The Catholic Spirit - April 25, 2024

PAGETWO

SOLIDARITY Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams addresses people gathered April 9 for a monthly prayer vigil on immigration at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling, sponsored by the Minnesota Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM). About 100 people heard Bishop Williams, Father Daniel Griffith — pastor and rector of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis — and others urge compassion over indifference in the plight of immigrants and asylum-seekers. “This morning you gave us a roadmap, and that roadmap in a word is encounter,” Bishop Williams said. “The encounter with God first of all, and his word, which reminds us to welcome the stranger.” Many immigrants come to the United States out of desperation, seeking to support themselves and their families, Father Griffith said. This month’s gathering was hosted by the Basilica and the Justice Commission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates. Those present held in special mind recent asylum seekers to Minneapolis and St. Paul from violence-torn Ecuador.

St. Alphonsus school in Brooklyn Center to close after 65 years

By Rebecca Omastiak

The Catholic Spirit

St. Alphonsus Catholic School in Brooklyn Center will close at the end of this academic year, according to Father John Schmidt, pastor of the parish.

The school — which was founded in 1959, serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students and offers a preschool program — has seen a shift in recent years, Father Schmidt explained. Enrollment has declined in the past 10 years from 175 students during the 2013-2014 school year to fewer than 100 this academic year. Meanwhile, recurrent teacher turnover and an increasing inability to fill open teaching positions in recent years “has impacted the quality of education,” Father Schmidt said.

“Regrettably, despite the dedicated efforts

of our current teaching staff, parish leadership and the OMCE (the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office for the Mission of Catholic Education), the projections for the upcoming year indicate continued declining enrollment, an ongoing shortage of teachers, and a significant increase in parish funding requirements, which we are unable to meet,” Father Schmidt said, in part, in a statement.

Father Schmidt said the school will honor its contracts with full-time teachers and present parents with ways to explore neighboring Catholic schools. He thanked those dedicated to the school.

“I am so grateful to the many teachers, staff and parents who worked so hard over so many years to help form our children in our Catholic faith,” he said. “Please keep our teachers, staff, parents and students in your prayers.”

ON THE COVER Jim Glisczinski leans against his tractor on his farm near Belle Plaine. “Farmers have faith in the back of their minds all the time,” he said, because they must trust God to provide a good harvest. He feels God’s presence “all the time, during good days and bad days,” but especially in the spring. “Everything is renewed. You harvest grain, you plow under the stocks, you till the ground, and then it is like Easter — everything starts over again. The birth(s) of the baby calves and the sheep, the chickens, and the corn comes up,” Glisczinski said. St. Paul-based Catholic Rural Life, which will celebrate its centennial in May, supports many Catholic farmers like Glisczinski and the pastors who serve them.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Five men will be ordained transitional deacons at 10 a.m. May 11 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis: Benjamin Eichten, Alexander Hall, Alexander Marquette, Zachary Oschsenbauer and Randall Skeate. The principal celebrant will be Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams.

On April 13, Guardian Angels in Oakdale partnered with King of Kings Lutheran Church in Woodbury and received support from Oakdale-based food bank Open Cupboard to host its first Community Meal Event. The event aimed to serve those experiencing food insecurity as well as those feeling isolated and searching for community. Held in the parish’s Peter O’Neill Hall, over 100 volunteers helped serve meals, beverages and desserts to those in attendance. According to organizers, Guardian Angels is part of Our Community Kitchens — a group that works to increase the number of community meals in Washington County. There are more meals planned, including one scheduled for 5-7 p.m. May 18 at Indian Mounds Regional Park in St. Paul and 5:30-7 p.m. June 15 at Guardian Angels.

Catholic Charities Twin Cities will hold its annual Spring Assembly from 5:30-8:30 p.m. May 2 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) in Minneapolis. The event will feature a special showing of a film about two Catholic Charities programs that treat people with long-term alcohol use disorder through a harm reduction model of managed alcohol consumption. The film — “Wet House” — provides insight into the lives of residents at Catholic Charities’ Glenwood Residence in Minneapolis (which this year is celebrating its 30th anniversary of operations) and St. Anthony Residence in St. Paul. The harm reduction model, while it is controversial to some, is increasingly seen as an effective way to ensure that people have access to dignified housing regardless of sobriety, improving outcomes and participation in community, Catholic Charities officials said. A panel discussion will be held after the film with Catholic Charities’ director of supportive housing, Emilia LewinKarras; the film’s director, Benjamin May; and Mia’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, Virajita Singh. RSVPs are required for the free event; go to bit ly/49K6t9b

Two cars designed and built by St. Thomas Academy students in Mendota Heights took first place in their divisions at the 2024 Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway April 4-7. “Entering two cars in the competition gave the large team more hands-on opportunities to design, build and drive the vehicles,” said Sara Krivak, co-moderator of the team. The event included teams from high schools and universities that built battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The competition measured how many miles each vehicle traveled per kilowatt hour and per cubic meter of hydrogen. The electric vehicle competition included more than 30 teams from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, with university teams including California Polytechnic State University, Northern Illinois University and James Madison University in Virginia.

The Ethics Bowl team at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis competed in the National High School Ethics Bowl with 23 other schools at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill April 12-14. Led by Christian Brother Matthew Kotek, the eight-member squad was the only team to advance to the finals from Minnesota. In North Carolina, the team won one competition, lost one and tied two to place 16th. More than 4,000 students from nearly 400 schools competed to advance to the national competition. Sponsored by the UNC Parr Center for Ethics, the teams stress talking and working together to engage in productive, respectful dialogue about complex issues. This year’s championship cases addressed questions about the ethics of zoos, space burials, online dating and more.

A man convicted nine times for driving without a license before he hit and killed Father Dennis Dempsey, 73, while the priest pedaled his bicycle on Oct. 25, 2021, on the shoulder of County Road 42 in Rosemount was sentenced April 17 to five months in jail and five years of probation. Trejean Derrell Curry, 28, of St. Paul, reached a plea deal with Dakota County prosecutors that reduces his felony conviction of criminal vehicular homicide by gross negligence to a misdemeanor if he successfully completes his sentence, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. Curry also was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service. Retired Father Kevin Clinton wrote a victim impact statement that noted Father Dempsey’s 41 years of priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which included twice serving at the archdiocesan mission in Venezuela. “At times, I was concerned about Denny’s safety, especially during his years as a priest in Venezuela,” Father Clinton wrote. “He lived among a people in extreme poverty and desperation. He was victimized by theft, robbery, and oppressive government policies. He presided at funerals created by gun violence. His love of the people, knowledge of their language and culture bonded his life with theirs.”

The annual May Day Family Rosary Procession is 2 p.m. May 5 beginning at the State Capitol in St. Paul and ending at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. People are invited to gather at the Capitol beginning at 1:15 p.m. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams will lead the procession and will lead prayers at the Cathedral. Parishes are encouraged to bring banners to represent their communities, and first communicants are invited to wear their first Communion attire. Those who are unable to join the procession are invited to come to the Cathedral at 2 p.m. to pray the rosary. The event is sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Minnesota Rosary Processions.

COURTESY ERIC CELESTE

FROMTHEVICARGENERAL

ONLY JESUS | FATHER CHARLES LACHOWITZER

Pray and work

“

Ora et labora” (pray and work) is a Benedictine motto that not only applies to monastic life but can also describe a balanced spiritual life for all of us.

Prayer can be a respite from our busy lives, but spiritual labor is a conscious and visible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself often withdrew from the demands of the crowds to pray. Yet his “work” was not the physical labor of a carpenter, but doing the will of the Father.

It might seem easier after retirement to spend more time in prayer and do, for example, one or more of the corporal works of mercy. A goodly number of volunteers for these noble causes are typically senior citizens. Likewise for those participating in the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer chains and rosary groups.

Nonetheless, I am impressed when our young people who are preparing for confirmation or as students in a Catholic school eagerly join in service projects. It is a bigger challenge to teach them a daily routine of prayer. It is a challenge for most of us. Still, time in daily prayer can be more convenient than doing meaningful activities to serve the Lord through charitable outreach and other works in the apostolate of the laity. The key is balance.

One might think that the life of a diocesan priest is similar to life in a monastery. But many diocesan pastors, like me, live alone even in a rectory with multiple rooms. Over time, it can be easy for this pastor to become so busy with ministerial work that prayer can compete with the snooze button on the alarm clock.

While this makes me a more sympathetic confessor when penitents confess that they do not pray enough, it also reminds me that just moving ribbons in my breviary is a minimalistic approach to my own need to balance prayer and work. For example, preaching

Orar y trabajar

“O

ra et labora” (orar y trabajar) es un lema benedictino que no sólo se aplica a la vida monástica sino que también puede describir una vida espiritual equilibrada para todos nosotros.

La oración puede ser un respiro de nuestras ocupadas vidas, pero el trabajo espiritual es un testimonio consciente y visible del Evangelio de Jesucristo. El mismo Jesús a menudo se apartó de las exigencias de la multitud de orar. Sin embargo, su “trabajo” no fue el trabajo físico de un carpintero, sino el hacer la voluntad del Padre.

Puede parecer más fácil después de la jubilación dedicar más tiempo a la oración y hacer, por ejemplo, una o más de las Obras Corporales de Misericordia. Un buen número de voluntarios de estas nobles causas suelen ser personas de la tercera edad. Asimismo, para quienes participan en la adoración del Santísimo Sacramento, cadenas de oración y grupos de rosario.

Sin embargo, me impresiona que nuestros jóvenes que se están preparando para la confirmación o como estudiantes en una escuela católica se unan con entusiasmo a proyectos de servicio. Es un desafío mayor enseñarles una rutina diaria de oración. Es un desafío para la mayoría de nosotros. Aún así, el tiempo de oración diaria puede ser más conveniente que realizar actividades significativas para servir al Señor a través de la caridad y otras obras en el apostolado de los laicos; la clave es el equilibrio.

Se podría pensar que la vida de un sacerdote diocesano es similar a la vida en un monasterio. Pero muchos pastores diocesanos, como yo, vivimos solos incluso en una rectoría con varias habitaciones. Con el tiempo, puede ser fácil para este pastor estar tan ocupado con el trabajo ministerial que la oración puede

Ultimately our desire to balance prayer and spiritual labor is a step toward humility.

St. Augustine is credited with the quote, “pray as though everything depends on God, and work as though everything depends on you.”

With all due respect to this great saint, neither my prayers nor my good works change the mind of God. They change me.

is work, but in my preparation efforts, I am able to reflect on the Scripture readings as an additional time of fruitful prayer.

It is a good challenge to remember that “liturgy” is simply translated as “work of the people” and the Mass itself is our highest form of prayerful thanksgiving. For me it is not always easy to pray when, during the offertory, the gift bearers are nowhere to be found. There are a lot of roles people have during the Mass and most certainly it is good work. It is also to be good prayer.

Ultimately our desire to balance prayer and spiritual labor is a step toward humility.

St. Augustine is credited with the quote, “pray as though everything depends on God, and work as though everything depends on you.” With all due respect to this great saint, neither my prayers nor my good works change the mind of God. They change me. No, most of us don’t pray as much as we should and the sins of omission from good works are part of a good confession.

At Mass, we pray and we work. We participate in the prayers and make our financial contributions from our

competir con el botón de repetición del despertador.

Si bien esto me convierte en un confesor más comprensivo cuando los penitentes confiesan que no oran lo suficiente, también me recuerda que simplemente mover cintas en mi breviario es un enfoque minimalista a mi propia necesidad de equilibrar la oración y el trabajo. Por ejemplo, la predicación es trabajo, pero en mis esfuerzos de preparación, puedo reflexionar sobre las lecturas de las Escrituras como un tiempo adicional de oración fructífera.

Es un buen desafío recordar que “liturgia” se traduce simplemente como “trabajo del pueblo” y que la Misa en sí es nuestra forma más elevada de acción de gracias en oración. Para mí no siempre es fácil orar cuando, durante el ofertorio, los portadores de las ofrendas no se encuentran por ningún lado. Hay muchos roles que la gente desempeña durante la Misa y ciertamente es un buen trabajo. También debe ser una buena oración.

En última instancia, nuestro deseo de equilibrar la oración y el trabajo espiritual es un paso hacia la humildad. A San Agustín se le atribuye la cita: “Ora como si todo dependiera de Dios y trabaja como si todo dependiera de ti”. Con el debido respeto a este gran santo, ni mis oraciones ni mis buenas obras cambian la mente de Dios. Me cambian. No, la mayoría de nosotros no oramos tanto como deberíamos y los pecados de omisión de buenas obras son parte de una buena confesión.

En la Misa oramos y trabajamos. Participamos en las oraciones y hacemos nuestras contribuciones financieras de nuestro trabajo. Como centro de nuestra fiel peregrinación, la Misa es también un encuentro con la persona y la presencia real de Jesucristo, quien es para nosotros un modelo de oración y trabajo. En cualquier modo que encontremos equilibrio y crecimiento en la oración y en las buenas obras, no debemos ser espectadores.

labors. As the center of our faithful pilgrimage, the Mass is also an encounter with the person and real presence of Jesus Christ — who is a model for us of prayer and work. However we find balance and growth in prayer and in good works, we are not to be spectators.

Once upon a time, there was a rooster. Now, the rooster believed that when he woke up each day in the dark and made his crowing sound, it made the sun rise. Then one morning the rooster overslept. And much to his disappointment and embarrassment, there was the sun rising just fine on its own.

The other animals on the farm teased the rooster for always taking credit for the sunrise. The poor rooster went through the rest of the day feeling quite sad. But early the next morning, there was that rooster crowing at the top of his lungs.

The other animals yelled out, “Hey you dumb rooster, you don’t need to crow any more — the sun will rise without you.”

The rooster replied, “Oh yes, I know that now. But since my crowing has nothing to do with the rising of the sun, let it be my prayer of thanksgiving for what God has done.”

Había una vez un gallo. Ahora el gallo creía que cuando se despertaba cada día en la oscuridad y hacía su canto, hacía salir el sol. Entonces, una mañana, el gallo se quedó dormido. Y para su decepción y vergüenza, el sol salía por sí solo.

Los otros animales de la granja se burlaban del gallo por siempre atribuirse el mérito del amanecer. El pobre gallo pasó el resto del día sintiéndose bastante triste. Pero temprano a la mañana siguiente, ese gallo cantaba a todo pulmón. Los otros animales gritaron: “Oye gallo tonto, no necesitas cantar más, el sol saldrá sin ti”.

El gallo respondió: “Oh, sí, ahora lo sé. Pero como mi canto no tiene nada que ver con la salida del sol, que sea mi oración de acción de gracias por lo que Dios ha hecho”.

OFFICIALS

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Effective May 1, 2024

Reverend Monsignor Jeffery Steenson, assigned as temporary parochial administrator of the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul while the pastor, Very Reverend John Ubel, is on sabbatical.

Effective May 30, 2024

Reverend Peter Hughes, assigned as temporary parochial administrator of the Church of the Immaculate Conception while the pastor, Reverend Peter Richards, is on sabbatical. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

iSTOCK PHOTO | KHANCHIT KHIRISUTCHALUAL

SLICEof LIFE

Tombstone toms

A pair of male wild turkeys, called toms, roam Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights April 12 as they look for females, or hens, during the spring mating season. According to staff members at Resurrection, a sizable flock of turkeys call the grounds of the cemetery home. People coming to visit deceased loved ones or attend burial ceremonies stand a good chance of seeing them. Spring is a busy time at Resurrection and other Catholic Cemeteries. Events on the calendar include walking tours, open houses, preplanning seminars, grief retreats and gatherings on Memorial Day weekend, including Masses on May 27. There will be a bilingual Mass (English and Spanish) at St. Mary’s Cemetery in south Minneapolis and a Memorial Day Concert by the Fridley City Band at Resurrection. For more information, visit catholic-cemeteries org/events

Generosity is taught by example. Talk to your family about your giving — the why, when, and how. This will plant the seeds of generosity and introduce your children to the joy of philanthropy.

