The Catholic Spirit - December 4, 2014

Victim assistance 4 • Breaking bad habits 14 • Youth Bible 17 December 4, 2014 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

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What’s next for immigration reform?

Obama immigration plan largely welcomed; critics challenge its legality Catholic News Service President Barack Obama’s package of actions affecting millions of people without legal immigration status received support from Catholic organizations, labor unions and immigration advocates even as critics contended that the steps he announced violated the Constitution.

Advocates for the immigrant community, including national and international church agencies, continued their call for Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform that would include much of Obama’s executive action announced Nov. 20.

Among the supporters of Obama’s action was Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

Also quick to applaud the president’s plans were Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Seattle Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration.

Archbishop Wenski was joined by more than 200 people attending the archdiocese’s annual Catholic Legal Services banquet celebrating the accomplishments of immigrant Americans in greater Miami in watching the president’s televised speech. The response of the immigration lawyers in attendance was generally positive, he said.

“What President Obama did will provide relief for a significant number of people,” the archbishop told

Jocelyn Lara, on the N. M. side of the U.S.-Mexico border, kisses her mother, Trinidad Acahua, before the 16th annual Border Mass Nov. 22 in Sunland Park, N.M. Jocelyn and her sister, Yoryet, were separated from their mother after Acahua was deported seven years ago for being unable to show that she worked in the United States legally. Bishops of the dioceses of El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces, N. M., and Juarez, Mexico, celebrated the Mass.

CNS/Bob Roller Catholic News Service. “But it’s just that. It’s sort of like putting a BandAid on a wound. We still need Congress to act to provide comprehensive immigration reform.

That’s the real solution.”

Archbishop Wenski urged critics in Congress to “take a deep breath and get control of themselves and enact comprehensive immigration reform.”

“They should be able to do that in a bipartisan way. What Obama did was provide relief for a significant number of people. But it’s not sufficient. He couldn’t do anything more than what he did. He did everything possible

within his legal authority.”

Elsewhere, some of the most vocal reactions came from members of Congress. Predictably, the comments broke along party lines, and the debate among legislators on exactly what shape immigration reform will take will likely continue.

In a statement released after Obama’s speech, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said: “By ignoring the will of the American people, President Obama has cemented his legacy of lawlessness and squandered what little credibility he had left.”

Boehner said the president’s “my

way or the highway approach makes it harder to build the trust with the American people that is necessary to get things done on behalf of the country” and that now “Republicans are left with the serious responsibility of upholding our oath of office. We will not shrink from this duty, because our allegiance lies with the American people.

“We will listen to them, work with our members and protect the Constitution,” he added.

As soon as the president finished speaking, several Republican leaders called his planned immigration reform an abuse of power because Obama had not worked with Congress on it. Some threatened to file lawsuits in an attempt to block the president’s actions.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he “will not sit idly by and let the president • Minneapolis bypass Congress and our parishioner Constitution.” attends In a statement Obama’s released after address the president’s speech, he said: • Immigration “President Obama is not changes will above the law take months and has no right to take effect to issue executive See page 10 amnesty. His actions blatantly ignore the separations of powers and the principles our country was founded on.

Inside:

Please turn to CRS on page 10

ALSO inside

Retirement fund

Organist in the making?

Darkness to light

Catholics encouraged to support retired religious through annual collection.

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Basilica event gives people a chance to sit ‘At the Console.’

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Prayers and reflections for the second week of Advent.

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Page Two

2 in PICTURES “Love is a real force for change. It is what makes people refuse to stop at the ordinary and predictable, giving more of themselves than they thought possible.”

Pope Francis in a video message played Nov. 20 at the Italian Church’s Festival of Catholic Social teaching, where he said the dignity of every person means devoting energy and imagination to creating jobs and opportunities for them to use their talents to feed their families.

CLIMATE CHANGE Valerio Mendoza, 83, joins a Nov. 30 vigil for climate change on the eve of the U.N. climate summit in Lima, Peru. During the 12-day summit, negotiators will try to finish drafting an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help countries adapt to climate change. Mendoza is among parishioners from Lima’s Santa Cruz who have been studying about the stewardship of creation and spearheading campaigns to clean up neighborhoods and promote recycling. CNS/Barbara Fraser

“Reject any false and empty hope that violence will solve problems. Violence only creates more violence.

Let’s work for a better, stronger, more holy community — one founded upon respect for each other, respect for life and our shared responsibility for the common good.”

Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis in a statement Nov. 24 following the issuance of a grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, who is white, in the August shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, who is black.

NEWS note • The Catholic Spirit

Knights of Columbus gives coats to kids

SIX NEW SAINTS The banners of six new saints hang from the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Francis celebrates their canonization Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Nov. 24. From left are: Euphrasia Eluvathingal, an Indian Carmelite sister and member of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church; Ludovico of Casoria, an Italian Franciscan priest who founded the Grey Franciscan Friars of Charity and the Grey Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth; Giovanni Antonio Farina, an Italian bishop of Vicenza and the founder of the Teaching Sisters of St. Dorothy; Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the Indian founder of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, a Syro-Malabar Catholic order; Nicholas of Longobardi, an Italian friar of the Minim order; and Amato Ronconi, a 13th-century Italian lay Franciscan and founder of a hospice for the poor, which is now a home for the elderly in Rimini, Italy. CNS/Paul Haring

WHAT’S NEW on social media The feast of St. Nicholas is Dec. 6. This week, a post on The Catholic Spirit’s Facebook page asks, do you have any St. Nicholas Day traditions?

Read the latest news about the local and universal Church by following The Catholic Spirit on Twitter @CatholicSpirit.

The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 19 — No. 25 MOST REVEREND JOHN C. NIENSTEDT, Publisher ANNE STEFFENS, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

JESSICA TRYGSTAD, Editor

On Nov. 28, also known as “Black Friday,” four Minnesota Knights of Columbus chapters distributed 1,200 winter coats to children in need.

“Christmas is about caring,” said Maple Grove Grand Knight Patrick Farrelly. “We Knights are starting our Christmas season by giving the gift of warmth.”

“We gave away 100 Coats for Kids in Bloomington last year,” said Bloomington Grand Knight Tony Spano. “It was fortuitous; last winter was so cold.” This year, Spano’s council gave away 300 coats with a retail value of $22,000.

Chapters in Duluth and Moorhead also distributed coats, which are funded by donations.

Since 2009, the Knights of Columbus has given away 200,000 coats to children. The Coats for Kids program originated in Connecticut and has expanded among the organization’s local chapters.

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic family organization. Founded in 1882, it has grown to nearly two million members worldwide. Its main principle is charity.

For more information about the Knights of Columbus, visit www.kofc.org.

CORRECTIONS On page 16 of the Nov. 20 edition, the wrong photo was inadvertently published with Deacon Bryan Kujawa’s Sunday Scriptures column. We apologize for the error.

On page 25 of the Nov. 20 edition, the article “We can be missionaries right where we are” incorrectly cited Pope Paul VI’s apostolic exhortation “Lumen Gentium.” It was meant to cite Pope Francis’ “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”).

Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service.

All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper.

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3 I feel very blessed to have been taught by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in the elementary and high schools of my home parish. Those were very formative years, and I had the wonderful, inspirational examples of virtue that those religious women embodied. I have often remarked that the Sisters taught me “how to think and how to think with the Church.” Much of my vocation as a priest was also due to the regular encouragement the Sisters gave me. They were marvelous teachers, and their contribution to the Church cannot be overstated.

THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE Archbishop John Nienstedt

Here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, more than 70 religious congregations currently serve in a variety of apostolates. Thousands of men and women live their consecrated lives as priests, brothers, nuns, sisters, hermits and consecrated virgins. They help the poor, the sick and the orphaned. They teach in our grade schools, high schools, universities and seminaries. They provide comfort to those in hospitals and counsel those in prison.

They work to provide

Agradezcamos y apoyemos a aquellos que viven una vida consagrada Me siento muy afortunado de haber estudiado con las Hermanas Dominicas de Adrián en las escuelas primaria y secundaria de mi parroquia. Aquellos fueron años muy formativos y tuve maravillosos ejemplos inspirados en la virtud que estas mujeres religiosas representaban. A menudo he notado que las hermanas me enseñaron “cómo pensar y cómo pensar con la Iglesia.” Gran parte de mi vocación como sacerdote también se debió al estímulo que las hermanas me dieron. Ellas fueron maravillosas maestras y su contribución a la Iglesia no puede ser aminorada.

Aquí en la Arquidiócesis de St. Paul y Minneapolis, más de 70 congregaciones religiosas sirven actualmente en una gran variedad de apostolados. Miles de hombres y mujeres viven sus vidas consagradas como sacerdotes, hermanos, monjas, hermanas, eremitas y vírgenes consagradas. Ellos ayudan a los pobres, a los enfermos y a los huérfanos. Ellos enseñan en nuestras escuelas primarias,

justice for immigrants, housing for the homeless and compassion and the love of Christ to the oppressed. And they pray for all of us. I want to publicly thank those who serve this local Church through their consecrated lives. We, in the Archdiocese, would be at a loss without them.

To give greater attention to and appreciation of these religious men and women, Pope Francis has called for a Year of Consecrated Life, which began last Sunday on Nov. 30, 2014, and will end next year on Feb. 2, 2016.

The year also marks the 50th anniversary of Perfectae Caritatis, the Second Vatican Council’s “Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of Religious Life.” The purpose of this year, as stated by the Vatican, is to “make a grateful remembrance of the recent past” while embracing “the future with hope.” I encourage you to read the Holy Father’s letter inaugurating this Year of Consecrated Life. Our Archdiocesan offices, departments and other groups will be sponsoring events throughout the year on the local level. Please follow The Catholic Spirit and www.archspm.org for information about upcoming opportunities to participate in this extraordinary year.

Next weekend, our parishes will be conducting our annual collection to support the Retirement Fund for Religious. This appeal benefits some 35,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests — men and women who have consecrated their lives to serving God and the Church.

Pope Francis tells us, “Every consecrated person is a gift for the People of God on its journey.” Their support of our journeys often

secundarias, universidades y seminarios. Brindan consuelo a aquellos en los hospitales y aconsejan a aquellos que están en prisión. Trabajan para proporcionar justicia a los inmigrantes, vivienda para las personas sin hogar y la compasión y el amor de Cristo a los oprimidos. Y ellos rezan por todos nosotros. Quiero dar las gracias públicamente a los que sirven a esta Iglesia local a través de sus vidas consagradas. Nosotros, en la Arquidiócesis, tendríamos una gran pérdida sin ellos.

Para otorgar mayor atención y reconocimiento a estos hombres y mujeres religiosos, el Papa Francisco ha hecho un llamado para el Año de la Vida Consagrada, que comenzó el pasado domingo 30 de noviembre del 2014 y que finalizará el próximo 2 de febrero del año 2016. El año también marca el 50 aniversario de la Perfectae Caritatis, “Decreto Sobre la Adecuada Renovación de la Vida Religiosa.” del Concilio Vaticano II. El propósito de este año, según lo declarado por el Vaticano, es “recordar con gratitud el pasado reciente” mientras recibimos con los brazos abiertos “el futuro con esperanza”. Los animo a leer la carta del Santo Padre inaugurando este Año de la Vida Consagrada. Nuestras oficinas Arquidiocesanas, departamentos y otros grupos estarán patrocinando eventos durante todo el año a nivel local.

required great sacrifices on their part. Most senior religious worked for small stipends, leaving a substantial gap in retirement savings.

