Affordable housing 5 • Dementia outreach 16 • Immigration Sunday 20 December 18, 2014 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
thecatholicspirit.com
O Holy Night
Merry Christmas from The Catholic Spirit and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis This Nativity scene is on display at Bethany Village (383 Portland Ave. in St. Paul), which is owned by Father Martin Fleming, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The elevated display faces the sidewalk on Western Avenue N., which meets Portland at Summit Avenue, and is just a few blocks from the Cathedral of St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
ALSO inside Exceeding goals Catholic Services Appeal Foundation raises more than $9.3 million to benefit 17 archdiocesan ministries. — Page 4
To our readers The next edition of The Catholic Spirit will publish Jan. 15, 2015. Visit www. thecatholicspirit. com for the latest news about the local and universal Church.
Let there be light Featured outdoor Christmas displays around the archdiocese. — Pages 12-13
Page Two
2 in PICTURES
“We can get so caught up in what we do, but the Church must go out to the world; we’re not here for ourselves.” Sister Madge Karecki, Sister of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, the newly named assistant national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States
NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit
Local composer and pianist releases CD
GUADALUPE FEAST Sofia Brazil (front row, left), her sister, Alayna, and Chelsy Solis prepare for the start of Mass to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12 at Risen Savior in Burnsville. Bishop Andrew Cozzens celebrated the Mass, along with Father Thomas Krenik, pastor of Risen Savior. The Mass included Aztec dancers and a re-enactment of the apparition of Mary to St. Juan Diego performed by youth in the parish. At far right is Scott Brazil, father of Sofia and Alayna. The three belong to Risen Savior, while Solis attends Santa Rosario (Holy Rosary) in Minneapolis. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
WINTER GALA Scott Sherman (from left); Laurie Sherman, principal of St. Jerome School in Maplewood; Jake Mauer and Terry McEvoy attend St. Jerome’s first Winter Gala Dec. 14 at Manitou Station in White Bear Lake. Mauer, a former Minor League Baseball player with the Minnesota Twins and alum of St. Paul schools Cretin-Derham Hall and the University of St. Thomas, was the featured speaker. The parish in Maplewood hosted the gala to raise money for tuition assistance for students at the parish school. Archbishop John Nienstedt attended to bless the meal and attendees. Submitted photo
WHAT’S NEW on social media This week, a post on The Catholic Spirit’s Facebook page asks, do you place baby Jesus in the crèche before or after Christmas Eve? A blog post recalls the impact of Laura Sobiech’s book, “Fly a Little Higher,” about her son Zach’s illness and death. Read it at www.catholichotdish.com. In encouraging Catholics to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, a priest from the Diocese of Rockford, Ill., sings his rendition of “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen.” Watch the video at www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152211463633131.
The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 19 — No. 27 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT, Publisher ANNE STEFFENS, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
JESSICA TRYGSTAD, Editor
Composer and pianist Steven C recently released a CD called “Christmas Beyond,” which he recorded at the Cathedral of St. Paul. The parishioner of St. Joseph in West St. Paul incorporates classic Christmas music, plus selections that go beyond the Christmas season. His last song, “The Road Home,” is a tribute to composer Stephen Paulus, who died during the final stages of the project. For more information about the CD, visit www.stevencmusic.com.
Bishops to review school committee recommendation In April, recognizing both the need to achieve financial sustainability and the desire to ensure high quality Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Archbishop John Nienstedt announced the formation of a steering committee to examine Catholic school governance. The Vision 2020 Committee convened for the first time in June and worked throughout the summer and fall to understand the current state of Catholic elementary schools within the archdiocese and learn more about the stresses they are facing. In October, the Vision 2020 Committee submitted a recommendation to Archbishop Nienstedt about an alternative governance and leadership structure for Catholic schools in the archdiocese. Archbishop Nienstedt and Bishop Andrew Cozzens, vicar for education, will take the recommendation under advisement. According to Bishop Cozzens, “The great input given by our Vision 2020 Committee not only helped us better understand the current needs of Catholic schools, but also gave us valuable insight into issues affecting the future sustainability of schools in the archdiocese. “As we move forward,” Bishop Cozzens continued, “the work done by Vision 2020 will inform discussions of ways to improve the fiscal health of the schools, make schools accessible and affordable to more families, and expand enrollment.”
Center for Mission to manage CRS Rice Bowl Starting in 2015, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Center for Mission will manage Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl, the 40-yearold Lenten program that combines prayer, fasting and almsgiving to help feed the hungry around the world and locally; 25 percent of the Rice Bowl collection returns to the archdiocese and is distributed to Catholic Charities. Parishes and schools are encouraged to order CRS Rice Bowl materials free of charge by the end of December. Materials are available in English and Spanish. To order, call 1-800-222-0025 or visit crsricebowl.org. For more information about CRS Rice Bowl in the archdiocese, contact Deacon Mickey Friesen, director of the Center for Mission, at (651) 291-4445 or friesenm@archspm.org.
CORRECTION On page 8 of the Dec. 4 edition, it was incorrectly reported in the Cathedral of St. Paul wedding sidebar that Winifred and Catherine O’Dowd were cousins. They were sisters. Two other errors appeared: the correct spelling is Eileen (not Ilene) Cullen (daughter), and Kathy Cullen is a granddaughter of Catherine and Gerald Fenlon, not a greatgranddaughter.
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published bi-weekly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: catholicspirit@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
3 “O Come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!”
O
ne of the reasons I love the Christmas season is its music. As you know, I like to sing, but what truly moves me is the rhythm and cadence of the notes and the power of the words; these really touch my heart when I listen to Christmas songs. I like to include music in the Mass, sometimes in prayer, sometimes even in my homily, because the chords and chorus join in unity, as our voices together rise up as one to give honor and praise to God. Advent, the beginning of the Church year honoring the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, carries with it a message and promise of hope, and love, and light. The first candle in the Advent wreath represents hope. Our hope comes from God, who is faithful to his promises to us. The second candle is the candle of preparation. Isaiah says: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. THAT THEY MAY And all mankind will ALL BE ONE see God’s salvation” (Luke 3: 4-6). Archbishop The pink candle reminds us of joy, the John Nienstedt
¡Alégrate! La llegada de nuestro Salvador, nos trae esperanza, amor y luz Oh ven, oh ven Emmanuel, libra al cautivo Israel Que sufre desterrado aquí, Y espera al Hijo de Dios. ¡Alégrate! ¡Alégrate! Oh Israel vendrá, vendrá Emmanuel
U
na de las razones por las cuales me encanta la temporada navideña es por su música. Como ya saben, me gusta cantar pero lo que realmente me mueve es el ritmo y el “tempo” de las notas y el poder que tienen las palabras, estas realmente tocan mi corazón cuando escucho las canciones navideñas. Me gusta incluir música en la misa, a veces en la oración, a veces incluso en mi homilía, porque los acordes y el coro se unen en armonía, así como nuestras
From the Archbishop
Rejoice: Arrival of our Savior brings hope, love and light
Archbishop John Nienstedt visits with Tim McNeil (from left), Mary Anne McNeil and Peter Schumacher, parishioners of St. John the Baptist in Dayton following Mass, which the archbishop concelebrated with the pastor, Father Xavier Thelakkatt. Photo courtesy Phil Dahlheimer same joy the angels sang to the shepherds when Jesus was born in a manger. The final candle represents love: God so loved the world that he sent his only Son. However, hope, love and light only come to us through our pain and suffering. We cannot have hope without feeling hopeless at some point in our lives. We cannot feel love without knowing the feeling of loneliness, discrimination or being hated. We cannot recognize light without knowing what it’s like to be surrounded in darkness. Like the carol “Oh come, oh come Emmanuel”, is there something holding you captive? Is it addiction? A broken marriage? A troubled relationship? Discrimination? Unemployment? Emotional or physical abuse? Envy or jealousy? Something that was said or done to you in the past? Feeling like no one is recognizing your value at work, at home or in life? As descendants of Adam, we are all broken, and here I include myself. You and I make mistakes. We are sinners. We hold on to hurt rather than let it go so as to embrace the power and love of Jesus Christ. Our Gospel readings during these four weeks of Advent before Christmas challenge us to lean into the
voces se elevan para honrar y alabar a Dios. Adviento, el comienzo del año de la Iglesia que honra la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que trae consigo un mensaje y una promesa de esperanza, de amor y de luz. La primera vela en la corona de Adviento representa la esperanza. Nuestra esperanza viene de Dios, que es fiel a las promesas que nos hace. La segunda vela, es la vela de la preparación. El profeta Isaías nos dice: “Una voz grita en el desierto: “Preparen el camino del Señor, allanen sus senderos. Los valles serán rellenados, las montañas y las colinas serán aplanadas. Serán enderezados los senderos sinuosos y nivelados los caminos disparejos. Entonces, todos los hombres verán la salvación de Dios” (Lc 3:4-6). La vela rosa nos recuerda la alegría, la misma alegría que los ángeles cantaron a los pastores cuando Jesús nació en un pesebre. La última vela representa el amor: Dios amó tanto al mundo que le envió a su hijo único. Sin embargo, la esperanza, el amor y la luz solo llegan a nosotros a través del dolor y del sufrimiento. Nosotros no podemos tener esperanza sin sentirnos
suffering we feel in our daily lives, and then recognize the arrival of our Savior, conceived by a young virgin who was chosen by God to be the mother of his Son. The arrival of Jesus on earth should show us that there is hope in times of despair, love in times of loneliness and anger, and light in times of darkness. I encourage you to spend the remaining days before Christmas Day celebrating the sacraments. If it’s been a while since you have been to confession, go and share what has held you captive before the Lord and allow yourself the feeling of being forgiven of your sins. Perhaps come to Mass a little early or stay after Mass has ended, but spend a few minutes in prayer, asking the Lord to help you with what is keeping you from Him. Read about the saints and learn how they overcame their own sins and endured their own suffering to grow closer to Christ. Please know of my prayers for you and your families during this Advent season. May you have a blessed Advent, a joy-filled Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel! May God bless you!
desesperanzados en algún momento de nuestras vidas. No podemos sentir el amor sin conocer el sentimiento de soledad, de discriminación, o de odio. No podemos reconocer la luz sin saber lo que se siente estar rodeado de oscuridad. Al igual que el villancico “Oh ven, oh ven Emmanuel”, ¿hay algo que te sostiene cautivo? ¿Una adicción? ¿Un matrimonio roto? ¿Una relación conflictiva? ¿La discriminación? ¿El desempleo? ¿El abuso emocional o físico? ¿La envidia o los celos? ¿Algo que te dijeron o que te hicieron a ti en el pasado? ¿Sentir que nadie está reconociendo tu valor en el trabajo, en casa, o en la vida? Como descendientes de Adán, todos estamos destrozados, y aquí me incluyo. Tú y yo cometemos errores. Todos somos pecadores. Nos aferramos al dolor en lugar de dejarlo ir con el fin de recibir el poder y el amor de Jesucristo. Nuestras lecturas del Evangelio durante estas cuatro semanas de Adviento, antes de Navidad, nos desafían a inclinarnos hacia el sufrimiento que sentimos en nuestra vida diaria y a reconocer la llegada de nuestro Salvador, concebido por una
joven virgen que fue elegida por Dios para ser la madre de su Hijo. La llegada de Jesús a la tierra nos debe mostrar que hay esperanza en tiempos difíciles, amor en la soledad y el enojo y luz en tiempo de oscuridad. Te animo a pasar los días que quedan antes del día de Navidad celebrando los sacramentos. Si hace tiempo que no te confiesas, ve y comparte lo que te ha mantenido cautivo ante el Señor y permítete sentir esa sensación de ser perdonado de tus pecados. Tal vez ven a la misa más temprano o quédate después que ha terminado, pero pasa unos minutos en oración, pidiéndole al Señor que te ayude con lo que te está manteniendo alejado de Él. Lee acerca de los Santos y aprende cómo superaron sus propios pecados y soportaron sus propios sufrimientos al acercarse a Cristo. Por favor cuenta con mis oraciones para ti y tus familia durante esta temporada de Adviento. ¡Que tengas un adviento lleno de bendiciones, una Navidad llena de gozo y un feliz y saludable año nuevo! ¡Alégrate! ¡Alégrate! Oh Israel vendrá, vendrá Emmanuel ¡Que Dios los bendiga!
