law went into effect Nov. 1 allowing those with permits to carry concealed weapons. In a statement issued Oct. 31 to the state’s Catholics, the bishops said they were not mandating that parishes prohibit concealed weapons but advised parishioners to “seriously consider not carrying them into church buildings as a sign of reverence for these sacred spaces.” The state’s five bishops said the church has a long tradition of sanctuary, allowing people fleeing violence to take refuge in church buildings for safety and protection. They also pointed out that when violence occurs in a Catholic church it must be reconsecrated. The bishops urged pastors and parish leaders to consider these factors in determining whether to prohibit concealed weapons in parishes and other buildings owned by the church and Catholic organizations. — Catholic News Service
“Hopefully, our being together at the tomb of Peter and close to [Pope] Benedict will renew us in our generosity, courage and faith in following Jesus up close.” Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, speaking Nov. 4 during his ‘ad limina’ visit with other bishops to the Vatican
This Catholic Life 10
The Catholic Spirit
Opinion, feedback and points to ponder
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
U.S. bishops begin round of consultations in Rome By John Thavis Catholic News Service
B
ishops from the United States are starting to make their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican, an intense series of encounters that will bring many of them face-to-face with Pope Benedict XVI for the first time. Beginning this month and extending through much of next year, the visits will constitute the most comprehensive assessment of church life in the United States since the German pope was elected in 2005. The visits also give Pope Benedict a platform for commentary, and Vatican sources say the leitmotif of papal talks to the bishops will be “new evangelization” in U.S. society. The approximately 200 heads of U.S. dioceses, some accompanied by auxiliary bishops, will arrive in Rome in 15 regional groups, and each will bring a “Report on the State of the Diocese” that will serve as the basis for discussions. (The dates of the visit for the regional group that includes the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has not yet been set.) The schedules for the weeklong visits combine prayer and liturgy with more businesslike encounters at key Vatican offices.
CNS photo / Paul Haring
U.S. bishops on their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican walk across St. Peter’s Square Nov. 4. Bishops from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were
the first group of U.S. prelates to visit the Vatican to report on the state of their dioceses.
Discussions with pope The meetings with the pope have always been the highlight of the “ad limina” visits. Pope Benedict has lately adopted a modified format, meeting with seven to 10 bishops at a time instead of individual encounters. U.S. bishops can expect small group discussions lasting about 45 minutes to an hour, featuring a relatively unstructured give-and-take with the pontiff. The pope also addresses the larger regional groups of bishops, usually on a particular theme or aspect of the church’s experience in the United States. He will not give a formal speech to each regional group, however. Instead, plans call for him to address only five of the groups — part of a cutback in papal appointments that has been instituted gradually over the last few years. Pope Benedict’s talks will undoubtedly be combed for comments relevant to the 2012 election year campaign in the United States. Vatican insiders say the pope will avoid wading into partisan politics. Nevertheless, his talks are expected to touch on perennial hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage — not because they may be electoral topics, but because they are challenges to fundamental Catholic moral teaching. Vatican sources said that under the general theme of new evangelization, which aims to strengthen the faith and “evangelize culture” in traditionally Christian countries, the pope is likely to focus on several key areas: ■ How culture and religion should in-
“If we only looked at the administrative aspect of these visits, we would not understand them. They are first of all moments of communion and collegiality, a faith experience.
”
CARDINAL MARC OUELLET Head of the Congregation for Bishops
tersect, especially in current situations found in secular society. ■ Education and the particular importance of Catholic schools. ■ Building good relationships between bishops and priests, which have suffered in the clerical sex abuse scandal. ■ Religious freedom as a challenge not only in countries where Christians are a minority, but in places where radical secularism is taking root. The “ad limina” visits are often described as the Catholic version of branch managers reporting to the head office. Vatican officials say that’s a misconception. “If we only looked at the administrative aspect of these visits, we would not understand them. They are first of all moments of communion and collegiality, a faith experience,” Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Congregation for Bishops, told Catholic News Service. He said that when the groups of bishops pray and celebrate liturgies together, hold meetings with the Vatican and then en-
gage in informal conversations among themselves, they are able to take a break from purely local affairs and look at things from a more universal perspective. The visits are also a time when bishops and the Vatican can remove “prejudices” that may arise on issues that are treated in the media or public debate, but often without much direct communication between Rome and local church leaders, Cardinal Ouellet said. “They clarify questions with us and we clarify questions with them. It is really very positive,” the cardinal said.
Reporting on diocesan life The title of the visits comes from the Latin phrase “ad limina apostolorum” (to the thresholds of the apostles), a reference to the pilgrimage to the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul that the bishops are required to make. Several U.S. groups also plan to celebrate Masses at the altar of the tomb of Blessed John Paul II. Many of the bishops were,
in fact, appointed by the late pope and feel a special connection to him. Cardinal Ouellet’s office coordinates preparation for the “ad limina” visits. Each bishop is asked to prepare in advance a report on virtually every aspect of diocesan life, including family life, education, clergy and religious, lay involvement, vocations, priestly formation, religious practices and demographics. These reports are taken seriously at the Vatican, Cardinal Ouellet said. They are circulated to heads of Vatican agencies and to the pope ahead of time, so that meetings can be productive. The U.S. bishops plan group meetings with officials of several Vatican agencies. They include the congregations in charge of doctrine, clergy, bishops, worship, education and religious orders, and pontifical councils that deal with ecumenism, the family and laity. The bishops are being encouraged to meet with the council for new evangelization, and some will hold talks with the council for health care. These discussions involve shared concerns and interests, but some bishops also schedule private meetings with Vatican officials to deal with diocesan issues. The group encounters are usually hosted by the prefects or presidents of Vatican congregations or councils. That isn’t always possible, but Cardinal Ouellet said the top officials of Roman Curia departments “must have a very good reason not to meet the group.” Meeting with the world’s bishops is considered a priority task for curia agencies, he added.
This Catholic Life / Commentary
NOVEMBER 10, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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Giving thanks for ‘all things in good plenty’
Twenty Something Christina Capecchi
First European woman setting foot on Plymouth Rock understood what really mattered in life
When Mary Chilton first spotted the New World in November 1620, the 13-year-old had been aboard the Mayflower for 10 weeks, stuck in the same clothes and cramped in dark, damp quarters among seasick passengers and dying goats. Each family was allotted one storage trunk for all their possessions. Imagine the terror and thrill of squinting at Cape Cod’s thickets. Mary earned the distinction of being the first European woman to set foot on Plymouth Rock. The week before Christmas, her father died. Three weeks after Christmas, the illness they called the “general sickness” had claimed her mother. Only half of the Mayflower’s 102 passengers lived to see spring in Massachusetts.
A successful harvest Mary marked her 14th birthday as an orphan, grasping the ways of a foreign land, where the Wampanoag Indians offered guideposts: how to grow corn, catch fish, extract maple sap and identify poisonous plants. She was present at what we consider the first Thanksgiving, a threeday feast called for by Governor William Bradford to celebrate a successful corn harvest. The Plymouth colonists were joined by their teachers, the Wampanoag, who arrived
with five deer. They cooked wild duck over an open flame, feasted on seasoned corn and gave thanks: for their harvest, for their friendship and, ultimately, for their survival. Bradford chronicled it all, writing: “Thus they found the Lord to be with them in all their ways and to bless their outgoings and incomings, for which let his holy name have the praise forever to all posterity. They began now to gather in the small harvest they had and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. . . .”
The general sickness had ceased. Their food was hot, their faith, intact. It was hard for him to fathom what more they could possibly want. It was, to him, “all things in good plenty.”
Having a grateful heart It takes an awful lot to make 21stcentury Americans decide we have “all things in good plenty.” We haven’t really got there. We’re still upgrading our vehicles, filling our basements and then paying to store the overflow. It’s hard to see much of the first Thanksgiving in our 390th, with
stuffing and pie and football on bigscreen TVs. But I’m trying to look back. I have such awe for the pioneers who paved the way — saints and settlers, miners and mothers. I’m praying with St. Francis de Sales, who said: “Give me one more thing, O Lord: a grateful heart.” I know that can cover and cure every matter, turning my portion into “all things in good plenty.” I’m giving thanks while hoping for a life as full and rich as that of Mary Chilton, who married and delivered 10 children. She died an old lady who had raised a family, welcomed grandkids and written a will. In it, she accounted for six white aprons, three pocket-handkerchiefs, two leather chairs and a brass candlestick. Mary understood what really counted. “Knowing the uncertainty of this present life and being desirous to settle that outward estate the Lord hath lent me, I do make this my last will and testament,” she wrote. “First and principally, I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, my Creator.” Here’s to putting first things first. Christina Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights. Contact her at CHRISTINA@READ CHRISTINA.COM.
