ST. OLAF GARDEN WINS A 2024 GREENING AND PUBLIC REALM AWARD A section of the award-winning 8th Street Boulevard Gardens maintained and improved by St. Olaf in Minneapolis. The parish was honored Nov. 7 along with nine other awardees in the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District 2024 Greening and Public Realm Awards. The gardens were installed by the city of Minneapolis as part of a street reconstruction project. In 2019, St. Olaf adopted the gardens, maintaining and improving them.
FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Pope Francis smiles as he stands among a group of children gathered on the stage in St. Peter’s Square during his weekly general audience at the Vatican Nov. 27. Continuing his series of audience talks on the Holy Spirit, the pope said not every Christian is called to be an apostle, prophet or evangelist, but all Christians can cultivate the fruits of the Holy Spirit by becoming “charitable, patient, humble, peacemakers.” The pope explained that the fruits of the Spirit are different from charisms, which are given spontaneously by the Spirit for the good of the Church. Instead, the fruits of the Spirit represent a “collaboration between grace and freedom,” he said. “These fruits always express the creativity of the person, in whom faith works through charity, sometimes in surprising and joyful ways.”
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Nov. 29
“Practicing Catholic” radio show includes a discussion with Kari Bednarczyk, the founder of Grace, Inc., on the organization’s respite services, and an interview with Archbishop Bernard Hebda on how to actively wait in prayer and hope during the Advent season. The program also included a discussion with Chris Ederer about his journey from a pornography addiction to recovery. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm org/faith-anddiscipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 29 — No. 23
MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher
TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher
JOE RUFF, Editor-in-Chief
REBECCA OMASTIAK, News Editor
The Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is inviting students in grades 7-12 to participate in its second annual Catholic School Visual Arts Exhibition. Students are asked to reflect on the exhibition’s theme of “The Saints” and explore the Catholic faith through their art. The submission deadline is April 4, 2025. More information can be found online at spmcatholicschools org/2025-visual-arts-exhibition. Judges will select finalists to participate in a May 2 public visual arts exhibit and reception at the Hoedeman Gallery of Sacred Art at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen will be in attendance and prizes will be presented to the finalists, according to OMCE. The finalists’ artwork will be displayed as the gallery’s summer exhibit.
College and young adult evangelization ministry St. Paul’s Outreach (SPO), based in Mendota Heights, has a new leader. Michael Laughery –– who has served the last 12 years at Emmaus Partners (formerly Catholic Finance Corp.) in Inver Grove Heights –– has been appointed president of SPO after a search process that included SPO Executive Vice President Tim Skidmore serving as interim president. Laughery’s background includes leadership in the technology, parish administration and agriculture sectors. Most recently, he was director of partner services at Emmaus, which helps with strategic planning and financial stewardship in parishes, schools and other Catholic ministries.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda has granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which this year is transferred to Dec. 9. However, in his decree, the archbishop “strongly encouraged” the faithful to attend Mass if they are able. “All who enjoy the benefit of this dispensation are exhorted to commemorate the Immaculate Conception in another fitting manner, such as by reciting the Liturgy of the Hours or reflecting on the readings for the day, or engaging in prayer either individually, with others, or as a family,” the archbishop wrote in the decree. The full decree is available online at archspm org/dispensationdecree-for-the-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception
Students at St. Stephen Catholic School in Anoka formed a Christmas Basket food brigade Nov. 22 to hand food and other donations in a line from the school to parish facilities for distribution to the needy. This year, 1,000 people in 230 families will receive a basket of gifts and food, including 704 children and 296 adults. Principal Gerald Rehder has emphasized student involvement in serving others in the community. This year, that included involving all 371 students in the pre-kindergarten to eighth grade school in an Oct. 4 day of service that included creating birthday bags and volunteering at a community food shelf, bagging groceries at a grocery store, writing letters to military troops and making placemats for assisted living and nursing homes. The service day was added this year to the school’s traditional fundraising marathon, which took place Oct. 6.
Catholic Charities Twin Cities will offer its 32nd annual Giving Tree Christmas donation event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22 at the Mall of America in Bloomington. People who visit the mall on those two days can take an ornament from the Giving Tree and buy the items listed on the ornament for people in need. There also will be therapy animals on site, including llamas and mini horses, which will highlight the trauma-informed care that Catholic Charities offers. In addition, there will be a station where people can make winter care kits for the needy.
Holy Cross in Minneapolis is offering a monthly regional event of prayer, adoration of the Eucharist and celebration of the arts that it calls Nordeast Catholic Underground. The Dec. 18 gathering will feature St. Paul-based musician and recording artist Luke Spehar. Grant O’Neil, Lifelong Discipleship and Outreach director for Holy Cross, which also includes the campuses of St. Clement and St. Hedwig, brought the concept from his time with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. O’Neil said he received permission from the friars to use the Catholic Underground name as he includes the elements necessary to stay true to the theme. Each evening starts at 7 p.m. with Eucharistic adoration, evening prayer, prayerful music, times of silence and availability of confession. The second hour of the evening is poetry, music, theater, film, art, dance or another cultural presentation.
The University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, is hosting a festival of Advent and Christmas sacred music at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul Dec. 14. Capella by Candlelight features the university’s chapel choir Capella; the Boom Island String Quartet; and Catholic school choirs from Chesterton Academy of the Twin Cities in Hopkins, Chesterton Academy of the St. Croix Valley in Stillwater, Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, St. Agnes Catholic School in St. Paul, Unity Catholic High School in Burnsville and Visitation School in Mendota Heights.
A 1973 graduate of the University of St. Thomas (UST) in St. Paul has given the school $20 million for arts education. The gift from John Monahan of Palm Springs, California, is the most significant donation for arts education in the university’s 140year history –– and it matches the largest known public gift to a university for the arts ever received in the state, UST officials said Nov. 14.
was looking forward to an evening of watching a Thursday night NFL game. I turned on the TV and could not get the game. I went over to the parish offices where a dedicated staff member was working late. He was more than happy to find the football game because, after all, that subscription had been paid. He expertly used the remote. Still nothing. So, the staff person called the 1-800-Help line and told the representative that we had paid for access to football games on Thursday nights. He paused on the phone and then said, “OK, sorry about that.” He ended the call, shook his head and said to me, “Today is Wednesday.”
It is an easy connection between today’s global sports craze and the cheering spectators in the Coliseum of Rome or in the stadia of the ancient Olympics in Athens. There is something about competitive sports that has entertained humanity for millennia. Today, competitive sports is a billion-dollar industry. Professional football has newly been called America’s national pastime, but the rest of the world
Estaba deseando pasar la noche viendo un partido de la NFL el jueves por la noche. Encendí la televisión y no pude ver el partido. Fui a las oficinas de la parroquia, donde un miembro del personal estaba trabajando hasta tarde. Estaba más que feliz de encontrar el partido de fútbol porque, después de todo, la suscripción ya estaba pagada. Utilizó el control remoto con habilidad. Pero nada. Entonces, el miembro del personal llamó a la línea 1-800-Help y le dijo al representante que habíamos pagado por el acceso a los partidos de fútbol los jueves por la noche. Hizo una pausa en el teléfono y luego dijo: “Está bien, lo siento”. Terminó la llamada, sacudió la cabeza y me dijo: “Hoy es miércoles”. Es fácil establecer una conexión entre la locura deportiva global de hoy y los espectadores entusiastas en el Coliseo de Roma o en los estadios de los antiguos Juegos Olímpicos de Atenas. Hay algo en los deportes competitivos que ha entretenido a la humanidad durante milenios. Hoy, los deportes competitivos son una industria de miles de millones de dólares. El fútbol profesional ha sido recientemente considerado el pasatiempo nacional de Estados Unidos, pero el resto del mundo también tiene su manía por el “futbol”. Se
has its “football” mania, too. It is called soccer. Football can be an obsession and it can be an immersion into sloth. There are multiple hours over multiple evenings in any given week to have the opportunity to watch football. Sundays typically have three games. Fortunately, I have a day job that includes evenings, and I work on Sundays. Otherwise … .