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
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Local faithful help CSAF exceed $9.3 million goal
Blessed Sacrament building to close its doors in January
The Catholic Spirit
Mike Conners and his wife, Sue, married at Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul. All four of their children were baptized, received their first Communion and were confirmed at the parish. They all graduated from the parish school before it closed in 2005. “We’ve been very involved in the parish,” Mike said. “It’s part of our life and part of our family.” Across town, Samantha Barron and her husband, Robert, became active parishioners at St. Thomas the Apostle after visiting the parish priest of their in-laws. Samantha remembered, “We were trying to have our second child baptized and couldn’t reach our own parish priest, so the pastor at St. Thomas welcomed us and agreed to baptize our child. We felt so welcome, we never left.” Another child later, Samantha is active in her parish. Both churches merged in 2011, keeping the name Blessed Sacrament, with two worship sites: the Blessed Sacrament site, located on Lacrosse Avenue, and the St. Thomas the Apostle site, located on Stillwater Avenue. Barron and Conners had never met until they began working together on a task force created in 2013 to help the parish determine its future. Blessed Sacrament was facing a $250,000 yearly deficit without extraordinary income, and the charter school leasing its building was debating whether to renew the lease. With changing demographics and fewer Catholic families moving into their neighborhoods, the question
The Catholic Spirit
Wrapping up its 2014 campaign, the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation has exceeded its $9.3 million fundraising goal in pledges and has distributed nearly $8 million to 17 different ministries in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Contributions made to ministries from “As a separate foundation, we the 2014 Catholic Services Appeal have worked really hard,” said Foundation as of Dec. 10 Tim Healy, president of the CSAF board of directors. Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women: $22,669 Beneficiaries of the funds range from Catholic schools and Campus ministries: $232,900 seminaries to evangelization Catholic Charities: $1,100,000 and Latino Ministry. (See Catholic elementary schools: $1,270,040 complete list at left.) Catholic secondary schools: $892,500 Recently, a group of CSAF Deaf Ministry: $36,247 board members and staff met Evangelization: $65,571 with all the ministries to hear Hospital and prison chaplains: $681,590 the stories of how CSAF funds Indian Ministry: $171,232 impact people’s lives. Latino Ministry: $173,732 Among those lives changed Marriage, Family and Life: $387,439 are prisoners who get to hear St. John Vianney College Seminary: $265,843 the Gospel and participate in The Saint Paul Seminary: $958,499 the Eucharist thanks to prison chaplains. Venezuelan Mission: $193,802 “It was a great day, a great Total: $7,998,030 way to see how God is working through these dollars,” Healy For more information about these specific ministries, said. “These dollars change lives. visit www.csafspm.org. That speaks to the people who are committed to delivering God’s mercy on the street level.” CSAF continues to raise money to pay for operating expenses not included in its $9.3 million goal.
Success as an independent foundation Last January, the Catholic Services Appeal, the annual fundraising drive of the archdiocese, became an independent, tax-exempt non-profit corporation to receive and distribute all donor dollars from the appeal. CSAF started with four board members and now has 13. It also has two full-time employees who already are preparing for the 2015 appeal, which will reflect a re-branding, including a new logo. “We’re pretty excited to continue to do the work,” Healy said.
Prepare to lead and succeed
before the parish was: “How do we become good stewards of the money given to us while continuing to support local Catholics and their spiritual needs?” Father Don DeGrood, pastor of Blessed Sacrament since July 2013, worked with the task force as members looked at all of their options. “We cut expenses and asked parishioners to make a financial stewardship pledge to increase donations,” Father DeGrood said. “We hosted parish listening sessions and distributed questionnaires. Our goal was to have a financially healthy, viable and vibrant parish.” After pouring over budgets, cutting expenses, trying to raise money and collaborating with outside experts, the task force presented its findings in October 2013 to the parish community. Seventy-eight percent of parishioners who responded to surveys recommended that the parish explore selling one of its two sites. Both parish sites were put on the market to see what interest it might attract. After several months, Academia Cesar Chavez, a charter elementary school that teaches mostly Hispanic students, made an offer on the Lacrosse Avenue site. The lay leadership of the parish reviewed the offer, and other possible options, and unanimously recommended to Father DeGrood that the parish accept the offer. The parish Please turn to FINAL on page 8
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5 By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit Where Broadway Avenue bends in north Minneapolis from its straight westerly direction to head northwest, a new apartment building — West Broadway Crescent — matches the curve in the street. The nursery tags are still on the landscaping bushes and the first residents have just moved into the 54-unit building. With the shortage of affordable housing in the area, though, “It looks like it will be fully leased within three months,” Ann Ruff said. Ruff is vice president of resource development at CommonBond, the nonprofit organization that developed and is managing the apartment complex. One of the largest developers of affordable housing in the country, CommonBond already has a presence in the neighborhood at St. Anne’s Senior Housing just up the street. But the organization was prodded to do more from a Catholic source that itself is no stranger to helping people into good quality housing: the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. “They pushed us to do what’s considered challenging work,” Ruff said. “If not for their commitment, both through funding and volunteering, West Broadway Crescent wouldn’t have happened.”
More than charity Janice Anderson explained the basilica parish’s role in making West Broadway Crescent a reality. She’s the basilica’s director of Christian life. After tithing 10 percent from a capital campaign several years ago, Anderson said, the parish looked for ways to leverage some $700,000 to do more than provide food and shoes to the needy, which it has been doing for decades. “We have a lot of relationships on the north side, and we know the need for good, quality housing there,” she added. “We started looking for partners. CommonBond is absolutely the perfect partner for us. They were very willing to work with us and share the dream with us,” Anderson said. With the basilica’s money in hand, CommonBond was able to leverage other funding, including grants from the city. Ruff said, “After the foreclosure crisis and the tornado that ripped through the north side [in May 2012], the City of Minneapolis was interested in developing the area,” she said. “They wanted to put in the highest quality affordable housing for the people who wanted to live there and make it a truly livable community.” The basilica’s good reputation with north side community leaders and organizations — and with
elected officials — brought trust to the project, Anderson said.
Area ripe for development Nearby, empty lots sit next to remaining homes and businesses, and, just a block west, acres sit vacant where Broadway intersects Penn Avenue. Building anything in the area would be a risky venture. “In any community under pressure, all real estate is risky,” Ruff admitted, “but more so given the foreclosure crisis and the tornado.” Of 10 parcels of land that West Broadway Crescent now occupies, five were in foreclosure, Ruff said, but the area also has pluses, including the North Side YMCA nearby. The basilica’s involvement meant CommonBond was able to attract additional partners, grassroots organizations such as Neighborhood Achievement Zone that were interested in helping families be stable and children be successful. As it does in other affordable housing complexes, CommonBond is including its Advantage Services onsite at West Broadway Crescent. What free services will be available will depend on the needs of the residents, and parishioners of the basilica will be active as volunteers, the parish’s Anderson said. “Now that the housing is built, our partnership is not over,” she said.
Parishioners have already been working with potential residents to make them “rent-ready,” Anderson said. To qualify, residents must meet a low-income standard but still be able to pay the rent, which is steeply discounted. “We had parishioner and volunteer lawyers work to clear up any issues that might be keeping people from qualifying for this type of housing,” Anderson said. She sees the parish’s activity as a response to the call of the Catholic faith to shelter the homeless but
Local
Basilica partnership brings affordable housing to north side
“We have an opportunity and an obligation to do this, and we are grateful to have the ability to serve in this way.” Janice Anderson, director of Christian life at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis
also to alleviate the root causes of poverty, “to transform the social order in light of the gospel of love,” she said. “It’s an act of faith,” she added. “We have an opportunity and an obligation to do this, and we are grateful to have the ability to serve in this way.”
Praebe Nobis Cor Tuum
Give us your heart.
Congratulations on your first anniversary as auxiliary bishop and blessings on you and your ministry
Cathedral of St. Paul Meier, Kennedy & Quinn Benedictine College Academy of Holy Angels Cretin-Derham Hall Partnership for Youth Catholic Finance Corporation Hill-Murray School NET Ministries Catholic United Financial WINE: Women in the New Evangelization St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Local
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When you give to your parish, where does your money go?
Where Your Dollar Goes When You Give to the Parish
The Catholic Spirit
Depreciation 5% Community Services 1% Evangelization 1% Development & Stewardship 3%
Buildings & Grounds Maintenance 4% Clergy Services 17%
Marriage, Family & Life 2% Catholic Education 9% Arc hd
to O arish
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ioce s e of S W h e re Y t. Paul ou an Doll r Contr d Minn e ib ar G oes ution apolis ?
ents
92 C
When you put your offering in the collection basket at Mass, make an electronic gift or give a special year-end donation to your parish, *92 cents of every dollar you give stays in your parish or supports initiatives as determined by your parish. Your gift keeps the lights and heat on at your parish, maintains your church and other parish campus buildings, provides fair wages and benefits to parish staff, helps provide Catholic education at your parish school and through your parish faith formation program, supports music ministry and provides for other outreach ministry in your community. Your support allows your parish to share the Gospel message and the joy of knowing Jesus Christ. For this budget year, of every dollar you give to your parish, 8 cents (9 cents if your parish doesn’t directly support a Catholic school) go to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Of those 8 cents,
How Your 8¢ is Used * by the Archdiocesan Chancery Corporation
Communications 12% Parish Services & Outreach 6%
92¢ go to your parish 8¢ go to the archdiocese
Central Services 28% General & Administration 12%
* The assessment rate is 8% for parishes that directly support a Catholic school (either a parish school or a consolidated school); the rate is 9% for parishes that don’t directly support a Catholic school.
over 7 and a half cents support archdiocesan operations and ministries (see graphic for details) throughout the 12-county archdiocese. This budget year, less than half a cent of every dollar you give to the parish goes to the archdiocese to pay expenses related
to clergy sexual abuse and other clergy misconduct. Historically, archdiocesan reserves and insurance have paid for legal settlements and special issues expenses that are not anticipated to be ongoing in the long-term and are arising primarily from the
lifting of Minnesota’s civil statute of limitations on sexual abuse. If you have questions about what ministries are supported at your parish, talk with your pastor or ask in your parish office. All donations to your parish are taxdeductible.
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")3(/0Ȋ#/::%.3 FROMȊYOURȊFRIENDS ATȊ.%4Ȋ-INISTRIES WWW NETUSA ORG December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
“O Lord, may your ear be attentive to my prayer and that of all your willing servants who revere your name. Grant success to your servant this day, and let him find favor with this man...� Nehemiah 1:11ab
From your Friends at archspm.org • TheCatholicSpirit.com
7 Leaders cite need to provide hope and healing
out the mission of the Church in our parishes.”
The Catholic Spirit Leaders at parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are working together to share resources while trying to help those who claim to have been sexually abused as a minor by a priest. Father Kevin Finnegan, pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Edina, and Father David Hennen, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings, recently invited all pastors and parish business administrators to informational meetings to explore the possibility of joint legal representation in negotiations related to such claims. “Whether the abuse happened five years ago or 50 years ago, it’s awful, and we have got to deal with it and confront it,” Father Finnegan said. “We have to figure out how to get survivors and victims the help they need and deserve while continuing to carry
Since the lifting of the civil statute of limitations in Minnesota for victims of sexual abuse, nearly two dozen people have filed lawsuits against the archdiocese. In addition, several people have indicated they plan to sue the parishes where abuse is alleged to have occurred. Under Minnesota law, the archdiocesan corporation is an independent religious corporation, as are each of the parishes. This means that any action that the archdiocese takes will be made on behalf of the archdiocesan corporation and will not include any of the parishes. In an effort to protect the rights of the parishes and their separate property in the process of equitably resolving the clergy abuse claims, Our Lady of Grace, St. Elizabeth Anne Seton and several other local parishes have retained Mary Jo Jensen-Carter, a local attorney experienced in financial and bankruptcy matters. Earlier this month, Father
Philadelphia, PA
“We have to figure out how to get survivors and victims the help they need and deserve while continuing to carry out the mission of the Church in our parishes.”
