The Catholic Spirit - December 3, 2015

Syrian refugees 6A • Deacon ordination 12A - 13A • Rogers’ Catholic school 19A December 3, 2015 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Blessed

are the

merciful

Pope Francis embraces Winnie Nansumba, who was born with and is living with HIV, during a meeting with young people at the Kololo airstrip in Kampala, Uganda, Nov. 28. Nansumba, 24, is involved in advocating for other people living with HIV/AIDS and in the fight against the spread of the disease. Pope Francis has called for acts of mercy such as caring for the sick to be at the heart of the Holy Year of Mercy, which opens Dec. 8. CNS/Paul Haring

An introduction to the Year of Mercy — B section

ALSO inside

U of M buys baby parts

Order of Malta outreach

Funding religious retirement

Pro-life advocates explain state law in connection with the University of Minnesota buying body parts of aborted babies.

— Page 7A

Inspired by mission trip to Haiti in 2010, local Catholic answers call to join order that goes back more than 900 years.

— Page 8A

Living Word Sisters among local communities that benefit from national collection to help those in their later years.

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PAGE TWO

2A • The Catholic Spirit in PICTURES

December 3, 2015

“We were given a garden. We may not deliver back a desert.”

Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez speaking to 40,000 people in Melbourne, Australia, marching Nov. 27 to demand action on climate change ahead of a Nov. 30-Dec. 11 U.N. conference near Paris aiming to find agreement on greenhouse gas emissions. Marches ahead of the conference, known as the COP21, were held around the world, with many advocates holding signs referring to “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis’ encyclical on human ecology promulgated earlier this year.

NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit

Catholic, Jewish leaders celebrate ‘Nostra Aetate’ Leaders from Minnesota’s Catholic and Jewish communities were to gather for a dinner celebration Dec. 2 to mark the 50th anniversary of “Nostra Aetate,” a Vatican II document on interreligious dialogue. Held at The Depot in Minneapolis, the dinner and program — which was scheduled after The Catholic Spirit went to press — was to feature keynote Amy Jill Levine. Read about the event at www.TheCatholicSpirit. com.

YOUTH MOVEMENT Forty-nine youth and youth leaders from St. John Neumann in Eagan, St. Joseph in New Hope, St. Rita in Cottage Grove and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Latino youth ministry program attended the National Catholic Youth Conference Nov. 19-21 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

About 23,000 youth attended the biennial conference, sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. Courtesy Leilani Rodriguez CHRISTMAS STAMP The Vatican’s 2015 Christmas stamps feature a manuscript illumination of the Holy Family by an unknown artist from the 15th century. The image is from the Codices Urbinates Latini 239 (1477-1478) at the Vatican Library. The special edition stamps went on sale Nov. 19.

The Vatican post office and Philatelic and Numismatic Office also offer a collector’s booklet and commemorative cover. Order requests should be made by email to: order. ufn@scv.va. The Vatican stamp office will then send a proper order form and methods of payment. CNS/Courtesy Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office

Ahead of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which begins Dec. 8, all Minnesota dioceses are observing a Day of Fasting and Prayer in Reparation for a Culture of Violence and Disrespect for Human Life Dec. 4. As The Catholic Spirit reported in the Nov. 19 issue, Catholics in the archdiocese are encouraged to fast, attend Mass, pray before the Eucharist and perform works of mercy. Learn more at www.archspm.org.

Immaculate Conception holy day of obligation The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8 is a holy day of obligation, meaning Catholics are required to attend Mass. The feast honors Mary under the title “the Immaculate Conception,” the dogma that Mary — from the moment of her conception — was not stained by original sin. The “Immaculate Conception” is also the name by which Mary presented herself to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, France, in 1858.

Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States.

Our Lady of Guadalupe feast Dec. 12 Parishes around the archdiocese will honor Our Lady of Guadalupe with special Masses, prayers and music Dec. 12. The feast day commemorates the apparitions of Mary to St. Juan Diego (whose feast is Dec. 9) in 1531 near present-day Mexico City. Although the feast holds a special importance for Latinos, she is the patroness of the Americas and the pro-life movement. Check with local parishes for liturgies and events.

Men’s discernment retreat Dec. 18-20

WHAT’S NEW on social media Did you know the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ app and website include the daily readings and accompanying video reflections? Use them as Advent resources at www.usccb.org/bible/readings and the “USA Catholic Church” app.

Father Michael Van Sloun writes about the symbolism of the Advent wreath. “The wreath is a circle, and because it has no beginning or end, it signifies God’s eternal love that is without beginning or end, and because of this immeasurable love, God sent his only begotten Son born on the first Christmas,” he explains.

Father John Paul Erickson, director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, appeared on the “Morning Air” program on Relevant Radio Nov. 30 to talk about Advent and how important silence is in preparation for Christmas. He was the guest for the first 30 minutes of the show. To listen, visit www.facebook.com/TheCatholicSpirit for the link.

The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 20 — No. 23 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love

Statewide Day of Fasting and Prayer Dec. 4

MARIA C. WIERING, Editor

Men between the ages of 18 and 50 who are interested in the priesthood are invited to Christ the King Retreat Center 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 18 to noon Dec. 20 for communal and private prayer, eucharistic adoration, Mass and presentations by Bishop Andrew Cozzens. The retreat costs $75, but no one will be turned away for financial reasons.

Contact the Vocation Office to register at 651-962-6890 or stpaulpriest@10000vocations.org.

Red Bull Crashed Ice returns to Cathedral in 2016 The Red Bull Crashed Ice season finale will be held for the fifth consecutive year Feb. 26-27 on the grounds of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. As in previous years, the downhill skating course is expected to run down the hill between the Chancery and Hayden buildings.

Archdiocesan offices ask visitors to be mindful of potential street and parking lot closures between Feb. 1 and March 4.

Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service.

All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper.

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FROM THE MODERATOR OF THE CURIA

December 3, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 3A

Finding true hope in God’s generosity

FROM THE MODERATOR OF THE CURIA Father Charles Lachowitzer

I Google-Bing-Yahooed “Thanksgiving.” I was predictably overwhelmed with a cyber library of history, stories, official pronouncements and parades. I noted with a prayer of gratitude to God that in the history of Thanksgiving, the official proclamations leading to the establishment of this national holiday coincided with some of our nation’s greatest troubles: President Lincoln during the Civil War; President Roosevelt during the Depression; the U.S. Congress during World War II. We know in our heads that we are to find the blessings of God in and through all the challenges we face, particularly in this chapter of the archdiocese. We believe that God has indeed given us the greatest of gifts in faith, hope and love. Yet when lives are heavy with the gravity of this world, it is not so easy to know in our hearts the outpouring of grace and blessings from God who loves us in Jesus Christ.

With the recent terror and tragedy in France, as well as in so many other nations, the shadow of Good Friday looms large in our world. To add to the apparent gloom, the cold and snow of winter have arrived and so, too, has the much maligned holiday hype.

One way to distinguish the purple seasons of penance and reform (Advent and Lent) is to see Lent as entering the darkness within to focus on our sins that are an obstacle to our relationship with Jesus Christ and Easter joy. Advent, on the other hand, can be seen as stepping into the darkness of the world to long for the light that is greater than any human power. Advent is a season to

prepare ourselves once again to be a vessel for the light of Christ to be born anew.

The virtue of hope is not some finger-crossed wish upon a Bethlehem star that things happen the way we want them to happen. The virtue of hope is not defined by our fears, wishes, desires, conveniences or even noble dreams.

The virtue of hope is the recognition that through the gifts of faith and love, God has given us every gift we need to meet every need we have.

God has done so in all the past ages, is doing so today and will do so every day in the future. We ourselves are messengers of this hope in a world desperately seeking a light through the darkness and a peace that cannot be shaken.

Whether it is gratitude in the midst of life’s greatest challenges or finding our spiritual focus in the midst of the greatest shopping extravaganza of the year, we are called as disciples of Jesus Christ to treasure the gifts we have already received through the sacramental life of the Church.

We are invited to give joyful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by offering in thanksgiving the first fruits of our lives through the sharing of our finest gifts.

In all the to-do lists of this busy time of the year, Advent is a season to pause in prayer so that we may discover that even though we do the holidays, God does Christmas.

Encontrando la verdadera esperanza en la generosidad de Dios Busqué en Google, Bing y Yahoo la palabra “Acción de Gracias” y como era de esperarse, quedé abrumado con una biblioteca cibernética de historias, relatos, declaraciones oficiales y desfiles. Observé con una oración de agradecimiento a Dios que en la historia de Acción de Gracias, las proclamaciones oficiales que conducen al establecer esta fiesta nacional, coincidió con algunas de las mayores dificultades de nuestro país: el Presidente Lincoln durante la Guerra Civil; el Presidente Roosevelt durante la Gran Depresión; el Congreso de EEUU durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Nosotros sabemos que debemos encontrar las bendiciones de Dios en y a través de todos los desafíos que enfrentamos, en especial en este capítulo de la arquidiócesis. Creemos que Dios en verdad nos ha dado los mayores dones, como la fe, la esperanza

y el amor. Sin embargo, cuando hay vidas sentidas por la gravedad de este mundo, no es tan fácil vivir en nuestros corazones la efusión de la gracia, las bendiciones de Dios y saber que nos ama en Jesucristo.

Con el reciente terror y tragedia vivida en Francia, así como en muchos otros países, la sombra del Viernes Santo ocupa un lugar preponderante en nuestro mundo. Para añadir a la aparente penumbra, la nieve y el frío del invierno ha llegado y también lo han hecho la época de festividades, ya bastante difamadas.

Una forma de distinguir las estaciones moradas de la penitencia y de reforma (Adviento y Cuaresma), es ver la Cuaresma como una entrada a nuestra propia oscuridad y enfocarnos en nuestros pecados, los que son un obstáculo para nuestra relación personal con Jesucristo y así poder vivir la alegría de la Pascua. Adviento, por

otro lado, puede ser visto como darle paso a la oscuridad del mundo para luego ver la Luz, una Luz que es mayor que cualquier poder humano.

Adviento es un tiempo para prepararnos una vez más a ser un recipiente que recibe la luz de Cristo y nacer de nuevo.

La virtud de la esperanza no es un deseo de dedos cruzados en una estrella de Belén para que las cosas sucedan como queremos que sucedan.

La virtud de la esperanza no se define por nuestros miedos, deseos, comodidad e incluso por nuestros nobles sueños.

La virtud de la esperanza es el reconocimiento de que a través de los dones de la fe y el amor que Dios nos ha dado, podemos cumplir con todas nuestras necesidades.

Dios lo ha hecho en todas las épocas pasadas, lo está haciendo hoy y lo hará cada día en el futuro. Nosotros mismos

somos mensajeros de la esperanza en un mundo que busca desesperadamente una luz a través de la oscuridad y una paz que no puede ser sacudida.

Ya se trate de la gratitud en medio de los mayores desafíos de la vida o encontrar nuestro enfoque espiritual en medio de la mayor época de compras del año, estamos llamados como discípulos de Jesucristo a valorar los dones que ya hemos recibido a través de la vida sacramental de la Iglesia.

Se nos invita a dar testimonio gozoso del Evangelio de Jesucristo, ofreciendo en acción de gracias los primeros frutos de nuestras vidas a través del compartir de nuestros mejores dones.

En todas las listas de tareas pendientes de este tiempo muy ocupado del año, el Adviento es un tiempo para hacer una pausa; y en nuestra oración poder descubrir que a pesar de que cuando nosotros hacemos las festividades, Dios hace la Navidad.

Magazine’s cover story explores Mary’s appeal

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Maureen Orth, a special correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine who has written about music icons, world leaders and Hollywood celebrities, tackled a completely different subject for National Geographic magazine: the Virgin Mary.

For the magazine’s December cover story, “Mary the most powerful woman in the world,” Orth visited several countries and interviewed dozens of people with strong devotional ties to Mary — including those who claim to have seen her, those who believe her intercession has healed them and those seeking her spiritual guidance and intercession.

In the magazine’s Washington office Nov. 24, Orth, widow of Tim Russert, moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,’’ who died in 2008, said what made the biggest impression on her while interviewing

people for the article was Mary’s universal appeal across diverse cultures.

“It was a huge journey all over the world,” she said, noting that what particularly stands out after a year of visiting Marian devotional sites in Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Mexico, Egypt and Rwanda is that Mary is the “hope and solace of so many people, including Muslims.”

The Muslim appreciation of Mary as a “holy woman of God,” she said, “is a bridge that ought to be explored,” especially in this time of strife caused by religious extremism.

Orth, a practicing Catholic who certainly knew about Mary before the assignment, said she learned a great deal from talking with scholarly experts and reading mystics who wrote about the life of Mary but whose observations didn’t make it into the article.

She came away with a “more personal relationship” with Mary than an intellectual one.

She also witnessed the deep faith of many who have traveled great distances to be where apparitions of Mary are said to have taken place, such as Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where six village children said they first saw Mary in 1981 and continue to see apparitions there. A Vatican doctrinal congregation is still studying these claims.

One of Orth’s most inspiring stops for the story was the small village of Kibeho, Rwanda, described as the place where Mary appeared to three young girls in the 1980s and foretold the genocide that took place in that country in 1994. In 2001, the Vatican verified the claims of the three girls.

Orth pointed out that little is known about Mary from the Bible, but as her story reveals, the lack of details about Mary has not stopped people from reaching out to her in prayer and devotion as a way to better understand and approach God.

The cover of the December 2015 issue of National Geographic magazine, which also mapped 500 years of sightings of the Virgin Mary. See the map at www.facebook.com/ TheCatholicSpirit. CNS/National Geographic

4A • The Catholic Spirit

SLICEof LIFE

LOCAL

December 3, 2015

Cadets on wheels Members of the St. Thomas Academy Experimental Vehicle Team pose with the solar-electric car that they built and entered in a competition in Dallas in July.

The team finished first in its division, and recently returned from New York where team members provided rides to representatives of national media to promote the National Geographic Channel series “GE Breakthrough,” which airs through Dec. 13. Standing in front of their Mendota Heights school with the car are, from left, juniors Patrick Gaylord, John Houge and Jackson Mejia, senior Brendan Quinlan (seated), sophomore Alex Moeller, senior Mitchell Gross and teacher Caroline Little, who serves as moderator along with another teacher, Mark Westlake. Seated inside the car next to Quinlan is senior John Ingebrightsen.

Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Retirement Fund for Religious During her first year of teaching, Precious Blood Sister Ann Hipp, 95, had 40 students in four grades. “It was only by the grace of God that I got through that first year,” she recalls, laughing. Sister Ann would go on to spend 50 years in the classroom and continues in volunteer ministry today. She and some 33,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests benefit from the Retirement Fund for Religious. Your generosity helps provide prescription medications, nursing care, and more.

Please give to those who have given a lifetime. www.retiredreligious.org Over 93 percent of donations aid senior religious.

To donate: National Religious Retirement Office/MSP 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington DC 20017-1194 Make check payable to Retirement Fund for Religious.

Or give at your local parish December 12–13.

Photos: (left) Sister Ann Hipp, CPPS, 95; (above from left) Brother Anselm Allen, OSB, 76; Sister Luanna Brucks, CPPS, 90; Sister Rosemary Zaffuto, ASCJ, 87. ©2015 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Photographer: Jim Judkis.

