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August 13, 2015 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
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With more to come, videos mobilize ‘pro-life generation’ Planned Parenthood exposé sparks pro-life advocates’ hope of hindering abortion giant By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit “See for yourself.” It’s a invitation that will appear hanging from door knobs across the metro in the coming months urging residents to watch the undercover video series the Center for Medical Progress launched exposing what it believes to be Planned Parenthood’s illegal sale of organs from aborted fetuses. The door-to-door campaign is one part of Pro-Life Action Ministries’ efforts to end public support for Planned Parenthood, Minnesota’s largest abortion provider. The St. Paul-based organization’s work has gained new momentum in the wake of the videos, said its president, Brian Gibson. “Planned Parenthood is under fire in Congress,” Gibson said. “It’s become the topic in the political debates in the presidential race that has already started. Those that are defending Planned Parenthood . . . find themselves in a position they don’t want to be in because the American public is very upset over these videos.” As of Aug. 11, the California-based Center for Medical Progress had released five videos — with promises of more to come — featuring undercover footage of Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of aborted fetal body parts for profit and altering abortion procedures to obtain intact organs.
Local rally draws crowd Father Nick VanDenBroeke, left, of Divine Mercy in Faribault holds a sign reading “I am the pro-life generation” in Spanish at a pro-life rally July 28 at Planned Parenthood in St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
Are the undercover videos ethical? A look at Catholic teaching on deception — page 10A
In response to the videos, Pro-Life Action Ministries partnered with Students for Life of America to host a pro-life rally outside Planned Parenthood in St. Paul July 28. The event drew more than 800 people, including state legislators. Gibson said the rally is evidence the political landscape of abortion is changing. “It’s the first time we’ve had a rally out in front of Planned Parenthood where elected public officials spoke at it,” he said. “It’s so encouraging to have that. We’ve Please turn to VIDEOS on page 10A
ALSO inside
After the deadline
Basilica at 100
Deepening commitment
Archbishop Hebda reflects on recently filed abuse claims and the archdiocese’s future. — Pages 3A & 4A
Minneapolis church to mark dedication centennial with vespers and ice cream. — Page 6A
Young people testify to taking faith more seriously after attending Steubenville North. — Page 8A
PAGE TWO
2A • The Catholic Spirit
August 13, 2015
in PICTURES “The only way to win a war is not to make war.” Pope Francis, in St. Peter’s Square Aug. 9 addressing 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945.
NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit
Cathedral rose windows undergoing restoration
FLORAL BEAUTY Father Xavier Thelakatt, pastor of St. John the Baptist in Dayton, stands amidst potted petunias he has grown and set up around the church. More than 100 of the pots adorn the parish grounds, with 30 more decorating St. Albert in St. Albert, where he also serves as pastor. This will be the last year of the displays, as Father Thelakatt is leaving the parish in early September to go back to his native India. He has served in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for the last 21 years, and has been at John the Baptist and St. Albert since 2009. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
UNDER THE BIG TOP Rabiya Sehgal-LaRocque, top, as Jasmine and Noah Posey as Aladdin swing through the air during a summer performance of Circus Juventas in St. Paul Aug. 6 called “1001 Nights: One Tale, Three Wishes, A Thousand Legends.” Circus Juventas is a youth program founded in 1994 by Dan and Betty Butler of Lumen Christi in St. Paul. It offers year-round training in circus performance by professional instructors, and features two annual performances, one in the spring and one in the summer. This year’s summer performance runs through Aug. 16. Watch a clip of the show at http://ow.ly/QMCsg. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
Army chaplain promoted to major in Colorado Father Sean Magnuson, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis serving as a U.S. Army chaplain of the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, was promoted from captain to major July 31 at Fort Carson, Colorado. Father Magnuson served as a registered nurse in Germany for four years before joining seminary. He was ordained in 2006.
Aim Higher grants Pope John Paul II School $100K Pope John Paul II Catholic School in northeast Minneapolis received $100,000 Aug. 2 through the Aim Higher Foundation from an anonymous donor. Scott Breimhorst, executive director of the Aim Higher Foundation, presented the check to Father Kevin Finnegan, the school’s canonical administrator, at a 9:30 a.m. Mass. “Geographically, where it is, it’s critical,” Breimhorst said of the school, whose students include immigrants and children from low-income families. “There’s not another school of that type serving that population in the area. It needs to exist and needs to thrive. Their work shows they’re willing to step forward with leadership.”
Air Force veteran’s photography at Basilica Fifty photos of the Basilica of St. Mary taken with 35mm film are on exhibit at the Minneapolis church through Aug. 30. The photographer, 92-year-old Don Loegering, is a longtime Basilica parishioner, daily Mass sacristan, U.S. Air Force veteran and former Peace Corps engineer. The exhibit includes Loegering’s hand-built frames. For more information, call (612) 247-0008.
Stewardship luncheon slated for Aug. 27 The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Development and Stewardship will host its annual stewardship luncheon from 11 a.m.2 p.m. Aug. 27 at Our Lady of Grace, 5071 Eden Ave., Edina. The event is for pastors, parish staff and volunteers interested in gaining practical insight about promoting stewardship as a way of life. Dave Baranowski from the Archdiocese of St. Louis will present “Practicals in Parish Stewardship” in his keynote address. Register online at events.archspm.org/2015-stewardship-luncheon. For more information, email stewnews@archspm.org.
WHAT’S NEW on social media “Is hunting lions a bad idea?” avid hunter Dave Hrbacek takes on the morality of trophy hunting in his blog “Faith Outdoors” at CatholicHotdish.com.
Knights fund Maple Grove parish improvements
Seven men professed first vows to the Society of Jesus at St. Thomas More in St. Paul Aug. 8. Wonder what the Our Father sounds like in California Ohlone Indian, the earliest Bay Area tongue? Check out a recent Catholic News Service video that gives an idea ahead of the canonization of Blessed Junipero Serra, a missionary to northern California whom Pope Francis will canonize Sept. 23 in Washington, D.C.
The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 20 — No. 15 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love
The large circular windows in the Cathedral of St. Paul’s north and south transepts are undergoing comprehensive repairs at Gaytee-Palmer Stained Glass Studio in northeast Minneapolis. Age, weather and pollution have contributed to the erosion of the leading holding the glass in place. The windows were designed in the 1940s by Charles Connick, a renowned glass artist who worked in Boston. The east rose window is expected to undergo restoration at a later date. Read more at www.thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/cathedral-glass/.
MARIA WIERING, Editor
The Knights of Columbus Council 13359 awarded St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove $2,500 to assist facility improvements, including the purchase of a high definition projection system and the building of a new speakers podium. The award includes matching funds from the Minnesota Knights Foundation. Grand Knight Patrick Farrelly presented a check for the grant July 23 to the pastor, Father Mike Sullivan, and the parish administrator, Deacon Randy Bauer.
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published bi-weekly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: catholicspirit@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
FROM THE APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR
August 13, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 3A
Through St. John Vianney’s intercession, pray for priests One of the blessings of my time here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is working across the street from the Cathedral of St. Paul. Dominating the view from my office window, it beckons to me daily and serves as a real testament not only to the genius of [architect Emmanuel Louis] Masqueray and the vision of Archbishop John Ireland, but also to the vitality and resilience of this archdiocese. In the midst of the magnificence of the Cathedral, one feature catches my eye most often: the St. John Vianney window. It is unassuming and hidden in the shadows, somehow appropriate for the humble Curé of Ars, whose service as a simple parish priest has inspired the faithful for more than 150 years.
APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR Archbishop Bernard Hebda
He is an appealing role model to so many of us because he was so human. He struggled with his schoolwork, would certainly have never appeared on the cover of GQ, and related awkwardly to his peers. In fact, Bishop Matthias Loras, whose territory as bishop of Dubuque included St. Paul, has the unfortunate distinction of being remembered as Vianney’s intellectually superior classmate
who once found him so annoyingly obtuse that he “boxed his ears.” In spite of St. John Vianney’s weaknesses, few would dispute that he had an impact that extended far beyond his parish in Ars, France. It’s no surprise that he was designated the patron saint of parish priests or that the archdiocese would have named its college seminary after him. It was on his feast day this year, Aug. 4, that the archdiocese had the first opportunity to wade through the more than 400 claims of clergy abuse that had been filed in Bankruptcy Court before the close of business on Aug. 3. While the claims are spread over a period of more than 75 years and involve only a fraction of the priests who have served here in that time period, they nonetheless are a painful reminder of the potential harm that can be caused by priests when we lose our focus on Christ, when we fall away from the habit of prayer, and when we abuse our positions of trust. I found myself once again gazing at the Curé’s window, praying for the claimants as well as for the priests who are accused of harming them, and pleading for his intercession in bringing healing and peace into their lives. I remembered as well the many priests of this archdiocese who have served —and continue to serve — so selflessly and tirelessly as instruments of God’s grace, from the retired priests at the Byrne Residence (on the seminary
“Even at this difficult point in history, they [priests] collectively radiate the joy of the Gospel and are a source of real hope and inspiration to me and so many others.” Archbishop Bernard Hebda
campus) to the younger priests, full of potential and enthusiasm, I encountered at Latino Family Day. Even at this difficult point in history, they collectively radiate the joy of the Gospel and are a source of real hope and inspiration to me and so many others. Given their potential impact on the life of this local Church, please join me in praying for our priests, and our future priests, that they, in imitation of St. John Vianney, might always persevere in their commitments, grow in holiness and lead us to deeper encounters with the love and mercy of Christ.
A través de la intercesión de San Juan Vianney, oren por los sacerdotes Una de las bendiciones de mi tiempo aquí en la Arquidiócesis es estar trabajando enfrente de la Catedral de San Pablo. La vista desde la ventana de mi oficina, me indica diariamente y me sirve como testimonio; no sólo al genio del [arquitecto Louis Emmanuel] Masqueray y la visión del Arzobispo John Ireland, sino también la vitalidad y la resistencia de la Arquidiócesis. En medio de la grandiosidad de la Catedral, la característica que más me llama la atención, es la ventana de San Juan Vianney. Es sencilla y está escondida entre las sombras, de alguna manera, apropiada, para el humilde cura de Ars, Francia, cuyo servicio como simple párroco ha inspirado a los fieles por más de 150 años. Es un modelo para muchos de nosotros porque era tan humano. Él luchó con su trabajo escolar, nunca apareció en la portada de GQ y se relacionaba torpemente con sus compañeros. De hecho, el obispo Matthias Loras, cuyo territorio como obispo de Dubuque incluía St. Paul, tiene la desafortunada distinción de ser recordado como
compañero de clase intelectualmente superior a Vianney. A pesar de las debilidades de San Juan Vianney, pocos disputarían que el impacto que tuvo se extendió mucho más allá de su parroquia de Ars, en Francia. No nos sorprende que haya sido nombrado patrono de los párrocos o que el seminario menor Arquidiocesano lleve su nombre. Fue en su día festivo de este año, 4 de agosto, que la Arquidiócesis tuvo la primera oportunidad que pasar a través de más de 400 reclamos de abuso del clero que habían sido presentados a la corte de bancarrota antes del cierre de actividades el 3 de agosto. Mientras que los reclamos se extienden por un período de más de 75 años e implican sólo una fracción de los sacerdotes que han servido aquí en ese período de tiempo, sin embargo, son un doloroso recordatorio del daño que puede ser causado por los sacerdotes cuando perdemos nuestro enfoque en Cristo, cuando caemos lejos el hábito de la oración, y cuando abusamos de nuestras posiciones de confianza. Me encontré una vez más mirando a la ventana del
cura San Juan Vianney, rezando por los demandantes, así como por los sacerdotes acusados de estos daños y pidiendo su intercesión para traer sanidad y paz a sus vidas. Así recordé los muchos sacerdotes de esta Arquidiócesis que han servido y continúan sirviendo — tan desinteresadamente y sin descanso como instrumentos de la gracia de Dios, de los sacerdotes jubilados en la residencia de Byrne (en el campus del Seminario) a los sacerdotes más jóvenes, lleno de potencial y entusiasmo, que encontré en el Día de la familia Latina. Incluso en este momento difícil en la historia, colectivamente irradian la alegría del Evangelio y son una fuente de esperanza e inspiración para mí y para tantos otros. Dado su potencial impacto sobre la vida de esta iglesia local, por favor únase conmigo en oración por nuestros sacerdotes y nuestros futuros sacerdotes, que imitando a San Juan Vianney, puedan siempre perseverar en sus compromisos, crecer en la santidad y que nos lleven al encuentro profundo con el amor y la misericordia de Cristo.
OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bernard Hebda, has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective August 1, 2015 • Reverend Donald DeGrood, relieved from his appointment as pastor of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Saint Paul. Father DeGrood will continue to serve in his appointment as Vicar for Clergy.
Effective August 15, 2015 • Reverend John Paul Erickson, appointed parochial administrator of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Saint Paul. This is in addition to his current appointment as Director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese.
• Reverend Daniel Griffith, appointed temporary parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Boniface in Minneapolis. This is in addition to his current appointment as Pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis.
• Reverend Paul Kubista, appointed parochial administrator of the Church of the Nativity in Cleveland and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Marysburg. This is a transfer from his appointment as pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Goodhue.
• Reverend Leonard Andrie, appointed chaplain to Hill-Murray School in Maplewood. This is a transfer from his current appointment as chaplain to Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights, and in addition to his appointment as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Joseph in West Saint Paul.
LOCAL
4A • The Catholic Spirit
August 13, 2015
Archdiocese’s attorney: Number of claims ‘sobering’ In next steps, Church looks ‘to do the most for the most’ By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit A day after the Aug. 3 deadline to file claims against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as part of its Reorganization proceedings, the claims count totaled 669, with 407 of those being claims of sexual abuse by clergy. While the numbers are “sobering,” they’re not inconsistent with those of most institutions that have faced a similar crisis, said Charlie Rogers, an attorney representing the archdiocese. He noted that the time period spans 75 years. In 2013, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a law lifting the statute of limitations on claims of child sexual abuse through May 25, 2016. In April, Judge Robert Kressel, who is overseeing the archdiocese’s Reorganization process, approved the Aug. 3 deadline of filing claims against the archdiocese. The next steps for the archdiocese will involve evaluating the proofs of claim in detail and then meeting with victims’ counsel to begin negotiations. The archdiocese also will work with more than 14 insurance carriers, 187 parishes and their insurers, and numerous religious orders and schools.
“It’s a complex process. It will be a lot of hard work, but we’re prepared,” Rogers said. “Now that the Aug. 3 deadline has passed, it’s our job to roll up our Archbishop sleeves and work Bernard diligently and HEBDA efficiently to do the most for the most, and do what’s fair for all.” Rogers couldn’t estimate a timeline for a resolution. On Aug. 4, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee announced that it reached a $21 million settlement with victims of clergy sexual abuse, hopefully paving the way to resolve its nearly five-year Reorganization before the year’s end (see story on page 13A). The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on Jan. 15 and was ordered into mediation soon after. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator, said now that the deadline has passed, the archdiocese will be able to focus more on pastoral care. “I’ve already been impressed to hear about outreach the archdiocese has undertaken for victims, and that has to continue,” said Archbishop
Hebda, who was appointed apostolic administrator after Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned June 15. In addition to the individual pastoral care provided in parishes, the archdiocese is promoting a Grief to Grace retreat later this month that focuses on healing the wounds of abuse (see story on page 7A). An archdiocesan-sponsored support group for survivors of clergy sexual abuse is slated to begin in September. Information about both programs can be found at www.archspm.org. Although the deadline to file a claim against the archdiocese as part of its Reorganization has passed, a representative will be designated to assist potential late claimants — such as minors or those who were serving overseas in the military — who weren’t aware of the Aug. 3 deadline. Rogers said a portion of the funds from the archdiocese’s insurance carriers and what the archdiocese contributes will be placed in a pool and reserved for future claims. “It really is a process that enables us to do the ministry that we need to do,” Archbishop Hebda said. “It’s complex and it’s costly, but it’s an investment in the ministry.” “We’re going to get through this,” Rogers added. “The Catholic Church in the long run will be stronger for it. We’re all dedicated to moving this forward as efficiently and as quickly as possible.”
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Mpls. mayor attended Vatican climate, trafficking workshop The Catholic Spirit Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges participated in a Vatican conference on climate change and human trafficking July 21-22, where she and other mayors from around the world explored how their cities could contribute to solutions. Pope Francis addressed attendees before they signed a declaration that included the affirmation that “humaninduced climate change is a scientific reality and its effective control is a moral imperative for humanity.” “I can see why he inspires people,” Hodges said of the pope to the Star Tribune newspaper. The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences hosted the conference, titled “Modern Slavery and Climate Change: The Commitment of the Cities.” “The active contribution of local governments is crucial in the fight against these two emergencies,” the academy stated on its website. It also stated the conference’s main objective was to bolster support for the United Nations to consider human trafficking a crime against humanity, and to “put moral pressure on” the UN to give sufficient weight to human trafficking and climate change in its sustainable development goals, which will be approved in September, and at its Paris summit on climate change in December.