As a result, hundreds of religious communities now struggle to provide adequate care for aging members.

The Retirement Fund for Religious offers us an opportunity to support elderly religious in this phase of their own journey. While many continue in some form of ministry, others are frail and in need of assistance. Your gift provides vital funding for medications, nursing care and more. It also helps religious congregations implement long-term retirement strategies that ensure both quality eldercare for some and continued service by others to the People of God. The money you give will go to the national office, and then it will be sent to local communities that apply for those funds.

I recognize this is but one of many worthy causes in need of your support. I ask simply that you give what you can. In thanksgiving for the faithful service of senior religious, please join me in supporting the Retirement Fund for Religious as a way of praising God for the gifts He has given the Church through their consecrated lives.

Perhaps you will see some of those who are living the consecrated life during the Advent and Christmas seasons. I am filled with hope that they will continue to inspire you to grow in a deeper love for Jesus Christ. Please thank them for what they do for this local Church, as I thank them for all that they have done for me.

May God bless you!

Por favor, consulten El Espíritu Católico y www.archspm.org para obtener más información sobre las próximas oportunidades para participar en este año extraordinario.

El próximo fin de semana, nuestras parroquias estarán llevando a cabo la colecta anual para apoyar el Fondo para la Jubilación de Religiosos. Esta colecta beneficia a unas 35,000 hermanas católicas, hermanos y sacerdotes de órdenes religiosas, hombres y mujeres mayores de edad que han consagrado su vida a servir a Dios y a la Iglesia.

El Papa Francisco nos dice: “Toda persona consagrada es un regalo para el pueblo de Dios en su jornada”. Su apoyo en nuestras jornadas a menudo requiere grandes sacrificios de su parte. La mayoría de los religiosos de edad avanzada trabajaron por salarios pequeños, dejando una brecha sustancial en los ahorros para su jubilación. Como resultado, ahora cientos de comunidades religiosas luchan para brindar atención adecuada a los miembros de edad avanzada.

El Fondo para la Jubilación de Religiosos nos ofrece una oportunidad para apoyar a los religiosos ancianos en esta fase de su propia jornada. Mientras muchos siguen alguna forma de ministerio, otros son frágiles y necesitan de

From the Archbishop

Let us thank, support those living a consecrated life

asistencia. Su contribución proporciona fondos vitales para medicamentos, cuidados de enfermería, y más. También ayuda a las congregaciones religiosas a implementar estrategias de jubilación a largo plazo que garantizan, para algunos, no sólo la calidad del cuidado a los ancianos, sino el servicio continuo por otros para el Pueblo de Dios. El dinero que usted da, irá a la oficina nacional y luego será enviado a las comunidades locales que solicitan esos fondos.

Reconozco que esto no es sino una de las muchas causas dignas que necesitan su apoyo. Les pido simplemente que ustedes den lo que puedan. En acción de gracias por el servicio fiel de religiosos de edad, por favor, únase a mí para apoyar el Fondo para la Jubilación de Religiosos como una manera de alabar a Dios por los dones que nos ha dado la Iglesia a través de sus vidas consagradas.

Tal vez usted verá algunos de los que viven la vida consagrada durante la temporada de Adviento y Navidad. Me llena de esperanza que ellos lo sigan inspirando a crecer en un amor más profundo por Jesucristo. Por favor, denles las gracias por lo que hacen por esta Iglesia local, así como yo les doy las gracias por todo lo que han hecho por mí. ¡Que Dios los bendiga!

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

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New partnership aims to better serve abuse victims The Catholic Spirit “How can we be more responsive to the needs of victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse?”

That was the question Director of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment Tim O’Malley asked himself when he came on board in September to lead the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ child protection efforts. Part of the answer turned out to be partnering with community professionals who are available 24/7, 365 days a year for victim assistance.

This week, the archdiocese announced a partnership with Twin Cities-based Canvas Health to provide victim assistance services, an important step in fulfilling the recommendation of the Safe Environment and Ministerial Standards Task Force to establish an independent 24/7 hotline where concerns regarding misconduct can be reported.

Now, when a person calls (651) 291-4497 any time day or night, he or she will reach a professional trained to respond to victims/survivors of sexual abuse.

“Canvas Health is the perfect match,” O’Malley said. “They are experts in this field who know how to balance action with compassion.

They have the professional experience to know how to help the caller with whatever he or she needs.”

Victim Assistance Program

Canvas Health has served the metro area for more than 40 years.

“Our organization is grounded on the belief that the vitality and stability of our communities rests on the strength of the individuals and families within them,” said Mark Kuppe, chief executive officer of Canvas Health. “When those who experience traumatic events in their life are helped to heal and live more freely from their past, we are all lifted up. This is so important for victims/survivors of sexual abuse, whether in Church ministry or our broader community.”

The archdiocese has offered victim assistance for those harmed by clergy sexual abuse and other misconduct since 1992. This assistance includes referrals and financial support for counseling, individual or group therapy and spiritual advising or direction.

For confidential, compassionate assistance from an independent and professional local care provider, call (651) 291-4497.

Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information, visit www.SafeCatholicSPM.org.

former project director of the Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center, recommended taking specific steps to enhance the program.

The archdiocese also consulted with victims/survivors of clergy and other sexual abuse, as well as plaintiffs’ attorneys and other experts.

In the past two months, the archdiocese evaluated its victim assistance program with the help of a nationally-recognized expert on providing assistance to sexual abuse victims/survivors. JaneBraun,

“We and the survivors with whom we stand support the decision to use Canvas Health to provide independent and outside professional services for first response and counseling,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Jeff Anderson of

Jeff Anderson & Associates in St. Paul. “Canvas Health are known professionals in the area of working with survivors of sexual abuse and other trauma, having credentials and training in mental health and crisis management.

“They are an excellent choice to provide independent services to help survivors in healing and support in their recovery. Doe 1 and all of the survivors on whose behalf he spoke when he reached the settlement deserve credit for the continued progress we are seeing. Partnering with Canvas Health is an important action step by the archdiocese.”

O’Malley said he and other archdiocesan leaders will continue to communicate with victims/ survivors, plaintiffs’ attorneys and others to make more improvements and to help encourage those who have been harmed to report abuse to law enforcement and seek assistance.

“We are hopeful that our partnership with Canvas Health will be helpful to victims/survivors and will encourage those who may be suffering in silence to come forward,” he said. “Working together, we want to provide a safe haven for those in need.”

Join us for a celebration of

Taizé Prayer

Led by Fr. Michael Joncas and David Haas CDH faculty and students, as well as musicians from the greater Twin Cities area, will be part of the celebration.

Sunday, December 7, 2014 • 7:00 p.m.

James and Julie Woulfe Activity Center 550 S. Albert St. • St. Paul 55116 This event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

David Haas is a campus minister at Cretin-Derham Hall, Director of “Music Ministry Alive!,” and a nationally known composer of liturgical music, workshop leader and recording artist.

Fr. Michael Joncas is a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, a professor of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, and a nationally known composer of liturgical music, liturgist and workshop speaker.

www.TheCatholicSpirit.com December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

5 Consecrated members to speak about ‘evangelical counsels’ as part of series at St. Agnes

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit The founding prior of a relatively new Italian monastery that follows the traditional Rule of St. Benedict will be the first speaker in a three-part series for the Year of Consecrated Life.

Benedictine Father Cassian Folsom’s presentation Father Cassian on chastity 1:30 p.m., FOLSOM Sunday, Dec. 14, in Schuler Hall at St. Agnes in St. Paul will be the first in the series on what are known as the “evangelical counsels” — poverty, chastity and obedience.

Vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are traditionally taken by members of religious communities of men and women. They are called evangelical counsels because they were the advice of Jesus in the Gospels (“evangelium” in Latin) to those who “would make sure of everlasting life and desire to conform . . . perfectly to the Divine will,” according to the Catholic Encyclopedia.

St. Agnes pastor Father Mark Moriarty said he doesn’t think that it is a coincidence that a pope who took the name Francis would call for a Year of Consecrated Life.

“One of the people who lived the aspects of consecrated life best was St. Francis,” Father Moriarty said.

“He lived life in a strikingly simple and beautiful fashion. I think the Holy Father wants to get us reconnected to that.”

It was providential that Father Cassian was going to be in the Twin Cities, Father Moriarty added, because he wanted “someone who was living the consecrated life” to be one of the speakers for the series.

The Monastery of St. Benedict where Father Folsom ministers is in Norcia, some 70 miles northeast of Rome. The current monastery is located above the 5th century ruins of the house of St. Benedict and his twin sister St. Scholastica, and the monks there are charged with caring for the Basilica of St. Benedict and the spiritual, pastoral and physical needs of some 50,000 pilgrims who visit the birthplace of the two saints each year.

Along with his afternoon talk, Father Folsom will preside at the

Local events and resources www.archspm.org/2015YCL Join the conversation on social media #YCL2015

Did you know?

One expression of consecrated life is vowed religious life within community. Priests, brothers or sisters in communities express the mission of Jesus in a variety of ways — embracing the spirituality, the charism and the teachings of the community’s founder. Members take vows that usually include poverty, celibate chastity and obedience.

From Cathy Bertrand, School Sisters of Notre Dame

10 a.m. Mass Dec. 14 and will lead vespers at 3 p.m.

Jessica Zittlow and her husband Richard Aleman are coordinating the series.

“We are excited about all of the speakers,” Zittlow said. “We have no doubt that each of their voices and perspectives will be fruitful contributions to this yearlong celebration, and look forward to sharing these speakers with the broader archdiocesan community.”

Zittlow said she is particularly excited that Dominican Sister Mary Sarah Galbraith from Aquinas College will come to speak on the counsel of obedience. Her talk is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18.

“As a college president and a member of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia Congregation, she is both in a position of leadership for the Church and has professed a vow of obedience,” Zittlow noted.

“She embodied an exciting contradiction to the modern, secular concepts of ‘freedom’ and ‘leadership’ that I’m hoping piques people’s curiosity,” she said.

“Faithful, faith-filled female Catholic leaders, particularly women religious, have so much to offer to the modern conversation about the true nature of women’s freedom and liberty,” Zittlow said.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will deliver the third part of the series — on the evangelical counsel of poverty — at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 15. That part of the series will include vespers and a homily in St. Agnes’ upper church.

St. Agnes is located one block east of Dale Street at 548 Lafond Ave. in St. Paul.

Pope: Support Catholic religious in their mission, ministries

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

Local

Poverty, chastity, obedience

During the Year of Consecrated Life, all Catholics are called to thank God for the gifts members of religious orders have given the Church and the world, to join them in prayer and find practical ways to support them and their ministries, Pope Francis said.