LOCAL

December 3, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 5A

BRIEFS

CRS Rice Bowl benefits Catholic Charities’ Dorothy Day, others

ST. PAUL

Tommies beat Johnnies 38-19 in first-ever playoff meeting For the second time this season, the University of St. Thomas and St. John’s University football teams squared off Nov. 28 at St. Thomas in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. It was the first time the two teams have met in the playoffs. Like the first meeting between the historic rivals in October, the Tommies prevailed, advancing to the quarterfinal round with a 38-19 win. They improved their record to 12-0 and will play Wabash College 1 p.m. Dec. 5 at UST’s O’Shaughnessy Stadium. Leading the Tommies was junior running back and seminarian Jordan Roberts, who rushed for 126 yards in 33 carries for his ninth 100-yard game of the season. On the defensive side, the Tommies held St. John’s standout running back Sam Sura in check. He gained just 54 rushing yards, which helped Roberts move ahead of him as this year’s top rusher in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. If the Tommies win their next two playoff games, they would play in the Dec. 18 championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. They have reached the championship game once, falling to Mount Union in 2012. Twotime defending champion University of WisconsinWhitewater also reached the quarterfinal round. The team defeated Mount Union in each of the last two Stagg Bowls.

Names released of St. John’s Abbey priests accused of abuse St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson released Nov. 24 the names of five Benedictine priests accused of sexual abuse: Richard Eckroth, Thomas Gillespie, Francis Hoefgen, Finian McDonald and Bruce Wollmering. All five were or are priests of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville. Of them, Father Gillespie and Hoefgen had assignments in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Both men have been permanently removed from ministry, and Hoefgen was laicized in 2011. The archdiocese, in 2013 and 2014 respectively, named Hoefgen and Father Gillespie as having had substantiated abuse claims made against them.

A primary Work of the Order of Malta

Mike Haasl, Catholic Relief Services director at the Center for Mission in the archdiocese, presented a check to Kathleen Turner, Dorothy Day’s food services partnership and strategy manager Nov. 13 with funds collected through CRS Rice Bowl.

Dorothy Day was one of three Catholic Charities programs that benefited from the funds. Courtesy Center for Mission

UST president denounces alum’s connection to north Mpls shooting University of St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan said she was disappointed and outraged that one of the four men arrested following a shooting at a Black Lives Matter protest in north Minneapolis Nov. 23 was a recent St. Thomas graduate. “This act casts a pall on our community,” she wrote in a Nov. 25 email to the St. Thomas community. “These recent incidences highlight our still unmet need to reflect on our basic Catholic principles, to embrace diversity with dignity, and to proactively and publicly be role models for our one St. Thomas community. As we near the end of 2015 and look forward to 2016, addressing these issues for our St. Thomas community will be a top priority. I am asking for your involvement and your prayers. We must, and will, make this happen.”

According to multiple news reports, five people were wounded in the shooting, which occurred during a Black Lives Matter protest of the Nov. 15 fatal shooting of Jamar Clark by a police officer.

Funds collected through the CRS Rice Bowl initiative were awarded to Catholic Charities Nov. 13. Mike Haasl, Catholic Relief Services director at the Center for Mission, presented a check to Kathleen Turner, Dorothy Day’s food services partnership and strategy manager.

CRS keeps 25 percent of funds collected through the Lent-based Rice Bowl outreach in the diocese where they originated to help with local hunger and poverty alleviation. This year, that amount was $19,130. “Food is not just about filling stomachs, but it also begins to encourage life stability,” Turner said in a Nov. 13 statement. CRS Rice Bowl donations this year will also benefit the Opportunity Center and Northside Child Development Center, two Catholic Charities programs in Minneapolis. The Center for Mission asks parishes or groups interested in participating in the 2016 CRS Rice Bowl to contact Haasl at 651-291-4504 in December to secure materials.

Catholic Charities a partner in TPT food insecurity documentary Catholics Charities partnered with St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health and Twin Cities Public Television to create “Food Justice,” a TPT documentary that aired Nov. 15. The 27-minute program examines homelessness, food insecurity and efforts to increase access to healthier food. “Many people in our community experiencing homelessness and poverty lack access to healthy foods,” said Donald Gault, Healthy Communities division manager at St. Paul – Ramsey County Public Health in a Nov. 15 statement.

“Food Justice hopes to raise awareness about food insecurity and highlight the hard work and creative efforts of shelters, meal programs and food shelves to make high quality, nutritious foods available for their guests and clients.” Other partners included Second Harvest Heartland and the Minnesota Hunger Initiative.

The program is expected to air again in December and can be streamed online at video.tpt.org/ video/2365604412. A free DVD can be ordered at www.foodjusticemn.org, which also offers additional resources on the issue.

All are cordially invited to an Advent luncheon benefiting mothers, babies and families of the Holy Family Hospital, Bethlehem.

The University Club of St. Paul Ballroom 420 Summit Ave. Saturday, December 12, 2015 12 noon — 2 p.m.

For more information: Phone: 952-443-6100 Email: anne@giannahomes.org Reservations Required

Hosted by: The Minnesota Area of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

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Call 651-291-4444 for information.

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Sunday, December 6 2pm For Tickets call 651.224.4222 or visit www.ordway.org

LOCAL

6A • The Catholic Spirit

December 3, 2015

Catholic Charities: Syrian refugees unlikely to settle in state

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit The likelihood that Minnesota would receive an influx of Syrian refugees is low, said Catholic Charities experts who work with refugee resettlement, but that shouldn’t diminish Christians’ willingness to help and welcome Syrians, or overshadow the needs of refugees from other countries who arrive in Minnesota.

“Most of the refugees come because they have a family tie here,” said Laurie Ohmann, Catholic Charities’ vice president of client services and community partnerships. “Because there haven’t been many Syrians settled here, our role will likely be small.”

The charitable organization has been supporting refugee resettlement since the 1970s and resettles about 300 refugees annually.

Following revelations that the Nov. 13 attacks on Paris were carried out by Islamic State militants trained in Syria, many American leaders expressed concern about or resistance to allowing Syrian refugees into the United States, fearing it would provide a portal for terrorists.

Within a week of the attack, more than half of U.S. governors stated that Syrian refugees were not welcome in their states. Others, including Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, said they would not oppose the arrival of Syrian refugees. Meanwhile, an online petition to bar Syrian refugees from Minnesota garnered 21,500 signatures.

Pope Francis and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have consistently called for the U.S.

“We must open our hearts to these people who have lost their homes.”

Bishop Andrew Cozzens

government and international community to support Syrian refugees, both Christian and non-Christian. In September, President Barack Obama announced that 10,000 Syrians will be allowed to enter the U.S. next year.

In a Nov. 24 online forum for youth and young adults, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said Syrian refugees should be viewed “as people in need, not as terrorists.”

He said he favored appropriate screening measures, “but we have to remember that we have a responsibility to help refugees, and that many of them are Christians fleeing for their lives because they have been kicked out of their homes by Islamic extremists.”

He added: “We must open our hearts to these people who have lost their homes, and many have lost their homes because they share our faith and . . . refused to deny their faith.”

According to the USCCB, at least 4 million Syrians have fled their country due to civil war and the emergence of ISIS. Of them, 1,500 have entered the U.S. as refugees.

Since 1974, nine Syrian refugees —

including one family of seven who arrived last year — have settled in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Resources, none are scheduled to arrive in Minnesota.

Ohmann said she understands why people are fearful following the Paris attacks, but that “the notion that we can increase our security by limiting our interaction with people who are different than us” is unfounded.

“Refugees go through more screening than you or I do as a tourist,” she said.

Ohmann said Catholic Charities has received many calls from people who want to help Syrian refugees locally.

There is a prevalent misconception that people can house refugees in their homes, said Katie Radloff, who works with refugees at Catholic Charities.

Although that used to be possible, the resettlement program now relies on affordable housing.

However, Ohmann said, Catholics can help by supporting refugees who do settle in Minnesota, and suggested neighborhoods and parishes make a stronger commitment to welcoming people who have resettled near them.

She noted that St. Timothy in Blaine organizes a cleaning supply drive each Christmas for refugees in Catholic Charities’ program, which works with refugees for their first 90 days in the state.

According to the Minnesota Department of Human Resources, about 2,400 refugees resettled in Minnesota last year through the U.S. Refugee Admissions program. Of them, more than 80 percent are refugees from Myanmar and Somalia.

Bishop fields queries on vocations, jail time in Google Hangout The Catholic Spirit Bishop Andrew Cozzens answered youth and young adults’ questions via Google Hangout Nov. 24. For 50 minutes, the auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis addressed topics ranging from whether one should date while discerning priesthood or consecrated life (he said usually no) to the role Mary plays in his spiritual life (he said a large one — he’s prayed the rosary almost daily since Jan. 1, 1992).

Participants in the online forum could see Bishop Bishop Andrew Cozzens on video COZZENS and submit questions in writing. About 19 individuals or groups were part of “grill the bishop,” including youth groups from Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, the Cathedral of St. Paul and St. Stephen in Anoka.

Dozens also watched on YouTube.

A representative from Mary, Mother of the Church asked him to describe being jailed as a college student for blocking access to an abortion clinic.

He relayed the story and shared an exchange with another inmate during a 10-day jail stay after conviction.

“What’d you do that for?” he was asked. “We said, ‘They were killing babies inside — what were we supposed to do?’ and the guy said, ‘He’s got a point’,” the bishop recalled.

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December 3, 2015

LOCAL

The Catholic Spirit • 7A

Planned Parenthood videos turn spotlight on U of M research practices

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit The series of undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood officials and affiliates discussing the sale of body parts from aborted fetuses has hit closer to home in the ninth video released in September from the Center for Medical Progress.

In it, a representative from California-based Advanced Bioscience Resources is shown describing its fetal tissue harvesting practice to a prospective buyer, mentioning that the company works with clinics in Minnesota.

At a Nov. 19 presentation at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Teresa Stanton Collett, St. Thomas law professor and director of its Prolife Center, and Brian Gibson, executive director of Pro-Life Action Ministries, explained how the information in the footage not only violates federal law, but also Minnesota State law.

After introducing their remarks with clips from the video, Collett said Minnesota’s fetal disposal law Teresa clearly states that hospitals, COLLETT clinics, medical facilities and laboratories must provide for the disposal of miscarried or aborted fetuses through either burial or cremation.

“This does not include grinding body parts in the clinic,” said Collett, who noted she wasn’t speaking as a medical professional.

Through Freedom of Brian Information Act requests, Twin Cities-based AlphaNews, an GIBSON online news resource, obtained purchase orders that showed the University of Minnesota bought fetal organs from Advanced Bioscience Resources for research purposes. One from May 8, 2014, lists the purchase of two livers from second trimester fetuses for $325 each. The university paid $175 for lung tissue of a 16-22 week fetus. Collett noted that in Japan, the fetus is considered viable at 22 weeks; in the U.S., a baby is considered viable at 23-24 weeks gestation.

Because the law applies only after the fetus has developed cartilage, around eight weeks, early abortions are not included in the requirement. But the university’s purchase order records show 13- to 24week fetal organs being purchased. According to the Center for Medical Progress, the sale or purchase of human fetal tissue is a federal felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $500,000.

The university’s purchase orders with ABR date back to 2008.

Student protest Collett said the university’s procurement practice didn’t go unnoticed. In October, students held a demonstration, asking for an investigation and clarification of the university’s policy from President Eric Kaler, holding signs that read “Questions for Kaler” and “Investigate before it’s too late.”

“These students were protesting that their own institution was involved in what they considered inhumane and gruesome research, research that is less regulated by internal policy than the University of Minnesota’s guidelines on animal research,” Collett said. “We have clear, federal guidelines, which are to be enforced first and formally through the institutional research board, which every university has.”

In an October letter to two regents who sought to clarify the university’s processes related to procuring human fetal tissue, Kaler wrote, “The University does not know all of the various sources of fetal tissue procured by ABR. However, ABR has informed the University that it procures tissue from induced

abortions at clinics throughout the country, including up until July 2015, clinics in Minnesota.”

Kaler went on to say that any change in policy to prohibit the acquisition of fetal tissue from suppliers who procure tissue from induced abortions would hinder all of the university’s fetal tissue research. He claimed the university was abiding by federal and state laws and regulations, and would continue to do so.

A couple days earlier, also in a letter to regents, the university’s vice president for research, Brian Herman, wrote that the university’s policies “do not comprehensively address the disposition of fetal tissue used in research,” but would immediately begin “handling the procurement of fetal tissue and disposal after its use for research.”

Gibson said every entity that receives the aborted babies’ remains is under Minnesota law, “so if the abortion facility is selling the body parts to the middleman — ABR — the abortion facility has violated Minnesota law. As soon as ABR receives them — and they pay for them — they can’t sell them. Minnesota law now applies to them. Now they must [do] cremation or burial. And then once it goes to the U of M or other research institute, they are obligated to follow that law. So, each of these entities are showing signs of violating that law.”

Outside reports named Rep. Marion O’Neill, R-Maple Lake, as calling for the school to “ban the use and purchase of aborted fetal tissue.”

Pointing to what the university has done by procuring body parts of aborted fetuses, Collett advanced a PowerPoint slide that pictured a “humanized mouse.”

Citing St. John Paul II’s “Gospel of Life,” Collett said the objection of such practices speaks to “the dignity with which every human body deserves, the human body that bore the incarnation of Christ.”

“We are fans of research,” she continued. “And the idea that a grieving mother or father after the stillbirth of their child believes that they can be helped from the organs of that child isn’t contrary to our faith. But to cause the death of a child and then to cannibalize that child in the name of any sort of so-called human progress is wrong. And our law does not allow this. It makes a clear distinction.”

Looking to legislators Collett said it’s up to state legislators to seek legal action against the University of Minnesota and others potentially implicated in the videos because the violation is deemed a public nuisance, which must be brought by a public official. She said leaders in the state House of Representatives are in the process of having conversations around this.

If legal action is to happen, it would be under the purview of the Ramsey County Attorneys Office because ABR works out of St. Paul. The penalty is a misdemeanor. Collett said she’s skeptical about legal ramifications given Ramsey County Attorney John Choi’s connections to the abortion industry. Gibson noted Choi was the featured guest at a political fundraiser for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota in September.

Chuck and Denise Waletzko, parishioners of St. Bonaventure in Bloomington, attended the presentation and have been following the videos since they were first released.

“Any information a person receives is more ammunition they can share with people, especially in this day of social media, so people can see the truth — the truth in love,” said Denise, who heads the parish’s respect life ministry.

With political officials “turning a blind eye” to the violations, Chuck likened the “hypocrisy” to “the stink of Auschwitz that everybody is pretending not to smell.”

Denise added: “If you can’t see it now, if you don’t want to see it now, it really comes down to are you for, or are you against [abortion]? There is no gray any more.”

Archbishop Bernard Hebda smiles as he listens to a comment during a Nov. 4 listening session at the University of St. Thomas.

Eric Wuebben/For The Catholic Spirit

Archbishop Hebda takes questions on new archbishop The Catholic Spirit Numerous questions have been asked of leadership of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as part of the listening sessions held throughout the archdiocese in October and November. The Catholic Spirit asked Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator, to answer several of them addressing the naming of a new archbishop. His responses are as follows.

Q. Does a person have to be a bishop before being named an archbishop?

A. For the statisticians among us, of the 31 sitting metropolitan archbishops in the United States, all but one had been bishops of another diocese at the time of their appointment (and he had already been working as an archbishop in the Roman Curia).

While in practice those chosen to be archbishops are often men who have already proven to be good bishops in another diocese, the Code of Canon Law doesn’t really differentiate between the prerequisites for bishops and archbishops. It simply states that the candidate has to be a priest who has been ordained at least five years and has attained the age of 35 years old. He has to be “held in high esteem” and be a man of “strong faith, good morals, piety, zeal for souls, wisdom, prudence and human virtues” and “possess those other gifts which equip him to fulfill the office in question.” He is to possess a doctorate, or a pontifical licentiate degree, in sacred Scripture, theology or canon law. If not, he must be at least truly expert in one of these fields.