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LOCAL
August 13, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 5A
St. Therese seeks change in wake of alleged elder abuse at New Hope center Organization heightens staff monitoring, education By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit Devastation is what St. Therese President and Chief Executive Officer Barb Rode said she feels after the alleged misconduct that occurred at its New Hope senior care center in late June. Footage from a hidden camera placed in a resident’s room by family members led to the termination and arrest of two employees for physical abuse, and the termination of eight others for cell phone use violations. The Minnesota Department of Health continues to investigate. Now, Rode said the organization’s priorities include building a team approach between staff and family members, and maintaining a welleducated staff in all areas of its senior care. St. Therese serves approximately 750 people each day at its three metro locations and through its home health care. “We’re going to do our best to be champions of prevention of abuse and neglect,” Rode said. “I think it’s our responsibility to do that. And as [for] the other administration, they feel the same way. We want to make changes.” While St. Therese reviews its policies and procedures annually, Rode said administration and staff will more frequently revisit critical pieces such as the patient bill of rights, the vulnerable adult policy and remind staff that they are mandatory reporters of suspected abuse and neglect. St. Therese management has heightened its monitoring of caregivers. “You can never prevent anything behind closed doors. You can do your best at how you hire [staff] and how you educate them,” Rode said, adding that the question that must be asked is “what can we do to reduce the risks of anything happening?” Rode said St. Therese conducts criminal background checks on all its employees as required by the State of Minnesota. It also performs mandated fingerprinting and checks references of all applicants.
“Extensive orientation is where we tell them about our background, our history, our faith-based organization and what we expect in providing spiritual care along with high standards of care,” Rode said. While it will take time for people to heal, she said, the organization’s Benedictine values and 45 years of caring for seniors will help prove their commitment.
“We’re going to do our best to be champions of prevention of abuse and neglect. I think it’s our responsibility to do that. And as [for] the other administration, they feel the same way. We want to make changes.”
“Certainly to have this happen is not part of the values we hold,” Barb she said. “In the full scheme of RODE things, I would say this doesn’t happen very often in nursing homes. But that doesn’t negate the importance never to tolerate that.” Rode said a recent state Legislatureapproved salary increase for nursing assistants effective Jan. 1, 2016, will help raise the bar in the candidate pool at senior care centers.
Working together Rode acknowledged people’s right to place hidden cameras in their loved one’s rooms, but said involving administration from the start is the best course of action. “We really need to be a team. That’s the best scenario of all,” Rode said. “If they exclude the staff in some of the overall decision-making, it makes the care much tougher to do because we don’t have all the information. And the same for the families — it’s tough for the families if they don’t have support from administration. That’s why it’s so important to connect together and discuss things together.” Jennifer Thurston, St. Therese’s events and public relations director, said family members are invited to the centers to participate in activities so that they can spend time with residents and build relationships with the staff. “We definitely encourage families to be involved in their loved one’s care,” Thurston said. “We have lots of activities and places for them to visit.” She suggested that families visit at different times of the day so they can
Barb Rode, president and chief executive officer of Twin Cities-based St. Therese senior care communities
assess if there are changes in their loved ones’ moods. Rode said if families choose to place a hidden camera in a resident’s room, they should view the footage often and report any misconduct immediately. If a resident has a roommate, the family needs to ask permission before installing a camera. St. Therese doesn’t place cameras in rooms because of federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. “We prefer to work with the family if they feel the need for it, to review it together or separately on a timely basis and act accordingly,” Rode said. She hopes families feel confident that staff will take the right avenues for their loved ones. Upon learning of the incident, St. Therese administrators acted immediately, Rode said. “I feel we did the right things when this came to light,” she said. “We called the police right away. We reported to the health department right away, so I feel really good about that. I’ve learned that our staff is still a very good staff, and they’re just as devastated as we are that this happened.” Rode said St. Therese continues to work with the state health department and the local police department.
Congratulations
to the 2015 Leading With Faith winners
Paul Archambault
Robert Du Fresne
William (Bill) Sonntag
Owner, Stinson Electric, Inc. St. Olaf, Minneapolis
President & CEO Du Fresne Manufacturing Company St. Genevieve, Centerville
Owner, Abbey Suburban Floor Covering St. Pius X, White Bear Lake & St. Peter, North St. Paul
Jose Angel Martinez
James (Jim) Zenk
Branch Manager, US Bank St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony
President & Owner, SYNERGY HomeCare Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul
Cary Becker Owner, Becker Building & Remodeling LLC St. John the Baptist, New Brighton
Mark Mischke Registered Representative Mischke – Mischke & Associates Lumen Christi, St. Paul
.
LOCAL
6A • The Catholic Spirit
August 13, 2015
Basilica to mark dedication centennial By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Seven years after the laying of its cornerstone, the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary — now known as the Basilica of St. Mary, the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — was solemnly dedicated in Minneapolis Aug. 15, 1915, the feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Basilica is celebrating the dedication’s centennial Aug. 16 at its 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Masses, which will feature choirs returning from summer break. The liturgies will be followed by games, crafts and ice cream. The event concludes with Gregorian vespers led by the Rose Ensemble at 3 p.m. The vespers coincide with the time of the dedication, where Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul sprinkled holy water around the church’s exterior perimeter and then inside its unfinished interior. The church then lacked the baldachin,
stained glass windows and finished Mankato limestone walls familiar to parishioners and visitors today. Following the blessing, Archbishop Ireland gave a homily, and the procathedral’s rector, Father Thomas Cullen, offered eucharistic benediction. Newspapers reported that thousands attended the event. “It is a glorious day, today, when we can offer to God this magnificent temple of worship,” Archbishop Ireland said in a homily where he extolled the role of Mary in history. He called for devotion to Jesus’ mother to “go beyond the church into the homes, for the ideal of life is holiness of the soul.” Archbishop Ireland commissioned the church at the same time as the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Emmanuel L. Masqueray designed both buildings in the Beaux Arts style. In 1926, Pope Pius XI elevated the church to a Basilica. It was the first U.S. church to be granted the designation.
The unfinished interior of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis on Easter 1915, five months before its dedication. The parish is celebrating the dedication centennial Aug. 16. Courtesy the Basilica of St. Mary.
CSAF looks to last year’s donors to repeat generosity By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit With five months remaining in its campaign year, the Catholic Services Appeal has reached 85 percent of its 2015 goal of $9.3 million. “We’re optimistic we can reach our goal,” said Tim Healy, president of the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation board of directors. “But we’re also realistic that we have work to do yet.” The annual appeal this year is committed to funding 17 Catholic ministries in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, among them hospital chaplains, campus ministry, seminary education and Catholic education at both the elementary and secondary level. “Parishes have done a great job with follow-up [since the February launch of the appeal],” Healy said, “and we’ve had a successful telephone campaign, so we’ve closed the gap.” “But there are 6,800 donors from last year who have yet to contribute, and we’re hoping that with the positive things happening in the archdiocese people will be generous,” he added.
The 2014 CSA raised its highest amount ever. In February the foundation reported cash donations of $9.9 million and pledges that pushed the campaign to more than $10 million.
Good work continuing This June, the 19 members of the lay board that governs the CSAF — a nonprofit corporation separate from the archdiocese — took part in a phonathon to solicit donations and will do so again in October because it was productive, said board member and treasurer Greg Pulles. “The best thing we have going are the ministries where the money is going,” Pulles said. For example, donations to the CSA fund 100 percent of the salaries of Catholic chaplains at hospitals across the 12-county archdiocese. Those chaplains reach an estimated 100,000 patients each year. Jennifer Beaudry, the foundation’s executive director, said she was amazed when she realized there were Catholic chaplains at so many local hospitals. “Every person knows someone who was in one of those hospitals and whose
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life was touched by a chaplain,” she said. “There’s so much good still going on,” Beaudry added. She hoped more people would realize how much good their $10 gift can do. “If those 6,800 people all gave $10, imagine the impact that would have,” she said. Telephone fundraisers reported high interest from potential donors, Beaudry said, noting, “People are asking a lot of questions this year and getting the answers they are looking for — that the foundation is separate from the archdiocese and that the money donated goes where donors expect it to go.”
A collective effort Pulles described the foundation’s work as “a parish campaign for the parishes’ collective ministries.” Healy put it as “running a campaign cooperatively with 192 parishes to coordinate the effort for all of them and fund all 17 ministries.” Both have been visiting ministries to observe them in action, and they get excited sharing what they’ve seen. “At the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota there’s
something going on every single night,” Healy said. Pulles added, “They’ve got these Totus Tuus teams that are putting on slam-bang programs for youth at parishes. I told myself, ‘Gosh, we’ve got to fund this stuff.’” The CSA funds training for youth ministers at parishes across the archdiocese, offers scholarships to 350 students at Catholic schools, funds prison chaplains, the deaf ministry, the Indian ministry and the Latino ministry, as well as the archdiocesan mission in Venezuela. “To see the impact we are having on so many people, it’s phenomenal how many people are being touched,” Healy said. “The impact if we don’t reach our goal is unknown. It could have a drastic effect on those ministries. “We have to keep them going,” he said. “We have five months, and we have a lot of generous people in this archdiocese.” Information about the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation and the ministries it serves is online at www.csafspm.org.
LOCAL
August 13, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 7A
Abuse victim finds healing, prepares to help others By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Marty Meyer was a child growing up in a small Iowa town when his innocence was stolen. A group of three older kids raped him when he was just 7. He carried the guilt, shame and trauma of that event for decades before finally finding healing at a retreat for abuse victims called Grief to Grace: Healing the Wounds of Abuse. Today, Meyer, 62 and a member of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, is looking forward to helping other victims heal as he serves at a Grief to Grace retreat in the Twin Cities,the first in Minnesota. The six-day event takes place Aug. 23-28, with 20 people registered to attend. Meyer’s life changed on a summer day in 1960 when he had joined up with a group of kids he knew in the neighborhood. “It was just a bunch of us hanging out, and all of a sudden, before I even realized what was happening, the perpetration started,” he said. “I was in a situation where I couldn’t run away. They physically restrained me, verbally threatened me. And so, I felt trapped and completely helpless in the situation.” He kept the incident bottled up inside of him, where it festered for more than 40 years before he decided to attend a Grief to Grace retreat in 2008. “I was too ashamed and embarrassed to tell my parents,” he said. “And, it wasn’t the sort of thing back then that people talked about. I think, too, there’s a mindset that girls get raped, not boys. And I didn’t realize it at the time that that’s what had actually happened to me.” His struggles continued into adolescence, when a priest tried to molest him, he said. He was able to get away before anything happened, but there were residual internal struggles that continued to plague him. Relationships were difficult, and he had serious trust issues, along with low self-confidence. “I floundered,” he said. “My dad was an alcoholic and family life was difficult. I had to figure things out on my own, which added to the lack of confidence. I just felt like I was lost in the mix.” Raised Catholic, he drifted away from his faith after graduating from high school and turned his attention toward his career. Along the way, he got married in Iowa, and he and his wife, Jeanette, later moved to the Twin Cities, where they had five children. One of them died shortly after childbirth, and the other four are now grown and married with children of their own. Meyer worked for Xerox for 21 years, and life was clipping along nicely — except for the nagging trauma of abuse that never seemed to go away, even though he had come back to the Church and deepened his faith through involvement in the Charismatic Renewal. “On the outside, I looked fine, but I really was
Sexual abuse survivor Marty Meyer of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville plans to help other victims by serving at a Grief to Grace retreat in the Twin Cities later this month. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit struggling on the inside,” he said. “I found myself just empty, very empty. There was some situational depression. I had been carrying this thing on my back this whole time. That’s what made it so difficult for me.” The turning point came when Jeanette attended a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat 10 years ago to help her deal with two abortions she had in the 1970s. Marty went to the retreat to support Jeanette, and it was there that he met Theresa Burke, the founder of Rachel’s Vineyard and also the founder of Grief to Grace. “I was so deeply affected by the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat,” he said. “I experienced part of what the women were going through.” Having seen how the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat helped Jeanette, he decided to try to find healing from his abuse. He went to a Grief to Grace retreat in Texas seven years ago. Held across the U.S, and Canada, the retreats include talks, small group discussions and licensed therapists for those who are interested. A key part is being able to talk freely and openly about the personal experience of abuse with others who have gone through it themselves. That made all the difference for Marty, who didn’t tell anyone about the abuse for decades. He thinks
Jeanette was the first person to hear his story. “It’s a silent suffering because you don’t talk about it,” he said. That changed when he went to the retreat and opened up to other participants about the pain he had suffered. Spiritually, he was ready to tell his story, to the point where he volunteered to go first. “In my opening up, what ended up happening was every person felt safe, that they could share their story,” he said. “All of us are there together, and it’s like we’re suffering through it together.” Marty is happy to be able to help others through his service at the retreat later this month. Jeanette also will be there. Clergy sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has hightened awareness of the issue, and Marty hopes more victims will choose to pursue the healing this retreat aims to provide. “Abuse is real, but there is hope,” he said. “[The retreat] has freed me up in a way that nothing else has. . . . I see my true dignity in who I was created and why I was created. It makes all the difference in the world.” Though this year’s retreat is filled, one will be offered in October 2016. For more information about Grief to Grace, visit www.grieftograce.org.
Celebrating 75: Maplewood parish finds strength in small numbers By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit A pickle dish was used Aug. 11, 1940, to take up the collection at the first Mass at St. Jerome parish in Maplewood. The Mass was held in Edgerton School, and that first collection totaled $1.75. Seventy-five years later, the diamond anniversary of the parish was marked Aug. 9 with a celebration on the grounds of the church on Roselawn Avenue just east of I-35E. Although it’s a small parish and has always been small, that is a positive thing, according to 21-year parishioner Mike Ahles. “You have to participate in parish life,” Ahles said. “We just don’t have the numbers.”
The result, he said, is that he and his wife, Margaret, have developed deep, lifelong friendships from their involvement at the church and at St. Jerome School. When they bought their home in Maplewood, Ahles said they first “parish shopped” to find a spiritual home. “We went to a few, but when we were listening to Father Ken, my wife looked at me and I looked at her, and we knew this was the place for us.” The Father Ken to whom Ahles referred is Father Kenneth Ludescher, who first was assigned as an associate pastor at St. Jerome in 1970. Father Ludescher became the parish administrator a year later and five years after that was named pastor, a post he held for 28 years until his retirement in 2004.
St. Jerome parish, 384 Roselawn Ave. E. in Maplewood, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Courtesy St. Jerome Church Father Cletus Basekela is currently St. Jerome’s pastor. Ahles said St. Jerome would be considered a more traditional parish.
He praised music director Mary Beth Hess for creating a great program of liturgical music. St. Jerome School has had great principals — notable among them Servite Sister Clarice Gierzak, principal for 27 years from 1969 to 1997 — who have fostered an impressive academic level, too, he said. St. Jerome’s booya, which parishioners prepare twice a year, has been recognized among the best in the Twin Cities, and Ahles claimed its annual Lenten fish fry is also the best around. “St. Jerome is a hard-working, Godfearing population of east siders,” Ahles added, “the kind of people who take pride in what we do. “I can’t imagine being at another place.”
8A • The Catholic Spirit
LOCAL
August 13, 2015
From left, Samantha Metallo, Paige Armbruster, Myanauh Lowe and Adela Sosa of St. Anne in Kenosha, Wisconsin, bring their belongings onto the University of St. Thomas campus in St. Paul July 24 for the annual Steubenville North Youth Conference. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
Fuel for the faith: Steubenville conferences invoke camaraderie in convictions By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit This time was different for 17-year-old Teagan Brogdon of Minneapolis. A student at Patrick Henry High School, he’d been to Steubenville youth conferences twice before; he said he’d already come to realize the importance of his relationship with God. “This time there was a different feel,” he explained.
“I feel like I got a lot closer to God. I’m done learning what I need to know. Now it’s time to take steps to come to God myself.” Brogdon, a member of St. Bridget in north Minneapolis, suggested “it might be the camaraderie” that makes the Steubenville conferences effective in leading young people to a richer faith life and practice of the faith. He was one of 1,950 young people who took part in the three days of talks, liturgies, workshops and opportunities for prayer, adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation at the Steubenville North Youth Conference July 24-26 on the St. Paul campus of the University of St. Thomas. More than 45,000 youth will attend similar Steubenville conferences across the country this summer. “There are so many young people excited like us about our faith,” Brogdon said. “We are definitely not alone.”