And your estate plan can enable your children to carry on your legacy of generosity.

Call 651.389.0300 or visit ccf-mn.org to learn more.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Weigel: Contention around Vatican II is an invitation to evangelize

By Anna Wilgenbusch The Catholic Spirit

Over 400 people gathered April 17 at the University of St. Thomas campus in St. Paul to hear a lecture given by world-renowned author and Catholic intellectual George Weigel about the importance of the Second Vatican Council.

The lecture, which was part of The St. Paul Seminary’s Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library Lecture Series, detailed the historical build-up to the council and offered a way to understand and contextualize the controversy that sometimes surrounds it.

Weigel said that he was inspired to write his recent book “To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II” and to speak about the topic after he heard young people question the necessity of the council.

“About 10 years ago, I began to notice as I went around to college campuses, universities and seminaries, that some of our most intelligent, fervent and committed young Catholics were deeply confused, if not deeply concerned, about the Second Vatican Council,” he said.

Vatican II came about after the world wars, when Europe had fallen then into “indifference” and “metaphysical boredom,” Weigel said. The situation merited an ecclesiastical response.

“The more alert minds in the Catholic world were beginning to understand this (need for a response) in those middle decades of the 20th century,” Weigel said.

One of those minds, Weigel said, was then-Pope John XXIII, who “shocked the whole ecumenical world, and the whole world for that matter,” by announcing an ecumenical council — the first in nearly a century. John XXIII hoped the council “would be a new experience of Pentecost” and would give “ancient truths ... a fresh articulation,” Weigel said, so that the truths of the faith could be received by a world that was largely irreligious.

But in the opening speech of the council, “Gaudet Mater Ecclesia,” John XXIII emphasized that the council was to defend the faith and not to change it.

In the beginning of “Gaudet Mater Ecclesia,” “(John XXIII) immediately said, ‘We are not here to reinvent the Catholic Church,’” said Weigel, summarizing the speech. “Christ gave the Church its essential constitution ... the council’s imperative (was) to defend the sacred

deposit of the faith.”

“I believe ‘Gaudet Mater Ecclesia’ is the most appropriate prism through which to read the work of the Second Vatican Council because it defines what John XXIII thought the council was supposed to do,” Weigel added.

Read through the lens of “Gaudet Mater Ecclesia,” the council documents moved “from an ecclesio-centric Church to a Christo-centric Church,” Weigel said.

Confusion arose after the council for at least three reasons.

The first was that the council ended “just as the Western world was losing its mind,” Weigel said, referring to the cultural revolution that ensued in the latter half of the 20th century.

Another reason was that unlike previous councils, Vatican II made no formal declarations that could serve as a “key” for interpretation.

In the past, “councils had provided keys by condemning heresies (or) writing canons into the Church’s legal system. Trent did a lot of those things and added a catechism,” Weigel said. But “Vatican II did none of that. No creed, definitions, no condemnations, no canons and no catechism.” To find the interpretive key of Vatican II, then-Pope John Paul II convened a special synod in 1985 with then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later known as Pope Benedict XVI.

“The master key they came up with,” Weigel said, was “describing the Church as a communion of disciples in mission.”

This key understands the Church to be intrinsically evangelistic, Weigel said. “The Church does not exist for itself, it exists to offer others the gift it has been given, which is friendship with the incarnate son of God, so the body is inherently evangelical in mission,” he said.

A third reason for the contemporary confusion around the council is simply due to modern society’s proximity to it.

“All of the great councils took at least 100 years to work themselves into the fabric of the Church,” he said. “We are only three-fifths of the way there .... we are still in the digestion phase, and the people who are calling for a Vatican III seem to me to be the people who have not understood Vatican II.”

Weigel noted that the Acts of the Apostles ended in a shipwreck. “The shipwreck becomes the occasion to extend the mission of the proclamation of the Gospel to where it has not been heard before,” he said. “If we learn to see the points of shipwreck, trouble or contention (in the Church) as invitations ... then we will be faithful to the true intention of John the XXIII in summoning the council and the truths that the council taught.”

“The authentic Christian attitude towards the future is hope,” Weigel said. God will get what he wants at the end of the story.”

John Froula, who has served as an associate professor of dogmatic theology at The Saint Paul Seminary since 2014, said that Weigel’s call for an evangelistic

St. Jude of the Lake pastor named NET Ministries’ first chaplain

By Rebecca Omastiak The Catholic Spirit

Father Chad VanHoose, pastor of St. Jude of the Lake in Mahtomedi since 2019, has been named as the chaplain for NET Ministries — a first for the national Catholic youth ministry based in West St. Paul.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda commissioned Father VanHoose as the full-time chaplain effective July 1, according to an April 9 announcement.

Father VanHoose served as a NET missionary in 2005 on the ministry’s first discipleship team in Faribault. He supervised the team from 2006 to 2008, then was the team’s administrator until 2011.

“When I left NET 13 years ago, I met with a vocation director and I said, ‘It’s going to be really hard for me to leave NET,’” Father VanHoose said in a statement. “He responded with something I will always remember. He said, ‘We put things on the altar without the knowledge that we will ever receive them back, but sometimes

we do.’ To receive NET back into my priesthood has already been a tremendous blessing.”

Father VanHoose has served NET Ministries in various ways during his priesthood, including providing spiritual formation for staff and missionaries, presiding at events and hosting retreats. His new role is “a dream that I never thought would happen, but the Lord is faithful, and I am appreciative of his faithfulness,” Father VanHoose said.

In his role, Father VanHoose will celebrate the sacraments with, and offer spiritual counsel to, NET Ministries staff and missionaries. He will also offer theological and pastoral guidance for missionary training and program development, according to the ministry.

At the annual NET Gala on April 5, Archbishop Hebda said he views the chaplain role as an important investment in the ministry.

Church is congruent with the mission of the seminary. “While Weigel does not speak for the seminary, I think he does amplify the real spirit that we have here of missionary discipleship and communion,” Froula said.

Amelia Tallarrini, 23, attended Weigel’s lecture to learn more about the council, which she has sometimes experienced as a source of contention among Catholics.

“I was just thinking a lot about the shipwreck analogy,” said Tallarrini, who attends St. Joseph in West St. Paul. “It is an invitation to realize that things going wrong in the Church is how it always has been. And this idea that if you go back far enough, everything was wonderful, it’s just not true ... the fact that Vatican II hasn’t fixed everything is not showing that Vatican II failed.”

Adam Husser, 22, a former Lutheran who entered into the Church at this year’s Easter Vigil and now attends St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran, said that the council “had always been proposed to me as an area of contention among Catholics, so it was really refreshing to hear a very hopeful perspective.”

Husser’s friend Marcus Miner, who also came into the Church on Easter after having been an atheist, said that the lecture helped him understand the council in its historical context. “We had 20 previous ecumenical councils prior to Vatican II, and all of them had keys ... and then to have Vatican II to not really follow in that suit definitely gives some explanation as to how we saw some of the oddities that occurred after Vatican II,” said Miner, who also attends St. Thomas the Apostle.

Hannah White, 24, who is originally from Guam and is now working toward a Catholic Studies Master’s degree and is a parishioner at St. Mark in St. Paul, said she came to the lecture to understand the council’s legacy. “Ever since college, I’ve wanted to know more about Vatican II because it seemed like such a divisive council, but I knew that couldn’t be the whole truth. Either side (saying), ‘Vatican II was a spirit of reform and that is great’ or ‘Vatican II was a spirit of reform and that is bad,’ I just knew those (statements) couldn’t be the whole truth,” White said.

White said now she understood the council better and felt inspired by its evangelistic mission.

“I feel more empowered to speak about the council with others, but also to speak about Christ with others,” White said.

“You are getting a priest with incredible gifts, who will be missed at the archdiocese and St. Jude, but I know that this is going to bear fruit tenfold, fiftyfold, one hundredfold, as Father Chad pours himself out in this ministry,” the archbishop said. “I am grateful to Father Chad for saying yes, but also grateful to NET Ministries for this beautiful partnership.”

David Rinaldi, president of NET Ministries, expressed gratitude to Archbishop Hebda for commissioning Father VanHoose for the role, adding that Father VanHoose has been “instrumental” in the ministry’s annual missionary training. “Father VanHoose is a faithful and prayerful priest who is passionate about helping people come to know the love of God the Father and become disciples of Jesus Christ,” Rinaldi said in a statement. “He will bring so much to our team, and I can’t wait.”

Father John Utecht, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace in Edina, has been assigned as parochial vicar of St. Jude of the Lake effective July 1. He will also be chaplain at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood.

COURTESY THE ST. PAUL SEMINARY

George Weigel speaks at O’Shaughnessy Education Center Auditorium at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul on April 17.

FATHER CHAD VANHOOSE

Bishop Izen’s first year highlights include meeting Pope Francis, helping others

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

Reflecting on his first year as a bishop and an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop Michael Izen recalled a bright and joyful ordination day, shaking hands with Pope Francis in Rome and helping people spiritually. He also shared some upcoming responsibilities. This April 10 interview has been edited for clarity and length. Listen to the interview as a TCS Podcast at TheCaTholiCSpiriT Com/ podCaSTS

Q Bishop Izen, thank you for joining us at The Catholic Spirit and the Office of Communications. Well, I’ve got to ask you, what did you do to celebrate the first anniversary of your April 11, 2023, ordination?

A Well, not a whole lot. My parish (St. Francis of Assisi in Lake St. Croix Beach) did have a little coffee and donuts after Mass this morning (April 10). That’s not unusual for Wednesday, but they had German chocolate cake, which is one of my favorite cakes. So, somebody did their homework. I wouldn’t normally have that at 10 in the morning, but ...

Q Do you remember the day of your ordination?

A Of course, yeah. It was amazing. Obviously, there was a lot building up to that. The announcement was in January and then the anniversary is April 11. But I remember a full Cathedral (of St. Paul in St. Paul). It was a bright day and a lot of joy. It was amazing and surreal in some ways that there was so much joy in that Cathedral. And I was the only person getting ordained!

Q I do recall the apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre — who is now a cardinal — commenting that you were kind of nervous going into the bishop’s role. How do you feel now, a year later?

A Well, yes, he’s the one who gave me the call. He got my first reaction. And yeah, it was, “I never would have seen it coming.” That’s a lot more responsibility, a lot more stress. Am I really called to this? I would say after one year, I can honestly say it has been a joy, and certainly, a lot less stressful than I feared. Maybe that’s because I’m not in charge of a diocese yet. The pressures aren’t where they will be someday. But it’s been good.

Q We certainly have been blessed on our side, so thank you. I know that in January you spoke with the “Practicing Catholic” radio show about your first year and “bishop’s school” in Rome and at least briefly meeting with the pope. What was that like?

A This is the first Holy Father that I met. I was certainly looking forward to it. And I remember he spoke to us as a group, but all in Italian. When we were standing in line to meet him, I said, “I hope he speaks a little English, because I want to know what he says to me.” Well, he did speak just a little English. I had 10 to 15 seconds with him.

Q Do you remember what he said?

A I first thanked him for appointing me as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul, Minneapolis. And he said something like,

“Aah, St. Paul ...” like he knew exactly where the diocese is — or he had heard of St. Paul before. I thought he probably recognized the name of the diocese, but I’m not sure. But he said that, and then he told me to pray for him. I said, of course. Which is easy — we pray for him at every Mass. It was a great moment.

Q You share auxiliary bishop duties with Bishop Joseph Williams, and you both work with Archbishop Bernard Hebda. How is that working relationship?

A Two great men, as you know. I’ve known Bishop Joseph since I started seminary ... since 1998. And of course, like most of the archdiocese, I’ve known the archbishop since 2015. I would say the archbishop serves that role as a father wonderfully, which I think all the priests in the archdiocese appreciate. But when you become auxiliary bishop, you appreciate it even more because you’ve got someone who you can lean on and who’s going to help you with any questions. He’s been great as far as being a supportive and a fatherly figure. And then as you might guess Bishop Joseph would be more like a brother. We’re both auxiliaries. He’d be a big brother because he’s been at it longer than I have. But they’re both so wise, and men of prayer.

Q Have any particular responsibilities as a bishop come your way in this archdiocese?

A “Practicing Catholic” asked that in January, and then the answer was more, “Maybe I’m kind of the catch-all guy.” Bishop Joseph, I don’t know his list, but he’s got a lot of particular concentrations, like the (Archdiocesan) Synod and Latino Ministry. ... I really haven’t had that. I’ve been kind of more, “OK, this school would like a bishop to come” and I’m the guy. Or I go to (another) parish for a festival. ... Now, more recently, I am the bishop who’s working, as kind of the head of, the (National) Eucharistic Revival and procession as it goes through St. Paul, Minneapolis. ... And then also — although I haven’t had much work in this area yet — with our 175th anniversary (as a diocese), the archbishop has hinted that he’d like me to take the

off, Tuesday is spent at the parish, Wednesday and Thursday at the archdiocese, Friday is a “catch-all” day, Saturday and Sunday are spent at the parish). I don’t have just one desk.

Q So, right! Like, “where did I leave that one thing?”

A I’ve got to move stuff around. I find even, between the parish office and when I’m home on Friday, the office is closed, so I’m usually working from my dining room table. And then I have a desk here at the archdiocese, so I have three home bases. You get a little scattered. I can go from a one-on-one meeting with my faith formation person, and then I’m off to a St. Thomas Academy (in Mendota Heights) board meeting, driving across the (Twin) Cities. And then today, I’m here at the archdiocese, with four meetings. Then you do bishop stuff that isn’t at any of these sites either.

lead on some of that as well. Which is next year.

Q And that’s a big one.

A We’ll probably be talking more, you and me.

Q I’m sure that’s right. I look forward to it. What has surprised you about your leadership role as a bishop?

A I don’t know if I would say that it was a surprise, but I find it to be a challenge, is saying “no” to things or being double or triple booked. It’s kind of a stress that maybe I have to figure out how to deal with, because you wouldn’t think that would be a big problem. But sometimes it’s my biggest problem. I can’t do everything. That’s one thing that comes to mind.

Q What’s been the most rewarding in this first year?

A One of the graces that I’ve noticed is how the Lord can work through me. It’s interesting because I remember even before I was ordained, when I was bishop-elect, it came to me in my prayer, that idea of being a little nervous and scared about being a bishop. But it came to me, well, of course I can’t do this by myself. But God can do it through me. So that gave me peace of mind. I’ve seen that happen a few times now, whether it’s in giving a talk and I say, “Well, that went pretty well. Who was THAT?”

I gave a talk about prayer, at Epiphany, I think that was in February. And then, a few weeks ago, I ran into a guy who was there. I remembered him because he was a young dad, and he came up and asked for a blessing with his wife and their newborn, and he said some very affirming words. He said, “Bishop Izen, I remember meeting you and you were so personable and kind and humble.” And he liked my talk. And I thanked him afterward. It’s nice to hear that you make some kind of impact. Little blessings that have been rewarding.

Q A distinguishing feature for you and Bishop Williams is that you are a bishop and you’re pastor. How do you balance that?

A It’s a challenge. (Monday is a day

Q That’s a lot. We’re all focused — and should be — on implementing the archbishop’s pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.” How are you playing into that as a bishop, but also as a pastor?