That being said, it seems significant that a few weeks ago Pope Francis appointed a parish priest to be the new archbishop of Palermo, traditionally one of the most important sees in Italy.

Q. When should we expect another auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese?

A. Given that an auxiliary bishop is by definition one who assists the diocesan bishop (or archbishop), it is logical that the appointment of an auxiliary bishop normally flows from a request from the diocesan bishop, based on his assessment of the pastoral needs in the diocese.

Whenever a new bishop arrives in a diocese, it could be expected that he would need some time to assess the needs of that local Church and to get a sense of the local clergy before requesting an auxiliary bishop. My understanding is that he first works with Please turn to HEBDA on page 18A

8A • The Catholic Spirit

LOCAL

December 3, 2015

Known for charity, local Order of Malta helping Bethlehem hospital

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Anne Marie Hansen, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Paul, says that an earthquake in Haiti in 2010 led her to join a group commonly known as the Order of Malta, a worldwide Catholic order with about 10,000 members, 1,800 of whom reside in the U.S. The order has a hospital in Haiti, and Hansen decided to serve there for two weeks in April 2010.

“I was assigned to be in charge of a tent of 48 women who had all different kinds of injuries,” she said.

“We worked 16, 17-hour days treating wounds.

“I got to work Anne Marie with so many HANSEN knights and dames [of the order] from around the world. And, I just felt, ‘What an amazing organization — 900-plus years that they have served the poor and the sick in our world.’ I just fell in love with the order and the mission. That’s when I started my discernment.”

After a year of mandatory formation, she was invested in November 2011 and now serves as state chair. She noted that six new members from Minnesota were invested Nov. 13 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chaplain of the order’s American

From left, Order of Malta members John Dick of All Saints in Minneapolis, Matt Heffron of St. Columba in St. Paul and Ivan Postumous of the Cathedral of St. Paul take part in the processional during the priest ordination Mass May 30 at the Cathedral. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit Association. That pushes the total of knights and dames in Minnesota to 33.

Eight more are in discernment and on track for investiture in November 2016.

Although there are a small number of men and women religious in the order, its members are primarily lay people, said Father Joseph Johnson, pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park and chaplain for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas.

“Most people have no clue that the Order of Malta is one of the five oldest religious orders in the Church; it precedes Francis and Dominic by over a century,” Father Johnson said. “The charism of the Order of Malta was given to the founder, Blessed Gerard. . . . It’s the defense of the faith and the service of the sick and the poor.”

For Hansen, that charism was her reason for joining, as it relates to her

work as founder and president of Gianna Homes in Plymouth and Minnetonka.

The two homes have 16 residents who live with some type of memory loss, including dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Some residents have other types of related conditions and illnesses.

“It perfectly lined up with what the Lord already had put in my life to do,” Hansen said. “It has helped me grow deeper in my awareness of treating those who are less fortunate — whether that be with some type of illness or that they’re poor — with more dignity and respect.

The Order of Malta calls us to treat them as our Lord. . . . to see the face of Christ in them. It has been beautiful to do that in the culture we live in, where our faith is so attacked.”

The full name of the order is Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, and was started more than 900 years ago around the year 1048 by Blessed Gerard.

He started a hospital in Jerusalem, and the order continues to run hospitals today.

Among them is Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, the beneficiary of a fundraiser scheduled for noon Dec. 12 at the University Club in St. Paul. Hansen serves as co-chair of the event.

To make a reservation or for more information about the fundraiser, contact Hansen at 952-210-8836 or anne@ giannahomes.org. To learn more about Holy Family Hospital, visit www.birthplaceofhope.org.

December 3, 2015

U.S. & WORLD

The Catholic Spirit • 9A

Pope says he was surprised by crowds, joy in Africa

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Pope Francis told reporters he is well aware that God is full of surprises, but he had not been prepared for what a surprise his first visit to Africa would be.

Obviously tired, but equally content, Pope Francis told reporters he prayed in a mosque in Bangui, Central African Republic, and rode around a Muslim neighborhood with the imam seated with him in the popemobile. Both were spontaneous initiatives of the pope Nov. 30, his last day in Africa.

Returning to Rome from Bangui later that day, the pope spent more than 60 minutes with reporters in the back of his plane, responding to their questions.

“The crowds, the joy, the ability to celebrate even with an empty stomach” were impressions the pope said he would take home with him after his six-day trip to Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic.

After two years of civil war, the pope told reporters, the people of the Central African Republic want “peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.”

“For years, they lived as brothers and sisters,” the pope said, and local Catholic, Muslim and evangelical Christian leaders are doing their best to help their people return to that situation of peace, coexistence and mutual respect.

Leaders of every religion must teach values, and that is what is happening in Central African Republic, Pope Francis said.

“One of the most rare values today is that of brotherhood,” a value essential for peace, he said.

“Fundamentalism is a disease that is found in all religions. We Catholics have some,” he said. “I can say this because it is my Church.”

“Religious fundamentalism isn’t religion, it’s idolatry,” he told the press.

Ideas and false certainties take the place of faith, love of God and love of others.

By Liz O’Connor Catholic News Service

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the State House in Entebbe, Uganda, Nov. 27.

CNS/Paul Haring “You cannot cancel a whole religion because there is a group or many groups of fundamentalists at certain moments of history,” the pope said.

As the pope ended his trip, global representatives were beginning the U.N. climate conference in Paris to discuss the possibility of forging a binding international agreement to reduce climate change.

Pope Francis said he was not sure what would happen at the conference, “but I can say this, it’s now or never.”

Too little has been done over the past 10-15 years, he said, and “every year the situation gets worse.”

“We are on the verge of suicide, to put it strongly,” he said.

Given his visits to Uganda and Kenya, where new HIV infections and AIDSrelated deaths continue, Pope Francis was asked if he thought the Church “should change its teaching” about the use of condoms.

Pope Francis responded that an ongoing question for Catholic moral theology is whether condoms in that

case are an instrument to prevent death or a contraceptive — in which case they would violate Church teaching on openness to life.

But, he said, the question is too narrow. People are dying because of a lack of clean water and adequate food.

Once the world takes serious steps to solve those problems, then it would be “legitimate to ask whether it is licit” to use condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Pope Francis said that at various moments of his trip, he visited the very poor, people who lack everything and have suffered tremendously. He said he knew that a small percentage of people — “maybe 17 percent” — of the world’s population controls the vast majority of the world’s wealth — “and I think, ‘How can these people not be aware?’

It’s such suffering.”

To say the world’s economy has put profits and not people at the center and to denounce “the idolatry of the god money,” he said, “is not communism.

It’s the truth.”

In Paris, JRS worker finds tables turned with refugees

By Francois Gloutnay Catholic News Service Marcella Villalobos Cid, 36, lives in Saint-Denis, a working-class neighborhood in the north end of Paris, with her husband, Guillaume, and their 2-year-old daughter, Kateri. In her job as coordinator for Jesuit Refugee Service’s hospitality network, Villalobos often finds herself concerned for refugees and their families.

After police raided a Saint-Denis apartment for terrorists Nov. 18, Villalobos found herself on the opposite end of the concern spectrum.

“Every time I hear about airstrikes being launched in Syria, I send text messages to refugees and ask them if they’ve been able to reach their families out there. This week, we switched position: It’s the refugees themselves who texted me when Saint-Denis was being raided by the police, just to make sure that I was OK. Such solidarity is just priceless,” she said.

“Saint-Denis is rather close to Paris, to my office and to our friends. It’s easy to get around town through transit. But

HHS mandate cases court will hear known collectively as Zubik v. Burwell

besides those down-to-earth considerations, there’s one reason we chose to live here in Saint-Denis: It’s a small microcosm of French society and of the world we live in,” Villalobos said.

More than 100,000 people live in the borough, whose inhabitants are from 170 different nationalities.

“In Saint-Denis, community life is rich and thriving. There’s lot of young people here. What’s more, it’s a welcome hall for many immigrants,” said Villalobos. It’s also a multi-religious borough where “Catholics, Muslims, Jews and Protestants are in good terms and live peacefully.”

When police raided the terrorist hideout just a few blocks from the Villalobos home, friends from all walks of life and many different nationalities sent them dozens of text messages.

“They wanted to know how we felt, if our family was safe and sound, and if we needed anything,” she said.

The JRS-France project coordinator said terrorist attacks such as the ones that struck Paris Nov. 13 “are commonplace in the daily life of many people around the world. I hope it will open everyone’s eyes to the situation lived by people who

live in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or Ukraine. Those countries have known such terror for many, many years, and on a daily basis.”

Every year, Jesuit Refugee Service, with the help of volunteer families and religious communities, helps 500 refugees settle in France. Up to a thousand refugees benefit from the services offered

by JRS, be it legal counsel or French lessons.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks, Catholic leaders in Paris and Saint-Denis offered soothing words to the faithful.

“The archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, and the Bishop of Saint-Denis, Pascal Delannoy, asked that ‘through our prayers, our words and our deeds, we may be peacemakers,’” Villalobos said.

“Being a peacemaker . . . it’s just not possible to cross your arms and stay at home. Whether we live in Paris, in SaintDenis or elsewhere in the world, we must ask ourselves what it means to be a peacemaker and what must be done to build a world that’s fairer and more peaceful,” she said.

Religious freedom is at the heart of the debate over the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate, according to Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik and others involved in cases the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear.

The perception this is primarily a Catholic issue because of the Church’s long-standing natural-law teaching against artificial contraception and abortion is misplaced, he said.

Although contraception is “the presenting issue,” he said he fears the regulations put in place by the Department of Health and Human Services in administering the health care law represent “a slippery slope” that would undermine religious freedom for many Americans.

The following are the cases the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear in relation to the Department of Health and Human Services mandate that most employers provide coverage of contraception, sterilization, and abortifacient drugs and devices in employee health plans: • The Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, both represented by the Jones Day law firm.

• The Archdiocese of Washington, also represented by Jones Day. • The Little Sisters of the Poor, grouped together with Christian Brothers Services and Christian Brothers Benefit Trust; Reaching Souls International; TruettMcConnell College; and Guidestone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, all represented by the Becket Fund.

• Houston Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University, and Westminster Theological Seminary, also all represented by the Becket Fund.

• Priests for Life, represented by the American Freedom Law Center.

• Geneva College, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom.

• Southern Nazarene University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Mid-America Christian University, all also represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom.

All of the cases have been grouped together and are being called by the shorthand name “Zubik v. Burwell” for plaintiff Bishop Zubik and Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who is the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Diocesan plaintiffs are including in their petition various schools, colleges and charitable agencies that fall under their aegis. For example, the Archdiocese of Washington is including The Catholic University of America.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Nov. 6 it will hear the cases. Oral arguments are expected to take place next spring.

U.S. & WORLD

10A • The Catholic Spirit COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

Priest: Shooting at Colorado clinic antithesis of pro-life movement A priest who celebrates Mass every Friday morning on a sidewalk near the Planned Parenthood clinic targeted by a lone gunman Nov. 27 said the shooter’s actions were the antithesis of the pro-life cause. “We want the conversion of Planned Parenthood, not their destruction,” said Father Bill Carmody, the longtime Respect Life director for the Diocese of Colorado Springs. “The pro-life movement has no place for violence.” The attack on the clinic in northwest Colorado Springs left three people dead, including a police officer, and nine others wounded. The clinic reported that none of its employees or patients was among those killed or seriously wounded in the Black Friday attack, after which patrons and employees of nearby businesses “sheltered in place” for nearly six hours while police tried to contain the alleged shooter, Robert Lewis Dear, 57. The standoff ended with Dear’s arrest.

WASHINGTON

MRS director says refugee screening process is thorough, keeps U.S. safe The extensive vetting process that all refugees undergo before arriving in the United States “screens out any possible threat of terrorism,” said the executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services. “We believe the risk is nil and certainly when we look at this [process] under a microscope, these are the most vetted people that come into our country,” William Canny told Catholic News Service. The director said the State Department screening procedure — which the White House posted on its website Nov. 20 — is comprehensive and

makes security its highest priority.

“We’re highly confident that it’s well done, that it screens out any possible threat of terrorism. Based on that, we’re very comfortable receiving these families, which by the way, are mostly women and children,” Canny said.

Questions about the possible entry into the U.S. by extremists tied to Islamic State militants who control large swaths of Syria and Iraq have been raised since a string of violent attacks in Paris Nov. 13 and the downing of a Russian jetliner over Egypt’s Sinai desert Oct. 31, all claimed by the organization. Members of Congress, presidential candidates, state legislators and at least 31 governors have called for the federal government to stop the resettlement of Syrians, saying they feared for Americans’ security.

Our Lady of Guadalupe shouldn’t be viewed as only Mexican tradition The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been a religious and cultural hallmark for Mexican Catholics for centuries, but the custom received little attention from Anglo Catholics in the U.S. before the last few decades. With the growing Latino population in the United States, the presence of Hispanics has steadily increased in Catholic churches throughout the country, creating a greater awareness of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas. Catholic scholars say the significance of her feast day, Dec. 12, has risen beyond the Americas with the emergence of the Latin American Church on the world stage. The darkskinned image of Mary, known as Our Lady of Guadalupe, also has been identified by leaders of the universal Catholic Church as the face of the new evangelization. The story of how Mary appeared to a poor Aztec Indian in 1531 near present-day Mexico City brought more than 6 million

indigenous people into the Catholic faith within a decade.

HANCEVILLE, Ala.

Mother Angelica remains on feeding tube, confined to bed at monastery Mother Angelica, who spearheaded the founding of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), has been placed on a feeding tube as she continues to battle lingering effects of two strokes she experienced 14 years ago. A spokesman for her order, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration at Our Mother Lady of Angels ANGELICA Monastery in Hanceville, said the 92-year-old nun is doing as well as can be expected for someone her age who remains partially paralyzed.

“She’s had some ups and downs the last few months,” said Luke Johnasen, director of pilgrimages at the monastery. “She’s a fighter.” He added that Mother Angelica remained confined to bed, but that she acknowledges visitors to her room in the monastery.

VATICAN CITY

‘VatiLeaks’ trial rescheduled for Dec. 7 A Vatican trial against two Italian journalists, a Spanish monsignor and two others was postponed for one week after the court allowed one of the defendants to change lawyers. On what was to be the criminal trial’s first day of testimonies by the defendants Nov. 30, the Vatican court granted a request by one of the accused to have a new lawyer and receive more time to

December 3, 2015 prepare for the case. The proceedings began with the presiding judge, Giuseppe Dalla Torre, stating the request by Francesca Chaouqui, a member of the former Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organization of the EconomicAdministrative Structure of the Holy See. Dalla Torre, along with three other Vatican judges, deliberated for 10 minutes before granting her request and announcing the trial would resume Dec. 7. Along with Chaouqui, the defendants present were: Spanish Msgr.

Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, secretary of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See; Nicola Maio, who served as personal assistant to Msgr.

Vallejo Balda when he worked on the commission; and the journalists, Gianluigi Nuzzi, author of “Merchants in the Temple,” and Emiliano Fittipaldi, author of “Avarice.”

PARIS

Climate deal must be transformative, papal envoy tells U.N. leaders Heads of state discussing carbon emission limits must create a global and “transformative” agreement built on justice, solidarity and fairness, a papal representative told the U.N. climate conference in Paris. Pope Francis has said “it would be tragic” if special interests “manipulated information” and won out over the common good, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said Nov. 30. A global agreement must have three interrelated goals in mind: “alleviate the impact of climate change, fight poverty and let the dignity of the human person flourish,” the cardinal said. A meaningful global pact must be guided by a clear ethical vision that sees all of humanity as belonging to one human family, and has “no room for the so-called globalization of indifference,” he said.