Once, an unidentified parishioner called the Office of the Vicar General to complain about her new pastor, who mentioned in his introductory homily that he was one of the owners of an NFL team. The caller stated emphatically, “I do not go to church to hear about football!” The person was unaware that she had called my office to complain about me.
There is a lesson in all of this, even for those who eschew any sports metaphors for the life of faith. Whether I am in the stands of some stadium, all bundled up like a polar explorer, shouting encouragement with tens of thousands of other fans or I’m alone in my recliner decked out in logoemblazoned sportswear, yelling with anonymous futility at the TV, spectators have no influence on the outcome of the game.
Since our youth, we know that Advent is a season of
llama soccer. El fútbol puede ser una obsesión y puede ser una inmersión en la pereza. Hay múltiples horas durante múltiples tardes en una semana determinada para tener la oportunidad de ver fútbol. Los domingos suelen haber tres partidos. Afortunadamente, tengo un trabajo diurno que incluye tardes y trabajo los domingos. De lo contrario… .
En cierta ocasión, una feligresa no identificada llamó a la Oficina del Vicario General para quejarse de su nuevo pastor, quien mencionó en su homilía introductoria que era uno de los propietarios de un equipo de la NFL. La persona que llamó declaró enfáticamente: “No voy a la iglesia para escuchar sobre fútbol americano”. La persona no sabía que había llamado a mi oficina para quejarse de mí.
Hay una lección en todo esto, incluso para aquellos que evitan cualquier metáfora deportiva de la vida de fe. Ya sea que esté en las gradas de un estadio, abrigado como un explorador polar, gritando palabras de aliento junto con decenas de miles de otros fanáticos o solo en mi sillón reclinable ataviado con ropa deportiva estampada con logotipos, gritando con futilidad anónima frente al televisor, los espectadores no tienen influencia en el resultado del juego.
Desde nuestra juventud, sabemos que el Adviento es una época de doble espera: la de que Jesús nazca de
twofold waiting: For Jesus to be born anew each year at Christmas and for Jesus to come again at the end of time. Advent waiting is not a passive observance in the midst of the hectic season of the holidays. Even if we have all these things to do for our festive gatherings and even if it seems like a penance to wait in long checkout lines, this is not Advent.
Advent is an active season of penitence and ongoing conversion to prepare for the great feast of Christmas. The pews are not bleachers. If we do not want to be Advent spectators, then it is with a determined effort that we do some things in this season before Christmas. A brief look at any parish’s website and at The Catholic Spirit will confirm a beautiful array of Advent activities. Advent is always a reminder that we do the holidays, but God does Christmas for those who took the time during Advent to prepare for it.
If we are preoccupied with the holiday season, might we also be preoccupied with other worldly seasons as a way of life? At each Mass we receive the real presence of Jesus Christ and then are sent out into the world. Few of us will be players on the field of sports. All of us are called to be in the mission fields of faith.
nuevo cada año en Navidad y la de que Jesús venga de nuevo al final de los tiempos. La espera del Adviento no es una observancia pasiva en medio de la agitada temporada de las fiestas. Aunque tengamos todas estas cosas que hacer para nuestras reuniones festivas e incluso aunque parezca una penitencia esperar en largas líneas de pago, esto no es Adviento.
El Adviento es una temporada activa de penitencia y conversión continua para prepararnos para la gran fiesta de Navidad. Los bancos de la iglesia no son gradas. Si no queremos ser espectadores del Adviento, entonces es con un esfuerzo decidido que hacemos algunas cosas en esta temporada antes de Navidad. Un vistazo rápido al sitio web de cualquier parroquia y a The Catholic Spirit confirmará una hermosa variedad de actividades de Adviento. El Adviento siempre es un recordatorio de que celebramos las fiestas, pero Dios celebra la Navidad para aquellos que se tomaron el tiempo durante el Adviento para prepararse para el.
Si estamos preocupados por la temporada de fiestas, ¿podríamos estar también preocupados por otras estaciones mundanas como forma de vida? En cada Misa recibimos la presencia real de Jesucristo y luego somos enviados al mundo. Pocos de nosotros seremos jugadores en el campo de los deportes. Todos estamos llamados a estar en los campos de misión de la fe.
Laity, women do not ‘rank’ last in the Church, pope says at general audience
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
There are no second-class Christians, Pope Francis said. The laity, including women, and the clergy all have special gifts to edify the Church in unity and holiness.
“The laity are not in last place. No. The laity are not a kind of external collaborator or the clergy’s ‘auxiliary troops.’ No! They have their own charisms and gifts with which to contribute to the mission of the Church,” the pope said Nov. 20 at his general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
Continuing a series of talks on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church, Pope Francis looked at how the Holy Spirit builds up the Body of Christ through the outpouring of charismatic gifts.
The Holy Spirit “distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts, He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church,” he said, quoting from the Second Vatican
Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “Lumen Gentium.”
A charism is “the gift given for the common good, to be useful for everyone. It is not, in other words, destined principally and ordinarily for the sanctification of the person. No. It is intended, however, for the service of the community,” Pope Francis said.
“Secondly, the charism is the gift given to one or to some in particular, not to everyone in the same way, and this is what distinguishes it from sanctifying grace, from the theological virtues and from the sacraments, which instead are the same and common to all,” he said.
The definition of a charism is also part of what Pope Benedict XVI described in “the process of true renewal, which often took unexpected forms in living movements and made almost tangible the inexhaustible vitality of the holy Church,” he added, quoting the late pope.
“We have to rediscover the charisms because this ensures that the promotion of the laity, and of women
in particular, is understood not only as an institutional and sociological fact, but also in its biblical and spiritual dimension,” the pope said.
Charisms, he said, are sometimes misunderstood as being “spectacular or extraordinary gifts and capabilities.”
“Instead, they are ordinary gifts. Each one of us has his or her own charism that assumes extraordinary value if inspired by the Holy Spirit and embodied with love in situations of life,” he said.
“Such an interpretation of the charism is important, because many Christians, when they hear talk of charisms, experience sadness and disappointment, as they are convinced that they do not possess any, and feel they are excluded or second-class Christians,” he said.
“There are no second-class Christians. No. Each person has his or her own personal charism” that are gifts at the service of charity, in that they belong to all and are for the good of all, he said.
Please give to those who have given a lifetime.
From left, Hailey Larson and Macie Rasmusen of Sts. Joachim and Anne in Shakopee light and place the first candle of the Advent wreath at the beginning of the 5 p.m. Mass at St. Mark in Shakopee Dec. 1. They took part in a Catalyst Retreat offered by NET Ministries that included Eucharistic adoration before Mass at the church, one of the parish campuses. Father Francis “Frankie” Floeder, who celebrated the Mass, talked to the congregation, including the youth, about preparing for Advent. In his homily, Father Floeder, a parochial vicar at the parish, noted what Jesus desires for the Advent season. “He wants to be in communion with us,” Father Floeder said to the congregation. “He wants to set up shop in our hearts. He’ll never force his way in, but he’s knocking at the door of our heart every minute of every day. He’s waiting for us to open up the door of our hearts and say, ‘Jesus, I want you to be here. I want you to be present. I want you to be king and lord of my heart at every single moment.’”