“Let them know the affection and the warmth which the entire Christian people feels for them,” the pope said in a letter issued for the special year, which opened Nov. 30 and will close Feb. 2, 2016, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

The Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court, issued a note Nov. 28 specifying that both lay and consecrated people can receive an indulgence for participating in events related to the Year of Consecrated Life, going to confession, receiving the Eucharist and offering prayers for the intentions of the pope.

In his letter, Pope Francis also offered greetings to Orthodox communities of monks and nuns, and to members of Protestant religious orders, who also take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and are “expressions of fraternal communion and service.”

Dialogue between Catholic religious and those of other traditions “can prove helpful for the greater journey toward the unity of all the churches,” he said.

The bulk of the pope’s letter and video messages he sent for a Nov. 29 prayer vigil in Rome and the year’s opening Mass the next day in St. Peter’s Basilica were addressed specifically to the world’s more than 900,000 Catholic religious priests, brothers, sisters and consecrated virgins.

“Leave your nests and go out to the peripheries,” he told those at the vigil in the Basilica of St. Mary Major. “Live on the frontiers” where people are waiting to hear and understand the Gospel.

“Wake up the world, enlightening it with your prophetic and counter-cultural witness,” he said in the message to those at Mass in St. Peter’s the next morning.

“Being joyful,” he said in the message, “being courageous” and “being men and women of communion” are the common traits of the “Let them know founders of religious orders the affection and and are the key to their future. the warmth which The pope’s letter for the year explained that while he the entire Christian was writing as pope, he was also writing as a Jesuit, “a people feels for brother who, like yourselves, is consecrated to the Lord.” them.”

Knowing the gifts and challenges of religious life Pope Francis from the inside, Pope Francis urged religious to “look to the past with gratitude,” rediscovering the way their predecessors read “the signs of the times” and responded with creativity. However, it also involves recognizing the difficulties and inconsistencies resulting from human weakness and learning from them.

Religious are called “to live the present with passion” and “embrace the future with hope,” he said, knowing that the Holy Spirit continues to inspire new responses to the needs of the Church and the world and to give religious the strength to be faithful servants of God. Within communities, within dioceses and within the Church, he said, religious are called to be “experts in communion,” a call that is prophetic in the modern world. “In a polarized society where different cultures experience difficulty in living alongside one another and where the powerless encounter oppression, where inequality abounds, we are called to offer a concrete model of community which, by acknowledging the dignity of each person and sharing our respective gifts, makes it possible to live as brothers and sisters.”

“Don’t be closed in on yourselves,” he said, “don’t be stifled by petty squabbles, don’t remain a hostage to your own problems.”

A person’s attitude reflects what is in his or her heart, the pope said, and for consecrated people that means “to know and show that God is able to fill our hearts to the brim with happiness.”

“None of us,” he said, “should be dour, discontented and dissatisfied, for a ‘gloomy disciple is a disciple of gloom.’”

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

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Author thanks religious who taught, guided Catholics encouraged to contribute to annual fund that aids retirement

By Beth Blair For The Catholic Spirit Author and St. Paul resident Mary Murray Bosrock has been writing for years. However, it wasn’t until she penned her most recent book, a memoir titled “Mortal Sin On My Soul” (Beavers Pond Press, 2013) about being raised Catholic in Sandusky, Ohio, during the 1950s, that she realized how instrumental Catholic school, nuns and priests were in her upbringing.

“I took for granted the amazing culture I grew up with and the love and devotion my teachers showed all of us,” she admitted.

The influence Bosrock’s religious role models had on her, from discipline to concern for others, didn’t end with childhood. While Bosrock is a member of Lumen Christi parish, she also is a self-described world church hopper, due to her frequent travels, and enjoys visiting schools to share her writing with young people while addressing today’s issues, such as bullying and showing respect for all God’s creation.

“I think those of us who were taught by nuns and priests, myself for 16 years, know the unselfishness those people offered us was beyond imagination, especially the nuns,” Bosrock recalled.

“They devoted their Retirement Fund for Religious entire lives, 24 hours a day, 365 days a collection is Dec. 13-14 year to God and us kids. And they never received any financial reward. The least we owe them is a decent retirement, and there is no better time to do that than now.”

In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection is Dec. 13-14. Catholics will be speaking at parishes and reflecting on the impact the religious have had on their own lives.

Sister Midge Breiter, coordinator of the Office of Retirement Fund for Religious in the archdiocese, explained the need.

“As you will notice, the pictures on the posters and the envelopes are of elderly religious in their 90s who taught long ago. Religious communities of women and men did not receive an equivalent salary as others in the society,” Sister Midge said. “They were given a stipend (about $300-$600 per year) for many years with no retirement benefit, so this has put an

Mary Murray Bosrock of Lumen Christi in St. Paul is grateful to all of the priests and nuns who taught her during her 16 years of Catholic education. She wrote about her experiences in a book she recently published called “Mortal Sin On My Soul.” Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit extreme burden on their health care expenses. Our senior religious have served our Church faithfully, and so our archdiocese asks you now to share in their care.”

In 2013, Catholics in the archdiocese contributed $412,997, $70,000 less than 2012. The national fund still aided many in need.

“The retirement fund for religious was able to give $23 million for direct care to communities of women and men who applied for assistance,” said Sister Midge. That money helped 35,000 religious women and men nationwide.

Bosrock reminds peers that the devoted men and women of our Church shouldn’t suffer due to others’ bad decisions.

“I think most Catholics have a bit of media fatigue,” Bosrock said, urging others to feel confident that their generosity is going where intended.

Sister Midge also reassures donors.

“There is a concern that money donated on the appeal Sunday does not go to the religious but stays in the archdiocese. That is not true,” she explained, “as all the money except for salary and other expenses incurred in the diocese goes to the national office and is distributed from there. It is the most successful annual appeal that is held in the Catholic parishes.”

“Just like our veterans who served our country deserve excellent health care, homes and jobs after serving our country,” said Bosrock, “the religious who served so faithfully and unselfishly deserve a decent retirement.”

For more information about the Retirement Fund for Religious, visit www.retiredreligious.org.

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7

Local Oskar Cologne, center, gets his chance to try out the organ at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis during a special event following the 5 p.m. Mass on Nov. 22 called “At the Console.” Organist Christopher Stroh, right, came up with the idea as a way to help people learn about this liturgical instrument. He chose Nov. 22 because it is the feast day of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. Watching Cologne play, after taking her turn, is Elizabeth Sepic, whose family belongs to the basilica. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Basilica event gives people a chance to sit ‘At the Console’

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Four-year-old Oskar Cologne was all smiles as he sat at the huge organ console at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis Nov. 22.

He had been patiently waiting for his chance. Joined by his mother, Amy, he stayed after the 5 p.m. Mass to attend a special event in the church sanctuary called “At the Console.”

It took place on the feast day of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. Basilica organist Christopher Stroh came up with idea and had the first “At the Console” event a year ago.

This time around, 60 to 70 people came to

“It’s not every day you get invited to view the organ, and I thought it would be a good idea for these guys to see it up close. . . . I’m very happy that the church is able to preserve an instrument like this.”

Elise Sepic, Basilica of St. Mary parishioner

learn the ins and outs of the massive instrument.

“We love the organ; we come here for concerts all the time,” said Amy Cologne, who belongs to nearby St. Mark’s Episcopal Church but is a frequent visitor to the basilica. “When we heard that [Stroh] was going to give a tour of the console, we made a special trip to let Oskar see the organ. He wants to play the organ so much.”

He, along with several others, both children and adults, got their chance after Stroh’s 45-minute presentation, during which he demonstrated how the organ works and gave people a look at not only the console, but also the pipes situated behind the sanctuary.

Stroh, who practices 20 to 30 hours a week, said he came up with “At the Console” after many impromptu conversations with basilica visitors during his practice sessions.

The idea of this event was “to create an environment for people of all ages and musical interests to truly encounter the organ up close and personal,” said Stroh, who has been the basilica organist since 2006. “I treasure the opportunity of getting a sense of what people experience in hearing the organ as well as learning about their musical interests. There is a wonderfully exciting and contagious energy in watching people’s reactions to the different sounds and effects the organ can produce. It’s even more rewarding to see people’s reactions when they see how those sounds are made through navigating the organ’s numerous stops, keyboards and buttons.”

Basilica organ facts The following information about the organ at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis was provided by organist Christopher Stroh.

• It was built in 1949 and dedicated on Oct. 15, 1950 • It is nicknamed the “Centennial” organ because its dedication coincided with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis • It contains 82 ranks (rows) of pipes, with a total of nearly 5,000 pipes, ranging in size from more than 32 feet down to the size of a pencil • The organ console has four keyboards (61 notes each) played by the hands, a pedalboard of 32 notes played by the feet, and 120 stop knobs • The cost of building a similar organ from scratch today would be several million dollars

Please turn to BASILICA on page 19

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Local

8

Wedding plans: Cathedral seeks photos for centennial exhibit

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit A box full of wedding photos sits at Celeste Raspanti’s elbow.

As she lifts one from the stack and looks at it, two brides, two grooms, two maids of honor and two best men look back.

Submit your photos for the Cathedral’s exhibit To submit photos from weddings at the Cathedral of St. Paul for the exhibit, get the submission form at www. cathedralsaintpaul.org/ 100-years-of-marriage.

That web page has instructions for digitizing photo prints and other information, including a link for where to email the photos and any family stories related to the wedding. That email address is archives@ cathedralsaintpaul.org.

It’s a black-andwhite image more than 99 years old, made of the wedding parties from a double wedding, the first of its kind at the “new” Cathedral of St. Paul on April 14, 1915.

“I look at those young faces and it touches me,” Raspanti said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I always think, they don’t know what’s ahead of them, but they take the leap.”

Raspanti, the volunteer archivist for the Cathedral, is gathering wedding photos of couples married at the cathedral for a special exhibit — “100 Years of Marriage at the Cathedral of St. Paul.” The exhibit will be displayed in Hayden Hall in the cathedral’s lower level during 2015, the 100th anniversary year of the first Mass in, and the simple dedication of, the cathedral.

Additional photos sought Opening is set for June 6, 2015, Archdiocesan Marriage Day. Couples and family members are invited to submit photos for the exhibit; more than 60 photos have already been received.

A goal is to have a wedding photo from every year from 1915 to 2015,” Raspanti said.

Cousins Winifred (left) and Catherine O’Dowd were the brides in the first double wedding celebrated in the then “new” Cathedral of St. Paul April 14, 1915. Winifred married Joseph Jolly; Catherine wed Gerald Fenlon. The photo of the wedding parties will be first in line in the Cathedral Centennial Wedding Exhibit that will go on display June 6, 2015. The cathedral is continuing to solicit photos of those married at the cathedral as part of the 100th anniversary of the first Mass and simple dedication in 1915. Photo courtesy Ilene Fenlon Cullen The Catholic Spirit Catherine and Winifred O’Dowd talked about buying their wedding dresses and special shoes for their big day back in 1915.

The O’Dowd cousins were married at the first double wedding in the “new” Cathedral of St. Paul April 14 of that year.