Occupy Wall Street? Let’s occupy the adoration chapels The Occupy Wall Street movement has been the big story of the last few months. What fictional “Wall Street” movie character Gordon Gekko called the NINJA generation (No Income, No Jobs, No Assets) is gathering together in major urban centers to protest growing income inequality, a lousy economy in which there are few available jobs, and the feeling that our nation is ruled by a plutocracy of bankers and financial speculators. How should Catholics respond? Like its fraternal twin, 2010’s Tea Party movement, OWS has elements of a truly populist uprising. Although neither movement has a specific set of political goals, there is definitely a Jason Adkins sentiment across the political spectrum that something is wrong. Many people no longer believe that democracy works for them or for the common good. But each movement correctly identifies only half the problem. The Tea Party recognizes that Big Government too often imposes the arbitrary rule of tax-loving bureaucrats who stifle authentic liberty and strangle entrepreneurism in a mass of red tape. Big Government also tends to usurp responsibilities that should be performed by individuals, families, businesses, churches and other institutions of civil society. On the other side of the coin, OWS recognizes that Big Business (particularly financiers and the military-industrial complex) have enriched themselves at public expense, often conspiring with
Faith in the Public Arena
Fawkes masks?
“Transforming a broken world must first start with transforming ourselves because there is no political solution to what is fundamentally a moral problem.
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JASON ADKINS
politicians to do so through tax breaks, corporate bailouts and legal regimes that funnel capital into usurious loans and other forms of financial speculation that do little else than provide massive profits for a select few. And when the financial house of cards collapses, the average Joe gets stuck with higher taxes and fewer jobs to make sure GM and the banks don’t “fail.” Further, poverty is on the rise, a record number of people are receiving food stamps, and homelessness is now common in the suburbs, not just the inner city. People are, understandably, upset.
Only part of the picture Neither movement, however, gets the full picture, which means the answers they suggest will do little to solve the underlying problems. The answers provided by the political action groups who co-opt these movements still typically fit in the same old left-right divide and are essentially capitalist or socialist. But the false religions of “market fundamentalism” and statism will only further empower what G.K. Chesterton called
“Hudge and Gudge,” the co-dependent relationship between Big Government and Big Business. Hudge and Gudge are empowered by greed and the “libido dominandi” — the lust for power. Hudge encourages Gudge to create regulatory regimes that favor the pursuit of profits and the elimination of competition. Gudge obliges, on the agreement that Hudge keeps Gudge in power. Not surprisingly, the leadership of Hudge and Gudge splits time between both. So when Tea Partiers call for more freedom and lower taxes, the public gets less regulation of banks and corporate tax breaks. When OWS people call for more regulatory oversight and income redistribution, the public gets corporate subsidies and legal regimes that favor big businesses and harm small ones. And if OWS isn’t satisfied with these brussels sprouts and continues to occupy your city, the police will eventually be sent in to restore “order.” We are left with the $64,000 question: “What is to be done?” Do we believe that the answer is to sit out in the cold complaining about “the system” with a bunch of kids wearing Guy
Sacrament of charity As Catholics, the first thing we should do is occupy our local eucharistic adoration chapel and sit in the presence of the sacrament of charity. As Mother Teresa said, “Prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament will save the world from destruction.” Transforming a broken world must first start with transforming ourselves because there is no political solution to what is fundamentally a moral problem. There is only a spiritual solution — one that starts with repentance and conversion. When we gaze upon the Lord, we will better see him in the face of others. And when we do so, we will gain a renewed sense of solidarity — particularly with the hungry, the homeless, the unemployed and the immigrant looking for work. This heightened awareness of the needs of others will lead us to not just think about but also act to build a more just social order. Spending time with the Lord will also help us see the world in a more integrated way, get at the root cause of problems, and begin to develop solutions that serve the common good, not just the narrow interests of a few. Over the coming months, this column will periodically outline the moral principles and ethical framework the church offers us to reconstruct a broken social order. But for now, we have to rebuild the broken person that is all of us. Occupy the chapels! Jason Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Commentary
/ This Catholic Life
Suggested food eligibility cuts: 8 million more empty bowls ecently, I read an article from the New York Times that was examining the interesting convergence of homeless individuals and participants in the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Occupiers, of course have chosen to take to the streets while many homeless individuals live on the streets less by choice and more because they have hit rock bottom due to a lack of income, mental health challenges and other unmet human needs. While there has been apparent conflict between the two groups of people in some of the cities with Occupy Wall Street camp outs, there are some interesting perspectives as they share the streets. One of the most striking is that both groups of people feel a measure of disenfranchisement from the economic and political power structure in this country. There is a belief that our economy no longer results in a sense of shared prosperity and that the inequities are more glaring than ever in the wake of this latest economic downturn. Undoubtedly, the economy is not working for millions of people who are looking for jobs and some sense of economic stability. We can argue over whether this is the “new normal” with large unemployment and low wages or that there is a skills mismatch between workers and the jobs available or a mix of the two.
R Faith and Justice Kathy Tomlin
There is no way that charitable groups can fill an even greater gap
Cutting the basics What is clear, however, is that this new economy with inadequate tax revenues and tax policies that remain unchanged have resulted in significant budget deficits.
Having charged the Super Committee with the task of balancing the national spending and tax challenges that are dragging the country down, Congress will be embroiled in some significant moral questions. Some of the questions they will be dealing with will impact both the homeless population and those newly unemployed who have chosen to voice their concerns by taking to the streets. One of the basic questions our representatives in Washington, D.C., will face is how much they will be willing to cut basic programs that keep people from being destitute? It has been suggested, for example, that programs like food stamps, now called SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, could be cut by as much as $127 billion over the next 10 years. Current benefits are a low $1.30 a meal. Any cut to the program will result in either a cut to each individual and family’s grant or the elimination of eligibility altogether for a whole host of people. SNAP is the nation’s basic safety
net against hunger. Its goal is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by permitting low-income households to obtain a more nutritious diet. SNAP provides a monthly benefit amount to eligible low-income individuals and families that can be used to purchase food. Eligibility for SNAP is based on household income and assets, with 76 percent of all benefits going to households with children. If the cuts were to come solely by eliminating eligibility from those currently eligible, more than 8 million people would need to be cut from the program. Think about that: 8 million more people without access to food, many of them children, seniors and disabled adults. The impact of such a decision would be huge. There is no way that the churches, synagogues and mosques and other charitable enterprises can provide for the gap that will be increased.
What is government role? The scope of this single cut is, in fact, three times the country’s entire charitable food enterprise: food
shelves, food banks, pantries and food lines. As Congress faces decisions like this one, the citizens and our representatives will be wrestling with the fundamental question about the role of government in continuing to assist those who cannot meet their basic needs. Pope John XXIII, in his encyclical, “Pacem in Terris,” teaches that food is a basic right and that because we are social creatures living in community, we have the responsibility to ensure that people have what they need. In order to meet this challenge, then, we can either pull together as a society and agree that programs like SNAP are a worthy humanitarian tax investment or we will have to triple the capacity of our charitable food programs through the use of volunteers and volunteer dollars/food contributions. As we think through this one decision, let’s reflect on which one of these outcomes provides the greatest dignity to those in need. Because many of the homeless have little capacity to fix their own meals, they necessarily receive whatever has been contributed for their meals. But do we really want to shift another 8 million people to stand in line begging for food rather than receiving a government issued electronic benefit card that can be used at the grocery store to select the food that is wanted and needed at home? It’s an important consideration! Kathy Tomlin is director of the Office for Social Justice of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Let Christ’s light shine through and you can be as smart as a third-grader here are some people you just want to be around. There is something about their spirit, their attitude or energy that inspires and encourages. On All Saints Day, I recalled a former pastor of mine who had this quality of presence that I wanted to be close to. It wasn’t anything in particular he said, but it was the way he lived and what he noticed that captured my imagination. Being around him brought out the best in me. I’m sure he inspired my call to ministry. I saw the same thing happen this fall on my son’s fourth-grade football team. I had helped coach neighborhood sports before, but this time something was different. Our head coach brought a desire, a love of the game and a presence that spoke louder than words. I saw how the boys wanted to hover around him before and after practice. They caught his spirit just by being in his presence. And, so did I! It was more like an apprenticeship than a class. I saw how some of the deepest lessons of life are not learned in a book, but are witnessed to beyond words. I think this captures the spirit of how Christian faith is shared and handed on. Vatican II’s decree on the church’s missionary activity says that
T Mission Link Deacon Mickey Friesen
Some of the deepest lessons of life are not learned in a book, but are witnessed to beyond words
“During this time of year, we remember in a special way and give thanks for the saints in our lives.
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DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN
handing on faith “is not a mere expounding of doctrines and precepts, but a training period for the whole Christian life. It is an apprenticeship of appropriate length, during which disciples are joined to Christ their teacher” (Ad Gentes, 14).
Living evangelization We learn by watching and living Christian faith. Pope Paul VI reinforced this message when, speaking about evangelization, he said, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” During this time of year, we remember in a special way and give thanks for the saints in our lives. As the letter to Hebrews says, “since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses , let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that
lies before us.” (Hebrews 12:1). These are the ordinary holy men and women who may not be part of the official list, but magnify the Lord in their living and loving and teaching through example and daily witness. I recall a story about saints told by Bishop Robert Morneau. He says, “A third-grader got it right. ‘A saint is someone that the light shines through.’ She was looking at a stained glass window — the one St. Francis inhabits. Every morning the light comes and Francis lets the light pass through. Saints are bearers of the light and love and life. Just ask a third-grader.”
