December 3, 2020 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
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Kidney crisis As man’s disease pushes him toward renal failure, friend and former parish co-worker steps forward to be his donor. — Pages 10-11
‘Alarming surge’ Archbishop Hebda reacts to recent spike in COVID-19 cases with letter to priests urging them to consider postponing in-person meetings, groups and initiatives until Christmas, and to focus on ministries ‘truly essential to our mission.’ — Page 5
Fraternity and friendship Q&A with local social mission expert breaks down pope’s encyclical, ‘Fratelli Tutti,’ and offers ideas on how to help build more connection in parish communities. — Page 6
Advent
Rector’s reflections
arrives
Outgoing leader of St. John Vianney College Seminary says he is ‘proud of the men’ he served and formed during the 10 years of his tenure. — Page 7
Railroad ties Sacred Heart parish in Rush City dates back to 1870, when the railroad was completed that far north and the pastor solicited donations from its workers to build the church. — Page 14
Father Tim Rudolphi elevates the Body and Blood of Christ during Mass on the First Sunday of Advent Nov. 29 at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville. In the foreground is the first Advent candle, which was carried by parishioner Sam Brubaker in the procession at the start of Mass, according to parish tradition. Find ideas for observing the season on page 20.
Bishops: Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are morally acceptable By Julie Asher Catholic News Service
Fresh air Radio show launched in 2014 gets new name — ‘Practicing Catholic’ — and revitalized format designed to appeal to wider range of people. — Page 15
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hile confusion has arisen in recent days in the media over “the moral permissibility” of using the COVID-19 vaccines recently announced by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna, it is not “immoral to be vaccinated with them,” the chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ doctrine and pro-life committees said Nov. 23. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort WayneSouth Bend, Indiana, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, addressed the issue in a memo to their brother bishops. A copy of the memo was obtained by Catholic News Service Nov. 24. “Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna vaccine involved the use of cell lines that originated in fetal tissue taken from the body of an aborted baby at any level of design, development or production,” the two prelates said. “They are not completely free from any connection to abortion, however, as both Pfizer and Moderna made use of a tainted cell line for one of the confirmatory lab tests of their products.
“There is thus a connection, but it is relatively remote,” they continued. “Some are asserting that if a vaccine is connected in any way with tainted cell lines, then it is immoral to be vaccinated with them. This is an inaccurate portrayal of Catholic moral teaching.” Bishop Rhoades and Archbishop Naumann cited three Vatican documents that “treat the question of tainted vaccines”: the 2005 study by the Pontifical Academy for Life, “Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared from Cells Derived From Aborted Human Fetuses”; paragraph Nos. 34-35 in the 2008 “Instruction on Certain Bioethical Questions” (“Dignitatis Personae”) by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and the 2017 “Note on Italian Vaccine Issue” by the Pontifical Academy for Life. “These documents all point to the immorality of using tissue taken from an aborted child for creating cell lines,” they explained. “They also make distinctions in terms of the moral responsibility of the various actors involved, from those involved in designing and producing a vaccine to those receiving the vaccine. “Most importantly,” they added, “they all make it clear that, at the level of the recipient, it is morally permissible to accept vaccination when there are no alternatives and there is a serious risk to health.”
In a Nov. 21 statement, the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, Mercy Sister Mary Haddad, said CHA ethicists, “in collaboration with other Catholic bioethicists,” used the guidelines released by the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life in 2005 and 2017 on the origin of vaccines and “find nothing morally prohibitive with the vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech (Pfizer’s German partner) and Moderna.” She also said CHA “believes it is essential that any approved COVID-19 vaccine be distributed in a coordinated and equitable manner,” because COVID-19 “has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, low-income communities, persons with preexisting health conditions, and racial and ethnic minorities.” CHA encouraged Catholic health organizations “to distribute the vaccines developed by these companies.” Bishop Rhoades and Archbishop Naumann did not point to any specific media outlets claiming the moral unsuitability of the vaccines. However, after Pfizer and Moderna announced their PLEASE TURN TO VACCINES ON PAGE 9
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The length in minutes of “Cathedral Illuminated: The Manger,” a Nativity story light and sound show that will be projected on the façade of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul 6–9 p.m. Dec. 17-19. The show is the U.S. debut of British company Luxmuralis. Audience members are invited to watch from their cars along John Ireland Boulevard. St. Paul police officers will direct traffic during the show. Per Gov. Tim Walz’s most recent COVID19-related “Four-Week Dial Back” executive order, spectators should not walk to the show or leave their vehicles. The show will also be livestreamed from the Facebook page of The Cathedral Foundation, which is presenting the event. The show, which features the art of sculptor Peter Walker and an original score by composer David Harper, will run concurrently with one at the Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire, England.
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COURTESY ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL
DESK GIVEAWAY From left, Molly Nightingale and Will Major stand amid desks placed outside of St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Jordan Nov. 18. They helped their mothers, Missy Nightingale and Erica Major, school parents who came up with the idea to give away about 150 desks that had been placed in storage when the school obtained new desks in 2017. The four, along with other volunteers, carried the desks up from the school basement and placed them on the front steps of the school. By 2 p.m., all were gone. Molly and Will, both high school juniors, are graduates of St. John the Baptist. “It just was one of those things that you couldn’t plan it better if you tried,” said school staff member Suzanne Colling. “The weather was beautiful, and people (taking the desks) were very grateful.”
The year the granite sculpture “Pioneers” by John Karl Daniels was dedicated in Minneapolis after its donation to the city by the Pillsbury family. The statue, which features a three-generation pioneer family, also includes a relief showing an American Indian chief offering a peace pipe to Father Louis Hennepin, a 17-century Franciscan missionary and explorer who lived several months with the Sioux in Minnesota. Located in B.F. Nelson Park, the statue was vandalized on Thanksgiving, splashed with red paint and the words “no thanks,” “no more genocide,” “land back” and “kill colonizers” spraypainted on it. On the same day, a bronze statue of George Washington in Minneapolis’ Washburn Fair Oaks Park was toppled and splashed with paint. In recent months, statues of prominent historical figures have been vandalized across the country. According to a statement from the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, it “has heard concerns from community members about the content and subject matter of the Pioneers statue. The MPRB is working together with the community to address and respond using a racial equity lens to determine next steps.”
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The number of pages in the recently released “Let Us Dream: A Path to A Better Future” by Pope Francis, as told to journalist Austen Ivereigh. In the wide-ranging conversation, Pope Francis notes the police killing of George Floyd, an African American, in Minneapolis in May. Calling the incident an “abuse of power,” Pope Francis commented on the worldwide protests against racial injustice. “It is right that people reclaim the dignity of every human being from abuse in all its forms,” he said. “Abuse is a gross violation of human dignity that we cannot allow and which we must continue to struggle against. And yet, such awakenings of consciousness, like all good things, run the risk of being manipulated and commercialized. … To exploit, exaggerate or distort a misfortune for political or social advantage is also a serious form of abuse that reveals contempt for the pain of victims. This, too, is to be deplored.”
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COURTESY PAMELA SHERLOCK, ST. WENCESLAUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
OH DEER The kindergarten classroom of Lisa Schneider at St. Wenceslaus Catholic School in New Prague had a surprise visitor Nov. 5. According to a news story in The New Prague Times, a deer broke through a window and into the classroom that afternoon. High school students raking leaves on the east side of the building spotted three deer coming down an alley, with a doe turning toward the building. School was not in session that day because of a teachers’ conference, so no students or teachers were in the classroom when the deer entered. Staff locked the door to confine the deer, and it ran around the classroom and upended toys, small chairs and desks, according to the news story. A New Prague police officer helped the deer get out of the building. The deer suffered a jaw injury and ran off after it exited the building.
THE REDISCOVER: Hour On the show that aired Nov. 27, The Rediscover: Hour host Patrick Conley welcomes Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who discusses seeking sanctity. Conley also talks with Adam Fitzpatrick, social mission outreach coordinator in the Center for Mission at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, about the Dec. 2 Archdiocesan Day of Prayer and Fasting Against the Sin of Racism; and the The Rediscover: Hour team announces an upcoming name change and show refresh. (See related story on page 15.) Listen each week on Fridays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Find past shows at rediscover.archspm.org.
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The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 25 — No. 23 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor
The number of handcrafted cars, trucks and other wooden toys donated by Ramsey-based nonprofit TLC Toys to a Christmas toy collection effort by University of St. Thomas freshman Josh Mounsey. Working through Cross Catholic Outreach’s Box of Joy ministry to reach children in developing countries, Mounsey collected about 3,200 boxes of toys, soap, toothpaste and other goods by the end of September, not quite hitting his goal of 5,000 boxes. Toys to fill 1,800 of those boxes came from TLC Toys, led by Jim Barthel. Knights of Columbus St. Thomas University Council 11949 is among other groups that helped with the effort. A Catholic in the Diocese of Duluth, Barthel saw an article on Mounsey’s initiative in the Sept. 10 issue of The Catholic Spirit, and he reached Mounsey in St. Paul.
in REMEMBRANCE Deacon Gruber, 95, served three parishes Deacon Leonard Gruber Jr., who served in three parishes over 25 years, died Nov. 24 in his native Faribault. He was 95. Ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1989, he served at the former St. Therese parish (since merged with Lumen Christi) in St. Paul from 19891996, the Native American community at Gichitwaa Kateri in Minneapolis from 1990-1996 and at St. Dominic in Northfield from 1996-2014. He and his wife of 54 years, Muriel, were involved in several ministries, including Cursillo retreats and the Knights of Columbus. Deacon Gruber is survived by his wife, two sons, two grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. A 9:30 a.m. visitation and 11 a.m. funeral Mass will be held Dec. 5 at Divine Mercy in Faribault, with livestreaming via a link at parkerkohlfuneralhome.com. Interment with military honors will be at Calvary Cemetery in Faribault.
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 semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (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, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
DECEMBER 3, 2020
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FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA
Learning from the McCarrick report
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ec. 1 marked my 11th anniversary as a bishop. There are some days when my first day as the bishop of Gaylord seems like yesterday, and others when it seems like a lifetime ago. Never having been involved in diocesan administration and never having lived in Michigan, I knew I had a great deal to learn. I only said “yes” because of my confidence in Pope Benedict, and my belief that the Holy Spirit could work through him. While the diocese of Gaylord has been described as a pine-scented Eden, it presented me with a steep learning curve. The Lord manifested his goodness, however, in giving me a very patient flock. I had initially worried about the weighty responsibility of passing on the teaching of the Apostles and leading the Church liturgically, but I soon learned that a bishop in the United States is challenged in multiple areas: leadership, governance and administration. I had been out of the country and working in Rome when the Church in the United States was rocked by the abuse crisis of 2002, so the Dallas Charter had not really been an everyday, lived reality for me before I came home to serve as the bishop of Gaylord. I knew,
Aprendiendo del informe McCarrick
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l 1 de diciembre marcó mi undécimo aniversario como obispo. Hay algunos días en los que mi primer día como obispo de Gaylord parece ayer, y otros en los que parece que fue hace toda una vida. Nunca habiendo estado involucrado en la administración diocesana y nunca habiendo vivido en Michigan, sabía que tenía mucho que aprender. Solo dije “sí” por mi confianza en el Papa Benedicto y mi creencia de que el Espíritu Santo podía obrar a través de él. Si bien la diócesis de Gaylord ha sido descrita como un Edén con aroma a pino, me presentó una curva de aprendizaje empinada. Sin embargo, el Señor manifestó su bondad al darme un rebaño muy paciente. Inicialmente me había preocupado por la gran responsabilidad de transmitir las enseñanzas de los Apóstoles y dirigir la Iglesia litúrgicamente, pero pronto supe que un obispo en los Estados Unidos enfrenta desafíos en múltiples áreas: liderazgo, gobierno y administración. Yo había estado fuera del país y trabajando en Roma cuando la Iglesia en
however, that the diocesan protocols prompted by the Charter and the related Essential Norms would have to be meticulously followed in any case where the allegation was that a minor had been hurt. As a young, inexperienced bishop, I prayed fervently that I would never be presented with an allegation involving someone under 18. And God was good to me. Yet, I have learned over these last 11 years that the abuse crisis has been, and will continue to be, a lived reality throughout the United States and across the globe. The recently released McCarrick report reminds us of a reality that has become increasingly apparent to me in the last 11 years: Abuse is insidious regardless of the age of the victim. My heart aches not only for those abused as children, but also for the seminarians and priests, all adults, who felt powerless to come forward to report the abuse they had sustained, or didn’t trust that a bishop or cardinal would be held accountable. My heart aches as well for the women and men who have come forward over the years to present to me similar accounts of abusive behavior that they sustained as adults. I’m embarrassed and ashamed when I think back to situations early on when I failed to acknowledge the depth of the harm, or at times mistakenly apportioned some blame to those making the allegations merely
los Estados Unidos se vio sacudida por la crisis de abuso de 2002, por lo que la Carta de Dallas no había sido realmente una realidad vivida todos los días para mí antes de regresar a casa para servir como el Obispo de Gaylord. Sin embargo, sabía que los protocolos diocesanos propuestos por la Carta y las Normas Esenciales relacionadas tendrían que seguirse meticulosamente en cualquier caso en el que la alegación fuera que un menor había resultado herido. Como joven obispo sin experiencia, oré fervientemente para que nunca me presentaran una acusación que involucrara a alguien menor de 18 años. Y Dios fue bueno conmigo. Sin embargo, he aprendido durante los últimos 11 años que la crisis de abuso ha sido, y seguirá siendo, una realidad vivida en los Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo. El informe McCarrick publicado recientemente nos recuerda una realidad que se ha vuelto cada vez más evidente para mí en los últimos 11 años: el abuso es insidioso independientemente de la edad de la víctima. Me duele el corazón no solo por los abusados cuando eran niños, sino también por los seminaristas y sacerdotes, todos adultos, que se sintieron impotentes para denunciar el abuso que habían sufrido, o que no confiaron en que un obispo o cardenal
because of their age. While canon law and some civil laws may treat adults differently than minors, our Church is not going to be healed until we get this right. I’m grateful in this archdiocese that Paula Kaempffer, our Outreach Coordinator for Restorative Justice and Abuse Prevention, has been including in her programming those who have been harmed as adults. I’m similarly appreciative that our Office of Ministerial Standards, in collaboration with the Title IX officer from the University of St. Thomas and the faculty at our two seminaries, has been educating our seminarians to recognize situations of abuse and instructing them on how they could safely report any abuse that they have experienced. I’m thankful as well to Victoria Johnson, the archdiocesan ombudsperson, for her willingness to be an independent advocate for all survivors, regardless of the age when abuse occurred. From now until Christmas, our Advent wreaths will be ablaze to remind us of the light that Jesus has brought into an otherwise dark world. In this holy season, may Christ continue to bring to the light all that needs to be reformed, all that is in need of conversion, and all that needs to be healed. May the light of Christ, indeed, be our hope, and teach us to be a Church of light.