Catherine married Gerald Fenlon, and, at the same ceremony, Winifred married Joseph Jolly.

A photo of their combined wedding parties will be the first on display at the Cathedral Centennial Wedding Exhibit, set to open June 6, 2015, coinciding with the celebration of Archdiocesan Marriage Day. A priest at the cathedral, Father Walter Aloysius Daly, gets the credit for giving the O’Dowd cousins what they considered the honor of being the first double wedding in the newly dedicated church on the bluff of Summit Hill in St. Paul.

According to Ilene Cullen, one of Catherine and Gerald’s five children, “It was a special privilege

that Father Daly wanted to extend to them because he knew them and liked them all a great deal.”

“They didn’t have a lot of money. It was an opportunity given to them based more on their friendship with the priest.”

Joseph Jolly immigrated to St. Paul from Montreal, reported Mary Ann Jolly, who married Joseph’s son, Don. Winifred, Catherine and Gerald Fenlon were immigrants from Ireland.

The Fenlon and Jolly weddings weren’t the only ones that April Tuesday in 1915. Daisey Rettinger and Adolph Schmit were married in a single ceremony that day as well, according to records of the Archdiocese of St. Paul.

The Fenlons ended up joining other parishes later, noted granddaughter Ilene, the keeper of the family stories, but they always came to the cathedral for special occasions.

Great-granddaughter Kathy Cullen remembered, “They loved the cathedral.”

The exhibit is one of a handful of special events being planned to celebrate the centennial.

Raspanti, a retired university history teacher and playwright, is chairing the centennial committee.

She said one of the purposes for the exhibit is to support marriage.

Irene and Scott Mathiesen exchange vows during their wedding Mass Aug. 30 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

“We want to show the sacrament of marriage as we Catholics understand it, and to show the continuity of the sacrament at the cathedral,” Raspanti added.

The wedding photo exhibit, like other centennial events, is an effort to fulfill the three-fold mission of the cathedral, she said.

People from all over should feel a sense of ownership of the cathedral because it is the mother

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

church of the archdiocese, Raspanti said.

It’s also a parish, and fulfilling

the mission of every parish to educate in faith and to minister to those in need, she said, and it has a

public face with a mission to enrich the cultural life of the community.

9

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service Pope Francis met with young refugees from civil wars in Syria and Iraq a few hours after joining Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to denounce the plight of Christians there.

“The degrading conditions in which so many refugees are forced to live are intolerable,” the pope told about 100 young refugees in Istanbul Nov. 30, less than an hour before boarding his flight to Rome.

“We must do everything possible to eradicate the causes of this situation.”

Addressing the refugees, who included Christians and Muslims, Pope Francis publicly reiterated his appreciation for Turkey’s acceptance of refugees from neighboring lands — an estimated 1.6 million from Syria alone.

The pope did not repeat his earlier statements of qualified support for multilateral military action against Islamic State militants who have targeted Christians in Syria and Iraq.

However, he appealed for “greater international cooperation to resolve the conflicts which are causing bloodshed in your homelands, to counter the other causes which are driving people to leave their home countries, and to improve conditions so that people may remain or return home.”

Meeting about 100 young refugees in the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis told them, “I wanted to meet other refugees, but it was not possible.”

The young people, who also included refugees from Somalia and other parts of the Horn of Africa, sang for the pope in Spanish, English and Arabic.

Earlier in the day, the pope joined Patriarch Bartholomew, considered first among equals by Orthodox bishops, to sign a joint declaration that highlighted violence against Christians in the region.

“We cannot resign ourselves to a Middle East without Christians,” the leaders wrote, specifically noting the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

“Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and have been forced violently from their homes,” the declaration said.

“Tragically, all this is met by the indifference of many.”

The statement described an “ecumenism of suffering,” according to which the “sharing of daily sufferings can become an effective instrument of unity.”

“We no longer have the luxury of isolated action,” the patriarch said during a liturgy celebrating the feast of St. Andrew, patron saint of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. “The modern persecutors of Christians do not ask which church their victims belong to. The unity that concerns us is regrettably already occurring in certain regions of the world through the blood of martyrdom.”

Pope Francis, also speaking during the liturgy, said that the “cry of the victims of conflict urges us to move with haste along the path of reconciliation and communion between Catholics and Orthodox. Indeed, how can we credibly proclaim the message of peace which comes from Christ, if there continues to be rivalry and

disagreement between us?”

The leaders’ joint declaration called for peace in eastern Ukraine, where a war between government forces and Russian-backed separatists has exacerbated historic tensions between Eastern Catholic and Orthodox communities there.

“We call upon all parties involved to pursue the path of dialogue and of respect for international law,” the declaration said, in an apparent reference to Russia’s support for the separatists, which has drawn international condemnation.

Pope Francis said unity between the churches is also necessary to combat the “structural causes of poverty,” including unemployment and scarce housing, and a “dominant culture” of materialism that particularly demoralizes the young.

The pope assured his listeners that, “to reach the desired goal of full unity, the Catholic Church does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the

shared profession of faith,” and that Orthodox Christians would not lose their distinctive forms of worship, spirituality and governance in a reunion with Rome.

Full communion between the churches, which have been divided since 1054, “means neither submission of one to the other nor absorption, but rather welcoming of all the gifts that God has given to each to show the whole world the great mystery of salvation realized by Christ the Lord through the Holy Spirit,” the pope said.

U.S. & World

Wars that caused flight must end, pope tells refugees

The pope’s first meeting of the day was with Rabbi Isak Haleva, chief rabbi of Turkey. Turkey’s Jewish community of about 25,000 traces its origins to the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain.

On the way to the airport for his return flight to Rome, Pope Francis stopped at an Istanbul hospital to visit 58-year-old Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Mesrob II, who is seriously ill.

Pope Francis meets with young refugees from civil wars in Syria and Iraq a few hours after joining Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to denounce the plight of Christians there. CNS/L’Osservatore Romano

To our readers To allow The Catholic Spirit staff members time with their loved ones during the holidays, the newspaper will not publish a Jan. 2, 2015, edition as planned. The first edition of 2015 will be Jan. 15.

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

U.S. & World

10

CRS: Conditions that push migrants must be addressed Antonia Alvarez of Sagrado Corazón de Jesús parish in Minneapolis greets President Barack Obama Nov. 21 in Las Vegas after he detailed his executive action on immigration, which he announced the previous day. When Alvarez returned to Minnesota, she hosted an informational meeting at her parish in hopes of better educating and providing resources for the immigrant community.

Photo courtesy Antonia Alvarez Continued from page 1 The president has said 22 times previously that he does not have the power to legislate on immigration.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said immigration reform was needed, but he

“In the faces of these men, women and children, we are called to see the face of Christ and provide a just and compassionate welcome in a way that represents their inherent dignity as fellow daughters and sons of God.” Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA

disagreed with the president’s plan, saying the borders must first be secured and immigration laws enforced.

“The president’s actions now make all of this harder and are unfair to people in our immigration system who are doing things the right way,” he said in a statement.

Even before the president publicly announced his immigration plan, congressional Democrats promised to stand behind his efforts.

“Immigrant communities have waited too long for House Republicans to catch up with the American public’s support for comprehensive immigration reform,” said a Nov. 17 letter to the president signed by leading top Democratic senators.

House Democrats sent Obama a similar letter Nov. 13 signed by 116 representatives who demanded “bold and meaningful executive action” and said they would stand behind the president in his efforts “to protect American families, strengthen local communities and grow the economy.”

Among agencies working with immigrant communities in the delivery of services, the plan was welcomed.

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

At Catholic Charities USA, Father Larry Snyder, president, said the organization was hopeful Obama’s plan will lead to much needed legislation to provide workers with a path to permanent citizenship. He welcomed aspects of the president’s plan that would prevent families from being split up and protect children fleeing violence in their homeland.

“In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus says that when we welcome a stranger in his name, we welcome his presence into our hearts,” Father Snyder said in a statement. “In the faces of these men, women and children, we are called to see the face of Christ and provide a just and compassionate welcome in a way that represents their inherent dignity as fellow daughters and sons of God.” Bill O’Keefe, vice president of advocacy and government relations at Catholic Relief Services, said the president’s actions are “a temporary solution to problems in our outdated and unjust immigration system,” but still serve as “a ray of hope to the hopelessness in much of Mexico and Central America.”

O’Keefe said in a statement that the conditions that push migrants to leave their homelands in the first place must be addressed alongside any legal reform effort.

The agency called for deeper investments in job creation, education and the revitalization of rural economies in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala so that children and families in those countries can overcome poverty and insecurity that leads to migration.

Sister Simone Campbell, a Sister of Social Service, who is executive director of the Catholic social justice lobbying group Network, supported the plan, saying she was rejoicing in knowing that immigrant parents living in the shadows are more assured that they will not be apprehended with little warning and separated from their children.

Other supporters of the plan included the National Employment Law Project, American Immigration Council, Alliance for Citizenship and Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners, and the AFLCIO.

Immigration changes will take months, at least, to take effect

By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service It will be several months, at least, before anyone can apply to take advantage of immigration policy changes announced by President Barack Obama Nov. 20.

Some aspects will go through the federal rule-making process, which requires a formal advertising and comment period that could take a year or more. Others are simply a matter of spreading the word through various federal agencies about new priorities and policies. Still others will mean setting up procedures, websites and staffing to handle potentially millions of applicants.

Immigrant assistance organizations such as the Catholic Legal Immigration Network caution potential beneficiaries of any of the new programs and policies to be wary of anyone offering legal advice or help applying for things that aren’t yet available.

CLINIC and 19 other religious, legal, civil rights and union organizations are collaborating on something called the Administrative Relief Resource Center, www.adminrelief.org, which has information for potential applicants, legal service providers and communities that want to provide assistance to immigrants.

On CLINIC’s website, www.cliniclegal.org, is a schedule of trainings for those who want to help applicants.

The package of executive actions includes: • Expansion of deferred deportation that could affect more than 4 million people.

• Revised priorities for who will be deported.

• The expansion of a provisional waiver that will allow more people to apply for legalization without leaving the country.

• Broader definitions of who may qualify for certain waivers, known as “parole,” from immigration agency requirements.

Those will affect relatives of military personnel and some people with pending immigration cases who wish to leave the country for a short time.

• Streamlining of visa procedures for foreign students and graduates of U.S. universities and other applicants for technology or other highly skilled jobs.

The process to apply for expansion of deferred deportation for the parents of U.S. citizens and green card holders will likely be rolled out by spring, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters before Obama’s announcement.

The largest group of beneficiaries is likely to be more than 4 million immigrants without legal status who have a U.S. citizen child or one with legal permanent residency, commonly known as a green card. Those children can be minors or adults.

Applicants will need to have lived in the U.S. for more than five years, supply proof of various aspects of their history, go through a background check and pay a fee.

Successful applicants of what is being called Deferred Action for Parental Accountability, or DAPA, will be granted relief from deportation — as long as they stay out of trouble — for three years, which may be renewed.

Just as did recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, on which this expansion is based, successful applicants will be issued Social Security cards and work permits.