Martyrs bear witness Christian witness comes from the same word as “martyr.” A martyr is one who gives witness to Christ with their life. Some martyrs physically give up their life. Most of us can be a martyr (a witness) by offering our life
to be an instrument for Christ. We can be light-bearers as parents and grandparents; teachers and coaches; pastors and ministers; friends, classmates and co-workers. We can share faith and hand it on to others. St. Francis of Assisi said, “Proclaim the Gospel at all times; if necessary use words.” In this age of multi-media outlets, Internet, 24/7 talk radio and television, the cacophony of monologues, blogs, tweets and tabloids, we are surrounded by words, words and more words. And yet, words without witness ring hollow and don’t have the lasting power to inspire and transform others. Jesus said to his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). At every Eucharist we receive the real presence of Christ and, in turn, are sent forth to witness to the real presence of Christ in our world. We are witnesses to the mystery of faith that we receive. We can let the light pass through us like the saints who have come before us. Just ask a third-grader. Deacon Mickey Friesen is director of the archdiocesan Center for Mission.
“For you, yourselves, know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:2
The Lesson Plan The Catholic Spirit
Reflections on faith and spirituality
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
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Christ, our king, models humble service rather than haughty reign he church celebrates the feast of Christ the King Nov. 20, and invites us into a mystery that is paradoxical. In the Gospel reading for the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Jesus talks about how the Son of Man will come with the angels and sit on his throne, and it is there that he will separate the sheep from the goats. In the glorious end times, this king will have destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power, including death. But this reality is Deacon Ben Kociemba coupled with the one presented in the Lectionary readings for Christ the King from other years, which portrays Jesus on trial before Pontius Pilate (John’s Gospel) and Jesus on the cross being snickered at by the soldiers (Luke’s Gospel). Apparently, this is no ordinary king. In fact, he was born not in a palace but a cave. He was not an oppressor but rather a servant who got down on his hands and knees to wash the feet of his disciples. He did not reign from a throne but a cross in
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Sunday Scriptures
Readings for Nov. 20 Christ the King ■ Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 ■ 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 ■ Matthew 25:31-46
For reflection Reflect on Christ’s kingship and look for a specific way that you can humbly serve someone, today.
or naïve optimism. It’s the Good News! Christ invites all of us into the life of humility that he himself entered into most perfectly as the foundation of his kingship. We are called not to become so engrossed in our daily anxieties that we lose track of the larger picture and the people who matter (or should matter) to us. Christ’s kingship of loving concern becomes the model for all the things we control. We need to be careful that we don’t form this bubble of haughty self-concern and forget that Grandma should be visited in the nursing home, that we should have time to have lunch with a family member who is struggling, or attend our kid’s ballgame. In other words, we don’t want to make the mistake of the rich man who is so occupied with his own life that he doesn’t even notice that Lazarus is at his door seeking his rightful share of food. The blessed who will reign with Christ on the final day of glory are those who truly understand Christ the King.
a garbage dump outside the city walls of Jerusalem. This paradox is key to understanding Christ’s kingship. Jesus, as our ruler, places his love for his people at the forefront of his rule. Quoting Ezekiel, he says: “As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I will tend my sheep. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up” (Ezekiel 34:11-12). It is such a unique form of kingship that we must contemplate it and let it pene-
trate deep into our own hearts. As we are driving to work thinking about our next sales call or anticipating that co-worker who is difficult to deal with, do we remember it?
Luke 19:11-28 Notice how often we lose whatever we hold too tightly.
want this,” and handed me a cold bottle of water. I knew from conversations with her that she had suffered many painful rejections because of her sexual orientation, but had somehow managed not to let it make her bitter. I think of her whenever I hear this Scripture.
Friday, Nov. 25 Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and martyr Daniel 7:2-14 Luke 21:29-33 The Resurrection reminds us that what appears to be total destruction is not the final word.
Monday, Nov. 21 Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20 Luke 21:1-4 Notice how our culture’s value system confines our understanding of generosity.
Saturday, Nov. 26 Daniel 7:15-27 Luke 21:34-36 What preoccupies your heart and mind and dulls your awareness of beauty, goodness and love?
A model of loving concern Do we have in the back of our mind God’s triumphant love for us so that we don’t have any undue anxiety and that he will be there to help us if we but invite him in? This reality isn’t mere wishful thinking
Deacon Ben Kociemba is in formation for the priesthood at The St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of St. Cloud. His home parish is St. Mary in Melrose and his teaching parish is All Saints in Holdingford.
Daily Scriptures 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. Monday, Nov. 14 1 Maccabees 1:10-15,41-43, 54-57, 62-63 Luke 18:35-43 We have to be willing to acknowledge our blindness before it can be healed. Tuesday, Nov. 15 Albert the Great, bishop and doctor of the church 2 Maccabees 6:18-31 Luke 19:1-10 Shame and fear get in the way of our ability to glimpse into the heart and mind of Jesus. Wednesday, Nov. 16 Margaret of Scotland; Gertrude, virgin 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31
Thursday, Nov. 17 Elizabeth of Hungary, religious 1 Maccabees 2:15-29 Luke 19:41-44 What moves you to tears? Friday, Nov. 18 Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul, apostles; Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59 Luke 19:45-48 No matter the role or position, anyone can become an obstacle rather than a channel of goodness and grace. Saturday, Nov. 19 1 Maccabees 6:1-13 Luke 20:27-40 We can pose questions in order to learn or to ridicule. Sunday, Nov. 20 Christ the King Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25:31-46 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink.” — Matthew 25:35 I was on a long flight home from Prague and feeling miserable thanks to an upper respiratory infection. Neither my husband nor I had brought a beverage on board and I was silently bemoaning my shortsightedness when a woman we had met on our tour group suddenly appeared at my side and said, “I thought you might
Tuesday, Nov. 22 Cecilia, virgin and martyr Daniel 2:31-45 Luke 21:5-11 When we orient our life around the fear of what might happen, we overlook our call in the present moment. Wednesday, Nov. 23 Clement I, pope and martyr; Columban, abbot; Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, priest and martyr Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 Luke 21:12-19 Have you been criticized and rejected because of a belief in God’s radical mercy and compassion? Thursday, Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Day Andrew Dung-Lac, priest and martyr, and his companions, martyrs Daniel 6:12-28 Luke 21:20-28 If we were truly aware that everything ends, we would make more compassionate choices, today.
Sunday, Nov. 27 First Sunday in Advent Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2b-7 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37 “We are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.” — Isaiah 64:7 Years ago, a friend who is a skilled potter attempted to teach me the art of pottery making. I quickly learned that it is not nearly as simple as it looks. In fact, the vase I worked on so diligently turned out to be too thin to withstand the heat of the oven and had to be discarded. Trying to mold ourselves proves just as fruitless. In the end, we have to humbly place our flaws and imperfections, as well as our goodness, into the hands of a power far greater and more loving than ourselves. 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.
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The Lesson Plan
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Questions and answers about the new Roman Missal This question-and-answer column is the next in a series about the new Roman Missal, which will be used in the United States beginning Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent. Q: With all of the other needs in our church, why so much time and effort expended on a new translation of the Mass? Should this really be our priority during this difficult time in the life of the world and the church? A: The Sacred Liturgy, that is, the public prayer of the church, is not just one activity among many in the church’s life. Rather, it is, as the Second Vatican Council reminded us, “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which her power flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all who are made sons of God by faith and Baptism should Father John come together to praise Paul Erickson God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper” (“Sacrosanctum Concilium,” n. 10). While the Sacred Liturgy, including the Holy Mass, is not the sole activity of the church, it is the source and summit of all her apostolic efforts. Therefore, concerns and questions relative to the liturgical life of the church are not the reserved domain of theologians and liturgists and their eso-
Lift Up Your Hearts
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teric debates. The liturgy directly impacts how every Catholic understands their life of faith and how they live it out. Therefore, the Sacred Liturgy will always be a pertinent subject of concern and prayerful labor for all of God’s holy people. Q: Why is it so important to be faithful to the Latin texts of the Mass? There’s nothing magical about Latin, and Jesus most certainly did not speak Latin in the upper room when he instituted the Eucharist. What’s the big deal? A: The Christian faith is radically connected to the Incarnation. In the fullness of time, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Any proclamation of the Gospel that overlooks this is missing the keystone to the arch of the edifice of the faith. But this “enfleshment” of God’s Word continues to take place wherever the Gospel is proclaimed. When the good news of Christ’s lordship is received by a people, the Gospel animates, molds and elevates the culture that receives this message, and nature and grace are interwoven to create a rich tapestry of goodness, truth and beauty. Art is one way in which this dynamic, saving dialogue is manifested. Theology and liturgical prayer is another. In the early years of the church, something truly remarkable happened. The Roman Empire accepted Christianity and adopted it as a state religion. Much has been made of this union of state and church, and how it changed the complexion of Christianity. Sometimes, it is even charged that this union brought with it predominantly unfortunate conse-
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Coming up next ■ Nov. 23 — Part II: Questions and answers about the new missal. ■ Read previous articles from the new missal series online at THECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM. ■ Watch for a special edition of The Catholic Spirit on the new missal. The Nov. 17 “extra” will include a pull-out guide to the prayers.