sería responsable. También me duele el corazón por las mujeres y los hombres que se han presentado a lo largo de los años para presentarme relatos similares de comportamiento abusivo que sufrieron cuando eran adultos. Me siento avergonzado y avergonzado cuando pienso en situaciones desde el principio en las que no reconocí la profundidad del daño o, en ocasiones, asigné por error alguna culpa a quienes hicieron las acusaciones simplemente por su edad. Si bien la ley canónica y algunas leyes civiles pueden tratar a los adultos de manera diferente que a los menores, nuestra Iglesia no se sanará hasta que lo hagamos bien. Estoy agradecido en esta arquidiócesis de que Paula Kaempffer, nuestra Coordinadora de Difusión para la Justicia Restaurativa y la Prevención del Abuso, haya incluido en su programación a aquellos que han sido perjudicados como adultos. Estoy igualmente agradecido de que nuestra Oficina de Normas Ministeriales, en colaboración con el funcionario del Título IX de la Universidad de St. Thomas y el cuerpo docente de nuestros dos seminarios, haya estado educando a nuestros seminaristas para que reconozcan situaciones de abuso e instruyéndolos sobre cómo podría
informar de forma segura cualquier abuso que hayan experimentado. También estoy agradecido con Victoria Johnson, la defensora del pueblo arquidiocesana, por su voluntad de ser una defensora independiente de todos los sobrevivientes, independientemente de la edad en que ocurrió el abuso. Desde ahora hasta Navidad, nuestras coronas de Adviento estarán en llamas para recordarnos la luz que Jesús ha traído a un mundo por lo demás oscuro. En este tiempo santo, que Cristo continúe sacando a la luz todo lo que necesita ser reformado, todo lo que necesita conversión y todo lo que necesita ser sanado. Que la luz de Cristo, en verdad, sea nuestra esperanza y nos enseñe a ser una Iglesia de luz.
OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:
Effective November 1, 2020 Deacon Daniel Wesley, assigned to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in Montgomery. Deacon Wesley is returning to ministry since his retirement in 2010.
Curatio helps health care professionals integrate faith with care By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Hospice nurse Meggie Humphrey cares for patients in nursing homes, private homes and assisted living. An admissions nurse, she is first to meet with a patient and family to discuss hospice care. During the pandemic, she screens patients for any COVID-19 symptoms or potential exposure to determine her specific personal protective equipment, which she calls her “armor of love.”
Before a visit, she asks the Holy Spirit to guide her words. As she has done for years before the pandemic, Humphrey, 30, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Lake in Mound, regularly connects with the Curatio apostolate for health care professionals as a means to “rest and refill,” she said, and persevere. She does so through prayer and eucharistic adoration, community and silent retreats. “Just having that place to reach out to and say, ‘What do you guys think of this?’” has been helpful, she said.
She appreciates the joyful nature of her Curatio peers. Curatio, started 20 years ago by registered nurse Dianne Johnson, helps multidisciplinary health care professionals integrate their faith with their professional responsibilities. Johnson said more than 300 people have signed up for its newsletter and attendance varies by event. A parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, Johnson estimates that prior to the pandemic, 35-40 attended Lenten half-day retreats, 20-25 participated in
“Curatio on Caffeine” evening gettogethers and an average of 100-150 were at World Day of the Sick events. Johnson, now retired, nearly quit nursing years ago from burnout. After soul-searching and counseling, she realized what she needed was healing: “curatio” is Latin for “healing.” Aside from moving events online, the pandemic has not changed the group’s ministry, Johnson said. “(It) simply reinforces our mission and what we PLEASE TURN TO CURATIO ON PAGE 6
SLICEof LIFE
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Soler system
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Sister Linda Soler, center, stands on the sidelines of the football field at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood Nov. 20 with two of her nephews, Theodore Soler, left, and his brother, Thomas, right, shortly before the Pioneers’ last football game of the season. Thomas, a senior, was the starting center of this year’s team, which had its season cut short after a 54-0 win over St. Paul Harding because youth sports, including high school football, were suspended due to the increased spread of COVID-19 in recent weeks. Theodore is a coach, and Sister Linda is what she calls a “spiritual” coach for the team. “I love these two very much,” said Sister Linda, a Benedictine who serves as subprioress at St. Paul’s Monastery in Maplewood, next door to Hill-Murray. “And, I know there’s a (bright) future ahead for both of them that I’m going to be a part of. It doesn’t end on the football team. It is ongoing. It’s very life-giving. And, I love to tease (them), Thomas, especially. However, it’s all out of love. I babysat these guys so many times. In some ways, I’m still watching over them.”
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Archbishop to priests, faithful: Amid COVID surge, focus on essential ministries in Advent By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Catholic parishes should focus on ministries “truly essential to our mission” and consider postponing in-person parish meetings, groups or initiatives, or move them fully online until Christmas due to the current “alarming surge” in COVID-19 cases, Archbishop Bernard Hebda told priests in a Nov. 20 letter. He asked priests to “please continue to celebrate Mass and the sacraments, following our safety and sanitization procedures and protocols.” He noted that Minnesota seems to be at “a critical point in the pandemic.” Postponing non-essential events “would be consistent with the response of our Catholic school leadership, who are continuing to educate our children but pausing sports, Advent and Christmas performances, grandparent’s day celebrations, and all other extracurricular activities,” he said. Archbishop Hebda reiterated his message in a video to the faithful shared Nov. 20 via the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ YouTube channel. “These requests are difficult, but I believe that they are reasonable and for the common good,” he said in the letter to priests. “If by pausing optional activities in our parishes we can do our part to minimize the spread of the virus and keep hospital beds open, then we will be helping not only our at-risk sisters and brothers, but also the thousands of healthcare workers who are risking their health and that of their loved
ones every time they go to work,” he said. Noting that Thanksgiving was approaching, he began his letter by expressing his gratitude for priests for the “many ways you serve Christ and his people daily.” “Your steadfast leadership in our parishes, schools, and communities during this pandemic, and your commitment to the sacraments, humble and inspire me to be a better shepherd,” he said. He also thanked them for how seriously they’ve taken archdiocesan protocols to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 since the pandemic arrived in Minnesota in March. “Despite these measures, many of you have had to deal with COVID-19 cases in your parishes and schools, and more than a few of you have been infected, too,” he said. “I implore you to redouble your efforts to keep people safe by maintaining safe distances, clean(ing) common surfaces and reminding people of the Minnesota requirement to wear a mask.” While limiting activities to the essentials will look different for each parish, the action shows solidarity with “our sisters and brothers all over the state,” he said. “I believe this will be our best opportunity to make sure that we will soon emerge from this dangerous phase and that our doors will be open in five weeks to celebrate the birth of Christ,” he said. He ended the letter with a request for
CHRISTMAS CHANGES Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis should keep a close eye on their parish bulletin or website this Advent season. Some parishes may add an earlier Mass on Christmas Eve and may add more Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Because Christmas Masses typically draw larger congregations, three changes will give priests flexibility to safely accommodate more parishioners, archdiocesan leaders say. Archbishop Bernard Hebda recently communicated to priests about a change around Christmas Eve Mass time guidelines. During this year’s pandemic, Christmas Eve Mass may be celebrated as early as 2 p.m. Previously, the earliest time was 4 p.m. Depending on capacity, churches continue to be limited to a maximum of up to 250 people per service. Adding an earlier Mass or two on Christmas Eve enables more people to attend liturgies while maintaining social distancing and allowing time for sanitation of the church between Masses. Catholics might note two other temporary changes at their parishes. Earlier this year, because of the pandemic, Archbishop Hebda issued guidance to parishes and priests on two subjects: the number of Masses a priest is permitted to celebrate on a given day, and the use of the sacrament of reconciliation’s third form, known as “general absolution.” Since March 13, and effective for the duration of the pandemic, priests may celebrate as many Masses as they deem prayers: “for an end to the pandemic, for those who have died and their
necessary to meet “the reasonable needs of the faithful.” Previously, priests assigned to parish ministry could celebrate two Masses on weekdays and three on Sundays or holy days of obligation. Additionally, priests may offer general absolution as a form of reconciliation. Because administering the sacrament of penance typically places people in close proximity, since March 20, pastors have been allowed to offer reconciliation in this form, where parishioners can be socially distanced in pews. Many parishes continue to offer one-onone confessions in socially distant ways, so parishioners should check with their parish. Catholics who receive general absolution are obliged to confess serious sins in the normal, one-on-one form of confession as soon as possible. In a letter to parishes and priests in early November, Archbishop Hebda said that it may be helpful to remember that the first Christmas occurred at a challenging time as well. In fact, Jesus has continued to make his presence known throughout history’s difficulties, including this pandemic,” he said. “He becomes incarnate in us as we show kindness and concern for the health and salvation of our neighbors.” — Barb Umberger loved ones, and for those who serve in healthcare and on the front lines.”
Parishes offering mix of in-person, virtual options for Mass and ministries By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Livestream Masses were a blessing for Jason and Jen Schmit and their newborn baby boy, as the statewide stay-at-home order began in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the couple’s parish, St. John the Baptist in Jordan, resumed inperson Masses in May, they continued attending via livestream for most of the summer to avoid exposing their baby and eight other children to the virus. When they did return to the pews in August, the Schmits said both Mass options have been helpful. FATHER “The fact (is) that the Church T.J. MCKENZIE was there (during the stay-athome order) and the Church was thinking about our situation and what we needed: ‘We understand you can’t get to Mass but here is your avenue to celebrate the Mass,’” Jason said. Many Catholics have returned to in-person Masses, but others continue to rely on livestream Masses. And, as virus infection rates have risen exponentially in recent weeks, those who have been worshiping in person may return to screens at home. Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation, first granted in March, is still in effect. The pandemic has brought not only Mass but many other parish ministries onto internet platforms. Meanwhile, some parishes restored certain ministries, such as faith formation, to in-person meetings following COVID-19 safety protocols. But, with recent guidance from state and Church leaders, they may return to virtual formats.
Gov. Tim Walz’s Nov. 18 executive order, in place until Dec. 18, prohibits social gatherings between members of different households but permits distance, hybrid and other educational services. Places of worship, funeral homes, and other venues for weddings, funerals, and prayer and worship are advised to offer virtual alternatives for social events while adhering to social distancing requirements for in-person worship. Archbishop Bernard Hebda asked parishes Nov. 20 to focus on ministries “truly essential” to their mission, such as Mass, and move others online due to a statewide surge in COVID-19 cases. At this point in the year, livestreamed Masses are no longer novel but continue to serve an important role. Virtual events and liturgies will likely continue beyond the pandemic, pastors and parish leaders said. About 150 parishioners of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake regularly watch the parish’s Mass via livestream, said Father T.J. McKenzie, pastor. The technology also enables guests to attend weddings and funerals who otherwise couldn’t, so livestreaming will be available after the pandemic, he noted. “What we began to see is this wasn’t just going to be a short-term aspect of our ministry,” he said. “We saw it as being able to fulfill ministry and the people’s needs, even post-COVID.” Though most parishes have offered in-person Masses since the summer, pastors are finding that some parishioners haven’t returned to in-person worship, despite parishes’ social distancing protocols. Meg Payne Nelson, the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota’s vice president of impact, hasn’t returned to in-person Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis even though she and her family want to, because Nelson has an underlying health condition that increases her risk for
complications from the virus. “What I hope doesn’t happen is that it’s a measure of ‘how Catholic you are’ by how many risks you’re willing to take,” she said. At St. John the Baptist in Jordan, in-person Mass attendance numbers are down, and 10% of its faith formation families chose not to enroll in programs this fall, said Father Neil Bakker, pastor. The parish offered in-person instruction only, partly because volunteers have difficulty giving simultaneous in-person and virtual lessons, he said. But, video/conferencing apps such as Zoom have proven convenient for parish ministries, especially for older parishioners who are more at risk of serious complications from the virus, he said. While technology has allowed many events to continue that otherwise may have not, parish leaders observe some disadvantages for ministry. One is losing personal connection, said Ginny Dwyer, a finance council trustee at St. Joseph in West St. Paul. “Sometimes when you’re in a meeting you’re looking around to see how other people are thinking or reacting. … You don’t do that in a Zoom meeting.” It also may tempt some Catholics to put off returning to in-person Masses out of the comfort of livestreaming, said Father McKenzie. He worries whether it will be hard for some Catholics to re-form the habit. When pandemic restrictions are lifted, Father Bakker said he plans to temporarily stop the parish’s livestream to encourage parishioners to return to in-person Mass. Father Brian Park, pastor of St. Michael in St. Michael, likewise encourages parishioners to return when the pandemic ends. “When we do, God willing, get through this and open the pews back up fully, please come back,” he said. “We miss you.”