Our aging religious need your help. Like those pictured, more than 24,000 senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests have dedicated their lives to serving others through prayer and ministry. Today, their religious communities do not have enough retirement savings to care for them. Your support of the Retirement Fund for Religious helps provide care, medicine, and other necessities. Please give back to those who have given a lifetime.
Please donate at your local parish, December 7–8, or by mail at: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Attn: Retirement Fund for Religious 777 Forest Street St. Paul MN 55106-3857
Make check payable to Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis/RFR.
By Josh McGovern
The Catholic Spirit
On Nov. 15 at Our Lady of Grace in Edina, volunteers gathered in the parish’s dining hall to write birthday cards for some of the men and women who are incarcerated in Minnesota and were born in December.
About 12 parishioners form the core of the birthday card ministry; other volunteers flow in and out. Together, they write about 50 birthday cards at Our Lady of Grace on the third Friday of each month. The volunteers obtain a list of names and birthdays of prisoners in Minnesota from the prisons and each volunteer writes five cards.
The cards are sent to Minnesota state prisons, including Stillwater, Rush City, Shakopee and Lino Lakes.
The monthly event was born on June 11, 2024, out of an attempt to bring Twin Cities Prison Ministry to Our Lady of Grace by Twin Cities Prison Ministry coordinator, Jeff Skinner, and Our Lady of Grace’s pastoral care and outreach coordinator, Cosette DeCesare. The idea was that birthday card writing would be an accessible way for parishioners to participate in prison ministry.
Fay and Kevin Connors co-founded Twin Cities Prison Ministry, an organization that strives to increase Catholic involvement in prison ministry. The Connors are coordinators for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ efforts.
The ministry provides services to incarcerated people in Minnesota and helps other prison volunteer organizations connect and work with the prison system. It began in March 2013 after now-retired Father Paul Jarvis, the pastor of St. Joseph in Rosemount at the time, asked the Connors, who are parishioners there, to start a prison ministry. Though the number of volunteers in the ministry is difficult to confirm because other volunteer organizations operate through Twin Cities Prison Ministries — such as Project Angel Tree and the Knights of Malta Pen Pal services — of the activities that Twin Cities Prison Ministries coordinates — pen pals, Mass, Communion services, Ignatian meditation videos — there are over 1,000 volunteers in Minnesota.
“Things have been quite fruitful,” Skinner said of the parish’s prison ministry. “All thanks to the Holy Spirit. … We’ve just given people all the options of getting involved in prison ministry and we have quite a few people.”
The birthday card writers are anonymous to the prisoners and the cards are reviewed to ensure no one reveals information that might jeopardize their anonymity. The return addresses are stamped for Affirming You in Elk River, a distribution center for Christian birthday cards to the imprisoned.
Skinner said he encourages volunteers not to get too friendly. Rather, they should keep the note simple and formal. He said volunteers have to be careful not to preach to the prisoners while helping them realize they are known and loved.
“We’re not trying to say whether they’re guilty or not,” Fay Connors said about prison ministry in general. “We just want them to know that God is with them. If we can bring God inside the walls, then we’re doing what we’re
have to go through dogs, at least to be screened, but there’s so many different kinds of drugs and so many different synthetics, the drugs that dogs cannot pick up on.”
Skinner said a senior guard at Lino Lakes told him the drug problem was the worst he’d seen in 13 years. As of Nov. 1, 2024, all mail to the eight Minnesota state prison facilities goes through a post office box in Maryland and copies of letters are routed back to those inside the prisons.
In some prisons, heavily monitored tablets are available for prisoners to use. Skinner said one potential option, therefore, would be to email the cards to the prisoners, which they can access on the tablets. Skinner said that although it is still to be determined how this ministry will look in the future, he is praying it can continue and at the very least, get cards to the prisoners.
Skinner said his grandfather was a chaplain for a prison in Arkansas. While prison ministry faces difficult challenges today, Skinner remarked that it’s nothing compared to what his grandfather overcame to bring the ministry to the Arkansas prison.
“There was no chapel at this maximumsecurity prison in Arkansas,” Skinner said. “There was absolutely no chaplain, no religious programming, nothing. He had to kind of bribe his way into the prison. Literally. They didn’t want him in there.”
Of his own ministry, Skinner said, “I just thought it was a cool thing to do in his memory. I never thought I would be so involved, but I feel called to do something more than just be a pen pal or write a card here and there.”
Skinner said many of the prisoners he interacts with have gone through phases of childhood abuse, trauma and neglect. Petty crime has often been a means of survival, and those crimes can lead to much bigger crimes.
In addition to writing birthday cards, Twin Cities Prison Ministry also offers:
uPrayer Companions
uPen Pals for Prisoners
uHoliday Letter Ministry
uLegislative Initiatives
uIgnatian Videos
uFish (Families and friends of the incarcerated support and hope group)
supposed to do.”
St. Thomas Becket in Eagan also does prison ministry birthday card writing. Fay Connors said that one out of every 100 people in the United States have been affected by incarceration and “many of them are sitting in our pews.”
“Let’s say 95% of the people who go into prison will come out again. What do we do with them on the inside? We can help them along so that when they come out, they’ll be better citizens than they were before,” Fay Connors said.
“The other thing is one out of every hundred people have been affected by incarceration. Nobody comes out and says, ‘I was in prison.’ People hide that because they don’t want their lives to be changed by how people think of what they are. Most people want to put people
Services and organizations operating through Twin Cities Prison Ministry include:
uProject Angel Tree
uMentoring – Prison Fellowship and Up
uWorks Ministries
uLife Rebuilders
uMission 29:11
uGreater Twin Cities Residents Encounter Christ
uCharis of Minnesota
in jail and just leave them there.”
“I think most of these people, nobody acknowledges their birthday,” Skinner said. “They’re pretty alienated from most people, and you’re not going to be telling other inmates anything like that.
… Prison ministry at the parish level is not that easy. There’s a lot of hurdles to getting inside of prison and getting involved. … It takes time to figure out where the need is, especially how to get inside the prison. That’s a big, big hurdle.”
With a recent influx of drugs getting into prisons through mail, Twin Cities Prison Ministry has encountered obstacles in getting the birthday cards into prisons.
“It used to be very straightforward,” Skinner said. “We just send in the card and they (prisoners) get the card in their hands. After screening, of course. They’d
“Usually it’s chemicals: drugs and alcohol-related,” Skinner said. “A lot of them are abused physically, sexually. … If I was that person, I’d be in prison too. It just really convicted me of the need for this (prison ministry). We need to do something.”
Fay Connors, the operations coordinator at St. Joseph in Rosemount, said one of the biggest effects prison has on people is when they are released.
“It’s difficult because now you have a felony on your record,” Fay Connors said. “It is difficult to get housing and to find a job, but through programs like Mission 29:11, these returning citizens can be mentored by those who have made it on the outside. If they can communicate and spend time with people who have returned and made a success of their lives and who will support you and what you’re going through and understand what you’re going through, it makes it a little bit easier for them.”
In some cases, Skinner is able to see a prisoner’s release date. He has faith that the birthday cards can play a crucial role in rehabilitating prisoners set to be released soon.
“You mght think the world, everybody hates him and he’s going to go out and reoffend and come right back in,” Skinner said. “But who knows? Just one little thing, this one little seed could make a difference. We’re not going to know the fruit of our labor, most of us. We won’t know until eternity.”
The Catholic Spirit
Nearly 370 people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness received special footcare, vaccinations and even legal advice Nov. 23 at the Catholic Charities St. Paul Opportunity Center and Dorothy Day Residence in St. Paul.