Safety in numbers Shaina Weigel of St. Philip Neri in Napoleon, North Dakota, receives Communion during Mass July 24. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
In Stefanie Steinhofer’s mind, the great number of young people at the Steubenville conferences is a big reason they have a positive impact on teens’ faith.
Attendee inspired by seminarian On opening day of the Steubenville North Youth Conference July 25, Bailey Lauret relaxed on the grass about a long touchdown pass from where he’ll be heading this fall: St. John Vianney College Seminary on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Lauret, 19, said he’s following in the footsteps of an SJV seminarian who was his small-group leader when he attended a past Steubenville conference. Bailey “I grew in faith at LAURET Steubenville,” explained Lauret, a member of St. Katherine Drexel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “I had more of an understanding what the Eucharist was as the body and blood of Christ, and I understood more about my faith.” Lauret was one of a group of 28 from his parish who, with hundreds of other young people from across the upper Midwest, attended the three days of talks, liturgies, workshops and opportunities for prayer, adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation at the Steubenville North conference the last weekend in July. — Bob Zyskowski
Please turn to BISHOP COZZENS on page 9A
LOCAL
August 13, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 9A
Bishop Cozzens, variety of speakers highlight virtues Continued from page 8A A member of the three-parish cluster in the Belgrade area who volunteered to help lead the weekend, Steinhofer is the parent of a teen who attended this summer and parent of a teen who had attended a Steubenville conference in the past. With messages from the dominant culture often in conflict with Catholic values, Steinhofer said, one of the benefits of attending a youth conference with hundreds of other Catholic young people is “seeing kids from all across the Midwest who have the same beliefs — that it’s OK to let the Holy Spirit work in you.” Ona Pender felt much the same way. The 21-yearold college student, also from St. Bridget in Minneapolis, admitted she really didn’t want to come to the conference at first. “I’ve had struggles with my faith life the past two years,” she said, “but everyone here is so happy to be in God’s presence, it made me think what I can do to strengthen my faith in God.” What she decided was “to pray more and trust him. I think that will be a challenge, but it’s a challenge I’m ready for.”
Adults who work with young people are convinced that the Steubenville summer conferences have a positive impact, energizing teens in their faith with the result that they willingly participate in additional faith formation, parish life and acts of service. The conference’s approach aims to “awaken and strengthen young people in their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church,” according to the mission of the organizing group, Bloomington-based, Partnership for Youth. The conferences are an outreach of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. Curt Lauret, a volunteer youth leader from St. Katherine Drexel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has been to Steubenville conferences in the past. “It’s about friendship as they learn about Christ,” Lauret said, “and it’s sparked their interest in other ministries.” From attending 16 conferences, Ann Braegelman, director of religious education for the cluster of St. Francis de Sales in Belgrade, Ss. Peter and Paul in Elrosa and St. Donatus in Brooten, said she’s seen plenty of evidence that the Steubenville approach works. “I see the transformation in the kids when they get
Youth attending the Steubenville North conference at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul pray during Mass July 24. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
back,” Braegelman said. “They’re more interested in learning about their faith, and they’re excited about volunteering for things in the parish. It refuels the kids, gives them energy to go forward in their faith.”
Not ice, but fire That energy comes from driving guitars, pounding drums, praise music from keyboards, cheering, applause, insightful videos, witness testimonies by teens, challenges to live with a purpose and positive reinforcement of virtues throughout the weekend. In a laughter-filled talk, speaker Oscar Rivera cautioned a packed Schoenecker Arena audience not to strive to be cool. He described ice as “boring,” but with fire, on the other hand, he could “watch the flames of a campfire dance all night.” “We need to stop worrying about how to be cool and start thinking about how to be on fire for the faith,” Rivera said. Virtues of faithfulness, patience and happiness were among those put in the spotlight. Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Sister Miriam Heidland held up self-control. “If we can’t say no, our yes doesn’t mean much,” Sister Miriam cautioned. “Say yes to excellence, to what will enable you; say no to what will destroy you.” Nate Reinhardt, lead guitar and vocalist for the band Sonar, talked about chastity. “It’s not denying desires,” Reinhardt said, “but giving in to the deepest desires of our heart. And the deepest desires of our heart always lead us to holiness.” Bishop Andrew Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, presided at the conference’s closing Mass. In his homily, he connected the day’s Gospel of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to Jesus’ feeding Catholics today through the miracle of the Eucharist. “Do you believe that Jesus is really here in the Eucharist and wants to satisfy your deepest desires?” he asked. He said he had always found it easy to believe in the real presence of Christ before he was ordained, “when someone else, a priest, said the words of consecration.” The only time he ever doubted it was just before he was ordained. “I wondered,” Bishop Cozzens said, “will I believe when I say the words?” He described his first Mass, celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. “The first time I held up that host, there was no doubt in my mind I was genuflecting before Jesus Christ, the living son of God. “My prayer for you,” he told the Steubenville North attendees, “is that you will open your heart to Jesus so he can satisfy your deepest desires.”
Youth considering religious life step up for blessing at conference “If you‘ve been thinking about religious life, or thinking about thinking about it, come up for a blessing from the bishop,” Sister Miriam Heidland told young women at the Steubenville North youth conference July 26. About 100 came forward from the chairs on the floor and the bleachers of Schoenecker Arena on the St. Paul campus of the University of St. Thomas. Megan Beuter hesitated at first, but eventually joined the group. “I went up because I think God may be calling me to this,” said Beuter, a member of St. Mary parish in Solon, Iowa. Beuter, who will be a senior at Solon High School, said, “I’ve always been afraid of not using my gifts if I went into religious life, but when Sister Miriam
“It will help me have perseverance, strength and peace to be able to say, ‘Your will, God, not mine,’” Paul Harty
talked about women religious helping people through the ministries they do, I felt I wasn’t going to be disappointed if I choose to do that.” Paul Harty of St. John the Evangelist parish in Greenfield, Wisconsin, was one of some 100 young men who accepted the invitation of Father Mike
Schmitz of the Diocese of Duluth to come forward for a blessing if they were thinking they might have a vocation to the priesthood. Harty, a 16-year-old high school sophomore who is a member of the “Ignited” youth group at the Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee, said being with so many joyful young people at the Steubenville conference and feeling the overwhelming love they have for Jesus helps him realize he isn’t alone in efforts to live a faith-filled life. He said the three-day conference will help him “just being faithful to God’s will in my life. “It will help me have perseverance, strength and peace to be able to say, ‘Your will, God, not mine,’ ” Harty said. — Bob Zyskowski
LOCAL
10A • The Catholic Spirit
August 13, 2015
Videos prompt local calls for Planned Parenthood investigation Continued from page 1A developed relationships with state legislators that we’ve never had before.” Seven members of the Minnesota House of Representatives came and spoke briefly at the rally: Reps. Abigail Whelan (R, District 35A), Eric Lucero (R, 30B), Matt Dean (R, 38B), Mary Franson (R, 8B), Jon Koznick (R, 58A), Tim Miller (R, 17A) and Kathy Lohmer (R, 39B). Several groups came to the rally by bus, including 55 parishioners from Epiphany in Coon Rapids. Eric Duffy, high school youth minister for the parish, organized the trip. “We have a lot of awesome pro-life people in our parish,” Duffy said. “A lot of the youth in my program are really very passionate about this, too.” Among them were Kara Klingenberg and Madeline Alinder, who held pro-life signs for people to see as they drove past the Planned Parenthood facility. “I think this is really important,” Klingenberg said. “There are a lot of youth here. I am the pro-life generation. I’m really hopeful about this.” Angela Erickson, northern regional coordinator for Students for Life, was one of the rally’s speakers. Thirtyeight weeks pregnant, she said she easily pushed aside any personal discomfort in order to spread an important message and help garner further support for the pro-life movement. “My reaction to the videos has been a myriad of emotions,” Erickson said. “Initially I was sad and angry, but now I’m focusing on the fact that we finally have a great opportunity to finally get Congress to defund the nation’s largest abortion provider.” Erickson noted that similar rallies were taking place in cities across the country the same day. She sees this as a sign that the tide on abortion is turning in the U.S. “I think, for the first time, abortion supporters have to acknowledge the fact that their movement is callous,” Erickson said. “What has been revealed by these videos forces everyone in this country to examine their conscience and ask themselves, ‘Why have we let this happen?’ I strongly feel this will bring together individuals on both sides in a big way.”
From left, Kara Klingenberg and Madeline Alinder of Epiphany in Coon Rapids hold signs expressing their pro-life views at a rally at Planned Parenthood in St. Paul July 28. Pro-Life Action Ministries and Students for Life of America co-sponsored the event, which drew more than 800 pro-life supporters. Dave Hrbacek/ The Catholic Spirit
Local investigation push In July, the first Center for Medical Progress video prompted 65 state legislators to call for Gov. Mark Dayton to investigate Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, which operate 20 locations in the three states. Surgical abortion services are offered at its centers in St. Paul, Rochester and Sioux Falls. Gov. Dayton declined to launch an investigation. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no basis for an investigation at taxpayer expense into a private, nonprofit organization that has stated they don’t engage in those practices here in Minnesota,” he said.
Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, reiterated in a statement on its website that the local Planned Parenthood affiliate does not “currently engage in any tissue donation for research.” She added: “But such research is a crucial aspect of scientific inquiry and is important to improving health care.” After the release of the second video in July, Republican leaders in Minnesota’s Legislature renewed their demand for a local investigation. The videos have prompted national calls for removing taxpayer-funding for Planned Parenthood. A measure to do so failed by seven votes Aug. 3 in a Senate procedural vote. Other efforts to defund the organization are expected. Despite roadblocks, the pro-life movement is continuing forward in important ways, said Gibson, a parishioner of St. Michael in Prior Lake. He has organized rallies that take place every Friday at noon at Planned Parenthood. Pro-Life Action Ministries is also co-sponsoring the National Protest of Planned Parenthood Aug. 22, another large rally, from 9 a.m. to noon at Planned Parenthood in St. Paul. Gibson is hopeful about the pro-life movement’s trajectory, in part because he believes the U.S. has entered a time when the mainstream media do not have a monopoly on information people receive — or don’t receive — on the issue of abortion. Alternative media, like the undercover videos and other postings on the Internet, are helping to get the pro-life message in front of an increasing number of Americans, including those who have supported abortion. “Because of this day and age we’re in, people are able to see things we’ve been trying to get people to see for a very long time,” he said. That’s why Pro-Life Action Ministries is taking their message door-to-door with the “See for yourself” campaign, which will include material with a link to the Center for Medical Progress’ videos. Gibson’s goal is to place 30,000 door hangers at people’s homes. For more information about Pro-Life Action Ministries’ efforts, visit plam.org. Watch and learn more about the videos at centerformedicalprogress.org.
Ethical issues arise from California center’s ‘undercover’ videos By Mike Nelson Catholic News Service The use of “undercover” reporting tactics by a California pro-life group in an attempt to expose suspected illegal actions by Planned Parenthood doctors pertaining solicitation of funds for the acquisition of fetal tissue has stirred discussion and debate. In recent weeks, the California-based Center for Medical Progress has released several videos — and plans to release more — that show doctors affiliated with the nation’s leading abortion provider discussing fees for fetal tissue. Federal law prohibits the sale of fetal tissue from abortions, though it allows reimbursement for some costs connected to the handling and processing of such tissue. In the first two videos, the center’s reporters — armed with video cameras — posed as representatives of a mythical fetal tissue procurement firm who met at public restaurants with the doctors. Over lunch, the reporters pretended to solicit fetal tissue from the doctors, who discussed possible price points for various body organs gleaned from abortions. Undercover techniques — including the use of hidden cameras and “manufactured identities” including false names, fake affiliation and even disguises — have long been utilized by
investigative journalists. In the case of the center’s videos, it is unclear whether the Planned Parenthood officials were notified that they were being recorded. Under California Penal Code Section 632, “all parties to any confidential communication must give permission to be recorded, according to California’s eavesdropping law.” “The statute, however, specifically excludes from its application any conversations made in public places, government proceedings, or in circumstances where the participants of the conversation could reasonably expect to be overheard or recorded.” The actions by the Center for Medical Progress are being investigated by California Attorney General Kamala Harris. The center said in a July 30 statement that it “follows all applicable laws in the course of our investigative journalism work, and will contest all attempts from Planned Parenthood and their allies to silence our First Amendment rights and suppress investigative journalism.” The National Abortion Federation filed an injunction July 31 in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California against the center. Planned Parenthood disputes what the videos show, saying they were severely edited to distort what the doctors being interviewed said to make it sound like
they are selling baby parts for money. Planned Parenthood said its doctors are salvaging fetal tissue and organs for researchers and the talk of money was for customary handling fees to provide the parts to research labs. From a Catholic standpoint, the issue of undercover reporting points to several conflicting principles. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, for example, suggests that those who lie — including, it would seem, those who misrepresent themselves — are in error. “Lying is the most direct offense against the truth,” the catechism states. (Paragraph 2483) Moreover, “by its very nature, lying is to be condemned.” (Paragraph 2485) At the same time, the catechism offers a further perspective with respect to communication and journalistic practices: • “The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity.” (Paragraph 2494) • “By the very nature of their profession, journalists have an obligation to serve the truth and not offend against charity in disseminating information. They should strive to respect, with equal care, the nature of the facts and the limits of critical judgment concerning
individuals.” (Paragraph 2497) So how do the Center for Medical Progress reporters’ actions connect with these teachings? Does their exposing of alleged wrongdoing connected with the practice of abortion — the willful taking of life, as defined by the church — trump their act of misrepresenting themselves? In other words, do the ends justify the means, especially if a greater good stands to benefit? Because that is not an argument the Church accepts when researchers who utilize embryos and aborted fetal tissue insist that cures for deadly and disabling illnesses — such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease — could result from such research. Roberto Dell’Oro, director of the Bioethics Institute at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, said that while it is always best to be above board in seeking the truth, there are instances when “a conscientious objection to morally unacceptable practices” can be justified. “Throughout history, we have numerous examples of those who have lied or broken the law because they conscientiously objected to, and sought to expose, a deeper moral evil,” he said, citing those who hid Jews from the Nazis during World War II. “And I don’t see why this shouldn’t be the case here.”
U.S. & WORLD
August 13, 2015
Forgiveness at heart of healing after Ferguson violence, says archbishop By Dave Luecking Catholic News Service Forgiveness. Such a simple word, but it’s at the heart of the Catholic faith, along with love, peace and justice. “Jesus tells us that if we receive him as the bread of life, we will have his life within us,” Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis said in his homily at a Mass for peace and justice Aug. 9 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. “He shows what this life means on the cross, when he forgives those who killed him.” With a crowd topping 600, the Mass commemorated the first anniversary of the shooting death of Michael Brown, an African-American teen, in a confrontation with a white police officer. It also marked the 70 years since the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (Aug. 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (Aug. 9, 1945) and caused an unprecedented loss of life. “We know (the atomic bombs) inflicted tremendous human suffering,” said Archbishop Carlson, a former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “Likewise, we know the events (in Ferguson) uncovered a culture of systemic racism, rage just below the surface of daily life, and a court system which failed to recognize institutional injustice in its manner of operation.” But after the release of pent-up rage, what comes next? The real work begins with forgiveness. “There is much that needs to be done in our work for . . . meaningful change and healing — fostered by a better understanding of the pain of others, our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Archbishop Carlson said. “If we ever hope to sit at a common table with our brothers and sisters — black or white, red or yellow, the color of the skin makes no difference — we need to ask God to bless us with the grace of mercy and love that we see in Jesus.” “When we receive him as the bread of life,” the archbishop continued, “we can let go of hate and hurts and grievances and forgive one another — a healing that interconnects with faith — and is the first step toward building relationships and assisting those who live in poverty.” Archbishop Carlson said that healing and justice “can only be achieved in our respect for one another and our commitment to being with one another in the suffering.” No one should let their brothers and sisters “bear their suffering alone,” he said, citing the day’s two readings as examples. “As we read in the Old Testament, ‘This is what Yahweh asks of you: Only this, to act justly, to love
The Catholic Spirit • 11A LOS ANGELES
Father Barron of ‘Catholicism’ series among new bishop-designates Father Robert Barron, a media savvy priest, has been named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and will be moving to the heart of the television industry. Bishop-designate Barron, appointed July 21, may be best known to TV viewers for having hosted “Catholicism,” a 10-part DVD series. Four parts of the series aired on 90 PBS affiliates in fall 2011. The series earned him a Christopher Award and the Clarion Award the following year from the Catholic Academy of Communications Arts Professionals. Bishop-designate Barron is expected to be ordained a bishop of Los Angeles with two other priests this fall.