The program will not confer any real legal status, nor will it entitle recipients to bypass rules for legalization and citizenship.

DACA also will be made available to people who arrived before 2010, a change from the current date of 2007. Applicants will no longer be required to be under age 31. Renewals and new recipients of DACA will be good for three years, instead of the previous two years.

A re-prioritizing of who Immigration and Customs Enforcement chooses to deport will mean enforcement will focus on criminals, those who are thought to be threats to national security and those who are picked up at the border.

Those changes should take effect quickly.

Likely to take the longest — a year to 18 months — according to the administration officials, will be three types of changes to the rules: those covering who is granted parole to leave the country before they have been approved for legal residency; for who is given permission to remain in the U.S. under “extreme hardship” provisions; and changes meant to streamline visas for entrepreneurs, graduates and highly skilled workers.

11

By Richard Szczepanowski Catholic News Service Dr. Martin Salia, a Maryland Catholic doctor who died Nov. 17 after contracting the Ebola virus while serving patients in his native Sierra Leone, was remembered by his family, colleagues, government officials and others as a man who loved God, lived to serve others and died as a hero.

“Brother Martin loved everyone.

Although he was small in stature, he did big things; every week he saved a life,” said Father Rick Gancayco, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Landover Hills, where the late doctor and his family were members. “He did not seek riches or recognition. He taught his children the true meaning of love — to give your life for another.”

Father Gancayco celebrated a funeral Mass for Salia at St. Mary Church Nov. 29. More than 200 people gathered to honor the late

doctor.

“We remember the life of a remarkable man,” the priest said.

“Martin Salia was a man inspired by Dr. Martin faith.”

SALIA Salia died at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha after being flown there from Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he was serving as chief medical officer and surgeon at Kissy United Methodist Hospital.

“After his family and faith, three things were important to Martin Salia: the United States, Sierra Leone and medicine,” Father Gancayco noted. “He was a Catholic working in a Methodist hospital, treating Muslims and Christians.”

CHICAGO

Obama, Archbishop Cupich meet in Chicago, talk immigration Less than a week after he was installed in his new position, Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich had a brief private meeting with President Barack Obama when the president visited the city to promote his executive actions on immigration. In an interview aired on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Nov. 30, the archbishop said he and the U.S. bishops support the president’s efforts. He expressed gratitude for the plan to help immigrants who lack legal status, enabling them to “come out of the shadows” and live out aspirations for a better life that “were placed in their hearts by God. We have to attend to that. It’s not just something they want on their own. God has always called us to a better life.”

VATICAN CITY

Re-gifting: Vatican raffles pope gifts to raise money for poor Like many Catholic parishes, the Vatican has turned to a raffle to raise money; the difference is, the prizes are items originally given as gifts to Pope Francis. For 10 euros — about

Salia divided his time between New Carrollton, where his family lives, and the hospital in Freetown.

Sierra Leone, along with Liberia and Guinea, have been hard hit by the Ebola epidemic.

Salia, 44, was flown to the medical center — one of only four U.S. hospitals designated to handle Ebola patients — after he tested positive for the virus.

“Oh Lord, what Martin did for the least of his brothers, he did for you,” the priest prayed at the funeral Mass. “Martin gave his life for others, please grant him eternal life.”

At the end of the Mass, Ron Klain, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama and the administration’s Ebola response coordinator, offered Obama’s condolences to the Salia family and presented the family with a private letter from the president.

Also attending the Mass was Bockari Stevens, Sierra Leone’s

$12.50 — anyone can go to the Vatican post office or pharmacy and buy a chance to win a Fiat Panda 4x4, a small SUV “fully loaded” with every option available, the Vatican said.

Tickets are not for sale on the Internet or anywhere outside Vatican City. The raffle is being run by the Vatican City State governor’s office, and proceeds will be placed directly “at the disposition of the pope himself,” said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman. First prize is the Fiat. The other main prizes include: a blue racing bike, an “orange bicycle with baskets,” a tandem bike, a small HD digital video camera, an espresso machine, a brown leather briefcase and an authentic Panama hat. The tickets also say there will be “more than 30 consolation prizes.”

First world day against human trafficking set for February The first International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking has been announced for Feb. 8, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese slave who eventually was freed and became a Canossian nun. The day is intended to raise awareness and to encourage reflection on “the violence and injustice that affect” the numerous victims of trafficking, according to a Nov. 25 press release from the Pontifical Council for

ambassador to the United States.

He called Salia “a true hero to our country” and urged the United States and other countries to do more to combat the virus.

Isatu Salia, the physician’s widow, said in a Nov. 21 interview that her hope is that people are more interested in the way her husband lived than the way he died. “I want people to learn from him that you have to care for the poor, the needy and little children,” she said.

U.S. & World

Doctor who died of Ebola a ‘man inspired by faith’

Isatu said her late husband was the inspiration for her own conversion to Catholicism from the Muslim faith. She said their family prayed together every day, and “we even prayed together on the phone when he was in Africa.”

“I loved him very much,” she said. “His last words to me were, ‘I love you. God bless you.’ He was preaching God even with his last breath.”

Migrants and Travelers. Trafficking victims “have no voice, do not count, and are no one.

They are simply slaves,” the council said. The observance also is designed to seek solutions and promote concrete action to stop trafficking.

DUBLIN

Church, National Library to make parish records free online The Catholic Church and the National Library of Ireland have partnered to make almost 400,000 images of Catholic parish register microfilms available online for free. A National Library of Ireland statement called the records the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 census. Dating from the 1740s to the 1880s, they cover nearly 1,100 parishes throughout the island of Ireland and consist primarily of baptismal and marriage records.

“Most census records from this period were destroyed in the Four Courts fire of 1922, so these parish registers are the most comprehensive surviving source of information on Irish families in the 1700s and 1800s,” said Colette O’Flaherty, head of special collections at the National Library of Ireland.

— Catholic News Service

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December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Advent

12

From darkness to light, from sadness to joy

By Father Michael Van Sloun For The Catholic Spirit

the greatest. The heaviness of the darkness can lead to sadness and feeling down in the dumps.

The holy season of Advent has arrived, and in eager anticipation, we are now on the joyful four-week journey to Christmas. But it is not always easy to be joyful.

During Advent, the Church pays special attention to the struggle between darkness and light. December is one of the cloudiest months of the year, and the gloomy, gray, dreary, overcast skies Father can dampen our spirits.

VAN SLOUN Moreover, the days keep getting shorter up to the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year when the light is the least and the darkness is

But there are many ways to counteract the bleakness and desolation.

Pray. Stay close to Jesus, who is the light of the world (John 8:12; 12:46), the light shining in the darkness (John 1:5). Also, it is a good idea to have an Advent wreath.

Each week as the outdoor light diminishes, one additional candle is lit to symbolize how the light of Christ crowds out the darkness, which gives us reason to have exultant spirits and joyful hearts.

Another rich source of light is ourselves. Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).

When we are kind to one another and do good deeds, such as spending quality time together, being extra patient and

complimentary, hosting Christmas parties, or buying and wrapping gifts, our light is set on a lamp stand for all to see (Matthew 5:15), and as our light illumines the house, we spread joy.

Christmas decorations are a fun way to increase the light. The sooner the lights are put up, the greater brightening effect they can have. It doesn’t matter whether they are white or assorted colors, they all give off light and cheer the troubled soul. There are so many options: on the tree or a wreath, around windows and doors, on the house or garage, on the lawn or along the driveway.

May the light of Christ fill your hearts with gladness as we prepare to celebrate the great feast of Christmas!

Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata.

Advent Week 2 The following Advent wreath prayer is intended to help busy households make Advent a prayerful time during the rush of Christmas preparations. The language is fairly simple, intended to be used for personal prayer and reflection or by groups of adults or adults with children. Options are noted to allow for participation by a variety of members of a household.

Leader: Today begins the second week of the season of Advent. In order to help each of us prepare our own hearts for the birth of Christ, we take these few moments each week to pray together.

• Light the first two candles on the Advent wreath. (Choose a different person for this task each week.)

• Read aloud Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8.

(A different person might read each passage.)

Leader: If you close your eyes and imagine you are living in the time of John the Baptist, it is easy to hear a deep, booming voice shouting, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” In the Bible passages for this second week of Advent, we hear John the Baptist repeating those words of Isaiah the prophet. They both remind us that we’d better work seriously to make straight our own paths and to clean up the wastelands in our own lives.

And St. Paul tells us how to do that: by being holy.

Closing prayer: (Leader may read all, or others in the household may each read a segment.)

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Father in heaven, during this second week of Advent, help us see clearly the times when we have sinned. Accept our sorrow for having pulled away from you, and give us firm resolve to stay close to you.

God above, help us conduct

ourselves in holiness. We long to be the people you expect us to be. Help us as we strive to make our souls spotless and our hearts and minds at peace.

Help us, Lord, to remember that we were baptized for a reason. Help us realize our baptismal call to live

as children of God. And dear God, don’t let us miss chances this week to be welcoming to other people and to work in harmony with everyone. Help us as we try to change our ways so that we are good examples of people who love and follow the Lord.

13

By Tim Johnson Catholic News Service A group from St. Mary’s College in Indiana collected a handmade stole, art and letters — “Voices of Young Catholic Women” — and presented them to Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square Nov. 26.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend accompanied St. Mary’s senior Kristen Millar of Dillsburg, Penn., recent graduate Grace Urankar of San Francisco as well as St. Mary’s President Carol Ann Mooney and her husband, George Efta, to the pope’s general audience to make the presentation.

Students, supported by St. Mary’s Center for Spirituality and the college’s campus ministry, organized a national letter-writing response to Pope Francis’ outreach to young people to encourage the millennial generation — those born between 1981 and 1995 — to write to the pope about their love for Catholic tradition and offer ideas about how the Church might better reach their demographic.

The Center for Spirituality advertised the Voices project in America magazine and sent letters and posters to campus ministry offices at colleges and universities across the U.S.

The women who took part in the project were instructed to send letters, prayers, poetry, art and other forms of creative expression to the center at St. Mary’s in Indiana.

Both Millar and Urankar worked on the Voices project.

Mooney described how she and Millar had reserved seats for those who would be able to speak with Pope Francis.

“We told Pope Francis that the letters contained the joys and hope, grief and sorrows of our young women,” she said. “The interchange was brief but truly moving. He asked us to pray for him; he said that he needs our prayers.”

Millar said, “I am honored to be able to advocate on behalf of the women of the millennial generation and am hopeful that the pope will hear our message. This is not about me, but is truly about the Church and for all women struggling to maintain their Catholic identity in a time when religion is not deemed as necessary. I am here to give a voice.”

Elizabeth Groppe, director of St. Mary’s Center for Spirituality, reported 225 contributions to the project, including 10 students and three alums from St. Mary’s. Fifteen other Catholic-affiliated organizations, including Catholic and secular colleges and universities

and Newman Catholic communities from across the country, participated.

There also were some letters from women with no affiliation with any particular school.