— Catholic News Service

Advent Concert

David Haas

Michael Joncas

Marty Haugen

Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015 • 7:30 p.m.

Tickets $20 (children under 12 free) Tickets can be purchased online at www.ssfmc.org or at the door.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic Community 2048 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville, MN

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FAITH & CULTURE

December 3, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 11A

Two Catholic schools jumpstart St. Nick’s Day giving tied to concert

Piano concert to highlight Cathedral acoustics

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit

One winter night last year, pianist Steven C. Anderson was preparing to record a CD in the sanctuary of the Cathedral of St. Paul when he discovered that the echo his piano produced in the Cathedral’s vast, sacred space was like another musical instrument that could enhance his performance if “played” properly.

By adjusting the timing of his piano playing, he worked with the echo or “reverb” of the Cathedral’s Pianist Steven C. will perform Dec. 10 acoustics for a deeper, at the Cathedral of St. Paul music resonant quality on his from his 2014 album “Christmas album of Christmas and Beyond,” which he recorded at the winter piano music, church. Courtesy Steven C. “Christmas Beyond,” released November 2014. now to invite people to Steven C. The effect, he said, doesn’t experience the same thing.” carry well during liturgies Anderson, who is known as and, ironically, the “Steven C.” and lives in Lilydale, Cathedral doesn’t have its own piano. describes his style as contemporary “The sound from the space became instrumental/new age with elements of another instrument and creative many styles. He has recorded 12 albums partner,” said Anderson, who will and performed with artists such as recreate that music, augmenting it with organ, orchestra and children’s choirs, at Mannheim Steamroller and the London Symphony Strings. a free concert at the Cathedral Dec. 10.

On the concert program are familiar Collaborating with Anderson will be and lesser known carols from his two Lawrence Lawyer, Cathedral director of Christmas albums along with other sacred music and organist, and pieces. From the “Christmas Beyond” acclaimed arranger Adi Yeshaya. The album, he will play a medley of winter St. Cecilia and St. Gregory Choristers of songs. “I’m a true Minnesotan where I’m the Cathedral Choir School will also OK with winter,” he said. “I wanted to perform. capture the winter things, the wintry “A lot of this concert is to say I had chill.” the opportunity to [bring in] my piano Growing up in St. Louis Park, and record Christmas music here,” Anderson wasn’t initially excited about Anderson said. “It was really something playing piano but later changed his for me, to move me and change me and

Professional musician Nicholas David considers it an honor to share his name with a saint. It’s fitting that he also shares the saint’s giving spirit.

Nicholas David Mrozinski, the St. Paulite who in 2012 finished third on NBC’s “The Voice” competition, will perform an all-ages show with his band Dec. 6 — the feast of St. Nicholas — at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, where attendees are encouraged to bring a new toy or gift card for a child at the University of Nicholas Minnesota DAVID Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. And in the spirit of St. Nick, some surprises are in store for those who attend the concert.

“I’m grateful and excited that we’re able to do it. It’s more than a coincidence that it falls on the date [feast of St. Nicholas],” said Mrozinski, who was even referred to as ‘St. Nick’ by his mentor on “The Voice,” CeeLo Green, and others on the team. “I feel we’re called to share our gifts, and given the gift of music, that allows me to share other gifts. I’ve been trying to use that as a platform to help other people.”

A toy drive is part of his newfound St. Nicholas Day tradition. This year, he partnered with Maternity of MarySt. Andrew Catholic School in St. Paul and St. Joseph School in Rosemount, where he attended kindergarten through eighth grade.

Thomas Joseph, principal of St. Joseph School, said the toy drive was another opportunity for the students and teachers to serve others, which is core to the school’s mission.

But what made it special was the connection to Mrozinski, who attended the school in the late 1980s.

Three years ago, after his appearance on “The Voice,” Mrozinski performed for the students and staff at his alma mater, which he said gave him a foundation.

“St. Joe’s was a core group of kids from K-8, so on top of the curriculum, the familial aspect helped,” he said.

“It’s easy to get lost in the world. The huge current in the stream is love — how to carry out and be that love in the world is awesome.”

Mrozinski — known as “Nicholas David” on stage — and his band performed Dec. 1 at the hospital’s Wilf Family Center Auditorium — the first public concert since its opening last February.

After the Dec. 6 concert, he plans to deliver the collected toys to the hospital with his wife and three sons.

For more information about Nicholas David’s “Hometown Holiday Show,” visit www.suemclean.com/events/ nicholas-david.

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

mind. “I told my mom I wanted to be a baseball player,” he said.

Anderson eventually studied the organ in college where he also experimented with a variety of music and began composing for piano. He found inspiration from playing and composing in churches.

“I loved that sound, and it kind of shaped my music early on,” he said.

Most of Anderson’s work of playing, composing and producing is on the piano. For the past 14 years, he has played for liturgies at St. Joseph in West St. Paul. After Communion, he often improvises and the congregation responds.

Raised Lutheran, he said it took time to understand the Catholic liturgy but he now has a feel for sounds of the liturgical year.

A musical partner Anderson has worked with for two decades — his Bosendorfer grand piano — will return to the Cathedral for the concert. The instrument is longer with four more bass notes than a standard piano, giving it a lighter action than other pianos, he said.

The concert represents something new for the Cathedral, Lawyer said. “I think it will bring people into the building who have never been there, and that’s probably one of the most important things for the music series.”

Anderson said professional sound engineering will make for an optimal performance. After it’s over, he added, he hopes to continue making music in — and with — the Cathedral.

For more information and a link to free tickets for the event, visit www.cathedralsaintpaul.org.

12A • The Catholic Spirit

NEW DEACONS

December 3, 2015

Seven men to be ordained permanent deacons Dec. 5

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit When seven men step forward to be ordained permanent deacons Dec. 5 at the Cathedral of St. Paul, it will be the first permanent diaconate ordination since 2010.

The five-year break resulted from changes to the diaconate formation program, including its establishment as an institute under the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Deacon Joe Deacon Joseph Michalak, ordained in MICHALAK 2010 and the director for the Institute for Diaconate Formation at the St. Paul Seminary. “I’m in my 16th year as director of the formation, so I’ve seen a lot of the changes. The biggest change was 10 years ago when the U.S. bishops issued, for the first time ever, actual norms and our national directory based on universal Vatican norms. That changed formation all across the country.”

Key changes in the current program in the archdiocese include: • An increase in length of the formation program from four to five years.

• Ordination while men are still in formation, with this year’s class scheduled to complete the program in June 2016.

• A requirement that all candidates complete the two-year program at the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute.

• The option of working toward a master’s degree while in formation.

• The separation of the director of formation, who oversees the institute, from the director of the diaconate, who focuses on the welfare of the deacon community. Deacon John Belian, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, assumed the latter role earlier this year.

The next permanent diaconate ordination will be in 2017.

Read more about the future deacons in their own words at www.TheCatholicSpirit.com.

Vikki & Paul Buck

Years ago, Paul and Vikki Buck were attending a “Why Catholic” group study series, and a deacon and his wife in the group made a deep impression on Paul. He thought he, too, might be called to the diaconate. With Vikki, he decided it would be best to wait to pursue it, but the sense of being called only grew.

“Eventually through continual discernment during formation by myself and by the Church, it became clear,” he said.

“The best way for me to describe it is to say that it felt as if the call was always there.”

The five-year formation process was not without challenges for Buck, 47, a pharmaceutical chemist at Upsher-Smith Laboratories in Maple Grove.

“Sometimes the amount of studying was overwhelming, sometimes the commute to the seminary was trying, sometimes the time away from family was difficult, and sometimes surrendering myself to the will of God was hard,” Buck said of his formation.

“If I had to do it all over again, I would.”

He has a particular love for the liturgy and an interest in hospital ministry, he said, but thinks the greatest need in the archdiocese is “to strengthen the sacrament of marriage in order to strengthen the family.”

The Bucks have four children and attend St. Henry in Monticello. “I hope that through the guidance of the Holy Spirit I will be able to act as Christ the servant to all those I meet,” Buck said.

Mary & Eric Gunderson

Hearing a Relevant Radio interview with St. Paul Seminary Rector Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan in 2010 inspired Eric Gunderson to look into the seminary’s diaconate program. Throughout his discernment, Gunderson has experienced an “inner clarity” about his vocation, he said.

“I am a Matthew,” he said, referring to Jesus’ apostle. “I left my table and followed Jesus’ call.”

Gunderson, 51, is a parishioner of Epiphany in Coon Rapids and teaches science at Epiphany Catholic School. He and his wife, Mary, have two teenagers, and he acknowledged that integrating work, family life and formation was a challenge.

He is most looking forward to serving as a

deacon at Mass, and is interested in teaching, preaching and evangelization, he said. “There is a great need for healing in our local Church,” he said. “There is a need to foster unity in the archdiocese. We all need to continue to strengthen our Catholic families, to embrace our faith daily and live out our call to holiness.”

For other men considering a vocation to the diaconate, Gunderson advises prayer.

“Take time and go before Jesus in the Eucharist and pray, ‘Jesus, what is your will for me?’” he said. “Ask for the intercession of our mother Mary to help you discern. Talk over your discernment with your wife; the grace of your sacramental marriage will guide you.”

Anne & Tim Hennessey

Tim Hennessey, 57, estimates God was calling him to the diaconate for 20 years, but he didn’t feel ready to answer the call until the day his wife, Anne, said, “I think you should become a deacon.”

“That invitation, along with some powerful spiritual conversion at that time in my life, moved me to action,” he said.

His recommendation to other men considering the vocation is to enroll in the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity.

“This is the first step in the process, and it will give a man a good idea of what seminary formation will be like,” said Hennessey, a parishioner of St. John the

Evangelist in Little Canada and a licensing consultant with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. He and his wife have seven children.

He described discernment as a multifaceted process. “I spent many hours in prayer,” he said. “I took long walks. I journaled, and I talked with family and friends.

“I entered the program, and I continued to discern my call. Ultimately, a sense of peace came over me,” Hennessey added.

“I believe that peace was the Lord’s way of saying that this is his call for my life. Peace and joy are two hallmarks of an authentic call to ministry. Thanks be to God, I have experienced both.”

NEW DEACONS

December 3, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 13A

Cecelia & Kim Jensen

Linda & Michael Kraemer

Jeanette & Martin Meyer

Therese & John Shearer

Deacon Dominic Erhmentraut, who before retiring had served at Kim Jensen’s parish of St. Stephen in Anoka, told Jensen, 59, he would make a good deacon. Jensen’s wife, Cecelia, concurred.

“Learning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in my parish with others was also a big factor” in pursuing the vocation, said Jensen, a 911 public safety dispatcher for Anoka County. “Being selected and completing the formation process affirmed that I was truly listening to God’s call.”

Jensen’s family, which includes a daughter and son-in-law, has been “very supportive,” he said, and he hopes to be able to baptize a grandson due in 2016.

The Jensens are Secular Franciscans, which Kim expects to shape his work. “I pray that in some small way, my ministry will imitate the Peace Prayer,” Jensen said, “that I may be an instrument of his peace, and through dying may be born again to eternal life.”

Going back to school four decades after his college graduation was the toughest part of Michael Kraemer’s diaconate formation, he said. An electrical engineer for Xcel Energy in Maple Grove, Kraemer, 64, said he experienced a sense of peace when he said “yes” to his calling “and stopped fighting the Holy Spirit.”

Parishioners of St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center, Kraemer and his wife, Linda, have six adult children. He credits his parish’s deacons for inspiring his vocation, and notes others have been models for his ministry, especially Deacon Joe Michalak, Deacon Mike Martin and Deacon Bobby May, who served St. Alphonsus and died in 2007.

He hopes to offer “whatever talents and charisms I have been gifted with for the salvation of souls,” he said, and encourages men considering the diaconate to “invest much ‘face time’ with Jesus in adoration.”

Martin Meyer can pinpoint the moment he felt compelled to become a deacon.

“The call came to me while I was at Mass back in 1997 while I was sitting in the choir during a homily,” he said. “It was a soft whisper in my heart, ‘I want you to be a deacon.’”

A 62-year-old operations manager and parishioner of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, Meyer went through the diaconate inquiry classes three times, leaving each time feeling the timing wasn’t right.

After the fourth, he applied with the support of his wife, Jeanette.

A father of five, Meyer sees evangelization and catechesis as the local Church’s greatest needs. “There are so many people longing for purpose, meaning and hope,” he said. “They need a personal encounter and relationship with Jesus and to know and experience his unconditional love.”

Four years in formation confirmed his diaconate calling, said John Shearer, 56, a software development engineer at Beckman Coulter in Chaska and parishioner of St. Agnes in St. Paul.

Now, “the whole idea of serving as a deacon is somewhat intimidating,” he said. “I feel unworthy, but God has prepared me to do what he asks.”

Husband of Therese Shearer and father of four, Shearer hopes to continue working in prison ministry.

“Our culture is badly wounded and many people are suffering,” he said.

“We need an encounter with Jesus Christ.”

The most challenging part of pursing the diaconate is time, he said. “The Church has so much to offer, and I just couldn’t learn or do as much as I wanted. That’s part of the growing process, though. I want to spend more time learning, but God has asked me to do more than learn. It’s time to serve.”

“Those who have served well gain an excellent understanding and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.”

— 1 Timothy 3:13

Congratulations

Congratulations to our Permanent Deacons From our priests, seminarians, graduate students, faculty and staff

www.saintpaulseminary.org

CONSECRATED LIFE

14A • The Catholic Spirit

December 3, 2015

Living Word Sisters among retirement collection beneficiaries

By Beth Blair For The Catholic Spirit Visitors to Castle Ridge care center in Eden Prairie may have noticed a sister playing piano, praying and visiting with residents. That’s Sister Mary Nicholas Eiden, a Sister of the Living Word who goes by Sister Mary Nick.

She spent her early career working as a teacher, but now puts her energy into an “encore ministry” through her inspirational visits to care centers and prisons, responding to the call of Jesus based on the biblical line, “I was in prison and you visited me.” She makes regular visits to the Shakopee women’s prison to mentor a woman serving a 10-year sentence. Sister Mary Nick also volunteers at Twin Cities charities through her parish, Pax Christi in Eden Prairie.

Sisters of the Living Word was founded in response to the call of the Second Vatican Council for renewal of religious life as an apostolic community.

The community of 90 sisters branched off from the Sisters of Christian Charity and was spearheaded by foundress Sister Annamarie Cook.

Today, the community is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and serves the Midwest and the South. Of the original seven Minnesota-based Living Word Sisters, Sister Mary Nick and Sister Rita Worm are still in active ministry.

The sisters range in age from 65 to 88.

This year marks the community’s 40th anniversary. Sister Mary Nick, 79,

celebrated her 60th jubilee last year. She was formerly a Sister of Christian Charity and served in Chaska, Waconia and New Ulm. The Sisters of the Living Word community is one of the local recipients of funds from the National Collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. This annual appeal offers support for senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests. The Washington-based National Religious Retirement Office distributes funds to eligible communities to assist with retirement and health-care expenses.

The National Religious Retirement Office’s 2014 report revealed that 66 percent of religious communities that provided data have a median age of 70 or older.

“The higher median age is a decrease in the number of religious able to serve in compensated ministry, which further reduces the income available for eldercare,” according to Sister Midge Breiter, a School Sister of Notre Dame and coordinator of the retirement fund for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The local annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection is slated for Dec. 12-13. Catholics will speak at local parishes, sharing personal stories and encouraging parishioners to recall the impact religious men and women have had in the past and present. Last year, the appeal raised $523,268 in the archdiocese.