LOCAL
6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
DECEMBER 3, 2020
Pope’s encyclical calls Catholics beyond donation box to true encounter Interview by Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit On Oct. 3, Pope Francis released “Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship.” He drew the title from St. Francis’ address to his companions, “All brothers.” In an e-mail interview, Adam Fitzpatrick, social mission outreach coordinator in the Center for Mission at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, reflected on how the core of the pope’s third encyclical affirmed and challenged local Catholics. Fitzpatrick joined the Center ADAM FITZPATRICK for Mission in 2018. His newly created position includes being the diocesan director for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Relief Services. He is also responsible for social justice ministry in the archdiocese, which currently includes leading the Archdiocesan Care for Creation Team, supporting the Twin Cities Prison Ministry efforts and involvement in the Archdiocesan Day of Prayer and Penance for the Sin of Racism and to Promote Racial Justice, held Dec. 2.
Q Last month, Pope Francis released
his second encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship.” In your reading of the letter, what did you take away as Pope Francis’ main message?
A Pope Francis’ main message in “Fratelli Tutti” is the hope for humanity to be more connected than they currently are. The early portions of this document emphasize the great challenges we have due to COVID-19 and the digital age in terms of being truly present to others. Consumerism causes greater distance
because we fill our lives with things and not with the relationships we need to flourish as human persons. However, in the midst of these challenges, Pope Francis has profound hope that we can find a global solidarity that includes all people.
Q What implications does that
message have for the social responsibilities of our local parishes and individual Catholics?
A The basic implication is we have to
work harder to make sure no one is invisible in our parishes, even if they are different from other people in our parish communities. We have to examine who is included in our ministries and who is sitting at the back of the church wondering if we care about them at all. As Catholics, we also just need to be more sensitive and attentive to the world around us. His meditation on the parable of the Good Samaritan in Chapter 2 is challenging us to become less indifferent to the suffering around us.
Q You have written that the hallmarks
of ideal parish ministry activity are mutuality and encounter. Why is that? How does “Fratelli Tutti” speak to that?
A If ministry is just about my personality and the vision I want to bring to others, then the wisdom of the community to solve their own challenges is lost and I am disempowering the community. A focus on mutuality and encounter opens our hearts for wisdom to flourish from every seat at the table. In my approach to ministry, I seek to raise up leaders who understand the diverse communities of our archdiocese, and they can work as a team to think about the ways to bring forth an ideal social ministry activity in their own community. “Fratelli Tutti” challenges us to think about the poor and why they are poor. The poor know what systems they are locked out of and
are people just like those who have been given more fortune, and have gifts of wisdom and intelligence to better their own lives.
Q Last summer, you worked with
Savannah Willard, a Catholic Campaign for Human Development research and outreach intern at the Center for Mission, to survey Catholic parishes to learn about their social outreaches. What was the purpose of the survey?
A The purpose of the Parish Social
Ministry Survey was to guide the direction of my ministries by getting a baseline understanding of what was occurring in the parishes. I wanted to plan initiatives but was not sure which initiatives would be well received by parishes or where parishes felt they might need more support. I also wanted to respect subsidiarity in my programming, and the survey would help me see where there are holes which could be filled.
Q What did you learn? A We have many generous volunteers,
staff and priests in our community who give a lot of time and energy for various volunteer food shelves, community meals and fundraisers. This is our greatest area of strength. We also have many infrastructure challenges when it comes to developing social ministry for the future because of the challenges of maintaining funding for staff social ministry positions in parishes.
Q How does “Fratelli Tutti” affirm our parishes’ current social ministries?
A “Fratelli Tutti” would affirm our
willingness to collaborate with a variety of nonprofits and ecumenical relationships to provide some relief for the hungry in a decent percentage of our population. It also affirms our willingness to create organizations which serve the
CURATIO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 have been attempting to do all along — strengthen Catholics in health care to be what God called us to be in health care: saints.” Curatio’s resources typically include annual Lenten and fall retreats, faith formation, liturgical celebrations, coffeehouse presentations, a monthly newsletter, monthly adoration and benedictions, First Friday Mass and the Curatio Prayer Responders (CPR) team that prays for intentions. During the pandemic, Curatio members have relied on Curatio, including its CPR team, for support, Johnson said, noting that members’ own personal prayer and self-care have been instrumental, too. Curatio CPR requests have grown during the pandemic — from two or three in nine months pre-COVID, to up to multiple calls a day. A new team of 12 prays and makes Holy Hours for intentions. In addition, four priests say monthly Masses for the intentions. “The extended, long hours and the long stretch of workdays are exhausting on all levels — physical, emotional and spiritual,” she said. The toll indicates members’ need for retreats, she noted. Beyond the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Curatio has active groups
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Meggie Humphrey stands with her gear loaded in the back of her car outside her home in Minnetrista. The rosary in her left hand is an important part of her ministry to patients and families. in Rochester and Winona, and a growing group in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Family medicine physician Dr. Kimberly Bigelow practices at a Fairview clinic in Hibbing, but on multiple occasions has driven three hours to attend a Curatio retreat. “(They) are always … so powerful,” she said, “like the booster shot I need to … take that mission back when we get worn
down, … worn out from working on the battlefield.” Bigelow has experienced extra stress from the pandemic, including not being able to take care of patients in the way she wanted to early on when in-person clinic visits were suspended. When they resumed, some patients were “very, very sick and had complex medical problems because they hadn’t seen their physician
common good. Our archdiocese has plenty of examples, with CommonBond being the most prominent, of ministries which started in parishes and then became a separate nonprofit as they grew.
Q In what ways does “Fratelli Tutti” challenge parishes and individual Catholics?
A “Fratelli Tutti” challenges parishes and individual Catholics to build the sense of encounter in ministry in their own parish community. The Parish Social Ministry Survey also found that most parishes see themselves as referral agents to other organizations in doing social ministries and not doing the ministry with the whole community itself. We need to think about how we are solving the new problems facing our society and what Catholics can do to respond.
Q What is your hope for the future of social ministries in the archdiocese, and how does “Fratelli Tutti” shape that?
A My hope for the future of social
ministries is that we rekindle some of the innovation we had in the past. We came up with many creative solutions for hunger, homelessness and the AIDS crisis, among many others. What I hope for in the future is for a greater creativity to address current and future challenges such as: climate change, labor automation and racism. “Fratelli Tutti” invites us to be moral people regardless of whether everyone else is moral or the recipients of our work are Catholic or non-Catholic. For our world to survive, there needs to be a greater solidarity amongst all peoples because the problems we face are much bigger than we have ever faced. “Fratelli Tutti” gives us a great framework for building on our tradition of solidarity. for weeks, a month or more,” she said. Nurse practitioner and Curatio member Teresa Tawil describes herself as “basically, a walk-in clinic” in her work as a primary care provider for patients in assisted living. Some have COVID-19, but others may need cortisone injections, prescriptions, orders for home care or help managing diabetes. Changes in care delivery are more in “the little things” for Tawil. Wearing personal protective equipment causes a higher level of separation between her and the patient, she said, with physical touches and time limited. With masks, it’s difficult to see a patient’s smile or grimace. Her challenge is still to create a positive connection with the patient, despite the limitations. The depth of clinicians’ interaction with patients greatly impacts healing and well-being, said Tawil, a parishioner of St. Raphael in Crystal who also serves patients in long-term care facilities. “The efforts bounce back, as love does, and lift the clinician as well,” she said. “We bring Christ to the patient and we see Christ in the patient,” Tawil added. “Everything we do is to glorify and serve God.” To learn more about Curatio, visit curatioapostolate.com.
DECEMBER 3, 2020
LOCAL
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7
‘Proud of the men’ After 10 years as rector at SJV, Father Becker reflects on tenure, looks ahead to book, parish life By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Father Michael Becker, rector the last 10 years at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, said that as he prepares to leave the seminary at the end of this academic year, he feels most proud of the seminarians he strove to lead. “I’m most proud of the men, the seminarians who have come through, and how they have challenged themselves to grow in their spiritual life and mission of evangelization and discipleship,” Father Becker told The Catholic Spirit after Archbishop Bernard Hebda announced Nov. 17 that the priest would be leaving in May. A search committee will work to find a successor who will begin next summer. Archbishop Hebda praised Father Becker’s work at the seminary, and his championing of vocations wherever he serves. “Father Becker has encouraged and inspired priestly vocations in each of his assignments,” the archbishop said in a statement. “His devotion to our college seminarians at SJV has been remarkable. As rector, he has always had my complete confidence and the support of our sending bishops throughout the country.” Father Becker, 55, said he began to wonder if it might be time to find a younger rector a couple of years ago, when he stopped playing basketball and Frisbee football with the seminarians because if he got “nicked up” it could be a slow healing process. Now, the time feels right, Father Becker said, adding that he will enter a six-month sabbatical to finish a book on Scripture and by Jan. 1, 2022, he expects to lead a parish again in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Before his rector assignment, Father Becker was parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton and then pastor of St. Michael in St. Michael. “I feel like the cup is getting filled to its full measure,” he said. “I think I’ve done a good job of pointing out the ideal and pointing men to the fork in the road, where they can strive to be a saint, to fulfill God’s will, to be chaste and charitable, obedient, joyful and prayerful.” The fork in the road includes men who decide to further their studies toward the priesthood, and those who choose another vocation, such as marriage, Father Becker said. “About 200 men in my tenure have gone on to be ordained,” he said. “I rejoice in that. Others go on to marriage, to be doctors, lawyers, electricians and teachers. I know they will lay down their lives for their wives and kids.” Father Ryan Adorjan, who graduated from SJV in 2014 and was ordained in 2018 for the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, said in a news release about the announcement that Father Becker had a profound impact on him. “Father Becker saw something beautiful in me and pushed me to see it myself,” he said. “He taught me that I am loved by God. Everything about who I am as a priest is rooted in that truth taught by Father Becker. He is one of the best men I have ever met.” Current enrollment at SJV is 105 seminarians from 18 dioceses, Father Becker said. The tone he has tried to set: “That it would be a community of love and formation, not first and foremost an institution of evaluation.” To that end, efforts to build fraternity include fourmember faith-sharing groups among the seminarians and regular gatherings among men with others from their own dioceses, as well as men who live together on the different floors of the SJV residence, located on the northwest corner of the University of St. Thomas’ campus in St. Paul. Traditions include the seminarians holding grand
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Father Michael Becker stands outside the front entrance of St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul Nov. 20, where he currently serves as rector. He will leave that post at the end of the academic year, and will enter a six-month sabbatical to finish a book on Scripture.
Father Becker saw something beautiful in me and pushed me to see it myself. He taught me that I am loved by God. Everything about who I am as a priest is rooted in that truth taught by Father Becker. He is one of the best men I have ever met. Father Ryan Adorjan and fun celebrations when a new pope is named, including most recently Pope Francis, when men mounted the rooftops waving flags and cheering, Father Becker said. A “spiritual mothers” group of about 100 women from around the country pray for and support the seminarians, an initiative of Father Becker’s predecessor, the late Father William Baer, that took off with Father Becker’s strong support, said Barbara Dries, a member of the Cathedral of St. Paul, longtime SJV supporter and the group’s volunteer coordinator. “It was wonderful the way he embraced the idea of the spiritual mothers,” and began a tradition of twicea-year gatherings at the seminary for the group to pray together and visit with the men, Dries told The Catholic Spirit. “He is just very welcoming.” Father Jonathan Kelly, a formator and spiritual director for the past seven years at the seminary, told The Catholic Spirit that Father Becker’s positive relationships with staff and the seminarians are reflected in the strong support of its alumni. “That’s a credit to Father Becker. They remember the experience at SJV pretty positively,” he said. “One thing our seminarians appreciate about Father Becker is he sets an environment with a lightness of heart. He has a certain freedom that sets the men free to hear and encounter the Lord, and to let go of any kind of expectations of anyone but God,” Father Kelly said. Recent challenges at the seminary, Father Becker said, include the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone had to leave St. Thomas’ campus in mid-March and continue their learning online, before returning to the seminary this fall. But thus far, only
two seminarians have contracted the virus. They have quarantined and returned to full health by isolating in a first-floor guest room, Father Becker said. They continued their learning online while resting, being served meals and receiving daily Eucharist. Asked about other accomplishments during his time as rector, Father Becker credited others, including the University of St. Thomas, where SJV men receive their undergraduate education. In cooperation with the university’s Department of Catholic Studies, Father Becker secured a studyabroad residence for seminarians at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. In addition, he established mission trips to India, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Under his watch, events to raise money for the seminary have flourished, including the annual Vianney Cup golf tournament and Spring Mass and May Crowning. “These are all partnerships,” Father Becker said. “That’s not just me.” Ordained in 1999, Father Becker has served the seminary for more than half of his 21 years as a priest, since his assignment as a formator in 2009. He looks forward to returning to parish life, he said, and ministries such as a Catholic school, youth groups and adult faith formation. “I love family life,” Father Becker said. “I love the variety of ministries.” But first, he has a book on Scripture to finish in the time Archbishop Hebda has granted for a sabbatical. Written for a general audience with a working title “To Fulfill All Righteousness,” it will emphasize ways God has done that in the lives of major figures in the Bible, from Moses and Elijah to the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. Paul. Explaining that he feels called to write the book, Father Becker recounted a unique experience with a charismatic prayer group after he started work on it: A person next to him turned and said, “God has put a scroll in your hand.” “I was starting a book. How does he know that?” Father Becker wondered. While writing the book and then returning to serve as a pastor, he said he will be available as counsel to a new rector, but “I also want to give space to new leadership.” And he will continue to treasure and maintain the friendship of the faculty at the seminary, as well as the seminarians he has helped guide. “I see that as enduring,” he said.