A Good question. I don’t know if I have had to take on any more responsibility than a typical pastor would, although I think it’s easier for me to see the benefit of it because I’m close to Bishop Joseph, and I can see wisdom in what he’s doing and the wisdom of what the archbishop has handed down. Just in what we’re doing this year. Small groups.

One of the ways I support it as a pastor is in my preaching. This past Easter Sunday — for whatever reason — it wasn’t really part of my initial notes. I usually script up a homily, but I found myself talking about how the whole Gospel message spreads, ever since the Resurrection. It’s by people who care about each other, communicating with each other. If you think of the Resurrection Gospels, there’s so many times where they recounted what had happened along the way, or they heard that the Lord had appeared to Simon, or Mary Magdalene says, “they’ve taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they put him.” All those things where the message of the Resurrection wasn’t immediately that everybody saw the risen Jesus. But they’re talking to people they trust who have, and they’re witnessing to it. I think that’s a big part of the wisdom of small groups.

Q Well, thank you for your time. Is there anything you’d like to add?

A It’s been good. God is good. I’d like to re-emphasize how grateful I am to see how he’s worked through me on some of those things where I would have doubted a year ago that I could do some of this.

Q Would you close with a blessing for us? For the listeners and the readers.

A Of course. All right. The Lord be with you. May Almighty God bless all of you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Q Amen

A Thank you, Joe, good to be with you.

Q Good to be with you

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Bishop Michael Izen delivers the homily during the annual Emblem Mass Feb. 24 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis sponsored by the Archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting.

More than 100 Catholic school leaders gather in Stillwater to pray, learn, share

By Joe Ruff

The Catholic Spirit

Anchored in prayer with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishops Michael Izen and Joseph Williams, more than 100 Catholic school leaders from across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis gathered in Stillwater April 18-19.

They attended an Archdiocesan Catholic School Leadership Convocation and took another step on the Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education that continues to be developed since it was implemented in 2019. Key components of the Roadmap include governance of Catholic schools and talent management.

Two days together offered an opportunity to dive more deeply into understanding a Catholic accreditation process introduced last year that has been completed by eight schools and will be used on a rotating basis by all 91 Catholic schools in the archdiocese, said Jason Slattery, director of Catholic education and superintendent of schools for the archdiocese.

“Working on the Roadmap, the archbishop had a broad vision for Catholic schools” that takes time to develop, Slattery told the heads of school and principals. “We wanted to set up a change cycle that is predictable for school leaders, so it is not something new each month, but a cadence of change.”

Developed by the archdiocese’s Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) working with the Lumen Accreditation program at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., the accreditation process is called the Catholic School Study. OMCE and Lumen officials work collaboratively with each school, moving forward through strengths and opportunities.

This is done through a Catholic lens that recognizes Christ’s love and his desire for every child to amass skills and learning and minister to others, speakers and leaders of the convocation said.

In his homily at the convocation’s opening Mass, Archbishop Hebda noted the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, when Philip followed an angel’s prompting and found an Ethiopian eunuch reading the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you

‘A

“What would it take to transmit something to children that they would find compelling and convincing and choose it for themselves into adulthood?” said Donoghue, executive director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“When we speak of vision, we’re not simply talking about seeing,” she said. “What we actually mean is a way of looking at, and understanding, reality itself. Now, we live in times in which reality is under attack. So, it’s critical that we form our kids in the fullest vision of reality, the vision that understands what’s at the heart of reality.

“And the heart is Jesus Christ, the logos, the ordering and organizing principle of all creation. ... It’s a matter of thinking and visualizing as we’re teaching, as we’re leading our schools. The transmission of a vision of life in 2,000 years of culture will, though, involve every aspect of the school’s work, including its curriculum and pedagogy — what we teach and how we teach it.”

Recognizing this need comes at a critical time for the Church in the United States, which is undergoing “a rate of disaffiliation unseen before,” Donoghue said. “Among those who do leave, 79% will be gone by age 25,” she said. “This problem of disaffiliation is not new of course. We have seen Mass attendance plummet from a high of 55% attending Mass weekly in 1965 to 17% in 2022. Among millennials, that cohort that’s (ages) 25 to 40, the ones having children — or hopefully having children — that number is 7%. Things really are not OK.”

But Catholic schools can capture the hearts of children early in their lives, Donoghue said. “It matters greatly doesn’t it, how little children are formed? This is our opportunity. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase said a lot these days: ‘We were born for such a time.’ I believe that’s true. I don’t think it’s accidental that we are among the group called to serve the mission of Catholic education at just this time. The good news is, if he (God) has called us, he will equip us.”

are reading?” and the Ethiopian replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” “We need people to teach us to understand the stories of the faith,” the archbishop said. “The Lord provides opportunities for us to understand and for us to share what we know with those we encounter. ... So many young people in your schools, they can say, ‘How can I understand, unless someone instructs me?’”

Speakers following Mass included Daryl Hagan, director of Catholic University’s Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education, which developed and runs the Lumen Accreditation program, and Andrew Kremer, director of the program. Hagan noted that Lumen Accreditation addresses all aspects of education — spiritual, intellectual, cultural and operational priorities. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was the first diocese to adopt the accreditation, but now eight dioceses in six states and 280 Catholic schools are using the program, he said. The process runs in six-year cycles, with invitation, preparation, visitation, proclamation and accompaniment, he said.

Tricia Menzhuber, principal of St. John Paul II Catholic School (SJPII) in Northeast Minneapolis, talked with The Catholic Spirit after Hagan and Kremer spoke and said she was impressed by the Catholic School Study as she worked through it with Lumen and the archdiocese.

Accreditation programs can consist largely of checking boxes in forms and receiving approval, she said. But officials with Lumen and the archdiocese followed up with questions and conversations that led her to trim her 14-page strategic plan to a more manageable several pages, Menzhuber said.

They also encouraged her to turn an annual community-building retreat for SJPII teachers and staff into an opportunity to explore the school’s mission of helping young people understand their dignity and development as children of God, she said. As teachers return from summer break to attend the retreat to start a new school year, “we will focus on Christian humanism,” Menzhuber said. “It starts with formation of our staff.”

Catholic schools need to present “a convincing and compelling vision of a life in Christ,” said Mary Pat Donoghue, the evening speaker April 18 at the Archdiocesan Catholic School Leadership Convocation.

COURTESY CORY RYAN, CT RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Jason Slattery, director of Catholic education and superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, addresses school leaders April 18 at the Archdiocesan Catholic School Leadership Convocation in Stillwater.

‘Walking with Jesus along the way’

By Rebecca Omastiak The Catholic Spirit

Parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are gearing up for a new movement that invites an encounter with the Eucharistic Christ: the procession of the Eucharist as part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Marian Route.

Departing from the Mississippi River headwaters in Itasca State Park on Pentecost, May 19, the Marian Route will stop at locations throughout the dioceses of Crookston, Duluth and St. Cloud before moving through the archdiocese May 24-31. The route will then move through the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, continue through Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, and ultimately meet three other pilgrimage routes in Indianapolis July 17-21 for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.

The amount of time that the archdiocese will host the pilgrimage is “a privilege,” said Father Tim Tran, parochial vicar of St. Stephen in Anoka and the archdiocesan point person for the National Eucharistic Revival.

“It’s going through many different communities, from rural to inner city,” he said. “We see that as the Catholicity, the universality of the Church and how Jesus came to feed all.”

“We just can’t wait to bring it (the pilgrimage) to the highways and the byways, bring Our Lord there, bring people to him and walk together,” said Will Peterson — founder and president of St. Paul-based nonprofit Modern Catholic Pilgrim — during a conversation with “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley.

Peterson, a parishioner of St. Helena in Minneapolis, said Modern Catholic Pilgrim is helping coordinate all four National Eucharistic Pilgrimage routes.

“For us, it’s all about: How do we lead pilgrims to have that encounter with the risen Christ, especially in the Eucharist?” Peterson said. “And then, how do we send them ... to run back into their communities with their hearts set on fire, to spread the good news and, really, to be changed and to change their communities? We’re just so blessed to have this opportunity.”

Father Tran said preparation for the upcoming pilgrimage ought to “be deeply rooted in prayer” and can include spending time “personally with the Lord in adoration, or the Eucharist, Mass and the sacraments.”

“Start there, with your own personal revival,” he suggested.

Father Tran said those who can’t physically attend pilgrimage events can participate in other ways.

“I think, in particular, of our elderly and those who have other responsibilities (meaning) that they cannot come, that the Eucharist — even when we’re separated from one another, in the different chapels throughout the world, in our archdiocese — it’s a point of communion. We are members of Christ’s body ... and so even if you can’t participate physically, your prayers are going to drive and be that moving force for the (Holy) Spirit to spread that fragrance of Christ as we process throughout our archdiocese.”

Father Tran reflected on the final day of the pilgrimage in the archdiocese, May 31, as also being the feast of the Visitation.

“I see that as the first Eucharistic procession or pilgrimage, one might say, in world history because Mother Mary was the living tabernacle and also the living monstrance,” he said. “Having Christ in her womb, she processed throughout the Judean hill countryside to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. And that’s precisely what we’re doing — I just see that as a spiritual reflection on how it has converged to this moment.”

Father Tran prays the pilgrimage moves hearts so that “we become the agents of revival in our families, in our workplaces, in our communities, in our parishes, in our archdiocese, our country and the world. It begins with you and with me.”

“We’re not doing anything fancy, that’s the beauty of it,” Father Tran said. “We’re just walking with Jesus along the way. And that in itself will be the propulsion of this revival.”

WALKING WITH CHRIST

According to National Eucharistic Pilgrimage organizers, there will be 24 “perpetual pilgrims” who will make the full journey along one of the four pilgrimage routes traversing the United States. The perpetual pilgrims will ultimately converge in Indianapolis July 17-21 for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. Six of the perpetual pilgrims will be traveling along the Marian Route.

The perpetual pilgrims will have two designated monstrances — one for formal liturgical celebrations and a second, more lightweight monstrance for longer walking sections of the route, explained organizers for the archdiocesan portion of the pilgrimage. The monstrances were made in Italy, according to National Eucharistic Pilgrimage organizers. Local parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

will have the option to use either the monstrances designated for the pilgrimage or their own monstrances when the pilgrimage passes through their area, organizers said. Meanwhile, organizers said the official monstrance used during the 1941 Eucharistic Congress, which was held in St. Paul, is planned for use during the May 27 Source and Summit procession along Summit Avenue in St. Paul from The St. Paul Seminary to the Cathedral of St. Paul. Not only will the perpetual pilgrims have a traveling tabernacle in a support vehicle for times along the route when it won’t be possible to walk, organizers said, but there are plans to have a mobile Eucharistic adoration chapel as well, meaning the Eucharist will be exposed as the perpetual pilgrims are driving through portions of the archdiocese.

THE ROUTE

At least 30 archdiocesan locations will be part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Marian Route. Some walking segments of the pilgrimage aren’t open to the public and there are some sections of driving. Locations and event details are subject to change; visit archspm org/eucharistic-pilgrimage for the most up-to-date information.

FRIDAY, MAY 24

St. Albert in Albertville: Adoration: 5-6 p.m. Procession to St. Michael in St. Michael: 6 p.m.

St. Michael in St. Michael: Mass and adoration: 7:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAY 25

St. Peter Claver in St. Paul: Mass: 4 p.m., reception: 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAY 26

St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis: Procession: 9:30 a.m., Mass: 10:30 a.m. (Vietnamese)

19th Annual Northeast Eucharistic Procession

In conjunction with the NEP this year, Northeast Eucharistic Procession services will begin at 1 p.m. at Holy Cross in Northeast Minneapolis. The route in Minneapolis is as follows: Holy Cross, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Boniface, St. Maron, St. Constantine, All Saints.

Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis: Mass: 5 p.m., adoration: 6 p.m.

MONDAY, MAY 27

Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis: Mass: 8:30 a.m.

St. Stephen in Minneapolis: Adoration: 9:45-10:30 a.m. (Spanish)

St. Albert the Great in Minneapols: Adoration: 11 a.m.

Source and Summit Procession

The Source and Summit procession will begin with midday prayer at 12:45 p.m. at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. The procession will then proceed east along Summit Avenue. There will be a 4 p.m. Benediction at the Cathedral of St. Paul, then a reception. The route in St. Paul is as follows:

The St. Paul Seminary, St. Thomas More, Cathedral of St. Paul

TUESDAY, MAY 28

Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul: Mass: 7:30 a.m.

Assumption in St. Paul: Prayer service: 9:30-9:50 a.m. Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul: Rosary: 10:15-10:45 a.m.

St. Matthew in St. Paul: As of press time, events were not yet confirmed.

Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul: Spanish/English praise and worship with adoration: 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

St. Joseph in West St. Paul: As of press time, events were not yet confirmed.

St. Peter in Mendota: Adoration: 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29

St. Peter in Mendota: Mass: 9 a.m.

Faithful Shepherd School in Eagan: Events are closed to the public.

St. John Neumann in Eagan: Adoration: 3-4 p.m.

St. Michael in Farmington: Holy Hour and evening prayer: 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, MAY 30

St. Michael in Farmington: Mass: 8:30 a.m.

St. Mathias in Hampton: Rosary: 2 p.m.

Procession to St. John the Baptist in Vermillion: 2:30-5:30 p.m.

St. John the Baptist in Vermillion: Holy Hour and reflection: 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, MAY 31

St. Mary in New Trier: Mass and procession: 7:30 a.m.

St. Paul in Zumbrota: Adoration: 9:30-10:15 a.m.

Procession to St. Michael in Pine Island: 10:15 a.m.

St. Michael in Pine Island: Adoration and Benediction: 3:15 p.m.

COURTESY NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

Conference, ministry seek to equip Catholics to use charismatic gifts

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

Jesus’ love through the Holy Spirit can inspire Catholics to heal the world, said Father Mathias Thelen at an Encounter Ministries Twin Cities Regional Conference April 11-13.

Held at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, the conference offered instruction on the application of spiritual gifts and times of prayer for a greater outpouring and sharing of those gifts.

And Father Thelen — cofounder and instructor at Encounter Ministries, which is based in Brighton, Michigan, and seeks to teach, equip and activate Catholic disciples through the Holy Spirit — joined others to talk about the hope found in Jesus.

“Hope that he can bring restoration and wholeness in people’s lives, but (also) hope for the Church that the Church is much more dynamic than perhaps what our unbelieving culture thinks it is,” said Father Thelen, who is also pastor of St. Patrick in Brighton.

About 415 people — from teens to retirees — from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and beyond attended the three-day conference. Many were students or alumni of Encounter’s two-year School of Ministry, which is slated to open a West St. Paul satellite campus this fall.

Between sessions on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, prophecy, the Father’s love, the great commission and imparting spiritual gifts were breakout sessions, a healing service, Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration and praise and worship. Prayer teams, often consisting of School of Ministry students and graduates, prayed over attendees throughout the conference.

In his opening talk, Father Thelen provided a biblical foundation for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He later emphasized that God wants this outpouring but not as a private spirituality.

“He wants people to know God as Father, he wants people to know Jesus as Lord. He wants the Holy Spirit to have his way in the life of believers, so we can witness to Jesus,” Father Thelen said.

In his closing remarks at the conference, Father Thelen talked about God’s desire to give spiritual gifts beyond those imparted at baptism, which God may mysteriously provide through other people.

“This is what we’re talking about, this mystery of sharing gifts among the body of Christ,” he said.

Besides the School of Ministry, Encounter Ministries offers healing services, videos and other ways to connect with the ministry. Its focus on evangelization through the Holy Spirit isn’t new to charismatics but just a newer expression, Father Thelen said.

