The Catholic Spirit - August 8, 2024

With missionary heart and careful discernment, Bishop-elect Kenney looks to new role

By Rebecca Omastiak

The Catholic Spirit

Discernment and careful decision-making are threads Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney has woven through his life.

“I don’t make decisions rapidly, it takes a while to discern,” he said during an introduction as bishop-elect July 25 at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center (ACC) in St. Paul.

That same morning, Pope Francis named Bishop-elect Kenney, 64 — pastor of St. Olaf, parochial administrator of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and chaplain at DeLaSalle High School, all in Minneapolis — as an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese. The announcement came two months after Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey.

“To say yes to Pope Francis took a lot of discernment in my life, to be able to think and to feel that I could fulfill this role for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, as well as the universal Church,” Bishopelect Kenney said to members of the archdiocese, including priests and religious, and local media gathered at the ACC. Bishop-elect Kenney addressed those gathered in both English and Spanish at different points in his remarks.

When he received word of his new role in late June, Bishop-elect Kenney joked, “One of my first responses to the nuncio (Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States) was, ‘Do you really know how old I am?’”

Though Bishop-elect Kenney admitted he had been thinking about how he would spend his retirement prior to getting the call from Cardinal Pierre, he said he drew inspiration from his father, who, at the age of 70, worked as an evening security guard at Visitation School in Mendota Heights.

“So, I figure, well Dad, here we go,” Bishop-elect Kenney said of his stepping into a new role.

Calling his life “an adventure,” Bishop-elect Kenney reflected on growing up in “a family of good, Irish Catholics.” Born in 1959 to William and Dorothy Kenney, Bishop-elect Kenney grew up in Minneapolis as the fifth of eight children. He attended Annunciation Catholic School and DeLaSalle High School, both in Minneapolis.

He earned degrees in business administration and Spanish from the then-College of St. Thomas in St. Paul (now the University of St. Thomas), then moved to Chicago and became a lay volunteer with the Claretian Missionaries, a religious community of priests and brothers founded by St. Anthony Marie Claret.

Bishop-elect Kenney said he has been grateful for “the missionary aspect of my life,” referencing his time with the Claretians teaching English as a second language and working with youth on the south side of Chicago.

He became the director of the Claretian Lay Volunteers, leading that program for two years. He then entered formation to become a Claretian and attended the Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago to complete his studies for priestly ordination.

During his five years of formation with the Claretian Missionaries, Bishop-elect Kenney discerned a different call –– to diocesan priesthood –– and became a seminarian for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. While in formation at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, he completed his Master of Divinity degree, with a world mission concentration, from CTU. On May 28, 1994, then-Archbishop John Roach ordained Father Kenney as an archdiocesan priest. In his first assignment –– as parochial vicar of St. Olaf from 1994 to 1998 –– Bishop-elect Kenney also served the wider Minneapolis community, including those experiencing homelessness.

Through his various experiences working with underserved communities, Bishop-elect Kenney said, he has learned “to recognize the good, the beauty in everyone.”

“I learned, and I came to appreciate in many ways, just to be able to give someone a hug, to smile, to say, ‘Good morning, how are you today?’ ... to encourage them, in one way or another, to be thankful for the life they have, but then (also) to try to offer them a little bit of hope that things will be better for them.”

In 1998, Bishop-elect Kenney was named pastor of Our Lady of Peace in south Minneapolis. After serving one six-year term, he transferred to Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul, where he served a growing Latino community in the area from 2004 to 2015.

Meanwhile, he served as archdiocesan vicar for Latino Ministry from 2010 to 2018 and in 2013, helped reopen the archdiocesan Office of Latino Ministry. In 2015, Bishop-elect Kenney was named pastor of Divine Mercy in Faribault and St. Michael in Kenyon.

Bishop-elect Kenney returned to Minneapolis in 2019 to serve as pastor of St. Olaf and administrator at Sts. Cyril and Methodius — the latter parish originally served Slovak Catholics and now serves the Ecuadorian community in the Twin Cities.

In his current role as St. Olaf pastor, Bishop-elect Kenney said he appreciates “the diversity that we have at St. Olaf ... people of many different cultures come to celebrate worship together, and the beauty of seeing all of us, all of us, be able to walk together and to lift each other up in challenging times.”

Serving the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has been “a great honor,” he said.

During his July 25 remarks at the ACC, Archbishop Bernard Hebda described Bishop-elect Kenney as

“an extraordinary pastor; he’s a pastor with great compassion.”

“It’s wonderful that we are receiving an auxiliary bishop who already knows the archdiocese so well, who’s been involved in so many ministries, who certainly is going to be able to be that beating heart of a shepherd that we need in the work that God is calling us to do,” the archbishop said.

The archbishop also noted the importance of the announcement for the local Church.

“It’s really a tribute to our local Church, to our presbyterate, that the Holy Father (Pope Francis) would come once again to our archdiocese to find a successor of the Apostles and very appropriate that it would be announced on the feast of an Apostle, St. James.”

Bishop Williams and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen are both native Minnesotans who served as priests of the archdiocese. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston was also a priest and an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese; Bishop Donald DeGrood of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a native of Faribault. Other priests of the archdiocese named bishops since 2007 include Bishop Peter Christensen of Boise, Idaho, and the late Bishop Paul Sirba of Duluth. Bishop Emeritus Richard Pates is a native of St. Paul who ministered as a priest and in 2001 was ordained and installed as an auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese. He later was bishop of Des Moines, Iowa.

Before leading those gathered at the ACC in opening prayer, Bishop Izen joked, “Someone asked me how it feels being the senior auxiliary and I said, ‘Right now, Bishop-elect Kenney is washing my car.’”

In prayer, Bishop Izen offered thanks to God for “the gift that Pope Francis has given us” in appointing Bishop-elect Kenney to his new role.

“Open his heart to all that you have in store for him in this next chapter of his ministry and bless all of us as we support him and love him,” Bishop Izen prayed. Bishop-elect Kenney shared that his discernment and ultimate yes to the role of auxiliary bishop is a new way to partake in ministry.

“Every time I now pass a picture of Pope Francis, I thank him for the new and blessed adventure that is ahead,” he said in a statement announcing his new role. “I thought to myself, ‘I began as a missionary and now I will end as a missionary, going into the world in a new way, to proclaim and live the good news of Jesus Christ.’”

Bishop-elect Kenney’s episcopal ordination is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The ordination will also be livestreamed on the archdiocese’s Facebook page.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney talks during a news conference July 25 at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul.

Father Kenney celebrates first Mass as bishop-elect

By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit

As the congregation waited quietly just before 7 a.m. Mass in the chapel at St. Olaf in downtown Minneapolis, Archbishop Bernard Hebda walked to the podium and announced that Father Kevin Kenney had been selected by Pope Francis to be an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“You’ll notice he’s wearing his zucchetto and pectoral cross, which are signs of his office,” Archbishop Hebda said. “Bishop-elect Kenney will be ordained as auxiliary bishop on the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, October 28.”

The archbishop reassured the congregation that despite his new role, Bishop-elect Kenney will not be leaving St. Olaf.

The bishop-elect himself said, “I’m going to keep walking with them. We’ll pray for each other, and things will be OK.”

To begin the Mass, Bishop-elect Kenney said in prayer, “We take a moment in our lives to recognize the calls that we have all received, knowing that we were called into service to serve one another in the love of Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts to God’s grace and mercy.”

Bishop-elect Kenney said the invitation was aweinspiring and overwhelming, wondering what his days will be like moving forward.

“What does moving forward mean?” Bishop-elect Kenney said. “But you live the questions. … I began here (at St. Olaf) 30 years ago, being ordained and as an associate under Father John Forliti and spent four years here, then came back five years ago.”

After the Mass, St. Olaf’s parish administrator, Mary Kennedy, said it is amazing that people of the archdiocese will also be able to experience Bishopelect Kenney’s leadership.

“We’re all excited to support him on this mission,” Kennedy said. “He’s done a lot to help us with serving the poor and at-risk in the inner city as well as providing St. Olaf hospitality to all who come to the city: the workers (and) the visitors as well as her parishioners.”

Kennedy explained that, following George Floyd’s death in 2020, Bishop-elect Kenney’s leadership helped St. Olaf. During the protests, St. Olaf had to board up its exterior windows and entrances.

Kenney, brother to Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney, 64, said his sibling is a strong leader with many accomplishments in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His appointment as auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese seems fitting, Pat said.

“I admire what he has accomplished, his loyalty, his dedication, his spiritual relationship with God and bringing that to the relationship with everybody that he touches,” Pat said.

A resident of Burnsville who attends Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville as well as St. John the Baptist in Savage, Pat is the oldest of Bishop-elect Kenney’s siblings. The Kenney family maintains a close bond, he said, communicating regularly on WhatsApp. “The Kenney family, we’re not really into pride. It’s more about being faithful,” Pat said. “The family, especially with my siblings, I’m the oldest of seven, Kevin’s kind of in the middle. ... Everybody seems to have a very strong faith orientation and they carry that influence with everything they do.”

“It was a terrible time for the city of Minneapolis,” Kennedy said. “The first time (after Floyd’s death), we boarded up the building just like everybody else around us, and the second time (during the trial), Bishop-elect Kenney said, ‘No, we’re not going to board up’ because we were seen as a place of welcome and hospitality that feeds those at-risk and the people in the city. We were the only faith organization to stay open throughout that whole pandemic. I really believe Bishop-elect Kevin’s leadership was essential during that time. We’re really thankful.”

Bishop-elect Kenney said staying at St. Olaf was essential as he takes the role of auxiliary bishop, so as not to disrupt the flow of the parish’s progress. He said it’s also a sign of good faith to residents in Minneapolis. Bishop-elect Kenney is also expected to remain as parochial administrator of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Minneapolis.

“I think to have a place in Minneapolis is important,” Bishop-elect Kenney said. “To keep me here is telling Minneapolis that they’re valued, too.”

COMMUNITY BUILDER

Speaking specifically about Bishop-elect Kenney, Pat said his brother has always been a peacemaker, a “bridge maker” and a “community maker.”

“He’s very positive and very warm, very easy to get along with,” Pat said. “He knows how to bring people to an understanding and a level of peace, and he brings spiritual stuff into that. ... He brings an understanding to it so that people are able to buy in and participate.”

Pat said he planned to attend the Aug. 4 Mass at St. Olaf, where his brother is pastor, along with his daughter, Sheila Kenney, who is a Servidora in the Servants of the Lord the Virgin of Matara. Her professed name is Sister Muire Chroi Losa, Gaelic for Mary of the Heart of Jesus. Sister Losa helped found a monastery in Albania. Three of Pat’s eight children have been involved in religious orders.

included in the day’s

a special Sunday Mass featuring Scandinavian-American hymns and parts of the Mass sung in Norwegian.

Pat, 68, said he recognized Bishop-elect Kenney’s reference to lengthy discernment as he described pondering his call to the episcopate. Bishop-elect Kenney’s approach to decisions helped Pat’s children as they discerned their own calls to religious orders.

“One of his (Bishop-elect Kenney’s) priorities with family was to be involved with those who are choosing religious vocation and to help with their discernment and celebrations,” Pat said. “He’s been involved, one way or another, with some of that.”

Pat admired his brother’s dedication to the priesthood.

“He’s really dedicated himself to his vocation, to his purpose, to being a priest,” Pat said. “That was one of my first reactions:

‘You’ve been called to the closer work with our Lord in the apostolic tradition,’ which is quite an honor to bring his talents and abilities to that level.”

–– Josh McGovern

Pat

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney greets Vern Reske, hospitality coordinator at St. Olaf in Minneapolis, after the morning Mass July 25, when his appointment as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was announced by Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

MADELYN REICHERT | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Bishop-elect Kenney pauses for a photo July 28 at the St. Olaf Day potluck at St. Olaf in downtown Minneapolis. Also

celebrations was

Bishop-elect Kenney, Bishop Willliams share close ties to Latino community

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

As Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney prepares for ordination and installation as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in October, Bishop Joseph Williams is no longer an auxiliary bishop and is leaving the archdiocese as coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey.

Though at different times, both men have ministered in two of the same parishes with notable Latino congregations –– Divine Mercy in Faribault and Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul. Each has served as the archdiocese’s vicar for Latino Ministry, and each will have continued to minister as pastors even as they serve as bishops. Still, Bishop-elect Kenney said, their ministry paths were separate enough that intersections with one another did not happen often. The bishop-elect, 64, said he remembers visiting parishes when he was vicar for Latino Ministry from 2010 to 2018 and at one point visiting St. Stephen in Minneapolis when thenFather Williams was working to build up the parish.

“He was just getting off the ground with small groups and meeting before and after Masses with parents in one area and children in another area. It was wonderful and it worked out very well,” Bishop-elect Kenney said in the days after the July 25 announcement of his appointment.

Bishop Williams said, “Bishop-elect Kenney is good to the core. I got to see where that goodness came from when I was assigned to the Cathedral of St. Paul (in St. Paul) as a newly ordained priest in 2002. His parents were parishioners there and happened to be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary at that time. They decided to celebrate by going on a pilgrimage to Rome which I was leading on the occasion of Mother Teresa’s beatification. Bishop-elect Kenney’s parents and my parents became fast friends.”

One enduring memory of Bishopelect Kenney, Bishop Williams said, was created when the bishop-elect was honored during a meeting of Latino leaders as Bishop Williams succeeded him as vicar for Latino Ministry.

“He shared how he marked the end of his tenure with a week of vacation,” Bishop Williams said. “He flew to Mexico City, where day after day he would simply watch the Mexican people draw near to their heavenly mother at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was choked up as he recalled that beautiful image. That tells you just about everything you need to know about Bishop-elect Kenney.”

The bishop-elect said he anticipates that among other activities as bishop, he will continue to minister to Latinos in the archdiocese, as had Bishop Williams, 50. The bishop-elect said his own love for the community began while he studied Spanish, spent time in Spain and joined the Spanish club as a student at DeLaSalle

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High School in Minneapolis.

“My love for the culture and language and community kept growing,” Bishopelect Kenney said.

After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul with degrees in business administration and Spanish, Bishop-elect Kenney said he sought ways to serve others, which led him to the Claretian Missionaries and two years of volunteer work in Chicago working with inner-city youth and teaching English as a second language.

The bishop-elect’s ministry to others has included serving as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe from 2004 to 2015, as that vibrant Latino community was growing. As he began his pastorate there, a particularly large number of immigrants from Mexico were arriving in the Twin Cities, the bishop-elect said.

“Every day, there would be more sleeping on the steps outside (the church),” Bishop-elect Kenney said. “We were known as the Spanish-speaking parish in St. Paul. Lots of people were seeking resources. To be able to offer Mass in Spanish” was important, he said.

Building community in the parish at that time “was a huge learning curve,” Bishop-elect Kenney said. “You know how to do it in your head, but you have to learn it in your heart.”

One detail was particularly important: leaving the church doors open, he said.

“People were coming and going to pray. One guy –– he was ready to give up. There were locked doors at other parishes. I was able to help him, guide

him to what he should do.

“It makes my heart cry when people come to the church and find it locked,” Bishop-elect Kenney said. “People need to come in and have a place to find love and to pray.”

Bishop-elect Kenney said reflecting on the fact he was appointed to the episcopate is overwhelming, and he hopes to acknowledge and celebrate it modestly. “It is bewildering. I don’t know what to expect. But I expect good things.”

“I asked Archbishop (Bernard) Hebda, ‘Can we just do the ordination thing in the chapel?’ Of course, he said no.”

The bishop-elect will continue his current roles as pastor of St. Olaf in downtown Minneapolis and parochial administrator of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Minneapolis. The latter parish originally ministered to Slovak Catholics but now serves as a hub for the Ecuadorian community in the Twin Cities. Bishop-elect Kenney was the archdiocese’s vicar for Latino Ministry when then-Father Williams stepped into the role.

While auxiliary bishop, Bishop Williams continued to serve as vicar for Latino Ministry and minister as moderator of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish as a priest-in-solidum with Father James Bernard, providing pastoral care as a team.