Local
Parishes retain joint counsel in resolving abuse claims
Father Kevin Finnegan, pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Edina
Finnegan and Father Hennen invited all parish leaders to informational meetings with Jensen-Carter. After meetings on Dec. 2 and 11, additional parish leaders indicated to Jensen-Carter that they are considering joint representation. Father Hennen said, “Parish leaders who are participating in the joint representation say they have a stronger voice in the process and that they are saving money on legal costs in the long run by working with other parishes.”
September 22-27, 2015
Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis
As part of the process, JensenCarter is encouraging parishes where abuse occurred to search their historical records for insurance coverage during the times of abuse. According to Jensen-Carter, “Money from insurance claims can help the Catholic Church provide hope and healing in an equitable way to those harmed by priests.” Archdiocesan officials are aware of the parishes’ actions and have encouraged the parishes to obtain independent representation.
NOW PLAYING!
It’s so nice to have you back where you belong!
Pilgrimage to participate in the World Meeting of Families, Papal Visit & Mass Back for the first time in over two decades!
World Meeting of Families package includes: • Round-trip airfare from St. Paul and Minneapolis Airport (including airport taxes and fuel surcharges, subject to change) • Hotel for 5 nights at the Sheraton Bucks County, Langhorne, PA (or similar)
To our readers To allow The Catholic Spirit staff members time with their loved ones during the holidays, the newspaper will not publish a Jan. 2, 2015, edition as planned. The first edition of 2015 will be Jan. 15.
Merry Christmas
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Local
8 Aim Higher Foundation helps families access Catholic education By Rita Beatty For The Catholic Spirit For stay-at-home mom Hilda Torres and her husband, Jose Castro, making ends meet has been difficult for their family of five. Their budget is so tight that at one point, electricity to their home
“I wanted my kids to go to Catholic school because that’s what my husband and I believe in. . . . That’s how we want our children to grow up. When they come home from school, they share things that are pure, kind and loving, and they are thinking about ‘what would Jesus want me to do?’ ” Hilda Torres
was shut off. Because of their circumstances, Torres and her husband didn’t think the Catholic education they wanted for their family was possible. But thanks to the Aim Higher
Foundation, their son, J.J. CastroTorres, is able to attend first grade at Frassati Academy, a new Catholic regional school in White Bear Lake. “We are so grateful . . . it means the world, it means better opportunity for our children,” Torres said. “I wanted my kids to go to Catholic school because that’s what my husband and I believe in. We really, really feel strongly about our faith. That’s how we want our children to grow up. When they come home from school, they share things that are pure, kind and loving, and they are thinking about ‘what would Jesus want me to do?’ ” Frassati Academy was formed this fall through the consolidation of the parish schools of St. Mary of the Lake and St. Pius X, both in White Bear Lake. Father Ralph Talbot, pastor of St. Mary of the Lake, and Frassati Academy Principal Patrick Gallivan were determined not to let financial challenges prevent the Castro-Torres family from getting the Catholic education they wanted for their children. “I assured her that Father Talbot and I and the school community don’t want finances to get in the way of a Catholic education,” Gallivan said. “Aim Higher is one of the foundations that assist us to help children who want a Catholic school education, but money
Aim Higher Foundation To help a local child attend Catholic school, contact the Aim Higher Foundation: www.aimhigherfoundation.org To give online, click Donate at the top of the page Aim Higher Foundation 10350 Bren Road West Minnetonka, MN 55343 (612) 819-6711 might be in the way of that goal,” he said. Earlier this fall, more than 400 people gathered for the second annual Aim Higher Foundation Night of Light celebration to raise money for tuition scholarships — like the one J.J. received — at more than 70 Catholic elementary schools throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The foundation raised nearly $500,000 in pledges, including an anonymous donation of $100,000. “We’re so blessed by the generosity of this anonymous donor and the many other people whose gifts help more kids access a life-changing Catholic school education,” said Karen Rauenhorst, chair of the Aim Higher Foundation board. “We have heard from so many families who have received Aim
Higher Foundation scholarships about how the tuition assistance has made a real difference in students’ lives.” The foundation has awarded more than $1.8 million in tuition assistance scholarships to deserving Catholic school students in the past three years. Founded in late 2011, the Aim Higher Foundation’s mission is to provide student-based tuition assistance so all families have access to a Catholic school education. The foundation is governed by a board of directors whose members are local corporate, civic, education and religious leaders. A total of $736,200 was distributed to 1,107 students at 76 Catholic elementary schools during the last school year. Of these 1,107 students, 602 applied and were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. Foundation leaders look forward to continuing support of current Aim Higher Foundation scholars and expanding the number of tuition assistance recipients. The Aim Higher Foundation is an independent, 501(c)3 organization, and gifts are tax deductible. All contributions to the foundation are used solely to expand access to Catholic education to more children and promote excellence in Catholic schools. For more information, visit www.AimHigherFoundation. org.
Final Mass is Jan. 11 Continued from page 4
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trustees and the pastor supported the recommendation and, after consultation with archdiocesan leadership, signed the purchase agreement. The last Mass at the Lacrosse Avenue site will be at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 11. “We encourage anyone who may have been involved with Blessed Sacrament over the years to join us in this special Mass on Jan. 11 and then process with us to our parish site on Stillwater Avenue as we transport sacred items from the Lacrosse Avenue site,” Father DeGrood said. “It’s never an easy process,” Samantha Barron said. “When you are looking at people’s spiritual home, it’s a very personal thing. I think we should stop looking for Christ in the building and look for Christ in each other.” “It is very sad for us,” said Mike Conners. “I love the building, and I love the community that is a part of that building. But I don’t know a lot of buildings that last forever, and the building shouldn’t define my faith. “However, I am gratified that the church building will remain, and within that building will be the education of young children, many of whom are being raised Catholic.”
Blessings of the Seasons to You and Yours
9
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service A massive, detailed Vatican-ordered investigation of U.S. communities of women religious ended with a call to the women themselves to continue discerning how best to live the Gospel in fidelity to their orders’ founding ideals while facing steeply declining numbers and a rapidly aging membership. Although initially seen by many religious and lay Catholics as a punitive measure, the apostolic visitation concluded with the publication Dec. 16 of a 5,000-word final report summarizing the problems and challenges the women themselves see in their communities and thanking them for their service to the Church and to society, especially the poor. The visitation process, carried out between 2009 and 2012 with detailed questionnaires and on-site visits, mainly by other women religious, “sought to convey the caring support of the Church in respectful, sister-to-sister dialogue,” said the final report by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The process attempted to help the Vatican “and the sisters themselves to be more cognizant of their current situation and challenges in order to formulate realistic, effective plans for the future,” said the report, signed by Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the congregation for religious, and Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, secretary. In summarizing the results, the congregation called for special attention in several areas, including: formation programs for new members; the personal, liturgical and common prayer life of members; ensuring their spiritual practices and ministries are fully in harmony with Church teaching “about God, creation, the Incarnation and redemption” in Christ; strengthening community life, especially for members living on their own or with just one other sister; living their vow of poverty while wisely administering financial resources; and strengthening communion within the Church, especially with the bishops and Vatican officials. The Vatican, the report said, “is well aware that the apostolic visitation was met with apprehension and suspicion by some women religious. This resulted in a refusal, on the part of some institutes, to collaborate fully in the process.” “While the lack of full cooperation was a painful disappointment for us,” the
VATICAN CITY
Kerry asks Vatican for help in relocating Guantanamo detainees
congregation writes, “we use this present opportunity to invite all religious institutes to accept our willingness to engage in respectful and fruitful dialogue with them.” “A number of sisters conveyed to the apostolic visitator a desire for greater recognition and support of the contribution of women religious to the Church on the part of its pastors,” the report said. “They noted the ongoing need for honest dialogue with bishops and clergy as a means of clarifying their role in the Church and strengthening their witness and effectiveness as women faithful to the Church’s teaching and mission.” In addition, it says, “some spoke of their perception of not having enough input into pastoral decisions which affect them or about which they have considerable experience and expertise.” The current Year of Consecrated Life, the congregation says, should be “a graced opportunity for all of us within the Church — religious, clergy and laity — to take those steps toward forgiveness and reconciliation, which will offer a radiant and attractive witness of fraternal communion to all.” The former prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Franc Rode, ordered the visitation in 2008, saying its aim would be to study the community, prayer and apostolic life of the orders to learn why the number of religious women in the United States had declined so sharply since the 1960s. Almost a year into the study, Cardinal Rode told Vatican Radio that the investigation was a response to concerns — including some expressed by an unnamed “important representative of the U.S. Church” — regarding “some irregularities or omissions in American religious life. Most of all, you could say, it involves a certain secular mentality that has spread in these religious families and, perhaps, also a certain ‘feminist’ spirit.” The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents about 80 percent of U.S. women religious, is a separate process. The congregation’s Dec. 16 report on U.S. communities of women religious does not make specific recommendations other than urging the entire Church “to offer fervent prayer for religious vocations” and to ask religious communities to ensure they provide “a solid, theological, human, cultural, spiritual and pastoral preparation” for religious life.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Vatican counterpart Dec. 15 and asked him to support the Obama administration’s efforts to close the U.S. detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, met with Kerry for an hour, according to Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. Ken Hackett, the U.S. ambassador of the Holy See, was also present at the meeting. Kerry underscored the “commitment of the United States to close the Guantanamo prison and the desire for the Holy See’s support in the search for appropriate humanitarian solutions for the current detainees,” Father Lombardi said. The main topic of Kerry’s discussion with Cardinal Parolin was the “situation in the Middle East.”
U.S. & World
Vatican report calls U.S. women religious to continued dialogue
Pope to create new cardinals Pope Francis will create new cardinals Feb. 14, following a two-day meeting of the world’s cardinals. The names of the new cardinals are likely to be announced in mid-January. If Pope Francis respects the limit of 120 cardinals under the age of 80 and, therefore, eligible to vote for a pope, he will have 10 such openings in February. As of Dec. 11, the College of Cardinals had 208 members, 112 of whom were under 80. On the same occasion, Pope Francis may also follow precedent by creating a number of cardinals over the age of 80, churchmen being honored for their contributions to theology or other service to the Church.
SYDNEY
Sydney archbishop: Despite reports, no link between celibacy, abuse Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney said there is no link between celibacy and child sexual abuse after the body charged with responding to a national inquiry on behalf of Australia’s bishops appeared to link the two. The Truth Justice and Healing Council made the apparent link in its activity report, released Dec. 12, detailing its actions in response to the Australian government’s Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which began Jan. 13, 2013. In an opinion piece for The Australian newspaper Dec. 15, Archbishop Fisher wrote that while abuse in the Church was “sickening” and “shameful,” the great majority of cases occurred in non-institutional settings, particularly the family. “We must avoid glib explanations or simplistic solutions,” Archbishop Fisher wrote in the piece. “As I have said before, there must be no more excuses, no more cover-ups. Nor am I interested in evasively pointing the finger at others. Catholic leaders have more than enough to do to clean up our own houses without throwing stones at others. But no one is served, least of all the survivors, by creating mythologies about child abuse,” he said. – Catholic News Service
Religious leaders condemn U.S. torture practices as report is released The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace said acts of torture outlined in a Senate Intelligence Committee report “violated the God-given human dignity inherent in all people and were unequivocally wrong.” Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, N.M., also called on President Barack Obama to strengthen the legal prohibitions against torture “to ensure that this never happens again.” The bishop joined several religious
leaders who condemned the use of torture by the Central Intelligence Agency after Democrats in the Senate released a 500-page executive summary of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence findings Dec. 9. The full 6,000-page report remains classified. The comments were provided by the Washington-based National Religious Campaign Against Torture after the report became public. The intelligence committee began investigating the CIA’s treatment of
detainees in the so-called war on terror almost six years ago. Committee members adopted the report in 2012 and agreed to release it in April, but Senate Democrats waited eight months to do so. The report slammed U.S. tactics, which critics have described as torture, used against detainees. It said some of the tactics were more brutal than first described, produced little information that prevented an attack and often resulted in “fabricated”
information. Gerry Lee, executive director of the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, said the report should drive Congress to enact new laws to permanently prevent the use of torture. “Maryknoll missioners have very often served in communities alongside torture survivors, and some have experienced torture themselves,” he said. “As Christians, they know that it is horrific, dehumanizing behavior, and its use must be stopped immediately.”