Richard Wasilowski, 66, of Seattle, was involved in the Catholic charismatic renewal movement for 45 years and called Encounter a “refreshing look.”

“I think they overlap, they don’t compete, but it’s (a) very similar vein,” said Wasilowski, a 2023 School of Ministry graduate who attended the conference to introduce his sister in St. Paul to Encounter.

The St. Paul Seminary rector, Father Joseph Taphorn, said he will finish the School of Ministry’s online program this year. He attended the conference, was part of a prayer team and heard confessions. He said the deeper encounter with the Lord he’s received through the program has been a gift to his priesthood — a gift he’s tried to share at the seminary in St. Paul.

“I think for us in leadership (it’s important) to keep learning,” he said. “I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the spiritual gifts and how to apply them and use them and lead.”

Kelli Kleinschnitz, 33, who will complete her first year of the School of Ministry online, said the program and conference are helping her gain compassion and shape her ministry. As faith formation director for Holy Saints Area Catholic Community — which consists of five parishes south of St. Cloud in the Diocese of St. Cloud — Kleinschnitz said prayer and other support from the school helps her minister to others.

“The Father’s heart for (parishioners) makes more of an impact than any study I’ve ever led,” she said. “Just praying with them and letting them experience God’s love just through what the Holy Spirit is putting on my own heart, I’ve just been humbled by that as well.”

LOCAL CAMPUS

With a goal of teaching and demonstrating the Holy Spirit’s gifts to Catholics, Brighton, Michigan-based Encounter Ministries will offer its two-year, hands-on School of Ministry program through a new satellite campus in West St. Paul beginning this fall.

The program will be offered at the NET Center, headquarters of NET Ministries in West St. Paul. The program will focus on helping students understand and become comfortable with Holy Spirit charisms such as healing and prophecy. It will address other topics as well, including everyone’s identity as a son or daughter of God, recognizing and responding to the Lord speaking, and developing as prayer ministers, said James Shackelford, who with his wife, Teresa, will lead the new campus.

The couple also was involved in Encounter Ministries’ Twin Cities Regional Conference April 11-13 at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, where the new campus was announced.

“We’re just seeing this incredible fruitfulness with the way the Holy Spirit is moving throughout the Church and (the new campus) makes sense because the more society moves away from God, just the more brokenness, the more heartbreak and the more problems we see people run into,” said James Shackelford, who is also director of ongoing formation and discipleship at St. Bartholomew in Wayzata.

“The Lord is moving very powerfully with healing ministry right now,” he said.

The Encounter Ministries’ program gives students the chance to immediately put what they learn into practice and gain experience, he said. “Because the goal of all of this is that they would actually learn how to pray with other people.”

The new campus joins more than 30 around the world and an online campus run by Encounter Ministries. The organization’s School of Ministry has 3,800 students worldwide, said Father Mathias Thelen, co-founder of Encounter Ministries.

Those interested can attend a School of Ministry introductory content overview Aug. 5-8. Weekly classes during the academic year will begin in September, James Shackelford said. According

to the school’s website, program tuition is $250 per quarter ad the program consists of eight quarters.

As graduates of the school’s, James Shackelford said he and his wife considered starting a campus in the Twin Cities after moving here several years ago. He read Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s 2022 pastoral letter — “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room” — which affirmed his idea for the campus. The archbishop’s pastoral letter, James Shackelford said, “encourages us to embrace the Holy Spirit, to embrace the charisms, to become familiar with those ministries. And we absolutely need a new Pentecost in this Church.”

The School of Ministry is one of the “avenues for the faithful to be empowered and to grow in knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit and then to let that also breathe into their Eucharistic devotion and bringing the Church to the world,” said Father Michael Becker, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ vicar of charisms and pastor of Sts. Joachim and Anne in Shakopee. This spring, Father Becker led a School of Charism Discovery, a 10-week course introducing Catholics to charisms of the Holy Spirit.

The School of Charism Discovery gave participants confidence to use charisms, and the School of Ministry will help participants further activate and apply them, especially prophecy and healing, Father Becker said. It will “raise up an army,” Father Becker said, noting that graduates will be able to more confidently share their gifts and work to evangelize the culture.

As the archdiocese seeks more ways to invite the Holy Spirit and enrich its fruits, bringing Encounter Ministries’ School of Ministry to Minnesota now is “really wonderful,” said Laura Haraldson, the facilitator for implementing Archbishop Hebda’s pastoral letter.

“I believe that part of what we’re called be — and what Archbishop Hebda is asking us to be — is open to Christ,” Haraldson said, “open to the movement of the Holy Spirit, always rooted in prayer and open to seeing what the Lord might actually be doing in our lives.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Dave and Heidi Harvey of St. Paul in Ham Lake take part in praise and worship April 12 during the Encounter Conference at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville.

Report: Children ‘let down’ by a lack of research on use of puberty blockers

By Michael Kelly OSV News

A landmark report published April 10 in the United Kingdom said children had been “let down” by a lack of research on the use of puberty blockers.

The so-called Cass Report — named for the pediatrician who compiled it, Dr. Hilary Cass — said clinicians were deeply affected by the “toxicity” of public debate around transgender identities.

“There are few other areas of healthcare where professionals are so afraid to openly discuss their views, where people are vilified on social media, and where name-calling echoes the worst bullying behavior. This must stop,” Cass wrote.

Addressing children and young people in her foreword, Cass stated: “I have been disappointed by the lack of evidence on the long-term impact of taking hormones from an early age; research has let us all down, most importantly you.”

Britain’s health secretary has criticized what she described as a “culture of secrecy and ideology” around healthcare for children experiencing gender identity confusion.

In March, the National Health Service in Britain announced that children experiencing issues with their gender identity will no longer routinely be prescribed puberty blockers, saying there is “not enough evidence” the drugs are safe or effective.

Puberty blockers pause the physical changes of puberty as children grow, such as the development of breasts in girls and facial hair in boys.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins welcomed the pause on prescriptions and said an urgent update on the practice of hormone prescription must now follow. She also praised clinicians who spoke out about their concerns.

“I commend those brave voices who spoke up to raise the alarm about how treatment was diverging so far from guidance — a culture of secrecy and ideology over evidence and safety. Today I’m saying ‘enough,’” she wrote in an opinion article in the London-based Daily Telegraph newspaper.

The publication of Cass’ report revealed that six of seven adult clinics had refused to take part in the study — meaning that the outcomes for approximately 9,000 people who were moved from child services into adult care were not included in the report.

Cass described this as “hugely disappointing” because these people’s experiences would be valuable in studying the long-term impacts of hormone treatments.

The reasons adult clinics gave for not taking part included ethical considerations and concerns about funder motivation and political interference.

Many children were treated at the Tavistock clinic, which was NHS England’s only specialist gender clinic for children and young people. It closed in the first weeks of April, four years after it was rated as “inadequate” by inspectors.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also has responded to the review, saying the findings “shine a spotlight” on the

HEADLINES

uPope clears the way for canonization of Oblates of the Holy Spirit founder. As doctors were preparing to certify the brain death of a Brazilian man in 2010, members of a local Catholic charismatic prayer group began to pray for a miracle. Pope Francis recognized the healing of the man, “Paulo G.,” in Uberlandia, Brazil, as the miracle needed for the canonization of Blessed Elena Guerra, an Italian nun who founded the Oblates of the Holy Spirit. The pope signed the decree April 13, but the Vatican has not announced a date for the canonization of the nun who, in 1959, was the first person beatified by St. John XXIII. The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints posts brief biographies and descriptions of recognized miracles on its website. For

OSV NEWS | ISABEL INFANTES,

need to “exercise extreme caution” when it comes to gender care for children.

In a newly released declaration, the Vatican said that — among other things — being a Christian means defending human dignity and opposing gender transition.

“We cannot separate faith from the defense of human dignity, evangelization from the promotion of a dignified life and spirituality from a commitment to the dignity of every human being,” Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote in the opening section of the declaration “Dignitas Infinita” (“Infinite Dignity”), released at the Vatican April 8.

It also condemned gender theory as “extremely dangerous since it cancels differences in its claim to make everyone equal.”

Gender theory, the document stated, tries “to deny the greatest possible difference that exists between living beings: sexual difference.”

The Catholic Church teaches that “human life in all its dimensions, both physical and spiritual, is a gift from God,” the document stated. “This gift is to be accepted with gratitude and placed at the service of the good.”

Quoting Pope Francis’ exhortation “Amoris Laetitia,” the declaration said gender ideology “envisages a society without sexual differences, thereby eliminating the anthropological basis of the family.”

beatification, the Vatican requires either proof that the candidate was a martyr or a miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession with God. Another miracle is required for canonization. Pope Francis also recognized the martyrdom of a priest and a layman killed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, clearing the way for their beatification. Father Gaetano Clausellas Ballvé spent 20 years caring for residents in a home for the elderly. Antonio Tort Reixachs was married and the father of 11 children; he was arrested and shot for hiding priests and religious in his home.

uPassions flare as the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case with major impact on homelessness policy. The Supreme Court

Dicastery members said it is true that there is a difference between biological sex and the roles and behaviors that a given society or culture assigns to a male or female, but the fact that some of those notions of what it means to be a woman or a man are culturally influenced does not mean there are no differences between biological males and biological females.

“Therefore,” they said, “all attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected.”

The advocacy group Christian Concern welcomed the Cass Report, saying it “makes clear that vulnerable children have been failed by clinicians who have followed an affirmative approach to treating children with gender dysphoria and prescribed powerful drugs which lack evidence to support their use in such ways.”

While the report does not recommend an outright ban on social transition or on puberty-blockers or crosssex hormones, it does advise “extreme caution” on these treatments.

The review notes, “Whilst some young people may feel an urgency to transition, young adults looking back at their younger selves would often advise slowing down.”

Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, said, “The Cass Review makes clear that children have not been told the truth by clinicians and other adults.”

on April 22 heard a case concerning the constitutionality of local laws that ban public camping and their impact on people who are homeless. The case concerns an ordinance adopted by Grants Pass, Oregon, prohibiting public camping within city limits. The city claimed the ordinance prohibiting public camping — which it defined as sleeping outside and using materials including blankets — applies to everyone, but challengers argued the ordinance criminalized homelessness, violating the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The case is the most significant case concerning homelessness to reach the high court in decades. Over two hours of oral arguments, justices and lawyers grappled

with the balance between the civil rights of individuals experiencing homelessness and city officials seeking to regulate public spaces. In a tense line of questioning, Justice Elena Kagan asked a lawyer for the city where homeless individuals were expected to go if “every town lacks compassion?” Meanwhile, some of the court’s justices from its conservative wing expressed concern that implementing such policies was improperly falling to judges rather than state and local lawmakers. As some of the arguments in the case centered on how many beds in homeless shelters were available in the city, Becket, a Washington-based religious

REUTERS

A person walks on a pedestrian crossing decorated with the pattern of the transgender flag on a street in London April 10. A report published in the United Kingdom April 10 said children had been “let down” by a lack of research on the use of puberty blockers.

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liberty law firm, filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that religious shelters were improperly excluded from the city’s tally of available beds in shelters for the homeless. A decision in the case is expected by June. uBishop Burbidge: “Christian nationalism” is opposed to Catholic teaching. The concept of Christian nationalism is not compatible with Catholic teaching, Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in an April 15 episode of his “Walk Humbly” podcast. The term “Christian nationalism” has been the subject of recent controversy, as some understand the term to mean an ideology that the United States should be a specifically Christian nation, enforced by the power of the federal government, while others contend the term is used loosely by some to exclude Christians from the public square. Bishop Burbidge explained Catholic teaching distinguishes “between patriotism and nationalism.” He explained that patriotism involves “a proper, healthy love for our nation” but nationalism is “a view of one’s nation only in competition with others.” He explained Christian nationalism “can confuse two things that should be distinct: devotion to the nation and devotion to the Church.” He explained that a Catholic is a “follower of Christ,” and as a Christian, “never identifies oneself entirely with a particular nation.” He added, “A Christian loves his nation, but within the broader and larger love for God and neighbor.” He said the diocese’s patron saint, the English martyr St. Thomas More, was a good example for Catholics: “As he famously put it, he was ‘the King’s good servant, but God’s first,’ and that’s who we should be.”

uCatholic bioethicists say a lack of agreement about brain death imperils patients and organ donations. The National Catholic Bioethics Center, based near Philadelphia, released an April 11 statement on “Integrity in the Determination of Brain Death: Recent Challenges and Next Steps.” The NCBC said in its statement there had been “a decisive breakdown in the public consensus on adeath and organ donation,” following “the failure of recent efforts to resolve an important dispute regarding the determination of brain death.” More than 103,000 individuals in the U.S. await organ transplants. Catholic teaching supports organ donation, so long as the donation is made with free and informed consent, and the donor is truly dead. The Church teaches the act of removing the organs must not kill the donor. But recent efforts by the American Association of Neurology and other groups to change the Uniform Definition of Death Act stand to erode those ethical standards, said the NCBC. It added, “Catholics must restate and explain better a clear, philosophically coherent concept of death that is compatible with Catholic teachings and rigorous, consistent clinical testing.” The NCBC underlined that only a “whole brain death standard” — and not a partial standard — can be acceptable to Catholics.

uReligious and civic leaders urge calm after a second Sydney stabbing is declared a “terrorist attack.” Australian religious and political leaders have called for calm and unity after the attempted murder of an Assyrian Orthodox clergyman at his church’s altar in Sydney’s western suburbs, just days after a separate knife attack claimed six lives in Sydney’s Bondi Junction mall. Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mari Emmanuel, who rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for his fiery YouTube sermons, was stabbed at 7:10 p.m. April 15 at the altar of Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, an independent church he established in 2015. In a now-removed

livestream, a man in dark clothing could be seen approaching the altar and stabbing Bishop Emmanuel multiple times before congregants rushed up to stop the attack. Terrified screams could be heard before the stream was ended and deleted. The 16-yearold attacker was quickly restrained by the congregation, some of whom were injured in the attempt. The attacker in turn suffered severe injuries from the angry crowd that quickly formed, with police later confirming social media photos and rumors that at least one of his fingers was severed. Paramedics treated Bishop Emmanuel at the scene, later taking him to Liverpool Hospital where he was reportedly recovering well from injuries not considered to be life-threatening. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed the stabbing was a “terrorist act” April 16.

uPope condemns culture that views people with disabilities as “burdens.” Today’s “throwaway culture,” driven by “profit, efficiency and success,” marginalizes people with disabilities and threatens their God-given dignity, Pope Francis told members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences April 11. The academy,

formed by scholars from around the globe, held a three-day plenary session on “Disability and the Human Condition” at the Vatican. Meeting with them on the last day of their conference, Pope Francis highlighted a “less visible and very insidious” aspect of today’s culture that erodes the value of disabled persons in the eyes of society: “the tendency that leads one to consider their own existence a burden to his- or herself and to his or her loved ones.” He said, “The spread of this mentality transforms the throwaway culture into a culture of death.” The pope condemned the idea that certain lives are “not needed,” such as the unborn who are aborted or the elderly who pursue assisted suicide.

uEncouragement and Eucharistic adoration are key to fostering priestly vocations, a report shows. On April 15, Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate released the 2024 “Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood,” a report made directly to the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CARA

report came before the 61st annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated this year on April 21, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday in the Latin Church. Most respondents said they had first considered a vocation to the priesthood when they were 16 years old, and the average age of ordination was 34, a number consistent with the range of 33-37 reported since 1999. CARA’s executive director, Jesuit Father Thomas Gaunt, told OSV News that direct encouragement of young men to consider priestly life is a “perennial factor” in vocations, with 89% of the respondents, or nine in 10, reporting they had received such support — usually from a parish priest (63%), friend (41%) or parishioner (41%). “You could almost say that ... no one shows up at the seminary who was not encouraged,” Father Gaunt said. Eucharistic adoration also emerged as significant in vocational discernment, with 75% of the respondents noting they had regularly prayed before the Blessed Sacrament prior to entering the seminary.