At least 60 volunteers, including 10 doctors, 10 nurses, 20 shoe fitters and family members joined forces with Our Hearts to Your Soles, a national effort founded by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lance Silverman of Silverman Ankle and Foot in Edina. The national effort includes providing boots from Minnesota-founded Red Wing Shoes to people in 40 cities across the country. The Twin Cities event is in its 17th year, 10 of those years at a Catholic Charities Twin Cities site.
“There are people in the Twin Cities who simply cannot afford to visit a doctor or to replace their worn-out shoes,” Silverman said in a statement. “Our Hearts to Your Soles provides an outlet for economically burdened individuals to receive the care and attention they deserve.”
Joseph Perry, a licensed orthotist and prosthetist who works at Hanger Clinic in Minneapolis and Coon Rapids, said it was a blessing to be part of the event.
“There is no greater gift than to serve others,” said Perry, a member of the Knights of Columbus and member of St. Paul in Ham Lake.
Also offered were 600 pairs of socks, shoe covers from Allina Health System, flu and COVID-19 vaccinations from M Health Fairview nurses and eight Twin Cities-based lawyers providing legal advice.
“As the temperatures continue to drop, everyone needs warm and protective footwear,” Silverman said in a statement. “This is a great way to help those in need in our community.”
John Marston, interim president and CEO of Catholic Charities Twin Cities, said the organization is grateful for its partnership with Our Hearts to Your Soles.
“The group provides not only critically needed shoes and footcare to our neighbors in need, but they also bring a caring and generous spirit to this community event,” Marston said.
Joseph Perry, licensed orthotist and prosthetist and a member of St. Paul in Ham Lake, laces up a new boot Nov. 23. He was helping people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, at a Catholic Charities event.
There is no greater gift than to serve others.
Joseph Perry
By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
Father Stephen Adrian had a practice at every baptism he performed at St. Matthew in St. Paul, where he served as its longtime pastor. Later in the Mass after the baptism, he would hold the child up at the altar during the offertory for all to see. Then, he would walk back to the parents, cuddle the child briefly and whisper these simple words into the child’s ear: “God loves you.”
Griffin Goldenstein, the child of Daniel and Michaela Goldenstein, heard these words from the priest at his baptism Oct. 26. It was one of the final acts of ministry by Father Adrian, who died Dec. 1 after a nine-month battle with lung cancer. He was 82.
Daniel Goldenstein heard these same words at his own baptism, as did his three siblings. His father, Scott, grew up in the parish and went to St. Matthew
School during the time that Father Adrian served there (1978-2012).
Daniel’s mother, Kathy, joined the parish in 1976 with her family. She worked closely with Father Adrian, known by many as Father Steve, in her numerous volunteer roles at the parish.
“I could go on for hours about (Father) Steve Adrian and his influence,” said Kathy, 62. “There’ll never be another one like him.” She has been powerfully moved by the way Father Adrian instilled God’s love into every child he baptized, including her own.
“That is the one thing my children know beyond a shadow of a doubt — that God loves them — because of the way (Father) Steve Adrian talked about how God loved them their entire life,” she said. “My kids heard that from the moment they were baptized until the moment he (Father Adrian) died.
PLEASE TURN TO FATHER ADRIAN ON PAGE 8
By Rebecca Omastiak
The Catholic Spirit
Father Evan Koop is a literary prize and research award recipient for his doctoral dissertation on Mary’s cooperation in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Father Koop — a formator and assistant professor of dogmatic theology with The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul — received the Henri de Lubac award for his dissertation titled “Per Gemitum Columbae — The Virgin Mary’s ‘Bridal Cooperation’ in the Redemptive Sacrifice of the Cross, in the Mariology of Matthias Joseph Scheeben and His Patristic Sources.”
In his dissertation, Father Koop considers Mary’s specific role and her cooperation in Jesus’ redemptive suffering, exploring also how early Church sources influenced Scheeben, a theologian, to reflect on the significance of Mary in salvation history.
“(A)s I immersed myself in the deep waters of Scheeben’s highly original Mariological speculations and nearly impenetrable prose, I became fascinated with the way in which his depiction
of Mary’s cooperation in the work of redemption at the cross was shot through with a profound nuptial mysticism,”
Father Koop said, in part, in his doctoral defense remarks.
“I concluded that, while Scheeben’s theology of Mary’s ‘bridal cooperation’ in redemption at the Cross is fundamentally original to him, it can be seen as a consistent development of what was implicit in the Church Fathers, especially in seminal patristic ideas of Mary as the new Eve and the type of the Church,”
FATHER EVAN KOOP
Father Koop said about his dissertation, in part, during remarks he offered when he received the award at a ceremony in November.
Named after the French Jesuit priest and influential Catholic theologian, the Henri de Lubac award seeks “to promote the academic excellence of university dissertations that stand out for their originality and their contribution to theological, juridical and philosophical
reflection,” a news release about the award stated.
Father Koop said he learned he had been named a recipient of the award in March.
“After I had defended my dissertation in March of 2023, my dissertation director (Father Joseph Carola, SJ) encouraged me to submit it for consideration for the De Lubac Prize, which I did in July of 2023. So, it was a bit of (a) wait to hear back from the prize committee, and I had honestly completely put it out of my mind,” Father Koop said via email.
The panel that considered Father Koop’s dissertation for the award acknowledged “the precision and breadth of this work, which takes the discussion back to patristic sources and offers a fascinating historical study of the Mariological debates of the 19th century, the implications of which seem inevitable at this time of reflection on the Virgin Mary as the model of the Church as the bride of Christ,” the news release stated.
“I was obviously quite surprised, but also very humbled and grateful,” Father Koop said of receiving the award. “Most of all, I took it as a kind of validation of the amount of time and effort this project required of me. As anyone who has pursued doctoral studies will know, the research and writing of a dissertation involves years of hard, often tedious work that is inevitably quite solitary and
hidden. So, I was grateful to God for this little sign of his blessing upon my work.”
Father Koop traveled to Rome for the award ceremony, which took place Nov. 22 at the Villa Bonaparte, the seat of the French Embassy to the Holy See. Father Koop said Cardinal Paul Poupard, a founder of the Henri de Lubac award, presided over the ceremony and offered remarks. Madame Florence Mangin, ambassador of France to the Holy See, presented Father Koop and another winner in the French language category with their awards.
“Most of the speeches were in French, so I didn’t understand a whole lot! But it was a very nice evening,” Father Koop said in an email.
In receiving this award, Father Koop thanked those who supported him and his work.
“I would just like to offer my sincere gratitude to all those who supported me throughout my years of study in Rome — especially Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who first sent me to Rome in 2016, and also The Saint Paul Seminary, first under the leadership of Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, and then under the present Rector, Father Joseph Taphorn,” he said in an email. “Most of all, I would like to thank all those who prayed and sacrificed so much to grant me the blessed opportunity to spend so much time contemplating the mystery of Mary at the Cross.”
By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service
Doubling down on the centrality of synodality in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said that it is now up to local churches to accept and implement proposals by from the final document approved by the Synod of Bishops on synodality.
Approved by the pope, the synod’s final document “participates in the ordinary magisterium of the successor of Peter, and as such, I ask that it be accepted,” the pope wrote in a note published by the Vatican Nov. 25. “Local churches and groupings of churches are now called upon to implement, in different contexts, the authoritative indications contained in the document, through the processes of discernment and decision-making provided by law and by the document itself,” he wrote nearly a month after the synod’s close.