8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
DECEMBER 3, 2020
NATION+WORLD
Catholic leaders decry additional federal execution measures By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service A move by the Department of Justice to expand how it carries out federal death sentences — to include electrocution, gas or firing squads along with lethal injections — was sharply criticized by Catholic antideath penalty activists. “The administration’s eleventh-hour push to bring back firing squads and institute additional methods of execution flies in the face of a country that is turning away from the practice of capital punishment,” said Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, who called the move “yet another blatant affront to the dignity of life.” On Nov. 27, the Justice Department published a final rule change, effective Dec. 24, to add to the execution methods it uses for federal death sentences, permitting it to use “any other manner prescribed by the law of the state in which the sentence was imposed.” The proposed amendment was announced in August and posted on the Federal Register for comments. It calls for alternative means for federal executions if the lethal injection drug is not available in the state where the defendant is given the death sentence. It also suggests that if the state where the crime occurred does not permit death sentences, a judge can designate another state with those laws and utilize their facilities to carry out the execution. Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911. Among the 30 states that still use the death penalty, lethal injection is the primary execution method, but some states also use nitrogen gas, electrocution or a firing squad, if a lethal injection is unavailable. Sister Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille, who is a longtime activist against the death penalty, said the Justice Department’s plan to use other means of federal executions shows the “callous brute force of the mentality of the Trump administration.” She added the president “believes that he can use
CNS
Demonstrators are seen near the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Ind., showing their opposition to the death penalty July 13. force and kill people. He can use violence and force to make his point. There is no need for these executions to happen.” In a Nov. 30 interview with Democracy Now! — a nonprofit independent news program — she speculated the reason for this policy change was to “make sure that they can expedite these executions without any court cases about lethal injection.” In many states there have been questions about the use of lethal injections as well as botched executions, which Sister Prejean said is the fault of the Supreme Court having “allowed states to just experiment widely with drugs to kill people.” A recent example of a state not being able to use lethal injection for a scheduled death penalty was announced Nov. 30 in South Carolina. The state’s Supreme Court stayed the Dec. 4 execution of Richard Bernard Moore after corrections officials said their lethal injection drugs had expired and they would not be able to obtain necessary drugs in time. The 55-year-old inmate has been on death row for
nearly two decades after his conviction in a 1999 killing of a convenience store clerk. Because of a resistance by drug manufacturers to provide the drugs typically used in lethal injections, some states now allow the use of alternative methods if lethal injection drugs cannot be obtained. The Death Penalty Information Center, which lists the primary means of execution used by each state, also notes states’ backup execution methods, such as firing squads in Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah, the electric chair in nine states and nitrogen gas in seven states. Most states use a drug combination for executions, but a handful of states, and the federal government, just use one drug, pentobarbital. This year, the Justice Department reinstated federal executions for the first time since 2003 and executed eight prisoners from July to November. Five inmates are scheduled to be executed prior to the swearing-in of Joe Biden as president Jan. 20. The Death Penalty Information Center said this is the first time since 1889 that the federal government has carried out an execution in the time between a presidential election and the inauguration of a new president. President-elect Biden has said he will end federal executions and plans to incentivize states to stop executions. The U.S. bishops have spoken out against the resumption of federal executions and have urged the president and the attorney general to end this practice. The push to execute five more federal inmates before the end of this presidential term is an “unprecedented execution spree by the federal government,” Vaillancourt Murphy said in a Nov. 30 statement. “Clearly, the Trump administration’s vengeance is insatiable,” she said. She also quoted “Fratelli Tutti,” the recent encyclical by Pope Francis, in which he warns against being “obsessed with taking revenge and destroying the other. ... Nothing is gained this way and, in the end, everything is lost.”
Study leads to benchmarks for sexual misconduct policies at seminaries By William Cone Catholic News Service Policy benchmarks developed from a study of sexual harassment and misconduct at seminaries and religious houses of formation in the United States are being promoted as a way to stem the abuses that came to light recently about former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The study was conducted in spring 2019 by the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington. Seminarians were surveyed anonymously about incidents of sexual misconduct at their schools of formation. The study found that, even though sexual misconduct is uncommon, there is low awareness among students of protocols for reporting such infractions. Following the study’s completion, a group of bishops, seminary rectors, faculty and lay consultants was formed to develop proactive policy guidelines. The policy benchmarks came from that McGrath Seminary Study Group, people who are well respected in the field of seminary education and regarded as reformers, said John Cavadini, Notre Dame theology professor and director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, who convened the study group earlier this year. The five benchmarks designed to improve seminary experiences are: systematic training of seminarians, faculty and staff regarding harassment policies; internal and external reporting and investigation procedures; victim support; periodic assessment of internal policies; and consistency and portability of standards to suit local conditions. The institute set the bar much lower than previous studies on what constitutes sexual harassment, he said, ranging from whether men had been pressured into conversation about dirty jokes or looking at
pornography, all the way to pressuring someone for sex. “Where the study showed there was the most significant need was in the area of reporting — policies regarding reporting of sexual harassment and the need for education about what sexual harassment was and about the seminaries’ policies,” he said. Cavadini said the study group’s initial goal was to establish universal standards that all U.S. seminaries and houses of formation would follow. But that failed to take into account the diversity of conditions at each seminary. So, they settled on calling them “benchmarks.” It was hoped that, if seminaries adopted the benchmarks and truly reformed seminary culture, they could regain credibility among the laity that may have been affected by the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report and the Vatican’s McCarrick report, he said. McGrath Seminary Study Group member Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis helped develop the seminary study. He also is president of the Seminary Formation Council, which helps train seminary formators and rectors. “Thankfully, the study did confirm what we believed, which was that fundamentally seminaries are safe places,” he said. “It also led to a discussion among many seminary rectors about what we could do to ensure that that is the case.” Perhaps even more important than any benchmarks or policies to safeguard seminary life, he said, is the cultural change that needs to occur in the Church. “That culture which looks to protect other clerics based on some kind of false code of honor can’t be tolerated either in the seminary or in the priesthood, and certainly not in the episcopacy,” he said. The seminary benchmarks are a necessary step toward that cultural change, he said. But it’s not just a good sign that these benchmarks exist. “It’s the fact that their existence is also speaking to seminarians about the kind of culture that we need to have among priests and bishops,” Bishop Cozzens
LOCAL INPUT Father Joseph Taphorn, rector and vice president of The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, was a member of the McGrath Institute’s working group on seminary benchmarks. In his reading of the report that informed the McGrath Seminary Study Group’s work, he said that “in general, our seminaries have a very good culture” but there’s room for improvement. The survey showed 87% of respondents said that sexual harassment is not a problem at all in their seminary, or it is a little problem, he said. “The fact that there’s even 13% that maybe did have some issue does say there’s still work to be done,” he said. Meanwhile, less than 60% of U.S. seminarians who responded to the survey said they were very aware of policies at their seminary that address abuse and reporting. That statistic — and the benchmarks it informed — has Father Taphorn and other SPS leaders examining how they can ensure that the seminarians in their care understand its policies. The seminary also is making sure seminarians are informed of its resources for internal and external avenues of reporting sexual abuse, misconduct and related concerns. Since 2018, SPS’ seminarians have attended an annual presentation about the seminary’s policies, which includes information about external reporting options, such as the archdiocesan ombudsperson Victoria Johnson and a Title IX coordinator at the University of St. Thomas, with which SPS is affiliated. “It’s just a good sort of ‘safety check’ you might say,” Father Taphorn said of the external reporting options, “because, if in fact someone is afraid of repercussions, this opens up an avenue, and we just want to make sure that that’s always available.” — Maria Wiering said, “which is a culture that provides opportunities for accountability, and for people who are in bad situations to get help, and for victimizers to be held accountable.”
NATION+WORLD
DECEMBER 3, 2020
HEADLINES u Court unsure of Trump’s plan to exclude unauthorized immigrants in census. In oral arguments Nov. 30, the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on President Donald Trump’s order to exclude immigrants living in the country illegally from the 2020 census for purposes of redrawing congressional districts. The justices, who heard the arguments in Trump v. New York by teleconference, questioned the scope of those who would be excluded and also the length of time it would take to undergo this “monumental task,” as Justice Samuel Alito described it. Trump issued his order in July and two federal courts have already found it unlawful. During the 90-minute arguments, Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville of Washington, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, issued a statement: “Denying the undocumented and the states in which they reside their rightful representation in Congress is counter to the Constitution and makes people feel invisible and not valued as human beings.” u U.S. bishops’ Latin America collection to fund seminary whose rector was killed. Among the projects approved during an early November meeting of U.S. bishops was
VACCINES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 vaccines, at least two Catholic bishops warned against using them, saying they are morally tainted. On Nov. 11, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that results of a large ongoing study show its vaccine is 95% effective; the vaccine is already being manufactured and has been since October. Five days later, Moderna said preliminary data from its phase three trial shows its coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19. Pfizer and Moderna are applying to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency approval of the vaccines, which would quickly pave the way for distribution. The FDA is to meet Dec. 10. On Nov. 16, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, tweeted that the Moderna vaccine “is not morally produced. Unborn children died in abortions and their bodies were used as ‘laboratory specimens.’ I urge all who believe in the sanctity of life to reject a vaccine which has been produced immorally.” In a Nov. 18 video posted on his diocesan website and subsequent interviews with local media, Bishop Joseph Brennan of Fresno, California, weighed in on the vaccines, saying: “We all want health for ourselves and for others. We want to promote that also ... but never at the expense of the life of another.” In May, the Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed, the moniker of its initiative to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to Americans as
aid to a seminary in El Salvador whose rector was killed execution style in August on the side of a road as he headed to his home diocese to celebrate Mass. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Church in Latin America approved a $60,000 request for funding for the St. Óscar Arnulfo Romero seminary from a grant request written by its rector, Father Ricardo Antonio Cortez Martínez, whose body was dragged into a grassy area after he was fatally shot Aug. 6. No one has been arrested for the crime. u Pope creates 13 new cardinals, including Washington archbishop. Two U.S. citizens — Cardinals Wilton Gregory of Washington and Silvano Tomasi, a former Vatican diplomat — were among the prelates who knelt before Pope Francis Nov. 28 to receive their red hats, a cardinal’s ring and a scroll formally declaring their new status and assigning them a “titular” church in Rome. The 13 new cardinals came from eight countries: Italy, Malta, the United States, Brunei, the Philippines, Mexico, Rwanda and Chile. u Court says N.Y. pandemic limits on houses of worship restrict religious freedom. In a 5-4 decision issued just before midnight Nov. 25, the Supreme Court lifted the pandemic restrictions on congregation sizes at houses of worship imposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, and two Orthodox Jewish
quickly as possible. The program has funded the manufacturing of six promising vaccine candidates, two of which are the ones announced by Moderna and Pfizer. As soon as the FDA approves their vaccines for distribution, Operation Warp Speed hopes to distribute 300 million doses around the country by January. Because Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines involve two shots per person, this would be enough to immunize 150 million Americans. Other COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon include one being developed by AstraZeneca with Oxford University. Like Bishop Rhoades and Archbishop Naumann, John Brehany, director of institutional relations at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, said in a recent interview on the “Currents News” show on NET TV, the cable channel of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were not themselves produced using cell lines derived from aborted fetal tissue. He expressed “great respect for Bishop Strickland,” calling him “a bold, courageous witness to the faith,”
synagogues in separate filings appealed to the nation’s high court, claiming the governor’s executive order violated their free exercise of religion and was particularly unwarranted during a time when area businesses were open. Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, along with Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. u Mexican Church, civic leaders: No pilgrims at basilica for Guadalupe feast. Mexican Church and civic officials have canceled public feast celebrations for Mexico’s patroness at her shrine in Mexico City due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebration normally attracts 10 million pilgrims to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the world’s most-visited Marian shrine. At a joint news conference Nov. 24, Mexico City Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes and Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum urged pilgrims to stay away from the basilica and to avoid congregating in the area. Pilgrims normally descend on the area — often arriving on foot from cities and towns surrounding the Mexican capital — and gather at midnight prior to the Dec. 12 feast day to serenade Mary. Church officials instead urged devotees to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe at their local parishes or at home via broadcasts from the basilica online and on public television.
who is saying “some true things about issues that go back decades in pharmaceutical research and development,” in the production of vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and other diseases. But in the case of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, Brehany emphasized, any connection to aborted fetus cell lines is extremely remote. For Dr. Robert Tiballi, an infectious disease specialist in Chicago and a member of the Catholic Medical Association, this indirect use raises an ethical issue for Catholics. “The fetal cell lines were not directly used in the Moderna vaccine, but they were indirectly used several steps away from the actual development of the vaccine,” he told Currents News in a separate interview. Any such cell lines were derived from tissue samples taken from fetuses aborted in the 1960s and 1970s and have been grown in laboratories all over the world since then. In its 2005 study, the Pontifical Academy for Life said Catholics have a responsibility to push for the creation of morally just, alternative vaccines, but
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— Catholic News Service it also said they should not sacrifice the common good of public health when there is no substitute. “Catholics can have confidence (that) if there is a great need and there are no alternatives, they are not forbidden from using these new vaccines,” Brehany told Currents News. But he added: “There is much the Church calls us to do in seeking out alternatives and advocating for alternatives.” Catholics “need to provide the urgency and advocacy” to get pharmaceutical companies to understand there are alternatives to using fetal cell lines to develop vaccines, “so they can see the need for this,” he added, echoing the Pontifical Academy for Life. A case in point is the decision by Sanofi Pasteur to no longer use an aborted fetal cell line in producing its polio vaccines, a move recently approved by the FDA. Sanofi is one of the companies currently developing a COVID-19 vaccine by utilizing “cell lines not connected to unethical procedures and methods.” Inovio Pharmaceuticals and the John Paul II Medical Research Institute are other such companies.