quences. The awesome works of culture and theology that resulted from this union offer a different perspective, one that is profoundly positive and rooted in an awareness that God’s providence is always at work in history. From this rich combination of Roman culture, Jewish traditions and, above all, the bold claims of faith, the Latin Church developed. Many of our liturgical prayers, though certainly not all, come from texts originally composed in Latin. What is more, the Latin-rite church has adopted the Latin language as her own, a language that is particularly well-suited to a church that is truly universal. The typical editions of the liturgical prayers of the church, whether this is the Mass, the baptismal rite, or any other rite or ritual of the Latinrite church, is even today first of all released in Latin. We need to be as certain as we can be that the expression of faith found in the liturgical prayers of the English edition of the Mass is the same as that found in the Spanish, German or any other translation. A greater fidelity to the Latin text, as called for by “Liturgiam Authenticam,” helps to
better guarantee this unity of faith through our Catholic world. Q: Does the new translation only affect English speakers in the United States? A: The church’s principles of translating liturgical texts, outlined in the 2001 instruction “Liturgiam Authenticam,” are meant to be applied throughout the Latinrite Catholic Church. This means there needs to be a new translation of the Mass in Spanish, French, Chinese, German and every other language in the world. While the singular importance of English in the world market makes the English translation of the Missal especially important, every other language group in the world will need to implement new translations of their own liturgical texts. We are not alone in this historic process. Q: Once the new translation of the Mass is implemented, what next? A: “Liturgiam Authenticam” supplies the rules for translation not only for the Mass, but also for all of the other rites and sacraments of the church. This includes baptism, marriage and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults rites. While we do not know the exact time when these new translations will be implemented, they are coming. It may be worth mentioning here that the church works at a pace that is very different than that of the world. The church thinks in terms of decades and centuries, far different than the immediate results we expect as efficient Americans. The newly translated rites are coming, of that we can be sure. The timing of their release? That’s less than clear.
The Lesson Plan
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Day of the Dead On the Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day, Mexican families traditionally place altars in their homes with photos of deceased relatives, food, flowers and symbolic items. Every year at Sacred Heart in St. Paul, which has a majority Latino membership, parishioners contribute items to a temporary Day of the Dead altar in the church. Religious education teachers also construct an altar, shown here, to teach children about this centuries-long tradition. Below are some of the items on the altar with an explanation of their significance.
Skeletons — Joyful skeleton figurines wearing fancy dresses and suits are placed on the altar to comfort the grieving.
Candles — A candle is lit for each deceased family member, plus one extra for forgotten souls. Sometimes the candles are arranged on the altar in the form of a cross to represent the light of Christ.
Photos of deceased loved ones — The ancient Aztecs believed that the spirits of the dead returned to earth one night a year to visit with the living. Today, Mexicans place pictures of their loved ones on the altar to keep their memory alive.
Incense — A fragrant tree resin called copal is burned during the night as an offering to God, to spiritually cleanse the area.
Sugar skulls — Decorated skulls made of sugar represent the destiny of every person. Often skulls with people’s names written on them are given as gifts.
Food and drink — Favorite foods and drinks of those being remembered are placed on families’ altars. Later, family members share a meal together. Religious items — Crosses, crucifixes, rosaries and images of the saints are placed on the altar, as prayer is an important part of the Day of the Dead.
Salt — Salt is placed on the altar as a symbol of purification.
Cut paper — Colorful pieces of tissue paper cut into intricate designs are sometimes strung over the altar.
Flowers — Orange and yellow marigolds, representing the sun, are placed on the altar, often in the shape of a cross, or on the ground.
Photos by Julie Carroll & Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
Mexican tradition brings families together, honors ancestors By Julie Carroll The Catholic Spirit
With its grinning skeletons dressed in feathered hats and gowns, jewel-eyed sugar skulls and colorful paper garlands, the Nov. 2 “Día de los Muertos,” or Day of the Dead, might appear to many Americans like a Mexican Halloween. But this centuries-old tradition interwoven with Catholicism is much more than a night of ghouls, ghosts and goodies. The day gets its name from an ancient Aztec belief that the dead could return home to visit their families one day a year. In today’s Catholic Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a time for families to gather, remember their ancestors and pray for the souls of the deceased. “It’s not a sad occasion,” said Priscil-
iano Maya, faith formation director at Sacred Heart in St. Paul. “It’s a time to remember and celebrate their [ancestors’] lives. It’s also about family coming together.” Maya recalled how his family celebrated the Day of the Dead when he was growing up in central Mexico. Early Nov. 1, his father would lead him and his siblings in reciting the rosary. Later that day the family would gather for a meal. Then on Nov. 2 they would spend the day at the cemetery praying and sharing memories of their loved ones.
Memorial altars Like all immigrant groups, Mexicans brought some of their traditions with them to the U.S. Today, it is not uncommon to find Day of the Dead altars, or “ofrendas,” in Catholic churches
around the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on All Saints and All Souls days. Every year at Sacred Heart and other majority Latino churches in the archdiocese, parishioners place pictures of their dead loved ones, flowers, candles and other symbolic items on multitiered Day of the Dead altars. (See graphic above.) At first many of Sacred Heart’s nonLatino parishioners didn’t understand the tradition, Franciscan Father Eugene Michel said. But soon after he explained its significance, he was delighted to see them placing their own family photos on the parish’s Day of the Dead altar. On Nov. 1 families in Mexico clean and decorate their loved ones’ graves. Many spend the night in the cemetery praying, eating and listening to music.
The Day of the Dead “is all centered around their ancestors,” said Father Eugene, who first experienced the tradition years ago when he lived in Mexico for a brief time. “But what’s different as opposed to Aztec times is that prayer now enters into the picture. Usually there’s a Mass right in the center of the cemetery, where they have an altar.” “In the second eucharistic prayer, it says remember, remember, remember. We’re always remembering,” Father Eugene said. “And, we say at Eucharist that remembering isn’t going back, but it’s right now; Christ is present now. So on the Día de los Muertos, when they put all those pictures up, their loved ones are present there. . . . When they gather in the cemetery, their loved ones are present there, too.”
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NOVEMBER 10, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Stories about adoption being sought to help others make decision The Catholic Spirit The Adoption Option Council of Minnesota is celebrating Adoption Awareness Month with “30 Stories In 30 Days” throughout November on its virtual scrapbook “Minnesota Loves Adoption.” The scrapbook can be viewed at HTTP://MINNESOTA LOVESADOPTION.ORG. People who have been involved in an adoption plan are urged to share their personal experiences by adding a new story to AOCM’s virtual scrapbook throughout November. A variety of stories are already posted on the website from people like Sarah, who always knew she wanted to adopt a child who needed a home. Although she and her husband intended to have six biological children before adopting, she said, “that was not in God’s plan.” They now have two biological children and three adopted children. Missy wrote that she was adopted in 1956 by a loving family and wouldn’t change a thing. Although she wondered about her biological heritage, she said, “What truly mattered is somewhere out there is a woman who for whatever reason made the most difficult decision in her life.” Jayne wrote that she experienced many emotions as she watched the birth of her grandson. But, when the
Why choose adoption?
Celebrate adoption
Where: Our Lady of Grace, 5017 Eden Ave., Edina
Sharing these personal stories may help take away some of the mystery in choosing adoption and create a loving community for those who make that choice, according to AOCM. The website offers the following facts about adoption:
Who is welcome: Anyone who has been blessed with the gift of adoption. Refreshments to follow.
■ Adoption is open. Most birth parents and adoptive families share information and have an ongoing relationship.
Sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
■ Adoption is opportunity. Various life situations make adoption a valid option.
What: Annual Mass in Celebration of Adoption When: 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12
baby left the hospital with the adoptive family, it tore a hole in her daughter’s heart and her own heart. “It was so hard to see the emotions . . . my daughter, glowing from the birth, yet realizing it was going to have an abrupt end,” Jayne wrote. Caren shared the joy and the sorrow in giving up her daughter for adoption. She writes about her experience during an annual visit with her daughter and her adoptive family. Caren says she searched her daughter’s face for signs of her own features and personality. After the visit, Caren recalls a joke her daughter told, which brought tears to her eyes and a smile as she thought: “She definitely has my sense of humor.”