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN
U.S. bishop says USCCB will push for nuclear disarmament St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson greets Ophelia Wilson Court following a Mass for peace and justice Aug. 9 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. With a crowd topping 600, the Mass commemorated the first anniversary of the shooting death of Michael Brown, an African-American teen, in a confrontation with a white police officer. CNS photo tenderly and to walk humbly with your God,’” Archbishop Carlson said. “We are being invited to take the first step in a pilgrimage of trust, which begins when we are willing to admit our failures, ask pardon and seek the forgiveness of one another. “And we cannot miss what St. Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.’ Instead he invites us to kindness and compassion and forgiveness — indeed, as God forgives us.” That would be in the words to the Our Father. Archbishop Carlson urged Massgoers to remember the next time they recite the Our Father that “you ask God to forgive you to the same degree you forgive others.” This is important, he said, “for the Christian message of love and justice.” “Our message shows its effectiveness through the actions we take in the cause of justice in the world and especially here in St. Louis, our own backyard,” he added. “We will not gain any credibility as a people of faith if we refuse to serve those closest to us.” In that regard, at the archdiocese’s first Mass for peace and justice some months ago, Archbishop Carlson had called for the formation of a Peace and Justice Commission. Its 27 members were commissioned during the Aug. 9 Mass.
Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, said U.S. bishops must convince the majority of Americans to support “a vision of a world without nuclear weapons” while attending a ceremony in Hiroshima, Japan, Aug. 6, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city. Bishop Cantu, who serves as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, said that as a U.S. citizen, he arrived in Hiroshima with a sense of “sorrow and repentance.” For many of his generation, Bishop Cantu said, “the return to a serious discussion of nuclear disarmament may seem like an outdated exercise. Sadly, it is not.” He said developments in Russia and Ukraine have lent fuel to hawks in the U.S. Congress, who in turn want to modernize the U.S. arsenal, replacing old weapons systems they claim are obsolete. Such an attitude likely reflects changing public opinion in the U.S., he said, noting that opinion polls show declining support for reducing nuclear arsenals. That means U.S. bishops, who have argued for reducing and eliminating nuclear weapons, have major work ahead, he said.
VATICAN CITY
Pope creates exarchate for Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada Pope Francis has established an apostolic exarchate, the precursor to a diocese, for Syro-Malabar Catholics in Canada and has named their current Toronto-based chaplain, Father Jose Kalluvelil, a bishop and head of the exarchate. Announcing the appointment Aug. 6, the Vatican said about 9,000 faithful of the India-based Syro-Malabar Catholic Church live in Canada. They are served by 15 priests. The new exarchate will be based in Mississauga, Ontario, near Toronto. — Catholic News Service
Pope condemns silence on Iraqi religious persecution By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service The world continues to be silent in the face of widespread persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, Pope Francis said. One year after Islamic State militants drove thousands of Iraqi Christians and Yezidis out of the country, Pope Francis prayed that people around the world would be more attentive and sensitive to the reality of religious persecution and that “the international community would not stand by mute and unresponsive before such unacceptable crimes.” The pope sent his message to Iraqi refugees who fled to Jordan after the Islamic State campaign in August 2014 sent tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes in the Ninevah Plain of northern Iraq. According to the U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees, more than 57,000 Iraqis have been given refuge in Jordan. In his letter, which was released Aug. 6 at the Vatican, Pope Francis thanked those “who took on the care of these brothers and sisters, not turning their gaze away.” The Christian communities in Jordan who are assisting the refugees “proclaim the resurrection of Christ by sharing their suffering and giving them aid,” he said. “You bow down to their suffering, which risks suffocating hope.” The pope’s message of consolation and encouragement was sent with Bishop Nunzio Galantino, secretarygeneral of the Italian bishops’ conference, who traveled to Amman, Jordan, Aug. 6 to visit Iraqi refugees there and to attend a prayer service Aug. 8 “to remember the first large exodus of persecuted Christians.”
Pope Francis said he wanted to take advantage of the bishop’s trip to offer “a word of hope to those, oppressed by violence, who were forced to abandon their homes and their land.” Too many times, in too many parts of the world, he said, “atrocious, inhuman and inexplicable persecution” of Christians and other minorities takes place “under the eyes and with the silence of all.” The victims of “fanaticism and intolerance” are today’s martyrs, he said, murdered only for their fidelity to Christ. Pope Francis said he hoped his words and his latest message would be “the sign of a Church that does not forget and does not abandon its children who were exiled because of their faith.” The pope said he prays for the refugees each day and recognizes “the witness of faith they offer us.”
PHILADELPHIA
Knights to launch new national TV campaign about persecuted Christians Catholic News Service
The Knights of Columbus announced Aug. 4 it would launch a new phase in its efforts on behalf of persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. To date, the fraternal organization has donated more than $3 million in humanitarian aid to assist them and will launch a national TV ad campaign to draw more attention to their plight. Plans for the ad campaign were announced at a news conference on the opening day of the Knights’ 133rd Supreme Convention in Philadelphia. The Knights said the TV ad was to begin airing the weekend of Aug. 8 and 9.
U.S. & World
12A • The Catholic Spirit
August 13, 2015
Divorced and remarried are not excommunicated, pope says By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Catholics who have divorced and are civilly remarried “are not, in fact, excommunicated — they are not excommunicated — and they absolutely must not be treated as if they were,” Pope Francis said. Resuming his Wednesday general audiences Aug. 5 after a month’s break, Pope Francis returned to the series of talks he has been giving on the family. It was the 100th general audience of his papacy. At his last audience, June 24, he talked about the damage caused especially to children when couples fight and hurt each other. “Today,” he said, “I want to draw our attention to another reality: how to care for those who, after the irreversible failure of the matrimonial bond, have undertaken a new union.” Without an annulment of the sacramental marriage, “such a situation contradicts the Christian sacrament,” which is meant to be an indissoluble bond, the pope said. According to Church teaching, in most cases such couples are not permitted to receive Communion. But bishops at the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family last October and preparing for the general synod Oct. 4-25 have been studying and debating possibilities for allowing some couples in some situations to return to the sacraments. The Church, Pope Francis said at the audience, must have “the heart of a mother, a heart that, animated by the Holy Spirit, always seeks the good and the salvation of persons.” The children of such couples suffer most and deserve particular care, the pope said. “How can we tell these parents to do everything possible to raise their children in the Christian life, giving them the example of a convinced and lived faith, if we keep them at a distance from the life of the community as if they were excommunicated?” the pope asked. Particularly over the past few decades, he said, “the Church has not been insensitive or lazy” when it comes to providing pastoral care to the divorced and civilly remarried.
Pope Francis greets newly married couples during his weekly audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Aug. 5. CNS photo In his apostolic exhortation, “Familiaris Consortio,” St. John Paul II saw an “obligation, ‘for love of the truth,’ to exercise a ‘careful discernment of situations,’” noting for example “the difference between one who has endured a separation and one who provoked it,” Pope Francis said. Retired Pope Benedict XVI also studied the question, he said, “calling for an attentive discernment and wise pastoral accompaniment, knowing that no ‘simple recipes’ exist.” As the studies and discernment continue, Pope Francis said, it is essential that Catholic pastors “openly and coherently demonstrate the willingness of the community to welcome and encourage” divorced and remarried couples and their families to participate in Church life. Prayer, listening to the word of God, attending Mass, educating their children in the faith, serving the poor and working for justice and peace should be part of their lives, he said. Quoting his apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis told those gathered for the audience, “The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open . . . Everyone can share in some way in the life of the Church; everyone can be part of the community.”
World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation Sept. 1 Catholic News Service Like their Orthodox brothers and sisters, Catholics formally will mark Sept. 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis has decided. The day of prayer, the pope said, will give individuals and communities an opportunity to implore God’s help in protecting creation and an opportunity to ask God’s forgiveness “for sins committed against the world in which we live.” He linked its focus to his recent encyclical, “Laudato Si’.” Pope Francis announced his decision to add the annual prayer day to the Catholic calendar in a letter to Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical
IN THEATERS
AUGUST 28
Encyclical panel “Natural and Human Ecology,” a panel discussion on “Laudato Si’” will be held 9-11:30 a.m. Sept. 9 at the University of St. Thomas Anderson Student Center, Woulfe Alumni Hall, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. For more information, visit www.mncc.org. Council for Justice and Peace, and to Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The text of the letter, dated Aug. 6, was released by the Vatican Aug. 10.
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U.S. & WORLD
The Catholic Spirit • 13A
Post-Chapter 11, ‘our focus is on mission,’ Milwaukee archbishop says By Brian T. Olszewski Catholic News Service The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is “turning a page on a chapter in our history — a terrible part of the history,” Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said Aug. 3. “Now, we must continue doing the charitable, educational and spiritual work of the archdiocese. Our complete focus is on mission, but we must not forget those who have been harmed,” he said about the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The archbishop made the comments in an interview a day before a $21 million settlement was reached for abuse survivors by the archdiocese and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which has sought compensation for victims/survivors. The settlement is part of an agreement on a reorganization plan that now must be approved by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge. Sitting in his office, Archbishop Listecki talked about the Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization that had consumed a large part — “four years and eight months,” he noted — of his time as leader of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. A lawyer and a pastor, the archbishop spoke in the tone of the latter. He acknowledged that the abuse crisis has had an impact upon the archdiocese’s mission. “Something I’ve consistently said is that the experience of the clergy sexual abuse has made us — through the stories shared by the victims — has made us, I think, a better Church,” he said. “It has made us strong in many areas, and has helped us come to grips with our responsibilities, especially toward the young and the oversight that needs to be taken.” He noted that as a result of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, the archdiocese has trained tens of thousands of people to protect young people, celebrates an annual Mass of Atonement, established a Community Advisory Board and Safe Environment Program, and has had its
Bismarck bishop: Catholic groups with troops to sever Boy Scouts ties
“Either you can throw your hands down and in depression just give up, or look to what God is directing you to do in the midst of that and to see him as your only hope and to look to reconciliation as providing a new moment, to understand our responsibility in trying to heal wounds.” Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki
employees sign the Ethical Code of Conduct. “All of these changes have been brought about as a result of this,” Archbishop Listecki said. “Betterment of the Church goes beyond programs and events,” he said. “You can’t say you’re a better Church if it hasn’t strengthened your own spiritual life. By strengthening it, I mean the devastation of the clergy sexual abuse is like being hit by a natural disaster,” he told the Catholic Herald, a publication serving the Catholic community in southeastern Wisconsin. “Either you can throw your hands down and in depression just give up, or look to what God is directing you to do in the midst of that and to see him as your only hope and to look to reconciliation as providing a new moment, to understand our responsibility in trying to heal wounds.”
Catholic News Service Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck told Catholic parishes, schools and institutions they must cut ties with the Boy Scouts of America because of the organization’s decision to allow openly gay troop leaders and employees to serve in their ranks at the national level. He said in an Aug. 3 letter to parishioners that “effective immediately,” any Catholic organization connected with the Boy Scouts is “formally disaffiliated” immediately with the Scouting organization. Bishop Kagan wrote that even though the Boy Scouts of America may have a religious organization exception, it “will provide no protection for any of our parishes and/or schools which sponsor troops.” “I regret my decision, but as the chief shepherd of the Diocese of Bismarck, I cannot permit our Catholic institutions to accept and participate directly or indirectly in any organization, which has policies and methods, which contradict the moral teachings of the Catholic Church,” the bishop wrote. Bishop Kagan urged sponsors and leaders of Scout troops to consider joining alternative organizations such as the Federation of North American Explorers, Columbian Squires of the Knights of Columbus and Trail Life USA. For girls, he suggested American Heritage Girls, the Little Flowers Girls’ Club as well as the Federation of North American Explorers. Although the Girl Scouts of the United States of America has not adopted a formal policy on lesbian leaders, it has maintained that it is nondiscriminatory toward members and adult leaders.
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14A • The Catholic Spirit
FAITH & CULTURE
August 13, 2015
Faith and fiesta merge at annual Dia de La Familia By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit More than 1,000 people took part in the joint traditions of the Catholic faith and Latino culture at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis-sponsored Dia de La Familia Aug. 1. Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at the outdoor Mass at the football stadium of St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights. The Vatican-appointed apostolic administrator walked the length of the fiesta-like event both before and after Mass, greeting people and posing for selfies with young and old from parishes where Spanish-language Masses are celebrated across the 12-county archdiocese. “Thank you for the beautiful tradition of family life that you bring to the Catholic faith,” the archbishop told Massgoers in the stadium bleachers. Speaking in English with Father Erik Lundgren translating, Archbishop Hebda added, “I will pray for you, and pray for me that I will learn Spanish.” Bishop Andrew Cozzens preached in Spanish and blessed scores of teen “quinceneros” as part of a coming-of-age ritual. Music, dancers, soccer, food and games for children were all part of the free event, and parishes vied for honors in a cook-off to select the best tamales and empanadas.
A costumed drummer performs with a dance group Aug. 1 at Dia de La Familia at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights. The event was sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Latino Ministry.
At the end of Mass, attendees gather with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, apostolic administrator, Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens and other clergy to record a greeting in Spanish for when Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S. in September.
Photos by Bob Zyskowski See more at www.TheCatholicSpirit.com.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda, assisted by Deacon Michael Daly, receives offertory gifts during Mass Aug. 1 at Dia de La Familia.
Jose Dominguez from Sts. Joachim and St. Anne in Shakopee goes through the food line Aug. 1 at Dia de La Familia, which was held at the football stadium of St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights.
‘Jim Gaffigan Show’ treats Catholicism seriously, but in a funny way By Maria Macina and John Mulderig Catholic News Service Faith and comedy can make for an uncomfortable combination. Wits who engage in this volatile mix obviously need to avoid outright irreverence or the trivialization of the sacred. Yet they also have to be wary of artificial restraint since all genuine humor depends, to some degree at least, on a sense of realism and recognition. So plaudits are due to the folks behind the new TV Land program “The Jim Gaffigan Show.” Remarkably, they’ve managed to strike just the right balance between the weighty topic of religious devotion and the comically challenging situations to which the exercise of Catholic piety can all too often lead in today’s mixed-up world. The single-camera series, which airs 9-9:30 p.m. CDT on Wednesdays, stars the stand-up comedian of the title playing a fictionalized version of himself. Taking its lead from Gaffigan’s popular fact-based routine, the show finds his alter ego sharing a twobedroom apartment in New York City with his wife, Jeannie (Ashley Williams), and their five young children. Written and executive produced by Gaffigan in collaboration with the real Jeannie, the program portrays the ongoing juggling act the screen couple must engage in to meet the competing demands of family, faith and Jim’s professional life as an
household: The family attends Mass; Jim and Jeannie plan to send their children to parochial school; a cross and a painting of Mary adorn the walls of the couple’s bedroom. Although the scripts do not shy away from controversial issues, making the show unsuitable for youngsters, such topics are treated in a positive, funny and mostly family-friendly way. There are some mild language concerns, however, as well as more prominent lifestyle situations that call for mature discernment. These mostly involve the supporting characters.
Jim Gaffigan, the comic actor known both for his funny books like “Dad Is Fat” and “Food: A Love Story” and his inclusion of his Catholicism in his stand-up routines, is pictured in a 2010 photo. Gaffigan and his wife, Jeannie, have collaborated on a new TV Land cable sitcom, “The Jim Gaffigan Show.” CNS/courtesy of TV Land entertainer. Jim’s outsized love of food is another recurring theme and source of laughs. Episodes often feature surprise guest appearances by the likes of Chris Rock, Macaulay Culkin and Janeane Garofalo. Shot in New York, the series does a great job of showcasing the city and such iconic Gotham landmarks as Katz’s Deli. Catholicism is front-and-center in the Gaffigan
Jim’s best friend and fellow comedian, Dave Marks (Adam Goldberg), for instance, is a would-be Casanova always on the lookout for his next conquest. Realtor Daniel Benjamin (Michael Ian Black), Jeannie’s closest pal — who doubles as a verbal sparring partner for Jim — is gay. While its treatment of the moral questions over which the culture wars continue to be fought is sometimes flippant and imprecise, “The Jim Gaffigan Show” does succeed in its broader presentation of Catholic family life. It thus achieves two important goals simultaneously. Even as it demonstrates that a television comedy need not rely lazily on off-color humor, the series effectively pushes back against the increasing effort in contemporary society to marginalize Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.
THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY
August 13, 2015
TWENTY SOMETHING Christina Capecchi
Waiting for a husband, keeping the faith Arleen Spenceley can’t remember the last time she went on a date. It must’ve been 2014, she says without a trace of panic. Even though she’s in the thick of wedding season and nearing her 30th birthday, the fact that she’s still single doesn’t seem to bother Arleen. She’s not freaking out. She’s not losing sleep. She’s not pulling back-to-back novenas for a husband. When she prays, she can hardly bring herself to ask God for anything, she feels so richly, wildly blessed. Arleen Spenceley, the girl with the bouncy hair and bouncy name, the cradle Catholic from Tampa, Florida, with the large Twitter following, has much to be thankful for: a dynamic journalism career, an award-winning book, a bustling speaking schedule, friends who are like family and family who are friends. “God has given me so many awesome opportunities,” she said. In the summer of 2009, back when Arleen was 23, the spirited brunette made a gutsy decision: She outed
herself as a virgin, writing in Florida’s biggest newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, about her faith-based reasons for saving herself for marriage. It was a terrifying move, one that she tried to back out of at the last minute, but her editor pushed forward. And ultimately, her convictions compelled her to act. “There came a point where I decided, ‘If I don’t do this, nobody else will.’ Because I know the truth. I know chastity is what equips us to love authentically,” she said. Half an hour after the column was published, Arleen’s phone began ringing. The calls, emails and tweets continued pouring in for two years. Arleen realized she had hit a nerve. She had not just written a column; she had inadvertently launched a chastity campaign and rendered herself its poster child. With grace and humility, she has embraced that mission, letting it carry her on a series of adventures she never anticipated: explaining her mystifying
virginity to National Public Radio, coping with cruel comments from readers, blogging voraciously at ArleenSpenceley.com, writing her 2014 book “Chastity is for Lovers: Single, Happy, and (Still) a Virgin” and reporting on celibate singles. (A researcher at the National Center for Health Statistics admitted that she hadn’t bothered gathering data on the 2 to 3 percent of Americans ages 25 to 44 who are virgins. “It’s just so rare,” she told Arleen. “I don’t even know what their prognosis would be.”) Making the case for chastity — which, Arleen is quick to clarify, is the Church’s call to all Catholics, married and single alike — feels important. “I consider this a privilege and also a responsibility,” she said. “I know virgins exist who feel alone, and I want them to know they’re not. I know people [who] are saving sex [for marriage] from now on who aren’t sure it’s possible, and I want them to know it is.” A national speaking campaign would seem like a sure-fire way to change Arleen’s single status, introducing her to like-minded men and aspiring grandmas. No, she says, that simply isn’t the case. “The men aren’t lining up.” Occasionally Arleen throws herself a pity party or lets herself dabble on wedding-themed Pinterest boards. But even when her heart aches, she’s pretty good about keeping her head on straight. “When we feel unhappy,” she writes in her book, “is it because we’re single or is it because of what we say to ourselves about being single?”
Kathryn Mollen
If a decline in the percentage of people who vote is any indication, people are disheartened with our political system. There seems to be a collective feeling that politics is nothing more than a partisan power struggle that serves special interests instead of the common good. People do not believe that their one voice makes a difference amidst a cacophony of competing voices. Though there are plenty of reasons for pessimism, Christians cannot give in to despair. The public arena requires our witness, and Christians cannot sit on the sidelines or delegate to others their responsibility to be faithful citizens. As Pope Francis recently said, “A Church or a Christian who does not give witness is sterile; like a dead person who thinks they are alive; like a dried up tree that produces no fruit; an empty well that offers no water!”
Power politics’ dead end One of the reasons politics seems so fruitless today is that it is often conflict-
driven — a power struggle among rigid, ideological factions or interest groups. Feeling “disempowered,” some people form groups to “take back power.” For example, Saul Alinsky, Chicago’s infamous political organizer, wrote the book “Rule for Radicals” as a manual for the “Have-Nots” on how to organize their voice and take back power from the “Haves.” Ultimately, however, such “power struggles” are self-defeating. They typically coarsen the public discourse and create enemies instead of building bridges of dialogue. As this dynamic has become endemic to modern politics, people are thirsty for a new style of politics.
Politics as a form of charity Pope Francis has said that politics, in the mind of the Church, is one of the “highest forms of charity.” Those who enter the political arena contribute to the conversation about how we order our lives together — that is, they work for the common good. As Catholics, we should not engage
“Chastity is for Lovers: Single, Happy, and (Still) a Virgin” by Arleen Spenceley, Ave Maria Press, 160 pages For now, she’s working on herself — managing her time and her messes, practicing forms of sacrifice, whether it’s forgoing sugar or Facebook for a year. She wants to be her very best at the ultimate vocation — love, which is something she can imagine for tomorrow and live out today. Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights and the editor of www.SisterStory.org. listening because they do not know how. One wonders, what can I do?
FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA
Power politics vs. faithful citizenship
The Catholic Spirit • 15A
“Those who enter the political arena contribute to the conversation about how we order our lives together — that is, they work for the common good.” Kathryn Mollen
in politics for the sake of gaining and wielding power. Rather, we engage in politics to share the social teachings of the Church in order to breathe life into our communities. Though Alinsky’s “power struggle” tactics are ultimately self-defeating, he was correct in recognizing that people need to participate in the political process and share their views with public officials in order to effect change. Imagine the change hundreds of thousands of Catholics could make if they participated in politics to promote life and dignity throughout our state.
Be a faithful citizen Often, activists tell us to participate in the political process, or “get involved.” People sometimes stop
Participating in politics through elections, public debate and the legislative process is an exercise of service and civic friendship (solidarity) where Christians are desperately needed to foster the common good. Beyond voting, Catholics can participate by letting public officials know our views on policy matters as informed by Catholic social doctrine.
Network offers aid To help you with the task of communicating with your elected officials, the Minnesota Catholic Conference has created the Catholic Advocacy Network. Through periodic emails and monthly E-updates, Network members are given simple, concrete ways to promote life and dignity through the political process. In addition, the Catholic Advocacy Network is expanding and offering volunteer opportunities to help Catholics in their parishes and communities participate in public policy through an authentic Catholic lens. Modeling a different style of politics rooted in civility and rational discourse will help contribute to a renewal of political life. As Catholics, we need to give witness and speak together as one voice to promote life and dignity in the public sphere. Mollen is policy and outreach coordinator for the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
FOCUS ON FAITH
16A • The Catholic Spirit
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Deacon Mark Pavlak
Jesus’ ‘radical’ command inspires deep faith In the readings this weekend, we arrive at a very pivotal moment in the great bread of life discourse. Until now, Jesus has only required belief in him as the one sent by the father, a belief difficult enough in itself. He has done many things to merit our belief, like feeding the 5,000 and walking on water. But in the Scripture for Aug. 16, he challenges us to put our belief into action in a very unpalatable way: to eat his body and drink his blood. For the Jewish people this would be not only unheard of, but also incredibly offensive. Blood signifies the very life source of man and beast; it is
sacred to God. The consumption of blood is against Jewish dietary laws, so it must be drained before the animal is to be eaten (Leviticus 7:26-27; Leviticus 17:10-14). And now Jesus, a Jew, is calling us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. As if his teachings weren’t difficult enough to this point, this one ought to draw the proverbial line in the sand. This leads me to ask: Wouldn’t it be easier to believe in Jesus without this difficult teaching? If Jesus had clarified his words as a mere symbolic meaning of eating his body and blood, then maybe those listeners in Capernaum wouldn’t have turned away. After all, many non-
August 13, 2015
believers today even find our belief in the Eucharist to be foolish and, perhaps, disgusting. So it seems that accepting all of Jesus’ teachings would be a lot easier if some of them didn’t require this amount of faith, this amount of difficulty. But this is exactly what the Lord does to us. He stretches us and calls us to a deep faith in him. Perhaps after 2,000 years, we have taken for granted this radical command Jesus gave his disciples. Today, if someone were to command you to eat his body and drink his blood, you’d likely think it terrifying and frightening. Imagine the reaction of the Jewish people in Capernaum when they heard these words for the first time. They are no less true for us now. Why does Jesus demand this amount of faith from us? Why couldn’t he just offer us moral teachings by which to live? Because we have a God who desires to be close with us. We have a God who is Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14). “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (John 6:56). Contact with the divine no longer remains outside of ourselves, but rather it enters into our very bodies, our very
Sunday, Aug. 16 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings
• Proverbs 9:1-6 • Ephesians 5:15-20 • John 6:51-58 selves. The veil of our ignorance is lifted away, and we encounter the very knowledge of God, which gives wisdom to the mind to turn away from foolishness and understanding to do his will (Proverbs 9:6; Ephesians 5:17). As a result, this sacrament generates a deep faith that stretches us, a faith by which we externally live what is now internally present: the Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Deacon Pavlak is in formation for the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His teaching parish is All Saints in Lakeville. His home parish is St. Agnes in St. Paul.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Aug. 16 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Proverbs 9:1-6 Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58 Monday, Aug. 17 Judges 2:11-19 Matthew 19:16-22 Tuesday, Aug. 18 Judges 6:11-24a Matthew 19:23-30
Wednesday, Aug. 19 Judges 9:6-15 Matthew 20:1-16 Thursday, Aug. 20 St. Bernard, abbot and doctor of the Church Judges 11:29-39a Matthew 22:1-14 Friday, Aug. 21 St. Pius X, pope Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22 Matthew 22:34-40
Saturday, Aug. 22 Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 Matthew 23:1-12 Sunday, Aug. 23 Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Ephesians 5:21-32 John 6:60-69 Monday, Aug. 24 St. Bartholomew, apostle Revelation 21:9b-14 John 1:45-51
SEEKING ANSWERS Father Michael Schmitz
Recipe for holiness is simple: Conform will to God’s will Q. I read about the saints and how
extraordinary they were. Some of them did really hard things like only getting a few hours of sleep and doing other painful things. I guess not all of them did outstanding things, but I feel like in order to become a saint I have to do something like not sleep for days or do penance all of the time. How can I be holy?
A. This question is great because it
goes to the very heart of what it means to be holy. I once read a book written by a Benedictine monk named Dom Hubert von Zellar in which he addresses this problem head-on. He writes, “If personal holiness is thought of as being a name at the top of the list it is
understood wrong. If it is thought of as something which merits a feast in the Church’s calendar it is understood wrong. If it is thought of as something to which is attached the power of working miracles it is understood wrong. If it is thought of as a mooning about in the state of pious contentment (or sweet ecstasy or noble and aloof virtue) it is understood wrong. There is nothing ‘superior’ . . . about it.” So what is holiness? How can a person live a holy life in the midst of a culture that doesn’t seem to value holiness (or even pay much attention to God)? Doing the will of God. Belief that has been translated into action — this is what faith really is. And this is what holiness really is.
Tuesday, Aug. 25 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 23:23-26 Wednesday, Aug. 26 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:27-32 Thursday, Aug. 27 St. Monica 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 Matthew 24:42-51
Formula: w = W = H Father Michael Gaitley pointed out that St. Maximilian Kolbe would teach young Franciscan brothers about holiness using this formula: w = W = H (where our will conforms to God’s Will, there is Holiness). I think that it might be helpful to remember that many people fall from this center line into one of two erroneous extremes. The first is that God wants nothing more than for us to be happy. While God is good and wants us to share in his goodness and joy (you are made for love!), that doesn’t mean that the point of life is one’s personal happiness. If “happiness” simply means “getting what I want,” then it is definitely not the point of life. Once again, the point is conforming our will to God’s will at every moment. The other wrong-headed extreme is the notion that “the holy thing to do is whatever I least want to do.” I find this kind of thinking all of the time when speaking with young people trying to discern God’s vocation for their life. A young man or young woman wants to be a saint. They have absolutely no attraction or desire for the priesthood or religious life, but this antipathy leads them to conclude that the “holier” thing to do would be to pursue seminary or
Friday, Aug. 28 St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Matthew 25:1-13 Saturday, Aug. 29 Passion of St. John the Baptist 1 Thessalonians 4:9-1 Mark 6:17-29 Sunday, Aug. 30 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
enter a convent. When they just can’t bring themselves to do this, they believe that it reveals a lack of holiness on their part, and thereby disqualifies them from being a saint. This kind of thinking often stems from a lack of knowledge of who God is. It rises out of a certain perspective and many people’s personal experiences. For example, there is a certain kind of theology that overemphasizes our fallen humanity and tends to conclude that every natural desire a person has needs to be rejected and suppressed. But authentic Catholic anthropology is more nuanced. Human beings are essentially good, but we also have an inclination or attraction to sin. Because of that inclination, we have to be aware (and even on guard) for where our desires conflict with God’s will. But because of the intrinsic goodness human beings retain, we are also “hardwired” for the good. So how does one know God’s will? Simple.
Don’t over think it Start with what you know. I cannot overemphasize this. Too many times, people try to base their next step in the spiritual life off of an unknown factor. Please turn to TO RECOGNIZE on page 18A
CALENDAR
August 13, 2015 Dining out Benefit breakfast — Aug. 16: 8 a.m.–1 p.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 1910 S. Greeley St., Stillwater. $8 Adults; $4 children 5-12; 4 and under free. Sponsored by Stillwater KCs in partnership with St. Francis of Assisi, Lake St. Croix Beach. Proceeds benefit Lighthouse Media programs and parish confirmation retreat fund.
Music and entertainment Organ concert featuring Donald VerKuilen — Aug. 20: 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Summer Fest Concert featuring Martin Zellar & the Hardways — Aug. 22: 6–10 p.m. at St. Mary of the Lake ballpark, 4690 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. $15; children 14 and under free. Food, ice cream, snacks and beverages available. Information: (651) 429-7771 or www.stmarys-wbl.org.
Parish events Garage sale — Aug. 13-15: All Saints, Lakeville. Aug. 13, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Aug. 14, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Aug. 15, 8 a.m.–noon, with half-price bag sale.19795 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville. Garage sale — Aug. 14-16: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe, 401 Concord St., St. Paul. Tacos and hot dogs for sale. Information: (651) 228-0506. Most Holy Trinity Ho-Down — Aug. 16: 11 a.m. Polka Mass, 11:30 a.m. chicken cookout. Noon–6:15 p.m., home-baked goods, games, raffles, music. 4939 N. Washington St., Veseli. Information: (507) 744-2823. Farewell Mass and open house for Father Xavier Thelakkatt — Aug. 30: 10 a.m. Mass followed by 11 a.m. reception in the parish center at St. Albert Church, 11400 57th St. NE, Albertville. Father Thelakkatt is returning to his home country of India after more than 20 years of ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Hosted by the clustered parishes of St. John the Baptist in Dayton and St. Albert in Albertville. Information: Mike, Janet or Rita at (763) 497-2474. Garage sale — Sept. 12-13: Sept. 12, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; Sept. 13, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sacred Heart/Kermesse del Sagrado Corazon, East Sixth and Arcade Streets, St. Paul. St. Rose of Lima School 75th anniversary — Sept. 19: 4-9 p.m. Prayer service, Mass, outdoor dinner, music, children’s activities, reunion meet-and-greet. 2048 Hamline Ave., Roseville. Information: www. mysaintrose.net.
Parish festivals St. Gerard Corn Fest — Aug. 14-15: Aug. 14, 6–11 p.m., Aug. 15, 4–11 p.m. Live entertainment, beer garden, bounce houses, games, sports alley, basket auction, bingo, food. 9600 Regent Ave. N, Brooklyn Park. Information: www.st-gerard.org. Sts. Cyril and Methodius parish festival — Aug. 15-16: 10 a.m. Aug. 15 and 10:30 a.m. Aug. 16 (starting with Mass) at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, 1325 Second St. NE, Minneapolis. Aug. 15: soccer tournament, volleyball tournament, Ecuadorian food, children’s games, ice cream, beer wagon; Aug. 16: championship soccer game, children’s games, cake walk, pull tabs, raffle (4 p.m. drawing, $1,500 in prize money), beer wagon, popcorn, cabbage rolls, Polish sausage and hot dogs, Hispanic food. St. Bridget’s Heart of the Northside Festival — Aug. 16: 10:30 a.m.– 4 p.m. at 3811 Emerson Ave. N., Minneapolis. Attend 9:30 a.m. Mass and stay for the day. Attractions include a $1,000 raffle, silent auction, brunch, snacks and treats, bingo, pull tabs, kids’ games and craft sale. Information: www.stbridgetnorthside. org.
St. Genevieve’s parish festival and chicken dinner — Aug. 16: Dinner served 11 a.m.– 3:30 p.m. at 7087 Goiffon St., Centerville. $11 adults, $5 children 10 and under. Amusements, booths, bingo, raffle, children’s games, refreshments. St. Thomas the Apostle parish festival — Aug. 16: 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at 20000 County Road 10, Corcoran (corner of County Road 10 and County Road 116). Turkey dinner, games and treats, rummage sale, baked goods, farmers market, bingo, craft sale, silent auction and raffle tickets.