Approximately 30,000 religious men

Living Word Sister Mary Nicholas Eiden, left, plays piano and sings with Martha Lambert, a resident of Castle Ridge in Eden Prairie, a care center of Presbyterian Homes and Services.

Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit and women benefit across the country.

In addition to the Living Word Sisters, religious communities in the archdiocese that receive funds include St. Paul’s Monastery Benedictines, Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, Poor Clares and the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

“The retirement-funding crisis can be attributed to three primary factors: insufficient retirement savings, rising health-care costs and declining income,” according to the Retirement Fund for Religious. “Traditionally, women and men religious worked for small stipends that furnished only the

basics of daily living. As a result, a majority of religious communities now lack adequate funding for retirement.

At the same time, the cost of care continues to increase while the number of religious able to serve in compensated ministry decreases.”

The Sisters of the Living Word, like many others, lack sufficient retirement savings due, in part, to historically low compensation or outside support.

“The Fund for Religious is very important,” Sister Mary Nick said, “since the sisters served God’s people for many years with little financial assistance from the Church.”

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THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY

December 3, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 15A LETTERS

GUEST COMMENTARY Elizabeth Kelly

Silent night: Listening in Advent Last October, I took my 82-year-old mom on a silent retreat. The priest who led the weekend told the following story.

He had been teaching second-graders when the subject of prayer arose and he simply asked, “How do you talk to Jesus?” Hands shot up. The first child called upon said, “First, you have to shut up.”

The priest smiled and was heartened.

More hands waved in the air and he called on a second student. The child said, “Then, you have to crawl into his lap.”

Moved, the priest was ready to end the conversation there. But with hands still waving he called on a third student. She added with an expression that said, “You almost missed the most important thing”: “Then you have to put your ear really close to his mouth.”

Truly, how often God comes to the listening heart, the heart poised for hearing, moving in close, waiting in quiet. An angel came to deliver the message “blessed are you among women” to the heart most ready to listen and

receive. Advent always invites us to a fresh interior listening, a perpetual silent night of waiting for the Lord.

When was the last time you had a “silent night?” How do you prepare for that most sacred of silent nights?

If you follow the wisdom of those children, the first thing you have to do is get still, take yourself to a quiet place to pray — and to listen. Holy hours constantly filled with petitions, lamentations, even thanksgiving and praise do not leave time for listening.

Don’t misunderstand, the Lord is a great lover of lamentation and thanksgiving. Some of his favorites, like King David, were skilled lamenters. But today I am asking you, in this quiet season of waiting, of holy, hidden anticipation — “O come, O come Emmanuel” — does your prayer include silence, the prayer of quiet?

Silence before the Lord is a great act of love and trust. It disciplines the heart.

Silence assumes that what I have to say is never going to be more important than what God has to say. As Robert Foster has

TWENTY SOMETHING Christina Capecchi

Thirteen sons, no daughters, no reality TV shows The wedding that Tyler Schwandt and his fiancée are planning could’ve been broadcast on national TV. But he’s perfectly content with a quieter, more intimate wedding Mass.

The 23-year-old Catholic from Rockford, Michigan, has the distinction of being the firstborn of 13 boys, the family whose improbable boy streak went viral with the 12th pregnancy and generated another round of stories when a 13th son arrived in May. Crews from “The Today Show” and “Good Morning America” were at the Schwandts’ six-bedroom brick home before they had returned from the hospital, citing statisticians who set the odds of 13 consecutive boys at 1 in 8,000.

Each boy has felt like a one-in-amillion blessing to Jay and Kateri Schwandt, whose openness to life is rooted in their Catholic faith.

Ty absorbed those values his entire life and considers his family the best marriage-prep he could’ve hoped for. He’s been changing diapers since third grade and has a knack for getting a baby to sleep.

When asked what he wants to do when

he grows up, Ty has always offered the same answer: be successful, be happy and be a dad.

Growing up with so many brothers brought a series of practical jokes and broken windows, including one instance when the family’s pole barn didn’t have a single intact window, thanks to errant hockey pucks. Stuffed with backpacks and bunk beds and mounds of hockey pads, Kateri has likened their house to a locker room. Ty loves it.

He and his fiancée, Bailey, a 20-year-old college junior, plan to learn natural family planning before their July 2016 wedding. She has one sibling and used to imagine having two kids of her own one day but has since raised it to four — a number Ty still considers far too low.

“God has a plan for us,” Ty said. “I’ll be happy with whatever we’re blessed with.

Every time we get on that subject, Bailey says, ‘Please, just give me one little girl.’”

After the birth of their 12th son in 2013, TLC offered the Schwandts a reality show. Jay and Kateri sat down to discuss the prospect with their older sons one autumn evening before supper, hashing out the pros and cons.

“Silence assumes that what I have to say is never going to be more important than what God has to say.” written, “Silence is one of the deepest disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justification.”

You cannot encounter the life of the Church without this radical invitation to silence before the Lord. John of the Cross writes, “The Father spoke one word from all eternity and he spoke it in silence, and it is in silence that we hear it.”

Or consider the Psalms: “For God alone my soul waits in silence” (62:1). Or the prophets: “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!”

(Hb 2:20). Silence speaks to the essence of God in a way that words do not. It creates room for authentic awe.

Give your Advent this gift: Get quiet, crawl into the lap of the Lord, draw very close and then . . . listen.

Kelly is an award-winning speaker and the author of five books, including “Reasons I Love Being Catholic.” A parishioner of St. Michael in Stillwater, she is trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian exercises and leads retreats with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith.

“I was never intrigued,” Ty said. “I liked the attention, but I never loved the attention, and it almost lasted a little too long for me. I’d rather live a simple, happy life. You see ‘Kate Plus 8’ and the Duggars and all those other shows. They make a good run and then, in the end, they come crashing down. It wasn’t worth trying to be the exception.”

The money TLC offered didn’t justify the cost it would come at, Ty felt.

Surely the camera crew would’ve gravitated toward the handsome firstborn, turning his engagement into a major storyline and reducing the wedding sacrament to a heavily marketed special episode.

No thanks, says Ty. “We want our wedding to be intimate. I’m glad we’re able to keep this in the family.”

Just reading the online comments strangers have written about his family is enough to make his stomach turn. Saying no to reality TV, as he sees it, is a yes to privacy, serenity and family. He has total confidence — and a measure of relief — in their decision to decline.

“I’m very thankful for it because I don’t know how well I’d be able to take it. My biggest concern would be all of the little boys. They would grow up in front of cameras. I feel like they would never become who they really are.”

Watching their lives unfold as he begins a family of his own leaves nothing to be desired. It is the adventure of a lifetime.

Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights and the editor of www.SisterStory.org.

Offensive art Perhaps most pictures of the “Discovering the Falls of St. Anthony” that I have seen have been cropped, but I do not remember the woman in the right corner (“Capitol’s ‘Father Hennepin’ draws controversy as committee evaluates art,” Nov. 19). This representation of Indian women is offensive to me, and perhaps to some Native Americans, not because she is bare breasted, but because she is the beast of burden while the men sit idle. I am not a scholar of Native American ways, but I have never encountered that blatant a depiction of the clothing or manner of the culture before. Perhaps the cropped picture was preferable.

Marilyn Woolley St. Stanislaus, St. Paul

Don’t forget sacrament I read the very fine article on hospice care but was disappointed that no mention was made about the sacrament of the sick (“Catholic hospice care a way to live fully as death approaches,” Oct. 22). I received the sacrament over three years ago at age 79. Fortunately I received both spiritual and physical healing. Two of my doctors said I was a miracle. The peace that came over me was indescribable. When appropriate, I feel impelled to speak about the sacrament. I hope it’s not being forgotten.

Maybe it’s having trouble remembering its name: extreme unction, sacrament of the dying, sacrament of the sick.

Jim Spevacek St. Joseph, New Hope Share your perspective by emailing CatholicSpirit@archspm. org. The Commentary pages does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.

Letters may be edited for length or clarity.

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FOCUS ON FAITH

16A • The Catholic Spirit

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Deacon Charles Mugabi

How are you preparing a way for the Lord?

Growing up, I observed how my family prepares for visitors. Whenever we expect a relative, friend, priest or government official, we prepare a couple of things to show hospitality, depending on how long the visitor is staying. Usually, we clean the house thoroughly, including the back yard, washrooms and couches, prepare good food, and, if a visitor is staying for a couple of days, then his or her bed is properly made. My family takes time to prepare for visitors so that they can experience a warm welcome and feel at home.

Advent is a period to prepare the way for the coming of our Lord. As a Catholic family, father, mother, son, daughter, grandma or grandpa, how are you preparing a way for the Lord? Will Jesus feel at home and find a comfortable place to be born in your heart? Will Jesus find you prepared, or is he going to be born in a manger again? And are you prepared to bring Jesus to others? These questions are significant for each of us.

In the Gospel of Luke, John the Baptist was chosen to prepare the way for the Lord. He calls out, and his words are

December 3, 2015

equally meant for us as for the people to whom he directly spoke. We need to fill in the “valleys” and level the “mountains” of our souls, which may have resulted from our shallow prayer life and a minimalist way of living our faith.

In case we’ve been involved in some secret or habitual sin, dishonest practices at work or at home, we are called to straighten them out and make restitution. If we have been pushing God off to the side of our road, if we have not been having time for him, now is the time for us to get our priorities straight.

John the Baptist came to proclaim a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Luke uses the word “repentance,” translated from the Greek word “metanoia,” which means a total conversion to a special relationship with God and other people. We need to open ourselves to an ever deeper change of heart and listen well to what Jesus is asking of us. This conversion is what will bring about the forgiveness of our sins.

Our own role is not unlike that of John the Baptist. We are also called to be

Sunday, Dec. 6

Second Sunday of Advent Readings • Baruch 5:1-9 • Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 • Luke 3:1-6

prophets of Christ by announcing with our lives the coming of the Lord. We are to be his ambassadors of hope, love, freedom and peace to others. We are to assist people in filling their valleys and making their rough paths smooth. A word of affirmation and encouragement can work wonders. To have a naturally cheerful disposition can be a real witness to the joy of the Gospel.

Deacon Mugabi is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity for the Diocese of Kabale, Uganda. His teaching parish is St. Pius X in White Bear Lake.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Dec. 6 Second Sunday of Advent Baruch 5:1-9 Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Luke 3:1-6 Monday, Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Isaiah 35:1-10 Luke 5:17-26

Tuesday, Dec. 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Genesis 3:9-15, 20 Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 Luke 1:26-38 Wednesday, Dec. 9 Isaiah 40:25-31 Matthew 11:28-30 Thursday, Dec. 10 Isaiah 41:13-20 Matthew 11:11-15

Friday, Dec. 11 Isaiah 48:17-19 Matthew 11:16-19 Saturday, Dec. 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Zechariah 2:14-17 Luke 1:26-38 Sunday, Dec. 13 Third Sunday of Advent Zephaniah 3:14-18a Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:10-18

SEEKING ANSWERS Father Michael Schmitz

Sacrifice is not arbitrary — it’s about trust Q. I’m afraid of sacrifice. Not that I am afraid of giving up stuff or letting go of what I need to let go of, but I am afraid of what God might possibly call me to sacrifice some day.

A. Your fear totally makes sense. I imagine many people have a similar fear: What will God make me give up to prove that I love him?

I think the primary reason we are afraid of sacrifice in this sense is because most people have this lingering fear somewhere in their brain that, when it comes down to it, God is irrational, fickle and demanding.

Because of this, we don’t trust him.

After all, he says that he loves us, but who knows when he might ask us to give up our first-born child? I mean, you know the story. In one of the first chapters in the very first book of the Bible, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his

own beloved son. That seems pretty irrational, fickle and demanding!

But let’s look a bit more closely at this story.

First, it is crucial to note this fact: At this point in their relationship, Abraham and God have a very long history. God asks this sacrifice of Abraham after God has demonstrated time after time that Abraham can absolutely trust him — not only that Abraham can trust God with his most precious things but also that Abraham knows what God’s voice sounds like. In more modern terms, Abraham knew how to discern God’s voice from a crazy thought he might have had or from the voice of the Evil One. Second, and this is important to remember: No one died in this story!

(Except the ram.) Part of the point of the story is God’s affirmation that he does not want human sacrifice. He makes this abundantly clear.

Monday, Dec. 14 St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a Matthew 21:23-27 Tuesday, Dec. 15 Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 Matthew 21:28-32 Wednesday, Dec. 16 Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25 Luke 7:18b-23 Thursday, Dec. 17 Genesis 49:2, 8-10 Matthew 1:1-17

God reveals through this story (as well as through the rest of Scripture) that he is not irrational or fickle. He never asks someone, “So you love me?

Why don’t you prove it by just arbitrarily throwing away something that means a lot to you?” Biblical sacrifice is never arbitrary. Yet sacrifice does exist. Why? Pope Benedict XVI described biblical sacrifice like this: “In all religions sacrifice is at the heart of worship. But this is a concept that has been buried under the debris of endless misunderstandings.”

I maintain that a part of those misunderstandings include the idea that sacrifice is arbitrary, that God just asks for whatever is most valuable to us so that we can’t have it.

Think about what God asks in sacrificial worship. It is almost always connected to our first-fruits: The firstborn animal or the first-fruits of the crops. Even the first-fruits of our time are given to God. What is that all about?

At the heart, the sacrifice of this “stuff” or this “time” is an act of trust.

We are saying, “God, I give you the very first of this day, or this week, or this paycheck knowing that you will be there after this is offered.”

You might think of it like this: The reason we are asked to sacrifice is that we are afraid to sacrifice. Go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve

Friday, Dec. 18 Jeremiah 23:5-8 Matthew 1:18-25 Saturday, Dec. 19 Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a Luke 1:5-25 Sunday, Dec. 20 Fourth Sunday of Advent Micah 5:1-4a Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45

refused to trust God. All of the real suffering in the world comes from this: Refusal to trust God. Every sin, every disobedience, all clinging and asserting oneself comes from the refusal to trust God. Therefore the heart of worship is an act of trust — the surrender of something precious — not because God needs it, but because our hearts need it.

For Christians, we know that the end of sacrifice is neither mere surrender nor destruction.

On the cross, Jesus sacrifices his very life (surrender and destruction). But that is not the end of the sacrifice.

Transformation happens. His sacrifice redeems and transforms the world.

What does this mean for us today?

Our worship is participating in the one sacrifice of Jesus at Mass. This does not mean “watching” the Mass. It means participating in the sacrifice by lifting up the sacrifice of Jesus in the Eucharist, but also by offering (surrendering) ourselves with him on the altar.

Every part of our lives that we refuse to join to Christ’s sacrifice will simply end. But handed over to God through Jesus, with Jesus and in Jesus, your whole life is not destroyed — it becomes something new.

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

CALENDAR

December 3, 2015 Dining out St. Timothy Church’s Our Lady of Guadalupe dinner — Dec. 12: 5–9 p.m. at 241 Star St., Maple Lake. Information: www.churchofsttimothy.org.

KC Lumberjack breakfast — Dec. 13: 8:30 a.m.

– 12 p.m. at Mary, Queen of Peace Church Hall, 21201 Church Ave., Rogers.

Music Luke Spehar Christmas Concert — Dec. 3: 7:30 p.m. at Heights Theater, 3951 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis. Tickets and information: www. brownpapertickets.com/event/2365202.