■ Adoption is courageous. Those who choose adoption are making a selfless decision for their child. ■ Adoption is teamwork. Birth parents and adoptive parents must work together for the child’s benefit. ■ Adoption is evolving. Today, everyone has more information and more control. ■ Adoption is love. Birth parents, adopted persons and adoptive parents — along with grandparents, friends and supporters are invited to submit their stories at MINNESOTALOVES ADOPTION.ORG. Those who share their story during November will be entered in a drawing to win a $100 gift card to Archivers so they can make their own scrapbook.
Regional Catholic school expected to strengthen overall education CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 could do with St. Matthew students. “We want to be able to combine the two cultures, to be able to combine the two schools at one site,” Charley said. “What is important is how to get the children comfortable.” The name of the new regional school and other details about uniforms, teachers and staffing will be determined by its board of directors, in consultation with stakeholders, which includes the priests at the parishes and lay persons they appoint, she added. Charley said that staff at the current schools that will be part of the new regional school will be invited to reapply for positions.
Consistent with plan The changes will strengthen Catholic schools in this region of the archdiocese by making better use of financial, human and other resources, said Marty Frauenheim, archdiocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools. The plan is consistent with the archdiocese’s Strategic Plan, which calls for more collaboration and efficient use of resources among parishes and schools.
A regional school is supported by multiple parish communities, and a parish school is primarily supported by one affiliated parish. Students are welcome at schools regardless of whether their families are members of an affiliated parish, according to the archdiocese. “I think the biggest driver is really the goal to make sure that as we’re looking around the archdiocese that we really are looking toward the future and making sure we are being proactive about maximizing that potential to keep Catholic education strong throughout the archdiocese,” Frauenheim said. “Catholic school students in this area will have even more opportunities than before, with expanded language, technology, music, art, sports and extracurricular offerings,” she said. Affected families have received a letter from their school leaders and will continue to be engaged by leaders in the coming weeks and months to help them make the transition to the regional school for the next school year. Parents will be invited to be part of steering committees giving input to school leaders, Frauenheim said. There will be a common tuition sched-
“Catholic school students in this area will have even more opportunities than before.
”
MARTY FRAUENHEIM Archdiocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools
ule at the regional school and tuition assistance will continue to be made available. Families with questions about any Catholic school are invited to call the Catholic Schools Hotline at 612-SCHOOLS (612) 724-6657. Last March, a local task force made up of pastors, principals, parents and other stakeholders from the five schools began the shared resources discussion process that led to the regional school recommendation. The pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul, Father Kevin Kenney, was also
involved in the shared resources discussions and will serve on the board of the regional school. He will assist the Latino community with the needs and interests of their students. Many factors led to the decision to reconfigure the schools, including financial sustainability challenges, Frauenheim said. Each of the five schools — which are between a mile to three-and-a-half miles away from each other — conducted a sustainabilty review, she said. The local task force analyzed and reviewed the demographics, finances, facilities and other resources. The shared resources discussion process included an open meeting with school families and other stakeholders during which the local task force detailed the current status of schools in the region, according to the archdiocese. They also discussed possibilities for strengthening schools in the area through better use of resources. The local task force then developed a recommendation for the long-term future based on what they learned through this process. Archbishop John Nienstedt subsequently accepted the local task force’s recommendation.
Have a hot news tip or a story idea? Call The Catholic Spirit STORY IDEA HOT LINE! Now Available 24 Hours
Story Idea Hot Line:
651-251-7702 Consider supporting our mission as a financial contributor or volunteer. Adoptionoptionmn.org | 952-944-0866 P.O. Box 75, Elk River, MN 55330
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Divided by border, united by faith
Talking about and preparing for death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 knows what you want us to do.� Well, remarkably that broke the ice and they both were forthcoming as to what they wanted: my mother saying we should do everything possible to allow her time to say goodbye to us children; my father stating that if he begins to go, let him go — no extraordinary means should be applied. (Quite a dichotomy for two people who shared one life for 65 years!)
Having an advocate
CNS photo / Christ Chavez, Rio Grande Catholic
Bishop Ricardo Ramirez of Las Cruces, N.M., and Bishop Armando X. Ochoa of El Paso, Texas, foreground, share the sign of peace with Bishop Renato Ascencio Leon of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, through the fence separating Anapra, Mexico, and Sunland Park, N.M., during the annual border Mass Nov. 2.
Now, such knowledge is not as good as a living will, but it did provide us with guidance when it was needed. Even with a living will, not every circumstance can be foreseen and thus the importance of having an advocate who can help in making critical decisions. While ordinary means should be taken to support life, extraordinary means may not and, at times, should not be used. But again, circumstances can blur the distinction between the two and, hence, the need to have someone present who knows the mind of the patient. I encourage families to talk about the reality of death, and this month provides an excellent opportunity. Being prepared spiritually, psychologically and emotionally is not only recommended, it will, in the end, prove a blessing. God bless you!
One Family In Mission Where there is a Will, there is a way... a way to continue the mission of Jesus. A local Religious Community in Zambia — the Handmaids of the Blessed Virgin Mary — manages HIV / AIDS programs, cares for and parishes in Lusaka and Monze. #"! " ! " " " " " "! "! "
" " " " " in your Will " " ! " " ! ! "! " " " " "" " "
The Society for THE
PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH
‌a PontiďŹ cal Mission Society
Rev. Andrew Small, OMI, STD, National Director, 70 West 36th Street, 8th Floor, NY NY 10018 !
Address
www.givetothemissions.org
www.onefamilyinmission.org
TheCatholicSpirit.com
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NOVEMBER 10, 2011 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
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2.911.IPTQJDF!)578.8534*!!!Dbmm!vt!35!ipvst!b!ebz/ 2.911.IPTQJDF! F!)578.8534*!!!Dbmm!vt!35!ipvst!b!ebz/!!!!! ! www.saintjudehospice.org Find out more about our services by visiting us online:
“Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation.” Oscar Wilde
College Spotlight A Catholic Spirit special section
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
The Catholic Spirit
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Catholic students strive to be ‘strong men of God’ By Julie Pfitzinger For The Catholic Spirit
The life of a college student can be a busy one, but for a group of young men at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, making time every Thursday night to gather together and talk about their Catholic faith is a top priority. The Catholic Men’s Leadership Group, known as “Catholic Men’s” to its members, was originally launched four years ago by former St. John Vianney Seminary rector Father William Baer. Although Father Baer has since gone on to become pastor of Transfiguration parish in Oakdale, the group has continued to grow and thrive. “When Father Baer started Catholic Men’s, the goal was to help us become better men and better fathers,” said John Baumgardner, a senior at UST and a group leader. “There is a need for good male role models in today’s society.”
The ‘real deal’ With approximately 40 members — including athletes, student leaders, seminarians, ROTC students and others — the goal of the group is “to get to the real deal, the truth about the Catholic faith,” said Andrew Kincheloe, also a UST senior and Catholic Men’s leader. “We aren’t about advice and different kinds of topics. We dig deep into faith and into the hearts of all the guys who are part of the group,” he said. “As leaders, we want them to know that we’ll be their ‘bros’ on this journey. We want to be strong men of God.” When asked what it means to be a Catholic man, Baumgardner said the pri-
Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
From left, University of St. Thomas students Paul Underwood, John Baumgardner, Andrew Kincheloe, Andrew Marschner and Nathaniel Binversie engage in small group discussion during a
mary focus is a love for God and for others, and a willingness to be a witness to the faith every day. “And I think to be a Catholic man on
meeting of the Catholic Men’s Leadership Group Nov. 3 at St. Thomas.
campus at UST, I would also say it’s so important to be someone who gives of himself,” Baumgardner added. “All of us in Catholic Men’s are involved in different
groups and activities, but at the same time, we are striving for something more. PLEASE TURN TO INVITATION ON PAGE 20
Theology Day. Find out. Reflections of God in Scripture and Science
Thursday, November 17, Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis, 6 - 9 p.m. Come join us as we reflect on how our embodied experience of baptism has initiated us into the shared love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our daily experiences of joy and tragedy call us back to the water and more deeply into the life of the Trinity. Gain insight into how our experience of life together - from first to last breath - is a revelation of God’s presence among us. If you wish, you may bring a baptismal photo or memento (yours or someone else’s) to assist our reflection.
a superb academic value
strong alumni connections
Lasallian Catholic, daily Mass available
90 clubs & activities
Winona campus is co-ed & residential
Division III athletics
56 majors — now including Liturgical Music
Kimberly Hope Belcher is an assistant professor at Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary and the Department of Theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Her book, Efficacious Engagement: Sacramental Participation in the Trinitarian Mystery, was published by the Liturgical Press in August, 2011.
liberal arts, most graduate in 4 years
the “perfect” location to learn & live!
Registration is required, free, and includes a light meal: www.csbsju.edu/sot or 320-363-3570
What’s on the Archbishop’s mind? Read all about – in every issue of The Catholic Spirit
small class sizes & personal attention safe, secure, close to home
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College Spotlight
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Invitation from a group member creates commitment and respect CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
$5,000 scholarships awarded We are pleased to announce the awarding of two (2) $5000 college scholarships, in memory of Thomas Burnett Jr., citizen hero of 9-11, to:
William Johnson, son of Jeff and Lucy Johnson, St. James parish in St. Paul David Kirsch, son of Andrew and Ann Marie Kirsch, Cathedral of St. Paul parish in St. Paul. These gifted, young, patriotic, faith-filled Minnesota men are scheduled to graduate from High School in the spring of 2012. Scholarships awarded by the Faith and Freedom Scholarship Committee, PO Box 237, Hamel, MN 55340.
