Target Field Masses 5 • Dorothy Day sainthood? 9 • Minneapolis Catholic Workers 19 April 28, 2016 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Governor praises Ascension School during visit By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit
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Gov. Mark Dayton talks with first-graders at Ascension Catholic School in north Minneapolis April 22. Observing the conversation are Archbishop Bernard Hebda, left, and Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
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• Why Ascension Catholic School works • Ascension principal retiring after nearly 30 years
innesota Gov. Mark Dayton toured Ascension Catholic School in north Minneapolis April 22, quizzing sixthgraders as they worked on an art project, listening to the choir and sitting down on the floor with first-graders for a Q&A session. School officials presented the governor with facts that illustrate Ascension’s success in educating children from poor and minority families. Archbishop-designate Bernard Hebda joined the governor for the tour, and he asked the first-graders what they were learning at school. “Be kind.” “About Jesus.” “About church,” the children said. Dayton said “the learning environment” was what most impressed him about Ascension. “All the children were so engaged in the learning process and so enthusiastic about whatever their class was working on,” he said. The governor and Archbishop Hebda also sat down for a roundtable discussion with people connected to Ascension School, including students, former students, parents, a teacher and a volunteer from Holy Name of Jesus in Medina, which has partnered with Ascension for decades in the “Hands Across Town” program. The tour of Ascension School also provided an opportunity for the governor and Archbishop Hebda to get to know one another. Along with visiting classes together, they were joined for a short, closed-door meeting by Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who has focused on Catholic education. As he made his way toward students’ loud, cheering farewell, Dayton told The Catholic Spirit, “As a former teacher myself, I can’t say enough about the dedication of the men and women to commit their lives to such an outstanding school.” Read more about the governor’s visit at and see videos at www.facebook.com/TheCatholicSpirit. www.TheCatholicSpirit.com
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