Bishop-elect Kenney said he is looking forward to his responsibilities as an auxiliary bishop, “probably with Latino ministry and other aspects.”

September 27-29, 2024

Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis

Join us in September! Single women, age 18-30 who are seeking to do God’s will, are invited to attend an upcoming Fiat Ministries Discernment Retreat at Dunrovin Retreat Center (15525 St Croix Trail N., Marine on St Croix, MN 55047).

Fiat Ministries cultivates an authentic culture of discernment for young women by inspiring them to say yes to God’s call. Consecrated sisters from various communities assist at the retreat by giving talks, leading small groups, giving their testimonies, and providing a joyful witness of what it means to be a consecrated religious sister.

Cost: $100 for women from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. $300 for women from outside the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Miriam Matlon of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville spends

moment

Blessed Sacrament July 24 at Extreme Faith Camp near Trego, Wis. Father John Utecht, along with other priests, brought the monstrance

camp, which has

parishes in

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

LITURGY Father Youssef Barakat anoints Abigail Bollensen Hitti and her son Georgio as her husband, Dr. Joseph Hitti, waits for his own anointing July 23 at a Divine Liturgy for healing at St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church in Northeast Minneapolis. The monthly liturgy happened to fall on the feast of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a Maronite monk and priest from Lebanon, and was attended by 300 people. Members of the congregation also were invited to venerate 60 holy relics from St. Maron’s sister parish of St. Constantine, which usually keeps the relics at the back of its altar behind the iconostas. The relics included those of Sts. Catherine Laboure, Francis and Clara, John Paul II, Constantine and Sharbel. Additionally, in a cedar-shaped display were relics of the Maronite saints: St. Maron, St. Sharbel, St. Rafka and St. Neematallah. The healing liturgies are held on the 23rd of each month.

REDEDICATION From left, Father Antony Skaria, first vicar of St. Alphonsa, and Bishop Emeritus Jacob Angadiath, of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, hold a proclamation for the rededication of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Paul as St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of Minnesota. A ceremony led by Bishop Mar Joy Alappatt of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago was held July 27 to mark the rededication. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun of St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church in Minneapolis and priests, Sisters of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation and numerous faithful also participated in the ceremony’s traditional Kerala liturgy. The parish, now within the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, will support Syro-Malabar Catholics who began migrating to Minnesota in the 1960s.

Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Aug. 2 “Practicing Catholic” radio show included a discussion with Colin Miller, author of “We Are Only Saved Together: Living the Revolutionary Vision of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement,” about how to practically engage with the poor as Catholics, and with Jennifer Sustacek about what it’s like to be a mother to a priest, recently-ordained Father Ryan Sustacek. The program also included an update from Father Toulee Peter Ly from Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the recent move of the Hmong community from St. Vincent de Paul in St. Paul to Presentation in Maplewood. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.

We desperately need to counterbalance this inevitable temptation to a frenetic and uncritical lifestyle by stepping back, slowing down, taking time to look and listen. This can happen when a person simply stops to read a book.

Pope Francis in a letter “On the Role of Literature in Formation,” published by the Vatican Aug. 4. Pope Francis said in the letter that he intended to write it for seminarians to encourage them to devote time for novels and poetry. He decided to expand it because reading is important for “the formation of all those engaged in pastoral work, indeed of all Christians.” Reading, the pope said, is a healthy form of relaxation, an important way to increase one’s vocabulary and an essential exercise in learning to listen to the experiences of other people and other cultures. A lack of literature and poetry, he said, “can lead to the serious intellectual and spiritual impoverishment of future priests, who will be deprived of that privileged access which literature grants to the very heart of human culture and, more specifically, to the heart of every individual.” Literature, he said, is “listening to another person’s voice.”

NEWS notes

Biology teacher Erin Schmidt at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley recently received the 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Minnesota from the National Association of Biology Teachers. The award recognizes teachers who exhibit expertise and leadership. “It feels incredibly rewarding to be recognized,” Schmidt said. “My goal as a teacher has always been to share my love and passion for biology with my students, to inspire them to be curious about the world around them and empower them to take action to protect this amazing planet.”

The 5:15 p.m. Mass Aug. 15 at Assumption in St. Paul will include Archbishop Bernard Hebda presiding, and a Rite of Candidacy for Colin Miller as he begins formation to be a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Miller is director of pastoral care and outreach at the parish and director of the Center for Catholic Social Thought. Miller writes the “Catholic Or Nothing” column on social justice issues in The Catholic Spirit. Married and the father of five children, Miller is a former priest in the Episcopal Church, an Anglican denomination. A special provision allows former Anglican clergy who are married and have been received into full communion with the Catholic Church to be ordained as Catholic priests and remain married.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s student Talia Loes was recently named a national Scholastic Gold Key award winner for her short story, “The Sky is Crying (can’t you see?).” The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running recognition program for teens in seventh through 12th grades. Loes’ fictional story is based on real events during World War II in Wiltz, Luxembourg, when the city was liberated by U.S. troops and two corporals — one dressed as St. Nicholas — led a parade through town in December 1944, distributing their rations and candy to local children. The event revived a long-standing tradition for the town that was stopped by the war. Loes, a senior at the school in St. Louis Park, also received two regional Scholastic Silver Key awards for her paintings “Whispering It Will Be Happier” and “Haunted by the Ghosts of Me,” and an honorable mention for her painting “Evolving Beyond Photosynthesis.” Loes was one of 39 students in Minnesota recognized nationally in this year’s awards, and one of 18 gold medal winners in the state.

The president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) — Msgr. Peter Vaccari — spoke at the Aug. 3-4 Masses at St. John the Baptist in Excelsior for the parish’s annual mission appeal. The monsignor sought financial assistance and prayers for the agency of the Holy See that supports the humanitarian and pastoral work of Eastern churches throughout the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe. Recently returned from visits to Syria and Amman in Jordan and Beirut in Lebanon, Msgr. Vaccari said he is CNEWA’s “official and number one beggar!” With donations, the agency helps provide clean water, food packages, medicine and education, and it fights the “scourge of human trafficking,” he said. Learn more at cnewa org

COURTESY SUNNY AUGUSTINE

DIVINE HEALING

JOSH MCGOVERN | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

FROMTHEBISHOP

ONLY JESUS | BISHOP MICHAEL IZEN

Beautiful faith and fun opportunity

Earlier this summer, I was blessed to attend a portion of Extreme Faith Camp (EFC) at Trinity Woods in Trego, Wisconsin (see pages 10B-11B).

The camp combines traditional opportunities like boating, hiking and ziplines with vital aspects of our Catholic faith like holy Mass, Eucharistic adoration and confessions. The camp consists of junior high campers (often 250-300 campers), high school prayer leaders, adult leaders and priests.

I was there for half of a weeklong camp, presiding at Masses, preaching and hearing confessions. At 57, it’s hard for me to keep up with all the adventurous opportunities the kids love at the camp. But you might be surprised by what they often experience as their favorites. When the youth are asked at the end of the week what they enjoyed the most, the most common answers received are adoration of the Eucharist and confession. Not only is Extreme Faith Camp doing something right –– they are doing a lot of things right.

The EFC opportunity is not new for youth in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It’s been going on since before I was a priest. In fact, this was the third camp site that I’ve visited since I first attended EFC back in 2006. What is new is the site. And it’s beautiful.

Thanks to some heroic efforts by Tim and Helen Healy, the archdiocese now has Trinity Woods, which is on a beautiful parcel of land. It’s bigger than previous camps and the accommodations are in great condition. Another great quality of Trinity Woods: the food is amazing.

See the story and photos by Dave Hrbacek for more details, but EFC activities include climbing walls, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, nine-square in the air, basketball and archery tag, just to name a few. I had never heard of archery tag, but I had to try it. Don’t worry, the tip of the “arrow” is very soft ––picture a small Nerf ball. I competed in a quick oneon-one battle with Dominic (a young adult volunteer and seminarian from Stillwater). I think Dominic

Una hermosa oportunidad de fe y diversión

Aprincipios de este verano, tuve la bendición de asistir a una parte del Campamento de Fe Extrema (EFC) por sus siglas en inglés) en Trinity Woods en Trego, Wisconsin (ver páginas 10B-11B).

El campamento combina actividades tradicionales como paseos en bote, caminatas y tirolinas con aspectos vitales de nuestra fe católica como la Santa Misa, la adoración eucarística y las confesiones. El campamento está formado por estudiantes de secundaria (a menudo entre 250 y 300 estudiantes), líderes de oración de la escuela secundaria, líderes adultos y sacerdotes.

Estuve allí durante media semana de campamento, presidiendo misas, predicando y escuchando confesiones. A mis 57 años, me resulta difícil seguir el ritmo de todas las oportunidades de aventura que a los chicos les encantan en el campamento. Pero te sorprenderá saber cuáles son sus experiencias favoritas. Cuando se les pregunta a los jóvenes al final de la semana qué fue lo que más disfrutaron, las respuestas más comunes que se reciben son la adoración de la Eucaristía y la confesión. El Campamento de Fe Extrema no solo está haciendo

“killed” me three times before I was able to hit him. I’m not as elusive as I used to be.

Joining me that week were probably 15 other priests. Many come and go throughout the week, but some of the dedicated clergy are there for the entire camp, forming both spiritual and sporting bonds with our youth. I am grateful for the young priests of our archdiocese who make it a priority to be with their young parishioners for this week. The kids enjoy the spiritual aspects of the camp and they enjoy the fun competition with their priests. The day after the camp ended, I was delighted to receive a text from a mom and former parishioner. She told me her son “came home so joyful and excited, he had to tell me he got to play ‘Nine-Square in the Air’ with the Bishop, but was bummed that we ran out of time to

algo bien, sino que está haciendo muchas cosas bien. La oportunidad de EFC no es nueva para los jóvenes de la Arquidiócesis de St. Paul y Minneapolis. Ha existido desde antes de que yo fuera sacerdote. De hecho, este fue el tercer campamento que visité desde que asistí por primera vez a EFC en 2006. Lo que es nuevo es el lugar. Y es hermoso.

Gracias a los heroicos esfuerzos de Tim y Helen Healy, la archidiócesis ahora cuenta con Trinity Woods, que se encuentra en una hermosa parcela de tierra. Es más grande que los campamentos anteriores y las instalaciones están en excelentes condiciones. Otra gran cualidad de Trinity Woods: la comida es increíble.

Vea la historia y las fotos de Dave Hrbacek para obtener más detalles, pero las actividades de EFC incluyen muros de escalada, piragüismo, kayak, natación, pesca, nueve cuadrados en el aire, baloncesto y tiro con arco “tag”, solo por nombrar algunas. Nunca había oído hablar del tiro con arco “tag”, pero tenía que probarlo. No se preocupe, la punta de la “flecha” es muy suave; imagínese una pequeña pelota de goma. Competí en una rápida batalla uno a uno con Dominic (un joven voluntario y seminarista de Stillwater). Creo que Dominic me “mató” tres veces antes de que pudiera golpearlo. Ya no soy tan escurridizo como solía ser.

Esa semana me acompañaron probablemente otros 15 sacerdotes. Muchos van y vienen durante la semana, pero algunos de los clérigos dedicados están allí durante todo el campamento, formando

There are countless exciting activities at this camp, and more importantly, our children consistently come away with a deeper love and appreciation of Jesus Christ and our Church.

play basketball together.”

In addition to adoration and confession, the week includes daily Mass, perpetual adoration thanks to the prayer team, walking rosaries (I was able join a group for this as well) and morning prayer. Along with all these marvelous prayer opportunities, the youth participate in small groups, listen to engaging presentations from the gifted youth ministers and faith formation leaders of our archdiocese, and hear powerful testimonies from the high school campers. If you have a child who is middle school-age, or approaching that age, I cannot recommend EFC at Trinity Woods enough. There are countless exciting activities at this camp, and more importantly, our children consistently come away with a deeper love and appreciation of Jesus Christ and our Church.

vínculos tanto espirituales como deportivos con nuestros jóvenes. Estoy agradecido por los sacerdotes jóvenes de nuestra arquidiócesis que hacen de esta semana una prioridad estar con sus jóvenes feligreses. Los niños disfrutan de los aspectos espirituales del campamento y disfrutan de la divertida competencia con sus sacerdotes. El día después de que terminó el campamento, me encantó recibir un mensaje de texto de una madre y ex feligresa. Me dijo que su hijo “llegó a casa tan alegre y emocionado que tuvo que decirme que había jugado ‘Nine-Square in the Air’ con el Obispo, pero que estaba desanimado porque nos quedamos sin tiempo para jugar al baloncesto juntos”.

Además de la adoración y la confesión, la semana incluye misa diaria, adoración perpetua gracias al equipo de oración, rosarios andantes (también pude unirme a un grupo para esto) y oración matutina. Junto con todas estas maravillosas oportunidades de oración, los jóvenes participan en grupos pequeños, escuchan presentaciones interesantes de los talentosos ministros de jóvenes y líderes de formación en la fe de nuestra archidiócesis, y escuchan testimonios poderosos de los campistas de la escuela secundaria.

Si tiene un niño en edad de escuela secundaria o que se acerca a esa edad, no puedo recomendarle lo suficiente el campamento EFC en Trinity Woods. Hay innumerables actividades emocionantes en este campamento y, lo que es más importante, nuestros niños siempre terminan con un amor y un aprecio más profundos por Jesucristo y nuestra Iglesia.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Family affair

Bev Ostrowski, third from left, looks at kitchen items with her daughters Zoe, far left, Carissa and Iris July 30 as they join a team of parish volunteers to prepare for the annual parish garage sale at All Saints in Lakeville. Bev helped start the sale about 15 or 16 years ago and brings her daughters every year to volunteer. It is a massive event, filling all of the classrooms of the school building plus the gymnasium. The four-day garage sale opened July 31 and Bev and other organizers were expecting more than 1,000 people to show up (1,100 came in 2023). A year ago, they brought in almost $100,000, and they expect to surpass that mark this year. “I feel like we work a miracle every year,” said Ostrowski, who noted that items are intentionally priced low to make them affordable for low-income families, and items remaining after the sale are donated to local charities. “I think our parishioners are incredibly generous,” she said. “They bring us some beautiful stuff. If you look around, there are things that are all brand new.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Month-long experience offers archdiocesan priests a chance for rest and renewal

By Maura Keller For The Catholic Spirit

From June 30 to July 26, nine priests (six from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, three from the Diocese of Winona-Rochester) attended the Alverna Priestly Renewal in Christ, a pilot, month-long program at the Alverna Center in Winona.

Offered by The St. Paul Seminary’s Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation in St. Paul and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, based in Winona, the program offered the participating pastors a “unique opportunity for priestly growth and renewal in their capacity as a pastor, as well as fraternal support, rest, healing, and spiritual formation.”

“The development of this experience for priests was truly providential,” said Deacon Dan Gannon, director of the institute. “It began with a conversation a couple of years ago with Father James Burns, president of St. Mary’s University, and Paul Ruff, assistant director of human formation and director of counseling services at The St. Paul Seminary, and myself.

“The driving force in our initial conversations and development of the program was the invigoration and renewal of priestly identity and well-being, especially for pastors,” Deacon Gannon said. “We know from experience in ongoing formation that many priests face challenges of overwhelming workloads in parishes and too often experience stress, anxiety and isolation as a result. The scriptural theme we chose in developing this experience comes from Mark’s Gospel, when our Lord invited his Apostles to ‘come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile (Mk 6:31).’”

The effort appears to have been fruitful for the pastors involved, and the hope is to offer a similar experience once or twice each year, Deacon Gannon said.

Father Dennis Backer, pastor of St. Luke in Clearwater, said he was drawn to the experience from the first e-mail he received.

“A priest can get busy and sometimes start to not take care of themselves. I was overdue for a retreat and this sounded like what I needed,”

Father Backer said. “I spoke with a dear priest friend and he said, ‘Do it! I will cover your Masses.’”

Father Backer described the experience as far more than a typical retreat.