LEAD. INFLUENCE.
Change lives.
“All of us in Catholic
We want to know and love God every day.� Catholic Men’s doesn’t actively solicit new members; rather, the group’s foundation is relational, according to Kincheloe. In fact, Baumgardner, who was invited into the group during the fall of his freshman year, was the one who extended a similar invitation to his good friend Kincheloe during their sophomore year. “I knew John from a class and respected him. It’s the same way I feel about everyone in Catholic Men’s; all of them have impressed me and shown they want to be better men — men of love and prayer,� Kincheloe said. “Knowing that this kind of commitment is meaningful to them makes it meaningful to me, too.�
Men’s are involved in different groups and activities, but at the same time, we are striving for something more.
�
JOHN BAUMGARDNER
bers will frequently play a game of pickup basketball together or meet for hamburgers at the Groveland Tap. “It’s important for us to develop friendships outside the group meetings, too,� he said. Both men spoke about how their respective journeys toward a greater appreciation for the Catholic faith have led them down unexpected paths. Kincheloe has a major in business administrationentrepreneurship and is interested in exploring social entrepreneurship opportunities where he could incorporate his faith into his work life. Baumgardner, a business finance major, is also now a first-year seminarian at St. John Vianney, and after graduating from UST in May, he will be returning to his hometown of Milwaukee, where he plans to enter the seminary. Kincheloe joked that he doesn’t think he’ll be ready for marriage for a few years, but when the time comes, he said, “John’s going to be the one to perform the ceremony.�
Finding support Father Humberto Palomino, pastor at St. Mark in St. Paul, has taken over the role of liaison to the group. While he will occasionally talk about subjects such as prayer and the Eucharist, the Thursday night sessions are primarily facilitated by six core team members (three seminarians, three non-seminarians) including Baumgardner and Kincheloe. Asked if there is an “alumni� branch of Catholic Men’s for those who have graduated from UST, Baumgardner said there isn’t anything formal at this point, but the formation of a young adult group down the road has been discussed. “I really think there is a need for guys during the post-college years to have the support of other men,� he added. Kincheloe emphasized that Catholic Men’s has a strong social aspect as well. Apart from their weekly meetings, mem-
St.. Norber No t ) T S Y O U R P L A C E T O C H A N G E T H E W O R L D More than 44 students from the Minnesota diocese call St.. Norbert College home.They found value a in breaking frro om the crowd w and discoveering the academic excellence avaailable for them: s COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AS EARLY AS YOUR lRST YEAR
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“Even beyond its typically religious expressions, true art has a close affinity with the world of faith, so that, even in situations where culture and the church are far apart, art remains a kind of bridge to religious experience.” Pope John Paul II
Arts & Culture The Catholic Spirit
Exploring our church and our world
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
21
Open Window Theatre offers values-based performances By Susan Klemond
Window to the divine
For The Catholic Spirit
Open Window Theatre is committed to transcendent qualities and redemptive values. The theater takes its name from the idea that art is a window to the divine and presents God’s truth, beauty and goodness. That means acknowledging human problems and offering solutions, as Blessed John Paul II wrote in his 1999 “Letter to Artists.” By contrast, secular theater sometimes glorifies problems without giving answers, Jeremy Stanbary said. “In a culture that tends to be pushing every boundary in that regard to see just how lewd and crude we can get, I think part of what we’re trying to do here is reach out to the culture at large, to be a light in that darkness, to hold ourselves to a higher standard but, at the same time, not shy away from exploring the darkness and the problems of the human condition,” he said. Throughout December, theater-goers can watch Scrooge put the ghosts of past, present and future on trial for their efforts to convert him in this festive play with a message. OWT’s season continues in 2012 with a drama about the life of St. Edith Stein in February, the story in March and April of the Passion of Christ as seen through the eyes of those he touched, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” in April and May.
When Ebenezer Scrooge takes the stage next month at the Open Window Theatre, there won’t be commercial breaks or video screens. Nor will the lead character in “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge,” a sequel to Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” give parents reason to worry. In an increasingly digital world, faithinspired productions like this one at the new Minneapolis theater offer a familyfriendly, human connection not found in the new media, said theater co-founder Jeremy Stanbary, a performer and playwright best known for his traveling dramas about Blessed John Paul II, St. Paul and others. “I think live theater today really has the potential to impact people in a more profound and deeper way than really any other time in human history because of this digital age we live in,” he said. “We live in such an electronics and digital age that I think even if they’re not fully conscious of it people hunger and thirst for the personal connection more than ever before.”
Imbued with Christian values With the aim of creating that connection through theater that’s intimate and interactive and that reflects Catholic and Christian values, OWT launched its inaugural season this fall with a series of plays designed to inspire theater lovers. “Our vision here is to produce fuller ensemble theater, to be able to produce a wider variety of plays, not simply secular
Notice:
Dianne Towalski / The Catholic Spirit
Jeremy Stanbary works with an actor during a rehearsal of “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge” Nov. 5 at the Open Window Theatre in Minneapolis. Performances begin Dec. 2.
theater but theater that’s not always explicitly religious, and yet everything we do here, all the plays that we produce here, will be imbued with Christian values, Catholic virtues and values, and will have a redemptive quality.” The theater is the newest venture of Stanbary and his wife, Sarah, parishioners at Holy Spirit in St. Paul who continue to perform their traveling productions while also working to impact the broader Twin Cities culture at their 100-seat, 2,300square-foot-theater. Putting down roots means the Stanbarys are building deeper relationships with area
A concert by “The Priests” scheduled for Nov. 13 at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis has been canceled.
parishes, churches and other community groups. “We really want the local Christian and Catholic community especially to feel some sense of ownership over this, feel some sense of pride in having a truly Catholic values professional theater here in the Twin Cities,” Jeremy Stanbary said. Also based at OWT are the Stanbarys’ E-Rhapsody Catholic Youth Theater, which is in its sixth season teaching drama to 40 third-to-12th-grade youth; and the Echo Dance ballroom dance school led by Sarah Stanbary, an actress and former competitive ballroom dancer.
See WWW.OPENWINDOWTHEATRE.ORG or call (651) 955-9123 for performance dates and ticket information. Those who can’t afford regular ticket prices can pay what they are able for Thursday performances.
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Hearing Tests Set for Senior Citizens Announcement — Free electronic hearing tests will be given all next week Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. The tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are not hearing clearly. People who generally feel they can hear, but cannot understand words clearly are encouraged to come in for the test, which uses the latest electronic equipment. Everyone, especially those over age 55 should have an electronic hearing test once
a year. Demonstrations of the latest devices to improve clarity of speech will be programmed using a computer to your particular needs — on the spot — after the tests. See (and HEAR) for yourself if newlydeveloped methods of correction will help you understand words better. Tests will be performed at one of 20 convenient Greater Twin Cities Avada Hearing Care locations.
Call 1-877-328-9161
www.avada.com ©2011 HHM, Inc. 304
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Calendar
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
School events Open house at Transfiguration School, Oakdale — November 10: 6 to 8 p.m. at 6135 15th St. N. 29th Annual Craft Fair and Christmas Boutique at St. Helena School, Minneapolis — November 12: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3200 East 44th St. Features crafters, a book sale, food, gift ideas, and a continental breakfast including cinnamon rolls and lunch served all day. Open house at Benilde-St. Margaret, St. Louis Park — November 15: 6 p.m. at 2501 Hwy. 100 S. For students entering grades 7 to 12. Pre-register online at WWW.BSMSCHOOL.ORG/ ADMISSIONS. Parent information night at Highland Catholic School, St. Paul — November 15: 6:45 p.m. at 2017 Bohland Ave. Presentation is for both incoming kindergarten students and transfer students up to 8th grade. For information, call (651) 690-2477. ‘Knightsbridge, A Truly Royal Shopping Experience’ 12th annual shopping boutique at Benilde-St. Margaret, St. Louis Park — November 19: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2501 Hwy. 100 S. For information, visit WWW.BSM SCHOOL.ORG.