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Advent
10 ‘O Antiphons’ praise Christ-child’s attributes during Advent’s last days By Father Michael Van Sloun For The Catholic Spirit An antiphon is a verse or phrase sung or recited aloud or read silently before and after a Psalm or Canticle during the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours. The text is often a direct quote from Scripture, a brief reflection on a Scripture text, or a verse pertaining to the feast day, the liturgical season or the saint of the day. An antiphon provides a spiritual context to be kept Father in mind for the duration of VAN SLOUN the Psalm or Canticle in much the same way that a mystery of the rosary is kept in mind during the recitation of the Hail Marys. The O Antiphons, also known as the Greater Antiphons, are a set of seven, each beginning with an “O” and followed by a title or special attribute of the Christ-child whose birth will be commemorated on Christmas. The O Antiphons were written in Latin and drawn from texts from the prophet Isaiah
Advent use The O Antiphons are used at vespers for the seven-day period from Dec. 17 to 23. They are used to introduce and conclude the Gospel Canticle, the Canticle of Mary or the Magnificat, the lovely prayer first offered by the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:46-55) and offered each day at evening prayer. Each antiphon reveals an aspect of the identity of the newborn Son of the Most High whose kingdom will never end. After the opening statement, each antiphon concludes with a short prayer of petition. • Dec. 17 – “[O] Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation” (see Isaiah 11:2; 28:29). • Dec. 18 – “O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain; come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free” (see Isaiah 11:4-5; 33:22).
By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit
• Light all four candles on the Advent wreath.
The following Advent wreath prayer is intended to help busy households make Advent a prayerful time during the rush of Christmas preparations. The language is fairly simple, intended to be used for personal prayer and reflection or by groups of adults or adults with children. Options are noted to allow for participation by a variety of members of a household. Leader: The fourth and final week of Advent begins today. As we near Christmas, we spend this moment in prayer so that we are better prepared to welcome the Christ
• Read aloud 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38. (A different person might read each passage.) Leader: When we think that we are in charge and in control, that’s when we need to remember it is God who has provided everything we have and made us everything we are. This fourth week of Advent, the reading from 2 Samuel leaves us asking: “Do I have a dwelling place for the Lord in my heart?” This week, let’s ask ourselves, “Are our hearts a fitting place for the Christ Child to rest his head?” Closing prayer: (Leader may read all, or
Christmas Joy
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Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata.
Child into our hearts and into our lives.
Advent Week 4
11:15 p.m.
• Dec. 19 – “O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid” (see Isaiah 11:1,10). • Dec. 20 – “O Key of David, O royal power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom” (see Isaiah 22:22; 9:6). • Dec. 21 – “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death” (see Isaiah 9:1). • Dec. 22 – “O King of all nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you have fashioned from the dust” (see Isaiah 2:4; 9:5). • Dec. 23 – “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God” (see Isaiah 7:14).
regarding the long-awaited Messiah. The author, date and place of composition all remain unknown, but the antiphons were known to exist by the late fifth century.
others in the household may each read a segment.) Father in heaven, help us to remember that all our gifts come from you. When we think we are in charge, remind us that we are your people and that you are our God. And let us have no gods — not wealth, not power, not fame, not material things — before you. God above, as you found favor in the Virgin Mary, help us live so that you find favor in our lives. Help us to be holy. Help us, Lord, to follow Mary’s example of faith and trust. Along with Mary, help us, too, to say: “Yes, God, I am yours. Do with me as you want. Make me your hands on earth.” Holy Spirit, inspire us to live every day as if Christmas were just a week away.
11 By Dan Russo Catholic News Service On Dec. 14, 2012, the day a lone gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Kylie DeWees was badly shaken by the news. Although the young woman, then a junior at Xavier Catholic High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had never played piano before, something compelled her to sit down at the piano her family had inherited just two days earlier from her late grandmother. As soon as her fingers touched the keys, she began to compose melodies as if she had been taking lessons for years. “My mom came down that day when I started playing and said, ‘Turn down the radio, Kylie!’ and I was like, ‘It’s not the radio,’ and she started crying. I knew I wanted to do something for Sandy Hook because I feel like it was God and Sandy Hook that made this all possible,” she said. Kylie immediately began to create instrumental songs with the intention of somehow using music to help the families of Sandy Hook. Although she couldn’t read or write music, the compositions came into her mind and she memorized them. “I don’t know exactly how I do it,” said Kylie, now a first-year student at Loras College, a Catholic school in Dubuque. “I think in patterns and rhythms. I could almost see a song, and whatever emotion I was feeling I could develop it into something without words.” After the initial discovery of Kylie’s hidden talent, her mother, Lisa DeWees, was thinking about what her daughter could do for Sandy Hook when she accidentally
Kylie DeWees,18, plays a piano in the campus ministry office at Loras College, a Catholic school in Dubuque, Iowa. Two years ago, DeWees was inspired to write music in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, despite the fact that she had never taken piano lessons. CNS/Dan Russo, The Witness knocked two books off a shelf. “One of them was ‘The Christmas Box’ and I had not opened that up when I first received it,” Lisa said. The book is a 1993 novel about a woman who mourns the loss of her child at the base of an angel statue. The angel has the word “hope” on one of its wings. Parents who had lost a child in Salt Lake City asked for a monument matching the description of the angel in the book. Author Richard Paul Evans paid for the project. The statues began to spread. There are more than 120 in cities worldwide. In the 1990s, when Kylie was very young, Evans signed a book for her mother while he attended the dedication ceremony for an Angel of Hope statue in Iowa City. Lisa had been involved in raising money for that statue after
someone she worked with was in a car accident in which a young girl died. The author signed Lisa’s book, but she had not thought to read the inscription until it fell off the shelf in 2012. “(Evans) had signed the book and it said, ‘To Kylie — use your God given talents,’” said Lisa. “I came upstairs and told Kylie, ‘I totally think that this is a God moment.’” Kylie decided she wanted to create an album of her piano music, sell it and then use the proceeds to erect an Angel of Hope statue for the Sandy Hook community. “A friend of mine was out in the Sandy Hook area,” Lisa said. “She met with the chief of police. They were already putting a statue in, so that’s why we put in a statue at Xavier (in Cedar Rapids).” Kylie’s first album, “Believe,” was
sold on the Internet and at various events. The pianist also organized other fundraisers. With the help of family, friends and businesses in the Cedar Rapids area, she sold more than 500 albums and raised $19,000 for a statue at her high school. Word spread of her musical talent and dedication to the Sandy Hook victims. She was invited to play at the first anniversary memorial for the Sandy Hook victims in Newtown. At that event, the town dedicated its own Angel of Hope statue. Kylie played piano as the victims’ families and others arrived at St. Rose Catholic Church in Newtown. “When I was playing, the parents of one of the children came in, and there were 26 roses on the altar,” Kylie remembered. “They put a picture of (their daughter) and some seashells because they would go to Hawaii a lot.” During her time in Newtown, Kylie met Evans. The Cedar Rapids Angel of Hope statue was blessed at an all-school Mass at Xavier High School last April. Placed in the Xavier gym in July, the statue is the 124th in the world. “I hope it’s a place that people can go for hope and healing,” Kylie said. “I know a lot of people walk by it every day, and so even if some days they don’t notice it, even if there’s one day they do and it helps them through the day, it’ll be worth it.” Kylie released her second album, “Leap of Faith,” in early December. The proceeds from her music will go toward other charitable efforts. Her music is available at www. apple.com/itunes and www. cdbaby.com.
Faith & Culture
‘God moment’ leads teen to compose music for Sandy Hook effort
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12
Let there be light Amazing Christmas displays you’ll want to see
The Catholic Spirit asked readers to let us know about amazing Christmas light displays around the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. You responded, telling us about some spectacular ones. We have chosen three recommended by readers, and photographed by Dave Hrbacek, to show on these pages. We also picked one of our own to feature. Enjoy the work of these local “light” artists, and please go see them for yourself with family and friends to share in the Christmas spirit.
Roger Schmidt 921 Shakopee Ave. E. Shakopee, MN 55379 Schmidt used to race cars. So, it’s only natural that motors are a part of his light display, which he started doing in 2000. “There are nine motors out there,” he said. “And, we’ve got a train that goes all the way around the one side of the yard. It has a 3 ½-horse Honda motor in it.” He estimates there are 130,000-plus lights in the display. Fortunately, he has some quality help, from his parents, Lavina and Paul Schmidt of Sts. Joachim and Anne of Shakopee, and his sister Rena Lehman. Many of the lighted structures are motorized. In addition to the train, there are two merry-go-rounds, a Ferris wheel and
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
swings. “It’s getting bigger all the time,” he said. He also has a live Santa and Mrs. Claus on hand the weekend before Christmas and the week of Christmas — long-friend Jeff Stark and his wife Lori. Plus, there are games for kids in the garage, along with arts and crafts. “They can make cards for their moms or Christmas ornaments or whatever else they want to make,” Roger said. “We do coloring contests for three age groups with a $50 prize for each one. They each get a $50 cash prize for first place. We’ve got hot chocolate and coffee, cookies and munchies for everyone who stops in.”
Joe and Bri Strandlof
6451 Beckman Court, Inver Grove Heights, MN When you pull up in front of the Strandlof home, you’ll want to do two things: 1. Tune in to 97.9 FM, and 2. Bring some food items to drop off for the less fortunate. Strandlof secured an open frequency to broadcast music that people can play on their radios while they watch his lights, which blink in sync with the music. It might seem complicated, but Joe runs it all from a laptop. The difficult part is setting up the lights, which takes five days. The motorized Ferris wheel alone takes two days. But, it’s all a labor of love for Joe and Bri, who belong to Holy Trinity in South St. Paul. “I’m a tool and die maker by trade,” said Joe, who has been doing the display since he moved into his
13 Dorothy and Al Bartolomei 92 Oakwood Drive, Belle Plaine, MN 56011 Belle Plaine is a one-hour drive from downtown St. Paul, but the Bartolomeis make it worth the drive with their delightful display. They have been decking the outdoors since 2007, their first Christmas in Belle Plaine after moving from Michigan. The crown jewel of this year’s display is a 10-foot sign with their theme: “Happy Birthday Jesus. You Light Up My Life.” The Bartolomeis, members of Our Lady of the Prairie in Belle Plaine, had help with the sign from a fellow parishioner, Christine Shudy, who designed it. Fabrication and installation were difficult, but that’s all part of the fun — and the many hours that go into their finished display. “I love Christmas,” Dorothy said. “I can’t wait for [the] Christmas [season] to start. I know I make a mess. I make a mess in the garage and dig out everything. But, it’s just so fun. My daughter came down one day, and she and I spent three hours on one tree, decorating every branch. Al didn’t think it was wise to spend that much time on one tree, but it was fun. Many times when I’m out there, I’m praying as I decorate. I’m praying, ‘Oh please, God, help me. Help us get this done.’ Actually, it’s my therapy. It’s really my therapy, and I’m trying to get him [Al] to be in therapy with me.”
John and Jo Wolszon
N 55077 current house in 2006. “I do a lot of that kind of stuff. I love it. When we went on our honeymoon [four years ago], we were in Jamaica in August. We’re sitting by the pool and I’m throwing out ideas for [the light display]. It’s true. It doesn’t matter what time of year, something will pop into my head.” As much as he enjoys the light display, he’s also proud of the food he collects for an organization called Neighbors, Inc., which serves northern Dakota County. Last year, visitors to his house donated 750 pounds of food and $750. Joe’s parents, Joe and Sue Strandlof, also parishioners at Holy Trinity, help set up the display. And his brother, Ben, dresses up as Santa a day or two before Christmas and hands out candy to visitors.