— CNS and OSV News

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Your Family’s Legacy Starts with a Simple Conversation

What do you want your family’s legacy to be?

If you struggle to answer that question, consider this one: What do you want to pass on to your children when you yourself pass on?

You might think of gifting your children an inheritance of money to provide financial support. Or perhaps, you picture an heirloom, an artifact that has been in the family for generations. Maybe you’re thinking more sentimentally of family traditions that you’ve honored together at countless Christmases or Easters. You might even be thinking of what could have an impact beyond your immediate family: your faith and values.

The obstacle many face

We know many families that were Catholic for years are now mixed-faith families. Research shows that half of young Americans who were raised Catholic no longer identify as such. Maybe your family has experienced this statistic personally.

But just because your children or grandchildren don’t share your faith now, doesn’t mean they won’t always. And, it doesn’t mean your values can’t still be passed on.

How to talk about your faith and values

Having a conversation about your faith and values doesn’t have to be a big deal. It doesn’t have to be tense or contentious. Start at the dinner table by asking your children how they would like your family to be remembered – kind, compassionate, intelligent, ambitious, generous, fun-loving? What traits and values drive their everyday decisions? If they had $1,000,000 to give away, what organizations would they support? Whom do they admire for their generosity, and why?

As you listen to their answers, you’ll likely find similarities and common ground. Even if your daughter’s path has strayed from the Church, your faith – and your shared experiences – has likely left an imprint.

Practice what you preach

A beautiful way you can express your faith and values as a family is through generosity. Once you’ve identified as a family how you’d like to be remembered, which charities you love, and whom you hope to honor, put your money where your heart is!

By giving together, you’ll not only make a difference for your selected nonprofits, you’ll make a lasting impression on your children too. This practice will quickly establish generosity as a family value and a key piece of your family’s legacy.

By Anna Wilgenbusch The Catholic Spirit

ON APRIL 15 — it was an unusually warm spring day in Belle Plaine — Jim Glisczinski’s worn farm boots compressed the soft, freshly unfrozen ground as he walked toward his new John Deere planter. The complex machine will help him plant his 1,700 acres more precisely and with less seed and fertilizer, if it works.

“This is one of the times you pray,” he said as he passed a barn housing heifers and hay bales. Behind the barns, soybean and corn fields spilled beyond the horizon.

The steeple of St. John the Evangelist of Union Hill punctuated the landscape. Glisczinski attends Mass at St. John when he doesn’t go to his long-time parish of Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine.

For the past 100 years, Catholic Rural Life (CRL) has ministered to Catholics like Glisczinski who live and work in a rural setting. As part of his involvement with the organization, Glisczinski hosts seminarians at his farm every fall to teach them about farm equipment.

The St. Paul-based national organization receives support from 80 dioceses.

Although it now has members in 45 states, CRL began with just one man. Father Edwin O’Hara grew up on a farm in southeast Minnesota, near Lanesboro. Father O’Hara attended The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul and was ordained in 1905 by Archbishop John Ireland.

As a young priest, he was sent to France to serve as a chaplain during World War I, where he met many young American soldiers from rural communities. Father O’Hara realized that although they said they were Catholic, they did not know their faith. He returned to the United States with the conviction that rural communities needed to be evangelized, said CRL Executive Director James Ennis.

“Our organization was founded by someone who had a real passion and vision for rural ministry,” Ennis said. “Since 1923, the organization has been promoting Catholic faith in rural America.”

Ennis said that over its century-long existence, the mission of CRL has not changed — but the way it ministers has evolved. While CRL focused on establishing Catholic schools in rural areas in its early days, it now has many apostolates, such as providing retreats for rural priests, seed for farmers in need, community for college students with a rural background and educational opportunities for Native Americans.

PASTORS OF THE FARMLAND

The shortage of priests has taken a toll on rural America, with many parishes combining with others into “parish clusters” under one pastor. This forces rural pastors to travel between multiple communities for their ministry, Ennis said.

“(Rural) priests are stretched very thin,” Ennis said. “They’re feeling a little isolated.”

To help overworked rural pastors, CRL hosts retreats to share best practices and provide rural pastors with a community.

Sowing spiritual seeds for another

Father Stan Mader, pastor of St. Joseph in Waconia, has helped lead retreats for rural pastors since 2020. CRL received a grant from the Indianapolis-based Lili Endowment, a private philanthropic organization, to start the program.

Loneliness is “one of the many concerns” that rural pastors bring up at the retreats, Father Mader said, along with finances, parish staffing, not understanding farm life and not having an internet signal in extremely rural areas.

“Some of these priests (on retreats) had not seen another priest for six months,” Father Mader said, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It is just amazing how isolating that is.”

The retreats remedy that sense of isolation by providing time for fellowship among the priests and by encouraging participants to attend several follow-up web seminars in the year after the retreat.

In addition to fellowship, the retreats center on prayer and panel discussions about best practices in rural ministry. In past retreats, Christopher Thompson, academic dean and professor of moral theology at The St. Paul Seminary, has spoken about how the theology of creation relates to farming.

Father Mader encourages rural priests who do not know about farming to take a ride in a combine or tractor to get a sense of farm life and talk to farmers. He said that participants in the retreats often say, “I wish I had known

this from day one.”

Father Mader said that it is often difficult for priests to step away from their ministries to attend the retreats in person, since there is not another priest in their area to fill in for them. To make the retreats more accessible, CRL plans to deliver the retreats online in the future with an annual in-person gathering in the Twin Cities.

FARMERS IN NEED

Deacon Bob Zietlow, who serves St. Teresa of Kolkata in West Salem, Wisconsin, grew up on a farm, so he knows that farming requires faith.

“You till the soil, you put a seed in the ground, and after that, the only thing you can do is pray — pray for the rain, pray for the proper sunshine, pray that there’s no hail, pray that there’s no (damaging) wind,” he said. “All the things that can go wrong, it is mind-boggling.”

When things do go wrong, Deacon Zietlow is there to help farmers recover. He heads the CRL chapter in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and leads an initiative to distribute discounted seed to small farmers. For about 15 years, the La Crosse chapter has set up seed distribution days at rural Catholic parishes, which they advertise in parish bulletins. By cutting out the salesperson and distributing the seed directly to farmers, they can sell seed at lower than market price.

Jim Glisczinski looks over his new planter on his farm near Belle Plaine on April 15. Farmers like him can receive material and spiritual support from Catholic Rural Life, which celebrates 100 years in May.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

100 years at Catholic Rural Life

Farmers who cannot afford to purchase the discounted seed — often due to bad weather the previous year or a family tragedy, said Deacon Zietlow — can apply for a further discount, which CRL provides.

Deacon Zietlow said the program recently helped a farmer struggling with erosion on his land. He could not pay the full price for grass seed, so CRL supplemented the cost, and he was able to stop the erosion.

Although the chapter distributes the seed at Catholic parishes, it assists farmers of any religious affiliation.

“We just feel that this is an opportunity to really help the local farmer continue with his mission as well as our mission of sustaining the Earth,” he said.

This year, the pastor of each local parish will bless the seed before it is distributed. Deacon Zietlow blesses the land of any farmers who ask.

Last year, a man asked him to bless his land, which was affected by the drought.

“With the lack of rain we had, they were somewhat wary about the harvest. At the end of the season, he came back, and he said, ‘Your blessing did it,’” Deacon Zietlow said.

The farmer has already asked Deacon Zietlow to come back to bless his land this year.

COMMUNITY ON CAMPUSES

When Jenna Reinert, 21, arrived at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, in fall 2021, she felt overwhelmed. The campus was four times the size of her hometown of Colby, Kansas, where she grew up on farmland and attended school with the same cohort of peers from kindergarten through high school.

“I don’t feel like I belong,” she recounted thinking. “I just wanted to find my people.”

Throughout her first year of college, Reinert connected with other freshmen from rural settings who felt the same way. With the guidance of Father Gale Hammerschmidt, the pastor of St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center, Reinert decided to begin a CRL campus chapter.

Reinert, who serves as the chapter leader, hopes that the chapter will provide a faith-based community for students who come to the university from rural settings.

“One of our long-term goals is building the community and allowing these kids that are coming in as freshmen to feel seen and understood,” Reinert said. She hopes the Catholic center, where the CRL chapter meets, will be “a place where you can feel seen, known and loved” by others from a rural background.

The chapter recently hosted a “slab dance,” during which students gathered to dance on a slab of concrete. Chapter members hope to host similar social events in the

future, in addition to talks that speak to the confluence of faith and farming.

Reinert’s chapter is one of 31 chapters across the U.S. — a figure that Ennis hopes will double in the next five years.

Ennis hopes that these chapters will encompass the diversity of rural populations.

“There’s a real need to also understand the diversity in rural (life). We have Native American populations. We have Hispanic populations, we have all kinds of different ethnic groups ... and we need to reach out to (them),” Ennis said.

To assist Indigenous populations, CRL provides scholarships for students with a Native American background through White Earth Nation, an organization that uplifts Native Americans. CRL has awarded 166 scholarships through the organization over the last 11 years.

FORMING RURAL CATHOLICS

Tobina Norris and her husband, Chuck, manage a ranch in Kansas and serve on the CRL committee for the Diocese of Salina. Tobina said that their small community is marked by friendly relationships.

They were shocked, then, when three people in their community attempted or died by suicide within three months. Those events made Tobina realize that mental health “was a really big issue” in rural life.

In response, the Norrises and others in the CRL Salina chapter offered an event called “Rural Life: Tending the Land, Mind and Spirit.” Catherine DiNuzzo, founder of Kansas-based counseling service Sacred Heart Mental Wellness, spoke at the Feb. 29 event, where Bishop Gerald Vincke, of the Diocese of Salina, was a featured guest.

“(DiNuzzo) spoke about ways to handle anxiety and stress, but also how to identify with others,” said Tobina, who homeschools her three children and helps on the ranch. “Unlike many other mental health professionals, (DiNuzzo) not only knows how to relate and speak with farmers, but does it coming from a Catholic perspective. She ties in prayers, Mass and the sacraments as methods to approach anxiety. It helped me become more aware of what friends may be experiencing, as well as how to help them manage it.”

CRL diocesan chapters around the country have a variety of events and initiatives. The CRL chapter at St. Martin Deanery in Cincinnati recently held an event about African American farmers in Appalachia who settled there after the Civil War. The chapter in Lincoln, Nebraska, regularly organizes Mass at tractor shows, according to the CRL website.

REJOICING IN THE HARVEST

CRL will celebrate its centennial anniversary with a May 8 event titled “Rejoicing in the Harvest.” The event, which will be held at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, will feature keynote speaker Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, as well as Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Two afternoon sessions featuring James Nolan, the Washington Gladden 1859 Professor of Sociology at Williams College, and Christopher Thompson are free and open to the public, as is Mass with Cardinal Dolan at 3:30 p.m. at the St. Thomas chapel. Tickets for the evening program can be purchased at catholicrurallife org/ 100-years

Ennis said he hopes the anniversary event will highlight the work CRL has accomplished and identify the ongoing needs of rural ministry. The need to evangelize rural areas is “needed more now than it was 100 years ago,” Ennis said.

“Secularization has impacted rural (life) as much as it’s impacted urban areas, so there is a real challenge there; rural areas need to be re-evangelized,” Ennis said. “The need today could not be greater for ministry in rural America. On this hundredth-year anniversary, the emphasis is around celebrating the 100 years of ministry, but also sharing a vision for the next 100.”

Saints come to life through artificial intelligence

By Mark Johnson For The Catholic Spirit

Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises tremendous technological advances in many walks of life but also poses unprecedented challenges.

AI is likely to make entire career paths disappear. AI-fueled plagiarism is a growing problem, and the new technology has been used by some to subtly manipulate images of real people to embarrass and harass.

But what if, amid all of AI’s potential drawbacks, it could be harnessed for uplifting, artistic purposes, perhaps even religious goals?

expressed exactly what I wanted it to.”

Ahlquist put it straightforwardly: “My goal is to get more good religious art out on the internet, providing images in which eternity touches our present time a bit more.” Father Sandquist emphasized that “from a purely visual perspective, AI art is not less beautiful than most manmade art and is often much better.”

Ahlquist has been a digital artist for 20 years, and Father Sandquist has had an interest in digital photography since high school. Both were motivated to pursue their AI saints work because they believe art has a unique power to inspire religious life, but good, contemporary religious art is often hard to find.

“High-quality images of saints are often from the distant past,” remarked Ahlquist, adding that present-day efforts “often lack drama and popular appeal.”

Julian Ahlquist and Father Timothy Sandquist had such a vision, and it resulted in their collaborating to produce vivid images of Catholic saints using AI. Ahlquist, a philosophy and debate teacher at Chesterton Academy in Hopkins, and Father Sandquist, parochial vicar of Holy Family in St. Louis Park and chaplain at Chesterton Academy, have published thousands of AI images of over 300 saints since they commenced work on this project a year ago. Their images are freely available under the name “Generation of the saints” on Reddit and Instagram, and Ahlquist has also undertaken several commissions for such work. The two generally post images of saints on their liturgical feast days, Father Sandquist said.

They use a web platform called Midjourney to produce these images. Father Sandquist explained that the platform is primarily directed through text prompts, which can be as simple as typing in “a painting of St. Therese.” However, he and Ahlquist tend to use much more detailed prompts, which suggest an artistic genre, style, lighting and mood, along with instructions that steer and modify the results to reflect characteristics such as age, complexion and bearing. They also use image prompts — existing images of a saint attached to the text prompt — which the AI will reference for “inspiration” when generating the new image.

“The thing I love most about making this art is that it allows me to share with others more of what I find beautiful and inspiring about the saints,” noted Father Sandquist.

He gave an example that occurred on a school retreat he recently led.

“I wanted to help students understand that love is at the center of our faith by highlighting how Peter flings himself into the sea to swim to Jesus in John 21,” he said, adding, “I couldn’t find any high-quality paintings online that depicted the eager and childlike affection that led Peter to do such a thing, so I made one myself.” He created such an image using AI. “It wasn’t perfect,” he explained, “but it

“I always seem to see the same four or five paintings of St. Thomas Aquinas,” observed Father Sandquist, “presumably because there are few other good ones to choose from.”

“It is surprising how much saint art I still see nowadays that is a 1920s rosy cheek, ‘porcelain-doll style,’ which I don’t particularly find inspiring,” he added.

Ahlquist noted that the AI tool allows him to combine popular modern artistic styles with images of Catholic saints. “I find inspiration in many styles, including Art Nouveau, photorealism, various kinds of watercolor, and even fantasy video game art.”

While the response to these AI-generated saint images has been generally positive, Ahlquist notes that there are critics as well. While some concerns lack foundation — allegations that AI is intrinsically evil, or influenced by demons — others raise important questions, he believes.

One common criticism, he said, is that AI-generated images are not true art because they lack the essential element of human creativity, and because the pictures are not original — but consist instead of a compilation of existing web images.

Ahlquist disagrees that the human element is missing. He points out that human beings created AI and are constantly training it through trial and error.