“For seven days we had an Ignatian silent retreat. During that time, you only spoke one hour a day with your spiritual director,” said Father Backer, who did four hours of contemplative prayer each day of that week. “But the last two weeks were more seminars — focusing on other areas of a priest’s life.”

The benefit is that the nine priests bonded and were able to support each other, Father Backer said. “So often on a retreat, it takes a couple of days to get into it,” he said. “We went deep day one. We were encouraged to disconnect from all media, and that was very cleansing. I stepped back and my phone remained off much of the time there.”

In addition to Deacon Gannon, Ruff and Father Burns, the program was planned by Father Timothy Gallagher, an Oblate of the Virgin Mary who serves as the Ignatius Chair for Spiritual Formation at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver. Together, they envisioned a unique, month-long experience that would result in each priest leaving “invigorated by the Holy Spirit, at peace and with clarity of priestly identity and pastoral focus at his parish,” early communications to priests about the experience said.

Presenters included archdiocesan Fathers Steven Hoffman and Leonard Andrie; Father Dan Barron of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary; and Father Martin Schaeffer, vice rector and dean of formation at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona. Father Brian Fischer of the archdiocese assisted with spiritual formation.

The proposal quickly garnered the support of both Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Bishop Robert Barron of WinonaRochester.

“I was delighted that six of our priests were able to participate in the inaugural program,” Archbishop Hebda said. “I knew that it would be difficult for them to be away from their parishes for a month, but I was confident that the Lord would bless their sacrifice and generosity.”

Father Gregory Abbott, associate pastor of St. Peter in Forest Lake, said the knowledge and skill of the presenters drew him to the retreat, and the opportunity to spend considerable time on each of the four elements of the renewal experience: spiritual, human and pastoral formation, and a silent, directed, seven-day retreat.

“Except for a sabbatical, it is an anomaly for a priest to have this much time to focus on renewal,” Father Abbott said. “I am so grateful for the

Many priests could benefit from this type of retreat — priests who need to parse out their life journey, to better know and love themselves, Father Beeson said. While most priests have a priest support group, a spiritual director and other means of support, they are only exposed to that in small doses. This priestly renewal program is more intense, Father Beeson said.

“After all, how can one love God, love the people of God, and love the Church if that person does not love oneself and know that God loves them as well as people surrounding them?”

Father Beeson said.

When the invitation first came, Father Jim Livingston, pastor of St. Paul in Ham Lake, said he was in a slump in his prayer life. He felt he could use a boost.

“I hadn’t had a retreat planned for the year and we priests are eligible for a sabbatical every seven years and it’s been over 20 years since I had one,” Father Livingston said. “This seemed like good timing for a ‘mini sabbatical.’ When an overseas priest friend called to ask if he could spend the summer with us, it seemed like Divine providence.”

Father Livingston said he appreciated the chance to share from the heart with his brother priests.

generosity of our parish staff and priests that filled in so I could take this time away. I also felt invested in by Archbishop Hebda, the archdiocese, and The St. Paul Seminary’s Ongoing Clergy Formation Office. The length of time we spent together as brother priests helped us open up, gel and trust one another. This allowed us to look at ourselves honestly, with our strengths and need for growth.”

From focusing on spiritual formation to participating in the silent retreat, to addressing pastoral ministry and leadership, the retreat touched on all facets of the priestly vocation. At the same time, it offered an opportunity for the attendees to seek a deep, lasting renewal in Christ, several of the participants said. Each day began with morning prayer, followed by various sessions, Mass, recreation, Holy Hours, prayer, meals, social/personal time and night prayer.

Father Terry Beeson, associate pastor of St. Olaf in Minneapolis, said initially the idea of a month-long retreat was intimidating, since he would be away from his parish for four weeks, so he dismissed it immediately because of his sense of obligation to the parish. But he was reassured that the experience might do him a lot of good and that he didn’t need to worry about coverage at the parish, Father Beeson said.

Unlike a regular retreat, the Alverna Priestly Renewal in Christ dealt with more than the spiritual. As Father Beeson pointed out, it was also about human formation and pastoral formation. It was a time for all involved to grow together as human beings.

“Personally, it allowed me to challenge myself in ways I needed to be challenged,” Father Beeson said. “Above all else, this program encouraged healthy priestly fraternity.”

“There is a special bond between priests but the never-ending workload of pastoral ministry and the drive to compete can often become barriers to honest, heart-to-heart communication,” Father Livingston said. “I also felt really blessed by the silent retreat portion. It was intense, searching and deep. I had the help of an experienced retreat director, and I was able to identify and overcome some obstacles that kept me from trusting and enjoying the love of God for me.”

Retired Bishop John LeVoir of New Ulm accompanied the participants the entire month, joining their conversations and meals and leading them at Mass and their daily Holy Hours and vespers. Ruff facilitated conversations around the human foundations of the priests’ spiritual lives and work as priests.

“We priests had a beautiful, challenging, and growth-filled experience,” Father Abbott said. “I learned more about myself and believe my relationship with God has deepened. God gives himself as a gift to us in his son. With God’s grace, I hope to more fully receive that gift into the uniqueness that is me and more fully give myself in return to God and his people.”

Father Livingston and others stressed the importance of protecting the special graces they received from the retreat.

“Among other graces, I treasure the bond I feel between my brother priests and the clarity of experiencing my Christian identity as another Christ,” Father Livingston said. “I’m not sure how that will translate into ministry yet, but I do believe that ministry flows from the person, not just from the work, and in some ways, I feel like a new man, so I’m sure this experience will impact my ministry.”

COURTESY ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Catholic schools in archdiocese have broad exemption to Title IX changes

By Josh McGovern

The Catholic Spirit

The Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis sent a summary to schools expressing concern about recent federal changes to Title IX that will prohibit schools from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity but noting that a religious exemption will help.

“The Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) has received inquiries from our schools about the Biden Administration’s very concerning changes to Title IX and has provided our Catholic school leaders with a summary that was prepared with the help of legal counsel to assist in navigating questions,” OMCE said in a statement about the changes. “Title IX contains a broad exemption for religious schools, and because of this exemption, Catholic schools can continue to teach the truth of our faith and do not have to adjust their teachings or practices based on these new regulations.

“To maintain the religious exemption protections, schools should continue their efforts to explicitly root their policies and practices in Church teaching.”

On April 19, the U.S. Department of Education released updates to Title IX that, as of Aug. 1, prohibit schools from discriminating based on sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy or related conditions.

Some states are challenging the federal changes. OSV News reports that on July 11, attorneys general of Idaho and West Virginia asked the Supreme Court to uphold their states’ laws “requiring student athletes to compete on sports teams that correspond to their biological sex rather than their gender identity.”

The Catholic News Agency reports that courts have blocked the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing the new

Leaves from a tree frame the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington June 1. The attorneys general of West Virginia and Idaho asked the Supreme Court July 10 to uphold their laws requiring student athletes to compete on sports teams that correspond to their biological sex rather than their self-perceived gender identity.

regulation in 15 states, while attorneys general in about a dozen states have also filed lawsuits. The regulation went into effect in jurisdictions where courts have not blocked its enforcement.

Signed into law in 1972, Title IX was designed to ensure that no person experiences sex discrimination in federally funded educational organizations. The April changes redefine “sex-based discrimination” to encompass sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation and gender identity. Though these changes do not address sex-separate athletic teams, the U.S. Department of Education intends to issue a separate final rule to address Title IX’s new application to sports.

The changes, OMCE said, underscore

Catholic Charities Twin Cities names CFO as interim president, CEO

By Rebecca Omastiak

The Catholic Spirit

July 31, Catholic Charities Twin Cities named Chief Financial Officer

John Marston as its interim president and CEO, effective Aug. 16.

In June, Catholic Charities announced its president and CEO, Michael Goar, had accepted a leadership role with Sisters of Charity Health System, which provides faith-based care in Ohio and South Carolina. July 22, Goar stepped into the role of president and CEO of the system, which operates three health care ministries, six outreach organizations and three grantmaking foundations.

Marston will continue to serve as CFO of Catholic Charities, a role he has held since early 2024, according to the nonprofit. Prior to his work with Catholic Charities, Marston served in leadership roles for both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies, as well as for several behavioral health organizations. He also previously served as interim CEO

for Richfield-based mental health service Youable Emotional Health.

“I am honored to step into this role and continue the important work of Catholic Charities, which has been a cornerstone of our community for more than 150 years,” Marston said in a statement. “Our mission remains steadfast, and I look forward to leading our dedicated team through this transition.”

The nonprofit’s board of directors will continue its national search for its president and CEO, with Marston working with the board and senior leadership to continue Catholic Charities’ initiatives.

Catholic Charities Twin Cities serves children, families and adults who are in need, offering meals, shelter, employment and housing resources, social services, financial assistance programs, veterans services and medical care, among other services.

biological sex,” Father Andrie said. “In our handbook, we state that use of (a) student’s name and pronouns, use of facilities, and eligibility for single-sex and extracurricular activities will be based on the child’s biological sex. Our recent additions also clarify that God-given sexual expression and behavior must be exclusively oriented to love and life in marriage between one man and one woman. In short, our documentation clearly states that individuals and families who are employed by and participate in the life of St. Therese should expect that we believe, teach and live the teachings of Christ as taught by the Catholic faith.”

a need for Catholic schools to provide a clear religious basis for school policies, practices and teachings. This means referencing the Catholic faith and specific Church doctrine in school handbooks, enrollment forms, athletic/ extracurricular activities forms, job descriptions, offer letters and other documentation.

Father Leonard Andrie, pastor of St. Therese in Deephaven, said that in recent years St. Therese has been more intentional about including language in its documentation that articulates a belief in Catholic anthropology.

“Our parent/student handbook states that St. Therese Catholic School will relate to each student in a way that is respectful of and consistent with each student’s God-given sexuality and

According to Father Andrie, St. Therese will continue “to teach, celebrate, and live what it means to be human, created as male and female, and made in the image of God.” Maintaining Title IX exemptions does offer an opportunity to deeply reflect upon biblical anthropology, Father Andrie said. St. Therese defines biological sex as a person’s biology as male or female “based upon physical characteristics present at birth,” Father Andrie said. Additionally, the school defines “God-given sexual identity” as a person’s identity as a male or female “that is congruent with one’s biological sex at birth.”

“The fundamental question being proposed is whether the truth of God’s revelation supersedes our modern-day experiences and the shifting sands of public opinion,” Father Andrie said.

Father Andrie agreed with the sentiment that the federal changes are concerning, saying, “We are seeing a movement that has a quasi-religious feel to it and directly contradicts basic biblical anthropology –– of what God has revealed about the human person created as male and female, complementary and fruitful. As the ideological movement of ‘gender fluidity’ gains strength, we will see massive confusion and ultimately much suffering as a result.”

Father Meyer ministered to 9 parishes — 3 for more than a dozen years each

By Joe Ruff

The Catholic Spirit

A priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for 68 years — including 49 years of active ministry — died Aug. 1. Father Frederick Meyer was 93.

A native of St. Paul ordained in 1956, Father Meyer ministered at nine parishes in urban and rural areas of the archdiocese before retiring from active ministry in 2005. He was pastor of St. Henry in St. Henry for 13 years (1992-2005), and Nativity in Cleveland for 18 years (1974-1992). He served for 15 years as parochial administrator of Immaculate Conception in Marysburg (1977-1992).

Father Meyer began his priestly ministry as assistant priest of St. Mary in St. Paul (1956-1958), Our Lady of Victory in Minneapolis (1958-1961) and St. Vincent de Paul in St. Paul (19611963). He was parochial administrator of St. Vincent (1963-1967) and assistant priest of Corpus Christi (1967-1968) and St. Agnes (1968-1969), all in St. Paul, before his appointment as parochial

administrator of St. Agnes (1969-1972) and assistant priest of St. Anne in Minneapolis (1972-1974).

For the past six years, Father Meyer lived at Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul.

Father Meyer’s funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Aug. 14 at St. Agnes, with visitation at 9 a.m. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights.

Father Meyer died as The Catholic Spirit was going to press for its Aug. 8 edition. Please watch for the Aug. 22 edition to learn more about his life and ministry.

OSV NEWS | WILL DUNHAM, REUTERS

JOHN MARSTON

Minnesota Catholic Conference’s efforts help tighten child protection law

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

A Minnesota law requiring people in schools, hospitals, psychological or psychiatric practices, social services and other professions to report suspicions that a child is being maltreated has another safeguard for children, thanks to a law passed this year by the Legislature.

The new provisions state in part: “A person who intentionally prevents or attempts to prevent a person mandated ... to report under this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor.”

In addition, the law states that businesses, religious and nonprofit organizations, schools and other entities cannot have policies, written or otherwise, that “prevent or discourage a mandatory or voluntary reporter from reporting suspected or alleged maltreatment of a child.”

The Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) — the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops — backed the bill. The conference brought the Catholic Church’s own struggles with child sexual abuse cases and its desire to prevent maltreatment of children anywhere to lawmakers’ discussions, said Jason

Adkins, MCC’s executive director and chief counsel.

“It’s critical now that the Church speaks in defense of the well-being of the child on every level,” Adkins said. “And especially given the Church’s past in terms of sexual abuse and allowing that to take place in so many instances, we should now be on the front lines of applying the lessons we’ve learned and stepping into the protection of children.”

“This bill gets to the heart of dysfunctional institutional cultures that prevent children from being protected and prevent mandatory reporting laws from doing the thing that they’re designed to do,” Adkins said.

Rep. Jim Nash of Waconia, a chief author of the bill, said MCC’s assistance made a difference — particularly as he shared his own experience of abuse with fellow lawmakers.

“I grew up as an abused kid,” Nash told The Catholic Spirit. From a young age until he fought back at age 17 he was beaten by his father, sometimes

St. Paul man charged in connection with retired priest’s death

By Rebecca Omastiak

The Catholic Spirit

A St. Paul man has been charged in connection with the Aug. 1 death of 76-year-old Father Lawrence “Larry” Johnson.

Nathan Wondra, 32, has been charged with second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated, in connection with the incident, according to a criminal complaint.

According to that complaint, at about 12:40 p.m. Aug. 1, officers responded to a call by a man later identified as Wondra who said the other man in a vehicle with him — later identified as Father Johnson — had not been breathing for about 30 minutes. The caller indicated that the man had stopped breathing after he put his arms around his neck.

Upon arrival at the vehicle, on the side of Interstate 94 near Prior Avenue in St. Paul, officers found two men, Wondra and Father Johnson. Father Johnson was transported by medics to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he was later pronounced dead, the criminal complaint states.

Wondra admitted to a Minnesota State Patrol officer at the scene that “he had just murdered someone,” according to the complaint. Wondra was taken in for questioning.

According to the criminal complaint, Wondra said that he had met Father Johnson at his workplace roughly a year prior. Wondra said that Father Johnson was a “father figure” for him, that Father Johnson would text and check in on him and that they would have lunch together roughly once per month.

Wondra said that on Aug. 1, he and Father Johnson had attended Mass in

with bumps and bruises, but eight times treated for injuries at the hospital where his mother was director of nursing. His mother — as a nurse, a mandatory reporter of suspected abuse — kept it secret. Nash said he asked her once why she didn’t save him from abuse and she replied, “‘Well, I thought you could take it.’”

The MCC “made it known they were officially supporting the bill,” he said. “As I went through the agony of presenting it in committee and elsewhere, they would make statements about it, back me up.”

Adkins credited Nash’s courage and conviction in sharing his experience — and the courage of others who share personal testimony on a variety of topics in the Legislature — to help others.

“Being willing to step forward like that and show that vulnerability so that other people might be protected ... I think Representative Nash is one of the most principled legislators at the Capitol,” Adkins said.

The Church is taking a similar path, with personal and institutional experience to share, Adkins said, at a time when children are increasingly being sexualized and commodified.

“We (must) have the humility to say,

‘Yes, we’ve made mistakes,’” Adkins said. “But at the same time ... we can bring the right principles and the right perspective into these public policy debates; there are not a lot of other voices or actors in that space.”