14196 Upper 54th St. N., Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 Employees of The Catholic Spirit know all about the Wolszons’ spectacular lights. That’s because John worked for the newspaper for almost 40 years before retiring in October. He and Jo have been displaying their awardwinning lights for 26 years, the length of time he and Jo, who belong to St. Mary in Stillwater, have lived in their current home. Four years ago, John noted, their display won a contest sponsored by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. One look at his lights explains why — 35 lighted artificial trees, 117 Christmas figures, and lights covering all four sides of his home.
“I enjoy doing it,” said John, who is the mastermind of the operation. “My two daughters, my son, their spouses, all help. All year long, we receive compliments from people all over the place thanking us for what we do. I’ve had the mayor of Oak Park Heights thank me for doing it, for putting Oak Park Heights on the map. I just enjoy doing it, and I really like that first night when we finally light everything up and I get to see what we’ve created. That’s the only reason. I’m not looking for recognition, I’m not looking for awards. We have fun. It gets the family together for six weekends to create this thing.”
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Focus on Faith • Scripture Readings
14 SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Deacon Luis Mejia
In the face of the impossible, God works the possible On Jan. 8, 2014, I had the great privilege to visit the Church of the Annunciation in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. I got to visit the small cave in which the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and it made a big impact. When I knelt down, the first words that came to my mind were, “Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you,” because in that place, God showed us his transcendence. Perhaps not everyone has the privilege to go to Nazareth, but we can meditate on the mystery of the Annunciation in today’s readings. We are celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Today’s reading reminds us of three important aspects about understanding God’s presence through history: first, salvation occurs within history; second, the mystery has been revealed; and third, God works the impossible. God is present in the story of salvation as the one who leads, governs and dwells among us. God is the one who takes the initiative to lead man. We are told “Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you” (2 Samuel 7:3). He is the one who instructs
man, “Go, tell my servant David, ‘thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in?” (2 Samuel 7:5). The house that God will build is a holy nation. It will come from a covenant that transcends time but is present to history. This covenant comes through time from the old covenant that God the father made with Moses and is fulfilled in the humble town of Nazareth. Salvation takes place in time, in history. God in his merciful goodness wishes to reveal himself in the mystery of the Annunciation through the mission of the Son. With the Annunciation, the mystery has been revealed. In it, what was hidden is now made known. The coming of the Messiah establishes a new covenant of which Jesus is the fulfillment. The opening angelic greeting, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you,” (Luke 1:28) emphatically states Mary’s extraordinary dignity. The common salutation carries the connotation of “rejoice” because God is dwelling among us. So, rejoice, brothers and sisters, because Advent is soon over. In the
Sunday, Dec. 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent • 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 • Romans 16:25-27 • Luke 1:26-38
face of the impossible, God works the possible. Mary is asked to believe this. She is open to acceptance, saying “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She is to believe something else equally impossible. Like Mary, we are asked to say “Yes” to God’s call. She teaches how to believe and accept the impossible. What we have been waiting for during the four Sundays of Advent is now revealed through the sending of the Son in the Incarnation. We have been waiting for the realization of the promise
made to David in the Old Testament. With Mary’s “Yes,” the promise is fulfilled. With it, hope is enlivened and history is changed. There is an unimaginable future for all who believe in this mystery of the Incarnation. Through the sending of the Son, God’s salvation is among us, and the fate of history is altered by a godly presence. Deacon Mejia is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa. His teaching parish is Lumen Christi Catholic Community in St. Paul. His home parish is Our Lady of the Americas in Des Moines.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Dec. 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 Monday, Dec. 22 1 Samuel 1:24-28 Luke 1:46-56 Tuesday, Dec. 23 St. John of Kanty, priest Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 Luke 1:57-66 Wednesday, Dec. 24 Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord Isaiah 62:1-5 Acts 13:16-17, 22-25 Matthew 1:1-25 Thursday, Dec. 25 The Nativity of the Lord Isaiah 62:11-12 Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:15-20
Friday, Dec. 26 St. Stephen, the first martyr Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Matthew 10:17-22 Saturday, Dec. 27 St. John, apostle, evangelist 1 John 1:1-4 John 20:2-8 Sunday, Dec. 28 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Colossians 3:12-21 Luke 2:22-40 Monday, Dec. 29 St. Thomas Becket, bishop, martyr 1 John 2:3-11 Luke 2:22-35 Tuesday, Dec. 30 1 John 2:12-17 Luke 2:36-40 Wednesday, Dec. 31 St. Sylvester I, pope 1 John 2:18-21 John 1:1-18
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Thursday, Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Numbers 6:22-27 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:16-21 Friday, Jan. 2 Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops, doctors of the Church 1 John 2:22-28 John 1:19-28 Saturday, Jan. 3 The Most Holy Name of Jesus 1 John 2:29 – 3:6 John 1:29-34 Sunday, Jan. 4 The Epiphany of the Lord Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12 Monday, Jan. 5 St. John Neumann, bishop 1 John 3:22 – 4:6 Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
Tuesday, Jan. 6 St. André Bessette, religious 1 John 4:7-10 Mark 6:34-44 Wednesday, Jan. 7 St. Raymond of Penyafort, priest 1 John 4:11-18 Mark 6:45-52 Thursday, Jan. 8 1 John 4:19 – 5:4 Luke 4:14-22a Friday, Jan. 9 1 John 5:5-13 Luke 5:12-16 Saturday, Jan. 10 1 John 5:14-21 John 3:22-30 Sunday, Jan. 11 The Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Acts 10:34-38 Mark 1:7-11
Monday, Jan. 12 Hebrews 1:1-6 Mark 1:14-20 Tuesday, Jan. 13 St. Hilary, bishop, doctor of the Church Hebrews 2:5-12 Mark 1:21-28 Wednesday, Jan. 14 Hebrews 2:14-18 Mark 1:29-39 Thursday, Jan. 15 Hebrews 3:7-14 Mark 1:40-45 Friday, Jan. 16 Hebrews 4:1-5, 11 Mark 2:1-12 Saturday, Jan. 17 St. Anthony, abbott Hebrews 4:12-16 Mark 2:13-17 Sunday, Jan. 18 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20 John 1:35-42
15
Focus on Faith • Seeking Answers
SEEKING ANSWERS Father Kenneth Doyle
Clapping at Mass; scattering cremains Q. I have noticed that when the choir does a piece of music differently or performs a song especially well, someone inevitably starts to applaud, and the rest of the congregation follows suit. I think this detracts from the mood that the music has just created and interferes with the solemnity of the Mass. Is it just me, or should applause be reserved for musical performances outside of Mass?
A. The Church has no specific “rules” for or against applause at Mass, so we are left to reason for ourselves according to what comports with the purpose and spirit of the liturgy. Fundamentally, I agree with your observation. Music during Mass, “Music during Mass, whether sung by the choir or by the congregation, is not a performance. It is meant to glorify God and sanctify the faithful. It is a form of prayer and should draw those present into deeper contact with the Lord.”
whether sung by the choir or by the congregation, is not a performance. It is meant to glorify God and sanctify the faithful. It is a form of prayer and should draw
those present into deeper contact with the Lord. All of which inclines me in the direction of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later to become Pope Benedict XVI), who in the year 2000 wrote in “The Spirit of the Liturgy” that “whenever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of the liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.” There are moments in certain liturgical celebrations when applause is welcomed, although not explicitly called for. For example, in the ordination of priests, there is a point at which the congregation is invited to give its approval to the candidates “according to local custom,” which in the United States usually results in applause. Apart from such instances, it seems inappropriate during Mass to break the flow of the liturgy and spirit of prayer by clapping. Having said that, we are properly grateful to musicians and singers for adding beauty and reverence to the celebration of the Mass. Perhaps that gratitude could best be expressed once the closing hymn is completed — either by applause or by taking the time to compliment members of the choir personally.
Q. I understand that, as Catholics, if we choose to be cremated, our cremains are to be treated with dignity and must be buried or entombed. My husband and I have two family members who have asked us to arrange to have their ashes “scattered.” One is a Catholic, one is not. Does our duty to follow Church teaching on this matter override the wishes of our family members (even of the non-Catholic one)? I am uncomfortable with one day having to carry out their request, but I’m unsure as to how to respond.
A. You are correct on the Church’s teaching. Although the Vatican in 1963 lifted the ban on cremation, the Church specifies that cremated remains are to be treated with the same reverence as the body of a deceased person. This means that the cremains are to be placed in a worthy vessel and, following the religious services, to be buried or entombed in consecrated ground. They are not, for example, to be kept on a mantelpiece or scattered in the deceased’s favorite park. Your duty as faithful Catholics overrides the desire of your family members. I see no philosophical justification for distinguishing between the Catholic relative and the non-Catholic. The Church’s
reverence for the remains of each of them is equal. (My guess is that you would also buy yourself some extra family trouble if you distinguished.) I think this is a “teachable opportunity” for you. You should tell each of the two that, as a faithful Catholic, you would feel (in your words) “uncomfortable” carrying out their wishes and then go on to explain to them the reason for the Church’s guidelines (i.e., reverence for the cremated remains). Father Doyle writes for Catholic News Service. A priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., he previously served as director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
From Age to Age
16
Parishioners train to understand, care for those with dementia By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Members of St. Paul parishes have embraced Gospel values of caring for the sick this year by receiving training to understand those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as part of a neighborhood-based program. Parishioners at Nativity of Our Lord are among the 650 who completed a free hour-long program called Dementia Friends in St. Paul, learning what dementia is, its signs and how to interact with people who have the disease, which include 88,000 Minnesotans older than 65. “You do not have to be directly affected to learn,” said Nancy Shatek-Suek, the parish’s pastoral care coordinator. “You might be at a store and see someone struggling and be able to guide them to put their wallet away. It makes for a good community if we understand some of the trials people might be having.” Modeled after a program started in England, “It makes for a Dementia good community Friends is being offered at St. if we understand Paul community some of the trials organizations, businesses and people might be faith communities, having.” including Nativity of Our Nancy Shatek-Suek, Lord and pastoral care coordinator Lumen Christi. at Nativity of Our Lord in It was St. Paul developed locally by St. Paul Neighborhoods, a collaboration seeking to raise awareness and create supportive environments for those affected by the disease. It
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December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
involves five neighborhoods and representatives of government, health care, faith communities, senior services providers and other community partners. St. Paul Neighborhoods is linked to a statewide program enacted by the legislature called ACT on Alzheimer’s. Besides St. Paul, 31 other Minnesota communities are involved in ACT on Alzheimer’s. In addition to Dementia Friends training, St. Paul Neighborhoods also offers a longer program called Dementia Champions that prepares participants to lead the training themselves. The potential to help people with dementia is bringing the community together, said Meghan Constantini, team co-coordinator for ACT on Alzheimer’s. “There’s quite a bit of excitement in the community regarding this work because so many people are touched by dementia,” she said. Dementia Friends training is open to anyone wanting to learn how to interact with people with dementia or serve the community. Dementia Friends participants range from those who have a spouse with dementia to a Girl Scout troop volunteering at a nursing home, Constantini said. “In this day and age when we’re tuned in to our devices and tuned out from others, I think that it’s anybody interested in networking, getting to know others and learning a practical way to help people in their community, especially older adults, who have new and growing concerns,” she said. Caring for people with dementia involves being a gentle, calming presence by not arguing or correcting, and responding patiently to questions, Shatek-Suek said. It’s also greeting them instead of avoiding them, and providing respite for tired caregivers. Community members who understand forms of dementia can
10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease 1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks 4. Confusion with time or place 5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships 6. New problems with words in speaking or writing 7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps 8. Decreased or poor judgment 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities 10. Changes in mood and personality Source: Alzheimer’s Association alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10_signs_of_alzheimers.asp calm the fears of disease sufferers, Constantini said. Part of that is being Christ-like, Shatek-Suek said. “It’s amazing in the depths of their disease how they can be touched by their faith,” she said. Shatek-Suek got involved with St. Paul Neighborhoods after visiting parishioners with the disease and realizing how it could impact the parish. She has led more than 11 Dementia Friends and Champions training sessions at Nativity this fall. Having gained parish council and Nativity School support, she hopes parishioners and students will take the training. This month, Karin Barrett is leading Lumen Christi’s first Dementia Friends training session for extraordinary ministers of holy Communion to the homebound, and she hopes to expand the training. Dementia is more invisible than other forms of illness, said Barrett, the parish’s director of spiritual care. The goal is not just to make parishioners aware that people have Alzheimer’s, but also create a
community that supports caregivers who need a lot of help, she said. While St. Paul Neighborhoods organizers are in the process of evaluating the program’s 2014 efforts, they hope to continue offering the training in 2015 through community education, libraries and faith communities, Constantini said. They also are considering ways to share Dementia Friends training and materials with other ACT communities. Understanding the trials of people with dementia will benefit the faith and broader communities, Shatek-Suek said. “My hope is raising awareness of what dementia is so that people can stay as active as they can and stay in the community,” she said. For more information about St. Paul Neighborhoods ACT on Alzheimer’s, contact Meghan Constantini at (651) 695-5106 or mconstantini@preshomes.org, or visit www.ACTonALZ.org.