“In order for me to come up with a high-quality image of a saint,” he remarked, “I must carefully choose the prompts, constantly refine my inputs through dozens of preliminary iterations of the image, correct and revise individual aspects of images, and use an artistic sense to select the final, best image out of dozens or hundreds produced.”

The two also disagree with the claim that the images are not sufficiently original to be labeled art, because they are derived from existing images.

Ahlquist emphasized that the final saint images he produces are dramatically different from any prior images in existence.

“Artists build on prior knowledge and prior works of art, and in an analogous way, AI art does the same,” pointed out Ahlquist.

“Often people think that AI is just cutting and pasting other pre-existing

images together,” added Father Sandquist, “but that is not how the technology works. The AI model was trained on millions of images with text descriptions in order to acquire the ‘rules’ that it uses to build entirely new images from the ground up.”

Another question is whether AI images of saints, though they depict a religious image, are intrinsically less sacred. Would it be appropriate, for example, to display an AI-produced saint image in a church? Father Sandquist does not believe so. He put the question in a larger context, saying he would hesitate to use any digitallyproduced art in church settings.

“There is something less sacred and

incarnational about art that is so many steps removed from its human author,” he observed, adding that “even genuine sacred art is experienced as less sacred when it is projected onto screens.”

Ahlquist agreed that art must have a sacred quality to be used in sacred spaces. But he believes this is largely a question of parishioner perception and suggested there may be varying, legitimate perspectives on this question. As a result, he said, it is an issue best resolved by the bishops on a prudential basis.

FATHER TIMOTHY SANDQUIST

JULIAN AHLQUIST

COURTESY FATHER TIMOTHY SANDQUIST

A depiction of St. Teresa of Avila in mystical prayer. Father Timothy Sandquist made this image in May 2023, using Midjourney with several other images that formed a series depicting the life of St. Theresa of Avila. “She is one of my favorite saints,” he said.

COURTESY FATHER TIMOTHY SANDQUIST

This image made by Father Timothy Sandquist using Midjourney shows St. Peter flinging himself into the sea, per John 21.

COURTESY JULIAN AHLQUIST

“Crucifixion of Christ,” Julian Ahlquist using Midjourney, April 7, 2023.

THE CHURCH AND SACRED ART

The Catholic Spirit put the question of whether AI-generated images may be used in the Church’s liturgy and buildings to Father Tom Margevicius, director of the Office of Worship in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

He responded that the question is “frustratingly slippery to answer.” Father Margevicius noted that, largely because the technology is so new, the topic is not dealt with in the Code of Canon Law, liturgical norms, or any other ecclesially binding documents of which he is aware. “I haven’t even heard of any individual bishops issuing norms for their own dioceses in this regard,” he said in an email.

Until greater legislative clarification is promulgated, Father Margevicius said it is best to rely upon the pastoral judgments of those individuals responsible for their situations.

“If a pastor or school chaplain charged with responsibility for the decorations within the church or chapel determines a piece of AI-generated religious art is suitable in that setting,” he noted, “he may cautiously do so, granted, of course, that any lasting change to the appearance of a public worship space, including the erection of new statues, paintings, furniture, or pieces of art, must be approved by our archbishop according to Archdiocesan Policy 216.III.A.4” at tinyurl com/3fjk6y27

For a deep dive into the theology of sacred art itself, Father Margevicius recommended the Vatican II document on the liturgy, “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” at tinyurl com/5ckjurrp, especially numbers 122-130, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 250-2503 at tinyurl com/ddt2upfa

Father Margevicius also noted Pope Francis’ timely reflections on the ambiguous employment of AI in his Message for World Communications Day at tinyurl com/yc5ah4sy

SAINTS AND AI ART

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Ahlquist observed that he and Father Sandquist still have a long way to go before they are finished with their AI saints project.

“It’s estimated that there are over 10,000 saints, so at our current rate we might finish them all in roughly 25 years,” he said with a wry grin.

Ultimately, these two believe that, like the internet and many other inventions,

AI is a powerful tool that can be used for good or ill but is itself neutral. Father Sandquist quoted G.K. Chesterton in this respect: “There are no bad things, only bad uses of things.”

Ahlquist agreed. Noting the proliferation of pornographic images on the web, he concluded emphatically: “Catholics need to jump on this imagecreating technology and do it right. If good people don’t use it wisely, it may be left to less morally-guided people who may turn AI to bad, even wicked ends. Let’s claim this technology now.”

“Our Lady of Sorrows” April 3, 2023. Among some other prompts that Julian Ahlquist said he experimented with for generating images for Our Lady of Sorrows, the prompt he typed in for this image was “photorealistic our lady of sorrows impressionism.” Among the set of four images that Midjourney produced, he found this one to be by far the best, and it is still one of his favorites.

COURTESY JULIAN AHLQUIST

Providing a much-needed Catholic response to mental illness

By Christina Capecchi

For The Catholic Spirit

Kenna Millea and her husband, Pat, felt called to offer their gifts to the Church in an “intentional” way — she as a licensed marriage and family therapist, he as a speaker and parish minister. In 2022, after much discernment, they founded The Martin Center for Integration (MCI) — which offers faith-based mental health services for individuals, couples and organizations — and they host a podcast called “This Whole Life.” As parents of seven, ages 4 to 13, and members of both St. Agnes in St. Paul, where their kids attend school, and St. Joseph in West St. Paul, the couple was already busy. But helping Catholics cope with mental illness, they say, feels more needed than ever. “The harvest is many and the laborers are few,” Kenna, 41, said in an interview.

Q Last year you moved from West St. Paul to Cottage Grove, leaving the house where your family had lived nearly a decade. Did you do a massive purge?

A It helped me grapple with this theme of poverty of spirit. Throughout my life, for a lot of reasons, there’s been this urge in me that if I have the material needs that could be necessary at any given moment, I’ll be OK. We didn’t bring 30 percent of our stuff with us — whether we were sharing it with friends or the people who bought the house, who have younger kids. If I can have this spirit of generosity in letting go, I can trust that others would do that for us if we needed a coat at a moment’s notice. It was a way of surrendering to God’s providence and realizing that what we need in this moment isn’t much.

Q Do you feel lighter?

A Absolutely! I joke that I’m going to have more Scandinavian minimalist vibes and let the walls be bare for a bit. The family and the community that we draw together — that’s what makes this a home. The artwork or so-called perfect furniture is just a bonus.

Q Is there more mental illness now or are we simply more aware of it?

A People are more willing to speak up about their experiences. A lot of it was closeted for so long. But I also think there is more mental illness. When the culture around us creates a dissonance from our own values, that can draw out anxiety and depression.

Q Can the case be made that what is sorely lacking today, a sense of integration, is a distinctly Catholic concept? That the Church has been upholding the connection of body, mind and soul for centuries?

A Absolutely! It has been present. It is the incarnation: God becoming man. Is there a more integrated event than that, to wed heaven and earth in the liturgy? We as a Church embody the life of Incarnation on our best days. What forces chip away at that integration? It’s when the internal voice isn’t strong enough and then it encounters those opposing external voices that there’s confusion. The visual I have is a leaf in the wind, being blown whichever way versus having this strength that comes from being grounded in the reality of who God is and who he has made us to be.

Q And that informs everything.

A Yes. I was just talking to someone about reclaiming Sundays and why the Lord commanded us to keep the Sabbath holy. Monday through Saturday, we go out into the world and get bumped and bruised and banged up — because that’s our mission, to be there for others — and we come back on Sundays to reorient. I love that word. On the podcast, we talk about what practices can help reorient ourselves to these truths: who we are, who God is, what we’ve been made for. Without that, we experience despair

got to be doing our own studies and analyzing the data ourselves and put a dog in the fight. I want to believe it could actually be a conduit of evangelization.

Q You’ve (MCI) grown quickly. You have 10 clinicians on staff now, and your offices are at St. Helena in south Minneapolis in the old convent.

A If these walls could talk! Our big room was the sisters’ rec room. I would like to think they would say to us, “I am so glad you have heard God’s call and that you’re using your gifts for his glory.”

and anxiety and confusion. It’s so easy! I experience it if I’m on social media for too long without some intent and purpose.

Q What’s the response to the Martin Center for Integration been so far?

A The response has been not only positive but honestly a bit overwhelming to hear how many organizations have been struggling and didn’t have a place to go. There’s this relief among so many, particularly leaders from organizations, who are like: “Yes! Thank you! We’ve been waiting for you.”

Q You must’ve been heartened last year when Bishop Robert Barron helped launch the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

A The backstory is they were in one of their meetings and he had put it on their agenda to discuss, and by the end of the meeting, there was a campaign. There was a storm of agreement: “Yup, we’ve got to get in there!”

It’s exciting to be a Catholic therapist right now and to have the bishops backing us up. The secular culture is way ahead of us in terms of research. We didn’t have the resources before, and it’s a great hope that in the decades (ahead), we’ll be able to do the research and link the social science with the theology to really give us a better picture of the totality of the human person. We’ve

It’s a privileged place to be. Father Marcus (Milless) is very generous; they have daily Mass and daily confession every morning for the parish community. Most days, there are members of the MCI team over there. And we have clients who benefit from being there, who have a storied history with the Church, a mixed bag. To be able to walk around a church at 2 o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon when no one is around — there’s no priest, there’s no pressure to feel a certain way or participate, but just to let the body be in that physical place — there is some processing going on there and, God willing, it’s part of the healing process. That is a gift that I never imagined would be so good.

Q How do you add beauty to daily life?

A Engaging the five senses is huge for me. My favorite tea is a knock-off of the Aveda tea. It’s called Egyptian Licorice, and it’s so good. That’s a morning ritual I really look forward to. I’m on an indoorplant kick. I listen to classical music at night when I’m winding down, and I turn off all the overhead lights once the little kids have gone to bed and just have lamps on until we go to sleep. There are little ways to use the body to signal to my heart, my soul, my mind: There is peace, there is goodness, there is beauty. Ahhh! The Lord has me.

Q What do you know for sure?

A God is victorious. I think about the emails I get from clients who I walked with for a season, and I didn’t really know what was going to happen with their marriage or their relationship with their child or their business — whatever was stressing them. The light comes through in some of the darkest places. I can only attribute that to trusting that the victory has been won. It’s Easter season! He’s got this! We have great reason to hope.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

FOCUSONFAITH

Openness to the conversion of others

On March 23, 1999, Chris Chelios — a Chicago native and star defenseman of the Chicago Blackhawks — was traded to the Detroit Red Wings at the age of 37.

As an avid Detroit Red Wings fan who had been conditioned to distrust and despise the team’s rival from the Windy City, I was genuinely angry about this trade. While Chelios was undoubtedly a strong hockey player who had proven his skills on the ice, I was convinced he was something of a Trojan horse for my beloved Hockeytown team. I kept thinking, “He’s too old” and “This must be a trap.”

All of this changed, though, once I saw how well Chelios fit into Detroit’s system. By the time he retired from the Red Wings in 2009, I had moved from seeing him as an enemy to being an outright fan of Chris “Honey Nut” Chelios.

The dynamic described above is something a great many people have experienced in life. The stakes of Chelios’ trade to Detroit are fairly low, of course, but there are plenty of instances where we find ourselves skeptical or resistant to someone who claims to be on our side after previous bad experiences with that person. There is a tendency to be skeptical of people’s claims of conversion, which is precisely what the early disciples thought

ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ

Guilt and shame can lead to change

Q I struggle a lot with guilt and shame, and I don’t know what to do about it.

A I must immediately praise you for identifying how you have been feeling and for wanting to find peace. While there are times when the experience of shame can be absolutely debilitating, guilt and shame can also be good things.

Recently, Pope Francis pointed out how our experience of shame can reveal a profound truth about our humanity. He even called it “the virtue of shame.” He said, “shame is a true Christian virtue, and even human ... the ability to be ashamed ... In our country those who are never ashamed are called ‘sin vergüenza’: this means ‘the unashamed,’ because they are people who do not have the ability to be ashamed and to be ashamed is a virtue of the humble.”

At this point, I can already hear the jokes about Catholics and guilt. I don’t know if I can name one movie or TV show that portrays Catholics in which the concept of “Catholic guilt” isn’t somehow woven into the story. My mom always says, “What is there that is ‘Catholic’ about guilt? It’s just guilt!” If I’ve done something wrong, I should feel guilty, shouldn’t I?

I mean, what would you call it if someone could do something wrong and not feel guilt or shame? We call that a behavioral disorder. We call it “being a sociopath.”

Experiencing guilt when we have done something wrong is a sign that something is going right, not that something has gone wrong. In this sense, guilt is like feeling pain when you touch something hot; it is an indication that I should change what I am doing. But — and this is important — it is not the pain that is burning me, it is the

when they heard Saul wanted to join them. Reading the Acts of the Apostles and its account of how the disciples “were afraid of (Saul)” may strike us as unreasonable, but they obviously didn’t have the advantage we do of knowing this man to be St. Paul. Instead, to those early believers, Saul was the man who had trekked across the land to arrest and imprison their loved ones in order to stomp out this new faith in Jesus of Nazareth. Now claiming he wanted to join them, the hesitancy and fear felt by the early disciples is perfectly rational in that critical moment. And yet, what would have happened if Barnabas hadn’t taken charge of the group and brought Saul to the Apostles?

The choice by Barnabas to lead Saul in the ways of the Lord was an obvious act of faith, but one that was richly rewarded by God. As St. John says in his First Letter, “we should believe in the name of (God’s) Son, Jesus Christ.” Barnabas believed that Christ was working in Saul and, as the true vine with many branches, Christ would graft Saul onto himself and produce great fruit. The willingness by Barnabas to trust in Saul’s conversion and take a risk not only helped Saul become St. Paul, but indeed has blessed the whole world as we now have the Pauline letters in the New Testament that are so pivotal to revealing the truths of God.

As Catholics living in the 21st century, where we find so many individuals and even institutions that seem intent on destroying the faith, it is quite likely we are going to have the same moment present itself to us as it did to those early disciples. When that person whom we have seen on social media bashing Catholicism, for example, starts inquiring about the faith, we must avoid the tendency to be skeptical and distant. Instead, we ought to aspire to be like Barnabas and help draw people to the treasures of the faith so God can use them to do great things like he did in St. Paul.

Father Meyers is pastor of St. Francis Xavier in Buffalo.

heat. And it is not the guilt that is hurting me, it is the sin.

So, what do we do with feelings of guilt and shame? How do we move toward joy? First, I think it might be useful to point out the distinction between “guilt” and “shame.” They are similar, but they are not the same. Therefore, how we confront them is not going to be the same either. I was listening to an interview with two counselors, and they offered the following definitions for more accurately understanding the differences between guilt and shame.

They said that guilt is the awareness of having violated some objective standard. For example, I know that it is wrong to lie, but then I go ahead and lie anyway. I feel guilty about this, because I am aware that I have violated the standard of honesty.

Now, there is such a thing as true guilt and false guilt. False guilt is when I hold myself to a false standard. Therefore, while an accurate standard is that we ought to be people of prayer, there are people who feel guilty if they don’t “enjoy” prayer. But that is not a true standard. There are a couple of ways that we normally respond to guilt. We might argue with the standard and deny that a thing is bad. We can distract ourselves from having to face our sin. Or we can admit our failure and confess our sin. We can repent.

Shame, on the other hand, is more relational. Shame is the awareness of having failed in the eyes of another. That “other” could be another human being, God, or even ourselves. For this reason, the primary responses to the experience of shame are either to justify ourselves or to hide ourselves. We will either demand that the other condone our actions or that they don’t look at us; we don’t want to truly be seen by the one who knows our failure.

With shame, as with guilt, there is true shame and toxic shame. Shame is toxic when it does not accurately reflect reality. For example, shame is toxic if I imagine that God’s vision of me is that I am simply an annoyance (or worse).