The child maltreatment provisions are one example of the Church bringing its experience and its teachings — which are centered on Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit — into meeting the needs of society, Adkins said. The MCC is fully engaged in its Families First project of strengthening the family and ensuring the rights of children, he said. That can impact many aspects of life, from backing child protection laws and child tax credits to defending the right to life of the unborn, he said.

“We have to trust the Holy Spirit will give us the right words, and that grace will move in people’s hearts to move them to the right position,” Adkins said, referring to the importance of speaking and having the courage to do so even when being called hypocrites for past failures. “When we sow that seed, hopefully it will land on fertile ground. And that’s the work of grace. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit. We can’t control or manipulate that.”

the chapel at Father Johnson’s residence.

After Mass, Wondra said he wanted Father Johnson to drive him to the hospital for a mental health evaluation. While on the way to the hospital, Wondra said he asked Father Johnson to pull over to the side of the interstate, the complaint states.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy, ruling Father Lawrence’s cause of death was strangulation.

Wondra’s first appearance in court took place Aug. 2. A psychological examination for Wondra was ordered during a subsequent hearing Aug. 5.

Father Johnson, who was ordained in 1975, served at a number of parishes in the archdiocese: Guardian Angels in Chaska (2000-2007), St. Martin and St. Walburga both in Rogers (1997-2000), St. John the Evangelist in Hopkins (1994-1996), St. Joseph in Red Wing (1992-1994), Presentation of Mary in Maplewood (1988-1992), St. Gregory the Great in North Branch and Sacred Heart in Rush City (1985-1988), Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis (19841985), St. Scholastica in Heidelberg (1981-1984), St. Wenceslaus in New Prague (1980-1984), Ascension in Minneapolis (1977-1980) and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Bloomington (1975-1977). Father Johnson retired from active ministry in 2009.

The

the

and a report

JASON ADKINS

TOM HALDEN | COMMUNICATIONS, ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS

VANDALIZED A vandalized sign is seen Aug. 3 at an exhibit titled Cemetery of the Innocents placed at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville. The sign describes a traveling exhibit memorializing the lives lost to abortion in the United States in a single day with 3,500 crosses — about half the actual number of lives lost.

graffiti included a pentagram, the number 666 and the words “is cool” just below

word abortion. Police were contacted

was filed. Staff at the church asked police officers to maintain a bigger presence in the area, and the police have obliged. The exhibit coincided with an Aug. 3 Walk for Life at the parish, and it will remain at Mary, Mother of the Church until Aug. 13 before it will be returned to its home parish, St. Patrick in Oak Grove.

FATHERLAWRENCE “LARRY” JOHNSON

NATION+WORLD

Nicaraguan regime’s repression targets diocese

By David Agren OSV News

At least 11 churchmen have been detained by police and paramilitaries over a weeklong assault in northern Nicaragua, depleting the already demoralized Diocese of Matagalpa — whose leader, Bishop Rolando Álvarez, lives in exile.

Nine priests and a deacon were detained Aug. 1 and 2 — with some taken from parishes and parish residences — according to independent media in Nicaragua. An octogenarian priest was also detained July 27 in the Diocese of Estelí, where Bishop Álvarez is apostolic administrator.

“The Diocese of Matagalpa practically no longer has any clergy. We’ve been expelled, pressured and forced to flee. Parishes are on their own,” an exiled priest, familiar with the diocese, told OSV News.

“(The Church) has been attacked from all sides. They’ve removed clergy, they’ve frozen its accounts. The Church has survived,” he added.

But he said of the ruling Sandinista regime, “Their ultimate goal is to exterminate the diocesean Church where Monsignor Rolando (Álvarez) is still bishop.”

The arrests reflected the deepening repression of the Catholic Church in the Central American country, which has careened toward totalitarianism.

President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosarillo Murillo, continue to crack down on dissent, close spaces for civil society and infringe on freedom of worship — with priests being spied upon and

They have started with this idea of disappearing religious, Christian symbols in public places.

I’m not saying it’s massive, but it is starting and it’s noticeable.

Arturo McFields

forced to watch their words during Mass.

Church observers lack a cogent explanation for the latest attack on the Catholic Church, which followed a period of constant, low-level hostilities. It came amid turmoil in Venezuela — an ally of Nicaragua — where opposition supporters have flooded the streets to protest election fraud and President Nicolás Maduro has repressed them with police and government-controlled goon squads.

Sources interviewed by OSV News pointed to the regime’s lingering disdain for Bishop Álvarez, who had become the face of the Nicaraguan resistance to rising tyranny, as motive for the ongoing attacks.

Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer in exile who tracks persecution of the Catholic Church, previously told OSV News that 2023 was unfolding as the most difficult year yet for the Nicaraguan Church. She said in April that at least 131 churchmen and 91 women religious have fled or been forced to leave Nicaragua since 2018.

The priests remaining in Nicaragua continue working with limited resources.

“The Church in the midst of everything has tried to continue with

the normality of the mission with the few priests who remain. They have tripled their work,” said the exiled priest.

Nicaragua remains a fervently Catholic country. But signs have emerged of the regime removing Catholic symbols and changing streets with religiously inspired names.

“They have started with this idea of disappearing religious, Christian symbols in public places,” Arturo McFields, a former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, told OSV News. “I’m not saying it’s massive, but it is starting and it’s noticeable.”

The Vatican worked quietly to obtain Bishop Álvarez’s release. Some Nicaraguans express hope that Pope Francis will instead speak out more forcefully on Nicaragua.

“Pope Francis can affect the situation in Nicaragua,” said Álvaro Leiva, president of the Central American Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights. He described the pope’s posture toward Nicaragua as “nonconfrontational,” which “does not represent a greater chance of seeing that this dictatorship could be weakening.”

Venezuelan cardinals call for full release of election results

By David Agren OSV News

Pope Francis has called for both sides to “seek the truth” in Venezuela’s contested election as the opposition denounces electoral fraud — publishing tally sheets as proof — while the ruling Chavista regime refuses to release the full information on the vote and cracks down on demonstrations.

During his Angelus address Aug. 4, Pope Francis said, “I make a heartfelt appeal to all parties to seek the truth, to exercise restraint, to avoid any kind of violence, to settle disputes through dialogue, to have at heart the true good of the people and not partisan interests.”

Venezuela’s two most senior clergy, meanwhile, warned that harassment of priests from pro-government politicians has the country following in the footsteps of Nicaragua, where democracy has disappeared and the Church is persecuted.

Cardinal Baltazar Porras, retired archbishop of Caracas, and Cardinal Diego Padrón, retired archbishop of Cumaná, also wrote in a three-page statement that the government has failed to “build bridges” with the opposition and remains trapped in the idea of a “’coup d’etat’ constructed

ad hoc,” rather than releasing the complete results of the July 28 election — a move demanded by the opposition and countries recognizing the opposition victory, including the United States.

“The reaction of the Venezuelan government has been, until now, to flatly deny the opposition victory … without showing evidence, which are the voting records,” Cardinals Porras and Padrón said in the Aug. 1 statement.

“The government, instead of building bridges with the opposition … has widened the abyss in front of it, considering enemies all those who do not approve of its behavior. And it has decided to annihilate (opponents) with repression, prison, violence and death,” the statement said.

The Aug. 1 document was not distributed by the Venezuelan bishops’ conference or the Archdiocese of Caracas, but was authenticated by Venezuelan media several days later.

“What we cannot do is become another church of silence, letting time pass in vain. We have to discern in the Spirit the present moment as a kairos and act accordingly with courage, in the style of the apostles,” the statement said.

“We are not and cannot be neutral,”

After weeks of speculation, Harris picks Minnesota’s Walz as running mate

OSV News

Aug. 6, Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on the Democratic Party’s ticket.

Harris secured her party’s nomination for president shortly after President Joe Biden’s historic announcement July 21 that he would end his own reelection bid and endorse her.

Walz, a former public school teacher, a former member of the Army National Guard, and a former Minnesota representative in the U.S. House, was elected as governor of Minnesota in 2018 and reelected in 2022. In his official biography, Walz’s website touts his work on issues such as providing free school lunches and some paid family leave, but also efforts to expand abortion protections.

Jason Adkins, executive director of Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops, issued a statement congratulating Walz and noting areas of agreement and disagreement with the governor.

the cardinals continued. “It is necessary to carefully check the facts, to prophetically denounce, even at risk, injustices, and to proclaim our principles and values, accompanying the people in solidarity and pastorally, a task that is not easy but necessary.”

Venezuelans voted in a tense election claimed by opposition candidate Edmundo González, a former diplomat whose campaign pointed to exit polls and tallies collected from polling centers as proof of his victory. But the National Electoral Council — packed with Maduro cronies — declared the president the winner with 51% of the vote compared to 44% for Gónzalez, but failed to present proof.

The opposition subsequently published tally sheets from 79% of polling centers showing González receiving more than double the votes cast for Maduro. International media outlets, including The Associated Press, reviewed the tally sheets and confirmed the opposition’s findings. Opposition supporters have protested in the streets, prompting hyperbolic responses from Maduro such as building mega prisons with reeducation centers for protesters. He later boasted of 2,000 protesters being imprisoned, pledging “maximum punishment.”

“We congratulate Gov. Walz on his selection as the Democratic VicePresidential Nominee and assure him of our prayers,” the statement said. “We are proud to have worked together with him to enact a nation-leading child tax credit and promote the well-being of immigrant Minnesotans. Yet, we also have had areas of strong disagreement, including protecting the innocent unborn from abortion, the protection of children from the manifestations of gender ideology, and the importance of parental rights in education. In some areas, such as religious liberty, we have appreciated his willingness to hear our concerns and change course.

“As he steps into the national spotlight, Minnesota Catholic Conference remains committed to constructive engagement with him, ensuring that Catholic perspectives are heard and respected at all levels of government.”

Walz and his wife, Gwen, married in 1994 and have two children. He is Lutheran.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump on July 15 named Ohio Sen. JD Vance, a Catholic, as his running mate on the Republican ticket in November. Known in part as the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. He is married to Usha Vance, a litigator. The couple has three children.

Trump announced his pick for vice president as the four-day Republican National Convention opened in Milwaukee. The Democratic National Convention will be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

— The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report.

uPope pleads for restraint in the Middle East after the killing of a Hamas leader. As fears of a widening war in the Middle East grew again in early August, Pope Francis pleaded with the region’s leaders to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue. “Let us have the courage to resume dialogue so that there is an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and on all fronts, the hostages are freed and the people are helped with humanitarian aid,” the pope said Aug. 4 after leading the recitation of the Angelus prayer. “Attacks, even targeted ones, and killings can never be a solution,” the pope told thousands of people gathered in the midday heat to pray with him. The pope’s remarks came after the killing July 31 of a top Hamas leader in Iran — a killing widely attributed to Israel.

uVatican says it was “saddened” by the Olympics’ opening ceremony. More than a week after the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, the Vatican joined people who complained that a segment of the show featuring drag performers offended Christians. “The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes in the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offense caused to many Christians and believers of other religions,” said the statement published by the Vatican press office late Aug. 3. The Vatican statement did not specifically identify the July 26 performance, which featured drag performers, including one wearing a crown, seated at a table in a scene that reminded many people of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of the Last Supper. “In a prestigious event where the whole world gathers around common values, there should be no allusions that ridicule the religious convictions of many people,” the Vatican statement said.

uAmerican Olympic medalists in Paris known for leaning on faith. Among American Olympians achieving a spot on the podium in Paris are Catholics who have expressed their dependence on faith over the years as they’ve pursued excellence in their athletic pursuits. Swimmer Katie Ledecky, who made U.S. history Aug. 1 when she became the most decorated woman in Olympic history after winning her 13th Olympic medal — silver — in the 4x200-meter relay, is outspoken about how her Catholic faith guides her life. After the 2021 Tokyo games, the Catholic school graduate told the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, that she prayed the Hail Mary before each race to calm her nerves, just as she had during the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Ledecky, 27, has eight gold, four silver and one bronze Olympic medals. In Paris, she is teammates with two fellow alumnae of her all-girls high school, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland: Phoebe Bacon and Erin Gemmell. Gemmell medaled alongside Ledecky with the 4x200-meter relay. They are among a host of U.S. Olympians who are Catholic, were raised in the faith, or attended Catholic schools or colleges and are now competing in Paris. U.S. Olympic gymnast and Paris gold medalist Simone Biles, who was raised Catholic, has said she credits God and her faith for her success. Ryan Murphy, who was also raised Catholic and has spoken about his faith and prayer life, is taking home a bronze medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke.

bishops’ National Review Board. A retired FBI agent will head up the U.S. bishops’ consultative safe environment body, while a clergy abuse survivor, a nursing professor and two clinical social workers are also among the board’s Aug. 1 appointments. Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has appointed James Bogner as the next chair of the National Review Board. A former high-level FBI special agent with more than 35 years of law enforcement experience, Bogner succeeds outgoing chair Suzanne Healy, who recently completed her four-year term. Three new members have also been appointed to the board: Paulette Adams, a tenured professor emeritus at the University of Louisville School of Nursing; independent business owner Scott Surette, a survivor of clerical abuse; and retired clinical social worker Barbara Thorp of the Archdiocese of Boston. Reappointed to the board for a second term was Vivian Akel, a retired licensed clinical social worker who serves as safe environment coordinator for the Maronite Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn. The 15 member, lay-led board is a key part of the bishops’ commitment to preventing sexual abuse of minors, as detailed in the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” established in 2002 amid a number of emerging clerical abuse scandals.

uU.S. Senate passes major online child safety legislation, but its future in the House is uncertain. The U.S. Senate passed two major online child safety reforms July 30, but the bills face an uncertain future in the House. The bills — the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act and the Kids Online Safety Act, sometimes called COPPA 2.0 and KOSA — were approved by the upper chamber in a bipartisan 91-3 vote. But the legislation faces some criticism from tech industry groups and the American Civil Liberties Union, and it is not yet clear if it would have the necessary support to pass in the GOP-controlled House. KOSA would create the new obligation of “duty of care,” a requirement for social media companies to mitigate potential harms to children. COPPA 2.0 would expand the parental consent requirement for data collection and would ban companies from targeting children with advertising. Jessica Heldman, a child rights professor at the University of San Diego, a Catholic university, and a member of its Children’s Advocacy Institute, told OSV News July 30, “the research is clear that social media puts children at risk. The legislation overwhelmingly passed by the Senate today is an important and long-awaited step toward protecting the safety and well-being of children online. Quite simply, it will save lives.”

uAmid the devastation of the Israel-Hamas war, miracles happen, says Caritas Jerusalem. The staff of the international Catholic relief arm, Caritas Jerusalem, are expressing praise and gratitude for God’s seeming miraculous intervention on a Gaza church compound July 29. A missile fired from an Israeli battle tank crashed into an annex of St. Porphyrios Church in Gaza City, causing destruction and some injuries, but it miraculously failed to detonate on impact, sparing the lives of many displaced Palestinians, mainly Christians, sheltering in the Greek Orthodox church since the outbreak of fighting erupted between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Some 70 people were in the hall next to the church, said Nathalie Sayegh, a Caritas Jerusalem employee present during the

incident. “Thank the Lord, it did not detonate, otherwise we would have been left with nothing but remnants.”

uGallup poll: Majority back birth control and IVF, but almost half see U.S. morality as “poor.” New data shows most of the nation views birth control contraception and in vitro fertilization as “morally acceptable,” while extramarital affairs and suicide are regarded as the most “morally wrong” of several behaviors — with close to half the nation regarding overall morality in the U.S. as “poor.” In a July 30 email, Gallup highlighted results from a May social series poll of some 1,000 adults aged 18 and older, which showed that respondents’ moral ratings of 19 behaviors remained stable from prior years. Issues of human sexuality and reproduction dominated the poll, with birth control endorsed by 90% of the respondents and in vitro fertilization by 82%. The poll did not distinguish between artificial contraception and those fertility-awareness based methods, sometimes called natural family planning, that the Church says are morally acceptable for responsible parenthood. A majority said abortion (54%), sex between an unmarried man and woman (69%) and having a baby outside of marriage (68%) were morally acceptable. More than half of those surveyed supported the death penalty (55%) and doctorassisted suicide (53%). However, a majority of Americans said pornography (58%), changing one’s gender (51%) and sex between teenagers (50%) were morally wrong. Gallup researchers noted that when respondents were asked

about the nation’s overall moral state, only 15% said “excellent” or “good,” while just under half (49%) replied “poor” and 34% “only fair.”

uUSCCB backs legislation that aims to help religious groups develop affordable housing. Legislation under consideration in Congress would help faith-based organizations respond to a shortage in affordable housing by easing restrictions on the use of their land to develop affordable housing, supporters say. The Yes in God’s Backyard Act, introduced in March by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, would provide technical assistance to faith-based and nonprofit groups interested in using land they already own to respond to housing shortages in their communities, as well as technical assistance to local governments to facilitate training on best practices for working with such groups. The bill would also create challenge grants to provide additional resources to communities that ease burdensome regulations on affordable rental housing on property owned by faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education. In a July 12 letter to members of Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged lawmakers to pass the bill, arguing it “would help faith-based and nonprofit organizations improve their capacity to meet the housing needs of poor and vulnerable community members.”