17 Cathy Messina (left) is among parishioners at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul training in a community program called Dementia Friends to learn how to better understand and care for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Messina is pictured with longtime friend, Kathy, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Photo courtesy Cathy Messina
By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Since their daughters were secondgraders at Nativity School 25 years ago, the lives of Cathy Messina and her friend, Kathy, both in their 60s, have changed in significant ways, including with Kathy’s diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago. [Kathy’s family requested that her last name not be used.] The two friends’ love and compassion for each other have not changed. “She’ll always be to me the person that I’ve always known,” said Messina, a Nativity of Our Lord parishioner. “I’ve just come to know her in a different way with appreciation for where she’s at.” Messina is among Nativity parishioners who are getting involved in a community training
From Age to Age
Nativity parishioners inspired to help those with dementia
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18
Of saints and missing dentures
From Age to Age
Friendship brings deeper level of spiritual strength
By Effie Caldarola Catholic News Service
Continued from page 17 program called Dementia Friends to learn how to better understand and care for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. As part of the free training, offered by a collaborative called St. Paul Neighborhoods ACT on Alzheimer’s, which Messina attended this fall at the parish, she learned ways to interact with Kathy. Messina said Kathy needs to be with those who love and care for her. The two friends get together every few weeks. “I’m just myself when I’m with her, and I treat her the way I’ve always treated her as my friend,” she said. “I think she feels that. She’ll reach out to me because she feels comfortable with me.” The compassion goes both ways. Recently, Kathy said to Messina, “Thank you for being patient with me.” Jacob Weinstein, a 15-year-old freshman at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota, recently lost a relative to Alzheimer’s. And although he no longer can help his relative, Weinstein said he hopes to learn how he can help others in the future. He plans to attend Dementia Friends training in January, so he can raise understanding of the disease at his parish, Nativity of Our Lord, as well as his school and Boy Scout troop. His 12-year-old sister, Edie, has been sharing what she learned at Dementia Friends training with Nativity School teachers and classmates. “If I had some form of dementia, this is the kind of thing I’d like people to do for me, and I also think it can bring community [together] helping each other out,” Weinstein said. Messina said her friendship with Kathy has brought her to a deeper level of spiritual strength. “I know what I’m giving to her, and being with her I’m also serving God through that,” she said. “Our mission in life is to love and serve. I feel when I’m doing that, she blesses me as much as I’m blessing her.” She prays that God will give her the wisdom to continue growing with Kathy. “I will treasure these years with her. And I hope I have many years with her, she said.”
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A guest staying at my house recently awoke in a panic to discover he couldn’t find his bottom denture. Fast-forward to the following morning and time to get ready for another speaking engagement. Lo and behold, a missing denture. After about 10 minutes, my guest proclaimed, to enormous relief, that the problem was solved. I didn’t ask for specifics. A Christian gentleman, he had audibly asked the Lord to aid in his search, and I laughingly said, “Joe [name changed to protect the innocent], if you were a Catholic, you’d be praying to St. Anthony right now.” He laughed, probably thinking about this bizarre Catholic practice of communicating with long-dead people. I’m a big fan of saints. I loved Jesuit Father James Martin’s book, “My Life with the Saints,” in which he writes about saints — and some venerable and blessed — who have most influenced his life and how he prays to them. Moving with the saints through our lives is a comforting and wholly Catholic idea. Once, I had a little talk with St. Anthony about this tradition that has made him the patron saint of lost items. How, I wonder, did people get the idea that you’re waiting around to make the car keys manifest themselves? I habitually pray to St. Anthony when I lose something. So I asked if he really spends eternity listening to the pleas of panicked individuals whose wallets are missing, whose cellphones were left at the restaurant or even those whose dentures are misplaced. Prayer itself is a mystery. In essence, it is the opening of our hearts and minds to God. It is a silence in which, as the poet Mary Oliver says, “another voice may speak.” Prayer is relating to a mystery that you believe is tugging at you, desiring you, wanting to guide you. We pray to discern the will in our lives to which this mystery calls us. That’s a long way from asking a saint to aid us in a simple task. Yet, saints are so human and so seemingly available to us, and God is so beyond our human understanding, that crying out to a saint once in a while can never be a bad thing.
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December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
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19 By Cristina Muller Catholic News Service Tucked behind the Austrian capital’s well known MuseumSquartier — a complex of art, natural history and cultural museums — is a little side street Christmas market called Spittelberg. No more than a medieval alleyway, gray cobblestones and slightly wobbly Tudor-like white and dark timber buildings, Spittelberg is a place where old Vienna comes to life. In the mellow splendor of muted Christmas glitter, with candlelight lamps in tones of red and wooden market stalls, the Spittelberg
Christmas market is about vegetarian cheeses, wild boar sausages, sweet nuts and holiday biscuits. Add a variety of mulled wines and “Weihnachtspunsch” (Christmas punch), there’s enough to tempt any palate. Here the spirit of Christmas comes to life. Less commercial than other markets across the city, Spittelberg’s quirkiness shines through in the exquisite homemade tree ornaments and in the friendly sense of community brought by three generations of vendors. “My grandmother started selling waffles here, and I used to come and help her,” says Anna Pichler, spooning a generous portion of plum jam onto a waffle made of organically grown spelt flour. “Then, my mother came, and now I’m here. We just like to keep this tradition going. Advent is a special time for us in Austria.” Farther down the narrow street, the resident St. Nicholas wanders among the stalls, wooden staff in hand, bringing good cheer. Invited to a decorated cup of mulled wine to keep away the chill, St. Nicholas hesitates. “It’s too early in the evening,” he says. Wandering from Spittelberg toward the old central market, Naschmarkt, shoppers emerge onto Maria Hilfe Strasse (Our Lady of Mercy Street) — and more Christmas market food, drink and craft stalls. One offers sheep slippers from Transylvania for sale, reminding visitors of Old Testament accounts of winter in Bethlehem. “The most beautiful thing about the Vienna markets is that they are sort of nestled in between these elegant buildings,” says
From Age to Age
Markets in Vienna offer taste of Old World Christmas
People pack into the popular Christkindlmarkt to shop and see the Christmas illuminations in Vienna’s Rathauspark Dec. 8. Vienna is known for its outdoor Christmas markets with handcrafted Christmas ornaments, which are popular destinations for locals and tourists during Advent. CNS/Chaz Muth Susie Kelpie, who is from the United Kingdom. Kelpie is one of 3 million annual visitors who attend Vienna’s at least two dozen Christmas markets, which traditionally open the Saturday before Advent. Despite the number of visitors — albeit commercially important to the mainly rural Austrian economy of craftspeople — there is a certain magical quality about Christmas in this largely Catholic European capital. Walking through the elegant sunken streets of the town’s center, known as the Graben, women in fur coats and men in old-fashioned hats and green loden capes mingle under pure white Christmas lights that represent the brightest stars on a winter’s night. Appropriately, the most elaborate Christmas decorations are hung near St. Stephen’s Cathedral. They appear to align with the power that emanates from the 12th-century church, the heart of the Archdiocese of Vienna. Nearby, at yet another market, Am Hof, a group of young men warm the night with their baritone voices after a couple of glasses of hot wine or punch. “My grandfather used to sing here during Advent,” said Constantin Spallart, one of the singers. Moving outside the center city, Vienna’s Christkindlmarkt (Christ Child Market) on Parliament Square attracts busloads of tourists from Eastern Europe. But even there, Vienna declines to take part in a commercialized idea of Christmas. A life-size Christmas manger, complete with Christ child and blonde-haired Mary, occupy a prominent part of the market.
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
This Catholic Life • Commentary
20 FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA Jason Adkins
Challenges in the face of Obama’s executive action on immigration Recently, I have been fielding a lot of questions about President Barack Obama’s executive action that “defers action” for, potentially, millions of undocumented persons living in the United States. Many illegal immigrants may have, if they qualify, at least a temporary reprieve from deportation. Most people with whom I spoke, and who were initially opposed to the president’s action, supported it when they heard what it did and did not do. As Catholics, we support keeping families together. The confusion surrounding the executive action is emblematic of an immigration debate that has been distorted both by the impassioned dislike of President Obama and a media culture that, unfortunately, turns most political debates into either/or policy choices. Avoiding that trap requires more from us as Catholics, including: 1) reading broadly; 2) listening faithfully; and 3) seeking to “encounter” with people affected by our choices, all of whom are made in the image and likeness of God.
1. Information goes a long way Commentary on and reaction to the president’s action has generated more heat than light, and has fit into the false parameters of the public immigration debate: Either open our borders to all comers and grant “amnesty,” or deport all those who are here. The president’s order is not “amnesty” in the popular sense of
the term, which would mean forgiving undocumented persons, requiring no penalty of any kind, and providing them with lawful immigration status. The president’s action instead expands the government’s existing “deferred action” programs for undocumented persons who came to the United States as children. Similarly, the administration is declining, temporarily, to deport people who are parents of U.S. citizens and who have been in the country since before 2010. This latter provision seeks to keep families together, especially when many have been here for decades building a life together after being lured by American businesses. The order does not grant immigrants any particular legal status, or put them on the path to citizenship, which only Congress can do. There is also a large application fee for those who wish to avoid deportation, which underscores the reality that any opportunity to stay in the United States will ultimately cost immigrants thousands of dollars in penalties and fees, which hardly constitutes “amnesty.” These basic facts tend to alleviate the concerns that many have about immigration reform generally, or the president’s actions specifically. Yet, you won’t often hear them on talk radio or cable news outlets.
2. Consider the voice of the Church Church leaders at every level have
WORD ON FIRE Father Robert Barron
If you want to be a good person, it matters what you believe A team of sociologists, led by Catholic University professor William D’Antonio, published a survey a few years ago that received quite a bit of media attention, for it showed that many Catholics disagree with core doctrines of their Church and yet still consider themselves “good Catholics.” For instance, 40 percent of the respondents said that belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is not essential to being a faithful Catholic. Perhaps the most startling statistic is this: 88 percent of those surveyed said “how a
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
person lives is more important than whether he or she is a Catholic.” In a follow-up piece in the Chicago SunTimes, a reporter asked a number of people on the street for their reaction to these findings. One man said, “I’m a very good Catholic because I follow what’s in my heart, more than what the Church tells me to do. . . .” As even the most casual student of societal trends knows, this sort of cavalier attitude toward doctrine is rampant, at least in the West. I dare say that most people in Europe or North America
been speaking about creating more just immigration policies for decades. More recently, Pope Francis has made the plight of migrants a theme of his pontificate. Closer to home, the U.S. bishops have argued ceaselessly for a “family-based” immigration policy, the very rationale used by the Obama administration for its executive actions. Following the president’s announcement, the U.S. bishops repeated their call for the president and Congress to work together to create permanent solutions to fix the nation’s broken immigration system. Yet, they applauded the administration’s effort to keep families united and deemed it a necessary humanitarian step. Following the action, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia noted that Catholics are rightly disappointed with many of the president’s policies which, in his words, have been “harmful not just for people of religious faith, but for the nation at large.” Still, in this instance the president did the right thing, in Archbishop Chaput’s view, and there is hope that the president’s actions will stimulate congressional leadership in establishing a more lasting solution.