I was recently speaking to someone who kept calling herself a “freak” because of a particular wound that she struggles with. This woman certainly finds it difficult to approach the God who loves her with real joy. But her shame is not based in reality. A real sin clouded her vision of herself to the point where she believes that she is her sin. What is the best response to shame? Well, if shame moves me to justify or hide myself, then the best response is to choose humility PLEASE

DAILY Scriptures

Sunday, April 28

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:26-31

1 Jn 3:18-24 Jn 15:1-8

Monday, April 29

St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church

Acts 14:5-18 Jn 14:21-26

Tuesday, April 30

Acts 14:19-28 Jn 14:27-31a

Wednesday, May 1

Acts 15:1-6 Jn 15:1-8

Thursday, May 2

St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the Church

Acts 15:7-21 Jn 15:9-11

Friday, May 3

Sts. Philip and James, Apostles 1 Cor 15:1-8 Jn 14:6-14

Saturday, May 4

Acts 16:1-10 Jn 15:18-21

Sunday, May 5

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 1 Jn 4:7-10 Jn 15:9-17

Monday, May 6

Acts 16:11-15 Jn 15:26–16:4a

Tuesday, May 7

Acts 16:22-34 Jn 16:5-11

Wednesday, May 8

Acts 17:15, 22–18:1 Jn 16:12-15

Thursday, May 9

Acts 18:1-8 Jn 16:16-20

Friday, May 10

Acts 18:9-18 Jn 16:20-23

Saturday, May 11

Acts 18:23-28 Jn 16:23b-28

Sunday, May 12

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1:1-11

Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 Mk 16:15-20

KNOW the SAINTS

ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT (1673-1716) This Breton was educated by Jesuits at Rennes and attended seminary in Paris. Two years after ordination, while chaplain at a Poitiers hospital, he organized a women’s group that became the Daughters of Wisdom. He began giving missions to educate the Catholic faithful and later founded the Company of Mary, known as the Montfort Missionaries. He spent his final years preaching, mainly in rural areas, and writing; his best-known work is “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.” His feast day is April 28. — OSV News

COMMENTARY

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD

Whose back do you have?

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

6:11). Subsequent verses speak to “your back” as being unprotected. Calling to mind the physical dress and equipment of Roman soldiers, St. Paul spiritualizes this armor and armament as “loins girded in truth,” “righteousness as a breastplate,” “feet shod in readiness,” “faith as a shield,” “the helmet of salvation,” and finally, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (see Eph 6:14-17).

LETTER

Pharmacies and abortion

Our state faces real challenges. Catholics are called to respond.

“Strong men, strong families. Strong families, strong Church. Strong Church, we take back this culture — but it has to start with us.”

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers — known in Catholic multimedia as the “dynamic deacon” — said this during his keynote talk after the opening Mass for the 2024 annual Archdiocesan Men’s Conference held in March at St. Joseph in Rosemount.

Deacon Burke-Sivers encouraged the 500-plus attendees to embrace accountability and responsibility — starting with taking a bold and honest look at how well, we, as men, lead by example in living our Catholic faith and how that resonates with those we provide for, protect and lead at home.

Tracing back to the era of sword fighting, warriors would cover each other’s backs by fighting back-to-back. Deacon Burke-Sivers’ point was that spiritual warfare in the Christian life is no different.

PROTECT LIFE & HUMAN DIGNITY

Join Minnesota ’s bishops, dynamic Church leaders, and 1,000+ Catholics from across the state for a day of inspiration and advocacy at our State Capitol.

As attention-getting as those opening comments were, what struck with me most deeply were his parting comments. Deacon Burke-Sivers asked: “Who’s going to have your back?”

Having served four years in the armed forces a few decades ago, I still appreciate titles, themes and taglines derived from military expressions and experiences such as: “Band of brothers,” “No man left behind” or “I’ve got your back.” The latter was our keynote speaker’s reference in his closing comments and prayer.

He alluded to St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, to “put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil” (Eph

Beyond this annual conference, we need to look to each other and gather regularly in Catholic men’s groups. Fellowship activities designed for spiritual strength and support can occur during parish evangelization small group sessions, prayer vigils, quarterly rallies, barbecues, guys nights out, service activities and numerous other ways for men to engage. Brothers in Christ that “have your back” is why Catholic Watchmen stress the proverbial Scripture “as iron sharpens iron” (Prv 27:17).

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The conference was grace-filled not only with two highly acclaimed Catholic speakers and authors — Deacon Burke-Sivers and Jeff Cavins — but the attendees also had a chance to meet and listen to Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Bishop Joseph Williams, Bishop Michael Izen and Deacon Joe Michalak. The day was enveloped with the presence of Jesus from beginning to end — his real presence in the Mass that kicked off the day, and Eucharistic adoration, procession, and Benediction, sending us out on mission with God’s blessing. Our shepherds, our priests, our deacons, our lay apostolates and vendors, all participants and volunteers, made the presence of Jesus that much more realized. And an assurance that there is an army of true believers — men of Christ — who can look to each other and confidently say, “I’ve got your back.”

 Learn the issues, hear dynamic speakers, and meet your legislators.

Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy Inc. recently announced their desire to expand sales of the chemical prescription abortion pill mifepristone in certain states where abortion is legal. Research by the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion access, indicates the abortion pill represented a staggering 63% of all abortions in 2023. The latest moves follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — which in 2000 approved mifepristone to terminate pregnancies of up to 10 weeks when used with a second drug, misoprostol — finalizing a rule change that broadened availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies. The idea of our neighborhood Walgreens and CVS becoming active partners in the abortion industry is not only alarming, but truly devastating. Let’s support and encourage all pharmacies in saying “no” to this reproductive recklessness by respecting the well-being of both mother and child.

Joseph Engesser

 See the newly renovated State Capitol!

St. Joseph, Red Wing

Share your views by emailing thecatholicSpirit@ archSpm org Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.

Deacon Bird ministers to St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville and assists with the archdiocesan Catholic Watchmen movement. Contact him at gordonbird@rocketmail com

CATHOLIC OR NOTHING COLIN MILLER INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC

What are people for?

The aim of humans is to worship God and to enjoy him forever, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. But practically, what are we meant to do with our time?

To spend as much of it as possible being entertained? To consume whatever we like at the push of a button? To do whatever we want just that quick? To be completely selfdetermined? To reduce or eliminate manual labor, so that we can spend hours a day staring at a screen? To spend the better part of our lives earning money at a job that otherwise has little to do with our interests?

Or perhaps we should aim at experiences? To travel the world in comfort, trying to take in all that we can? Is that the good life? Or maybe it’s to contribute to the progress of the world, in science, economics, or social justice, so that as many people as possible can — what? Live longer, and so be able to earn more money, have experiences, free up as much time as possible to be entertained, consume and stare at a screen?

This is roughly the range of answers we have on offer in our society. It’s

worth noting that, at this practical level, these are roughly the answers we find when we go to church as well. For when we move out of the realm of abstractions, however theologically correct, we are taught most by what people do. On this front, Catholics are no different. We unreflexively go through our days — because it’s what everybody else does — trying to maximize leisure, comfort, convenience, screen time and entertainment. It’s what most of our jobs aim at, and what we aim at personally.

estimated 6% of residents now suffer from gambling disorder.

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But there’s an alternative set of answers. What if people are primarily for our local, flesh-andblood communities? For using our bodies directly to sustain our bodies, local land, and neighborhoods, as an essential part of what makes us happy? What if we are meant not to minimize but to find our identity in work? What if our greatest pleasure comes not by comfort, but by toil? What if we were made to be planted in a garden? To find our “fit” in nature, rather than escape it? What if we are meant not for mobility but for stability? Not to move but to stay? What if what we spend most of our lives doing makes a big difference in our lives? And what if religion was not an hour on Sunday morning, but the cumulation of a whole life?

This second set of answers is what animated the life and work of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, and it takes us into the heart of the Catholic Worker vision, which we will have to spend several columns elaborating upon.

The debate over the legalization of sports gambling has intensified at the Legislature, raising concerns about the potential negative impact on individuals and communities. The Minnesota Catholic Conference stands firm (mncatholic org/testimony sports betting_030524) in our opposition to the expansion of gambling, advocating instead for strict limitations and expansive safeguards against addiction.

The proliferation of online sports betting, easily accessible via smartphones, poses significant risks to society. It exploits vulnerabilities, particularly among young men, by capitalizing on addictive tendencies and exacerbating gamblingrelated harms. According to a 2023 Newsweek report found at tinyurl com/mm97dwhb, alarming statistics speak volumes: in Virginia, calls to gambling helplines surged by 387% after legalization, while nationally, the incidence of gambling addiction has risen by 30% since 2018. Shockingly, in New Jersey, an

Contrary to the belief that gambling is harmless entertainment, it often leads to devastating consequences for individuals and families, especially those already struggling financially. While some may argue for personal choice, the reality is that most gamblers lack the necessary self-control and financial stability to withstand potential losses.

The detrimental effects of legalized sports gambling extend beyond personal hardship, infiltrating the very fabric of sportsmanship and integrity. Reports abound of athletes and coaches experiencing threats and coercion from gambling interests, tarnishing the purity of sports competition. Just recently, the NBA handed down a lifetime ban on a basketball player who placed bets on his own games.

If policymakers decide to move forward with online sports betting, stringent safeguards must be in place to mitigate these harms.

We commend Sen. John Marty, of Roseville, for his proposed bill, SF5330, which outlines essential measures to protect Minnesotans.

Key provisions of Marty’s bill that we support include bans on betting on college sports and in-game actions, known as prop bets. Additionally, the bill prohibits gambling platforms from sending push notifications to users when their phones are idle, reducing the constant temptation to place bets.

BISHOP JAMES CONLEY Diocese of Lincoln, Neb.

GLORIA PURIVS Black Catholics United for Life

ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

BISHOP ANDREW COZZENS Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis

Becoming beggars before the Lord

When I was living in Rome, I got to know the Little Sisters of the Lamb. They are a mendicant order, literally begging for their bread, for their means of life. These were spectacularly beautiful women with deep spirits, and so free. In their presence, I often thought, “If you want to know true freedom, become a beggar, own nothing, have nothing, need everything — food, water, shelter. That kind of complete dependence is truly freeing.” I could see it in them, a detachment and fearless vulnerability that I came to admire.

But I’ll be honest, their lifestyle made me uncomfortable. They slept on the floor; they didn’t use deodorant or lip balm or daily niceties like that. They truly lived in communion with the poor, right down to how often they bathed and the way they fed themselves. They would approach strangers on the street and say, “We’re hungry, would you feed us?”

FAITH

See you in the story

My son stands in the center of his bedroom, wailing to the heavens while his sleepy brothers tuck into bunk beds. Tonight, there has been no time for stories, since the family party ran late. But I hadn’t expected bedtime tears, so I scramble for a consolation prize.

A quick idea explodes like a starburst.

“What if we did morning stories instead?” I suggest. “You pick one out and set it by the door. As soon as you wake up, bring it to me and we’ll snuggle and read.”

Slowly he comes around, setting a slim paperback by the bedroom door. But when I kiss my teary son’s forehead, the real magic happens.

“See you in the story,” he whispers.

Delighted, he explains with a sparkle. “Usually, we say ‘see you in the morning.’ But this time the morning means stories.”

“So tonight we say, ‘see you in the story!’” He smiles in the dark, burrowing under blankets, his salty tears now nothing but a memory.

CATHOLIC OR NOTHING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Why? What’s the point of a mendicant order? An order that literally begs for their bread? Aren’t there enough impoverished people in the world as it is? Why would they deliberately choose a mendicant life?

The sisters relayed a story of how, one day, they approached a woman who was clearly a prostitute, barely making a living herself, and asked if she could give them something to eat. The woman was at first taken aback by their request, but on realizing they were serious, she quickly took them to a local shop for sandwiches and coffee. The dignity they extended to her was not lost on the woman. This opened up conversation and connection on such a human and honest level, that she was deeply moved. Mendicants present an opportunity and challenge the world clearly needs — they present us with the opportunity to give. By living in the position of the beggar, they humble themselves before the whole world. They live out that part of Christ’s life that was a needy life, first as a vulnerable child completely dependent on his parents, and later, in his public ministry as an itinerant preacher fed in the homes of Zacchaeus and others. St. John Paul the Great says that suffering unleashes love. You could argue that poverty serves us similarly; it unleashes generosity. Choosing poverty, the mendicant orders present opportunities for others who might not ordinarily be generous, or who might not ordinarily be confronted

I close the door quietly as his joy echoes, but I carry his refrain with me as I go.

“See you in the story.” This is the promise of literature and liturgy. The familiar tales we tell to children over generations and generations. The living Word we proclaim as a Church, pulsing and breathing whenever we speak it aloud and share it together.

Every time we hear the ancient words, in the quiet of the nursery or the hush of the sanctuary, the soul shivers with recognition. We see and we are seen. We listen with the ear of our heart, again and anew.

Story time is sacred space: the eternal always. Tales we heard as children spark to life inside us once more. Truths that carried our ancestors through centuries of struggle stir within us again.

This is why theologians speak of the Eucharist with words like “anamnesis,” a Greek term that describes how we enter into the paschal mystery of Jesus’ dying and rising when we call to mind God’s works of salvation within the liturgy. More than a memory of the past, the Mass is our present participation in the living gift Christ gives us of himself.

Every time we return to the promise of a beautiful story, opening a book we have read a thousand times before, but especially each time we gather in worship, feasting on Christ’s full presence in the liturgy of words, we are reminded that stories are food and drink, bread and wine, spirit and life, filling us always.

They found this “what for?” deep in the heart of the Catholic tradition, and it is this communal but also agrarian vision whose strangeness to us is a measure of our distance from our own history. It’s the “what for?” that generated their heroic hospitality but also their penetrating critiques of modern forms of life.

But already we’ve run into a serious question. For if we in the Church today do not have an actual, practical, lived “what for?” different than the world’s, what good news do we have to offer? If, practically speaking, we have only the first set of answers, to what are we calling people?

We are great in the Church at focusing on the basics — get to Mass, avoid serious sins, say some prayers. All this is necessary. But I suspect we too infrequently realize that if we do not plant the basics in a more substantial Catholic life — that alternative “what for?” — even they will wither away. We’ve had to aim so low because we’ve had a hard time imagining anything higher.

This is the great gift of the Catholic Worker. Not that it gives us an alternative to the Church, but that it reminds the Church of essentials that we have lost. It reminds us that being Church has always involved — and today especially involves — nothing short of a revolutionary way of being human.

Miller is the director of the Center for Catholic Social Thought at Assumption in St. Paul.

with poverty.

The Little Sisters of the Lamb’s rule reads, in part: “Following Jesus poor and crucified ... incessantly praying the Name of Jesus, and seeking out after the lost sheep who have wandered furthest away, they go from door to door begging their daily bread. Witnesses of God’s mendicant love ... The Little Sisters announce the Gospel to the poor, so that all, the rich and the poor alike, may be evangelized.”

The world doesn’t like beggars. The world judges the beggar harshly. So not only do mendicants take on poverty, like Christ, they take on the world’s harsh and constant judgment.

But I find the mendicants present another challenge: to ask, when I come to the Eucharist, am I in need? Am I willing to be needy? Am I willing to be a beggar before Jesus? To acknowledge my utter dependence upon his grace and mercy?

Lord, I fight my dependence at times, ashamed or embarrassed by my constant need for your grace. Today, I beg you for the grace to be a beggar before you, so that as I approach you in the Blessed Sacrament, I remember you are the answer to every need and the source of all generosity. Amen.