— CNS and OSV News

pioneers in the

Move

industry, Gentle Transitions (a WellRive company) has assisted thousands of Twin Cities older adults with their moves since 1990. Senior Move Specialist Lee Syndergaard will be presenting educational tips to help those considering an upcoming move or who would just like to declutter for the future. From downsizing, sorting, getting rid of the excess, to packing, unpacking and resettling, you will gain valuable knowledge and a multitude of resources to help you get through the process “gently”. Come join us for

Camp finds a home in Wisconsin, features personal encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist

Story and photos by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

Tim and Helen Healy of Holy Name of Jesus in Medina have a passion for youth ministry. It runs deep, going back to their years of service to West St. Paul-based NET Ministries in the late 1980s.

It’s why they stepped forward to try and find a permanent home for Extreme Faith Camp (EFC), which has provided weeklong summer camps for youth in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 2001. Camp leaders rented various sites to put on up to four weeklong camps per year, and they decided three years ago it was time to start looking for a place to call home. Tim and Helen Healy joined that effort.

One of the first places they visited was a 700-acre resort near Trego, Wisconsin, about two hours northeast of the Twin Cities. At the time, it was a beautiful resort that would more than meet the needs of camp.

After looking at numerous other sites throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, they ended up back at the Trego property, which they named Trinity Woods Catholic Retreat Center, which is owned by a nonprofit the Healys helped create called Minnesota Catholic Youth Partnership. Tim is the president of the board of directors. This year is the first in EFC’s new home.

Helen calls the effort to secure a permanent home for EFC a “great success story” and notes that attendance went from 900 campers and leaders over four weeks last year to 2,000 over seven weeks this year, a record number. This year, over 70 parishes sent kids to camp, and the Healys, who live at the camp during the summer and work for it year-round, are pushing to boost numbers even more. With 700 acres to work with, including a private lake and a river running alongside the property, there is plenty of room to grow.

Christ at the center

Since its beginning, the center of camp has been the Eucharist. There is Mass every day of camp, an adoration chapel where boys and girls going into 10th grade (called the prayer team) pray throughout the week for camp and campers, and, finally, a special session on Wednesday evening in which a priest walks up and down rows of campers and leaders with the Eucharist in a monstrance, stopping in front of each person to offer a brief moment for personal adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

Helen Healy, whose brother is Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, chair of the National Eucharistic Revival, watches the two-hour adoration session every week and sees a roomful of youth kneeling before Christ and experiencing the love of God, maybe for the first time in their lives.

“It’s just indescribable,” said Helen, noting that three of her and Tim’s seven

children were at camp this summer.

“That’s really the climax of the camp, when Jesus is in the Eucharist in the monstrance, and young people encounter him very close. They’re able to tell God they love him, in a personal way. It’s just very meaningful.”

It can also be transformative. Trevor Thorp, 20, of St. Michael in St. Michael, started going to Extreme Faith Camp the summer after he completed sixth grade, which is the first year of eligibility. He has come back all but one year since, and this year is on Trinity Wood’s summer staff called the Trinity Team, which is made up of young adults who live at camp and serve at all seven sessions. The other group at camp is the Extreme Team, which is made up of youth who have just finished grades 10, 11 and 12 and help provide discipleship in faith to the campers.

“In sixth grade, I had an encounter with Jesus at Extreme Faith Camp, and that really kick-started my faith,” said Thorp, who will be entering his junior year at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul. “And every year since, I’ve just always wanted to come back because I know how powerful of an experience it is. And then, as a leader, knowing what it could do for the middle schoolers, I wanted to be able to come and help middle schoolers have that same experience.”

That, in a nutshell, is what Extreme Faith Camp is all about: having a personal encounter with Christ and then coming back to help others have it, too. In this way, it becomes part of youth ministry overall at parishes in the archdiocese.

Helping parish ministry

John O’Sullivan has seen this pattern continue over several decades. He spent more than 30 years in parish youth ministry, 19 of them at St. Michael in St. Michael, and is one of the founders of Extreme Faith Camp. He left St. Michael recently to accept a full-time role at Trinity Woods Catholic Retreat Center to help support EFC.

“I work here as a parish liaison to assist parishes in preparing for camp, but even more importantly, to help them understand what the bigger vision of EFC is, because it’s not just a summer camp,” he said. “It brings renewal (to a parish). That’s the revival that I see coming from a one-week experience (at EFC). An encounter with the Lord is not the end, but it’s really the beginning. And it just creates a beautiful cycle of ministry that can grow exponentially.”

That growth has been happening at St. Michael in St. Michael, as shown on a display board in the gathering space of the church that features parishioners who have become priests and religious, and have served or are serving as missionaries, plus those in seminary pursuing the priesthood. Thorp seems headed to having his picture on the board.

“My experience at (SJV) has been very, very powerful for me,” Thorp said. “I would be surprised if God called me away from the priesthood at this point.”

He said he had several options for activities he could pursue this summer, but chose to be on the Trinity Team at Trinity Woods. “I wanted to be a missionary because bringing people to Jesus is important to me,” he said.

Taking faith to

His thoughts were echoed by two others on this year’s Trinity Team, Francis Denton of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, and Brynn Patton, a parishioner along with Thorp at St. Michael. Like Thorp, Patton has been going to EFC since sixth grade, with plans to serve in NET Ministries this fall. She called her camp experience “very amazing,” and noted that she and Thorp have served together on the parish’s core team, which serves those in middle school. Denton, who has been coming to camp since eighth grade, said, “This is the most clearly I’ve seen the Holy Spirit work in my entire life.”

St. Michael in St. Michael has been sending people to EFC for many years because of O’Sullivan’s work as the parish youth minister. Now, other parishes are catching the fire, like St. Michael in Prior Lake. The high school youth minister there, Katie Kelly, came to Extreme Faith Camp with a group of 25 during the sixth

week (July 22-26) and was a camp co-leader with Amy Schroeder, director of youth formation at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville. Those two parishes, along with the other 10 parishes that came that week, were new to Extreme Faith Camp.

“The location is really wonderful,” said Kelly, 30. “Personally, I love that it’s really family friendly. I was able to come with my 5-month-old son (Finnegan) and my husband (John), and we were able to participate fully while still being able to be a family, which is just such a blessing.”

Kelly’s experience hints at the future vision for Trinity Woods, which Tim Healy said goes beyond Extreme Faith Camp. Future growth

“There’s so much more that Trinity Woods Catholic Retreat Center will be able to offer the diocese, and that’s what

to the extreme

we’re excited about,” he said. “Extreme Faith Camp is obviously the cornerstone of who we’re serving. But, we feel there’s a lot of opportunities to reach other high school youth groups, confirmation groups, and even adult retreats, men’s (and) women’s marriage retreats.”

The number of buildings on the property, including four-bedroom duplexes, cottages, small houses and lodges make the possibilities for housing groups of various sizes almost endless, Healy said. Already, Trinity Woods is hosting two family camps this summer, with plans to add more next year. There’s also talk of starting outdoor education programs for Catholic schools, in which students come to Trinity Woods for instruction.

O’Sullivan’s daughter, Teresa, who was hired as a full-time permanent employee and served as activities director at EFC this summer, has a college degree in outdoor education and is eager to put it to use.

LARGE DOSE OF FUN

as they prepare to go canoeing.

FAR LEFT Father John Utecht brings the Eucharist in a monstrance July 24 to each person at Extreme Faith Camp. Campers and leaders are given a few moments of personal adoration during a session some describe as the most powerful part of the week. Father Utecht serves as parochial vicar of St. Jude of the Lake in Mahtomedi and as chaplain at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood.

LEFT Campers take part in small group discussion with Hoinville Lake behind them.

The number of people the buildings can accommodate “is just mind blowing,” Healy said. “We haven’t even come close to filling (all the space at one time). I think the fullest we were (for one week of camp) was 315. Yeah, that was pretty full. But our total beds are 450.”

The excitement for Trinity Woods and EFC is felt by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who came in May to bless the camp and came again for a closing Mass Aug. 2. Other priests have come up to camp throughout the seven sessions, including several who were just ordained in May. There’s also Deacon Tom Michaud, who serves on the board of the Minnesota Catholic Youth Partnership and was at camp for week six with his parish, St. Joseph in West St. Paul. It was his 11th time.

“This is the year I can finally say all five of my kids have been to Extreme Faith Camp,” said Deacon Michaud, who noted

Leaders at Extreme Faith Camp point out that, although the week is centered on Christ, campers are fed good food and lots of fun, too. That is why campers have daily activities like laser tag, rock wall climbing, swimming and the highly popular zip line, which was built after the camp was purchased in January.

“Some of the kids really want to have that fun because they’re at camp and there are things that they just can’t do at home,” said Helen Healy, who works alongside her husband, Tim, to help run the camp.

“That’s why we have a zip line. That’s why we have laser tag and those sorts of things. It’s all to bring the child closer to Jesus and develop relationships.”

They also want campers to experience the natural surroundings of the property’s 700 acres near Trego, Wisconsin. There’s swimming in Hoinville Lake, which the main lodge overlooks. There’s canoeing on the Namekagon River, which flows along the edge of the property. There’s even fishing, also on Hoinville Lake, with a pontoon provided and guided by Jerry Polaschek, who takes campers out every morning.

“I’ve only missed one year of camp from the beginning (2001),” said Polaschek, 67, who comes up every year with his wife, Karen, both of whom are parishioners at St. Michael in St. Michael. Two of their four children have gone to camp, and Jerry started taking campers fishing in 2005. Karen leads and works with the prayer team.

“We’ve got four fishing mornings for every week of camp; we have about an hour and 15 minutes every morning of fishing,” he said. “It’s good fishing out there. In our limited window of time, we’re doing really well. We’re averaging six to seven fish a trip.”

But fishing is only a small part of Extreme Faith Camp for the Polascheks.

“I love the whole process,” Jerry said.

Karen added: “It’s the best thing we do for our kids, it really is. It’s such a wonderful experience.”

–– Dave Hrbacek

his youngest child, Joseph, attended for the first time. “I talk with so many people, like parents, and they ask, ‘Why are my kids not staying in church? Why don’t they want to keep going to church? Why are they leaving the Church?’

“I’d hear that a lot. And then I showed up at Extreme Faith Camp, and I saw the Church come alive in front of me. I saw the Church, through the kids, just come alive. And I was so blown away.”

The effects are evident in the Michaud household.

“Our kids going through Extreme Faith Camp has changed the family,” said Deacon Michaud. “I watched their faith go ... from their head to their heart, and they felt God’s love.”

And, when Deacon Michaud asks them about the best part of camp, they all say

the same thing: Wednesday night adoration.

“It’s amazing and a blessing to be able to watch the kids look up and see the monstrance in their face and how it just touches them,” he said. “It’s absolutely amazing.”

Now that Extreme Faith Camp finally has a home, Tim and Helen Healy, camp leaders, parents and people like Deacon Michaud think it will only get better.

“It had to be the Holy Spirit guiding us here (to Trinity Woods),” the deacon said. “I’ve never seen a camp like this, ever. ... It’s beautiful. It’s well maintained. You come up here and you can’t help but just breathe deep and go: ‘Wow. This is God’s country.’”

For more information, visit trinitywoodscatholic com

Teresa O’Sullivan, Extreme Faith Camp activities director, second from left, talks with Grace Yaklin, left, Nora Stanton, Morgan Hendrickson and Brianna Von Feldt, all of St. Michael in Prior Lake,

From left, Eva Roddy of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, Maria Ives of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, Maria Fasano of All Saints in Lakeville, Isamar Borbonio of Sts. Joachim and Anne in Shakopee and Jacob Orina-Ombogo of Sts. Joachim and Anne pray during Mass.

From left, Peter Reiswig of St. Joseph in West St. Paul and Kevin Bruski of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville take a ride on the zip line.

FAITH+CULTURE

Living with MS and cancer, Elko grandma operates on faith

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

Despite serious health challenges — multiple sclerosis and ovarian cancer — Terrie Schrank operates with a joyful trust in God and a childlike sense of wonder. Those driving forces are nurtured by her love of the outdoors. She wakes up humming “Canticle of the Sun.”

A retired nurse, the 66-year-old now serves as president of Capable Partners, a group of Minnesota volunteers who help people with disabilities enjoy hunting and fishing. Schrank and husband, Jerry, have 13 grandkids and belong to St. Michael in Prior Lake.

Q You’ve always felt connected to nature — from the very beginning.

A I already was part of it, I thought. My dad brought me pheasant hunting when I was 3. My grandpa took me fishing. As a girl, I was playing in the woods all day, collecting frogs, bringing home all sorts of critters. I’d climb trees and name trees. I had free range to go wherever, many miles. Now we are so cautious with our children. We didn’t have that. We had the freedom to be kids and to be out in the woods.

Q What did that time in nature do for you?

A You found out who you were. You didn’t have any outside influence or TV. It was you and nature. You learned things from just being in nature.

Q How does your love of Catholicism relate to your love of the outdoors?

A My answer would be: the Trinity. God the Father made all this creation on this beautiful earth. Jesus came to show us how to live, love and serve on this earth. And the Holy Spirit is very powerful, whispering through every little thing, the breath of the wind and the sound of the babble of a brook. I just drink it in every day, knowing that that’s the Holy Spirit — and that God, the Trinity, is with us.

There’s a great book called “The Divine Dance” that explores it. The Trinity is such a beautiful mystery, the perichoresis. It continually feeds me — knowing what it’s all about, being blessed by the beauty of nature, tiny little things. I’ve never not been in awe of that.

I’m a nature nut. It is my life, it’s how I praise God, by appreciating his glory.

Q Do you feel that awe running through you?

A Absolutely. It maintains your childlike wonder. I raised monarch butterflies. It doesn’t matter your age — it’s still the most amazing thing to see a caterpillar transform into a butterfly with that beautiful green chrysalis. That’s my favorite color.

When you read the Bible, it’s fun to see all the nature things. I have this habit, I call it the Bible Thing, where you just open it up and whatever you open up to, that’s going to be pertinent to your day. I never really learned about the Bible when I went to Catholic school. Now, I continue to open the Bible for my source of strength and trust that whatever I hear is going to be right. I just open up and trust.

Q Many adults lose that sense of wonder. What’s the difference in you?

A A lot of adults have the weight of the world on their shoulders. They try to fix things that can’t be fixed. I’ve always had this trust in God where I don’t need things to be fixed because I know they’re there for a purpose and God is in charge. People are so worried about rules and regulations and being on time. We need certain guidelines to keep us safe, but in order to really live, we have to maintain that joy and gratitude.

Q You don’t let others define your outlook.

A I was a neonatal intensive (care) nurse for 24 years at Children’s Hospital (in St. Paul). When a baby (was born with a disability), the parents were devastated. I would say, “God made your baby just the way he is! Don’t let your handicap become your baby’s, because your baby is perfect in God’s eyes.” That’s why, when trials and tribulations are all around us, I take them as a gift to help us grow.

Q It sounds like the NICU was a sacred space.