More events online The CatholicSpirit. com
St. Anne parish festival — Aug 23: 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m., 200 Hamel Road, Hamel. Mass 10:30 a.m., chicken dinner served 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Food, drink, games, bingo, pull tabs, family-friendly stage entertainment, silent auction, white elephant sale, country store, raffle. Information: (763) 478-6644. St. Matthias, Hampton, annual Fun Fest — Aug. 23: 10 a.m. polka Mass with Big Ben and the Brians. Following Mass, food stand, dessert stand, silent auction, games, bingo, beer stand, country store, country music featuring Ron E. Cash. Auction at 2:30 p.m. Corner of Highway 50 and County Road 47, Hampton. St. Patrick CountryFest — Sept. 11–13: 19921 Nightingale St. NW, Oak Grove. Friday youth block party; Saturday and Sunday: raffle, 5K, games, food, entertainment, silent auction, BBQ rib fest contest, music, quilt auction, car show. Information: www. st-patricks.org.
Holy Family Maronite fall fest — Sept. 11–13: 1960 Lexington Ave. S., Mendota Heights. Sept. 11: food 5 p.m., bingo 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12: bake sale and estate sale, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sept. 13, liturgy 10 a.m.; outdoor festival, Lebanese food, belly dancers, games, bake sale, silent auction,11 a.m.–5 p.m. Information: www. HolyFamilyEvents.org or (651) 291-1116. St. Mary of the Lake fall festival —Sept. 12-13: Parish Life Center, 4690 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. Pig roast dinner served 6–7:30 p.m. Sept. 12. $8 adults and $5 children. From 7:30–9:30 p.m., music by the Emerson Avenue Band. Beer, wine and concessions available. Silent auction, general store, wine toss, raffles and more. Live auction begins at 6:30 p.m. Turkey dinner noon–2:30 p.m. Sept. 13. Inflatables, games and activities, bingo, 3 p.m. raffle drawing. Information: (651) 429-7771 or www.stmarys-wbl.org. St. Michael of St. Michael fall festival — Sept. 12-13: Sept. 12, 2–8 p.m.: bingo, bierstube dinner, polka band. Sept. 13: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.: chicken dinner, games, petting zoo, inflatables, beer and refreshments, performance by Shane Martin, bingo, arts and crafts, country store, raffle. 11200 Frankfort Parkway NE, St. Michael. Information: www.stmchatholicchurch.org St. Timothy fall carnival — Sept. 11-13: Rides, games, clowns, chili contest, silent auction, bingo, music and dancing, country store, food, ice cream and “Super Chicken Dinner” Sept. 13, 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Information: (763) 784-1329 or www.churchofsttimothy. com. St. Jude of the Lake CornFest — Sept. 12: 3–10 p.m., 700 Mahtomedi Ave., Mahtomedi. St. Mary Fall Harvest — Sept. 12-13: 607 Elm St., Waverly. Sept. 12: Mass, 4 p.m.; pork chop dinner, 5–7 p.m.; music and children’s movie night, 6-11 p.m. Sept. 13: Mass, 8 and 10:30 a.m.; Dad’s Belgian waffles, 8 a.m.–noon; apple pie baking contest, scavenger hunt, cake walk, bean bag tournament, bingo, train rides, silent auction. Sacred Heart Fun Fest — Sept. 13:11 a.m.–3 p.m., 4087 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale. Food, music, games, silent auction, raffle. Information: (763) 537-4561.
The Catholic Spirit • 17A Sacred Heart/Kermesse del Sagrado Corazon fall festival — Sept. 13: 10 a.m.–4 p.m., East Sixth and Arcade Streets, St. Paul. Mexican and American food, music, dancers, games, raffle.
Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, soccer and other games. Ages 18-39. Begin and end each night with prayer, continue fellowship at a nearby restaurant afterward. Sponsored by Cathedral Young Adults. Information: www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/cya.
St. Ignatius parish festival — Sept. 19: 4 p.m. Mass, followed by chicken dinner with homemade pie from 5–7 p.m., inside or outside. Games for all ages, bingo, various prize raffles, cake walk, beer garden, etc., 35 Birch St. E., Annandale. Information: (320) 224-2934 or dmos@ lakedalelink.net.
Other events
Holy Spirit SpiritFest — Sept. 19: 4:30 p.m. Mass, followed by music, food, games, fireworks. 515 Albert St. S., St. Paul. Information: (651) 698-3353.
Marriage Encounter — Aug. 22-23: Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center, Farmington. Information: www.marriages.org or (651) 454-3238.
St. Pascal Baylon fall festival — Sept. 27: noon–5 p.m., Third Street and White Bear Avenue, St. Paul. Games, spaghetti dinner, bingo, boutique, raffles, beer, wine, football. Information: (651) 774-1585.
Prayer and worship Many Faces of Mary rosary procession — Aug. 15: 1–3 p.m., Academy of Holy Angels, 66th and Nicollet, Richfield. Celebrate with prayer and song in your native language and clothing. Bring your own statue or picture of Mary. Information: terryrat@icloud. com or (763) 242-7105. Healing Mass — Aug. 20: 7 p.m., rosary at 6:30 p.m. Father Michael Becker, celebrant. Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 155 County Road 24, Medina. Day of Taize — Aug. 21: 10 a.m.–8 p.m., with Benedictine Sister Carol Rennie. The Benedictine Center, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Register at www.stpaulsmonastery.org and click the Benedictine Center tab, call (651) 777-7251 or email: benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org.
Retreats Healing Takes Time — Sept. 18-20: For those who are grieving, sponsored by the Hope United Grief Group at Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information and to register: contact Marlene Hunt of Hope United Grief Group at (507) 381-1177 or email marlenehunt53@ gmail.com. Women’s mid-week retreat — Sept. 15-18: Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information and to register: (952) 447-2182 or www.franciscanretreats.net/ register.
Young adults Outdoor sports night — Friday evenings through September: 6 p.m. to dark, Rahn Park, Eagan.
Career Transition Group meeting — Aug. 20: 7:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Medina. For those looking for work, changing careers, looking to improve skills and network. Information: www.hnoj.org/career-transitiongroup.
Art exhibit — Sept. 4-November: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. daily. “Beneath the Surface,” art of Chuck and Peg Hoffman, inspired by trip to the Holy Land. Free. Benedictine Center, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. “Natural and Human Ecology: A panel discussion on Laudato Si’” — Sept. 9: 9–11:30 a.m., hosted by Minnesota Catholic Conference, Catholic Rural Life and the University of St. Thomas Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas Anderson Student Center, Woulfe Alumni Hall, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Delve into some of the encyclical’s themes and consider ways in which Minnesota Catholics can put them into practice. Free. RSVP at www.mcc-laudato-si.eventbrite.com. RSVP is requested for seating, but is not required to attend. Light refreshments available. Information: www. mncc.org/category/resources/events/or (651) 227-8777. 50th reunion: Hill High School and Archbishop Murray Memorial High School — Sept. 11-12: Register online at www.hill-murray.org/1965Reunion. Information: Christine Jones, cjones@hill-murray.org or (651) 748-2410. Prison ministry information workshop and support group — Sept. 12: 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Risen Savior, 1501 County Road 42 E., Burnsville. Information: www.stjosephcommunity.org/prison_ministry.aspx or Kevin Connors, kjc379@gmail.com or (952) 426-8633. Marian Pilgrimage Tour to Fatima, Lourdes, Paris — Sept. 7–18: Led by Father Mark Pavlik. Information: Tony or Lisa Schmitz, (651) 245-9451 or LMS.totustuus@gmail.com. Society of St. Vincent de Paul eighth annual Friends of the Poor Walk — Sept. 26: 1 p.m. at Assumption Church, 305 E. 77th St., Richfield, followed by a picnic lunch prior to the 4 p.m. Mass. A social hour and dinner will follow Mass. All proceeds and donations to benefit people in the Twin Cities area served by SVdP. Free. Information: www.fopwalk.org.
CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event. • Full street address of event. • Description of event. • Contact information in case of questions: EMAIL: spiritcalendar@archspm.org (No attachments, please.) MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit • 244 Dayton Ave. • St. Paul, MN 55102.
18A • The Catholic Spirit
August 13, 2015
To recognize God’s will, start with what you know Continued from page 16A “What does God want me to do with my life?” Please — please! — start with what you already know. You already know that God will not call you to violate his word, his Church or a solemn oath that you have previously made (like marriage vows or a religious profession). You already know that you need to observe the Ten Commandments and the five precepts of the church. You already know that you need to be as attentive as possible to the Great Commandment of loving God with everything and loving your neighbor as yourself. (Spoiler alert: Loving God with everything means that you are setting some time aside every day to be with him.) These things are obvious. Start with that.
“When a person is living in the present moment and is attentive to the reality that God is in that moment, he or she is living a life of sanctity.” Father Michael Schmitz
Live in, not for, the moment The next thing to keep in mind is just as simple: being attentive to the task at hand. Saints (real saints, not the kinds of “saints” we may have made up in our minds) are attentive to the present moment. Whether that moment involves prayer, serving another person or enjoying a meal or song or exercise,
holiness involves living in the moment. (This is very different from living for the moment.) When a person is living in the present moment and is attentive to the reality that God is in that moment, he or she is living a life of sanctity. This is what St. Paul was referring to when he wrote, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God”
(1 Corinthians 10:31). Living this way is what Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection called “the practice of the Presence of God.” It is living out of a real relationship with God, knowing that he is attentive to you and present at every moment. Living this way is the recipe for authentic holiness. Dom Hubert van Zellar put it this way: “The way to think of sanctity is something which, by being generous and faithful to grace, gives back to God of love which he is given to the soul. So it is for God’s sake, rather than for our own, that we should want to be saints.” 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. Reach him at fathermikeschmitz@ gmail.com.
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CONSECRATED LIFE
August 13, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 19A
‘For your husband is your maker’ Prayer and surrender at heart of local women’s plans to enter religious life By Clare Kolars For The Catholic Spirit “What am I doing with my life?” It’s a crucial question asked by young and old alike. For two young women in the Twin Cities, the answer to their common question was to become a religious sister. Shantel Schallenkamp was accepted into the Carmelite Sisters in Los Angeles on her 30th birthday this past spring. “Discernment has been easy in the sense that he has paved the entire way — completely invited me to walk this path. I just had to say yes,” said Schallenkamp, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Although the journey has been long, God planted the seeds of her vocation at a young age. “My mom exposed me to the sisterhood, but I always pushed away the idea of being a nun,” Schallenkamp said with a laugh. “Usually that means there’s a vocation there.” Although she had a small conversion at a confirmation retreat in high school, Schallenkamp admits she tried to leave Jesus behind when going to college. “I told myself that I couldn’t profess this faith if I didn’t know him,” she said. But God was persistent. After numerous encounters with peers asking her to join them for Mass, she began to take her faith more seriously.
‘A long journey’ Schallenkamp realized her vocation choice was a heavy brick on her heart. An experience in confession prompted her to discern religious life. After attending a “come and see’” event with the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, she began actively to discern what God was calling her to do. Now she plans to spend the rest of her life with the Carmelites. “It’s been a very long journey,” Schallenkamp said. “I became impatient and doubtful, but the beauty of discernment is to learn what he made my heart for.” The Carmelite Sisters in Los Angeles are active in the community, where they serve the young to the elderly, while maintaining their contemplative prayer life. “I was drawn to that balance of prayer and work,” Schallenkamp said. Since announcing her acceptance with the sisters, Schallenkamp said she has received overwhelming support. “It’s been very humbling,” she said. “All I’m doing is saying yes to an invitation from him [God].” She added that many wonder how this new life will fit her outgoing personality. “To disconnect from social media will be hard, and it will be difficult to leave my family, but I do have the contemplative spirit when I have time,” Schallenkamp said. “I am excited for the opportunity to step outside of the world.”
Not alone While Schallenkamp’s story is an unusual one among today’s young adults, she is not alone in her journey of
FAR LEFT Anna Romportl, 22, a parishioner of St. Michael in Stillwater, plans to join the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville. Courtesy Anna Romportl LEFT Shantel Schallenkamp, 30, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, plans to join the Carmelite Sisters in Los Angeles this month. Courtesy Shantel Schallenkamp
“People love mystery, and the Catholic Church is enveloped in it. As young people, we’re all about the radical. My decision is radical, and people love that.” Anna Romportl, 22, who plans to join the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville discernment. A woman from Stillwater shares a similar story, and, like Schallenkamp, will enter religious life in August. Anna Romportl, a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, plans to enter the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville. “It’s been a slow process,” Romportl said. “I was always involved with my faith, but my personal relationship with Jesus wasn’t strong.” She experienced a conversion during a Totus Tuus (Latin for “Totally Yours”) camp the summer before her junior year of college. “It was a turning point — I fell in love with Jesus,” said Romportl, a parishioner of St. Michael in Stillwater. “I was receiving the Eucharist every day, and it changed my heart. I didn’t realize it until I couldn’t go to Mass every day on campus,” Romportl said. “We were teaching the sacraments to the children, and I realized it made my faith very real, and so I took it more seriously.” That following January, Romportl attended a retreat with the Dominicans in Nashville, where she said the sisters showed her how to pray. Romportl admitted she was stubborn to consider religious life.
“I thought I could outsmart God . . . but that never works. Don’t try it,” she said with a laugh. Her heart was softened after completing a novena to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, where she read the following verse from Isaiah: “For your husband is your maker; the Lord of Hosts is his name.” “I read that on the ninth day of my novena, which was also Easter Vigil,” Romportl said. The verse was also a part of the liturgy for Easter Vigil. “I told my parents the next morning that I wouldn’t be going to grad school, that I would seriously discern religious life.” Her parish and family have been extremely supportive. The reaction from classmates and professors, however, is a different. “When I tell them, they’re in utter shock,” Romportl said. “I wish I had a camera around my head to record their reactions. “Some are horrified, some are fascinated,” she added. “People love mystery, and the Catholic Church is enveloped in it. As young people, we’re all about the radical. My decision is radical, and people love that.” Although her decision has brought joy, it hasn’t been without challenge.
Did you know? There are many societal factors impacting choices of young adults today. Consecrated life is one option among many, but might get little consideration for a variety of reasons. A recent survey of millennial college freshmen indicated that being well-off financially was an essential or very important personal goal. From Sister Cathy Bertrand, School Sister of Notre Dame
“Saying goodbye to my family, our traditions and big gatherings will be difficult,” Romportl said quietly. “I’m going to be out of the loop for the rest of my life. “It’s a sacrifice to give up a physical family . . . I’ll be living that reality with other sisters soon, but now I’m very alone with that decision, especially with the pressure the world puts on marriage,” Romportl added.
Advice for others In addition to Romportl and Schallenkamp, at least three other young women with ties to the archdiocese plan to enter religious life this fall. The archdiocese does not keep statistics of how many local women enter anually. Both Romportl and Schallenkamp leave encouraging advice for young people searching for their path. “People assume everyone gets married, but young people need to ask, ‘What am I called to do?’ rather than, ‘Here are my plans, what do you think of them?’” Romportl said. Schallenkamp advised not to underestimate the power of God. After discerning God’s presence, one should see if there is a pattern to his call. “Pray for surrender,” she added. “Find where the Lord is and is not.”