Stanchina is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books. She travels to speak and lead retreats throughout the US. Find her schedule at LizK.org. Follow her on Instagram at LizKToday

We see God in our sacred stories. We see each other, too, learning and relearning what it means to be human, the perennial problems of our sinfulness and the promise of our salvation. This is why it matters that we read to children, introducing them to the wonder and diversity of stories that make us human. But this is also why it matters that we bring children to church, inviting them into a world of truth far deeper than even the best stories written by human hands.

In his book “Spirit of the Liturgy,” Pope Benedict XVI wrote that liturgy should be “the rediscovering within us of true childhood, of openness to a greatness still to come, which is still unfulfilled in adult life.”

Whenever we hear Scripture, and whenever we gather in worship, we remember together that God’s promise to us is even more powerful than our promises to each other. The liturgy welcomes us into our holy home.

My son’s whispered words that night echoed God’s call and our response.

See you in the story. Find you in the story. Know you in the story.

Fanucci is an author, speaker and founder of Mothering Spirit, an online gathering place on parenting and spirituality at moTheringspiriT com

INSIDE THE CAPITOL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

In addition to what Marty calls for in SF5330, we are advocating for comprehensive studies to assess the prevalence and impact of sports gambling, particularly its correlation with problem gambling, gambling disorders, youth gambling, and even suicide. These studies are crucial for informing evidence-based policies and interventions to safeguard public health and well-being.

We also support restrictions on advertising, including no advertising to audiences where more than 20% of individuals are under 21 and mandatory warnings about the addictive nature of gambling.

We urge legislators in Minnesota to exercise caution and prioritize the welfare of their constituents by pressing the pause button on sports gambling proposals. While we oppose its legalization, implementing robust safeguards is imperative if such measures are to be considered. Let us work together to protect our communities from the perils of gambling addiction and uphold the values of justice and compassion for all. Send a message to your legislators today asking them to oppose online sports gambling by visiting mncatholic org/action_22489

“Inside the Capitol” is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.

ake courage.”

God planted this gentle command within my soul while I was attending a silent retreat with the same name in 2018 led by Jesuit Father James Kubicki. At the retreat, I learned that the root of the word courage is “cor,” meaning heart. To truly take courage, one must take heart, and, as Father Kubicki said, “(What) better heart to take than the heart of Jesus?”

Last summer, I experienced this truth in a profound way that also illustrates my answer to the question of why I’m Catholic.

My husband and I have been dealing with infertility for almost two years. One particular cycle, our hopes had been higher than usual, and the solid single line on the pregnancy test strip was completely devastating. Another big, fat negative.

“Take courage,” God whispered.

My face wet with tears, I sought encouragement by going to daily Mass and was promptly stabbed in the heart by the entrance antiphon:

“‘Let the children come to me,’ says the Lord.”

Infertility is a heavy and sometimes isolating cross. It can be especially painful in Catholic circles, where this cross is rarely acknowledged, and where we so highly value and celebrate family life. Well-meaning friends can be quick to suggest adoption or encourage us to trust God and not stress. (Hint: There may be legitimate reasons why a couple is not in a place to discern adoption, and infertility is stressful and painful, even when trusting God.)

Outside of the Catholic community, well-meaning friends tell “stories of hope” about people they know who finally welcomed their miracle baby through artificial reproductive technologies such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), which the Church teaches is gravely immoral. If God loves life, they say, why can’t we “get with the times” and do everything possible to make it happen?

So why be Catholic when you believe that God has the power to give you children, but won’t? Why be Catholic when the young

adult groups start to look a little too young, and the moms groups and family faith formation nights inadvertently contribute to a growing sense of isolation? Why be Catholic when the Church won’t let us use artificial reproductive technology?

Why be Catholic when God let his own son be tortured and crucified?

Obviously, the Mass that morning didn’t end with the entrance antiphon. During the homily, the priest talked about suffering. Reflecting on his first, very serious bout with COVID-19, he declared, “COVID is not God’s (perfect) will, but God is bigger than COVID!”

Infertility is not God’s perfect will, but God is bigger than infertility.

Your suffering, dear reader, is not God’s perfect will, but it is not bigger than God.

Suffering with the heart of Jesus has purpose. Suffering can be redemptive. Without Jesus’ suffering, we wouldn’t be redeemed. His pain had a purpose, and he gives purpose to our pain as well, if we let him. Draw close to him. Let him encourage you through the word and the Eucharist. Take heart!

Johnston, 34, and her husband, Evan, are parishioners at St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake. By day, she teaches English to multilingual elementary school students. Her personal experiences ignited her passion for women’s health care, and she is now also a certified hormone coach through the Fiat Institute. She is honored to serve other women by listening to and empowering her clients with knowledge about the beauty and dignity of the female body, as well as providing natural tools to help support their hormone health journeys. To find out more about hormone coaching with Christa, email her at info@dignityempowered com

“Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic? Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholiCSpirit@arChSpm org with subject line “Why I am Catholic.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

PARISH EVENTS

St. Alphonsus Annual Garage Sale — April 26-28: 5-9 p.m. presale April 26; 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 27; 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 28 at St. Alphonsus, 7025 Halifax Ave. N., Brooklyn Center. Used furniture, clothing, dishes, household decorations, among other items at affordable prices. StalSmn org

SJV Springfest — April 28: 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at St. John Vianney lot, 840 19th Ave. N., South St. Paul. Craft boutique, bake sale, food truck, beer garden, cash and carry baskets, flowers, kid's games, face painting, bingo, meat raffles and more SjvSSp org

Rummage Sale — May 2-3: Church of the Holy Childhood, 1435 Midway Parkway, St. Paul. Household goods, clothing and small furniture. May 3 is bag day. holyChildhoodpariSh org

Holy Name Spring Rummage Sale — May 2-4: at Holy Name, 3637 11th Ave. S., Minneapolis. 4-7:30 p.m. May 2 preview admission, $1 per person; 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. May 3 and 9 a.m.-noon May 4, $2 bag day. Books, clothing, furniture, household items, jewelry, shoes, toys and more. ChurChoftheholyname org

Venite! A Spring Concert — May 4: 7:30 p.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis. Hear the magnificent choirs of Holy Cross in a spring concert. A $20 donation is encouraged. In addition to choral works, there will be music for brass, organ and timpani. ourholyCroSS org/SaCred-muSiC

CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS

Prison Ministry Workshop — May 4: 8:30-11:30 a.m. at St. Thomas More, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. St. Thomas More and Twin Cities Prison Ministry will host a workshop on the many ways to get involved in prison ministry. Learn how to live out this work of mercy. moreCommunity org/priSon-miniStry

Radical Discipleship and Catholic Community: Mondays, March 18-May 27, 10:15-11:45 a.m.; or Thursdays, March 21-May 30, 5:30-7 p.m. at Assumption, 51 Seventh St. W., St. Paul. This free, 10-week course envisions a Church deeply engaged with the liturgy, each other, our communities and the poor. Register online:

CatholiCSoCialthought org/radiCal-diSCipleShip-Community

SPEAKERS+SEMINARS

Clocking in with Christ — May 2: 7 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas' Iversen Center for Faith, Cleveland Ave. N., St. Paul. Learn from a diverse panel of working Catholics who will share their journeys of faith at work and learn how to be more intentional on the journey with the Lord. roCCaSeCCaprojeCt org

SCHOOLS

BSM Spring Musical: The Addams Family — May 2-5: Benilde-St. Margaret's, 2501 Highway 100, St. Louis Park. The drama department presents the senior high spring musical, "The Addams Family" on May 2, 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. with a matinee at 2 p.m. on May 5. bSmSChool org/Student-life/aCtivitieS/drama#fSpanel-9963

BSM Open House — May 9: 9-11 a.m. at BenildeSt. Margaret's, 2501 Highway 100, St. Louis Park. BSM invites families to explore its suburban campus and learn more about Catholic education at the school. bSmSChool org/admiSSionS/attend-an-open-houSe

OTHER EVENTS

St. Patrick Fundraiser — April 27: My Burger in Edina will donate 25% of sales brought in by St. Patrick during the designated time of 4-9 p.m. at My Burger, 4945 W. 77th St., Edina. tinyurl Com/422reutf

Fit for Life — May 4: 10 a.m. at Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, 9831 Rebecca Park Trail, Rockford. Holy Spirit Academy's Fit for Life event invites attendees to experience faith, fitness and nature on a 4-mile walk/ run. For details and to register:

holySpiritaCademy org/fit-for-life

Catholic Rural Life 100th Anniversary Celebration — May 8: 1:15 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Catholic Rural Life will gather people from around the country for a day of celebration, education and dinner. Speakers include Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Msgr. James Shea. CatholiCrurallife org/100-yearS

Abria's Life is Wonderful 10K, 5K, Walk and Fun Run — May 11: 9 a.m. at 4135 W. Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis. This run goes beyond a typical run — it’s a meaningful tribute to the incredible women who shape our lives. Lace up sneakers, gather family and friends, and make this day unforgettable tinyurl Com/5e4edwk3

ONGOING GROUPS

Calix Society — First and third Sundays: 9-10:30 a.m., third Sunday in person hosted by the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. In Assembly Hall, Lower Level. Potluck breakfast. Calix is a group of men, women, family or friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholics with alcohol or other addictions. For the Zoom meeting link call Jim at 612-383-8232 or Steve at 612-327-4370.

Career Transition Group — Third Thursdays: 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Wayzata. The Career Transition Group hosts speakers on various topics to help people looking for a job or a change in career and to enhance job skills. The

meetings also allow time for networking with others and opportunities for resume review. hnoj org/Career-tranSition-group

Caregivers Support Group — Third Thursdays: 6:30 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. For anyone juggling the challenges of life, health, career and caring for an aging parent, grandparent or spouse. guardian-angelS org/ event/1392201-2019-09-19-CaregiverS-Support-group

Gifted and Belonging — Fourth Sundays: 6-8 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. Providing Catholic fellowship for young adults with disabilities. Gather to share a time of prayer and reflection, followed by games and social activities. Invite friends and bring a caregiver as needed. For more information on monthly activities and/or volunteer opportunities, call Megan at 612-456-1572 or email giftedandbelonging@gmail Com

Natural Family Planning (NFP) — Classes teach couples Church approved methods on how to achieve or postpone pregnancy while embracing the beauty of God’s gift of sexuality. For a complete list of classes offered throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, visit arChSpm org/family or call 651-291-4489.

Order Franciscans Secular (OFS) — Third Sundays: 2-4 p.m. at St. Leonard of Port Maurice, 3949 Clinton Ave. S., Minneapolis. Learn more about this group of lay Catholic men and women striving to observe the Gospel by following the example of St. Francis. 651-724-1348

Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victimssurvivors. Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor support group — third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — fourth Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — second Thursdays. Visit arChSpm org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@arChSpm org or 651-291-4429.

Secular Franciscan Meeting of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Fraternity — Third Sundays: 2:15-3:45 p.m. at St. Olaf, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis. General membership meeting of Secular Franciscans who belong to the Fraternity of St. Leonard of Port Maurice. Any who are interested in living the Gospel life in the manner of St. Francis and St. Clare are welcome.

Bldg #2; Tandem Crypt (2); Market Value: $50,000+; Price: $35,000. 612-518-7130

GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS

CD of the Month Club

Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff

DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the issue date.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE:

uTime and date of event

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ASK FATHER MIKE

CONTINED FROM PAGE 17

and come into the light of God’s gaze. It most likely means going to confession. Pope Francis put it this way: Confession “is an encounter with Jesus ... who waits for us just as we are ... (Therefore) we must have trust because when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, ‘Jesus Christ the Righteous,’ ... who supports us before the Father and defends us in front of our weaknesses. But you need to stand in front of the Lord ‘with our truth of sinners,’ ‘with confidence, even with joy.’”

It is possible to step out from under guilt and shame, but it always involves being willing to tell the truth about our guilt and step into the light of God’s love.

Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

THELASTWORD

New Spanish language Catholic store in South St. Paul seeks to reach fallen-away Catholic immigrants

Story and photos by Anna Wilgenbusch The Catholic Spirit

In a South St. Paul strip mall, tucked between a grocery store and a tobacco store, is a surprising treasure: a new Spanish language Catholic gift store that aims to be a spiritual hub for many immigrants.

Beatriz Perez Santana — originally from Guerrero, Mexico, but who has lived in Minnesota for 20 years — opened La Divina Providencia Tienda Católica (Divine Providence Catholic Store) to the public in March. The shelves of the store are lined with art featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe, Spanish Bibles, rosaries, religious jewelry and ponchos sporting a large image of the Virgin Mary. Most of the inventory is imported directly from Mexico.

But in addition to moving inventory, Perez Santana wants the store to move souls.

“The goal is to evangelize through this little Catholic store,” Perez Santana said. “For me it is a great mission and blessing.”

Perez Santana feels a particular mission to reach new immigrants, who often stop practicing their Catholic faith when they come to the United States, she said.

“We come to this country, and we forget, we focus more on work, and we forget about our faith,” Perez Santana said. When people come to the store, Perez Santana said that she talks with them about the faith, shares her testimony and invites them to Mass.

“Our Hispanic community, who before did not attend church, is arriving to Mass through this little store,” she said. “For that I am very happy.”

Perez Santana knows from her own experience that it can be difficult as an immigrant to find a new church community — she also did not practice her faith when she came to the U.S. until she experienced a conversion of heart.

“When I arrived to this country, I also fell away (from the faith). As time passed, and I began to feel an emptiness in my heart that work and friendships did not fill,” she said. “I felt alone, I felt empty.”

When she found herself in a “profound depression” she began to return to church.

“I found myself in the Lord, and from that moment my life changed,” she said. Now her husband and three children serve in the choir at St. Francis de Sales in St. Paul.

On a typical Tuesday morning in the store, 12 to 15 women gather around a table in the back for one of the two weekly small groups that Perez Santana hosts for women. They make tea and laugh while chatting in Spanish.

Christina Jacinto, 37, attends one of the weekly small groups hosted at the store. Despite growing up Catholic in Mexico, she did not practice her faith after she immigrated to the U.S. until she met Perez Santana at an exercise class. Through her encouragement and from the support she has found in the small group, she now attends Mass at St. Francis de Sales.

“It has done me so much good to be in this group,” she said. “Beatriz has been a good friend, a good listener. There have been many difficult moments in my marriage, and she has always been there to offer me a word of encouragement and to speak to me about the word of God.”

She said that the store has borne fruit in her family’s life.

“It has been a huge change for me, as much as for my family, this place, where I felt comfortable and like I could talk and express myself,” she said.

Jacinto said Perez Santana inspires her, proving that female Hispanic immigrants can start a business despite obstacles they may face.

“Being women, people say we won’t make it, that we can’t, but she has demonstrated that yes, we can,” Jacinto said. “We feel very proud of her.”

Vicenta Rodriguez also attends one of the small groups held at the store. She met Perez Santana 10 years ago at a now-defunct South St. Paul laundromat, where they connected over their faith in Christ.

Although Rodriguez is Protestant, Perez Santana invited her to join the group of women. Rodriguez said that it has given her a community and helped her grow in her faith.

“We come, we share, we pray, we are strengthened in the faith,” she said. “The Lord has done such a great work in Beatriz, and every day I have seen that the Holy Spirit has given her direction ... she is a vessel that God uses.”

Editor’s Note: All conversations were conducted in Spanish and translated into English by the reporter for this article.

The store sells art imported from Mexico and Spanish Bibles, among other Catholic products.

Beatriz Perez Santana displays a table linen depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe in her store, La Divina Providencia, in South St. Paul.