A Children’s Hospital is right below the Cathedral (in St. Paul). I would look out the window and honor the cross at the Cathedral and say, “Make me a channel of your peace — for my babies and all my parents and coworkers.” Things were in God’s hands, not mine. Days that should’ve been hectic weren’t hectic. I would pray for the babies and talk to them and tell them where they’re at on their journey, blessing them for being here on this earth so early, telling them what miracles they are.

Q That faith-focused lens has been crucial as you deal with MS.

A I remember being angry when I was first diagnosed. I was still climbing trees at that age. I went into this self-pitying, “Woe is me! I don’t want MS; I want to enjoy nature.” But Father Rick Banker — he was a new priest — had this beautiful sermon when he talked about his love of nature. He said your smile can have a profound impact, like a dew drop of water into a lake that makes a ripple effect. His saying that flipped how I thought about my MS: “Wait a minute! I can still make a difference. I can be kind and smile still.” Then I went into a deep period of gratitude, and I was able to heal quicker or get back on my feet quicker.

Q Are you still mobile?

A I can walk around fine. I do tend to sleep a little longer than I used to. Sometimes I get weaker talking. The fatigue is the worst. It’s hard to be on a computer or any screen because I get dizzy. My husband is my internet secretary.

But I try not to let MS define who I am. My neurologist said: “Do not read anything on MS. I don’t

want you to get any notions of what it’s about because it’s different for every single person.”

Q Capable Partners seems to understand that, making the outdoors more accessible.

A I have learned so much about the endurance of the human spirit from the members of Capable Partners. There’s one gentleman who’s blind and goes on deer hunts. He got a 10-point buck. Capable Partners for him (is) his eyes that line him up, but he ultimately is the one (who) harvests an animal.

Q Last summer you were diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer.

A The doctor gave me the prognosis of six weeks to three months. I had surgery last October, and I healed quickly. My cancer scans are all negative now, and my numbers have dropped from the high 700s to 117 now. We’re going to check them again and determine treatment plans. It’s a wait-and-see game. The prayers from so many family and friends are really powerful. From day one, I said, “OK, cancer is going to be a new part of life that’s going to be fun.” I actually said that word: It’s going to be fun. We’ll get through this. I’m going to praise this for what it’s teaching me, and I’m going to do treatments for what I can.

Q Again, you’re defining things on your own terms. You’re trusting God and trusting yourself. Is not worrying what other people think also part of it?

A Yeah, I think that’s part of it. I’ve always been a bit of a rebel. I’ve taught confirmation classes for many, many years and been a sponsor for many candidates. I always tell them: “Jesus was a rebel. He broke his law — Jewish law — to teach his law, capital L, God’s Law.”

Q So: trust in God, a little rebellion and confidence in yourself?

A Well, confidence that there’s always help around. I still doubt myself. But so many unseen things are real to me. People don’t understand sometimes.

Q What do you know for sure?

A God loves us unconditionally, and we each have a guardian angel — or two or three. I’m confident in that. I know that for sure.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Retelling of Noah’s Ark breathes new life into ancient story

“Beneath the Silent Heavens” by Brian Christopher Moore. Angelico Press. (Brooklyn, New York, 2019). 256 pp., $18.95. We seem to live in an era of catastrophes. Plagues, political strife, wars and natural disasters increasingly haunt the public consciousness; probably such it has ever been, of course, but each new generation experiences catastrophe as freshly as the day our first parents ate of the fruit.

When faced with a world that seems to be blindly careening toward some very preventable tragedies, chief among them sin and spiritual death, it becomes tempting to indulge in rage, escapism or despair. It is these temptations, and their contrary virtue of hope, that Brian Christopher Moore explores in his dreamlike novel, “Beneath the Silent Heavens: A Fantasy,” a retelling of the story of Noah’s Ark that breathes new life into the ancient story.

There are certainly many fantastic elements in the novel — talking animals, for one — but this reviewer proposes that Moore might well have subtitled his work “A Tragedy.” For the hallmark of tragedy is that the audience knows, or at least can guess, the ending, whereas its characters do not. In this case,

the tragedy is compounded by the fact that some of the characters do know what is coming and are urgently trying to convince a deaf and disinterested populace to seek safe passage. The desperation of Noe, Rhumirrah the Tigress, Manwise the Bull and the rest of Noe’s household will ring all too true to anyone who has tried and failed to wake a drowsing society to the realities of injustice, impending natural crises, or damnation itself.

With Gratitude

Blessings Most Reverend Joseph A. Williams from the Co-Cathedral of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis On the appointment from Pope Francis as Coadjutor Bishop of Camden

Brilliantly, Moore refuses to give a concrete era to the story, imagining the antediluvian world as characterized by advertisements, cameras and law firms alongside abandoned tombs and bronze-age weapons. The overall effect is of a thriving jazz age several thousand years in the past, and drives home the perennial nature of pride, petty rivalry and refusing to read the signs of the times.

That’s not to say the book doesn’t have a few flaws. The tone can sometimes come across as smug — though in fairness to Moore, it might be impossible to write an apocalyptic novel that doesn’t. His female characters, whether heroines or villains, also seem flatter and more foolish than their male counterparts, and too much attention is given to their physical qualities instead of fully developing their personalities. (In one notable exchange, a bright but angry young woman demands Noe confess that he thinks men are more intelligent than women; instead of addressing her concerns, Noe merely says he thinks she should get on the boat. Needless to say, he doesn’t make a convert that day.)

But Moore is somewhat redeemed from this latter charge by the excellent character of Rhumirrah, the adolescent tigress whose pride and relentless search for truth fuel the animal section of this fable, and overall the story’s tone of impending disaster slipping over a glittering world and the urgency of its message carry it over any rougher moments.

Ultimately, the final twist of the book — Moore wisely does not cut the story short at the deluge — makes clear the real questions at the heart of the novel, and of the concept of an Ark itself: Given all the earthly treasures we might wish to rescue during an apocalypse, what are the actual essentials that must be saved? And more importantly, who really does the saving?

Reichert is publications administrative coordinator at The Catholic Spirit. She can be reached at reichertm@archspm org

The Parishioners and Staff of the Cathedral of Saint Paul wish to congratulate Bishop Andrew Cozzens

The Parishioners and Staff of the Cathedral of Saint Paul wish to congratulate Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Williams

God bless you as you begin your service to the Diocese of Camden.

May God bless you in your new ministry!

Minnesota bishops urge Catholics

By Gina Christian OSV News

As Minnesota ramps up its legalized cannabis industry, the state’s bishops have issued a pastoral letter warning of the dangers of marijuana.

“Living in the Real: A Short Primer on the Risks of Marijuana Usage” was recently released by the Minnesota Catholic Conference. In the 22-page document, the bishops –– who had opposed the state’s legalization of recreational marijuana in May 2023 –– urge Catholics “not to engage in, support or profit from the recreational use of marijuana.”

The document, available online at the conference’s website, counters several common arguments advanced in support of recreational marijuana, drawing on Scripture, Church teaching and scientific research. Social media graphics and flyers regarding the document are also available for download.

Minnesota’s legalization of recreational marijuana created a “pastoral problem,” since “law is a teacher,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, told OSV News.

“When laws say something’s OK, then naturally people begin to think it’s OK,” he said.

In particular, said the bishops in the document, “we are concerned that this recent change in state law may encourage people who previously never would have used marijuana to consider trying it.”

“Unfortunately, this is a case where the law is teaching people something that’s harmful for them, both humanly and spiritually, both on a natural level and on a spiritual level,” Bishop Cozzens told OSV News.

While “many believe that marijuana is a harmless drug that can be enjoyed recreationally without fear of physical, mental or spiritual harm,” wrote the bishops in the document, “sadly, it has been shown through scientific studies and many broken lives that this is not true.”

Researchers from the Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health and

the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse found in a study published in 2023 –– assessing more than 6.9 million individuals across Denmark during the years 1972 to 2021 –– that 15-30% of cases of schizophrenia in males aged 16-49 could be attributable to cannabis use disorder. Among females, the rate was 4%.

A study published in 2021 by University of Utah researchers found legalizing recreational marijuana in Oregon increased property and violent crime, and retail sales of the drug were associated with a spike in property crimes.

Other studies show that marijuana use significantly impairs brain development in teens and young adults, the bishops noted in their pastoral letter.

addiction is present in both medical and recreational marijuana users.”

The Minnesota bishops noted that Catholic teaching on drug use is “clear,” citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states that “the use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life” and ––except for strictly therapeutic purposes –– constitutes “a grave offense.”

Although “drugs themselves can sometimes be a source of healing and recovery, they are often misused as a means of freedom from mental and emotional pain,” leading to addiction and harming relationships, wrote the bishops.

They stressed that “persons who use marijuana for medical purposes should only do so under direct clinical supervision by a licensed health care practitioner, as the prevalence of

Bishop Cozzens also told OSV News he believed “the jury’s still out” on medical applications of marijuana and that “a lot of the push for medical marijuana was driven by an industry that wants to profit from the sale of marijuana, and wasn’t done simply because of concern for people in serious medical situations –– but was rather ... with this idea towards the general legalization, which they’ve accomplished now in many states.” Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states, and medical marijuana is legal in those states plus 13 others. The risks of marijuana use are even greater now, since “most people don’t know how dangerous and potent marijuana is today,” Bishop Cozzens said.

Levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound in marijuana) in cannabis content have drastically spiked in recent decades), from about 4% in 1995 to 17% and higher as of 2017, with some oils and edibles containing as much as 90% THC, according to data cited by the Yale School of Medicine.

Bishop Cozzens told OSV News that with Minnesota’s legalization, users may think “this was the marijuana I smoked when I was 17 and at a rock concert.

“And it’s not that marijuana, it’s much more dangerous,” he said. “Even that wasn’t helpful for you, but it’s much more dangerous than what was present even 10 years ago.”

The bishops noted in their document that consuming “microdoses” of marijuana –– as in gummies or seltzers –– “can pose risks to one’s physical, mental, social and spiritual health.” The

The Minnesota Catholic bishops’ “Living in the Real: A Short Primer on the Risks of Marijuana Usage” and its accompanying resources are available on the Minnesota Catholic Conference website at mncatholic org/livinginthereal ‘LIVING IN THE

document also addresses the “alleged moral equivalency of alcohol and marijuana,” stating that although “some comparisons are indeed apt,” the latter drug’s potency more clearly points to an intention of altering mind and mood than moderate, socially acceptable consumption of alcohol.

That clarification is an essential part of the document, which includes a robust question-and-answer section and numerous citations, as it seeks to be a “proactive” guide for parents and pastoral leaders, Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, told OSV News.

“We have ministers at (campus) Newman Centers, for example, coming to us,” he said, adding that they are getting questions from students and young people asking, “‘Now that this is legal, what’s permissible? Can I have THC seltzers or have these products?’”

But turning to THC as a means of relaxation or relief from negative emotions “doesn’t actually solve your real problems and doesn’t lead to real happiness,” said Bishop Cozzens. “Real happiness is found in the real world, through living a virtuous life.”

Such a life flows from an experience of Christ’s love, particularly in the Eucharist, he said.

“Instead of escaping through a drug, learning to have a space for silence, for encounter with the Lord –– that can be hugely transformational for any person,” he said. “As I draw close to Jesus in the Eucharist, I receive a supernatural strength that brings healing to trauma; that restores me to right relationship with God and with the Church.”

The Minnesota bishops’ letter follows a previous pastoral letter on the dangers of marijuana released by Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver in November 2023. Bishop Cozzens told OSV News he would love to see the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops eventually take up this topic as well.

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER ALLAN PAUL EILEN

Grieving the Holy Spirit

After my younger brother came forward to thank a priest for presiding at his newborn son’s burial, he proceeded to fall into the priest’s arms with a wail from the depths of his fatherly heart. Such visceral grief for an infant who passed just before (or after) being born still touches my heart to this day, even after many years.

Grieving a significant loss or excruciating circumstance is a profound human experience, be it the death of a family member or friend, a failed marriage or terminal illness, financial ruin or abuse, etc. Such life-changing events can bring intense pain and grief affecting one’s health, well-being and faith for years, if not a lifetime.

No one in life is immune to the pain of grief. It’s as central to our human condition as the reality of the cross. Nevertheless, it’s something altogether different to be the cause of another’s grief, namely, the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul shares a deep insight at the beginning of our second reading from Ephesians, when he exhorts us, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” Why does he urge, even admonish us not to grieve God’s Spirit?

Grieving the Holy Spirit results from selfish attitudes and actions opposed to God’s will, called sin, causing deep sorrow or offense to the third person of the Trinity. St. Paul lists five ways the Ephesians were grieving the Holy Spirit: through bitterness,

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

Different kinds of priests

A diocesan priest belongs to a diocese, normally a geographic area of the Church. The ordinary for a diocesan priest is his bishop. A diocesan priest’s main ministry is parish work. He makes two promises: obedience to his bishop and celibacy, perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He does not promise poverty, is paid, retains his own finances, is able to have personal possessions such as a car or a home, and is sometimes called a secular priest.

A priest in consecrated life usually belongs to a religious order such as the Jesuits, Dominicans or Franciscans. He resides in a local community such as a monastery, rectory or abbey, and is a member of a province, a large geographical area which may encompass a state, a group of states, a country, or multiple countries. His major superior is his provincial or abbot. The main ministry is the charism of his community, such as teaching, preaching or missionary work. But a religious priest, as determined by his community or superior, may also serve in a parish or another ministry. A priest in consecrated life professes the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. He does not have his own possessions and holds everything in common.

A pastor is the spiritual leader and shepherd of a parish. The pastor is assigned by the bishop, represents the bishop and is responsible to the bishop. The pastor has a threefold responsibility to teach, govern and sanctify (Canon 519). He is responsible for the care of the souls within his parish, to teach the truths of the faith, proclaim and explain the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, uphold the centrality of the Eucharist, promote the regular reception of reconciliation, foster personal and communal prayer (Canon 528 and 530), and oversee the temporal affairs of the parish. In most dioceses in the United States, a pastor is assigned for a six-year term, renewable for a second six-year term.

fury, anger, shouting and reviling. Is it really any different today?

If disobedient and selfish children can grieve their parents, how much more do we teens and adults have a greater responsibility for not grieving the Holy Spirit “with which we were sealed for the day of redemption”?

When were we sealed with the Holy Spirit? At our baptism, when we were claimed for Christ by the sign of the cross, original sin was wiped away, the supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity were infused in our soul, and we were welcomed as beloved sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. And then, at our confirmation, we were sealed with the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit and sent to live and share the Gospel.

All this begs the question: In what ways do you and I grieve the Holy Spirit today? Here are three big ones: First, when we fail to seek a personal relationship with the God who cannot stop loving us. In other words, when we fail to make daily prayer a priority, individually and as a family. Second, when we don’t sanctify Sunday as a day of rest. In other words, we miss Sunday Mass without a serious reason in favor of extracurricular activities. Third, when we refuse to forgive. In other words, we ask for mercy for ourselves, but withhold it from others.

“Breathe on me, breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love the way you love, and do what you would do. Breathe on me, breath of God, until my heart is pure, until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure. Breathe on me, breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with you the perfect life for all eternity.”

Father Eilen is pastor of St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake.

A parochial vicar is also known as an associate pastor or an assistant pastor. A parochial vicar is a priest who represents his pastor and serves in partnership with him and on behalf of him. Together with his pastor, and under his guidance, they are responsible for the pastoral care of the entire parish. A parochial vicar may also have a specialized ministry within the parish, such as responsibility for the faith formation program or some aspect of the parish school (Canons 545-552). A parochial vicar assignment is not for a definite amount of time, is open-ended, and is typically two or three years.

A parochial administrator takes the place of the pastor in his absence. He has the same rights and responsibilities as the pastor (Canons 539 and 540). The assignment is made by the bishop and usually is temporary, normally until the pastor returns or a new pastor is found. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, when a priest is assigned to a parish without prior experience as a pastor, he is assigned as a parochial administrator under the direction of a supervisor who is an experienced pastor, and after one year is assigned as pastor.