The final document outlined key priorities for the Church, including increased participation of laity through new ministries and adjusted governing structures, greater transparency and accountability among Church leadership
and creating space for previously marginalized groups.
After synod members voted to approve the final document, Pope Francis announced that he would not write the customary apostolic exhortation after the synod but would instead offer the document to the entire Church for implementation. With the exceptions of the first synods convoked by St. Paul VI in 1967 and 1971, all ordinary assemblies of the Synod of Bishops have been followed by an exhortation on the synod’s themes and discussions by the pope. In his note, Pope Francis clarified that while the document is “not strictly normative” and must be adapted to contexts where it is applied, it still obligates “local churches to make choices consistent with what was indicated” in the document.
He also underscored the need for time to address broader Churchwide issues, such as those assigned to the 10 study groups he set up in the spring to explore issues raised during the synod, including women’s ministry, seminary education, relationships between bishops and religious communities, and the role of nuncios. More groups may be created, the pope said. The conclusion of the general
CNS PHOTO | VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Francis speaks to members of the Synod of Bishops on synodality after they approved their final document Oct. 26 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.
assembly of the Synod of Bishops “does not end the synodal process,” he wrote.
Quoting from his 2016 exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia” on marriage and family life, the pope wrote that “not all doctrinal, moral or pastoral discussions must be resolved by interventions of the magisterium,” rather the bishops of each country or region can seek “more encultured solutions” to issues involving
local traditions and challenges.
He added that the final synod document contains recommendations that “can already now be implemented in the local churches and groupings of churches, taking into account different contexts, what has already been done and what remains to be done in order to learn and develop ever better the style proper to the missionary synodal Church.”
“In many cases it is a matter of effectively implementing what is already provided for in existing law, Latin and Eastern,” while in other contexts local churches can proceed with the creation of “new forms of ministry and missionary action” through a process of synodal discernment and experimentation, the pope wrote. Pope Francis also specified that during bishops’ “ad limina” visits to Rome, each bishop will be asked to discuss what choices have been made in his local Church regarding what has been indicated in the final synod document, reflecting on the challenges and the fruits.
Meanwhile, he said, the General Secretariat of the Synod and the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia will be tasked with overseeing the synodal journey’s “implementation phase.”
Catholic News Service
With the opening of the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis’ schedule of liturgies in December and January has expanded.
The pope, who will celebrate his 88th birthday Dec. 17, is not planning to skip any of his normal Christmastime Masses and prayer services but will add an early morning Mass Dec. 29 at Rome’s Rebibbia prison to open a Holy Door there.
Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, published a list of the pope’s Christmas season liturgies Nov. 25. With papal services already listed on the Vatican website, the papal liturgies
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
And I told him that (recently, in his final days). I said, ‘You know, that is the basis of their faith.’ And he gave me a thumbs up, and he said, ‘That is the final answer to the final question on the final exam. If they’ve learned that, then I’ve done my job.’”
Father Adrian was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1968 and served at two parishes before St. Matthew: Incarnation in Minneapolis (1968-1972 and 19741978) and St. Leonard of Port Maurice in Minneapolis (1972-1974).
Another mark of Father Adrian’s ministry was his passion for Catholic education. He helped lead St. Matthew’s parish school while he was pastor, then helped form a consolidated school in 2012 after he retired as pastor. He was part of a group that launched Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, which serves the parishes of St. Matthew and Our Lady of Guadalupe, both in St. Paul; St. John Vianney in South St. Paul; and St. Michael in West St. Paul. The school is in the former school building at St. Michael.
for December and January include (times listed are local time in Rome, with Central Standard Time conversions in parentheses):
— Dec. 7, consistory for the creation of new cardinals at 4 p.m. (9 a.m. CST) in St. Peter’s Basilica.
— Dec. 8, Mass with the new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica at 9:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. CST) and act of veneration for the feast of the Immaculate Conception near the Spanish steps in Rome at 4 p.m. (9 a.m. CST).
— Dec. 12, Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Peter’s Basilica at 6 p.m. (11 a.m. CST).
Bridget Kramer, who previously taught at St. Matthew, stayed on when the new school was formed, then became principal in 2014. She gave Father Adrian a heavy dose of credit for the school’s current status: 236 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, a number that has held steady thanks to a tuition assistance program that Father Adrian helped start, made up of school alumni and other friends of the school.
“It was obviously a huge transition to combine four parishes and three parish schools together to form a regional school,” she said. “He was definitely a leader in that. And really, he’s one of the reasons I stayed on board and wanted to see through the transition, because I believed in his mission and vision, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
So have many others, who have financially supported the school. Kramer noted that the fundraising efforts through the Alums and Friends and Families group raised more than $430,000 last school year and this past summer surpassed the $1 million mark. In addition, the school is collaborating with the St. Paul-based Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota to
— Dec. 15, papal trip to Ajaccio, Corsica, including an open-air Mass in the afternoon.
— Dec. 24, opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at 7 p.m. (noon CST), followed by the celebration of the Christmas “Mass during the night.”
— Dec. 25, Christmas message and blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) at noon (5 a.m. CST) from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
— Dec. 26, opening of the Holy Door and Mass for the feast of St. Stephen at Rome’s Rebibbia prison at 9 a.m. (2 a.m. CST).
— Dec. 31, evening prayer and “Te
create the Father Steve Adrian Catholic Education Endowment Fund. It will launch this winter, Kramer said.
Father Martin Warren, who shared a house with Father Adrian in Mendota Heights, said retirement was mostly a foreign concept to Father Adrian, who reluctantly stepped aside from his role as canonical administrator of the school in April, one month after his terminal cancer diagnosis. He had retired from the parish in 2012 due to health issues, including heart bypass surgery, but came back to help launch Community of Saints and become its canonical administrator in 2015.
Father Warren, who came to the United States in 1981 from the Archdiocese of Birmingham in England and met Father Adrian in 1987, said Father Adrian had planned to write a book and continue serving at the school until his illness forced him to step aside. He also was helping at the parish with Masses and other tasks.
When the end of ministry finally came for Father Adrian, who also helped the poor and needy in the neighborhood by launching St. Mary’s medical clinic at St. Matthew plus a Loaves and Fishes
Deum” in thanksgiving for the past year in St. Peter’s Basilica at 5 p.m. (10 a.m. CST).
— Jan. 1, Mass at 10 a.m. (3 a.m. CST) in St. Peter’s Basilica for the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace.
— Jan. 6, Mass on the feast of the Epiphany at 10 a.m. (3 a.m. CST) in St. Peter’s Basilica.
— Jan. 12, Mass for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord and the baptism of infants at 9:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. CST) in the Sistine Chapel.
program that operates several days a week, he gave Father Warren a funny wisecrack —– his trademark —– about how he viewed it.
“He would say from time to time, ‘I failed retirement,’” said Father Warren, 70. “It’s like if you were grading him on this project called retirement, he failed.”
Those who knew Father Adrian likely would disagree with him about any reference to failure. Rather, they continue to pour forth many compliments about who he was as a person and a priest.
In addition to the baptisms, Kathy Goldenstein noted how Father Adrian would memorize the Gospel passage each Sunday and read it word for word without looking at the book. He once took it a step further 19 years ago during the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Matthew. He recited from memory the Passion “all alone, the entire thing,” Goldenstein said. “And it was the most powerful rendition of the Passion I’ve ever heard.”