One St. Mary’s alumna sent a poem, “My Church, My Home.” She gave voice to the caring relationships and bonds of communion that flow from the worship of God and sharing of the sacrament of the Eucharist.

According to Groppe, another woman had shared that she was sexually abused in high school and developed an eating disorder. In the aftermath of this, she attended a Kairos retreat that renewed her relationship with God and enabled her to discover her leadership abilities.

Through the community of women in the Catholic campus ministry program at her college, she found hope, focus, meaning and direction. She recommended the Catholic Church provide all young women in parishes, including teens, with the opportunity to have an adult woman as a mentor.

Students at St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati handmade a stole as a gift for Pope Francis. Their letters spoke of some of the challenges teenage girls face in the culture

today. Those include media images of women that establish false ideals of beauty that are impossible to meet; degrading language about women in the lyrics of popular music; degrading and objectifying images of women in advertising, films and other media; assumptions that girls are inferior to boys; and social pressures related to drinking, sex and social media.

Focus on Faith

Young women share hopes, sorrows in letters to pope

In this context, one wrote, it is “difficult for me to accept myself as God’s good creation made in God’s divine image and likeness.” Some wrote about the lack of confidence, depression and eating disorders that

many teenage girls experience. They also made recommendations for ways in which the Catholic community can work to foster a culture of respect for women in the United States.

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Focus on Faith • Seeking Answers

14 SEEKING ANSWERS Father Michael Schmitz

To break bad habits, we need God’s grace, people’s support Q. Every year I try to change my relationship with God. I try to start praying more regularly, avoid some habitual sins, and be an overall better person. But I always seem to fail. I just slip back into my old habits. What can I do?

A. I think that your timing is perfect. There is nothing like the beginning of the New Year to get people thinking about the changes that they need to make in their life.

We need habits. In fact, we might not really be able to function well without them. There have been a number of studies recently on the topic of “will power.” Researchers asked why some people seem to Grace gives us the ability to do things that we would be unable to accomplish on our own.

have more self-control and will power than others. One of the things they found was that will power is a finite resource. During the course of a day or a week, you can use it up. This explains why you are able to pass on the doughnut for breakfast, but by the time the end of the day rolls around, you will eat anything you can get your hands on.

At the same time, those same researchers noted that anyone can grow or strengthen will power. They talk about will power like it is a muscle: When you first begin intentionally using it, it can be weak. But through training, it grows in strength. Therefore, even your attempt to use your will to make good decisions is a powerful force.

Even if you fail, you are strengthening your will.

This is the logic behind the classic Catholic understanding of virtue. A virtue is “the habitual disposition to do the good.” Essentially, virtues are “good habits.” The successful life is the virtuous life.

This is why we develop habits.

The human mind and the will are finite resources. Therefore, if we set up patterns of thought and behavior, we use less mental energy and less will power. For example, if you were raised to brush your teeth every morning and every night, you perform this task without having to decide every time you do it. You don’t have to convince yourself that it is worth it, you don’t debate whether you’ll do it this time, and the decision to brush your teeth costs virtually no will power. It is a habit, and the choice has been made.

That is the good news about good habits: They are easy to maintain.

But that is the bad news as well.

Habits are easy to make but hard to break. They are like the proverbial “rut”; since we have traveled down this road in this way for this long, we have created a rut. It takes energy and thought to get out of that rut. But it can be done!

In Charles Duhigg’s book “The Power of Habit,” he points out that we often adopt a “habit loop.” It consists of three parts: the cue, the routine and the reward.

Virtually every habit we have follows this pattern. The cue is typically a person, place or thing.

For example, a person could have the habit of having a beer or a glass of wine at the end of the night. If they decide that they don’t like this habit and try to simply drink less (but don’t know why they are drinking alcohol in the first place), they will have limited results.

But if a person is drinking a beer in the evening because the beer symbolizes “work is done — you can now relax,” then they need to

introduce another routine that can give them the same reward. What is something that could signify “off duty”? I know some people who have addressed this habit by drinking “night time” tea. The cue is the time of day. The desired reward is the sense of “your work is done.”

And their new routine is to sip on a cup of caffeine-free hot tea.

There is much more that can be said about re-routing habits, but something needs to be said about grace. Grace is real and powerful.

Grace gives us the ability to do things that we would be unable to accomplish on our own. The need for grace is apparent when a person realizes that no matter how hard they try, they don’t have the power to change.

This is one of the many blessings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Once a person admits that they are powerless to change on their own, they turn to a Higher Power for the strength they lack. This power takes both vertical and horizontal form.

Vertically, one needs to rely upon the grace and power that comes from God. Horizontally, a person needs people who can support them in striving to break free from one habit and develop a virtue. For us at the start of this year, it might be a good idea to examine our habit loop, to turn to God for the power to change and to look to other trusted friends for support.

Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Reach him at fathermikeschmitz@gmail.com.

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15

Deacon Grant Lacey

Praying and giving help us to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” This is a nice change of tone from the prophet Isaiah. In last week’s Scripture, the prophet had a much darker message, dealing with the anger of God and our unworthiness.

But something is changing.

We are all called to take comfort in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ yet again at Christmas.

It is now the second week of Advent, and we are being asked to “prepare the way of the Lord.”

During Advent, we can often get

distracted by all of the preparations. As a seminarian these last six years, Advent has been a time to finish projects and study for tests — preparing the way for finals. I know that many of us are trimming our houses and stocking our pantries — preparing the way for parties. And all of us are finishing our shopping — preparing the way for presents.

We, however, are to prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist was preparing the way of the Lord as he cried out into the desert wilderness, “One mightier than I is

coming after me.” John was crying out in that particular wilderness at that particular time that the Lord was there in the physical presence of Jesus. We are being called to prepare the way of the Lord through all of the different wildernesses we experience in our daily lives. We need to prepare the way through the wilderness of our busy lives. We need to prepare the way through the desert of our secular society. Most of all, we need to prepare a way through the wilderness of our hearts. We are called to prepare a way every year because there is always more work to be done. Every year we repeat the celebration of Christ coming into the world once and for all to save us because we need the reminder.

It is amazing how fast the ways — the paths we make for the Lord in our lives — get overgrown. The Church has given us traditional tools to prepare in the spiritual life, the tools of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These practices not only allow us to follow the Lord

more closely in our own lives, but they also make us more open to sharing the Lord with others.

Let this Advent be a time of prayer — prayer for us and for the well-being of the whole Church.

Let our generosity this season flow beyond our families to support those in need, those who are hungry, poor and alone.

We are called to be the light of the world pointing out for all that we are living our lives for a greater purpose and are not overwhelmed with the things of this world. We are being called to announce the coming of the kingdom of God, to bring comfort to the afflicted and to praise the Lord continually that we might “be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.”

Deacon Lacey is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D. His teaching parishes are St. Joseph in Miesville and St. Pius V in Cannon Falls. His home parish is St. Mary in Dell Rapids, S.D.

Focus on Faith • Scripture Readings

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES

Sunday, Dec. 7

Second Sunday of Advent

Readings

• Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 • 2 Peter 3:8-14 • Mark 1:1-8

Reflection

Instead of becoming overwhelmed in preparing for holiday festivities, how can we become at peace in preparing for Christ?

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Dec. 7 Second Sunday of Advent Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8

Monday, Dec. 8 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Genesis 3:9-15, 20 Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday, Dec. 9 St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin Isaiah 40:1-11 Matthew 18:12-14

Wednesday, Dec. 10 Isaiah 40:25-31 Matthew 11:28-30

Thursday, Dec. 11 St. Damasus I, pope Isaiah 41:13-20 Matthew 11:11-15

Friday, Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe Zechariah 2:14-17 Luke 1:26-38

Saturday, Dec. 13 St. Lucy, virgin, martyr Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11 Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

Sunday, Dec. 14 Third Sunday of Advent Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

This Catholic Life • Commentary

16 FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA Shawn Peterson

What does education choice really look like?

In the last edition of this column, I shared about why education policy is a deeply personal issue for me, and why it was an important justice issue to promote authentic school choice for all kids.

This column addresses why the Minnesota Catholic Conference will join with other Minnesota educational choice advocates in the 2015 legislative session to encourage legislators to establish educational savings accounts and opportunity scholarship tax credits for Minnesota families.

Education Savings Accounts Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) give parents the power to use their child’s state education dollars (per pupil aid) on a variety of educational options, including tuition and fees, textbooks, tutoring and other education-related services.

ESAs provide families with a debit card containing funds available for approved education expenses.

Families are able to use the card to select and pay for the best providers of needed educational services.

MCC supports legislation that

specifically focuses on ESAs for children with special needs, allowing parents to direct their child’s educational and therapy dollars toward services that provide the best educational results for their child. Currently, 10 states have programs that offer a type of ESA to families with special needs children.

Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits (OSTCs) give families greater access to high-quality nonpublic schools by providing tax incentives to businesses and individuals who choose to donate to an educational scholarship organization.

With OSTCs, companies and individual citizens receive tax credits for donating to qualified non-profit entities that provide scholarships for individual K-12 students, ultimately giving these children access to educational options that would have been financially out of reach for them or their parents.

Here is how OSTCs could work:

TWENTY SOMETHING Christina Capecchi

Light the candles, pour the wine: the Catholic call to celebrate Grace Osterbauer was a 24-yearold bride-to-be when she took her first cake-decorating class, and the impulse compelling the Texas beauty to make that $35 investment remains today, now a 40-year-old mother of eight.

“I wanted to make the Catholic events of our lives super special,” she said.

Grace and her husband, Paul, are both frugal, raised in homes where “celebrating was minimal,” she says.

There’s a widely circulated story in Paul’s family about a grandpa who didn’t want to light the candles at his daughter’s wedding reception until she and the groom arrived, hesitating to burn them longer than necessary, a Great-Depression mentality he couldn’t shake.

An exasperated protest from the groom’s mother became a punch

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

line and a call to action: “Light the candles!”

Some occasions warrant celebration, even if it costs a bit more, like the Costco bottled root beer Grace splurged on for her son’s first Communion party, which made for a nice decorative touch and well-received root-beer floats.

She has filled a hutch with merrymaking contents: crystal glassware, gold candlesticks, festive tablecloths, hand-cut banners, pedestal cake stands. And for the past six years, the homeschooling mama has made a business of sweetening others’ celebrations, taking orders for customized sugar cookies that mark baptisms and birthdays, first Communions and confirmations, graduations, promotions and retirements.

She waits till the kids are in bed to

An individual or corporation has a tax liability (the amount of taxes they owe to the state) of $10,000.

With an OSTC program, the company would be allowed to donate a certain percentage — 80 percent, for example — to a qualified non-profit acting as a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). The SGO would then be able to use the monies collected to award scholarships directly to families who qualify under the legislation’s income guidelines. Those families would then be able to use the scholarship funds to attend the nonpublic school of their choice.

There are 13 states that have opportunity scholarship laws or similar programs, and several other states that are considering creating or expanding their state educational choice opportunities. From 2013 to 2014, a combined $551 million was spent nationally on scholarship programs, with an average scholarship amount of $2,282 per child for those enrolled in the various scholarship programs. These programs are spreading across the country because of demand and their rate of success.