A sacramental minister is a priest who assists at a parish with the sacraments: weekend or weekday Masses, confessions, baptisms, anointings, funerals and weddings. A sacramental minister typically does not live at the parish, has another fulltime ministry, often at a hospital or school, or is retired, available to assist on a regular or occasional basis, and has none of the responsibilities associated with running a parish.

A rector is the head of a major religious institution such as a cathedral or basilica, seminary, Catholic university, or a shrine.

A chaplain is responsible for the pastoral care of an institution or group of people not part of a parish. Chaplains serve hospitals, schools, local police and fire departments, the military, prisons and many Catholic organizations.

Monsignor is an honorary title for a priest who had given many years of distinguished service, has exhibited exceptional virtue and holiness, or has been entrusted with an office with much responsibility.

Father Van Sloun is the director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

DAILY Scriptures

Sunday, Aug. 11

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 19:4-8

Eph 4:30–5:2 Jn 6:41-51

Monday, Aug. 12

Ez 1:2-5, 24-28c Mt 17:22-27

Tuesday, Aug. 13

Ez 2:8–3:4

Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Wednesday, Aug. 14

St. Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr

Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22

Mt 18:15-20

Thursday, Aug. 15

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab 1 Cor 15:20-27 Lk 1:39-56

Friday, Aug. 16

Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 or Ez 16:59-63

Mt 19:3-12

Saturday, Aug. 17

Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

Mt 19:13-15

Sunday, Aug. 18

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Prv 9:1-6 Eph 5:15-20 Jn 6:51-58

Monday, Aug. 19

Ez 24:15-23

Mt 19:16-22

Tuesday, Aug. 20

St. Bernard, abbot and doctor of the Church Ez 28:1-10

Mt 19:23-30

Wednesday, Aug. 21

St. Pius X, pope Ez 34:1-11

Mt 20:1-16

Thursday, Aug. 22

Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Ez 36:23-28

Mt 22:1-14

Friday, Aug. 23

Ez 37:1-14

Mt 22:34-40

Saturday, Aug. 24

St. Bartholomew, Apostle Rv 21:9b-14 Jn 1:45-51

Sunday, Aug. 25

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32 Jn 6:60-69

ST. CLARE OF ASSISI (1194-1253) Though 10 years younger than her townsman, Francis of Assisi, Clare was drawn to his radical message of serving God in abject poverty. Despite objections from her aristocratic family, who wanted her to marry, she gave up the world with Francis’ help and founded the Second Order of St. Francis, known worldwide as the Poor Clares. For 40 years, she guided the San Damiano community, whose nuns included her sister and widowed mother. She served the other nuns who went out to beg, was often sick because of their hard life, and was proclaimed a saint just two years after she died. Her feast day is Aug. 11. — CNS

TWENTY SOMETHING

CHRISTINA CAPECCHI

The little church-library by the river

The little churchlibrary in the river town of Newport looks like the kind of porcelain church you’d place in a Christmas village, its white siding dotted with tall green windows, centered by arched green doors and topped with a green gable roof. It lacks only an oversized wreath with a red bow.

Built in 1868 as a Baptist church, it was similar in size and structure to other country churches of the period. But when the church ceased to be, it assumed

BRIDGING FAITH

DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN

The Gospel of joy

When I left home to join the Air Force, I went with a lot of questions. I was searching, doubting and wondering what was important. After I arrived at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, I met Father Sam, the new Catholic chaplain. There was something different about him. There was something about the way he led Mass, the way he noticed people and saw beauty in so many places. He exuded a spirit of joy for life that attracted me. I wanted that joy for myself. He introduced me to the Church in a way that helped my faith come alive. He showed me new ways to pray and inspired me to consider that God was calling me, too. Father Sam showed me a Christian life that was joyful and drew me closer to God and the Church. It was that joy that led me to ministry. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that attracts others. Joy proclaims the Gospel beyond words. Pope Francis spoke about this in his mission encyclical, “The Joy of the Gospel,” as it states, “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus (No.1). … Christians should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet. It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but by attraction” (No. 15).

Joy exudes a kind of presence that overflows with life and a spirit that attracts others. I want to be near joyful people. The Gospel of joy is a Gospel that proclaims a mission by attraction. In his book, “Something Beautiful for God,” Malcolm Muggeridge introduced

another sacred purpose: It was filled with books and became the town library.

That it still operates as a library today, open five days a week, feels like a miracle.

The moment you step inside, you sense its history. The church-library sounds like creaky floorboards and smells like old books. It houses two floors of books, the upper level being a wraparound loft, where rocking chairs sway at window tops. There are reading nooks aplenty, including a cozy space beneath the staircase.

Its entire book collection was donated — and donations continue to roll in, contributing to the ongoing sense of goodwill. Classics like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are shelved alongside historical fiction such as Dear America and American Girl books. Even its community offerings feel old-timey, from Cursive Club to puzzle rentals. Visitors who read for 15 minutes receive a free snack, joining The Munch Bunch.

The activities held here aren’t all that different from the ones that ensued in its early years. On Wednesday afternoons, Adult Crafters gather. On Saturday, families come for Storytime. Tutoring is

to the world Mother (St.) Teresa of Kolkata and the Missionary Sisters of Charity as they served the poor, the sick and the dying in India. He became especially attracted to how the sisters radiated joy in all things. St. Teresa said, “If our actions are just useful actions that give no joy to the people, our poor people would never be able to rise up to the call which we want them to hear, the call to come closer to God. Living with joy means to live from that deep place where Christ is close.” This experience of joy led Muggeridge to enter the Church himself. Joy proclaims an attractive community. This year marks the 20th anniversary of our archdiocese being in partnership with the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya. This partnership was founded on a principle of making Christ known and loved by sharing gifts in faith. One of the gifts we have received from members of the Kitui community is their joy. Despite living under harsh conditions with so little they always greet us by saying, “God is good all the time!” Their joy inspires us to grow in faith.

Joy is an attractive sign of the kingdom of God. The Church is called to be a sacrament of Christ. We are meant to become a sign of what we receive in the Eucharist. This means to live in a place of grace, joy and abundance. It is not exempt from struggle or pain. A joyful life is not conjured up, and it overflows to others. When joy overflows in us, we don’t need to control or coerce others, but our life can attract others. The Gospel of joy sends us forth to love and serve in the world. This is our vocation. As Frederick Buechner, Christian minister and author, once wrote, “Christian vocation is that place where your deepest joy meets the world’s deepest need.” May the joy of the Gospel overflow in us and draw others closer to God and his Church.

Deacon Friesen is director of the Center for Mission, which supports missionary outreach of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He can be reached at friesenm@archspm org

offered Mondays after school. These are functions of church: to make something beautiful, to hear a great story, to feel less behind.

Folks who meet for cribbage on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. swap strategies on how best to skip down a long, winding path. The Introvert’s Book Club devotes an hour every Monday morning to silent reading time because, as the website notes, “participants find that reading alone together keeps them focused on their book.”

This is a space for community, in all its forms — now just as surely as in 1868.

“I figure when kids are here,” says the librarian, “they’re staying out of trouble.”

She welcomes two sweaty preteen boys who drop their bikes at the door and hop on the computers.

The little church-library feels like a balm, a hidden gem whose very existence is a comfort, countering the many ways modern life isolates us. COVID made us less sociable. So do the small glowing screens that masquerade as the entire world at our fingertips.

It’s no mistake that community and communion share the same origin. As

FROM THE LOCAL CHURCH ANGELA JENDRO

Life near water — physically and spiritually

Here in Minnesota, we appreciate the significance of water. Since the early beginnings of our state through the present day, we’ve harnessed it for power, relied on it for transportation, enjoyed pulling fish from the lakes and rivers to eat, and found peace appreciating its beauty. Water is essential for life; a person could go weeks without food, but only a few days without water. It’s even the prime criteria we look for when spying on distant planets for the possibility of other life forms.

Due to its essential nature, towns and cities tend to grow around a water source. In Scripture, we find the same thing, but with spiritual significance. Our Creator knows our need for water, and so likens it to our spiritual need for relationship with him.

Consider the comfort and security people have when they have water on hand. The first rule of hospitality is to greet people warmly and offer them something to drink. Even Jesus extolled this simple gesture: “And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mt 10:42). When working in the summer heat, ice cold water cools and refreshes the body. In the frigid winter, hot tea or cocoa warms the body

Catholics, we believe that the ultimate community is offered through holy Communion. When Mass is celebrated, heaven touches earth. The communion of saints flock to the altar: doctors of the Church, gardeners, librarians, children, the beloved parish priest who married your great grandparents.

We sing. We pray. We kneel and wait and wonder. And in the process, we are fed.

It is a sacrament that does not, cannot happen anywhere else. And we need it, no matter how much secular culture tells us otherwise.

Summer is a time for restoration, for slowing down and sinking in. When we connect with others, we are renewed. We replenish the reserves that will help us make it through the winter.

Like the church-library by the river, we can embrace simple communal pursuits this season — cribbage and crafts, puzzling side by side, reading together in silence. Then join the communion of saints at holy Communion, where the bonds are eternal.

Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.

through and soothes the chill. To thrive, we need a secure and sustainable source of water. Similarly, we need to drink spiritually and would thrive much more if we built our life around a sustainable source for our spiritual thirst — for example daily prayer, regular sacraments, and developing deep Christian friendships. As the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

In the Scriptures, we also find spiritual connections to well water. Away from surface sources of fresh water, a person who ventures out to the countryside for habitation will need to dig deep until they find a source from which they can reliably draw.

Note that Jesus not only quenches our thirst but can be a well from within through baptism. After Jesus had died on the cross, a soldier “pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” The water signifies the water of baptism, through which we are cleansed from sin and given new life in the Spirit. In John’s Gospel, Jesus explained it this way to the Samaritan woman at the well:

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water … Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Through our baptism and ongoing spiritual life, the Lord will continue to water us daily. Consider the lushness we

ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL

The interior life and Oxford

The name “Oxford” conjures up images of elite education taking place against the backdrop of ancient spires and an Earl Grey English sky. It’s the place, after all, that has produced Catholic geniuses like J.R.R. Tolkien and St. John Henry Newman. But present-day Oxford isn’t only an old, world-class university; it’s also a bustling, English city of over 150,000 people.

In fact, the epicenter of the university is something of a tourist trap, like Disney World for nerds. Main Oxford arteries, like High Street, are often swarmed with tourists hustling about for high tea and Harry Potter-related sights.

It makes one wonder how Oxford students get any, you know, actual studying done.

The secret? The colleges.

The University of Oxford, as you may know, is made up of over 30 residential colleges — and each of them is like a little world unto its own.

The colleges are largely walled off, existing behind a frontward-facing façade. Peeking through the entrance gates of colleges like Trinity, Merton and St. Edmund, one can observe courtyards and quads that are the epitome of tranquility and retreat. In a possible bit of Hogwarts-esque magic, it’s often surprising to see just how much space and greenery can be tucked behind what appears to be just a building from the outside.

Tourists may be allowed to throng the streets outside, but, with a few exceptions, the colleges themselves are preserved as sanctuaries of quiet and contemplation. In fact, in some stretches of Oxford, like Queen’s Passage, a quiet, narrow lane that zigzags along the back walls of several Oxford colleges, one can begin to hear oneself think in a way that is difficult amid the hustle and bustle of the main streets.

In this way, the colleges of Oxford are like an architectural model of the interior life each of us is called to cultivate.

Creating a marriage that nourishes our spouse

Imagine being in the closest relationship you can envision, and the other person always sees you in the most positive light possible. This person cherishes you, does not hold petty grievances against you, encourages you and loves you with such a deep and compelling love that it astonishes you.

That may describe the love God has for each one of us. He sees us through eyes of love, demonstrating his complete trust in our ability to accomplish the tasks he has given us through his encouragement, in this precious gift of life. It is with the same kind of love we are challenged to love our spouse — with God, in God and through God.

A Catholic sacramental marriage cannot be achieved without God’s grace, which is sufficient for us. It is all we need to enter our marriage each day with the same eyes of love God has for us. If we allow ourselves to think only positive thoughts about our spouse, say kind

The colleges are like that “inner room” where Christ instructs us to go and pray. They are oases of transcendence, where the noise and anxieties of the world aren’t ignored or escaped from, but are left behind for a bit in order to view them with the proper perspective. To borrow a phrase of the German Catholic philosopher, Josef Pieper, within the walls of the college its inhabitants can “pierce the dome of the workaday world.”

This is especially evident in a place like the cloister of Magdalen (pronounced “Mawdlin”) College, the famous one-time residence of the Christian author, C.S. Lewis. The inner quad is surrounded on all four sides by the arched loggia and heightened structures of the college. It feels as if, in that cloister, one has a direct channel to the blue sky and heavenly realm above — which is all the more astounding considering that on the other side of the walls is one of the busier thoroughfares in Oxford.

And this is what our interior life should afford us: a direct connection with God that can be maintained even amid busyness and drama.

But there are ways to mistake what the detachedness of Oxford colleges, and thus of interior life, is about.

Recently, a tour group was observed exiting Balliol College onto busy Broad Street.

“And now back to reality,” said the tour guide. “Isn’t it horrible?”

and loving words, and demonstrate supportive actions of encouragement, we will live into the fulfillment of the sacrament we entered on our wedding day.

If we allow bitter or negative thoughts to surface and fester in our marriage, we harbor resentment toward our spouse. If we allow unkind, sarcastic words to emerge from our mouths, we are tearing our spouse down rather than building up. And if we engage in actions that cause our spouse pain or discouragement, we are hurting our spouse in a way that may seem irreparable.

The marriage relationship asks so much of us, which may be why many young couples today are unwilling to enter the sacrament: They know they do not have what it takes to live with another person for a lifetime of service. They know it will be demanding in a way that challenges their self-centeredness and they do not believe they can do it. There may be children from the unions they create, but not a commitment. There may be a false family established, but no real foundation. Marriage is hard work. It requires both spouses to be willing to meet the demands required of them to fulfill the lifelong commitment that is necessary for the sacrament to succeed.

It is arrogant for married couples to think they can do this on their own because that is impossible. It is only through Christ, the source of the grace needed to offer a resounding yes each day to the commitment made on the wedding day, that it can be accomplished.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states “Christ dwells with them, gives them the strength to take up their crosses and so follow him, to rise again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, to bear one another’s burdens, to ‘be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ,’ and to love one another with

The colleges are like that ‘inner room’ where Christ instructs us to go and pray.

The line was a quip, but it’s still worth interrogating. Neither the interior life nor a college education is an escape from reality. It’s the place we mentally go to focus on God alone. Not because God isn’t real, but precisely because he’s the realest thing there is. Spending time in our “inner room” with God then allows us to live the rest of life in a more real and authentic way. To see everything in light of him.

Very few of us will ever be admitted to Oxford. But each of us is called to cultivate our interior lives, so that we too may “pierce the dome of the workaday world.”

It might start by establishing our own inner courtyard of prayer — lectio divina with Scripture, adoring the Blessed Sacrament, or simple silent contemplation — and putting up “walls” to ensure its integrity. Getting rid of the smartphone, going to a designated place (even at home) and setting a specific time to pray are good ways to give our interior life a chance to grow.

Doing so might not earn us an Oxford diploma. But it will help us receive something infinitely more valuable: a deeper connection with God, the source of all wisdom, and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Liedl, a Twin Cities resident, is a senior editor of The National Catholic Register and a graduate student in theology at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.

ACTION STRATEGIES

uMake a personal commitment to stop any negative, unkind thoughts about your spouse, thereby thwarting unkind words or actions.

uAsk for the grace of God to see your spouse in the most positive light possible all throughout this month.

supernatural, tender, and fruitful love” (No. 1642).

The married couple is to offer a living witness to the reality of the union we hope to one day share with God in heaven. They are to demonstrate their love for one another and to show this love through respect and acts of service. Theirs is to be a living endorsement that a lifelong commitment can be made and attained, even in this profane culture. To accomplish this, Dom JeanBaptiste Chautard explains that the Passion must be a vivid, living reality in our relationship if we hope to challenge the world of pleasure in which we live.