Parish events 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. Euchre tournament at St. Patrick, Cedar Lake Township — November 11: Registration at 6:30 p.m. , tournament at 7:30 p.m. at 24425 Old Hwy 13 Blvd., Jordan. Cash prizes to top 4 teams. Cost is $20 per team. Food and beverages available. Old fashioned pot luck at Guardian Angels, Oakdale — November 11: 6 to 9 p.m. at 8260 Fourth St. N. Bring a dish to share. Sponsored by the Oakdale Beyond the Yellow Ribbon group. Turkey bingo at Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights — November 12: Two sessions, 1:30 to 4 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m. at 4030 Jackson St. N.E. Cards are $.50 each or 3 for $1. Food available beginning at 1 and 6 p.m. Educator and composer John Burland will present a workshop at St. Gerard, Brooklyn Park — November 12: 9 to 11 a.m. at 9600 Regent Ave. He will present, “Understanding the Mass through Scripture and the New Translation.” For information, call (877) 8593188. Holiday open house at St. Patrick, Shieldsville — November 12 and 13: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at 7525 Dodd Road, Faribault. Features crafters and home-based businesses. Food available. For information, call (507) 334-6002. ‘Angel Auction’ at Holy Name of Jesus, Wayzata — November 12: Begins after the 5 p.m. Mass at 155 County Road 24. Event features a light supper, games and entertainment, as well as live and silent auctions. KC turkey bingo at St. Vincent de Paul, Brooklyn Park — November 12: 6:30 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. KC turkey bingo at Transfiguration, Oakdale — November 12: 5 to 9 p.m. at 6133 15th St. N. Christmas bazaar and bake sale at St. Boniface, Minneapolis — November 12: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 629 N.E. Second St. Features games, raffles, refreshments and roast beef
Don’t Miss Twin Cities restaurant offers free Thanksgiving dinner The Bierstube restaurant, which has locations in Oakdale and White Bear Lake, is offering a free Thanksgiving dinner to those in need. Between noon and 2 p.m. Nov. 24, dinner will be provided for those who wish to celebrate but find it difficult for various reasons. All are welcome. To make a reservation, call (651) 271-4961. The two locations are: 7121 10th St. N., Oakdale 2670 E. County Road E., White Bear Lake. sandwiches. Take-out available. Turkey bingo at St. Peter, Richfield — November 12: A light supper will be served at 5:30 p.m. with bingo from 6 to 9 p.m. at 6730 Nicollet Ave. S. Cost for the supper is $7. For information, visit WWW.STPETERSRICHFIELD.ORG. Bake and craft sale at St. John the Baptist, Savage — November 12: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4625 W. 125th St. Features handmade items and a variety of baked goods. CCW Christmas Bazaar at St. Joseph of the Lakes, Lino Lakes — November 12 and 13: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday at 171 Elm St. Event features baked goods and candies for sale and a turkey dinner Saturday. Annual Ladies’ Club bake sale at St. Maron, Minneapolis — November 12 and 13: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at 602 University Ave. N.E. Features Lebanese pastries, breads and more. Holiday Bazaar at St. Alphonsus, Brooklyn Center — November 12 and 13: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at 7025 Halifax Ave. N. Features handcrafted items, a used book sale, bake sale and more. Novemberfest at St. Richard, Richfield — November 12 and 13: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1;30 p.m Sunday at 7540 Penn Ave. S. Features a craft fair, silent auction, spaghetti dinner Saturday and pancake breakfast Sunday. St. Francis de Sales Ladies Community of Mary holiday funfest at Nova Classical Academy, St. Paul — November 13: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 426 S. Osceola Ave. Features Santa, games and food, as well as gift items and baked goods for sale. Sunday Night Live at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis — November 13: 7:30 p.m. at 88 N. 17th St. Monthly gathering for Catholics in their 20s. Topic is the revision of The Roman Missal. Turkey bingo at Holy Cross, Minneapolis — November 13: 2 to 5 p.m. at the Kolbe Center, 17th Avenue and Fourth Street N.E. ‘Sing Me to Heaven: Love Songs and a Requiem’ at St. Peter, North St. Paul — November 13: 3 p.m. at 2600 N. Margaret St. Concert features Herbert Howell’s Requiem, as well as other music. Non-perishable food items will be collected for the North St. Paul Emergency Food Shelf. Free will offering. A concert of remembrance at Our Lady of Grace, Edina — November 13: 3 p.m. at 5071 Eden Ave. The Schola Cantorum will lead prayer along with selections from Requiem by Maurice Durufle. ‘Coping with holiday Grief: Helping Yourself and Those You Love’ at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — November 15: 7 to 9 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. Come and learn ways to cope with the special grief that comes with the holiday season. RSVP to (651) 698-5581. ‘Pope Benedict Wants You! - Doctrinal, Spiritual, and Pastoral Formation for the New Evangelization’ at St. Helena, Minneapolis — November 15: 6:30 p.m. at 3204 E. 43rd St. Douglas Bushman, director of the Institute for Pastoral Theology of Ave Maria University in Florida, will speak. Cost is $5. Reservations must be made by noon, Nov.14, by calling (612) 729-7321.
‘And With Your Spirit: The History and Theology of the New Translation of the Mass’ at St. Mark, St. Paul — November 15: 7 p.m. at 2001 Dayton Ave. Father John Paul Erickson, director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship, is the speaker. Platinum dinner fundraiser at St. John Vianney, South St. Paul — November 18: Social hour at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. followed by games, prizes and a live auction at 1815 Bromley St. S. Tickets are $65 each. Call (651) 451-1863. Fundraising weekend at Holy Family Maronite Church, Mendota Heights — November 18 to 20: Begins Friday with dinner at 5 p.m. followed by bingo at 6:30 p.m. at 1960 Lexington Ave. Cost to play is $30 at the door. Bake and craft sale Saturday from 1 to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. features fresh breads and Lebanese pastries. Saturday Breakfast for Men at St. Helena, Minneapolis — November 19: Mass at 8 a.m. with breakfast served at 8:30 a.m. at 3204 E. 43rd St. Featured speaker is Father John Paul Erickson, director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship. Topic is “Prayer for the Dead, Does it Really Work?” Cost for the breakfast is $5. Reservations must be made by noon Nov. 18 by calling (612) 729-7321. Turkey bingo at Presentation of Mary, Maplewood — November 19: 7 p.m. at 1725 Kennard St. Pizza, hot dogs and snacks will be available for sale starting at 6 p.m. KC Turkey bingo at St. Michael, Farmington — November 19: 6:30 to 9 p.m. at 22120 Denmark Ave. A sloppy joe dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. Craft and bake sale at Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul — November 19 and 20: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at 401 Concord St. Features gifts, crafts and treats. Craft boutique at St. Stephen, Anoka — November 19 and 20: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at 506 Jackson St. Features over 100 crafters, pictures with Santa, beakfast and lunch café and more. Holiday bazaar at St. Margaret Mary, Golden Valley — November 19 and 20: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at 2323 Zenith Ave. N. Holiday boutique at St. George, Long Lake — November 19: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 133 N. Brown Road. Features craft vendors, baked goods and gifts and a gingerbread house decorating contest. Lunch and snacks will be available. For information, call (952) 4731247. ‘A King’s Songbook: A Musical Celebration of the Psalms’ at St. Patrick, Inver Grove Heights — November 20: 4 p.m. at 3535 72nd St. E. Features the Woodbury Chorus and Orchestra. Free will offering will benefit Neighbors, Inc. Food Shelf. Turkey bingo at St. Patrick, St. Paul — November 20: Starts after the 10:30 a.m. Mass with food being served from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1085 DeSoto St. Christmas Faire at St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Minneapolis — November 20: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 3949 Clinton Ave. S. Features a breakfast, craft and bake sales and silent auction.
Turkey Bingo at St. Michael, Prior Lake — November 20: 6 to 8 p.m. at 16311 Duluth Ave. Cost is $3 per card/player. Refreshments will be served. Men’s Club turkey bingo at St. John, Little Canada — November 20: Food available at 5 p.m. with bingo starting at 6 p.m. at 380 Little Canada Road. Turkey and ham raffle at St. Boniface, Minneapolis — November 22: 7:30 p.m. at 629 Second St. N.E. Admission is $2 for this adults only event. 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 10-part 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 Legion of Mary prayers in front of Planned Parenthood, St. Paul — Every Friday: 3 p.m. at 1965 Ford Parkway. For information, call (651) 439-9098. Rosary of the unborn at Pregnancy Choices LifeCare Center, Apple Valley — Every Thursday: 7:15 p.m. at 15026 Glazier Ave. For information, visit WWW.ROSARYOFTHE UNBORN.COM. Compline prayer at Assumption, St. Paul — Sundays through Dec. 18: 7 p.m. at 51 W. Seventh St. The half-hour ecumenical prayer service will be sung by the Minnesota Compline choir. for information, visit WWW.MINNESO TACOMPLINE.ORG. 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. Mass and adoration for youth and young adults at St. Bonaventure, Bloomington — November 12: 7 p.m. at 901 E. 90th St. Christian band Sonar will provide music. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at St. Mary, St. Paul — November 13: 2 p.m. at 261 Eighth St. E. Knights of Columbus traveling rosary at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — November 20: 2 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. Sixth annual interfaith Thanksgiving prayer service at Pax Christi, Eden Prairie — November 20: 7 p.m. at 12100 Pioneer Trail. Healing Mass at Lumen Christi, St. Paul — November 21: Rosary at 7 p.m. and Mass at 7:30 p.m. at 2055 Bohland Ave. Father Jim Livingston is the celebrant. Ecumenical Thanksgiving service at St. Richard, Richfield — November 23: 7 p.m. at 7540 Penn Ave. S. Food will be collected for the local food shelf.