The World Meeting of Families series will return Aug. 27
20A • The Catholic Spirit
THE LAST WORD
August 13, 2015
Too young to drive, but smart enough for college Fifteen-year-old U of M student shows strong mind, mature faith By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Most college students have reached the legal voting age of 18 by the time they first enroll. One local college senior, however, will pick up his diploma before he is even old enough to drive. Lucas Kramer of St. Patrick in Oak Grove is on track to graduate from the University of Minnesota in December with a degree in computer science. In just a matter of weeks, he will begin his final semester. He is only 15. At age 11, he set foot on campus and turned more than a few heads when he walked into his physics and chemistry classrooms. In fact, he made the front page of the U’s student newspaper, the Minnesota Daily, not long after he started in September 2011. The pre-teen shocked his chemistry professor, Linda Long, who thought his mother, Angela, was the student and that she was bringing Lucas along to class, the Daily reported. Not so. Lucas took his spot in the classroom and Lucas Kramer is one semester away from graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in computer science. The proved he belonged that very first week, and has nary 15-year-old from St. Patrick in Oak Grove began taking classes at the university when he was 11. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit a doubter left, thanks to his 3.95 GPA. A professor in the aerospace engineering Cavins didn’t believe him. He just said, “That’s Franciscan University in Steubenville. After getting a department, James Flaten, has gotten to know Lucas nice.” But, Lucas persisted, and Cavins decided to test master’s or doctorate in electrical engineering from over the last three years, starting with a freshman him. He picked one of the first 15 psalms and asked the U, he plans to go to Steubenville to get a master’s seminar in high-power rocketing in fall 2012, and Lucas to recite it. in philosophy, then perhaps go on to the seminary. continuing with work on Flaten’s ballooning team According to the archdiocesan Office of Vocations, he “He rattled it right off,” Cavins said. Later, during over the past three summers. needs to wait until he’s 18. class, Lucas recited another psalm. Then another. All “This kid is for real,” said Flaten, who has been a of the adults in the class became believers in the As brilliant as Lucas is — scoring 34 out of 36 on his college professor for 18 years. “In my time at the genius capacity of this young student, Cavins said. ACT test and having an IQ in the brilliant range — it’s University of Minnesota, 10 years so far, I have not His parents were convinced far his faith that might impress those around him even seen any other students who are earlier. more than his brain. as young as him. In fact, not “By the time he was 2, he was nearly as young as him. “He’s a very holy kid,” Angela said. “He prays every “He’s got a lot of options reading,” Angela said. “By the day, does the rosary every day. . . . He has such a love “I appreciate his contributions. time he was 5, he was reading my for the faith that since he’s been 3, he’s listened to an I think of him as an idea person. at this point in his life. He husband’s college books” hour of theology before he goes to bed every night.” He has an amazing number of Angela’s husband, Tim, is an ideas. Any time we have a There are trips to the eucharistic adoration chapel considers priesthood. He aerospace engineer — in other problem, he has more ideas than mixed in as well. And, Lucas has engaged in his faith a rocket scientist. He anybody to solve it.” at the U, joining activities at St. Lawrence Catholic considers computers and words, works for an aerospace company Actually, Lucas started making Church and Newman Center and regularly attending that has done projects for NASA. believers out of people long St. Paul’s Outreach events. He does it all because he science and physics. Apparently, Tim’s son has before he entered the university. wants to, he said, not because of parental pressure or inherited brilliance-plus. Just ask Bible scholar Jeff Cavins, anyone else’s expectations. Really, the world is “We had him tested when he who had Lucas as a student in “I’ve always found it appealing to spend a lot of was younger,” Angela said. “He one of his Bible studies when the waiting for Lucas, time in prayer,” he said. “Being able to serve others got into the Davidson Institute. boy was just 7. through that is really a neat thing.” It’s for kids who test above the whatever he decides.” “When I was teaching The A blessing for the family came when the pastor of 99.9th percentile. They set up Great Adventure Bible series at thier previous parish, St. Paul in Ham Lake, Father Jon Jeff Cavins mentors. When he was 8, they the Church of St. Paul in Ham Vander Ploeg, transferred to St. Lawrence and set him up with a mentor at Lake, one day this mother Newman Center right at the time Lucas began his first Augsburg [College] in physics. So, brought her son in,” recalled day of class. Father Vander Ploeg has gotten to know he started sitting in on all these college classes. Cavins, now the director of the Office of the family well, and has served both as Angela’s “We said, ‘Oh my goodness, he’s getting Evangelization and Catechesis for the Archdiocese of spiritual director and Lucas’ confessor. He has [understanding] this stuff. This is crazy.’ And, the next St. Paul and Minneapolis. “She said that he wanted to provided valuable support to Lucas and his family, class was Physics II, and he was getting it. So, by the join in the class and study. I thought that was nice, a Angela said. time he was 10, the online school said they would pay young boy who would like to study. I didn’t take it Of course, the question for someone like Lucas, who for him to take Physics III because he had exhausted particularly seriously because you don’t typically get has shown such an extraordinary intelligence at such everything else. So, he did Physics III at age 10 for young boys coming to serious Bible studies.” a young age, is: What will he be like once he becomes credit and did great.” This was a Bible study for adults, and Lucas was the an adult? He fast-forwarded through high school classes and only child present. But, he was no ordinary child. “I would say he has great potential, but I obviously started college at the U without ever setting foot in a “I started to realize very quickly that he was special, can’t guarantee anything specific,” Flaten said. “If he high school building. He kept climbing the that he was very engaged and that he was at a level at continues to grow, then he will become a very intellectual ladder and eventually did some tutoring least where the other adults were, if not a little bit exceptional adult.” of adult college students. Currently, he is continuing beyond where most of the adults were in their his summer job working for Flaten on a stratospheric understanding of not only the Bible, but theological Said Cavins: “He’s got a lot of options at this point ballooning project. concepts and language,” Cavins said. “It impressed in his life. He considers priesthood. He considers While it seems like Lucas is on a trajectory to me.” computers and science and physics. Really, the world become a brilliant scientist in the field of computer Lucas kept coming to the studies, and eventually is waiting for Lucas, whatever he decides. I’m signed up for a class about the psalms. Before the class science or engineering, he is pondering the idea of convinced that, whatever he decides to do, he’s going trading that in for a vocation to the priesthood. even started, Lucas approached Cavins and informed to rise to the top, and he will incorporate his faith at a him that he had memorized the first 15 psalms. He just returned from a priestly discernment trip to high level. He’ll be an impressive young man.”
LEADING WITH FAITH
PRINCIPLES
excellence
August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit special section • 1B
LEADERSHIP
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their talents, cherishing the dignity of their employees and putting God first. These men are our 2015 Leading with Faith Award recipients, and their stories are in the following pages.
This year, we honor seven leaders who work in diverse fields but share a commitment to offering
The Catholic Spirit celebrated our honorees Aug. 13 at a luncheon at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.
ince 2002, The Catholic Spirit has annually recognized men and women in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis business community who integrate their Catholic faith in their workplaces.
Congratulations to all of our winners!
2B •
LEADING WITH FAITH
August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit
In family firm, financial advisor tries to live by Golden Rule Mark Mischke works with his father, Herb, advising people about their finances in a family-owned business — Mischke/Mischke & Associates — part of a larger financial services firm, Voya Financial Advisors. Jan Ballman, a client of Mark’s, said when she read about the Leading With Faith Awards in The Catholic Spirit, she immediately thought of Mark. “I think of how important it is for people to be able to trust those who manage their money,” Ballman wrote in nominating him, “and Mark and his father have a successful small business because they exude trustworthiness. I can’t imagine anyone more deserving.” Ballman, who is president and CEO of Paradigm, a firm that provides court reporting among other services, admires Mischke’s business mantra, she added, one he proclaimed years ago: “There is no right way to do the wrong thing.” A one-time teacher at St. Luke School in St. Paul, Mischke is active at Lumen Christi Church in St. Paul and is faithful to his commitment to eucharistic adoration. Mischke is also a “pro-life warrior,” Ballman said. “He keeps on top of the latest issues and updates all of us.”
Mark Mischke, 56 Company Voya Financial Advisors Title Investment advisor representative Parish Lumen Christi, St. Paul Spouse Linda Children Jacob, Kelly, Jeanna and Mark Jr.
Christ wants us to treat people. I believe God leads me to people who I can be of service to. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. A client of mine told me she had an abortion and had been depressed for many years. I was able to lead her to Rachel’s Vineyard for healing. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? A Cursillo retreat I went on, and hearing about other men who share their faith at work and act accordingly. What achievement at work are you most proud of? Helping others become responsible in preparing their financial picture in productive ways that benefit their family and charities. In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? He has brought me extraordinary people to work with, and the Holy Spirit has guided so many conversations. Mark Mischke, right, and his father Herb enjoy a conversation in their office at Voya Financial Advisors in Little Canada. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
Volunteer activities Sidewalk counseling, lector, eucharistic minister, Joseph’s Coat board member Education University of St. Thomas
Congratulations to this year’s Leading with Faith Award winners. We are grateful for your witness of the faith in our community.
How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? I try to make decisions based on how
What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith? Trust that God will direct and guide us in serving people, and that it is very true that Jesus says he has come to give us life in abundance. It is an exciting life with Christ at the helm.
The 80,000-plus members and employees of Catholic United congratulate the recipients of the 2015 Leading with Faith Award: Paul Archambault Cary Becker Robert Du Fresne Jose Angel Martinez Mark Mischke Bill Sontag Jim Zenk
www.ccf-mn.org | 651-389-0300
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August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit
LEADING WITH FAITH • 3B
Contractor finds balance in prayer, trust and understanding “Cary’s deep Catholic faith is demonstrated throughout his personal and professional life,” wrote Father Michael Skluzacek, Cary Becker’s pastor, who nominated Becker for a Leading With Faith Award. “His desire for providing quality craftsmanship at affordable prices combined with his passion for the needs of area organizations engaged in God’s work is what makes Cary a real leader with faith.” Father Skluzacek has witnessed Becker’s work firsthand at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, where Becker led a renovation of the parish rectory. The owner of Becker Building and Remodeling, he has applied his building expertise to several projects for his parish and nonprofit organizations.
in this business are the people I work with and the clients I work for. Whether it’s a subcontractor or a new client, we’re all on a different faith journey, and we all can learn from one another. It might be the elderly lady who calls us and trusts us simply because we’re Catholic, or the young parents with a house full of kids who need a more practical kitchen. Everyone is in a different place with different needs and different stories, but we’re all in this together. I never know who I’m going to meet or what I’ll learn — the inspiration never stops! What achievement at work are you most proud of? I can’t identify a single achievement because I am so proud of our day-to-day work. Many clients are simply grateful for a job well done, but I’m proud that we’re focused on providing quality work with integrity on every job for every client. We see how important honesty, diligence, details and reliability are to our clients, and when we exceed expectations it motivates us even more. This day-to-day dedication, with care and integrity, is what I am most proud of.
Cary Becker, 57 Company Becker Building and Remodeling LLC Title Owner Parish St. John the Baptist, New Brighton Spouse Diane Children Caroline, Annette, Sarah and Maria Volunteer activities Trustee and Parish
Leadership Council for St. John the Baptist, board of directors for Trinity Sober Homes Education Sauk Centre High School and St. Cloud Technical College How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? Our Catholic values play into our work each and every day. There’s no separation between who I am as a Catholic and who I am as a contractor. With our day-to-day work, this shows in our integrity, attitude, discipline, dedication, and how we work with people. Practically, this might be honest pricing and fair wages, owning and fixing mistakes, or making a weekend house call when the plumbing is problematic. Regardless, our duty as Catholics is to treat every person with dignity in everything we do.
Cary Becker, right, and his wife, Diane, work side by side at Becker Building and Remodeling. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. My Catholic faith makes a difference every time I step back to remember it’s not about me. In the midst of frustrations, challenges, time constraints, mistakes or conflicts, my faith regularly helps me to refocus and remember priorities. Sometimes the balance of duties and obligations to projects such as Trinity Sober Homes, church facility repairs or the Abria Life Care Center can be difficult to manage; how do we continue to stay competitive
We join you in congratulating the 2015 Leading in Faith Winners! Meier, Kennedy & Quinn Honored to represent
Attorneys at Law
Honored to represent The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Parishes and Catholic Schools for over 60 years
Thomas B. Wieser • Charles M. Bichler • John C. Gunderson •Jennifer R. Larimore MaryCathleen G. Fenske • Samuel J. Nelson • Leo H. Dehler, Of Counsel
TheCatholicSpirit.com
and meet operating costs while still taking care of the very organizations that are on the front lines of living our Catholic faith? Remembering to pray, trust and understand that the Lord’s will is greater than mine — I find peace and strength in those things, and having that balanced approach allows us to be a force that is both competitive and is able to support our local Catholics in big ways. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? The most inspirational thing for me
In what specific way have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? This is closely tied with what inspires me; it’s in the leading, guiding, sharing and listening with those I meet. I never know what clients I’ll meet, and it’s always exciting when I discover that someone else likes to share and grow in their faith. Our work with Father Martin Fleming and Trinity Sober Homes is a great example. What he does for men who are in recovery, and his years of dedication and persistence is always an inspiration for me. There are times when their task seems so huge that they’re taking on so much, and Please turn to BECKER on page 7B
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LEADING WITH FAITH
August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit
In word and deed, bank manager seeks to help fellow immigrants Helping those who are immigrants to the United States make it financially in their new country is a goal Jose Angel Martinez doesn’t leave to his role as a branch manager at U.S. Bank on the east side of St. Paul. A native of Mexico who came to the United States 11 years ago, he teaches basic financial literacy at the Mexican Consulate, the Hmong American Partnership, CLUES (Communidades Latinas Unidas en Servico) and the Latino Economic Development Center. And he is a network leader for the nonprofit “Ready 4K” that supports early childhood development. “Jose Angel understands the challenges that other immigrants to the U.S. face,” said his nominator, Paco Ramirez. “He serves as an active role model, mentor and coach for young generations,” he added, “and works tirelessly to hire, train and develop new employees from different Southeast Asia countries. “He holds education in high regard and jumps at any opportunity to inspire young children.”
Jose Angel Martinez, 42 Company U.S. Bank East St. Paul Title Vice President Parish St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony Spouse Elizabeth Martinez Children Isabel and Adam Volunteer activities St. Paul’s Johnson Junior
High School, Teach Children to Save, Second Harvest, Ready 4K, Project for Pride in Living (PPL), Mexican Consulate, Hmong American Partnership, East Side Neighborhood Development Company (ESNDC) , Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) and Right Track, among others Education Bachelor of Arts degree in business management from the University of Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico, master’s degree in human and business development from the University of Valle de Atemajac, Mexico
Borromeo are good role models and motivators to me to keep practicing my faith at work. What achievement at work are you most proud of? All the thank you letters and cards I have received for helping people through the years of my career make me feel the most honored, special and proud. In addition, I have fond memories of The 25 on the Rise Leadership Award I received in 2006 from U.S. Bank and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as well as all the corporate awards that I have received representing U.S. Bank for the involvement and support we have provided to our community in the Twin Cities. I am also proud of the recognition I have received for achieving top sales goals.
Jose Angel Martinez enjoys helping others through his work at U.S. Bank in St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? My daily goal is to lead by example and be impeccable with my thoughts, words and actions. Despite the obstacles and challenges that our current environment offers, I always strive to inspire, motivate, show joy and a positive attitude to my family, managers, partners, employees, customers and peers. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. I remember three months ago a young couple from Chicago came to our bank to ask for some advice and assistance. They told me of their dream of creating and starting their own nonprofit organization in the Twin Cities. They shared with me their mission, vision, ideas, challenges and needs to
start up their own organization corporation. I took my time to understand and listen to their needs. Then I was able to provide them with my professional recommendations and services from U.S. Bank, which created a tremendous impact on their journey as entrepreneurs. Now, they are very successful and running the non-profit organization that they wanted, and now they are able to help young people obtain jobs and provide their families with counseling and other social services in the east side of St. Paul. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? Definitely, my mother, Tere, my wife, Elizabeth, and my kids Isabel and Adam. Also, all my friends, and staff from the parish and school of St. Charles
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? Every day when I wake up and when I am in my office and before I start my day, I try to remind myself that I have only one lifetime, including my time at work, so I really focus to invest my time to love, serve and help people. I am pretty sure this is the right path to leave as a legacy to my family, peers and friends when I pass away. What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith? We should live our busy lives by practicing and putting our faith and good values first every day, everywhere, to everybody and for every different situation in our lives. It is important to be mentally, spiritually and physically prepared to overcome our daily obstacles, surrender and serve others. I always strive to put my own desires aside and put the needs of others first. This can be very hard to do sometimes. I think this is very hard to do. However, someday, somehow, we will be rewarded for that.
Congratulations Mark Mischke
And All Winners on Your Leading With Faith Award
on receiving the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis Leading with Faith Award for 2015. We at Voya Financial Advisors are proud of all that you do for your family, your church and your clients. Mark Mischke Investment Advisor Representative Voya Financial Advisors • 322 East County Rd. D • St. Paul, MN 55117 • 651-481-6900 Securities and investment advisory services offered through Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. (member SIPC)
T Trojack Law Office, P.A. • Guardianships • Powers of Attorney • Wills • Conservatorships • Health Care Directives • Trusts • Probate John E. Trojack, Attorney at Law
We offer tailor-made, client-focused estate planning and related services from a Catholic Perspective
Trojack Law Office, P.A. • 1549 Livingston Ave., Ste. 101 • W. St. Paul, MN 55118
Phone: 651.451.9696 • www.TrojackLaw.com
August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit
LEADING WITH FAITH • 5B
Trusting in God, Du Fresne achieves success despite downsizing Du Fresne Manufacturing is a precision sheet metal fabrication business in Vadnais Heights, but Robert Du Fresne, who started the company, doesn’t like to look at it that way. After having to lay off half of his employees during the recent recession in order to save the jobs of the half who remained, Du Fresne re-focused his team to think about the people component of the work. Chris Du Fresne, Robert’s son, is the business manager of the company, and from that seat nominated his father for the Leading With Faith Award. The elder Du Fresne, he said, “is focused on the growth and development of his employees based on the tenets of our Catholic faith.” Along with providing fair wages and benefits and a profit-sharing plan, Chris wrote, his father “feels the Lord calls him to provide his employees with opportunities to grow and develop.” He has coined a term, “oblitunity” (a combination of obligation and opportunity) to describe the culture and environment he has worked to create. Du Fresne sees sheet metal fabrication as a means to enable employee development, and through it has enabled many former employees to start their own businesses. Starting with eight employees — whom Du Fresne calls “members” of the company — the firm is up to 100 people and has received the Minnesota Quality Excellence Award, an honor rarely earned by manufacturing companies.