10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
SPIRITOFGIVING
Man receives kidney from a friend who ‘never had a doubt’ she would be a match
‘SHE’S GIVEN M
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By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Patty Stibal got to be queen for a day on Jan. 21. Her “throne” was the unlikeliest of places — a hospital bed at Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis. Yet there she was, wearing a tiara and holding court with her husband, Mike, their two adult sons, plus a group of doctors and medical staff waiting to wheel her into surgery. She received her royal welcome, including the tiara, when she arrived at the hospital early that morning to complete the noblest of tasks — donate a kidney to friend and former co-worker Kyle Finken, a father of three whose kidneys were failing. HCMC’s transplant coordinator, Jennifer Bodner, had been joking about how Stibal’s generosity and bravery in doing “this totally altruistic act” made her a queen of sorts. One of Stibal’s friends overheard the remark and decided to bring a tiara to the hospital for Stibal to don as she prepared for surgery. And wear it Stibal did, right up until being wheeled out for the procedure at 7:30 a.m. “It was kind of fun,” said Stibal, 58. “Everyone that walked by my bed, they’d just giggle.” Stibal’s next move in her hospital bed, however, was much more serious. Using oil brought in by Finken’s wife, Bernadette, Stibal anointed the hands of every medical staff member in the room, including the surgeon. Thus was set in motion a selfless act of giving — plus a grateful act of receiving. The story began in 2018, when Finken was told that his kidneys were failing due to Alport syndrome, a genetic disease that can also affect the eyes and hearing. Finken either would have to go on dialysis or get a transplant. He chose the latter, which had much better prospects for long-term health and survival. In the summer of 2019, Bernadette put out a plea for a donor on Facebook and emailed select people. Stibal was on that list. She and Finken had met in 2009 at St. Joseph in Rosemount, where she worked as an administrative assistant and where he was a member after moving to Apple Valley with his wife and children. He became an employee in 2016, and a friendship developed. Finken, who has spent much of his adult life working in parish ministry, got to know Stibal while he did weekly Communion services at the parish and she watched his children at the church. Due to her friendly nature and constant presence at the receptionist desk, she was “easy to talk to,” he said, making it natural for him to bring up personal issues. Finken, who loves to cook, also would make dinners for Stibal and Father Paul Jarvis, who was pastor of St. Joseph from 2011 to 2015. After they became co-workers, Stibal learned of his kidney trouble and stayed in touch with him after she left her job at St. Joseph to work at St. Michael in Farmington. “She used to tease me: ‘I’ll be your donor; I have your kidney,’” said Finken, 49. “It’s really amazing how things came around.” Said Stibal: “I was teasing. But, honestly, I knew.” Her desire turned to action when she got the email from Finken’s wife. She contacted Bodner at HCMC “within hours of getting the email,” stepping forward as a candidate. Privacy regulations at HCMC prevented Finken from knowing at that time. Despite the battery of tests that lay ahead, Stibal was unshaken in her belief that she would be a match for Finken. The conviction was rooted in her mother’s kidney problems more than a decade earlier. “I lost my mom almost 11 years ago to renal failure,”
Stibal said. “She wasn’t able to be a recipient (for a new kidney due to declining health). So, I knew, 11 years ago, that at some point … I would do this for somebody.” When she learned that Finken needed a kidney, she instantly knew she had found her “somebody.” “I knew that I would be his donor,” she said. “Never had a doubt, never had a fear.” After weeks of testing, including one all-day session, the kidney transplant team met to review the results and determine whether Stibal could be a donor for Finken. Meanwhile, Stibal and Finken were having lunch with Father Jarvis. The day was Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The three were seated in a booth at Taste of
Scandanavia in Bloomington. Stibal’s phone rang saw Bodner’s number on the caller identification, squeezed past Father Jarvis to take the call in the restaurant lobby. Bodner relayed to Stibal the tran team’s decision: She had been approved. Stibal hurried back to the table to tell Finken. “Kyle got up and we hugged,” Stibal recalled. “I we were both stunned. It was hard to know what And honestly, I think it was the first time Father P has been without words.” For the Finkens, that the news came on the feas St. Francis had added significance. Several years ag Bernadette had a miscarriage. They decided to nam that baby Francis. “So, it was interesting on the fe day of St. Francis that we would be together and h
DECEMBER 3, 2020 • 11
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Patty Stibal and Kyle Finken meet at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis during one of his follow-up visits after receiving her kidney Jan. 21. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FAR LEFT Finken and Stibal get ready to be wheeled in for surgery Jan. 21. COURTESY PATTY STIBAL
LEFT From left, Jennifer Bodner, transplant coordinator, talks with Stibal and Finken during a follow-up visit. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
this great news,” Finken said. The transplant surgery took place 3 1/2 months later and went smoothly. It was done by 11 a.m., and the following morning, Kyle got out of bed and walked down the hallway to see Stibal. “I was kind of surprised because I hadn’t been out of my bed yet,” she said. “And, he was already up and walking.” Stibal left the hospital three days after the surgery, and Finken left the day after that. She went back to work two weeks later and has been healthy since. She now works as an administrative assistant and bookkeeper at St. Bonaventure in Bloomington, where she also is a parishioner. Finken is a care and support coordinator at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie. His recovery has progressed well, except for getting a mild case of
COVID-19 in early October. The anti-rejection drugs he takes are known to reduce the body’s ability to fight disease and infection, he said, so his positive COVID test was not a surprise. Finken called the entire process of looking for a donor, then having Stibal step forward to give one of her kidneys to him “humbling.” “She’s given me life, and she’s given me a friendship — a faith-filled friendship,” he said. “She is giving not just myself life, but she’s giving it also to my wife, to my kids, to my brothers and sisters, so I can continue to be the person that God has called me to be. It truly is remarkable about (her) willingness to sacrifice this part of (herself) for someone. It shows Patty’s generosity. It shows her love for life and love for others.” Stibal credits divine providence both for how well things went and for her steadfast faith throughout. “God’s hand has been in this from the very beginning, guiding and leading the whole process,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever made a decision that I have felt so sure about. I didn’t have any reservations. My husband fully supported (it). My (two) boys supported.” She continued: “My youngest son is 25. When I was telling (him and his brother), he was very quiet. And, he just said, ‘Well, I just have one thing to say. Mom, if you can save your friend, you should save your friend.’ And, that’s how simple this process was for me. If I can do this, I should.” Father Jarvis offered a spiritual view. “It is a resurrection story,” said Father Jarvis, now at St. Bridget in Minneapolis. “I just think it’s providential that somebody who is not even related to Kyle would be the best possible match, and somebody who considers Kyle … to be a brother to her.” The bond the two now possess is like having another sibling, they said. Their families also have gotten to know each other, getting together numerous times, starting before the transplant surgery. Both Stibal and Finken believe their bond will last a lifetime. “Patty’s right here on my left side,” Finken said, gesturing to the location of his kidney. “And so, I do think we’re definitely closer (as friends).” Beyond their own lives, their story can inspire and touch others, perhaps prompting others to consider organ donation. Finken talks freely about his experience, and Stibal has fielded calls from people about kidney donation. “It inspired a lot of people here at St. Bridget,” said Father Jarvis, who once told the story in a homily, though didn’t name Stibal or Finken. “A number of people were inspired and impressed by (Stibal’s) example, and now parishioners are looking into either donating organs after they’ve passed on or being (living) donors. … I think a lot of people feel that they would like to donate an organ, but other things come their way or life gets busy and they forget about it.” Father Jarvis himself has looked into organ donation and recently updated his medical directive to indicate he would like to donate organs after he dies. Organ donation, he said, is connected to the Gospel: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Even amid COVID-19 restrictions, kidney transplants are still taking place, noted Bodner, a parishioner of St. Hubert in Chanhassen. About 50 are done every year at HCMC. “Right now, there’s well over 100,000 people on the wait list,” she said, which is why it can take many years for someone in need of a transplant to find a donor. With so many lives lost during the current pandemic, Stibal and Finken want to spread the word about a life saved — and improved — by kidney transplant. Now, maybe more than ever, some good news is needed. “I just hope it brings hope,” Finken said of their story, “in this time of darkness, uncertainty,
confusion, sadness … because there’s so many more good people out there. There’s so many more good stories than there are bad stories, and we need to hear those good stories.”
12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
SPIRITOFGIVING
DECEMBER 3, 2020
Twins chosen for scholarship honoring friend, fellow Lourdes parishioner By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit
J
ay and Phoebe Hernandez regularly pray in front of the large Immaculate Heart of Mary statue in their living room. Their intentions are often for the souls of departed relatives and friends. Following the sudden death June 3 of their friend and fellow parishioner Tim Neeb, they placed his photo at the statue’s base. “He will forever be on our (prayer) list,” Phoebe said. The Hernandezes’ twin sons, 20-year-old Gabriel and Miguel — who were altar servers through high school at the family’s parish, Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis — nearly always served Mass when Neeb, a fellow parishioner, was a lector. They formed a lasting friendship. Gabriel even asked Tim to be his confirmation sponsor in 2017. “Tim was honored to do that,” said Deb Neeb, Tim’s widow. Deb and Tim served as extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and, for 20 years, as marriage mentors at Our Lady of Lourdes for couples planning their weddings. They assisted with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for four years and helped at parish events with such tasks as making meat pies, cooking brats and selling tickets. Beyond the shock of Tim’s death of a heart attack on the golf course at age 63, the family was speechless when Deb chose the twins as recipients of a onetime $10,000 academic scholarship named in honor of her husband after his death and funded by the Otto Bremer Trust. Tim worked at Bremer Bank’s headquarters in St. Paul and for its trust. “I was literally lost for words,” Miguel said. Gabriel wondered, “Why me?” Deb presented each young man with a $5,000 check after Mass July 26 at Our Lady of Lourdes. The Hernandez brothers, who attended Providence Academy in Plymouth, are sophomores at St. John’s University in Collegeville. Tim had a special connection with the Hernandez twins, Deb said. “And you couldn’t meet a sweeter, kinder family,” she added. Gabriel said he asked Tim to be his confirmation sponsor because of the love and discipleship that Tim showed. “I was able to see not only how much love he has for me and my brother and my family, but also … true discipleship within him … as a person but also as a servant of God,” he said. Phoebe asked her sons to view the scholarship as a great gift. “God is good,” she said. “I tell my boys we are so blessed by surrounding us with people who are so godly.”
DIANNE TOWALSKI | FOR THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
She said the Neeb family is loving, friendly and inclusive. “But we didn’t expect them to give us something like this.” She encouraged her sons to study hard and give back: “Give back to the Church, give back to help people who need it, help others.” Gabriel chose St. John’s for its academic and faith-based environment. “The people within the community are not only hospitable but ... also very inclusive of others,” he said. “It is the kind of place where I can … be able to master my own independence, grow both academically and spiritually, and discover who I am.” Miguel appreciates that the university is not too far from home, and it felt like home at his first visit. He also likes it because his faith is important. “To have access to a beautiful church almost at the center of the campus, and be able to physically go to Mass on Sundays … is a plus,” he said. Neither has declared a major, but both are scienceminded. Miguel is exploring “something along the lines of medicine.” Gabriel is studying integrative science and is considering a minor in pre-medicine or
Gabriel, left, and Miguel Hernandez stand Nov. 21 on the campus of St. John’s University in Collegeville, where the twins are sophomores. In July, they received a surprise $10,000 scholarship in honor of Tim Neeb, a friend and fellow parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis, who had died suddenly the previous month.
pre-physical therapy, but is also pondering a major in theology. Deb, 63, said Tim would love the idea of a scholarship. “Education was so important to him,” she said. The couple, who met at Edison High School in Minneapolis, regularly contributed to the high school’s scholarship fund. And Deb donated money she received after Tim’s death to that fund. Everyone loved Tim, Deb said. “He loved everyone and just had this zest for life. He brought so much happiness to people.” Virtually every card she received included a story of how he helped someone, she said. One person recalled how Tim defused a situation at a packed parish block party when a group of teens wanted free food. Another described how uncomfortable she felt as a new parishioner until Tim’s warm welcome. In addition to helping with her sons’ college expenses, Phoebe said the scholarship gift is a good lesson. “These are people who really have a good heart,” she said of the Neebs. “And kindness. I’ll be praying for the family for as long as I live.”
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13
Premier Banks founder remembered for faith, financial legacy By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
and also watched his grandchildren play. Don and Jean were parishioners of St. Peter in North St. Paul, which he also supported spiritually and financially.