Other events 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. Annual Christmas boutique and ham dinner at Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Paul — November 19 and 20: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at 330 Exchange St. S. Features a bake sale, Doll House, Little Sisters’ Winery, gift baskets and Santa. Ham dinner is $10 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under.
Calendar Submissions DEADLINE: 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. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. 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.
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • NOVEMBER 10, 2011
Collection supports groups working for systemic change CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Cheryl Peterson, “is to support low-income and marginalized people who are working for their own systemic change.” To receive CCHD/CSF funding, projects must be initiated or led by low-income people, Peterson said. “It’s more than charity; it’s a justice response, a systemic response,” she explained. “Those who experience a problem are better at ascertaining how to solve it than those of us on the outside because we don’t know what all the issues are.” By addressing the root causes of poverty, she added, “CCHD aims to change the situation of poverty for people not just for today . . . but for a lifetime.” Seventy-five percent of the money collected within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis goes to organizations selected by the CCHD national office, including several Twin Cities organizations. The other 25 percent goes to local organizations chosen by an archdiocesan advisory board with Archbishop John Nienstedt’s approval. “Because the Twin Cities has organizations that are
of a CCHD national grant or whether it’s in the form of a local grant,” Peterson said. Last year, nearly $200,000 in combined CCHD/CSF funding was awarded to Twin Cities area organizations. In addition to Navigate, local CCHD/CSF grant recipients for 2011-2012 are All Parks Alliance for Change, City of Lakes Community Land Trust, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, Somali Action Alliance Education Fund, Hope Community and St. Stephen’s Human Services Human Rights Program. While grantees are not required to be Catholic, all applications are carefully reviewed to ensure that funds are provided only to projects with objectives and actions that are fully in accord with Catholic teaching, Peterson said.
“It’s more than charity; it’s a justice response, a systemic response. Those who experience a problem are better at ascertaining how to solve it than those of us on the outside because we don’t know what all the issues are.
”
CHERYL PETERSON Archdiocesan CCHD/CSF coordinator
doing the kind of social change work that CCHD funds . . . most of the money that is collected in this diocese really comes back to this diocese, whether it’s in the form
For more information about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, go to WWW.USCCB.ORG, or contact Cheryl Peterson at (651) 291-4490 or CHERYL.PETERSON@CCTWIN CITIES.ORG. For more information about Navigate, or to arrange for a representative to speak to a school or youth group, go to WWW.NAVIGATEMN.ORG or send an email to TEAM@ NAVIGATEMN.ORG.
Bishop Blaire calls for good stewardship to protect God’s gift of air Catholic News Service The gift of clean air provided by God to humanity deserves to be protected through strong environmental stewardship by making changes in daily life so that fewer pollutants enter the atmosphere, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., urged an audience at the interfaith Festival of Faiths conference Nov. 7 that
taking steps to live more simply, use natural resources wisely and reduce personal consumption, air pollution and one’s carbon footprint will ensure clean air for all and ease the effects of climate change on the world’s poorest people. Citing the creation story in the Book of Genesis and how God placed humanity in dominion over the earth, Bishop Blaire said human beings have the responsibility to “steward what God has given to us for the good of all the human family.” Also referencing calls by Pope Benedict
XVI for greater concern for the environment, Bishop Blaire pointed in particular to the dangers of mercury and other toxins entering the atmosphere and posing health risks to children. He linked environmental justice to prolife concerns, noting that air pollution poses dangers to young children and children in the womb equally. In the Stockton diocese, Bishop Blaire said, the church’s pro-life stance has led to the introduction of the Environmental Justice Project with a particular emphasis
on reducing air pollution. “People of faith bring a unique and important message: about the care of God’s creation, about those most vulnerable to environmental injustice, those on the margins of our societies and those with fewest resources to protect themselves or advocate on their own behalf,” he said. Poor and vulnerable people worldwide contributed the least to climate change but are poised to suffer the most, he explained.
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“The more we know, the more we are conscious of our ignorance.” Lucio Rossi, a physicist who attended a recent international symposium sponsored by The Pontifical Academy of Sciences on the future of sub-nuclear physics
Overheard 24
The Catholic Spirit
Quotes from this week’s newsmakers
Mr. Champion
Johnny Mulvahill, a senior at BenildeSt. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, holds the Class A state championship trophy won by his team Nov. 3 at the Metrodome. He scored the Red Knights’ final goal in a 3-1 win over defending state champion Prairie Seeds Academy. He also was named Mr. Soccer in Class A. The BSM girls also played in the state finals, losing to Blake 1-0. Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Benilde-St. Margaret’s celebrates state title with Mr. Soccer By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
When Johnny Mulvahill, a senior at Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, scored his team’s final goal in the boys soccer state Class A championship game Nov. 3 at the Metrodome, he knew what he had to do next. He ran to the corner of the field and did a celebration dance. Earlier, he had promised a BSM alum, Michael McCarthy, that he would do this if he scored. At this point, late in the game, he knew it also was a state title celebration
Eucharist incident in Hastings prompts response Father Jim Perkl, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings, wrote in the parish’s Oct. 30 Sunday bulletin that about two weeks earlier some parishioners had found “the Body of Christ, partially consumed, stuck between the pages of a hymnal.” After another incident, the pastor asked the National Evangelization Team FATHER PERKL assigned to the parish to search all the hymnals. “We discovered about 30 hymnals containing the Body of Christ,” he wrote. “Jesus Christ gives His life — not to be placed within a book — but within our soul. In light of this desecration of
dance. The Red Knights were up 3-1 against defending state champion Prairie Seeds Academy. With soccer goals typically hard to come by, it was time to start thinking about another boys soccer title for BSM. “It’s something you dream about,” said Mulvahill, one of 17 seniors on the team. “It’s an incredible feeling.” But, the honors didn’t end there for Mulvahill, who capped a 17-goal season by being named Mr. Soccer in Class A. It’s the first time a BSM player has received the award. Mulvahill is a threeyear varsity player with 22 career goals and 16 assists.
the Holy Eucharist, our parish has suffered with Christ.” The Catholic Church teaches that when the bread and wine are consecrated during the Mass, The Christ “is present in a Catholic Spirit true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 1413). That core belief needs to be taught to children through the example of their parents, who Father Perkl urged to make a commitment to never be absent from the celebration of Sunday Mass. In addition, the pastor said that special instructions have been given to extraordinary ministers of holy Communion, ushers and sacristans to address this issue.
News Notes
New team director Mark Dittman began serving as director of the archdiocesan Parish Services Team on Oct. 31. He replaces Jim Lundholm Eades, who left in July
Although Mulvahill is officially listed in the program as a defender, he switched to forward during the second half and stayed there. That’s fine with him because it’s his favorite position. For a while, he thought about going to college out east to play NCAA Division I soccer, but he has since changed his mind and decided to stay in Minnesota. His two top school choices are Macalaster College in St. Paul and St. John’s University in Collegeville. For the Red Knights, this is their fifth boys soccer title. The others came in 2006, 2003, 2000 and 1997.
after working in the archdiocese for 17 years, to serve as with the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management, based in Washington, D.C. For the past seven years, Dittman served as parish business administrator at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.
Africa aid, tornado relief The Development and Stewardship Office of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis reported the results of two recent special collections: ■ Tornado Relief Efforts collected $219,593, which was distributed equally between the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities in the Twin Cities for north Minneapolis. ■ Aid to East Africa Relief collected $305,869, which was sent to Catholic Relief Services for distribution.
New retreat preacher Oblate Father Ron LaFramboise recently joined the preaching staff at Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo. Father LaFramboise, who was ordained in 1967, has served in Japan and Rome and most recently in Buffalo, N.Y.
NOVEMBER 10, 2011 “The missionaries in the first evangelization covered immense geographic distances to spread the good news. We, the missionaries of the new evangelization, must surmount ideological distances just as immense, oftentimes before we ever journey beyond our own neighborhood or family.” — Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., who was recently selected by the pope to play a key role in the October 2012 world Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization, speaking Oct. 28 to high school religion teachers
“This will eliminate a point of unjust discrimination against Catholics and will be welcomed not only by Catholics but far more widely.”
ARCHBISHOP — Archbishop NICHOLS Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, on the lifting of bans that prevent a British monarch from marrying a Catholic and that give precedence to boys over elder sisters in the line to the throne
“It is particularly ironic that HHS is substantially burdening Catholic institutional ministries because they respectfully avoid inculcating religious beliefs, and compassionately serve persons of all faith traditions and those having no faith tradition at all. It is the latter population that will be the co-victim, along with Catholic ministries, if this rule is left unchanged.” — William Cox, president and CEO of the Alliance of Catholic Health Care, testifying Nov. 2 before the health subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, that the Department of Health and Human Services’ interim final rule requiring no-cost coverage of contraception and sterilization in most health plans violates conscience rights and threatens access to care