The funeral Mass for Father Adrian will be 11 a.m. Dec. 21 at St. Matthew, with evening prayer and vespers 7 p.m. Dec. 20. Interment will be at Riverview Cemetery in St. Paul.
uArchbishop Sheen’s canonization is “inevitable” amid growing devotion, says a foundation head. Despite a few high-profile delays in recent years, the canonization of Venerable Fulton Sheen — the popular, scholarly archbishop and 20th-century pioneer of Catholic broadcasting — is “inevitable,” said the head of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation, which supports his cause. “The desire to see Sheen beatified is increasing, and there is a growing devotion to him,” Msgr. Jason Gray, the foundation’s executive director, said. In an article for the foundation’s 2024 year-end newsletter, Msgr. Gray — who also is the judicial vicar and episcopal vicar for consecrated life for the Peoria Diocese and pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in Peoria Heights — pointed to several indicators of Archbishop Sheen’s expanding reputation for holiness, or “fama sanctitatis” in canonical terms. “He didn’t just know about Jesus Christ,” Msgr. Gray told OSV News. “He knew Jesus Christ personally.” The late archbishop’s ability to combine sanctity, scholarship and communications savvy is a powerful witness to the Gospel, Msgr. Gray said.
uNotre Dame shines bright as the French president visits days before the “grande réouverture.“ The world was left stunned when first images of the rebuilt Notre Dame were published and spread with viral speed as President Emmanuel Macron walked through the bright, unrecognizably beautiful Parisian cathedral on Nov. 29, a week ahead of the Dec. 7-8 official reopening. Accompanied by first lady Brigitte Macron, the president was welcomed on the forecourt of the cathedral by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris and the rector-archpriest of Notre Dame Cathedral, Father Olivier Ribadeau Dumas. As he entered the cathedral, he shared with them his first impression — describing the cathedral’s interior as “sublime,” evoking the inner light that now characterizes it. All traces of construction work had disappeared for this visit, and the liturgical furnishings had been installed. The nave was empty and spacious. The light from its white stone and cleaned stained-glass windows now make the cathedral appear much larger than when it was dark. After his visit, President Macron posted a picture on X, formerly Twitter, with over a thousand trade workers inside the cathedral, with a comment: “Achieving the impossible together. That’s France.”
uCatholic bishops decry British end of life vote: “May God help us.” Catholic bishops in England have decried a vote for assisted suicide, with one saying it represented a “dark day” in the history of the country. Members of Parliament voted by 330 to 275 for the “Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill,” which would permit doctorassisted deaths for adult patients deemed to have less than six months to live. Although the bill must pass through several stages in both Houses of Parliament in London, the Nov. 29 vote in the House of Commons means that it is extremely likely that the bill will pass into law. Afterward, Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth told OSV News that he expected the outcome. “It leaves me sad as it will put an intolerable pressure on the elderly and the terminally ill and undermine the trust normally placed in doctors and carers,” he said. “I fear too the ever-growing expansion of eligibility to other categories of people. Britain has now crossed a line: things will not be the same again. May God help us.” Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster, lead bishop for life issues of the bishops’ conference of England and Wales, issued a press statement on behalf of
all the bishops in which he described the bill as “flawed in principle.” The bishops said: “We ask the Catholic community to pray that members of parliament will have the wisdom to reject this bill at a later stage in its progress.”
uVatican to study how to address “spiritual abuse” in Church law. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Legislative Texts are setting up a working group to study how “spiritual abuse” can be defined and punished in Church law, a note from the doctrinal office said. With the approval of Pope Francis Nov. 22, the note said, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, prefect of the office dealing with Church law, will set up the working group with members nominated by his office and the office of Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the doctrinal dicastery. The doctrinal dicastery’s norms for discerning and making judgments about alleged supernatural phenomena, which were published in May, included a line saying, “The use of purported supernatural experiences or recognized mystical elements as a means of or a pretext for exerting control over people or carrying out abuses is to be considered of particular moral gravity.” The new note, published on the doctrinal office’s website in late November, said that statement already allows for the misuse of spirituality to “be evaluated as an aggravating circumstance if it occurs together with delicts” or crimes, such as sexual abuse.
uCardinal Ayuso, promoter of interreligious dialogue, dies at 72. Spanish Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, who dedicated his priestly life and ministry to building bridges between Catholics and Muslims, died in Rome Nov. 25 at the age of 72. In a message of condolence to his relatives and his Comboni confreres, Pope Francis said the cardinal had “served the Gospel and the church with exemplary dedication and gentleness of spirit.” In every ministry he exercised, and especially most recently as prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Ayuso “was always motivated by the desire to witness, with meekness and wisdom, to God’s love for humanity by working for fraternity among peoples and religions,” the pope said. Accompanied by staff from the dicastery, delegations of Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and other religious groups attended the cardinal’s funeral Nov. 27 in St. Peter’s Basilica.
uPope Francis asks members of the St. John Paul II institute to study threats to marriage and family. The Catholic Church must respond to cultural challenges facing marriage and family life with unity and compassion, Pope Francis said, and he called for a deeper integration of the Gospel into contemporary culture. “The challenges, problems and hopes that pertain to marriage and the family today are inscribed in the relationship between Church and culture,” he told students, professors and staff of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences. Pope Francis referred to St. Paul VI’s affirmation that the “rupture between the Gospel and culture is the tragedy of our age,” and he noted that St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI deepened the question of inculturation in the Church by “focusing on the issues of interculturality and globalization.” He said, “The ability to meet these challenges depends on the capacity to fully carry out the mission of evangelization, which engages every Christian,” he said during the Nov. 25 meeting. Pope Francis highlighted how the recent Synod of Bishops on synodality developed the idea that “the very unity of the Church requires the commitment to overcome cultural
estrangements or conflicts, building harmony and understanding among peoples.” To achieve that, he said, the institute should advance studies and research “that develop a critical understanding of the attitudes of different societies and cultures toward marriage and the family.”
uSt. Peter’s Basilica launches a magazine and installs new webcams. To help people who cannot travel to Rome but want to pray at the tomb of St. Peter and cross the threshold of the Holy Door, St. Peter’s Basilica is installing new webcams. Pope Francis inaugurated the new webcams at the tomb of St. Peter and on the Holy Door Dec. 2. Meeting reporters Nov. 25, Franciscan Father Enzo Fortunato, communications director for the basilica, also presented the first edition of Piazza San Pietro, a new magazine he is directing on behalf of the basilica. It is named after St. Peter’s Square, he said, because the magazine hopes to be a place of welcome and encounter like the square is. A unique feature of the magazine, which will be available in Italian, Spanish and English, is that Pope Francis will respond to a letter from a reader each month, Father Fortunato said.
uPope Francis declares a Spanish mystic “blessed” and advances other sainthood causes. Using what the Vatican called an “equipollent” or equivalent beatification, Pope Francis recognized as “blessed” a 15th-century Spanish abbess, mystic and preacher. The pope signed decrees in four sainthood causes as well as the beatification declaration Nov. 25 for Blessed Juana de la Cruz, who was born Juana Vázquez Gutiérrez in what is
today Numancia La Sagra, Spain, in 1481 and died in 1534. With panels of historians and theologians verifying her virtues and writings, as well as the fact that since her death there has been an uninterrupted remembrance and veneration of her, the cardinals and bishops who are members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints voted Nov. 5 to petition Pope Francis to declare her blessed. Meanwhile, the four decrees Pope Francis signed Nov. 25 regard: A miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Maria Troncatti, the martyrdom of Vietnamese Father Francis-Xavier Truong Buu Diep, the martyrdom of Floribert Bwana Chui bin Kositi, and the heroic virtues of Auxiliary Bishop Josip Lang.
uAn Illinois man who is a champion of rivers and trees receives the Pacem in Terris interfaith award. Chad Pregracke of East Moline, Illinois, who is recognized worldwide for energizing people to join him in cleaning up rivers and planting trees, received the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award Dec. 3, an interfaith award overseen by the Catholic Diocese of Davenport. He is the first recipient in the interfaith award’s 60-year-history to receive recognition for work on environmental justice and care for creation. Bishop Dennis Walsh, the new bishop of Davenport, presented the award Dec. 3 at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Pregracke, 49, established Living Lands and Waters, an environmental organization, in 1998 in his hometown along the Mississippi River. He and his staff host river cleanups, watershed conservation initiatives, workshops and tree plantings, among other conservation efforts. — CNS and OSV News
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By Mark Johnson For The Catholic Spirit
On a recent Saturday night, three priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis sat around a dinner table at the St. Philip church rectory where they live in Bemidji, enjoying an earnest discussion about the past week’s challenges and successes. Their conversation was leavened with light banter and some laughs, and they opened and closed the evening with shared prayer.