F
“I can’t begin to list all the entities Dad supported,” Katie Nath said. “Of course, Hill-Murray and the church and school of St. Peter in North St. Paul are his most treasured and longest standing
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Don Regan, left, founder of Premier Banks, stands with his son, Patrick, right, and Mark Novitzki, President of Premier Banks, in 2019. All three are winners of The Catholic Spirit Leading with Faith Award.
pt Go
and carried on his practices. “We always learned from him by example,” wrote daughter Katie Nath in an email to The Catholic Spirit. Nath works as vice president and legal counsel at the bank, and her husband, Andrew Nath, also works at the bank as executive vice president and vice chairman. “He didn’t do a lot of preaching,” Katie Nath said of her father. “He did a lot of showing — in a humble way, without comment. We learned how to be good people, good Catholics, by watching him. ... I am so grateful for the spirit of generosity he raised us with.” Don and his wife, Jean, were married for 63 years before she died in 2018. They raised seven children, all of whom attended Hill-Murray, as did 15 grandchildren. Don continued to financially support sports at Hill-Murray,
s ’ d
Acc e
rom buses to banks, Don Regan has left a rich legacy in the Twin Cities that continues to bear fruit in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the community. The faith-filled philanthropist died Oct. 23 at age 91. Best known as the founder of Premier Banks, which began in 1974 and thrives today with 20 locations, his generosity spread far and wide, always motivated by his Catholic faith. It started with Maplewood State Bank, which he opened in a double-wide trailer at White Bear and Beam Avenues in St. Paul. It later became Premier Bank Minnesota and Premier Bank Rochester, now among the top 10 banks in the state in total assets. As the business grew, he supported a wide range of organizations, both inside and outside the Church. Before opening Premier Banks, he had built a successful bus company called St. Paul and Suburban Bus Company on St. Paul’s East Side. Although he later sold the company to focus on banking, he never forgot his first bus contract — with Benedictine Sister Claire Lynch of Archbishop Murray Memorial High School, which later merged with Hill High School to become Hill-Murray School in Maplewood. That connection forged a relationship that motivated years of generosity to the school, which continued into the later years of his life. His faith-filled giving was a model for his children, who both acknowledged
ft i G
charitable beneficiaries. Mom and Dad were parishioners there since 1959. He supported every Catholic church and school on the East Side (of St. Paul), and many others outside of his community.” A private family funeral was held Nov. 21 at St. Peter in North St. Paul, with burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minneapolis.
aling e H of
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“We don’t know what the future holds, but it’s all God’s work,” says Sister Theresa McGrath (center), 86, a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio. In good times and bad, she and the religious shown here have devoted themselves to God’s work. They are among nearly 30,000 senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who benefit from the Retirement Fund for Religious. Your gift helps provide medications, nursing care, and more. Please be generous.
Please donate at your local parish December 12–13 or by mail at:
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Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Attn: Sister Lynore Girmscheid, SSND 777 Forest Street St. Paul MN 55106-3857 Make check payable to Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis/RFR.
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Please give to those who have given a lifetime. Above, from left: Sister Alice Garcia, SSCJ, 91; Brother Martin Gonzales, OCSO, 95; Sister Theresa McGrath, CCVI, 86; Sister Anne Cecile Muldoon, OSU, 93; Abbot Emeritus Peter Eberle, OSB, 79. ©2020 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC • All rights reserved • Photo: Jim Judkis
14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
DECEMBER 3, 2020
MILESTONE Sacred Heart’s first 150 years included loggers, fried chicken dinners, pilot priest By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit
K
en Kirchberg’s grandparents and father, then merely a toddler, became members of Sacred Heart in Rush City more than a century ago — in 1912. Yet that was 42 years after the parish’s founding in 1870. Kirchberg, 74, grew up in the parish, and recalls that 14 priests have served as pastor since he was baptized there in 1946. One who holds special memories is Father Remi Payant, pastor from 1947-1959, while Kirchberg was an altar server. Father Payant, a licensed pilot and chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol, gave each altar server a ride in his plane. That pastor’s large electric train setup in the church basement also mix with Kirchberg’s lifetime of memories FATHER SHANE from Sacred Heart. STOPPELKirchberg and his WASINGER fellow parishioners celebrated the parish’s 150th anniversary this year. For more than a year, a group of them discussed ways to mark the occasion. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, a parish dinner was canceled that would have honored priests who have ministered there. However, they held a special anniversary Mass Oct. 25 as planned. Archbishop Bernard Hebda concelebrated with Father Shane Stoppel-Wasinger, Sacred Heart’s pastor. About 100 people attended in person, and 60 watched on a screen in a downstairs hall. The Mass was also livestreamed. Interior renovations to the church, including new maple floors and a coat of light-blue paint in the sanctuary, were completed shortly before the Mass, as were exterior tuckpointing and a resurfaced parking lot. The parish has long been called the mother church of east-central Minnesota. That’s because it was the first church in the area to be founded as a Catholic parish, Father StoppelWasinger said. Appointed pastor in 2012, he also serves St. Gregory the Great in North Branch, where he resides. In 1870, the railroad had just been completed as far north as Rush City, according to one parish history. Even
COURTESY ARCHDIOCESAN ARCHIVES
This 1886 photo shows the exterior of Sacred Heart Parish’s second church, described as having a spire rising 100 feet above ground. It was dedicated on Dec. 18, 1887.
COURTESY SACRED HEART
Sacred Heart in Rush City marked its 150th anniversary with a special Mass Oct. 25 concelebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Father Shane Stoppel-Wasinger. Interior renovations, including new maple floors and a freshly painted sanctuary, were completed earlier this year. before that, Father Maurice Murphy from Stillwater occasionally traveled 50 miles north to Rush City by horseback or stagecoach to celebrate Mass at a home. He also called a meeting to elect parish trustees, and those men led the purchase of land for the first church. About 30 Catholic families lived in the area at the time. Some men worked on the railroad in the summer and at logging camps in the winter. According to accounts of the parish’s
history, Father Murphy traveled to Hinckley, where tracks were being laid, on a payday for the railroad. He asked the crew for contributions to build a church and they responded generously. By fall 1870, the church was built. Kirchberg lived on a farm outside town, and remembers the days when his mother and father provided the chicken for the parish’s annual fall festivals — a continuing, time-honored event. Kirchberg recalled his mother
frying chicken at home and, with others’ help, she would finish baking it in the church basement. The parish canceled the festival this year, but people still took home a chicken dinner Sept. 20. Four hundred dinners were served. Kirchberg, who made plastic injection molds for a living before retirement, continues to volunteer at the parish’s Calvary Cemetery. He said 108 parishioners have been buried in the cemetery over the past 15 years, one sign that the parish has an older congregation. But the parish also has held steady at about 167 households, Father StoppelWasinger said. Some new faces appear each summer when people vacation or visit cabins in the area. A sign on the outskirts of town proclaims “Up North Begins Here,” he said. People at the parish are very welcoming, said Alan Walz, a trustee who joined Sacred Heart in 1999. He sings in the choir and has served on the parish council. He even pitched in to help paint the sanctuary during renovations. “It’s been a good place to worship,” he said. “We’ve got an older parish, but I think it’s … filled with good people that want us to do well and want us to survive and continue to thrive. That’s critical.”
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DECEMBER 3, 2020
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15
FAITH+CULTURE Fresh name, content approach invites Catholics to ‘rediscover’ local Catholic radio show By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit
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he weekly “The Rediscover: Hour” radio program is changing its name and revitalizing its format. Starting Jan. 1, its audience will listen to “Practicing Catholic.” People will have different takes on the new name, said Tom Halden, director of communications at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He hopes the name is unifying. “I think we’re all practicing (Catholics),” he said. “We’re trying to get it right.” “The Rediscover: Hour” name was tied to a broader initiative that started in 2013 to encourage people to connect with the local and universal Church, Halden said. The radio show launched in 2014. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis produces the program in cooperation with Relevant Radio 1330 AM. No significant programming changes are planned, said Patrick Conley, “The Rediscover: Hour” host since October 2016. The program wasn’t broken, he said, “but I think that it’s time for … rearranging the furniture or to give it a
“Practicing Catholic” will retain the Rediscover: Hour’s broadcast schedule: 9 p.m. Fridays; rebroadcast 1 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays. It will air locally on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Patrick Conley, pictured in a 2016 file photo, is host of “The Rediscover: Hour,” which will change to “Practicing Catholic” in January. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis produces the program in cooperation with Relevant Radio 1330 AM. fresh coat of paint.” Calling the name change and programming tweaks a “refresh,” Halden said staff members plan to try some new things and add more voices, “but people will still hear segments like ‘Great Catholic Parishes,’” which looks at some of the ministries and best practices at the archdiocese’s 186 parishes. Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Andrew Cozzens will appear monthly to address timely issues, Halden said. For example, the program recently included the archbishop talking about
the Vatican’s report on how Theodore McCarrick, a former priest accused through the years of sexual abuse, rose to the position of cardinal before being removed from the priesthood. The show’s producer, Cami Berthiaume, said the program features local ministries, evangelization opportunities and Catholics with inspiring stories. “It highlights the unique perspectives and the unique talents that we have locally,” she said. The renamed hourlong show will have “the same great programming … (but)
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we’re implementing some things to make it easier to access our content and make it appeal to more people,” including young adults, Berthiaume said. Listeners currently can catch the show at three times during the weekend on Relevant Radio 1330 AM, or access previous recordings on the archdiocesan website, archspm.org/rediscover_radio. Berthiaume said she wants to improve the archiving system, break up the hourly segments and move them to popular streaming platforms, “so it’s just that much (easier) to access them at (listeners’) convenience.” And instead of simply advertising a guest list, producers are using more oneminute clips from the show to promote upcoming programs. “That gives people a taste of what the interview will be like,” she said. Those clips have started to be posted on the program’s Facebook page, facebook.com/rediscoverfaith, and Instagram account, @evangelizationarchspm. A new website goes live Jan. 1: practicingcatholicshow.com.
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16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
DECEMBER 3, 2020
FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER PHIL RASK
The true Christmas The day after Thanksgiving in Advents past, the Rev. Billy could be found at 5:30 a.m. in front of Macy’s flagship store in midtown Manhattan. “Stop shopping!” he shouts at the bundled figures pushing past him in the dark carrying their full shopping bags. “Stop shopping.” He is not an ordained minister or even a practicing Christian, but he is a true believer. He’s an actor, Billy Talen, a native of Northfield whose ministry is based in New York. He is warning the crowds of “Shopocalypse.” He’s been preaching against consumerism since 1997. He was described this way by Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann in a 2007 article in The Washington Post: “Rev. Billy is a faithful prophetic figure who stands in direct continuity with the ancient prophets of Israel and the great prophetic figures of U.S. history who have incessantly called our society back to its core human passions of justice and compassion.” But at sunup that day, as on most days, the newspaper reported, Billy had not a single convert. One shopper, rushing into a Toys R Us store, said: “He’s right, but we like it.” “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar … the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.” Who? Johanan ben Zechariah, AKA, “the Dipper.” Who? A nobody, really. The word of God came not to the mighty Caesar, who thought himself divine or hoped that the Roman Senate would declare him so. It came not to the priests in the holy temple in Jerusalem; not to the local rulers, the client kings of Rome. The word of God didn’t come to the wealthy or the powerful, to none of these, but to this strange, enigmatic, marginal character, living in the desert of Judea. This prophet announces that God is acting once more, as he did of old, to deliver once again the people from the land of slavery. Once again God will lead them through the desert home to the land of promise. Wow! What a message! Now what? “John went through the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming
ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ
What is the point of the Last Judgment? Q I understand that when we die, we
are immediately judged by God. It is my understanding that we either then go immediately to hell or heaven (via purgatory if necessary). If that is the case, why is there something called the “Last Judgment”? Are we judged again? Is it a “second chance”?
A This is a fantastic question. I will have to divide my answer into two parts. In the first part, I want to highlight a few things about the particular judgment. And in the second part (next month), I will get to your actual question about the Last Judgment. Before that, let me affirm your understanding of the fact that we are all judged at the moment of our death. I would like to add a couple of notes to this (so that all of us can be on the same page). It is an article of faith that, at the moment of our individual death, we will have made a definitive choice for either God or “not God.” We will, with our everyday, actual decisions, have chosen heaven or hell. This choice is irrevocable. Therefore, if we have chosen God, we get him forever. And if we have chosen anything other than God, we get that choice forever. I hope that you (and anyone reading this) can truly appreciate the seriousness of this. God doesn’t technically “send someone to hell.” He allows us to choose hell against his will. It is God’s will that all of us spend eternity with him. God wills that we all experience his love, joy and presence forever. And he gives every person the opportunities and all of the grace that they need to make this choice. God does this because he is good and because he made us free. We are free to choose to love him. We are also free to reject him. This decision to reject God doesn’t necessarily require that I rage against God with my defiant fist in the air toward the heavens while I curse God. It could look as simple and as undramatic as my being
DAILY Scriptures a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” That’s it? That’s all? A ritual washing in the Jordan? Surely, there must be more to it than that. The people respond to the ministry of the Baptist, to his preaching. They do undergo John’s baptism. But then the multitudes want to know what practical effect that baptism is to have on the way they live. They ask simply: “What are we to do? How must we live now that we have heard the word of God?” We will hear John’s full answer in the Gospel next Sunday. John answers each class of people in stunningly simple terms: care for the poor and disadvantaged through individual sharing, proper collection of taxes, no extortion from a position of power and privilege, contentment with wages. We might have expected a more fundamental, more difficult, more demanding code of moral behavior in light of the stupendous announcement that God’s Kingdom was at hand. But there really was no change: What God expected of people in the time of John the Baptizer in the way they lived is no different from what God expected in Israel’s ancient past: conversion of heart, return to the covenant, obedience to the requirements of that covenant, especially in the way they took care of the orphan and the widow. That’s the Old Testament way of speaking of the poor, hungry, powerless, homeless, those at the edges of society, at the margins of church and of state. What the prophets wanted, what John preached, what Jesus called for, what the Church has announced since is conversion of heart. That’s where every far-reaching reform has to begin. It’s the hope that we can change — if not our fundamental character, then at least our behavior and our attitudes. This change can have an enormous impact on the world, and incidentally on our eternal destiny. I’ve got this button, a leftover from years past that says, “I celebrate Christmas.” You’ve seen them. We are urged to use the greeting “Merry Christmas,” to resist the “war on Christmas.” But if Christmas isn’t the occasion for the word of God to become incarnate again in our lives, in our behavior, in the way we treat our fellow travelers on the road, especially the poor, what does it matter what we call it?
Sunday, Dec. 6 Second Sunday of Advent Is 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8
Father Rask is the pastor of St. Odilia in Shoreview. He can be reached at rask@stodilia.org.