3. Listen to the people affected by public policy decisions An important theme of Pope Francis’ pastoral ministry exhorts us not to let ourselves be caught up in abstractions, but to see the human face of Christ in all persons. Minnesota Catholic Conference hosted an immigration seminar in 2013, and one of the speakers was a Catholic man named Jacobo, who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 22 years. Jacobo is a taxpayer, homeowner, and father to five children, all U.S. citizens. He came to the U.S. as an asylum seeker during the Guatemalan civil war. When the peace agreement was signed, he was asked to return to
would hold some version of the following: As long as, deep down, you are a good person, it doesn’t much matter what you believe. The intellectual pedigree of this popular idea can be traced back at least to the 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who held that religion is fundamentally reducible to ethics. All other forms of religious life and practice —dogmas, rituals, liturgies, sacraments, etc. — are meant, Kant thought, simply to contribute to upright moral behavior. In the measure that they fulfill this purpose, they are acceptable. But in the measure that they contribute nothing to ethics, they become irrelevant, even dangerous. I would argue that what is truly dangerous is precisely the bifurcation between doctrine and ethics that Kant inaugurated and that has become so ingrained in the contemporary imagination. For though our culture rarely admits it, so many of the ethical norms that we take for granted are deeply rooted in very definite doctrinal claims of the Judeo-Christian traditions. When the
Immigration Sunday Minnesota, Jan. 4, 2015 Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Start planning for your parish’s commemoration today. Visit the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s Immigration Sunday page to access liturgy and activity resources, including three simple ways you can support migrant families in Minnesota, nationally and abroad. www.mncc.org/advocacy-areas/ migration/immigration-sunday-mn
Guatemala. He decided to petition the U.S. courts for residency, but after years in court he was eventually turned down. By that time, he was married and he and his wife were expecting their second child, so he made the most difficult decisions of his life: to stay in the U.S. without legal documentation. A few months ago, Jacobo was detained by the government and, in November, days before the administration’s announcement, was about to board a plane to Guatemala. After reviewing the new deferred action criteria, his lawyer thought he is likely to qualify. So, he is now back with his family, waiting to file for a deferred action temporary stay as soon as possible. Jacobo’s story illustrates that, while political contours of the debate are important, we need to also see with the eyes of Jesus the dignity of the families and individuals affected by our political choices. Consider asking yourself: “As a faithful Catholic, at what cost do I support splitting Jacobo’s family and young families like his?” Giving a face to our public policy choices can help us encounter difficult policy discussions in new ways. Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
dogmas are ignored or declared irrelevant, the normativity of the moral claims is, sooner or later, attenuated. I would imagine that, if pressed, most people in our society would characterize “being a good person” as treating others with love, honoring the dignity, freedom, and inherent worth of their fellow human beings. And most would agree that ethical violations — stealing, lying, sexual misbehavior, infidelity, cheating, doing physical harm, etc. — are correctly seen as negations of love. But what is love? Love is not primarily a feeling or an instinct; rather, it is the act of willing the good of the other as other. It is radical self-gift, living for the sake of the other. To be kind to someone else so that he might be kind to you, or to treat a fellow human being justly so that he, in turn, might treat you with justice is not to love, for such moves are tantamount to indirect self-interest. Truly to love is to move outside of the black hole of one’s egotism, to resist the Please turn to DENIAL on page 22
21 call (651) 225.4340.
Dining out Holy Cross breakfast fundraiser — Jan. 4, 2015: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Kolbe Hall on the Holy Cross campus,1621 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis. To purchase tickets and receive 20 percent off an adult ticket ($8 per adult in advance), contact (612) 760-5626 or holycrossmpls@aol.com. Tickets at the door are $10 per adult, $5 per child 12 and younger, and $30 maximum per family. Proceeds benefit the Kolbe Hall Restroom Remodel Project. Wild Game Feed fundraiser for St. Timothy’s Outreach Program — Jan. 10: 5:307:30 p.m. at St. Timothy parish, 707 89th Ave. NE, Blaine. $10 for adults, $5 for children 4-12, free for children 3 and younger. All-you-can-eat, roast turkey for non-game eaters. Door prizes and silent auction.
Parish events Father Jerry Dvorak’s Crèche Exhibit — through Jan. 24 in the south annex and lower level of St. Peter parish, 6730 Nicollet Ave. S., Richfield. Exhibit hours include: Sundays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Exceptions to the exhibit hours include: Christmas Eve from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Christmas Day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; and New Year’s Day from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. There will be no exhibit hours on New Year’s Eve. For more information or to make a group appointment, call the parish office at (612) 866-5089.
First Saturday Morning of Recollection with Sister Mary Juliana, O.P. — Jan. 3: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul.
Workshops
“The Joy of the Gospel” Men’s Weekend Silent Retreat presented by King’s House Preaching Team — Jan. 9 – 11, at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Suggested offering: $150 per person ($30 deposit required per person). For more information, call (763) 682-1394 or visit www.kingshouse.com.
Annulment/Dissolution Workshop (parish liaison personnel training) sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Metropolitan Tribunal — Feb. 24, 2015: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hayden Center, 328 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. This training session is for new parish liaisons, as well as any other parish liaisons who need a refresher course, and any priests, deacons or advocates who wish to attend.
“The Joy of the Gospel” Men’s Weekend Silent Retreat presented by King’s House Preaching Team — Jan. 16 –18, at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Suggested offering: $150 per person ($30 deposit required per person). For more information, call (763) 682-1394 or visit www.kingshouse.com.
For more information, contact Cheryl Rutz or Linda Botkin of the Tribunal staff at (651) 291-4466 or tribunal@archspm.org. Register by Feb.13. There is no charge for this training, but advance registration is requested. Please leave your name, telephone number and email address to be notified in the event of a change of schedule. Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar — Jan. 24: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph parish, 13900 Biscayne Ave. W., Rosemount. For more information and to register, call Ron and Sue Wagener at (612) 501-906.
Prayer and liturgy 17th annual Festival of Lessons & Carols, featuring Father Michael Joncas — Dec. 19: 7 p.m. at St. Bartholomew Catholic Faith Community, 630 E. Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata. For more information, call (952) 473-6601 or visit www.st-barts.org. Final Mass at St. James — Dec. 28: 10 a.m. at 496 View St., St. Paul. Bilingual Mass followed by cake and coffee. For more information, call the parish office at (651) 228-1169.
6:30 p.m. at Saint Agnes Catholic School, 530 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. For more information, call the Admissions Office at (651) 925-8803 or visit www.saintagnesschool.org.
Calendar
Consortium Carissimi Project II: Monteverdi’s Marian Vespers of 1610 — Jan. 2 and Jan. 4: Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 4. at 2 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Mary at the St. Paul Seminary, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. To purchase tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/project-ii-vespro-dellabeata-vergine-1610-tickets12336052465?ref=ebtn.
org and follow the link to the Benedictine Center. For more information, call (651) 777-7251 or email benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org.
School events
Music
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School open house — Jan. 7: 6 – 8:30 p.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s School, 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park. Application deadline for new seventh-and-ninth grade students is Jan. 13. For more information and to register for the open house, call (952) 915-4345 or visit www.bsmschool.org/admissions.
Handel’s Messiah dinner and concert — Friday, Dec. 19: 6 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Cocktails and dinner follow the concert in the Undercroft. Tickets may be purchased for the dinner or the concert, or both. For more information, contact Stacy Glaus at (612) 317-3520 or sglaus@mary.org.
Retreats
Providence Academy Open House —Jan. 8: 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Providence Academy, 15100 Schmidt Lake Road, Plymouth. For more information, to RSVP or schedule a personal tour, contact the Providence Academy Admissions Office at (763) 258-2502 to RSVP or visit www. providenceacademy.org/RSVP.
Bow Down, Good Cherry Tree: A Garden of Medieval Music for the Nativity — Dec. 19 and 20: 8 p.m. on Dec. 19 at Nativity of Our Lord, 1900 Wellesley Ave., St. Paul; and 8 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.RoseEnsemble.org or
“On the Crest of a New Year” day retreat — Dec. 31: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Benedictine Center, a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. The $50 cost includes meals. For those who want to stay overnight, an $80 cost includes lodging and meals. To register, visit www.stpaulsmonastery.
Hill-Murray School Winter Open House — Jan. 12: 6-8:30 p.m. at Hill-Murray School, 2625 Larpenteur Ave. E., Maplewood. For more information, contact Kelly Tronstad at (651) 748-2420 or visit www.hill-murray.org. Saint Agnes School Open House —Jan. 13:
Other events Children’s Christmas party — Dec. 21: 1-3 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. W., Bloomington. Free. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Marian Council #3827. Catholic Singles Adults Club of the Twin Cities’ annual Christmas holiday dinner/ dance for Catholic singles — Jan. 10, 2015: 5:30 p.m. to midnight at the Richfield American Legion, 6501 Portland Ave. S., Richfield. Dinner and dance, $25; dance only, $10. Reservations for dinner must be received by Dec. 29. Mail check (made payable to: CSAC) to Carl Bergstrom, 382 N. Pierce St., Apt. 7, St. Paul, MN 55104. For more information, call Carl at (651) 603-1412.
CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event. • Full street address of event. • Description of event. • Contact information in case of questions. EMAIL: spiritcalendar@archspm.org. (No attachments, please.)
More events online TheCatholicSpirit.com/ calendar
MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit • 244 Dayton Ave., • St. Paul, MN 55102.
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
22 Archdiocese’s safe environment program to be audited onsite in 2015 The Catholic Spirit
O’Malley, the archdiocese’s director of ministerial standards and safe environment.
This spring, an external agency will conduct an onsite audit of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ safe environment policies and procedures to determine compliance with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. In November, StoneBridge Business Partners of Rochester, N.Y., confirmed that the archdiocese met the data collection requirements for the 2013-2014 audit period. The spring audit will include interviewing archdiocesan leaders responsible for each article of the Charter, checking source documentation for safe environment activities, and potentially conducting parish and school audits, according to Tim
The USCCB’s audit is conducted annually, with an onsite audit done every third year. For the 2013-2014 audit, the archdiocese submitted to StoneBridge for review data regarding alleged victims, accused clerics, adult and child safe environment training, background checks and information on how the data is collected and compiled. The USCCB established the Charter and accompanying “Essential Norms” in 2002 as a set of guiding principles and particular law for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The Charter also includes practical and pastoral steps for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of future acts of abuse.
Denial of God, disrespect of human dignity Continued from page 20 centripetal force that compels one to assume the attitude of selfprotection. But this means that love is rightly described as a “theological virtue,” for it represents a participation in the love that God is. Since God has no need, only God can utterly exist for the sake of the other. All of the great masters of the Christian spiritual tradition saw that we are able to love only inasmuch as we have received, as a grace, a share in the very life, energy and nature of God. So far we’ve looked at the subjective side of love. But what of its object? Why, precisely, are we convinced that our fellow human beings are in possession of rights, dignity and inherent worth? This conviction has become so ingrained in us, so taken for granted, that we forget how peculiarly theological it is. Every human being, regardless of considerations of race, education, intelligence, strength or
accomplishment is a subject of inestimable value because he or she has been created by God and destined by God for eternal life. Take God out of the equation, and human dignity rather rapidly evanesces. In our commitment to love and human dignity, we are, whether we know it, operating out of a theological consciousness. When the doctrines and practices that support religious consciousness are dismissed — as they so often are in contemporary secularism — the moral convictions born of that consciousness are imperiled. This is the massively important point missed by those who so blithely say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you’re a nice person.” Father Barron is the founder of the global ministry Word on Fire — www.wordonfire.org — and the rector/ president of Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE (2) 4-bedroom colonial homes: 120,000 and 139,900: (2) 3-bedroom rambler homes, big lots, finished basements: 99,000 and 119,000 Excellent location for commuters to Rochester or the Twin Cities. Smaller school system with opportunities for children to be involved. Sell your high-priced metro real estate – reduce debt – lower house payments – move to Kenyon, Call (507) 251-2685.