Data show positive outcomes, savings for states The data are showing that these programs are helping to increase graduation rates, college enrollment and academic achievement, especially among those most affected by the achievement gap.

In addition to positive educational outcomes for children, states are seeing taxpayer savings. In Florida, one non-partisan whip up her royal icing and retrieve her piping tips, squeezing out scallops as her iPad sounds a mix of Dixie Chicks and Bob Marley.

“It may be just a cookie,” Grace said, “but it can help people realize how special they are. It makes them feel worth and love.”

I’ve been collecting stories of Catholics like Grace, people who make a point to celebrate blessings in their lives — both the neon and the pastel.

I spoke to Greg Arrigoni, a certified balloon artist who first developed an understanding of “sharing and caring” as a boy at Sacred Heart parish, where he and his dad brewed huge pots of coffee for social gatherings. By 22, Greg was dressing up as Santa Claus at Christmas. His grandma bought the most expensive white fur at the fabric store — $15 a yard — and made the Santa suit he still wears today, 37 years later.

The balloon art came about in response to an annual tradition at a Mississippi River marina: to share a bottle of champagne each spring when your boat is launched. One year Greg decided to up the ante, surprising fellow boaters by filling his houseboat with balloons and releasing them at the river. There was something about balloons —

government office estimated that taxpayers saved $1.49 for every dollar lost in corporate income tax revenue due to corporate scholarship contributions. In other words, although a state may take in less tax revenue on the front end, the programs ultimately show a savings in funds spent on education, therefore reducing the overall state education budget expenditures.

Florida is not alone. In Wisconsin, the estimated taxpayer savings in 2010 was $46.7 million, and the estimated net fiscal benefit in fiscal year 2011 was $51.9 million.

Educational choice programs like these have the power to transform the lives of children stuck in failing schools. They are giving hope and future opportunity to kids, and are allowing parents to decide what school is best for their child.

A recent Friedman Foundation survey shows that a majority of Americans favor school choice programs. In the poll conducted last year, 60 percent favored vouchers, 64 percent favored ESAs, and 66 percent were in favor of tax credit scholarships.

By enacting these pieces of legislation, Minnesota would put the power to direct a child’s educational needs where it most belongs — in the hands of parents.

Making this important legislation a reality requires the persistent voices of all of us, including parents, teachers, students and concerned citizens. As we near the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, contact your Minnesota state elected officials.

Peterson is associate director for public policy of MCC. bright, cheery and nostalgic — that kept beckoning to Greg. Soon he was buying them wholesale and flipping through the pages of a magazine called Balloon Images, astounded by the intricate creations.

“I had to be part of this,” said Greg, who has since created the world’s largest balloon arch, the product of 65 helium tanks and 140,004 3-foot balloons.

Despite its reputation for deprivation, our Catholic faith is a celebratory one. We are drawn into thanksgiving with incense and bells, candles and wine. We mark feast days and holy days. We celebrate the Mass.

Every act of celebration, however simple, can be a spiritual exercise, affirming life and honoring the Creator. When we pause and applaud the occasions that have meaning but no traditional link to invitations or toasts — the creation of a Bible study, the loss of five pounds, the mastery of a junk drawer — our hearts expand. We can catch a whiff of heaven, a world that is whole, healed and joyous, where the celebration never ends.

Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights, and editor of SisterStory.org, the official website of National Catholic Sisters Week.

17

Faith & Culture

Bible aims to make God’s word more accessible to African-American youth

By Allana Haynes Catholic News Service A new youth Bible set to hit bookstores this January contains illustrations depicting Jesus as an African-American.

The African American Youth Bible, modeled after the Catholic Youth Bible, contains commentaries, footnotes and artwork geared toward educating young African-Americans about Scripture.

The Bible was developed by retired Bishop John Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla., who is president of the National Black Catholic Congress, and St. Mary’s Press. It has been in the works for more than four years.

“We wanted to have something that would appeal to our youth, and we wanted to make it as relevant as possible to their lives,” Bishop Ricard said. “After many years of exploring, we thought that this would be an effective way of doing it.”

The Bible includes themes that would be relevant to African-American youth — including both African-American history and the history of the Catholic Church.

“The Bible was subject to a lot of research,”

Bishop Ricard said. “We did research on AfricanAmerican history, we looked for documents and explored the Church fathers and mothers and the extensive study of the Bible of those days, relying on the experience of African-American youth ministers.”

What makes this Bible different from other versions are the specific themes it deals with.

“In the Bible, it speaks of slavery and it seeks to explain more fully what it means to the history of African-Americans in the United States,” said Bishop Ricard, who is rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary, the Washington seminary of his order, the Josephites.

To develop the Bible, a team of more than 200 authors as well as an editorial board and illustrators were involved. St. Mary’s Press, based in Winona, Minn., is a leading Catholic publisher of Bibles and religion curricula for Catholic teens.

Valerie Washington, executive director of the Baltimore-based National Black Catholic Congress, believes that the Bible will speak to the lives of black youth and will make the word of God more accessible to them.

“We complain that many youths aren’t in the

Church” and that their involvement “is not growing as much as we would like it to grow,” she said. “We want them to evangelize to their peers, and we want to get the youth we have now to be more inclusive. We hope that the Bible will help them evangelize and grow in their faith.”

The Bible is targeted toward black youth between the ages of 14 and 22, but can be used by anyone.

“The Bible will help any group,” Washington said. “It will help bring people closer to Jesus and allow them to learn about who he was. It will help them endure life’s challenges and provide sources of conformation and healing and will help enrich their lives.”

The Bible aims to give black youth a greater appreciation for sacred Scripture and give them a better understanding of the Lord’s presence.

“We teach about Christ and we teach about God, and we hope the articles that we write about God will help explain those things better,” Washington said. “We hope that they will understand how important the Bible is and how much more important it is than any other book that they will read in their entire life.”

This illustration of a scene from Chapter 8 of the Book of Nehemiah is included in a new African American Youth Bible that is slated to hit bookstores in January. A project of the National Black Catholic Congress, it has been four years in the making and is being published by St. Mary’s Press in Winona, Minn.

CNS/courtesy St. Mary’s Press

Faith is getting its due on the small screen

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service Treatments of the Catholic faith are getting their due on various TV networks. Except that, with the fractured nature of the 500-channel universe — a quaint term to anyone with satellite TV — viewers can hope that the programming will be available on the channel’s website, or on YouTube, or available via Netflix or some other streaming service. This applies both to fictional treatments of faith as well as documentaries and news programming.

On cable, Lifetime’s new documentary series “The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns” follows five women considering joining religious life. The

series premiered Nov. 25. Lifetime has committed to six episodes of “The Sisterhood,” which would take it through Dec. 29 if the episodes run weekly.

But to think of each installment as an “episode” tends to devalue, at least for me, the discernment process these young women must go through. Nor does it help when Lifetime refers to the individuals contemplating religious life as the “cast.”

On public television, PBS will lead off a six-part series, “Sacred Journeys With Bruce Feiler,” with a group of 30,000 military veterans on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, looking for some kind of healing. Half of the soldiers aren’t Americans. Of the Americans, half

aren’t Catholic. Even so, all hope for healing, either physical or spiritual, from the waters of Lourdes. The installment airs Wednesday, Dec. 16, 7-8 p.m. CST. But, as with most PBS programming, it’s best to check local listings to make sure of the date and time.

The A&E cable channel, which hasn’t completely surrendered the “A” (arts) and “E” (entertainment) parts of its programming portfolio to reality TV, is presenting some more original programming with two titles designed to appeal to people of faith.

“The Red Tent” stars Minnie Driver and Debra Winger as the two most recognizable names to audiences. It tells the story of the family of Old Testament

figures Jacob and Leah as seen through the eyes of their daughter Dinah. The miniseries, based on a best-selling novel, will be shown Sunday and Monday, Dec. 7 and 8, 8-10 p.m. each night.

This continues A&E’s successful foray into biblical programming, based on the success early last year with the miniseries “The Bible,” which begat the feature film “Son of God.” Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, the husband-wife team responsible for “The Bible” and “Son of God,” also return to A&E with a two-hour program, “The Women of the Bible.” It will be shown Sunday, Dec. 7, 6-8 p.m. on A&E. This all takes place before their new post-Bible series, “A.D.,” set to premiere Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, on NBC.

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

18

Calendar

Dining out Benefit breakfast — Dec. 14: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1910 S. Greeley St., Stillwater. Adult tickets are $8, children 12 and younger are $4. Non-perishable food items will be collected for St. Michael’s food shelf.

More events online TheCatholicSpirit.com/ calendar

Fair Trade Market for Global Stewardship — Dec. 7: 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

Holy Cross breakfast fundraiser — Dec. 14: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Kolbe Hall on the Holy Cross campus,1621 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

To purchase tickets and receive 20 percent off an adult ticket ($8 per adult in advance), contact (612) 760-5626 or holycrossmpls@aol.com.

Tickets at the door are $10 per adult, $5 per child 12 and younger, and $30 maximum per family. Proceeds benefit the Kolbe Hall Restroom Remodel Project.

Stacy Glaus at (612) 317-3520 or sglaus@mary. org.

Music

Parish events

Handel’s Messiah singalong — Dec. 14: 6:30 p.m. at St. Olaf, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis (free parking in the Energy Ramp at Ninth Street and Third Avenue). Free-will offering.

Handel’s Messiah dinner and concert — Dec. 19: 6 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Cocktails and dinner follow the concert in the Undercroft.

Tickets may be purchased for the dinner or the concert, or both. For more information, contact

Annunciation Christmas Boutique and Bake Sale — Dec. 6-7: Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Dec. 7 from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at 509 W. 54th St., Minneapolis. For more information, call (612) 824-0787.

Prayer and liturgy

Nineteenth annual Christmas craft and bake sale — Dec. 6-7: Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Dec. 7 from 8 a.m. to noon at St. Timothy’s church basement, 8 Oak Ave. N., Maple Lake.

Annual Christmas boutique and bake sale — Dec. 6-7: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 6 and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. For more information, visit www.guardian-angels.org.

First Friday Devotions — Dec. 5: 6-7 p.m. confessions, 6:30 p.m. rosary, 7 p.m. Mass, 7:30-8:30 p.m. exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Divine Mercy Chaplet and Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, followed by social time/fellowship, St. Michael, 337 E. Hurley St., West St. Paul. For more information, call (651) 457-2334 or visit www.stmichaelwsp. org.

Advent Lessons and Carols — Dec. 7: 4 p.m. at St. Mark, 2001 Dayton Ave., St. Paul.

Solemn Vespers for Advent — Dec. 14: 3 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

Advent: Lessons and Carols — Dec. 14: 4 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale.

Advent Taizé Prayer — Dec. 16: 5:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Basilica of St. Mary, Teresa of Calcutta Hall, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

Retreats Weekend Advent Silent Retreat, “The Spiritual Journey: A Process of Transformation” — Dec. 12-14: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo.

Suggested offering: $170 per person ($30 deposit required per person). For more information, call (763) 682-1394 or visit www.kingshouse.com.