Sunday, Dec. 13 Third Sunday of Advent Is 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thes 5:16-24 Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
indifferent to him. I wonder how many people miss out on heaven simply because they “don’t care much” about God or because they are just “too busy” or “too distracted” to bother with loving God. Remember, the principle is: God gives us what we’ve chosen. Our decisions have to demonstrate the reality of our heart: that we have placed God first in our lives. Everyone in hell has chosen hell for themselves by choosing “something other than God.” And this is their definitive choice for eternity. As C.S. Lewis famously said, “Hell is a door locked from the inside.” On the other side, everyone in heaven has chosen heaven for themselves by choosing to say “yes” to God from their heart. This is not just having nice feelings or thoughts about God but actively conforming our will to his will. As Jesus put it, “If anyone would be my disciple, he must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24). And the great news is: If we choose him, we realize that he has already chosen us! God loves you already and is like a potential groom who is waiting for his potential bride’s answer to his marriage proposal. He has already declared his love for you. Our response makes all the difference. A potential bride who doesn’t answer the proposal will die as a single woman. And a person who doesn’t answer the proposal of Jesus Christ will die outside his family — and spend eternity there. I know that this first part of my response to your question could be received with fear. Or it could be received with a heavy heart. That’s OK. Those reactions might merely mean that we are taking the reality of eternity seriously for the first time. But we never stay there. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but we are meant to get to a place where love casts out all fear. And this is the key: love. God loves you so much that he sent his Son to live, suffer, die and rise from the dead so that you could live with him forever. He wants you! He wants you to love him back. And he gives us every grace and every chance to love him. For our part, we must make that choice. And the choice is to love him or not to love him. This is what we are judged on. As St. John of the Cross once said, “At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.” So, do not be afraid, but also, do not be indifferent to his proposal. Love him back. It is the difference between heaven and hell. Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Monday, Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Is 35:1-10 Lk 5:17-26 Tuesday, Dec. 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gn 3:9-15, 20 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Lk 1:26-38 Wednesday, Dec. 9 Is 40:25-31 Mt 11:28-30 Thursday, Dec. 10 Is 41:13-20 Mt 11:11-15 Friday, Dec. 11 Is 48:17-19 Mt 11:16-19 Saturday, Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe Zec 2:14-17 Lk 1:26-38
Monday, Dec. 14 St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a Mt 21:23-27 Tuesday, Dec. 15 Zep 3:1-2, 9-13 Mt 21:28-32 Wednesday, Dec. 16 Is 45:6c-8, 18, 21c-25 Lk 7:18b-23 Thursday, Dec. 17 Gn 49:2, 8-10 Mt 1:1-17 Friday, Dec. 18 Jer 23:5-8 Mt 1:18-25 Saturday, Dec. 19 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a Lk 1:5-25 Sunday, Dec. 20 Fourth Sunday of Advent 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38
DECEMBER 3, 2020
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17
COMMENTARY SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY
Mutuality in modern marriage Mutuality is often understood as the ability to empathize with another person. When we are thinking about Catholic Christian marriage, this would refer to the desire to care for our spouse with the same consideration we give ourselves. A mutual love is self-giving and has a shared, reciprocal quality to it. When such a love is extended from one spouse to the other, it is Christ himself who provides the connection between the partners. According to the late Richard P. McBrien, a Catholic theologian, the sacrament of matrimony is viewed as an experience of mutual love. McBrien explains that growth in mutuality brings the sacrament to its fullest realization. According to clinical psychologist Sue Johnson, co-creator of Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), couples who love each other in a mutual, empathic way are accessible, responsive and engaged. In this model of therapy, couples provide security through accessibility when they answer texts, emails or phone calls from their spouse. They are responsive when they lovingly fulfill their spouse’s request for affection or an invitation to spend time together. They are engaged when they turn off social media, turn toward each other and demonstrate they are actively listening. In our over-stimulated, chaotic and worried culture, becoming an accessible, responsive and engaged spouse, in order to provide mutuality for the other, is not an easy or simple task. We may have every desire to be that person for our spouse, but pressures from work, other family responsibilities or children who need us in an immediate and demanding way, require dividing our resources, causing us to be less attentive than we want to be. We cannot say “yes” to everything that is presented to us, which means that we must set priorities with
ACTION STRATEGIES Create a simple chart to observe how accessible, responsive and engaged you are with your spouse. Look for small areas of improvement and dedicate yourself to continuing to build this sacramental relationship. our time and energy. Even thinking about goal-setting, so that our highest ideals come to fruition, can be overwhelming. Therefore, keeping it simple is the best way to begin. Set aside five minutes and create a quick chart with the words “accessible, responsive and engaged” at the top. Then draw vertical and horizontal lines that divide the paper into a simple graph. Throughout your day, notice when you were accessible, responsive and engaged with your spouse and put a check in each respective box representing a time that you achieved these tasks in simple ways. At the end of your day, notice how many checks you have on your paper in total, as well as in each category, signifying that you were accessible, responsive and engaged to your spouse that day. If you said a prayer for your spouse or gave them a hug and told them you love them, put a check in the engaged column. If you responded to a text and said “I love you” or added a loving emoji (if you like that kind of thing), put a check in the responsive column. If you helped your spouse by fulfilling a request they have made of you, put a check in the accessible column. In doing so, you will see areas in your relationship in which you have already achieved success, as well as those needing improvement. Becoming a more accessible, responsive and engaged spouse fulfills the responsibilities placed upon us when we spoke our wedding vows. Ask yourself this month if you are fulfilling your call to your spouse and make a commitment to rededicate yourself to improving this vital relationship in your life. Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a member of Guardian Angels in Oakdale. She holds a master’s degree in theology from The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul and a doctorate in educational leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
LETTERS Challenging Northside narrative We read with interest Barb Umberger’s recent article about the Visitation Sisters in the Catholic Spirit (“Despite uptick in N. Mpls violence, Visitation sisters’ outreach undeterred” Nov. 5). Here at Northside Ascension, our One Body social justice group has been educating ourselves about systemic racism and looking at ways to increase consciousness among all of us with hopes of creating a more just society. Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., a recent guest at the Westminster Town Forum and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, called upon all of us to “break the frame,” to work towards exposing the stereotypes that have governed our thoughts and psyches for centuries. How can we engage our imaginations to do things differently? Thus, the title of your article caught the attention of those of us who have signed this letter and we wanted to not only share our thoughts, but offer some
suggestions. The stereotype to be dismantled is how we talk about the Northside of Minneapolis. It is true that there has been increased violence here, but there´s been an uptick of it everywhere in our Twin Cities since the death of George Floyd. As journalists and reporters cover the Northside, might it be possible to include in every article, in some educative way, several of the reasons as to WHY the Northside is mired in poverty and violence and continues to be a center of poverty? On the flip side, could we also have headlines that reinforce the positive about the Northside as a neighborhood? For instance, in the article that prompted this letter, we could image titles like “Creativity and love abound on the Northside” or simply “We love our Northside neighborhood,” to quote Sister Karen. The sisters are embracing Pope Francis’ call to encounter others: to welcome, accompany, advocate and integrate all people into our lives and communities. In that vein, another possible title could have been “Northside Visitation Sisters living out Pope Francis’ vision for Catholics
throughout the world.” We are all a part of perpetuating systemic racism, and we believe we can all work together to reduce it as well. Gloria Smit, Nancy Norling, Gene Scheffers, Kathleen Burke-Scheffle, MaryAnn de Ruiter, Bob Briscoe, Father Jim Radde, Anne Attea Ascension One Body Initiative, Ascension, Minneapolis
Church ‘sadly silent’ I was hopeful during the lead-up to the elections that the Catholic Church would strongly encourage all Catholics to understand the differences in platforms, agendas and intentions of the two major political parties. With the exceptions of a few courageous priests, the Catholic Church was sadly silent. Comments were made and repeated about the sanctity of life — but no hard stand on abortion. Where was the guidance on protecting our religious freedoms, supporting judges who will protect life, speaking frankly about self-reliance and the PLEASE TURN TO LETTERS ON PAGE 18
TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI
Of mice and men: a saint for our times “Synchronicity.” That’s the word one journalist used in a Nov. 3 Instagram post to describe the fact that Election Day fell on the feast day of St. Martin de Porres, the patron saint of social justice. It was a timely reminder, he felt, to vote with those ideals in mind, to imagine the kind of world the 17th-century Dominican lay brother was trying to bring about. The icon caught my eye: a robed Peruvian man with a broom at his side and a mouse at his feet. I was intrigued. Who was this saint? And what could he teach us today? I texted my aunt Jan, my own personal Catholic Wikipedia, who responded in minutes. “I just finished a novena to St. Martin,” she wrote. Now I was hooked. After some reading, it became clear how uniquely suited this saint is for our times. St. Martin de Porres is the patron saint for public health workers, for multiracial people and for all those seeking racial harmony. If that doesn’t say 2020, I don’t know what does. All he’s missing is a Zoom app. St. Martin was called an “illegitimate son,” born of a Spanish nobleman who quickly abandoned the boy and of a freed slave of African and Native descent. She did laundry to make ends meet but had to send him to foster care with a barber. The lonely child spent hours a night in prayer, a great solace. St. Martin longed to enter religious life, but Peruvian law banned descendants of Africans and Native Americans from becoming full members of religious orders. St. Martin was undeterred. There was another way, he learned. (There is always another way!) He could apply to become a Dominican volunteer — someone to do the grunt work. At age 15, he was accepted as a servant boy by the Dominican Convent of the Rosary in Lima, letting him stay at the monastery and wear their habit. Just as his mother had done, St. Martin took on the laundry. He cleaned, managed the kitchen and worked as a barber. After eight years of faithful service, St. Martin received incredible news: The prior had decided to turn a blind eye to the law and allow St. Martin to take his vows as a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He was scorned by some fellow brothers but unfazed. His dream had come true. Over the decades, St. Martin devoted himself to work in the infirmary, being recognized for his care of the sick and credited for miracles. His gift was that he could see Jesus in anyone. He was a friend to the lowly and would even talk to the monastery mice. Once, when an elderly beggar approached the convent, St. Martin gave the stranger his own bed. The man was nearly naked and covered in ulcers, but he looked like Jesus to St. Martin. When a fellow Dominican reprimanded him, St. Martin responded: “Compassion, my dear brother, is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a little soap I can easily clean my bed covers, but even with a torrent of tears I would never wash from my soul the stain that my harshness toward the unfortunate would create.” In these polarizing times, when wearing a mask is not merely a public health measure but a political statement, St. Martin speaks to us. He exhorts us to stop judging our neighbors and our Facebook friends. He stands for compassion. Amid this resurging virus, he calls us to persistence and prayer. Perhaps the best response to our big problems is to focus more intensely on the little things. The littlest things. Now is a time to bolster our own domestic church, making like the “saint of the broom” — to fold the laundry, to talk to the mice and to pray without ceasing. Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.
COMMENTARY
18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL
Waiting for Jesus with the Baptist If you had asked me a year ago which biblical figure I’d be most interested in spending a few weeks with, St. John the Baptist would have been toward the bottom of my list. It’s not just that I don’t think I could stomach his preferred diet of locusts and honey, or that self-imposed isolation in a desert isn’t my idea of a good time. It’s that John’s apparent motives for his life and actions never struck me as compelling. In the words of one of my brothers, St. John often just seemed like “Jesus’ crazy cousin” — motivated, perhaps, by some kind of unrelatable, unappealing compulsion or mania. Not exactly my idea of someone I’d want to hang out with. Last year at about this time, however, I read something that completely changed my perspective on John. In “The Advent of Salvation,” the 20th-century theologian Jean Daniélou pulls back the camel hair,
GUEST COMMENTARY | FATHER TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK
Should I get vaccinated? Recently, many people have been reaching out with questions about vaccines. So, I thought it would be helpful to mention some of the most common ones and try to provide some answers. Are there sound medical reasons to oppose vaccination? There can be, but vaccines typically provide a path toward individual protection and herd immunity that involves less burden and risk than becoming infected with a disease. Today’s childhood vaccination schedule protects against more than a dozen different diseases. Some individuals, though, may need to decline vaccines if they have a compromised immune system or an allergy to one of the ingredients. When a vaccine is
as it were, and reveals the heart of the Baptist. A heart motivated not by any sort of unreasonable impulse, but by the most attractive of factors: spiritual joy. Daniélou reminds us that John’s life doesn’t begin in the desert as a wild man. His life begins in his mother’s womb. It’s here, during Mary’s visitation of her cousin Elizabeth, that John first encounters Jesus, and leaps for joy to be in the presence of the Savior (Lk 1:44). The rest of John’s life flows from this original encounter. “He was the man who gave up all other joys for the joy of hearing his Lord’s voice,” says Daniélou. “This is why he appears to us cut off from all created things, a man set apart for this one great joy … (h)e knew what true joy was, and so could know no other.” The entirety of John’s preparatory ministry — his selfimposed isolation, his radical asceticism, the message of repentance he proclaims on the banks of the Jordan — is explained by spiritual joy. John is set apart to listen to the voice of the Lord, to long for his next encounter with Jesus, and to prepare others to meet him as well. This is why John is so often referred to as “the friend of the bridegroom,” the one who leads humanity to her long-awaited spouse, the fulfillment of all desires. In fact, this is his greatest joy: to lead others to Christ. Perhaps John wouldn’t be such a bad companion to have after all, especially in these Advent weeks leading up to our celebration of Christ’s coming at Christmas. For one, he can provide us with a compelling witness
of a heart fully satisfied by the love of God. St. John Henry Newman once remarked that, when it comes to being inspired by the lives of the saints, we need not just “holy deeds” but “holy motives” — we need to see the contents of the heart. Understanding John through the lens of spiritual joy may help convince us that God is enough for us as well, allowing us to surrender more fully to him and his designs. More to the point, John can help us wait for Jesus. His own practice of penance and silence in anticipation of meeting the Lord again is a perfect model for us to follow in the weeks remaining before Christmas. Like John’s time in the desert, the penitential spirit of Advent is not in contradiction to the joy of Christ’s coming. In fact, it’s something that only makes sense because of it! John had already encountered Jesus, and the joy from this encounter is what allowed him to leave all other joys behind, to prepare to receive Christ more fully. We’ve already encountered Christ, too. And while it might not require a penitential diet of locusts and honey, we can join John in preparing for Christmas by making acts of repentance (confession is a good start), growing in healthy detachment from earthly goods and creating more time for silent prayer. Not in spite of joy, but because of it.