Robert Du Fresne, 62 Company Du Fresne Manufacturing Company Title President / CEO Parish St. Genevieve, Centerville Spouse Diane Children Brian, Chris and Ashley Volunteer activities Community activities
through work Education Undergraduate at St. Cloud State University, MBA in finance from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? I have been blessed with a very strong belief system in my core values that has been unchanged since my parental direction many years ago. These beliefs
During this same recession, the entire company found it difficult to concentrate on future goals and objectives. We just had to worry about tomorrow. Downsizing the company in order that the “whole” survive was very difficult and extremely emotional. All we had left were our talents, passions and core values, which included our faith. With this, and the Lord leading Du Fresne Manufacturing, we successfully achieved the highest and most prestigious recognition in Minnesota, the Minnesota Quality for Excellence Award. We are the only metal company to ever receive it. The Lord almost outdid himself this time.
Robert Du Fresne of Du Fresne Manufacturing Company prays the rosary every day on his way to work. He says the amount of time it takes to make the drive is exactly how long it takes to pray the rosary. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit define my purpose at work. That is, respect and dignity is the framework for my quest in human development in the work place. I’m inspired by the opportunity the Lord has allowed me in sustaining Christian and Catholic values by preparing my members (employees) for the future. Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. My wife and I started Du Fresne Manufacturing Company in February 1991. We grew at a near perfect rate and successfully hired hundreds of people during this time. However, between the work being transferred to China (20022005) and the recession (2008-2010), the economy brought us to our knees. In October 2010, we projected that we would fall short, for the very first time, in meeting payroll for over 50 member families. During this period, I had many sleepless and very emotional nights of the likelihood the business might not survive this recession. One of those nights, on Oct.18 at exactly 2:05 a.m., I gave the business to the Lord. I said, “Lord, I can’t do this anymore. From this point on, it’s yours. You helped us
start it, but I’m mentally exhausted. I will continue to work the very long hours, but the business has taken many little bites out of me for 19 years. All I ask is that you will periodically show me a sign that I’m on the right track.” I started to pray the rosary every day on the way to work, which ended up being the exact length of time I needed to complete a rosary. During one of these rosaries, a thought came to me (Holy Spirit) that if I’m that nervous about the company and my family, what about everyone else in the company. So we ordered a big brass bell and hung it in the manufacturing plant. We instructed the sales people to ring the bell every time a new purchase order came in. This way everyone else would hear the “sign” that we are moving forward. The Lord surely had his fingerprints all over this one. Amen. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? The most inspirational event created in this journey in bringing faith to the marketplace has to be the members at Du Fresne Manufacturing Company.
What achievement at work are you most proud of? We have been in business now for just about 25 years and have achieved many local and global awards, created parts for the One World Trade Center in New York, carry patents, trademarks, shown over 30 past members how to start their own businesses, and currently have over 48 percent of our market share, but nothing as great as seeing the company transform itself into a human development entity. Creating the word “oblitunity” helps define the self-actualization we pride ourselves in. Having our people reach a higher potential than they ever thought they could reach is humbling. In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? God wants us to be happy and fulfilled at home and at work. Our company is a family. New people only have to be working here for 10 minutes and they feel the warmth and happiness. Sure, work can be challenging, but we hit these challenges head-on so they don’t become problems. What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith? Start with a company vision and mission statement that is focused on people, not the product. Naturally you have to have a product that someone wants or needs, but the process to get there is having a total belief in people and faith in the Lord that he is there any time you need him. Secondly, be yourself; everyone else is taken.
Congratulations Bob DuFresne and Bill Sonntag!
Thank you for supporting the students of Hill-Murray School!
6B •
LEADING WITH FAITH
August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit
Mom inspires Zenk to leave corporate America for caregiving Jim Zenk left the world of corporate engineering to start Synergy HomeCare shortly after his mother, Mary, died. During her illness with Alzheimer’s disease, Zenk saw the need for compassionate, high-quality in-home care, said his wife and nominator, Heather. She noted, “He decided to dedicate his life to bringing other families the kind of help he and his family struggled to find. The guiding force behind what makes him capable of leading a uniquely compassionate caregiving agency is his Catholic faith.” Zenk, who is active as a volunteer at both the parish and the school at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, treats the caregivers in his employ with the same compassion they give to clients, recognizing how difficult and thankless their work can be. “He simply lives the Gospel message,” Heather said, “and leads by example. In doing so, his Catholic faith quietly informs all aspects of his work and has allowed him to create a culture of honesty, compassion, humility and mercy.”
Jim Zenk, 54 Company Synergy HomeCare Title Owner Parish Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul Spouse Heather Children Mackenzie, Shane Volunteer activities Lector and eucharistic minister, committee chair for Nativity County Fair, swim team coach, Scouting den leader, board of directors for the St. Paul Senior Workers Association, United Way member and campaign coordinator, president of Madeline Island Association, NE Minneapolis Club, middle school math tutor Education BSME, Iowa State; MSME University of Minnesota How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? Synergy HomeCare helps people live as independently as possible in their own homes with assistance from nonmedical caregivers. Most of our clients are elderly, some are dealing with chronic medical or post-surgical conditions, and many have forms of dementia. Starting a small business has not been an easy undertaking, and running a business that is directly influenced by
corporate America and starting Synergy HomeCare. I have no doubt that she is influencing me still! What achievement at work are you most proud of? What I am most proud of is not a specific item, but overall when we know that a family that we are caring for has benefited. Care-giving is personal; it is more than housekeeping, meals and meds — it is a connection with another person. In this business, we see many clients pass on. Those are difficult times for the family, of course. But they can also be hard on our caregivers. We attend many funerals; when a family member takes the time to come up to us and thank us for our care, it is a moment of bittersweet joy — to know that we had indeed made that connection — and were in some way helpful to that person in the latter part of their journey here on earth. Jim Zenk, left, president and owner of Synergy HomeCare in Roseville, visits client Lilly Weber of St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit the vagaries of human nature can have its challenges. It has, however, also allowed me to create my own culture: honesty, compassion, humility and humor. We attempt to gather our office staff each morning for a 10 minute huddle. The meeting, which is about discussing the issues of the day, concludes with the Lord’s Prayer, including a prayer for our clients, employees and their families. One of the tenants of Catholic social teaching is the life and dignity of the human person. To that end, I try to get to know each of our clients — to meet with them in their homes and hear about their lives — who they were and who they still are. It is often fascinating to learn about what they’ve done, where they traveled and to see the photos of their children and grandchildren (and greatgrandchildren). Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. I particularly like this story as it involves both humor and humility: When we have a new client, I try to walk through their house to look for
Congratulations to our parishioner Cary Becker
Becker Building and Remodeling LLC
on receiving a 2015 Leading With Faith Award
We are proud of you!
potential safety issues and suggest ideas. In one case, the client’s toilet seat was broken; he had a new one but could not install it. I grabbed a few tools and went about installing the new seat. Later, when my wife asked me why I didn’t turn that over to someone else, I laughed and said, “It keeps my engineering skills sharp.” It also made quite an impression on this elderly client who stood by, leaning on his walker and watching me work, then picked up the phone to call his daughter and announced, “I love this agency! I’ve got the president out here fixing my john!” Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? Without a doubt, that person is my mother, Mary. A registered nurse by degree, she was an early hospice volunteer and regularly visited with the elderly in their homes to bring Communion and a listening ear. Mary lived her faith and taught her children to do the same. She contracted Alzheimer’s disease about 15 years ago and passed away in 2008. Interestingly, it was soon after she died that my career started moving rapidly in the direction of leaving
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? Our office team has built good camaraderie; this has taken time and effort. All days are not good ones, and not all the problems are small — but the group perseveres. We help each other and we continue doing the things that need to be done — with God-given grace and lots of humor. In short, we work at reveling in the joys and successes, working through the lows and enjoying each other along the way. What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith? We are all faced with decisions in our lives — including our work life. Many times those answers — morally and otherwise — are not black and white. My question would be: What is your decision-making process? Applying a consistent, principled approach to the problem can make those decisions easier. To me, using my Catholic faith as that barometer and touchstone is the key. Over time, this will reveal you as a principled and moral person. It won’t garner universal praise, but you will earn the respect of others. And a better night’s sleep.
The Parishioners and Staff of St. Pius X Parish
Congratulate and Thank Bill Sonntag
Proudly
2015 Recipient of the Leading with Faith Award! “To restore all things in Christ.”
White Bear Lake •www.churchofstpiusx.org
LEADING WITH FAITH • 7B
August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit
Flooring store owner generous in business and faith life When Bill Sonntag isn’t recruiting men to join him on his annual retreat, chairing the parish festival, letting the Knights of Columbus store Tootsie Rolls in his warehouse, getting the St. Paul Jaycees to open its membership to women, interacting with seminarians as a member of St. John Vianney’s Virtuous Business Leaders group, serving as president of the parish council or the parish school association, he takes time to run his business, Abbey Suburban Floor Covering in White Bear Lake. Of course, even there he’ll often cut a good deal on carpeting and flooring for churches. “Bill has a strong reputation with his customers and vendors for his fairness and honesty,” noted his nominator, David Dinger. As a small business owner for almost 30 years, Sonntag has prospered, Dinger said, “by having the utmost concern for his employees and his customers.”
their homes and need assistance to afford the products they want. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? I have so many people that I have looked up to during my working career. I’ve been blessed to work with people of faith who really care about their job and serving our clients. What achievement at work are you most proud of? I’m very proud to be on the national advisory board for Abbey Carpets. I’m one of 14 business owners across the country that serves and represents over 800 other Abbey Carpet owners. And I’m most proud of being a second generation owner. We’ve been in business for 55 years!
Bill Sonntag, 66 Company Abbey Suburban Floor Covering Title Owner Parish St. Pius X, White Bear Lake, and St. Peter, North St. Paul Spouse Barbara Children Angie, Mike, Pam, Cindy and Jeff Volunteer activities Virtuous Business Leader at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul; vocations committee member at St. Pius X; American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life Education St. Bernard High School; served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War
Bill Sonntag, owner of Abbey Suburban Floor Covering in White Bear Lake, tries to treat customers the way he wants to be treated. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? I apply my faith values every day at work. I learned from my father to treat customers the way I would want to be treated.
Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. I’m a softy when it comes to people in need. We waive a lot of charges for moving furniture and give large discounts to people who can’t prepare
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balance possible are God’s presence in action.
we’ll never be able to support them, but it always works. Whenever I feel we’re too busy for what they need, I am somehow reminded of what their mission is and that we have the knowledge, talent and responsibility to help make their mission possible. Those little movements of the soul — those guiding feelings that point me in the right direction and make
What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith? Get to know the folks you work with beyond just their work, show a genuine interest, and that will open the door to leading with faith. Living our lives and Catholic values authentically and witnessing to
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? I’ve been very fortunate to have attended retreats at the Jesuit Retreat House at Demontreville for over 30 years. It has enabled me to enhance my prayer life. When things are pretty stressful at work, nothing works better than a little down time with the Lord. And I pray thankfully every day for the business I’m blessed with, [and] to raise five wonderful children and educate them in the Catholic faith. What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith? My advice to anyone is to let your faith lead you.
our faith isn’t easy, but we have to trust that it’s the right thing to do. The world needs to see business leaders leading with their faith and making decisions with Catholic values. But the courage to do that must lie somewhere; I think it’s in hope. It’s on a shirt I own from the Rediscover: conference that has Pope Francis’ words: Bet on Hope. It’s in betting on hope, betting on the hope that if we lead as we’re called to lead, it’ll bring great things.
Director of Liturgy The Diocese of Crookston and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston are seeking a full-time Director of Liturgy. Time would be split between the diocese and the parish. There are a number of celebrations that coincide with both entities. We are seeking a candidate with a masters in liturgy and a few years of experience. We seek someone who appreciates the rich history and tradition of Catholic liturgies. The qualifying candidate needs to be a practicing Catholic who has the desire to assist the Christian faithful in full, active, conscious and fruitful participation in the sacred liturgy. Music and keyboard background preferred. Send resume and references to: Jim Clauson, Diocese of Crookston, P.O. Box 610, Crookston, MN., 56716 or email: jclauson@ crookston.org. Interviews begin September.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Commentary/idea/opinion? Call 651-291-4444 or email: catholicspirit@archspm.org
8B •
LEADING WITH FAITH
August 13, 2015 • The Catholic Spirit
Electrician: ‘Be not afraid’ to merge faith life with business life When Paul Archambault lost his job due to the recession in 2008, he started his own company, Stinson Electric. He hired other out-of-work electricians — sometimes even putting them on the payroll before there was enough work — and now has grown the company to include 15 employees. Andrew Klaesges was one of those unemployed tradesmen, and he and his wife, Christine, said they nominated Archambault for the Leading With Faith Award because “he has been a good mentor and strong role model in his electrical business and in his faith life.” While paying a just wage, Stinson Electric often will do work for churches for little or no profit. Archambault lectures pro bono at Dunwoody College, where he is on the board of directors. Among other volunteer activities, he has befriended a disabled man, whom he and his wife, Pat, bring to church and help with shopping and other tasks.
business. Cary Becker of Becker Building and Remodeling who does a beautiful job integrating his faith, family and business life. Mary Ann Kuharski, director of ProLife Across America, has been a great friend of our family for 35 years and is definitely not shy about expressing her Catholic faith through her work. Father Joseph Johnson, pastor of Holy Family Church, has been a close friend, advisor and role model for many years. What achievement at work are you most proud of? I believe that one of our greatest achievements as a company has been to create a very dynamic, creative and caring work environment. Our employees continue to perform at very high levels of productivity, quality and customer service while they truly have blended into a “band of brothers.” Much of the credit for the cohesiveness and high morale goes to Andy Klaesges who was our first employee and sets a great example as a man of faith and action.
Paul Archambault, 61 Company Stinson Electric Inc. Title Owner/vice president Parish St. Olaf, Minneapolis Spouse Pat Children Jennifer, Michelle, Tom and Bob Volunteer activities Religious education
instructor, lector, mentor couple for engaged couples, facility committee member, board of advisors member for Trinity Sober Homes Education University of Minnesota and Dunwoody College of Technology How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work? First and foremost, it is important to treat each person with respect and dignity, whether they are an employee, customer or vendor. I always try to see the transaction from the other person’s point of view and try to structure winwin outcomes. In addition, we surround ourselves with simple reminders of our faith. My office décor includes a crucifix and family pictures which remind me of who I am and why I am working. We usually pray grace together before we share a meal and invite our nonCatholic employees to take their turn to lead prayer.
Paul Archambault, right, of Stinson Electric in New Brighton looks over a blueprint with Andrew Klaesges. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit One of the great joys we have is being able to serve Catholic churches, schools and senior living facilities by providing affordable electrical repair and construction services, lighting design and installation. It is especially rewarding to complete a re-lighting project in a church and see how it transforms the look and functionality of the space and enhances the worship experience of the congregation. This also gives us a chance to meet other Catholics who are working to build up the Church and in a small way, share in their mission. We have the pleasure of working with our son Bob, our daughter Michelle and for a short time our daughter Jennifer who has now returned to teach at St. Charles Borromeo. It has been wonderful helping them grow in their career and their faith as adults. Their maturity and leadership have made working together a joy.
Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference. The founding of our company in 2008 came out of my job loss during the recession. Pat and I very much see this company as an answer to our prayers and an opportunity to share our faith. Several of our employees were out-of-work electricians who share our faith and values. We took a risk each time that we added an employee to help them meet their employment needs before we had enough work to justify hiring them. Several of our employees were looking for a workplace that reflected their values and would allow them to integrate family and work. We make every effort to help them meet this goal. Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace? There are several people who have inspired me to be unapologetically Catholic in the way we approach the
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace? The Holy Spirit is very active in our lives, which is apparent if we allow ourselves to see the fruits of his handiwork. When we were getting started during the recession and work opportunities were difficult to find, Pat and I and many of our friends turned to God in prayer for the success of Stinson Electric. Often we are overwhelmed with the number of new customers and projects that come as a result of fervent prayer. What advice do you have for others who want to lead with faith? Be not afraid! Integrate your business life with your faith life. I often remind our employees that the most important success factor in any business or career is summed up in one word: relationships. The primary relationship is your relationship with God, which helps you gain grace and wisdom. The quality of your relationships with family, employees, customers, vendors and the larger community are guided by your relationship with God. You will be better able to understand your role as a servant leader and put your resources to work in a manner that is pleasing to God.
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