A year ago, this scene would not have happened in the largely rural Diocese of Crookston, where Bemidji is located. The diocese has 33 active priests, 10 of whom are approaching retirement over the next decade, with no ordinations on the horizon for three years. The active priests must stretch themselves razor-thin over 66 parishes and 17,210 square miles of the diocese.
It is a challenge.
But the challenge is being addressed in some creative ways, and these three archdiocesan priests are at the center of those efforts. Each has been “loaned” by the archdiocese to live and serve in the Crookston diocese for three years. The three are living and ministering there pursuant to the principles of the Companions of Christ — an association of priests who live a model of intentional community.
The signs of Catholic renewal are apparent in the Bemidji area, said Marleen Webb, who in her 45 years as a parishioner at St. Phillip has participated in many levels of lay ministry — as a sacristan, a Eucharistic minister, and in religious formation and hospital ministries.
“These three priests arrived in July of 2024 and found a church community in need of direction, understanding and healing,” she said. “Young people in the area were desperate for Catholic life but had no place to turn.”
Now, just five months after the three priests’ arrival, she reported “there’s new hope that we’re turning a corner — not just trying to maintain Catholic minimums, but instead joyfully going all-out for Catholic renewal.” She reported that daily Mass and college program attendance at Bemidji State University has grown; more young people are attending St. Philip; and there’s a vibrant, new enthusiasm for the Eucharist, adoration and the rosary.
How did the transformation occur and why did these three archdiocesan priests decide to step forward and undertake the task?
After his installation in 2023, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Crookston diocese, formerly an auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese and a co-founder and member of the Companions, faced the challenge of covering the diocese’s geographic expanse and its needs with a sufficient number of priests. He turned to the Companions of Christ.
“Part of what I wanted was a focus on vocations in the diocese,” he said, adding, “I knew the Companions would be dedicated to building up parishes and the diocese in which they serve.” “Besides,” he said, “I knew them all individually, and I am one of them. I know they have missionary spirit.”
He asked Archbishop Bernard Hebda to consider a “loan” of several archdiocesan Companion priests to the Crookston diocese, and the archbishop agreed to do so for three years.
In January 2024, the archbishop wrote a letter to the priests of the archdiocese explaining his decision. In part, the letter said, it seemed “particularly fitting” to support the Companions’ missionary aspirations in Crookston, since approximately half of their archdiocesan members moved to the archdiocese to be part of the Companions. “In many ways, these men have already been missionaries to our local Church,” the archbishop wrote.
The decision to volunteer for the Crookston mission presented a challenge for an archdiocesan priest. It required him to leave home to minister in a different diocese, among unfamiliar people. Father Peter Williams, the current moderator of the Companions and pastor of St. Ambrose in Woodbury, asked three Companion priests to prayerfully consider the mission in Crookston. He chose the three based on the needs of the Crookston diocese, their experience, and their particular gifts for ministry.
Father David Blume, a Companion member who was serving at the time as archdiocesan director of vocations, said he remembers well receiving the call in the fall of 2023. When Father Williams asked him to be one of the three to live and work in the Crookston diocese, Father Blume said, “I was frankly shocked.”
In reflecting on how to respond, Father Blume had with Bishop Cozzens what Father Blume described as a “good
but very frank discussion about the challenges.”
In addition, he recalled a recent retreat for seminarians he had led to Lake Superior’s Madeline Island. There, participants had focused on the story of Bishop Frederic Baraga (17971868), known as the “snowshoe priest” because he trekked hundreds of miles through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the opportunity to convert souls to Christ. Father Blume said to himself, “Wait — much, much less is being asked of me.” After further prayer, he agreed to move four hours north to Bemidji.
Father Josh Salonek, formerly parochial vicar of St. John Neumann in Eagan, recalled “hearing rumblings” of a possible loan of Companion priests to the Crookston diocese. “I said to myself, ‘No way it’ll be me.’” The surprise call came from Father Williams the week of Thanksgiving.
Father Salonek remembers a conversation with his pastor at the time, Father Tony O’Neill, also a member of the Companions. “He told me that if you don’t have a good reason to say ‘no’, you should say ‘yes.’” He considered that Father O’Neill was serving the Eagan parish even though he had come to America from Scotland, where his parents still lived. Father Salonek thought to himself, “Bemidji is a lot closer to home than Scotland.” He phoned Father Williams back a week or so later and said “yes.”
Father Tom Niehaus — formerly pastor of Most Holy Redeemer in Montgomery, St. Patrick in Shieldsville and St. Canice in Kilkenny — remembers receiving the call from Father Williams while experiencing severe jet lag after flying back from Rome. “I said to him, ‘I must have a trick ear. Did you say the Crookston diocese?’”
Nonetheless, Father Niehaus offered a quick “yes.”
“I had a chance to go back to college ministry, which I loved, plus I had priest friends up there, enjoyed camping and hiking in the area, and had been on a number of retreats at summer camps in the area,” Father Niehaus said.
In July 2024, the three priests moved from the archdiocese into their new residence at the St. Philip church rectory.
Father Blume was named pastor of St. Philip and also of St. Charles, a small church 20 miles away with a seasonal
schedule, which does not open for Mass until “fishing opener.”
Recently, he also agreed to assist Bishop Cozzens as vicar general of the diocese, which is based in Crookston, an hour and a half from Bemidji. “I will still eat three meals a day,” quipped Father Blume, “but some of those might be in the car while driving.”
Father Salonek and Father Niehaus were both appointed parochial vicars of St. Philip and St. Charles parishes. Father Niehaus also serves as chaplain for campus outreach at nearby Bemidji State.
The three priests’ daily life in the St. Philip rectory follows the intentional community model of the Companions of Christ. Each morning begins with a Holy Hour, which includes praise and worship, the Liturgy of the Hours, and silent prayer and reflection. On Saturday evenings, the Companions gather in their household to share a meal, pray and provide fraternal support. They may also invite other priests to join them, said Father Salonek. Throughout the week, they support and hold each other accountable.
Father Blume summed up the reasons for the Companions’ focus on intentional community living for diocesan priests: “The conventional wisdom — that the demands of celibacy are a priest’s greatest challenge — is overstated. I believe the more common and urgent concern is the isolation that often comes from living alone.”
Father Niehaus pointed out that diocesan priests have sometimes lived under the same roof in a rectory, but the Companions’ model is different. “Our life together is ‘intentional’ in all respects — our rhythm of daily and weekly prayer and fraternity is an integral part of what keeps us strong and on-mission,” he explained.