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2014-2015 To order: please send check for $49.95 (includes shipping & handling) to: Subscription Department • c/o The Catholic Spirit • 244 Dayton Ave. • St. Paul, MN 55102 December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
Cathedral of Saint Paul
All Saints Catholic Church
239 Selby Avenue, Saint Paul www.cathedralsaintpaul.org Christmas Eve: 5 p.m. Christmas Vigil Mass with Choristers of the Cathedral Choir School 11:00 p.m. Office of Readings and Carols (precedes Midnight Mass) Christmas Day: 12:00 Midnight Mass with Cathedral Choir 8 a.m. Mass with Cantor 9:00 a.m. Mass at the Saint Vincent de Paul Campus, 651 Virginia St. 10 a.m. Mass with Cathedral Choir 12:00 Noon Mass with Cantor
19795 Holyoke Avenue, Lakeville Keeping Christ in Christmas Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Holy Day of Obligation) Christmas Eve: 4, 4:15 p.m. (Murphy Hall); 6 p.m., 12 a.m. (midnight) Christmas Day: 9, 11 a.m. Solemnity of Mary: (Holy Day of Obligation) New Year’s Eve: 5:30 p.m. New Year’s Day: 9, 11 a.m.
Church of Saint Paul 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE, Ham Lake Christmas Eve: 4:30, 11 p.m. (Incense at both Masses) Christmas Day: 9:30 a.m. New Year’s Eve: 5:30 p.m. New Year’s Day: 10:00 a.m. May Jesus be born in your heart this Christmas filling the New Year with Peace
The Community of The Church of the Holy Cross
in N.E. Minneapolis invites you to celebrate Christmas with us
The Church of the Holy Cross
Christmas Eve: 4:00 p.m., midnight, (Music begins at 11:30) Christmas Day: 8, 9:30 a.m. (English), 11:30 a.m. (Polish)
St. Casimir Church St. Patrick Church
St. Clement
Christmas Eve: 8 p.m. Christmas Day: 9, 10:30 a.m.
St. Hedwig
Christmas Eve: 4 p.m. Christmas Day: 8:30, 10 a.m.
Church of St. Therese of Deephaven 18323 Minnetonka Blvd., Deephaven Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 10 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. New Years Day: 9 a.m. Blessings to you this Christmas Season and throughout the New Year!
Church of the Holy Spirit 515 S. Albert Street South, St. Paul Wednesday, December 24 Nativity of the Lord Vigil 4 p.m. Prelude featuring Children’s Choir 4:30 p.m. Anticipatory Mass 9:30 p.m. Prelude Featuring Traditional Choir 10 p.m. Anticipatory Mass Thursday, Dec. 25 Nativity of the Lord 8:30, 10:30 a.m. Mass Wednesday, Dec. 31 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Vigil: 5:30 p.m. Anticipatory Mass Thursday, Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: 9 a.m. Mass Saturday, Jan. 3 Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Vigil: 4:30 p.m. Anticipatory Mass Sunday, Jan. 4 Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. For unto us a child is born, a son is given
Church of St. Rita
8694 80th St. S., Cottage Grove www.saintritas.org Christmas Eve: 4, 6 p.m., 10 p.m. Christmas Carols begin at 9:30 p.m. Christmas Day: 10:00 a.m. Jan. 1– Mary, Mother of God: 10 a.m.
St. Albert the Great Church E. 29th St. and 32nd Ave. S., Minneapolis (612) 724-3643, www.saintalbertthegreat.org Christmas Eve: 5 p.m. (children’s Mass), 10 p.m. (candlelight Mass) Christmas Day: 10 a.m.: New Years Day: 10 a.m.
St. Bartholomew Catholic Faith Community
630 E. Wayzata Blvd, Wayzata (952) 473-6601 www.st-barts.org Christmas Eve: 4, 10 p.m. and Christmas Day, 10:30 a.m. Please join us to celebrate this blessed and holy season!
St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church 602 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 Office: 612-379-2758 www.stmaron.com Wednesday, December 24th, 2014 5:30 p.m. Children’s Christmas Liturgy Thursday, December 25th, 2014 10:00 a.m. Christmas Liturgy Please join us for some refreshments after each Liturgy. Also, please remember that we will have Novena at 6:00 p.m. starting Monday, December 15th until December 23rd. We look forward to seeing you among us for these Diving celebrations.
Our Lady of Peace 54th St. and 12th Ave. in south Minneapolis Christmas Eve: 5, 9:30 p.m.; Carols start 9 p.m. Christmas Day: 10 a.m. Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God: Thursday, January 1 Mass: 10 a.m. followed by brunch
St. Stephen’s Catholic Church 525 Jackson St., Anoka (763) 421-2471 www.ststephenchurch.org Christmas Eve: 4, 5:30 p.m., (7 p.m. Spanish), 10 p.m. Christmas Day: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., (12:30 p.m. Spanish) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: December 31 at 5 p.m. (7 p.m. Spanish) January 1 at 8:30, 10:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. Spanish) May this Christmas season be a special time of grace and blessing!
Our Lady of Lourdes Church One Lourdes Place, Minneapolis Christmas Eve: 4, 10 p.m. Carols begin at 3:30, 9:30 p.m. Christmas Day: 9 and 11 a.m. Carols begin at 10:30 a.m. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
Nativity of Our Lord 324 S. Prior Ave., St. Paul Christmas Eve Masses: 4 p.m. main church and school auditorium, 6 p.m., midnight Christmas Day Masses: 7, 8:15, 11 a.m. God’s Blessing on you this Christmas!
The cluster parishes on the eastside of St. Paul invite you to join us for the Christmas celebration. Christmas Eve: 4, 11 p.m. at St. Casimir 4:30 p.m. at St. Patrick Christmas Day: 9 a.m. at St. Casimir 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick
The Basilica of Saint Mary Hennepin Ave. at North Sixteenth St. Minneapolis www.mary.org 612-333-1381 Christmas Eve: Vigil Eucharist 4, 6:30, 8:30 p.m. Choral Music for Christmas at 11 p.m. Vigil of Lights at 11:30 p.m. Midnight Solemn Eucharist Christmas Day: Eucharist at dawn 7:30 a.m. Solemn Eucharist 9:30 a.m., Noon Eucharist 4:30 p.m.
St. Vincent de Paul 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park Christmas Eve: 4, 6, 10 p.m. NEW! Two Masses Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. (Church & Regan Hall) Christmas Day: 7:30, 9, 11 a.m. The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: Thursday, Jan. 1: 10 a.m. Father Treacy, Father Barsness, Deacon Lawinger and the staff wish you a Holy and Blessed Christmas
St. Edward 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S., Bloomington (952)835-7101 Christmas Eve, Mass of Christmas Vigil: 4 p.m. Christmas Eve, Mass of Christmas at night: 11 p.m. Christmas Day Masses: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Holy Family, Saturday, Dec. 27, 5 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 28, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. New Year’s Eve: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 5 p.m. New Year’s Day: Thursday, Jan 1, 10 a.m. Epiphany of the Lord: Saturday, Jan. 3, 5 p.m. and Sunday, Jan 4, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. The Baptism of the Lord: Saturday at Jan. 10, 5 p.m. and Sunday, Jan 11, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Church of St. Jerome 380 E. Roselawn Ave., Maplewood www.stjerome-church.org Christmas Eve Masses: 4, 10 p.m. Christmas Day Mass: 9 a.m. New Year’s Eve Mass: 5:30 p.m. New Year’s Day Mass: 9 a.m. O Come Let Us Adore Him
Merry Christmas!
The Last Word
24
Want a good book to read? To give as a gift? Clergy offer ideas The Catholic Spirit “My favorite book of the year is ‘The Joy of the Gospel’ by the pope who gives me hope.” That’s the word from Father Greg Esty, and he’s not alone in enjoying Pope Francis’ work; it appears on the top 10 list of book sales at | St. Patrick’s Guild, then St. Paul merchant of religious goods. Father Esty, who is pastor of St. Genevieve in Centerville, was one of several clergy who responded to a Catholic Spirit email survey that asked what books they either were giving as Christmas gifts or recommending to others. Here are those recommendations: “Jesus: A Pilgrimage” By Father James Martin, S.J. Father Tom Krenik, pastor of Risen Savior, Burnsville, “highly recommends” the book by an editor of America magazine. “He wonderfully weaves together Scripture study, theological insights, archaeological findings in the Holy Land and his own personal faith journey,” Father Krenik noted. “This book is providing many new windows for me into the historical person of Jesus and the experience of the Risen Christ today.” “Introduction to the Devout Life” By St. Francis de Sales “This is one of the spiritual classics that was written primarily for lay people,” reported Father Eugene Theisen, a priest of the archdiocese who is an air force chaplain. “The broad spectrum of topics that St. Francis covers and the relative briefness of the individual chapters (just a few pages each) makes it a very easy book to read, and, though old, it still speaks to the issues and topics for today’s Catholics and their spiritual growth.”
Although he is not planning to give any books as presents this year, Father Michael Rudolph said he has been reading and recommending the newly sainted pope’s book, originally published in 1965. Father Rudolph, who is pastor of St. Matthew in St. Paul, St. Michael in West St. Paul and moderator of Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, pointed out, “It consists of a diary that this saint began in his years in seminary and chronicles his struggles, resolutions, frustrations and joys as he humbly walks with the path that leads to that holiness we are all called to. It is very helpful to me on my own spiritual journey.” “Lord of the World” By Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson Pope Francis has commented that this is one of his favorite books, said Deacon Michael Nevin, who serves Sts. Peter and Paul in Loretto and St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. “In order to better understand our Holy Father, I read the book and have recommended it to others,” Deacon Nevin said. “It was written in 1907, and is a dystopian vision of a world that has exalted man over God. The novel is an enjoyable read and a thought-provoking insight into our current culture.”
Also recommended by Bishop Cozzens. “I love the heroic stories of priests willing to suffer for their faith,” he noted.
“This book helps any person learn the great value of surrender in the Christian life,” suggested Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens.
Archbishop Nienstedt’s gifts this Christmas “The Gospel of Mark” By Mary Healy (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Publishing Group 2008) “Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody: 11 Stories of Real People Who Discovered the Underrated Power of Grace” By Allen R. Hunt (Dynamic Catholic.com) Archbishop John Nienstedt gave two books to all the priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul
Deacon Ron Smisek of Holy Trinity in South St. Paul suggested this sevenvolume series. Each volume is appropriate to a particular time of the Church year. “Each volume is divided into marvelous daily meditations on the readings of the particular day,” Deacon Smisek said. “I highly recommend it, and have the volumes I do not have on my ‘wish-list.’ ” “Jesus Calling — Enjoying Peace in His Presence — A 365 Day Devotional” By Sarah Young “Very beneficial both personally and pastorally” is how Deacon Jim Bauhs at Guardian Angels in Chaska described “Jesus Calling.” “We read from this book daily at work during our time of prayer,” Deacon Bauhs said. “I also give this book as a wedding gift to couples whose wedding I witness, encouraging and equipping them to deepen their prayer life as a couple.”
Best selling books at St. Patrick’s Guild: “Through The Year With Pope Francis” “Catholic Youth Bible” St Mary’s Press “Joy of the Gospel” Pope Francis Paperback NAB Bible
“Autobiography of a Hunted Priest” By John Gerard, S.J.
“Into Your Hands, Father” By Father Wilfrid Stinissen
December 18, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit
“In Conversation ith God” By Father Francis Fernandez
“Journal of a Soul” The Autobiography of Pope John XXIII
“That Great Heart” Doug Hennes “The Pieta Prayer Book” “Catechism of the Catholic Church” “Time For God” Jacques Phillipe You Cat Youth Catechism St. Nicholas Board Book (children’s book)
and Minneapolis for Christmas. The first is a commentary on sacred Scripture titled, “The Gospel of Mark,” by Mary Healy. “I did so because this new liturgical year uses sacred Scriptures from Cycle B, which include the Gospel of St. Mark,” the archbishop noted. “I felt that having a well recommended commentary on the Gospel would assist the priests in their preaching and teaching during the liturgical year.”
Archbishop Nienstedt gave a second book not only to the priests, but also to deacons and seminarians: “Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody: 11 Stories of Real People Who Discovered the Underrated Power of Grace” by Allen R. Hunt. The archbishop explained, “It is a very moving book about several real persons, including St. John Paul II, who were able to overcome the hostile actions of others, offering them the forgiveness of their heart.”