Such a commitment requires daily prayer, sacrifice and service — all of which are gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts include love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol (Gal. 5:22). Make it your personal pledge throughout this month to enter your marriage with the kind of love that sees your spouse through the loving eyes of God.

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.

iSTOCK PHOTO | PRAKICH

Like many Catholics, I grew up in a practicing Catholic family. My family and I would go to Mass every Sunday, pray together at home and talk about our faith regularly. I’ve always loved learning about our faith, learning about Jesus, but I never really focused on getting to know Jesus for who he is.

Eventually, I heard people like my parents and my youth ministers telling me that I should try to pray every day, so I decided to listen to them. I ended up getting into this in-and-out habit of prayer. There would be periods when I was praying well, and every day, but right after that, there would be periods when I either wasn’t praying well, or I wasn’t praying at all.

This in-and-out habit of prayer continued until about my sophomore year in high school, when I met a friend who helped me grow in this area. She became an accountability partner for me; we encouraged each other in things like going to daily Mass, developing a daily prayer life, and even just bringing up our Lord in everyday conversation. Because of this, I decided to make prayer a committed and non-negotiable part of my everyday life. Through this, Jesus showed me who he is, how much he loves me, and that he desires to know me, and for me to know him.

I found myself being invited deeper and deeper into relationship with our Lord. He’s the person who invites me to tell him everything. My joys, my sorrows, my struggles; he wants to hear all of it. And not only that, but he wants to share himself with me

Why I am Catholic

By

Izzy Dehmer

as well! He does so by speaking to me in prayer, revealing himself to me in the Eucharist, and allowing me to encounter him in the people he places in front of me.

I recently listened to Father Mike Schmitz’s podcast episode titled “A Message to Cradle Catholics.” In it he talks about those who have left the faith, and he poses the question, “Do you know Jesus well enough to reject him … or did you just not know him well enough to accept him?” When I think about this question, all I can think is that, yes, I do know Jesus. I know him well enough that the thought of me or anyone else rejecting him hurts. I know him well enough that he is the reason why I am Catholic. I still don’t know him nearly as well as I would like, but the beautiful thing about a relationship with him is that he will continue to reveal himself to me. I only have to listen. He will continue to reveal himself to all of us; we only have to listen. A relationship with God is everything.

Dehmer, 19, is a parishioner of St. Michael in St. Michael. She recently served as a missionary with West St. Paul-based NET Ministries and recently joined the STMA Catholic Youth Ministry Team. She will be studying theology through Franciscan University, starting in the fall. The oldest of five siblings, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading and watching movies.

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

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CALENDAR

PARISH FESTIVALS

For updated information on parish festivals, please see the online parish festival guide at theCatholiCSpirit Com/feStivalS

WORSHIP+RETREATS

Cursillo Women’s Weekend 390 — Aug. 8-11: Our Lady of Grace, 5071 Eden Ave., Edina. A Cursillo weekend offers an opportunity to encounter Christ and grow in faith. Men and women attend different weekends. Questions? Email pre-CurSillo@tC-CurSillo org

“A Weekend Away” — Aug. 9-11: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Adoration, Mass on Saturday and Sunday, optional guided meditation and Holy Hour. Confession and spiritual direction available. kingShouSe Com/event/a-weekend-awayguided-by-kingS-houSe-retreat-Staff

Introduction to Welcoming Prayer — Aug. 22: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 2625 Benet Road, Maplewood. Learn about letting go. The purpose of the Welcoming Prayer is to deepen our relationship with God through consenting to God’s presence and action in ordinary everyday activity. benediCtineCenter SeCure retreat guru/ program/2024-8-14-introduCtion-to-welComing-prayer

Dementia Friendly Mass — Aug. 22: 1:30-3 p.m. 4741 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. A special Mass for people with memory loss and their caregivers. Mass to be held in the chapel. Hospitality immediately following Mass. All are welcome. StmaryS-wbl org

“Unwrapped Presents” Silent Retreat for Men and Women — Aug. 23-25: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Presented by Father Charles Lachowitzer. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord — we studied them in our youth and received them at confirmation. Chances are some of these gifts are still unwrapped. kingShouSe Com Fiat Ministries Discernment Retreat — Sept. 27-29: at Dunrovin Retreat Center, 15525 St. Croix Trail N., Marine on St. Croix. The Fiat Discernment Retreat is for women ages 18-30 who are seeking God’s will for their lives. Consecrated sisters from various religious communities help lead the retreat by giving talks, leading small groups and giving their testimonies. fiatminiStrieS org

Serenity 11th Step Retreat for Men and Women — Oct. 4-6: at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave S., Buffalo. Father Bill Sheehan presents his Welcoming Prayer Practice as a way of dealing with afflictive emotions. Retreatants are encouraged in practices of prayer and meditation as ways of recognizing and listening to their Higher Power through

the 11th Step. kingShouSe Com/event/Serenity-11th-Stepretreat-for-men-women

Ignatian Men’s Silent Retreat — ThursdaySunday most weeks: Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House, 8243 Demontreville Trail N., Lake Elmo. Freewill donation. demontrevilleretreat Com

CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS

Retrouvaille Marriage Help: Single Weekend

Programs — Aug. 9-11: Best Western Dakota Ridge Hotel, 3450 Washington Drive, Eagan. Retrouvaille is a lifeline for troubled marriages. Couples learn the tools to rediscover each other and heal their marriage. 100% confidential. helpourmarriage org

SPEAKERS+SEMINARS

How to Make Good, Prayerful Decisions — Aug. 13: 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Ignatius Hall, St. Thomas More, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Father Warren Sazama will summarize Ignatian wisdom on how to discern God’s will. Final talk of the Ignatian Summer Series. ignatianSpiritualityCenter org/eventS

Abortion Survivor Robin Sertell: A Life Saved, A Story of Healing — Aug. 22: 6:30-8 p.m. at St. Raphael, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. Speaker Robin Sertell is a survivor of three saline abortion attempts. She will be telling her inspiring life story to create awareness of babies born alive during abortion, as well as the message of Christ's healing to those post-abortive. robinSertell Com

OTHER EVENTS

Catholic Softball Tournament — Aug. 10: 9 a.m.6 p.m. at Pioneer Park, 2950 Centerville Road, Little Canada. Catholic Softball Group in partnership with Assisi League introduce the first Catholic mens softball tournament. All 18+ men encouraged. No need to be Catholic to play. Registration and full details at CatholiCSoftball Com

Gethsemane Cemetery Labyrinth Grief Retreat — Aug. 10: 9-11 a.m. at 8151 42nd Ave. N., New Hope. Sheryl Rose, a spiritual director and labyrinth facilitator, will be the guide. Registration required. CatholiC-CemeterieS org/labyrinth

Assumption Feast with St. Paul’s Monastery — Aug. 15: 5-8:15 p.m. at 2625 Benet Road, Maplewood. Gather a team and join the sisters for a night of trivia with Trivia Mafia. This event also includes a chef-inspired meal and Nelson’s ice cream. Inquire in advance about the raffle for a chance to win prizes valued up to $400. StpaulSmonaStery networkforgood Com/ eventS/71484-aSSumption-feaSt-at-the-monaStery

Walking with the Saints: A Pilgrimage for Mary Honoring her Assumption — Aug. 17: 9-11 a.m. starting at Our Lady of Guadalupe Diocesan Shrine,

401 Concord St., St. Paul. Bring your intentions to Mary on this 3-mile walking pilgrimage from Our Lady of Guadalupe to Church of the Assumption, an opportunity to build community and experience embodied prayer in the everyday. modernCatholiCpilgrim Com/pilgrimage-Calendar/aSSumption

ONGOING GROUPS

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

Career Transition Group — Third Thursdays: 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Medina. The Career Transition Group hosts speakers on various topics to help people looking for a job or a change in career and to enhance job skills. The meetings also allow time for networking with others and opportunities for resume review. hnoj org/Career-tranSition-group

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

Gifted and Belonging — Aug. 25: 6-8 p.m. at Harmon Park, 230 Bernard St. W., West St. Paul. Providing Catholic fellowship for young adults with disabilities. Gather to share a time of prayer and reflection, followed by games and social activities. Invite friends and bring a caregiver as needed. For more information on monthly activities and/or volunteer opportunities, call Megan at 612-456-1572 or email giftedandbelonging@gmail Com

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

GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS

CD of the Month Club

Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins, and more! $6/month includes shipping. Subscribe online at: www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/cdclub Please Enter Code: 1195

HARDWOOD FLOORS

Comfort Crafter Hardwood Floors Summer’s here! Enhance the comfort of your home this season with new or refurbished hardwood floors. Chris 612-442-7571

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

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

FISCHER JUNK REMOVAL

see in Minnesota summers when there’s been ample rain. When my niece from California came for a visit a couple of years back, she exclaimed on our drive through a nature preserve to a nearby lake, “I’ve never seen so many kinds of green!” When we allow the Holy Spirit to water our soul, we too can flourish like the nature that surrounds us. We know our summers here are short but unlike any other place — not unlike our encounters with God. So, as we make time to enjoy our many lakes and rivers this summer, let’s also make time to appreciate the Lord’s word to us in both creation and in Scripture. As we soak in the warmth of his sun, let’s offer him the warmth of our prayers of thanksgiving. As we breathe in the fresh air and try to relax, let’s entrust our burdens to him. Let’s remember his presence with us as we sit by the shore or take in the sunrise or sunset. As we breathe the lovely smell of wildflowers, cut grass, and wind over the waters, let’s also pray that we might breathe in the Holy Spirit and the love of our Lord.

A wife and mother, Catholic speaker and writer, Jendro teaches theology at Providence Academy in Plymouth and is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. Follow her blog at taketimeforhim com

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THELASTWORD

Maple Grove kayaker sets goal to pray the rosary on every lake in the Twin Cities

By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit

Scott Kiefer, 37, the director of discipleship for St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, is 29 lakes away from completing his endeavor to pray a rosary on the 250 to 300 lakes in the Twin Cities urban metro area.

Kiefer set out to accomplish this goal in 2017, looking for ways to connect with nature while praying. Eventually, this endeavor became good rest for Kiefer, who described the experience as a personal spiritual retreat.

“I had learned that creation or nature might be one of the pathways to help me connect a little bit more with my faith and open up more easily in prayer,” Kiefer said. He began kayaking on the lake behind his house and praying there. But when he went to a different lake, he thought he might as well pray there, too. “Then I started going on a few more and thought, ‘It’s kind of fun going and trying out new lakes, trying out new spaces and knowing I’ve prayed on each one.’”

Kiefer doesn’t usually bring a physical rosary out onto the lake because that means having to stop for long periods of time. Instead, Kiefer uses his fingers and counts each bead by applying pressure on the oar with each subsequent finger. This way, Kiefer can continuously paddle and move.

As a youth minister, Kiefer finds himself working retreats or away from home for extended periods of time. But as a selfacknowledged introvert, Kiefer uses kayaking to refresh and regain his spirituality when he returns home.

“Youth ministry is a very extroverted job,” Kiefer said. “I’m not that much of an extrovert. So, it’s been a really nice thing to have this.”

“I think when you’re out in nature, that’s God’s world,” Kiefer said. “I think God wants every one of us to have a good, rich relationship with him and relationship with our faith, so I just hope that people don’t settle for doing the same thing they’ve always done, if there’s something more they can do to really enhance that.”

In the future, he said he’d like to incorporate praying while kayaking into his youth ministry. But he has discovered significant challenges in getting numerous kayakers coordinated on one lake. Despite this, Kiefer is hopeful it will happen sometime soon.

“It’s something I’ve talked about with some students,” Kiefer said. “‘Hey, what if we did a kayak group one night where we meet at one of these lakes and we rent some?’ … I had a group that was thinking about it right before COVID hit and then I ended up switching churches during that time.”

Kiefer said he started researching the number of lakes in the Twin Cities in 2017. He found about 60 lakes, which didn’t seem like enough to him.

“But if I did the 13 metro counties, that was going to be something like 3,000 lakes, and well, that’s too long,” Kiefer said. “It’ll take me until I’m 70. So, I settled on a map of the urban metro area and said, ‘This looks like it’ll be somewhere between 250 and 300 lakes.’”

Kiefer said he liked the challenge because it would help him stay disciplined with his prayer. It became a project he would do a couple times a week to reconnect with his own faith and God. Now with only 29 lakes left, Kiefer is feeling a plethora of mixed emotions.

“When I realized last summer that there’s a chance I could finish it, there was a part of me that was kind of bummed and thinking, ‘OK, what am I going to do next?’” Kiefer said. He explained that though he may be wrapping up his own goal soon, he plans to share his lake experiences with his family.

Kiefer has a system of rating the lakes he embarks on based on how accessible the lake is, the abundance of wildlife and scenery and how nice the water is. Currently, Kiefer’s favorite is Lake De Montreville in Washington County. On this lake is a Jesuit retreat house. Another favorite is Highland Lake in Bloomington.

Kiefer is more than just a two-year employee at St. Joseph the Worker. The church is his original home parish, where he was baptized and raised. Now that he’s back, his home is coincidentally the church’s old rectory, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

“I didn’t move here because of that, it just matched the search criteria of what I was looking for,” Kiefer said. “The

LAND OF 10,000 BEADS

realtor was showing us the house and we got to the laundry room and we’re like, ‘Why is there a switchboard in here for like 50 phone lines?’

The realtor looked at the sheet and said it’s owned by (St. Joseph the Worker). Like, yeah, this is where I was baptized. … When I moved in, Father Mike (Sullivan) gave me a tour of the house and told me about where they did Mass for a while at one point downstairs when the side chapel was under construction and where the offices had been at times.”

Though Kiefer doesn’t bring a physical rosary with him, his endeavor is sometimes noticed by strangers, which leads to questions about what he’s doing. Kiefer tells them he’s set a goal to kayak and pray on every lake in the Twin Cities. Though not everyone he runs into is necessarily Christian, Kiefer has received praise and support from the strangers he’s talked to. He’s also received generosity, including when the only access to certain lakes is via residents’ private property. “I tell them why (he wants to access the lake) and they say, ‘Oh, cool. Go through my yard, I don’t care. … That’s been nice

because it’s probably an extra four or five lakes I’ve gotten to do just from people being like, ‘Well, that sounds cool. Go ahead and park in my driveway and go through.’ Which is nice to see a little bit of that.”

Kiefer said he has also faced dangers when kayaking and claims that when it comes to working on his faith, those dangerous moments provided a “different level of testing” and relying on God.

The worst, Kiefer explained, was on Lake Minnetonka when he was crossing a 2-mile-wide section of the lake. Suddenly, halfway across the water, a storm brewed so quickly there was nothing Kiefer could do. The pouring rain began filling his kayak and the waves were rocking him with cold, October water.

“I actually went down,” Kiefer said. “The kayak was going to capsize, so I made sure to get all my stuff secured. I keep my phone in a waterproof case. I started praying Psalm 23, my favorite Psalm, and then started praying louder and louder.”

Kiefer called 911 while in the water and helped the sheriff’s boat navigate to him because he was difficult to find on such

a large lake. Kiefer was in the water for over half an hour.

Kiefer said moments like that have strengthened his faith. When he couldn’t see a way out, he said, “(I) just started praying and asking God for help and every time, he sends a way.”

For Kiefer, it’s all about having faith. He encourages others to always be open to new ways to enhance and expand their Catholic faith through prayer and connection with God.

“I think there’s really good ways for us to connect with God more easily that we might not have discovered,” Kiefer said. “I love all other types of prayer I’ve been doing for years. I love being at Mass, adoration, everything. But it enhanced my life and my prayer life so much to realize that there’s some more unique things that really strike me.”

Keifer said he hopes his experiences inspire others.

“I hope ... that they’ll try something out, especially if they’re feeling like their prayer life is stagnant. Just get outside and try something different.”

Scott Kiefer, a parishioner and staff member of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, paddles out on Medicine Lake in Plymouth to pray the rosary. In 2017, Kiefer made it a goal to kayak and pray the rosary on every lake in the Twin Cities urban metro area.