Hill-Murray Theatre presents “Annie” — Dec. 4, 5, 6 and 11, 12, 13: Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at Hill-Murray School, 2625 Larpenteur Ave. E., Maplewood. Free senior citizen preview on Dec. 3 and an ASL interpreted performance on Dec. 13. Tickets and information: 651-748-2417 or www.hill-murray. org/theatre.

Celebrating the Season Concert — Dec. 5: 8 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary.org.

Benefit concert with David Haas, Father Michael Joncas and Marty Haugen — Dec. 6: 7:30 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church, 2048 Hamline Ave., N., Roseville. Information: 651-645-9389 or for tickets, www.ssfnc.org.

Steven C. “Christmas Beyond” concert — Dec. 10: 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/ steven-c-christmas-beyond-concert-tickets18783592230.

Holy Family Home Educators present “A Christmas Carol” — Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19: 7 p.m. at Holy Family Academy, Kattar Hall, 5925 W. Lake St., St. Louis Park. Free-will offering. Information: whitneyeanderson@comcast.net.

Carols & Chestnuts: Holiday Favorites to Warm Your Soul — Dec. 13: 7 p.m. at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Information:

The Catholic Spirit • 17A Information: www.csjstpaul.org.

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Description of event • Time and date of event • Contact information in case of questions • Full street address of event ONLINE: www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102

A note to readers As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Catholic Spirit will no longer accept calendar submissions via email. Please submit events using the form at www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions www.guardian-angels.org.

Light of the World: A Children’s Christmas Musical — Dec. 20: Following the 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Masses at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary.org.

Felix Hell organ recital — Dec. 20: 2 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 13505 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka. Information: www.ihm-cc.org.

Parish events Nativity Men’s Club Christmas tree lot —through Dec. 22: 5:30–8 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 3–8 p.m.

Friday; 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Sunday. Located at 1900 Stanford Ave., St. Paul.

Information: Pat Bollom at 612-599-8096 or pat@sdata. us.

Christ Child Luncheon — Dec. 4: 10:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at St. Ignatius Church, 35 Birch St. E., Annandale.

St. Jude of the Lake Church Christmas boutique

— Dec. 5: 5–8 p.m. at 600 Mahtomedi Ave., Mahtomedi.

St. Michael Church CCW Christmas boutique — Dec. 5: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at 337 Hurley St. E., West St. Paul. Information: 651-457-6566.

St. Raphael Christmas Village — Dec. 5: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. in the parish center, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. Information: 763-537-8401.

Annunciation Christmas boutique and bake sale — Dec. 5-6: (Dec. 5) 10 a.m.– 6:30 p.m., (Dec. 6) 8:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. at 509 W. 54th St., Minneapolis.

Information: 612-824-0787.

Guardian Angels Women’s Club Christmas boutique — Dec. 5-6: (Dec. 5) 9 a.m.– 4 p.m., (Dec. 6) 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale.

Information: www.guardian-angels.org or www. facebook.com/GuardianAngelsOakdale.

Holy Cross Church Christmas craft boutique and bake sale — Dec. 5-6: (Dec. 5) 10 a.m.–6 p.m., (Dec. 6) 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at 1630 Fourth St. NE, Minneapolis.

Incarnation Church bake and boutique sale — Dec. 5-6: (Dec. 5) 9 a.m.– 2 p.m., (Dec. 6) 8:30 a.m.– noon at 3801 Pleasant Ave. S., Minneapolis.

St. Vincent de Paul Church Christmas bazaar — Dec. 5-6: (Dec. 5) 9 a.m.–5 p.m., (Dec. 6) 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park.

Ministry for Parents of Young Children: St. Nicholas Activities for Children — Dec. 6: 9:30 a.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary.org.

Pax Christi Church parishioners’ art exhibit reception — Dec. 6: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie. Multi-media exhibit ends Dec. 20.

Information: 952-941-3150.

KC bingo — Dec. 6: 1–3:30 p.m. at Mary, Queen of Peace Church Hall, 21201 Church Ave., Rogers.

Opening the Holy Door: Year of Mercy — Dec. 13: 9:30 a.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary.org.

Opening the Holy Door: Year of Mercy — Dec. 13: 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Information: www.cathedralsaintpaul.org.

Prayer and worship Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration and Mass — Dec. 6: 3:30 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary. org.

Advent Vespers — Dec. 6, 13, 20: 3 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary.org.

Advent evening prayer with the Sisters of St. Joseph and Consociates — Sundays of Advent – Dec. 6, 13, 20: 4:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel, 1880 Randolph Ave., St. Paul.

Advent Vespers: Prayer for a Season of Hope —Dec. 6: 7 p.m. at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Information: www.guardianangels.org.

Advent Evensong — Dec. 6: 7 p.m. at St. Cecilia Church, 2357 Bayless Place, St. Paul.

Adoration and rosary for our Archdiocese — Dec. 13: 1–2 p.m. at St. Peter Church, 1405 Highway 13, Mendota. Information: Lisa Amos at 651-905-4304 or lamos@stpetersmendota.org, or www. stpetersmendota.org.

Taize prayer — Dec. 18: 7 p.m. at The Benedictine Center, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery. org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Solemn Vespers for the feast of the Holy Family — Dec. 27: 3 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary.org.

Retreats Serenity retreat for those in recovery — Dec. 4-6: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 to 1:15 p.m. Dec. 6 at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information: www.franciscanretreats.net/serenityaaalanon_ retreats.aspx.

Advent morning of reflection retreat — Dec. 5: 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Edward Church, 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S., Bloomington. Information: 952-8357101 or Mary Pat Potts at mppotts@ stedwardschurch.org; or www.stedwardschurch.org.

Men’s Retreat – Pope Francis and St. Francis; Rebuilding the Church, Bringing Hope to the World — Dec. 11-13: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 to 1:15 p.m.

Dec. 13 at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake.

Information: www.franciscanretreats.net/mens_ retreats.aspx.

Advent Silent Retreat — Dec. 11-13: at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo.

Information: 763-682-1394 or www.kingshouse.com.

Marriage Encounter — Dec. 12-13: 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. at Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center, 7984 257th St. W., Farmington. Information: 651-454-3238 or www.marriages.org.

Speakers “The Medicine of Mercy: Pope Francis in Context” — Dec. 13 and 20: 11 a.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17 St., Minneapolis. Information: www.mary.org.

Massimo Faggioli presents “Pope Francis and the Vatican” — Dec. 15: 6–8:30 p.m. at St. Albert the Great Church, E. 29th Street at 32nd Ave. S., Minneapolis. Information: www.saintalbertthegreat. org.

Conferences, seminars, groups Dementia Support Group — Second Tuesday of every month: 7–9 p.m. at The Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: www.stpaulsmonastery. org or 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@ stpaulsmonastery.org.

Faithful Spouses support group — Third Tuesday of each month: 7–8:30 p.m. in Smith Hall of the Hayden Center, 328 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul.

Information: 651-291-4438 or faithfulspouses@ archspm.org.

Other events Men’s Night Out — Dec. 4: 5:30 p.m. Mass followed by fellowship, dinner and speakers Jeff Cavins and Matthew James Christoff, then adoration until 9 p.m. at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1725 Kennard St., Maplewood. Information: www.presentationofmary.org.

St. Nicholas Meet & Greet at Leaflet Missal — Dec. 5: 11 a.m.– 1 p.m. at 976 W. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul. Information: www.leafletonline.com.

18A • The Catholic Spirit

December 3, 2015

Hebda: Nuncio will likely consider range of sources Continued from page 7A the nuncio to seek the green light to ask for an auxiliary and only then begins the process of putting together a list of three possible candidates. It’s an important decision both for the bishop and for the pope. Given the significance of unity in the Church, it’s critical to find an auxiliary who is able to exercise his office in a way that demonstrates that he is able “to act and think in accord with the diocesan bishop.”

While the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has traditionally had auxiliary bishops, there are no hard and fast rules for when a diocese would receive an auxiliary bishop, let alone a second or third. While the population of the diocese would normally be a relevant factor, the territorial size or cultural and linguistic diversity of the diocese could also play a role in determining whether a diocesan bishop would ask for an auxiliary and whether the Holy Father would grant that request.

Anyone regularly skimming the pages of The Catholic Spirit and knowledgeable about the life of this local Church could easily jump to the conclusion that a case could be made to justify a second auxiliary bishop (even when the auxiliary already “on the job,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens, seems to have the gifts, energy and stamina to do the work of a dozen). If a new archbishop comes in who already knows this Church and its clergy, he could probably move with relative alacrity. On the other hand, if he is brand new to this local Church, the

appointment of another auxiliary could take somewhat longer. Given that the characteristics of the ideal auxiliary are in so many ways tied to the specific skill-set, leadership style and needs of the diocesan bishop, the search for the next auxiliary is not something that even a well-intentioned apostolic administrator could start.

Q. How much influence do you have on the choice for our archbishop?

A. As the apostolic administrator “sede vacante,” I have had a privileged view of the archdiocese and its inner-workings for almost six months. The listening sessions gave me a bird’s-eye view of the strengths and challenges of the archdiocese as well as the hopes of many of the faithful. I hope to be in a position to help the nuncio with the “needs of the diocese” piece of his analysis. The nuncio would surely know, however, that there are others — bishops, priests, religious and laity — with a longer history in the diocese and a deeper understanding of its particular role in the Church in the Upper Midwest and he presumably will seek their counsel.

Once the nuncio feels that he has a fairly accurate snapshot of the current state of the archdiocese, he will probably turn to others, both in Minnesota and beyond, whose position or experience have afforded them a far better knowledge of the priests and bishops throughout our country who might be good candidates for the archdiocese at this juncture. In sum, I am responsible for only one piece of the puzzle.

Father Riley was professor, pastor The Catholic Spirit Father John F. Riley was both university professor and pastor — for a number of years both at the same time — during the 60 years of his priesthood.

He died Nov. 21 at 87.

Born Nov. 8, 1928, he attended the seminaries of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and was ordained May 30, 1955.

Father Riley served as an associate pastor at St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis for two years before beginning a lengthy teaching career.

He taught theology at the then-College of St. Thomas from 1957 to 1969, chairing the department from 1967-69.

He became an associate professor at Augsburg College in Minneapolis for three years before returning to St. Thomas, where he was awarded tenure in 1983. It was during those years — 1972-80 — that he also served as pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis.

He taught theology at St. Thomas until his retirement in 1993.

A funeral Mass was celebrated for Father Riley Nov. 28 at Lumen Christi in St. Paul. Interment is in Calvary Cemetery in Rock Island, Illinois.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael and Marjorie, a brother, Michael Jr., and sister Mary Alice Riley. He is survived by his brother Robert and several nieces and nephews.

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BEYOND THE BELTWAY

The Catholic Spirit • 19A

‘Yes, we’re open’: Rogers school striving to make presence known

FOURTH IN A SEVEN-PART SERIES

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit Two decades ago, Rogers was a rural small town.

“Our cemetery used to be between two hayfields,” Mike Gerard said of the Catholic cemetery. “Now it’s between two strip malls.”

As the area just beyond the I-494 and I-694 junction transitioned from rural to suburban, the Catholic community also underwent a significant change.

In 2003, St. Walburga Parish in nearby Hassan Township merged into St. Martin of Tours, the parish in Rogers, and the combined parish was renamed Mary, Queen of Peace. What for 50 years had been St. Martin School took the parish name.

A lack of name recognition lingers, adding to the identity crisis the school is trying to overcome. Gerard, the second-year principal of Mary, Queen of Peace School, said he talked with people who went to Mass at the church across the street from the school who said, “Oh, I didn’t even know it was open.”

He’s been trying everything he can think of to let people know the school is there, is open and is going to stay open.

“This school has lost 20 students in the last five years,” he said, “and the main issue is that people weren’t sure the school was going to remain open.”

Changes in leadership at both the school and the church plus the adding and then dropping of middle school grades hasn’t helped, Gerard pointed out.

After a high of 197 students in pre-kindergarten to grade eight seven years ago, Mary, Queen of Peace now has 71 students preK-to-grade 5.

Gerard also found there was a lack of information about the cost of tuition. “If you don’t know what tuition costs, you assume you can’t afford it,” he said.

An attractive mailer now plainly stresses “affordable tuition $349 per month.”

Gerard realizes he’s facing other obstacles, ones shared with many other Catholic schools. What he termed “the cultural disagreement on Christianity in general” paints Catholics as bigots on some social issues, he said.

“Some people have a very dim view of us [Catholics],” he said, “and some are former Catholic school students.”

For others, “faith doesn’t mean much,” Gerard said, “so to get people to pay tuition for something like education that’s free [elsewhere] is difficult.

“But,” he added, “Jesus never said it was going to be easy.”

Hopeful indicators Several things give Gerard hope. First, the parish of some 650 families includes a good pool of children from which to draw students.

“We have kids all over the place,” he said. “I’d bet 20 percent of the Mass attendance is children. And secondly, people here want Catholic education. The key

do

1

2

3

4

Scenes from Mary, Queen of Peace School in Rogers, clockwise from top left: 1. In the combined first- and second-grade classroom, Joe Macke and Addison Hynes work on an assignment in the foreground while teacher Jennifer Bolduc works with other pupils in the background. 2. Fifth-grader Miriana Eiden is one of several students ready with an answer in teacher Julie Shelby’s class. 3. In kindergarten, Kate Macke works at the Smartboard. 4. Benjamin Haddad grins as he looks up from his work in the first- and second-grade class. Bob Zyskowski/The Catholic Spirit is recognizing that and adding stability. The most important thing to do is be positive.”

The success of last year’s kindergarten roundup was a good sign.

“The first thing I did, I got up and spoke at Mass,” Gerard said. “I made two points: One, I’m here for the long run, and two, Catholic education is worth it.”

A Mary, Queen of Peace School float in the town parade may have been the highlight of his shotgun marketing approach.

The school has also relied on its website, Facebook, information tables at church festivals, banners along Hwy. 81, updated brochures, bulletin inserts, three direct mailings, handwritten thank yous and the promotional work of fifth-grade teacher Julie Shelby, who calls local newspapers regularly to invite them to

Next in the series: St. Michael Catholic School, St. Michael

stories when Mary, Queen of Peace has events. All are aimed at “letting people know what we have here is special,” Gerard said.

The mailers also read “students of all faiths welcome.”

“I like to reach out to the wider community because we’re an evangelization arm of the Church,” Gerard explained.

Third-grade teacher Jennifer Weinkauf has taught for 21 years, 10 of those at Mary, Queen of Peace and its predecessor.

“I like the ability to teach the faith, first and foremost,” Weinkauf said. “The parental support is amazing, and the kids are excited to be here. It’s the best!”

The school’s students have always done well academically. Last year, 30 percent tested in the 90th percentile on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills standardized tests, Gerard said, crediting the teaching staff.

“I look at the kids and the things they learn and share with you,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

Be faithfully informed.

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20A • The Catholic Spirit

THE LAST WORD

December 3, 2015

Good St. Nick

Feast day celebrations point to saint’s charity

By Jessica Weinberger For The Catholic Spirit

O

n the night before Dec. 6, nine pairs of shoes will sit in a neat line in the kitchen at the home of John and Margaret Berns in Eagan. Ranging in size from kids’ 5 ½ to men’s 10, the shoes will be filled with gold chocolate coins, clementines and other treats in honor of the feast of St. Nicholas, much to the delight of the Bernses’ seven children, ages 3-18.

It’s this simple tradition, combined with reading and learning about St. Nicholas and his mission of giving and generosity, that keeps the Berns family — members of Holy Family in St. Louis Park — connected to the saints and focused on the season of Advent.