determined to be safe and effective, it will often make sense for healthy individuals to choose, on their own initiative, to get immunized. Are vaccines safe? The safety profile of vaccines is typically verified by extensive clinical trials involving more than 30,000 participants. Even after successful safety testing, children or adults can develop symptoms or problems, apparently from an inoculation they received. When the problem is further investigated, it may turn out to be a separate health issue unrelated to vaccination. Still, vaccines are not a zero-risk proposal, and on rare occasions, adverse events do occur. No medical intervention is ever completely risk-free. The risk of complications or side effects from vaccines, being reasonably low overall, can be deemed acceptable when compared to the prospect of complications that may arise from the disease itself. For generations, some of those complications included family members living in an iron lung after being ravaged by polio, married individuals rendered infertile from mumps, and infants dying due to whooping cough. Recent generations have been shielded from these types of devastating outcomes through the availability of vaccines. Are there ethical reasons not to receive vaccines? Certain concerns of conscience arise when cell lines derived from abortions are used in the development
and production of vaccines. Vaccines should not be manufactured in this way, and pharmaceutical companies should not make use of these fetal cell lines. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has noted, however, that when vaccines have been produced this way, it is morally permissible to receive them. When equivalent alternative vaccines that don’t rely on such cell lines are available, however, those should clearly be the preferred option. Why wouldn’t it be wrong to receive a vaccine made from aborted fetal cell lines? No moral evil is committed by those who get inoculated with vaccines made from problematic cell lines; rather those who originally exploited aborted children for their cells, or established pharmaceutical company policies that rely on the abortion-derived cells, commit moral evils. The one receiving the vaccine has no causal connection to these wrongful decisions made previously by others, and the end user cannot be held culpable for their wrongdoing. Even so, the Vatican emphasizes that when we receive vaccines manufactured in this way, we should take steps to register our disagreement and call on pharmaceutical companies to reformulate their vaccines using alternative and ethically acceptable cell
LETTERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
Embrace opportunities
dignity of work, taking a stand on marriage between a man and a woman, describing the dangers of a state-run health care system, systemic erosion of our Catholic family values and school choice (funding, critical thinking and freedom of expression)? By not using our voice we will lose our voice forever!
Let us rejoice and be glad in response to Nov. 19 article “Pro-lifers fear ‘hardcore, pro-abortion forces’ in Biden administration” by Tom Tracy. With Joe Biden in the White House, let us work with him to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, provide hospitality to strangers, clothe the naked, look after the ill and visit the imprisoned (Mt 25). Let us build cities on hills and not be hidden, and let light shine out before humanity (Mt 5).
Jim Anderson St. Joseph, Miesville
Questioning congratulation So Pope Francis is congratulating Joe Biden on his victory (“Papal call,” Nov. 19). Does the pope know that Mr. Biden is a pro-abortion and prolate term abortion Catholic? I guess the climate and immigration are more important issues to the pope than abortion. Thank God we have the bishops’ group to keep an eye on President Biden. Tim Bauman St. Pius X, White Bear Lake
DECEMBER 3, 2020
Jim Scheibel St. Frances Cabrini, Minneapolis
Pro-life policies The Nov. 19 article on pro-lifers’ fear of Biden administration (“Pro-lifers fear ‘hard-core, pro-abortion forces’ in Biden administration”) struck me as peculiar. According to the Star Tribune, the Trump Administration has put to death more people than during the past half-century, despite waning support from both Republicans and Democrats. He has
Liedl lives and writes in the Twin Cities.
closed doors to those seeking asylum, separating parents from their children. This is not how we value human life. There obviously is no perfect president, but we must look at how the president lives his/her life and the decisions that he/she makes. Biden has made it clear that he does not support the death penalty and that he will protect immigrant families. Joan Homstad St. Ambrose, Woodbury
Supreme evaluation I am writing you on Nov. 22, the Feast of Christ the King, to whom I’ve been praying for our beloved country. The following came to mind as a possible healing solution: Let the U.S. Supreme Court hear the lawyers’ arguments and arrive at a decision. Since I strongly believe that the majority of five conservative justices are constitutional conservatives rather than political conservatives, I trust that they will come to a non-political decision, and I pray that the whole country would so trust
FATHER PACHOLCZYK CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
likewise, and thereby bring healing to our country. I say this even though my choice for president seems to be losing at this time, because I’m a firm believer in objective truth. Since I rejoiced in the confirmations of Thomas, Alito, Gorsich, Kavanaugh and Barrett because they were constitutional conservatives who would seek objective truth, I must rejoice in whatever decision which they arrive at. And, furthermore, constitutional conservatism would be so enhanced and appreciated by their decision, that it could very well help the Supreme Court arrive at objective truth in revisiting the Roe v. Wade and Obergefell political decisions, bringing even more healing to our country. Roland J. Mayer Epiphany, Coon Rapids Share your perspective by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@archspm.org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.
DECEMBER 3, 2020
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19
CALENDAR franciscanretreats.net/serenity-retreats
CALENDAR submissions
Archdiocesan Consecration to St. Joseph — Dec. 8: 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul, and via livestream. Archbishop Hebda will consecrate the archdiocese to St. Joseph on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. COVID-19 protocols will be observed for those in attendance. archspm.org/synod/stjoseph
DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.
Men’s weekend — Dec. 11-13 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Conference talks, confession, anointing, Mass, Holy Hour and prayer. Pandemic safety steps are in place. franciscanretreats.net/mens-catholic-retreats Cana self-guided Advent Morning of Reflection for Mothers of Young Children — Dec. 12: 9 a.m.–1 p.m., virtual event. Register by Dec. 9 at canafamilyinstitute.com/events for digital retreat guide. cathy@canafamilyinstitute.com
ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event
Archbishop’s Discernment Retreat — Dec. 18-20 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Annual retreat for Catholic men who are currently juniors and seniors in high school to learn about discernment, college seminary life and the priesthood. 10000vocations.org
uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions ONLINE: T HECATHOLICSPIRIT.COM/ CALENDARSUBMISSIONS
FOOD+FESTIVALS Christ Child Luncheon drive-thru — Dec. 4: 2–6 p.m. at St. Ignatius, 35 Birch St. E., Annandale. Freewill offering. Proceeds to pro-life organizations. Call 320-274-8074 to pre-order.
PRAYER+RETREATS Individual and archdiocesan consecration to St. Joseph — Nov. 6-Dec. 8: Thirty-three days of preparation for Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s consecration of the archdiocese to St. Joseph at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. archspm.org/synod/stjoseph Retrouvaille marriage help — Dec. 4-6: Best Western Dakota Ridge Hotel, 3450 Washington Dr., Eagan. Help for struggling marriages. Helpourmarriage.org Serenity retreat — Dec. 4-6 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Men and women in recovery from addictions. Theme for 2020: Keeping the Promises of AA Alive in Chaotic Times. Presenter: Franciscan Father Matthew Malek.
Ignatian men’s silent retreat — ThursdaySunday most weeks at Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House, 8243 Demontreville Trail N., Lake Elmo. Freewill donation. demontrevilleretreat.com
MUSIC+ARTS “Symbolic Lights” Iconography by Judy Symalla — through Jan 2: Thirty icons featuring a set of Incarnation icons by the director of the St. Croix Catholic Iconographers Guild. Viewing is in person at ArtReach St. Croix or online at stcroixiconography.org/symbolic-lights. “Soiree Musicale at Lourdes” featuring Jack Cassidy, baritone, and Lisa Drontle, pianist — Dec. 3: 7–8 p.m. Cassidy, a 2020 graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville, presents his senior degree recital accompanied by Drontle, St. John’s faculty pianist. Musical assortment from composers such as Bernstein, Britten, Faure, Strauss, Verdi and more. Livestreamed at lourdesmpls.org/events. “Her Soul Magnifies the Lord: Voice Recital with Elena De Stasio Stabile” — Dec. 6: 3–4 p.m. at St. Thomas More, 1079 Summit Ave.,
St. Paul. Also livestreamed. Program highlights three female composers. $7. morecommunity.org/elena
FATHER PACHOLCZYK
Virtual Advent organ series — Sundays Dec. 6-20: 5:30–6:15 p.m. online, hosted by Holy Cross, Minneapolis. Featured organists Christopher Ganza, Samuel Backman and Jacob Benda will present a series of virtual organ recitals for the Advent season. ourholycross.org/musical-offerings-and-concerts
sources. Fortunately, none of the 2020-2021 flu vaccines use aborted fetal material, a common concern as the winter season draws near. However, even if they did, it would be ethically permissible to receive the vaccine as an end user, as explained. If a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available, would we be obliged as Christians and as citizens to take it to defeat the spread of the virus? Each person must evaluate his or her individual situation and make a good, prudential judgment regarding the benefit-to-burden ratio when accepting a COVID-19 vaccine. For example, health care workers who have not been exposed to COVID-19 should seriously consider the benefits of getting vaccinated, and their workplace may even require it. The elderly and other vulnerable populations should carefully consider the benefits as well. For younger individuals with very low chances of detrimental outcomes there may be less urgency, particularly if they do not have any contact with vulnerable populations. Governments should not compel citizens to accept COVID-19 vaccinations, but rather inform them of the benefits and risks while encouraging them to carefully decide for themselves. What about the new technologies behind RNA vaccines which have never been used before in humans? The criteria for vaccine safety and efficacy are generally well established and won’t differ fundamentally for a COVID-19 RNA vaccine when compared to other more standard types of vaccines. In light of the various studies that have already been done in animals, and presupposing rigorous human clinical trials, it should soon become clear whether mRNA vaccines are as safe and effective as other vaccines. These kinds of questions about vaccinations and human health merit attention, as they manifest an important desire both for sound scientific information and ethical clarity.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
“Soiree Musicale at Lourdes” featuring Jacob Benda and Our Lady of Lourdes Vocal Quintet — Dec. 17: 7–8:30 p.m. Includes sister-duo of Angel Andres, violinist, and ToniLynn Andres, flutist. Livestreamed event that will explore seasonal favorites such as Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” Vivaldi’s “Winter Concerto” and choral music by Ola Gjeilo, Philip Stopford and more. Livestreamed at lourdesmpls.org/events. “Cathedral Illuminated: The Manger” — Dec. 17-18: 6–9 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. The cathedral exterior will be bathed in light and sound to reveal a story of peace and joy. The 12-minute show is the American debut of British award-winning light and sound company, Luxmuralis. Following COVID-19 protocols, viewing is recommended along John Ireland Blvd. from attendees’ vehicles. Supported by the Cathedral Heritage Foundation. cathedralheritagefoundation.org/events
SPEAKERS+CONFERENCES Archdiocesan Care for Creation Team parish listening events — Dec. 9-10: Participants can learn about the Archdiocesan Care for Creation Team and can share about their parish experience of doing Care for Creation work. This will be an interactive event. Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. or Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. Register online or for more information, please email creation@archspm.org. archspm.org/events
ONGOING GROUPS Calix Society — First and third Sundays: 9–10:30 a.m. at Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Potluck breakfast, family and friends supporting spiritual needs of recovering Catholic alcoholics. Call Kathy at 651-330-3387. calixsociety.org.
Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He serves as the director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.
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20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
DECEMBER 3, 2020
THELASTWORD
In this photo illustration, a child lights the first candle of the Advent wreath. Resources abound in parishes and online to help families and individuals mark Advent, the season of preparation before Christmas. ISTOCK PHOTO | NRUEDISUELI
‘ROOM FOR SOMETHING BETTER’ Many Catholics mark their Advent days through the liturgical calendar, the feasts and fasts of the Church, giving special attention to the many saints whose feasts fall between the First Sunday of Advent and Christmas Day. Among them are St. Nicholas (Dec. 6), the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), St. Juan Diego (Dec. 9), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) and St. Lucia (Dec. 13). For Anne Nicklaus, whose family belongs to Our Lady of Peace in Minneapolis, that means deliberately planning out what she wants her family’s Advent to look like as part of their “domestic church.” Her approach has been to do “a little bit every day,” when it came to Advent and the whole Church year. A mom of five, ages 12 to 22, she still sends care packages to her college-age daughters on the day of their patron saints’ feasts. However, marking special feasts isn’t just about a celebration, she noted, but about establishing a relationship with the members of the Church interceding for them in heaven. Now that she has adult children, she sees how observing the Church’s feasts and fasts has been “written into their DNA.” Advent during “Covidtide,” as some have termed the pandemic, allows families to enter a type of “family cocoon” or period of dormancy, said Nicklaus, 57, who is married to Deacon Alan Nicklaus, who ministers at All Saints in Lakeville. “Like the plants that go to sleep in the winter, something is happening, and they are becoming recreated and renewed for something much greater in the spring. And I think that can happen in their families. But it can’t happen if it’s crowded out with other things. In other words, we have to say no to something to make space for that greater thing that can happen.” One way that Catholics might consider making room is ignoring the 24-7 news cycle and one’s smartphone, she said. Her family takes a technology break every Sunday for reading, board games and time outside. The Nicklauses also focus on the penitential aspect of Advent, which, she noted, is made easier this year with the COVID-19related restrictions. “Advent is a time of sacrifice,” she said, “but we are making room for something better.” — Maria Wiering