Speakers “Living with Loss and Grief during the Holidays and Beyond” — Dec. 4: 7 p.m., Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale.

Evening Affirming the Faith with Tom Peterson, founder of Catholics Come Home Inc.: ‘Our World Needs Catholic Heroes’ — Dec. 6: After the 5 p.m. Mass at St. Charles Borromeo, 2739 Stinson Blvd. NE, St. Anthony.

To purchase tickets, visit stchb.weshareonline. org/EAF. There will be no sales at the door. For more information, contact communications@ stchb.org.

Blessing of Unemployed, dinner and presentation — Tuesday, Dec. 9: 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the lower level of the Basilica of St. Mary, Teresa of Calcutta Hall, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. For more information and to RSVP, contact Janet Grove at (612) 317-3505.

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, seven days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur.

Other events

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted

by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release.

La Natividad, the Nativity Story as performed by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre — Dec. 6: 2 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. A limited amount of free tickets are available courtesy of Citizens for Loring Park. For tickets and information, contact Kris at (612) 317-3400 or visit www.mary.org/ lanatividad.

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Children’s Christmas party — Dec. 21: 1-3 p.m. at 1114 American Blvd. W., Bloomington. Free. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Marian Council #3827.

God reveals himself to humble hearts, says pope

By Laura Ieraci Catholic News Service God reveals himself to humble and meek hearts, said Pope Francis at morning Mass Dec. 2.

“Many can know science, theology as well. But if they do not do this theology on their knees — that is, humbly, like the little ones — they will not understand anything. They will tell us many things, but they will not understand anything,” he said in his homily during the Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae where he lives.

In the day’s Gospel reading, Luke 10:21-24, Jesus praises God the father for having “hidden these things from the wise and the learned . . . and revealed them to the childlike.”

“Only those who have a heart like a child are capable of receiving this revelation, those who have a humble, meek heart, who feel the need to pray, to open themselves to God, who feel poor; only those who live according to the first Beatitude — the poor

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

“Many can know science, theology as well. But if they do not do this theology on their knees — that is, humbly, like the little ones — they will not understand anything.”

Pope Francis

in spirit,” the pope said, according to Vatican Radio.

In a similar way, he said, “Jesus comes not like a captain, an army general, a powerful governor, no, no.

He comes like a shoot,” he said, referring to the day’s first reading from Isaiah 11:1-10, which describes the

coming of the Messiah as a “shoot” that will “sprout from the stump of Jesse.”

“He is a shoot. He is humble. He is meek and he came for the humble and for the meek, to bring salvation to the sick, the poor and the oppressed,” the pope said of Jesus.

The grandeur of the mystery of God is only known “in the mystery of Jesus,” he said. “And the mystery of Jesus is precisely a mystery of condescension, of abasement, of humiliation [which] brings salvation to the poor, to those who are humiliated by sickness, sin and difficult situations. The mystery of Jesus cannot be understood outside this frame.”

The pope concluded his homily with a prayer that Christians may draw closer to the mystery of God during Advent, following “to the path he wills for each person — the path of humility, the path of meekness, the path of poverty and the path of feeling like sinners.”

“In this way, he will come to save us, to free us. May the Lord give us this grace,” Pope Francis said.

19 Basilica organist moved by response to event Continued from page 7

millions of dollars.

Elise and Matt Sepic, basilica parishioners, came to both Mass and the tour with children Elizabeth and Andrew. The children huddled in close to the organ during Stroh’s presentation and eventually got their chance to sit at the console and try it out.

“I actually took organ lessons as a kid, and I enjoy the music,” Elise said.

“It’s not every day you get invited to view the organ, and I thought it would be a good idea for these guys to see it up close. . . . I’m very happy that the church is able to preserve an instrument like this, and I feel very fortunate to be able to hear it every week,” she said.

Though not the largest pipe organ in the Twin Cities, it is in the top five, Stroh said.

Built in 1949, it contains 82 rows of pipes ranging in size from more than 32 feet down to just slightly smaller than a pencil.

If built from scratch today, Stroh estimates the cost would be well into the

But, as much as he loves playing it, he is especially delighted to give others a chance to appreciate its beauty and richness.

“I was completely thrilled by the number of people in attendance,” he said. “What moved me the most was to see a truly diverse age range — from preschool and elementary-school aged children and their families to teenagers, 20- and 30-somethings, adults, and seniors. That said a lot to me.

“There is a sense of stewardship in all of this as well. Perhaps, the next generation of people will emerge who want to study to play the organ. In all areas of music — whether it be the organ, piano, choral, or orchestral — I believe it is so important for us to cherish what we have inherited, to cultivate our own musical gifts, and pass on the sum of these treasures with great care to the next generation so they can ever evolve and glorify God through the offering of their unique musical gifts.”

For love of the instrument Christopher Stroh became the organist at the Basilica of St. Mary in September 2006, but his love affair with the instrument began much earlier — at age 5.

“I developed an inexplicable fascination with the pipe organ,” he said. “I remember begging my parents to take our family to Mass at my birth town parish of St. James Basilica in Jamestown, North Dakota, when we knew the organ would be used.”

During his elementary school years, he started taking piano lessons, and continued them through high school. In 10th grade, he added organ lessons.

“My first time sitting at a pipe organ instantly hooked me,” he said. “By the time I graduated high school and, after having volunteered as organist during that time at my home parish and the Cathedral in Bismarck, North Dakota, I knew I needed to further pursue my vocation in sacred music and organ studies.”

He went on to study music at St. John’s University in Collegeville, where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He also studied organ under the tutelage of Kim Kasling, an accomplished organist and professor of music and director of liturgical music studies at St. John’s. In fact, Stroh eventually replaced Kasling as principal organist at the basilica, with Kasling now serving as senior adjunct organist.

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The Last Word

20

Police officer leans on Catholic faith during Ferguson crisis

By Dave Luecking Catholic News Service In the situation that has become known as simply “Ferguson,” Sgt. John Wall of the St. Louis County Police Department knew in the second week of August that the time had come to stand up and be counted. Peaceful protests after the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown by a police officer during a confrontation had devolved into rioting and looting.

A convenience store near the shooting site had been looted and burned. Police had lobbed tear gas and shot rubber bullets to disperse crowds, presumably while real bullets flew in their direction. The situation was fraught with danger.

But Wall didn’t think twice about going into it.

“I volunteered,” he said, on a recent morning at a coffee shop. “I volunteered; it was kind of ‘all hands on deck,’ so everybody had to work it at some time,” he explained, adding, “I was fortunate enough to work it the entire time.”

Wall, a 50-year-old married father of a teenager, not only volunteered for duty, willfully taking the risk, but also counted himself as fortunate for being there.

This from a man who in 12-hour shifts on his two weeks of voluntary duty was spit on, was hit by rocks, bricks and bottles of urine, and was berated — with protesters calling him “every name in the book.”

“In those two weeks, I was called more things than in the 25 years

“You have to forgive. I can’t personally hold a grudge against any of these people; they were not screaming at me as an individual. I understand, and most of us understand, they’re looking at a uniform and not a face.”

Sgt. John Wall of the St. Louis County Police Department

I’ve been in this business,” said Wall, who became a police officer in 1989 and joined the county force in 1998. “I’ve worked narcotics, I’ve worked homicide, and I’ve never been talked to like that. Ever.”

In those moments, Wall’s Catholic faith guided him, particularly the part about loving thy neighbor.

“Faith comes into every aspect of this job,” said Wall, who became Catholic in 1991. “You have to

December 4, 2014 • The Catholic Spirit

Sgt. John Wall poses outside of the St. Louis County Police Department in Clayton, Mo., Nov. 21. Wall has relied on his Catholic faith during the ongoing crisis in Ferguson, Mo., which began with the fatal shooting of a black teen by a white police officer Aug. 9. The St. Louis County prosecutor announced Nov. 24 a grand jury determined there was not enough evidence to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. CNS/Lisa Johnston, St. Louis forgive. I can’t personally hold a grudge against any of these people; they were not screaming at me as an individual. I understand, and most of us understand, they’re looking at a uniform and not a face. They don’t know me and everything that I stand for.

“You have to have forgiveness in your own heart,” he told the St. Louis Review, the archdiocesan newspaper, in an interview some days before the grand jury handed down its decision that there would be no indictment of the police officer who killed Brown.

When Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who is white, fatally shot 18-year-old Brown, an African-American, racial unrest in the St. Louis suburb led to protests.

When it was announced that after three months of examining the evidence and hearing more than 70 hours of testimony, the grand jury declined to indict Wilson, violent protests followed.

Protests have continued in Ferguson and across the country.

From the beginning, Wall and fellow officers have leaned on the pastoral care of county police chaplains. Chaplains started each shift with a prayer before the officer’s role call and briefing at the police command center. Catholic priests served among chaplains of many religions.

“No one went to church for two weeks, either; you’re working the whole time. So, it was very helpful to have the chaplains there,” Wall said.

The prospect of having Mass or other religious services at the command post was out of the question. Work consumed the officers, for one, and it wasn’t safe.

Bomb threats prompted Gov. Jay Nixon to call out the National Guard to protect the command center and make it a safe haven for officers.

The scene of the unrest on the quarter-mile stretch of West Florissant in Ferguson was unsafe.

A native of St. Louis, Wall describes the venom directed at him and other officers in Ferguson as “unbelievable,” particularly since he knew, or at least recognized, some of the people hurling insults.

“The people we took it from were . . . people I had good relations with,” he said, adding that he gave those people the benefit of the doubt. “There were people that just got caught up in the heat of the moment.”

The protesters “came from all walks of life — young, old, ministers,” Wall said, noting that one woman among the latter “really laid into me, saying things like how we mistreat people, how we beat people, how we should be ashamed of ourselves, and all the people that I’ve killed. I was just looking at her. I haven’t killed anybody. I haven’t fired my gun in 25 years as a police officer. Been shot at, though.”

It’s a tough time for the men and women in uniform and their families, but Wall’s attitude is to grin-and-bear it. “You just have to

gut through it.”

For all of the bad Wall has experienced in Ferguson, he also has experienced much good, starting with people closest to him — “family members, friends and people of the parish.”

People also have come up to him while he’s in uniform and thanked him for being a police officer.

In the meantime, Wall’s wife and daughter worry about his safety in Ferguson.

“My family has worried way more than I’d like them to,” Wall said, adding, “I know how to take care of myself and take care of my people. They don’t need to worry about me.”

Thoughts of his wife and daughter are with Wall at all times; he has only to look at the two rings he wears on the little finger of his right hand. From his wife, he has a ring with crosses. From his daughter, he has a rosary ring. He also carries a rosary in his duty bag, hands out St. Michael the Archangel prayer cards and wears a St. Michael pendant that his wife gave him 24 years ago. St. Michael is the patron saint for policemen, and even non-Catholic officers wear the medals and carry the prayer cards in their pockets.

“Almost every policeman will have a religious trinket of some kind,” Wall said. “Faith is huge in the police department, and in the military, too. It’s a big presence.

“Like a minister, a policeman is there for good.”