“You hear about Jesus being the reason for the season, and we want our kids to know the saint behind Santa Claus,” said Margaret, 49, who homeschools her children and manages a blog, “Minnesota Mom.” The Berns family carries on the shoe tradition as a nod to one of the most popular stories of St. Nicholas, in which he tossed bags of gold coins through an open window into the shoes or stockings of three daughters who were without a dowry. The family also spends time paging through books on the saint and settles in to watch a lighthearted St. Nicholas cartoon.

At 3 years old, their youngest son, Nicholas, is just beginning to understand his patron saint, but for now, he proudly carries a St. Nicholas figurine and smiles as his older siblings proclaim Dec. 6 as his very own feast day.

Their traditions deliberately cast a spotlight on St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children known for his generosity and secret gift giving, and not Santa Claus.

“We don’t talk about Santa Claus as much in our family culture,” Margaret explained. “We’ve never gone to see Santa Claus at a mall because I personally want to distinguish between commercially what they’ve made him into and who St. Nicholas is.”

Their celebration of St. Nicholas Day coincides with the season of Advent, where each night they light their Advent wreath and gather around the kitchen table to sing, “O come, O come, Emmanuel” before opening the door on each child’s Advent calendar.

They say St. Nicholas returns Dec. 25 to fill their stockings on Jesus’ birthday.

Instilling generosity For Alex and Dayna Francis, parishioners of the Church of St. Paul in Ham Lake, St. Nicholas Day traditions have evolved with the ages of their three children, now 8, 6 and 3.

“If you have the desire to teach your kids about the saints, you can start with something as tiny as putting your shoes out in the hallway and then next year, God gives you the grace to add to that,” said Dayna, 33, who also homeschools her children.

Each year, the Francis children look forward to receiving items related to St. Nicholas or their saint name in their shoes. Now the older children are beginning to read the story of St. Nicholas and reflect on his spirit of generosity.

Last year, their oldest daughter, Jada, filled 10 boxes

“[St. Nicholas] focused on who is in need and always doing things for people, yet he didn’t want credit for it. That’s a really important lesson heading into Christmas.”

Margaret Berns for Operation Christmas Child, and this year, she’s tasked with helping someone in need in secret in honor of St. Nicholas’ private works.

“It’s important to make it fun for the kids and highlight that being Catholic is reverent, but it can also be really fun,” said Alex, 34, a real estate agent.

Rooted in tradition The feast of St. Nicholas is steeped in family history for Anita Blaine Stavitzski, 38, a parishioner at Holy Name of Jesus in Medina. Together with her husband, David, 39, they’re raising two daughters, ages 8 and 6, in Anita’s childhood home in Plymouth and carrying on the traditions passed down from her grandmother’s family, who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany and Luxembourg in the 1870s.

St. Nicholas Day marks the beginning of their Christmas celebration. They start by cleaning their home and hanging their stockings on the same railing that Anita did as a child. They bring out the Advent wreath and family Christmas story books and also set up their nativity scene with shepherds and animals.

As they near Christmas, Mary, Joseph and, finally, the baby Jesus join the scene.

As an adaptation of the Elf on the Shelf trend, an Advent angel appears in various places in their home in the weeks leading up to Christmas, serving as a reminder for the girls to be kind and loving during the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Their St. Nicholas Day traditions — both new and old — are intentional, all with the goal of building anticipation for the birth of Christ.

“These traditions, rituals and sacraments are gifts of the Catholic Church,” said Anita, an early childhood education teacher. “The home is the first church for children and by imparting some of that, we can bring forth these things that make our Church great.”

What am I going to give?

As Advent begins and the feast of St. Nicholas nears, the Bernses turn their attention to the letters W-A-I-T sitting prominently on their mantle. The word “wait” and the tenants of St. Nicholas’ teachings remind the family to see these four weeks as a season of preparation and giving, not busyness.

“St. Nicholas is all about what am I going to give,” Margaret said. “He focused on who is in need and always doing things for people, yet he didn’t want credit for it. That’s a really important lesson heading into Christmas.”

Who was St. Nicholas?

According to tradition, St. Nicholas was a fourth century bishop in what is now the southern coast of Turkey. He was born into a wealthy and devout Christian family, but his parents died when he was young. He used his inheritance to help people in need, including three young women whose father could not afford their dowries and therefore risked being sold into prostitution. According to “The Golden Legend,” a medieval collection of saints’ lives, St. Nicholas secretly tossed gold through the windows of the family’s home for each of the daughters. Some versions of the legend include the gold landing in the daughters’ shoes drying by the fire, which is why families fill shoes with gold coins and other goodies on his feast day Dec. 6.

As an adult, St. Nicholas was named bishop of Myra and was persecuted under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

Following an exile and imprisonment, he attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325, where the first part of the Nicene Creed was established.

In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas is known as “Sinterklaas,” the basis for the name Santa Claus.

— The Catholic Spirit

Traditions around the world Catholics celebrate St. Nicholas Day on his feast day, Dec. 6. In many countries like the U.S., families fill shoes or stockings with gold coins or oranges to symbolize the gold Nicholas gave three daughters for a dowry. In the Netherlands, people share candy and small gifts, and Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint’s horse.

Some families exchange candy canes as a symbol of St. Nicholas’ bishop crosier and work as a shepherd to his people. Giving Christmas gifts or donations to those in need also honors his commitment to the most vulnerable.

To learn more about St. Nicholas and St. Nicholas Day traditions from around the world, visit www.stnicholascenter.org.

— Jessica Weinberger

X

1B • The Catholic Spirit

Year of Mercy calls for human barriers to tumble down

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

F

or a spiritual leader who denounces a world divided by walls, a Church shuttered by cliques and hearts hardened to compassion, opening wide the Holy Door for the Year of Mercy will be a significant and symbolic moment for Pope Francis.

In Catholic tradition, the Holy Door represents the passage to salvation — the path to a new and eternal life, which was opened to humanity by Jesus.

It also symbolizes an entryway to God’s mercy — the ultimate and supreme act by which he comes to meet people. Mercy is “the bridge that connects God and humanity, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness,” the pope wrote in “Misericordiae Vultus” (“The Face of Mercy”), instituting the Holy Year of Mercy.

Doors have always had a special meaning for the Catholic Church, according to the late-Cardinal Virgilio Noe, the former archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

“The door of a church marks the divide between the sacred and profane, separating the church’s interior from the outside world. It is the boundary defining welcome and exclusion,” he wrote in the book, “The Holy Door in St. Peter’s” in 1999.

The door is also a symbol of Mary — the mother, the dwelling of the Lord — and she, too, always has open arms and is ready to welcome the children of God home. Pope Francis is scheduled to open the door Dec. 8, the feast of Mary’s immaculate conception.

But the door especially represents Christ himself — the one and only way to eternal life. As Jesus said, according to the Gospel of John (10:9), “I am the gate.

Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”

Jesus knocking The Holy Year traditionally begins with the opening of the Holy Door to represent a renewed opportunity to encounter or grow closer to Jesus, who calls everyone to redemption.

Jesus knocks on everyone’s door; he yearns to accompany and nourish everyone. “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me,” the Book of Revelation quotes him as saying.

But doors are also narrow, Cardinal Noe wrote, and

What’s a holy year?

A holy year as a time of spiritual renewal has its biblical roots in the jubilees observed by the Jewish people at 50-year intervals, when debts were pardoned and slaves were freed.

For the Catholic Church, a holy year remains a time of great spiritual significance, and emphasis is placed on the examination of conscience and conversion, the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, concrete acts of solidarity and initiatives to restore justice.

Why is it also a jubilee?

The term “jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word “yobel,” meaning a ram’s horn, which was used to make the trumpet that signaled the beginning of this time of forgiveness. The jubilee is called a holy year because it aims to encourage holiness, strengthen faith in Christ and inspire greater communion within the Church and society.

What’s the background?

The first Holy Year was proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, when thousands of Christians from throughout Europe came on pilgrimage to Rome.

Jubilee

Year of MERCY Dec. 8, 2015 — Nov. 20, 2016

people must stoop with humility and “be brought down to size by conversion” in order to be “fit” for eternal life.

That is why passing through a holy door is part of a longer process of sacrifice and conversion required for receiving an indulgence granted during a holy year. A plenary indulgence, the remission of temporal punishment due to sin, is offered for pilgrims who also fulfill certain other conditions: reception of the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist, visits and prayers for the intention of the pope and performing simple acts such as visiting the sick.

This spiritual process of encounter and conversion is made tangible in the elaborate rituals developed over time for the opening of the Holy Door.

The symbolic ceremony of opening a holy door came more than a century after the first Holy Year was proclaimed in 1300.

Pope Martin V, in 1423, opened the Holy Door in Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran for the first time for a jubilee. Next, Pope Alexander VI called for all four Holy Doors in Rome to be opened at Christmas in 1499 for the Jubilee of 1500.

When Pope Alexander VI opened the Holy Door in 1499, “he used a mason’s hammer, and the blows were not completely symbolic; the pope tried to break Among those who journeyed to the Eternal City for the first celebration was the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who is commonly said to have found the inspiration for his “Divine Comedy” during that pilgrimage.

In the 15th century, Pope Paul II set a 25-year timetable for holy years, which has been the norm since, in order to allow each generation the possibility of experiencing at least one holy year.

What are indulgences?

As a way to stress the importance of forgiveness and renewing one’s relationship with God, plenary indulgences are offered during holy years. An indulgence — that is, the remission of temporal punishment for sins — is customarily granted to those who make a pilgrimage to Rome and fulfill certain other conditions: reception of the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist, visits and prayers for the intention of the pope and performing simple acts such as visiting the sick and other works of mercy.

Those who do not make a pilgrimage to Rome can gain the same indulgence by receiving penance and the Eucharist and praying for the pope during a visit or a community celebration in a church designated by

December 3, 2015 through part of the wall,” said Archbishop Piero Marini, master of papal liturgical ceremonies under St. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. For centuries, the opening ceremony included a long pause to allow masons to finish taking the wall down before the pope crossed the threshold.

Starting in the 16th century, the ceremony to open the door in St. Peter’s Basilica included the pope reciting verses from the Psalms and striking the wall covering the Holy Door with a silver hammer three times.

Masons completed the task of dismantling the brick and mortared wall, which represents the difficulty and great effort required to overcome the barrier of sin and to open the path to holiness.

The Holy Door, symbolizing the doorway of salvation, marks the “extraordinary” spiritual passage offered to the faithful during a jubilee year. There are only seven Holy Doors: four at the major basilicas in Rome and one each in France, Spain and Canada.

On Christmas Eve 1999, St. John Paul II changed the traditional Holy Door ritual at St. Peter’s Basilica when he did not strike the wall sealing the door. Instead, he pushed open the Holy Door — the wall had been dismantled beforehand.

“Elements of the old ritual which have become obsolete will be replaced by others which better express the biblical and liturgical significance of the Holy Door,” Archbishop Marini said.

Local Holy Doors The symbolism of the hammer in the hands of the pope represents the power and jurisdiction God gives him to cast away the stones of sin, chink open hardened hearts and break down walls separating humanity from God. The removal of the wall also conjures up pulling away the stone that sealed the tomb of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead.

Pope Francis has extended the opportunity to designate a holy door to cathedrals around the world. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, the co-cathedral, each have sealed a holy door that will be reopened at a Mass Dec. 13, the first Sunday in the Year of Mercy.

For the closing of the door at the end of the Holy Year, the traditional rite included the pope blessing and spreading the mortar with a special trowel and setting three bricks for the start of a new wall — a symbol of the spiritual rebuilding of the Lord’s house as well as the ever-present human temptation to put up new barriers against God with sin.

While there have been some changes to those ceremonies over time, the Holy Door is always a reminder that because of God’s mercy, any obstacles can always be removed, and the door to hope and forgiveness is always there waiting.

—The Catholic Spirit contributed to this story the local bishop. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis have been designated as churches where the holy year indulgence is available.

How often do these come around?

In addition to an “ordinary” holy year set at 25-year intervals, occasionally a special jubilee — such as the Jubilee Year of Mercy — is proclaimed to mark some outstanding event. The custom of these so-called “extraordinary” jubilees began in the 16th century, and they can vary in length from a few days to a year.

There have been 26 “ordinary” holy years so far, the last one being the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

There were no jubilee celebrations in 1800 and 1850 because of political turmoil at the time.

Prior to this year, there have been two extraordinary jubilees in the last century: 1933, proclaimed by Pope Pius XI to mark the 1,900th anniversary of Christ’s redemption, and 1983, proclaimed by St. John Paul II to mark 1,950 years since the redemption.

— Adapted from a Catholic News Service story

YEAR O

2B • The Catholic Spirit

When did I see you hungry?

Armed with a gift for feeding others, Burnsville Catholic leads weekly dinner for people in need First in a 14-part series highlighting local Catholics who live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit

S

he was an older woman who walked with a cane.

At the end of the serving line she took the plate of chili-mac, green beans and cornbread, but before she could take a step, Pat Haas was there.

Asking if she could help, Haas held the plate for the woman and followed her to a table where she could join others in having her Thursday night supper.

Volunteers who help with the weekly community dinner at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville weren’t surprised at Haas’ small act of hospitality. They see it every Thursday.

“We’re feeding souls, not just bodies,” said one of those volunteers, Jeri Bartek, as she welcomed guests arriving for the weekly community supper at the big suburban parish on Cliff Road.

“They’re hungry, not just for food,” Bartek added. “It’s the warmth. It’s the hospitality. It’s the friendship.”

This month, the Meals @ Mary Mother program expects to serve its 10,000th meal, and Bartek points to Haas as the reason.

“We couldn’t have done it without Pat’s vision, without her drive,” Bartek said.

Basic needs “I’ve always loved to volunteer,” said Haas, 66.

She was a good Latin student in her Catholic school, and in the fifth grade she would spend part of her Saturdays helping teach Latin to the public school students at Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes.

Later she was a Spanish teacher, then a school counselor in public schools in La Crosse, Wisconsin. What Haas saw in that latter role touched her. “I came to grasp what it was like not to have your basic needs met,” she recalled, “and how that enveloped your whole life.

“Many students didn’t know where they were going to be that night, if they were going to have anything to eat.”

Meeting parents and learning their struggles, she said, “gave me even more reason to help.”

“People didn’t know how they were going to provide supper for their kids,” she said. “It gave me a better understanding of the gifts from God and how fortunate I was.”

That new understanding led her to Place of Grace, a Catholic Worker House run by the Diocese of La Crosse. She served by cooking and learned a lesson she tries to share with everyone who volunteers at Meals @ Mary Mother: As people of faith, we are to treat everyone who walks in the door like Jesus.

“I think it’s a privilege to help other people,” Haas said. “If Jesus were to knock on my door, I’d want to give him my best, and that’s what I want to do for others: Give them my best.”

Feeding others a strength Fast-forward to Minnesota.

Parishioners at Mary, Mother of the Church had thought about feeding the hungry as a parish

effort in the past, then early in 2013 did some research in the community to confirm the need.

Kathy Lowry recalled that the parish Christian Caring and Justice Commission had discussed the possibility of a hunger initiative. Low-income housing had been built right across Cliff Road.

About that time, pastoral associate Julia Taube was teaching a “StrengthsFinders” class at the parish. Haas had moved to the Twin Cities to be near her sons and their growing families. A new parishioner, she was taking the class.

The way Haas remembers it, she learned via StrengthsFinders that feeding people was one of her gifts. “I didn’t know where I was going to use that gift, other than somewhere in the metro area,” she said.

Haas recalled Taube asking her “Why don’t we do that right here?”

“That’s when the wheels started spinning,” Haas said. Taube went back to the Christian Caring and Justice Commission saying, “ ‘Oh, I found someone,’ ” Lowry said.

“It was like the Holy Spirit sent Pat to Julia,” said Lowry, a member of the commission who now is part of the core team of volunteers for Meals @ Mary Mother.

Red tape

But there were plenty of steps that had to be taken before the first meal could be served. Haas walked the meal proposal through each of them.

The state health department had to approve the kitchen facilities. The parish Christian Caring and Justice Commission had to approve the proposal for a weekly meal for the needy.

Both the parish Finance and Personnel Council and the parish Pastoral Council had to give the OK, too.

Haas even had to become certified to be able to coordinate meal preparation for the public.

Still more challenges surfaced.

Parishioners were concerned about the security of the building, about who was going to ensure the facilities were left clean, about the potential for problems that would Clockwise, from top: Pat Haas takes time out from serving the meal and supervising volunteers require police involvement.

Church in Burnsville. She joins in prayer with other volunteers and guests before the meal is se And since there was no money in the parish operating budget for the effort, a continues to coordinate Meals @ Mary Mother. passion for making sure p separate designated fund would have to be One of the best things it’s done is opened up meal.” established with donations specifically for the volunteer opportunities for people who weren’t Out of respect for their meals program. otherwise involved in parish life. are kept confidential, but “Pat fought the good fight in the beginning to Today more than 175 people are involved in week join the guests for d get the parish leadership to agree to the meal,” making Meals @ Mary Mother happen every some admit they didn’t k said Suzanne Bernet, pastoral associate for Thursday. Some volunteers are there every week have eaten that evening i Community Life and Social Justice, who replaced to cook, serve or welcome guests; others volunteer Mary Mother, while othe Taube after her death in May. Haas’ determination once a month or whenever they can. the elderly — say they co to feed the hungry — a corporal work of mercy More volunteers prepare desserts and bring meals because it’s the one — led her to overcome every barrier in the way. them to the parish. have to eat alone.

“We would move ahead,” Haas said, “and have Still others donate so Haas and Bernet can shop to wait and do some convincing to get the for the food. The fund has never run out.

Hospitality primary approval.”

Bernet, readying her headscarf to take on a She credits the recently deceased Father Jim Haas knows she’s been volunteer role dishing out food, said, “Pat has a Zappa, Mary, Mother’s pastor at the time, with hungry, and she’s discove wonderful way of drawing people in. She makes opening some of the doors. and the volunteers at Ma volunteering fun.”

“He had no doubt we should do this,” she said.

Pete Lowry, the manager of the dining room on more than stomachs.

The parish served its first meal Jan. 16, 2014.

Thursdays, said that’s because Haas respects “The highlight of my w

Involving others Haas’ leadership skills have shone as she

volunteers, and they know how she puts her heart and soul into the weekly meals.

“She’s just a servant,” Lowry said. “She has a

are here, having a great m and don’t want to go hom learned that for some, we

OF

MERCY

December 3, 2015 • 3B

What are the works of mercy?

By Father Michael Van Sloun

J

esus placed an extraordinarily high value on mercy, so great, in fact, that it is the Fifth Beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5:7).

There are many nuances to mercy: compassion, understanding, patience, forgiveness, leniency, generosity and kindness, to name some. Mercy is an expression of love and charity. Jesus was merciful himself, and he expects his disciples to be merciful.

There are two Father Michael categories of works of mercy: the corporal VAN SLOUN works of mercy and the spiritual works of mercy, with seven in each group.

The corporal works of mercy are charitable deeds that provide for the bodily needs of a neighbor who is beset by misfortune or distress. Jesus provides the first six in his description of the Judgment of the Nations (Mt 25:31-46): feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned and care for the sick. These works are so central to the Christian life that Matthew gives the list not once or twice, but four times to increase the

r privacy, guests’ names t volunteers who each dinner reported that know where they would if it wasn’t for Meals @ ers — particularly some of ome to the Thursday e night a week they don’t

called to feed the ered that in doing so she ary, Mother are filling

week is when our guests meal, having a great time, me,” Haas said. “We’ve e’re taking away a couple

A seventh corporal work of mercy, to bury the dead, was added by tradition to achieve the number that represents fullness or completeness. While the first six pertain to care for the living body, the last accords deep respect to the lifeless body because it was the home for the soul, the temple of God, and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19).

The seven spiritual works of mercy are concerned with the well-being of a person’s soul. Like the corporal works of mercy, the spiritual works are also charitable deeds, ways to come to the aid of a neighbor in need of spiritual assistance. They are to instruct the uninformed or the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish the sinner, comfort the sorrowful, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses or injuries, and pray for the living and dead.

The works of mercy enable the Christian to be the face and hands of Jesus to others. And they are not to be performed by a select few such as clergy, religious, church staff or those with special training. The works of mercy can and should be done by every Christian, regardless of age, gender, education, financial situation or place in life. Mercy is a trait of God, and when Christians perform a work of mercy, they reflect God to others.

Work of mercy: Feeding the hungry

By Father Michael Van Sloun

T

s to greet guests at the weekly Thursday night dinner Nov. 19 at Mary, Mother of the erved. Haas pours gravy as part of meal for a guest. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

people have a good

emphasis placed on them (Mt 25:35-36,3739,42-43,44).

of hours of loneliness.

“When we first started, we talked about the food as the priority. We didn’t talk about the hospitality. As we’ve progressed, the hospitality has become more important.”

Feeding the hungry “puts great value on every human being,” Haas said. “We are all equal and all deserve the best. And we have an obligation to help those in need.”

Mary Mother’s pastor Father James Perkl called Meals @ Mary Mother “a blessing to our parish family.” He’s noticed that people come not only for the food, but also “to find a sense of belonging within a community of love,” and it wasn’t uncommon for guests to share about their lives with him, including their aches and pains.

“For myself,” he said, “I enjoy the homemade food and having supper with our guests, as well as getting to know those who come week to week. It’s great to see how the food is prepared and served with such great love by a good number of volunteers.”

o feed the hungry is the first corporal work of mercy. It was given by Jesus when he spoke to his disciples about the Judgment of the Nations (Mt 25:31-46), and it stands at the top of his list.

Hunger is a serious human need. It is crucial to eat each day and to have a wellbalanced diet in order to grow normally, have energy and enjoy overall good health.

To go without a meal or food for a day leads to hunger pains and weakness; going without sufficient food for longer periods leads to deficiency disease; and going without food for the long term leads to starvation and ultimately death.

Hunger is not only an affliction of the poor, but also the victims of natural disasters, those unable to work, the oppressed and the displaced. It is no wonder that when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he included, “Give us today our daily bread” (Mt 6:11).

Jesus himself fed the hungry. A crowd of 5,000 was hungry at the end of the day, he pitied them, and in his great mercy he fed them from five loaves and two fish (Mk 6:3444). On another occasion a crowd of 4,000 came to him, and he fed them from seven loaves and a few fish (Mk 8:1-9). Spiritually, he fed them with his word, the Gospel, and with his body and blood, the Eucharist.

God, likewise, feeds the hungry. When the Israelites were starving in the desert, God fed them with manna and quail (Ex 16:4-15). All look to God for food, and in God’s tender mercy and kindness, God gives food in due season, and with an open hand, God provides (Ps 104:27, 28).

The Bible includes memorable occasions when the hungry were fed. When Abraham and Sarah welcomed three unknown guests, they fed their hungry visitors with rolls, beef and curds (Ex 18:6-8). When Elijah arrived in Zarephath, hungry from his journey, a widow who was on the brink of starvation herself mercifully fed him with “a little cake” (1 Kgs 17:13,15). The disciples fed the hungry with the “daily distribution” (Acts 6:1).

Many saints have excelled at this corporal work of mercy. St. Nicholas (see story on page 20A) is remembered for his compassion when a famine broke out in Myra. There were several ships anchored in the harbor filled with grain, and he was able to secure a portion from each ship to feed his starving people. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony of Padua are often depicted handing a loaf of bread to the unfed. St. Elizabeth of Hungary also is revered for the merciful way that she fed the needy.

Charity begins at home: To feed the hungry is to go grocery shopping and prepare meals for one’s own family. Very importantly, charity extends beyond the home. To feed the hungry includes food donations to the local food shelf, volunteer work at a soup kitchen or packaging meals, the distribution of dinners through programs like Meals On Wheels, food baskets at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or monetary donations to relief agencies. Those who feed the hungry will inherit the kingdom prepared for them since the foundation of the world (Mt 25:34).

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

The Catholic Spirit’s Acts of Mercy series is made possible in part through a grant from the National Catholic Society of Foresters. Learn about the organization at www.ncsf.com.

4B • The Catholic Spirit

YEAR OF MERCY

December 3, 2015

Cathedral, Basilica to welcome Holy Year by opening Holy Doors Dec. 13

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Holy Year of Mercy will mean more intensive prayer and performing acts of mercy. Johan van Parys, director of liturgy and sacred arts at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, described the jubilee year as an extension of Lent.

“We look at it as a yearlong retreat [where] we reemphasize prayer and action and also fasting,” van Parys said, noting that the Basilica’s programming and outreach will center on mercy during the year designated from Dec. 8 through Nov. 20, 2016.

Traditionally a time of clearing debts in order to right relationships with God and others, the Church’s jubilee years include reconciliation, pilgrimages and indulgences, van Parys explained. Because of their Holy Doors, the Basilica, co-cathedral in the archdiocese, and the Cathedral of St. Paul will serve as pilgrimage churches where Catholics can obtain the jubilee indulgence. An indulgence, van Parys explained, is the fulfillment of the penance attached to the absolution of sin — the celebration and affirmation of God’s mercy.

“Pope Francis talks about the Holy Year as a year of spiritual amnesty,” van Parys said, noting that Catholics must meet specific requirements. “By righting relationships, we get affirmed of our indulgence. And that’s why the pope speaks not only of prayer, reconciliation, walking through holy doors [and] celebrating the Eucharist, but then also doing works of mercy. So, it’s both prayer and action, and the action is showing mercy because we are being shown mercy by God.” The Basilica will open its Holy Doors before the 9:30 a.m. Mass, and the Cathedral of St. Paul will open its Holy Doors with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, apostolic administrator, before the 10 a.m. Mass Dec. 13, the

The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis seals its Holy Door in September ahead of the Year of Mercy. The door will reopen Dec. 13. Courtesy the Basilica same day Pope Francis will open the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Van Parys will be at the Vatican Dec. 8 for the opening of the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Some parishes have designated honorary holy doors for the Year of Mercy, but they don’t serve as pilgrimage sites unless named by the archbishop.

For the Basilica’s Holy Door opening, van Parys said people will gather in the church and then walk out and then back in the doors. When the doors are open, the celebrant will open the Gospel book, showing the world that Jesus is the way. Then, the congregation will follow the Word through the Holy Doors and renew their baptismal promises once inside.

“There’s nothing magic about walking through a holy door,” van Parys said. “It’s a spiritual exercise, it’s a spiritual experience, and it’s us walking through those

doors saying, ‘Jesus is the door to heaven.’ And by walking through the door, we also commit ourselves to living according to the Gospel and taking on Jesus in our own life so that we may eventually go with Jesus through the gate to heaven at the end of our life.”

Throughout the Year of Mercy, the Basilica will have events focused on the works of mercy, as well as increased opportunities for eucharistic adoration, Stations of the Cross, First Friday devotions and reconciliation. Van Parys said the events are for the entire archdiocese, not just Basilica parishioners.

Across the archdiocese, parishes are encouraged to ring their church bells at 3 p.m. daily and participate in First Fridays by fasting, attending Mass, praying in a eucharistic adoration chapel, and performing corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

To highlight the works of mercy individuals and parishes are performing, the archdiocese is promoting a “Mercy Works” video challenge, much like the Ice Bucket Challenge from 2014. Parishes and schools can submit all of their Year of Mercy events and initiatives online at www.archspm.org. On social media, Catholics are encouraged to use the hashtag #MercyWorks.

At the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall general assembly in November, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis said Catholics can observe the jubilee year in many different ways that allow them to be “credible witnesses to mercy.”

“The idea is to have local events so all of the people can participate and adopt God’s merciful attitude,” explained Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford, Connecticut.

For more information about how the Year of Mercy will be celebrated in the archdiocese, visit www.archspm.org/mercy.

– Catholic News Service contributed to this report

‘Acts of Mercy’ series features art of Ade Bethune

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

who designed the rose windows in the Cathedral of St. Paul.

After the newspaper published four of The logo of The Catholic Spirit’s Year her black-and-white ink drawings, she of Mercy series depicts two people: One designed its iconic masthead, first used is reaching down to cloak the in 1935. She revised the masthead other’s shoulders, who is in 1985, and that version gazing back at the giver. It continues to be used today. was chosen because of “Whenever I visited Ade the way it shows I came away “encounter,” a with a renewed dominant theme of zest for life,” Pope Francis’ papacy, wrote Dorothy and a focal point for Day, co-founder the Year of Mercy. of The Catholic When the pope speaks “Clothing Worker of building a “culture of the movement, encounter,” he is urging Naked” by in her people to love God and Ade Bethune. autobiography, others, and to engage and Courtesy Archives “The Long accompany other people, especially and Special Collections, Loneliness.” those on society’s edges.

St. Catherine University “She has such a The Year of Mercy series logo sense of the shows a person clothing the naked, sacramentality one of the 14 corporal and spiritual of life, the goodness of things, a sense works of mercy The Catholic Spirit’s that is translated in all her works “Acts of Mercy” series plans to highlight whether it was illustrating a missal, during the Year of Mercy. Installments making stained-glass windows or sewing, will focus on people in the archdiocese cooking or gardening.” who have made a particular work of mercy a central part of their lives.

Depicting ordinary people The logo was taken from a series Born in 1914 in Brussels, Belgium, created by liturgical artist Ade Bethune, Bethune and her family immigrated to known for illustrating “The Catholic Worker,” the publication of The Catholic New York City in 1928. Besides her summer-long studies in Boston, she lived Worker movement. According to St. in New York until moving in 1938 to Catherine University in St. Paul, which Newport, Rhode Island, where she holds a special collection of Bethune’s works in its archives, Bethune discovered worked in the artist workshop of John the movement in 1933 in New York after Howard Benson, one of her artistic mentors. studying in the Boston stained glass studios of Charles J. Connick, the artist According to a short biography of

Bethune on St. Kate’s website, “her early works reflect her observations and sympathies toward the poor and disadvantaged people she saw all around her in Depression-era New York. Ms. Bethune was especially talented at drawings that depict biblical scenes, and at drawing saints.

“The people in her drawings tend to be working class, ordinary people dressed in the common clothes of the present day. They perform everyday chores and often are shown in what she called ‘acts of mercy,’ such as nursing the sick, feeding the hungry and housing the homeless.”

Much of Bethune’s work was commissioned by Catholic patrons for parishes, including a baptistery mosaic for the Cathedral of St. Paul. She also worked as a liturgical consultant. Among her earliest consulting projects was the design of St. Leo in St. Paul, which has since merged with other parishes to become Lumen Christi.

Bethune was active in the Liturgical Movement, as well as liturgy and art organizations and publications, and continued to advance charitable, civic and social causes, especially around safe housing for low-income people in Newport. She died there in 2002 in a senior living community she helped to develop.

St. Paul native Sister Judith Stoughton, a Sister of St. Joseph, historian and longtime St. Kate’s professor, wrote a biography of Bethune, “Proud Donkey of Schaerbeek: Ade Bethune, Catholic Worker Artist,” published in 1988 by North Star Press, St. Cloud.

“We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity and peace. Our salvation depends on it.

Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us.

Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.”

Pope Francis, in the document announcing the Jubilee Year of Mercy, April 2015