Parishioners are sometimes concerned that a Companion priest is likely to be less available for parish needs if he is living in community and not in the parish rectory. Father Niehaus has a response. “I told some initially skeptical parishioners at my Montgomery assignment — I was living in the St. Mary’s rectory in Le Center at the time — that I would be more and not less available under the Companion living arrangement.
one of their Saturday evenings together.
The Companions of Christ is a group of diocesan priests and seminarians who live in “intentional community.” The organization started with a small group of laymen in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and has now grown to number 34 priests in the archdiocese, as well as members in the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, and the Archdiocese of Denver.
In 1992, six young men in the archdiocese were discerning the priesthood. One of them was Andrew Cozzens, now bishop of the Crookston diocese and formerly an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. They were attracted to a life of fraternal support through living in community. But they also wanted to pursue the richness of a diocesan priest’s vocation. This presented a challenge, because community living is almost exclusively associated with religious communities.
The six brought their hopes and concerns to then-Auxiliary Bishop Robert Carlson, who advised them to consider seeking an official fraternity of archdiocesan priests and seminarians as a “public association” and assisted them in obtaining approval.
To combat isolation, the Companions try to live in community of at least three members in parish rectories or other households. At the same time, they emphasize that their promise of obedience to the diocesan bishop is paramount.
On their website, the Companions refer to St. John Paul II, who stated that the benefits of such associations of priests are “in harmony with the early institutions of the early Jerusalem community” and “obvious and urgent” in the modern world.
They are also animated by a St. John Paul II-inspired devotion to the new evangelization, including catechesis, spiritual renewal, and the fostering of vocations in the local Church. In the words of Father Peter Williams, current moderator of the Companions, “We want to lower our nets deep in the water.”
emphasized that a healthier, fraternally supported priest can ‘run with the ball’ much more vigorously.”
at one another. Their brotherly love in Christ radiates from there.”
“When Father Niehaus arrived, it was like a Catholic tsunami hit the college,” observed Carlson. “He constantly walks the campus looking for students and faculty to engage about their challenges and how to meet those challenges through Christ’s saving love.” Many times, said Carlson, he connects with individuals who claim the most tepid faith, or no faith at all. “He never tires of seeking out people who are thirsting for meaning in their lives, even if at first they can’t quite articulate their yearnings.”
Carlson has been particularly struck by Father Niehaus’ engagement with athletes. “One day, he just walked into the head football coach’s office, unsolicited, and offered his support for the personal challenges team members were facing. Soon after, the coach invited him to speak to the team.” He also walks the sidelines at games, said Carlson, conversing with athletes, students and staff. He has connected with the volleyball and basketball coaching staff too, Carlson said.
Father Niehaus and Carlson have worked together to add energy and interest to Beaver Night, such as a recent “stump the priest” event, featuring Father Salonek in the hot seat. Carlson said the average attendance at Beaver Catholic Night has risen to more than 20 now, and sometimes closer to 30.
“The key to all this,” Carlson said, “is his willingness to seek out frank, face-to-face conversations about restoring a foundation of God’s truth for college students who are often wandering aimlessly, with little more than vague career aspirations.”
Father Niehaus agreed that the enthusiastic response among Bemidji State students is due in large part to their yearning for something higher and better — something filled with “holiness, stability and tradition.” Many older people “make the mistake of concluding that young college students want to run a thousand miles and hide in the bushes when they see a priest,” he said. “It’s not true. If they see you are willing to talk to them about their goals and how seeking sainthood can transform a life, they are more than eager for that conversation.”
Bishop Cozzens believes the mission of the Companions — particularly the model of its mission to the Crookston diocese — could play a role in revitalizing the priesthood and Catholic life.
opener.”
car
Still, the new assignment presented the three with some major challenges. The St. Philip parish had struggled in recent years to maintain the minimums of sacramental life because of the health problems and turnover of priests, which in turn placed significant burdens on staff, according to parishioner Webb. Immediately after their arrival, the three Companions faced vacancies in almost all of the key St. Philip parish and school staff positions — business administrator, religious education director, school principal, music liturgy and youth ministry, noted Father Blume.
“The janitor was about the only one left by the time the three of them got here,” quipped parishioner Webb. “They were starting from ‘ground zero,’ or to put it more accurately, ‘less than zero.’”
“When I arrived, I found I needed to wear more hats — finance, music, liturgy and personnel — than I had imagined,” Father Blume said. “For a while I felt as though we were like runners in a relay race who had to strain to grab the baton at just the right moment. I don’t think we dropped any batons, but we came close.”
Father Salonek believes the lack of staff and resources at St. Philip had a silver lining: It pressed the three of them to examine vigorously the essentials of their ministry.
“When we saw the situation awaiting us on our arrival, we asked ourselves five questions about the challenge: What is possible, what is essential, what can we afford, what are the three of us capable of handling, and what can volunteers in the parish handle?” As a result of this examination, he said, “we found ways for the three of us to take on some of the core, affordable tasks; discovered a joyful outpouring of volunteers; and even found some extra hours to pursue new outreach and support for Catholic life in the area.” They have also slowly filled some of the open positions.
Parishioner Webb recognized that the Companions exude something new and different at St. Philip. “They undertake an amazing array of duties, running energetically from task to task, and they do so with an infectious sense of joy and energy.” It starts with the way they interact with each other, she said. “They refer to each other as ‘brother’ and poke fun
Mark Studer, who has been a parishioner of St. Philip for 31 years, said the three priests have “reenergized Catholic life in town — emphasizing the holiness of what is going on in the Mass as well as through encouraging adoration, reconciliation, and praying the rosary.” Studer estimated that attendance at daily Mass, which was about 25 to 30 before the Companions arrived, is now 45 to 55.
“Most importantly,” he remarked, “these three priests — through their ministry and fraternal interaction –– are inspiring us not to just ‘maintain’ our faith — which means looking inward — but instead to evangelize, which means looking outward.” Studer sees potential in the Companions’ ministry “for an exuberant new generation of Catholics, as well as candidates for the priesthood and religious.”
Father Niehaus pursues a multitude of opportunities to engage with Bemidji State college students. On Tuesday nights, he hosts a meal, Mass, and other student activities at St. Philip, which is called Beaver Night (Bemidji State athletic teams are called the Beavers). The rest of the week, he might discuss Catholic faith with a student group, lead a Bible study, pray with athletes before or after Bemidji State athletic games, or hold a bonfire with students.
“Recently we went hatchet-throwing and this winter I hope to do some icehouse ministry,” he added with a smile. “It’s officially called ‘college fellowship’,” he confided. “But,” he leaned forward and whispered with a grin, “we also call it partying for the Lord!”
Sam Carlson, 26, has seen Father Niehaus’ impact on college students firsthand through his work on the Bemidji campus and at St. Philip with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). When Carlson arrived at Bemidji State with three other FOCUS team members in late 2023, he noted that Catholic life on campus was almost invisible. The Tuesday evening Mass and dinner at St. Philip was only attracting five to seven college students.
“The Church has sent missionaries to Africa and many other places,” he remarked, “and now we are sending them on missions in our own backyards.”
Father Salonek emphasized the same point, noting that about 30 percent of students at St. Philip’s elementary school are not Catholic and only about half of the rest regularly attend Mass. Consequently, he spends a great deal of time talking to the school’s teachers, staff, students and students’ families. “It’s clear we have great opportunities for mission and evangelization right under our own roof,” he said with a grin.
In considering his work in the Crookston diocese and that of his two Companion priests, Father Salonek said that he often thinks of the many sacrifices that have been made for this mission.
He recalled the following, which is said at every Mass in the Liturgy of the Eucharist: “Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.” These words sometimes bring to his mind the sacrifice made by Archbishop Hebda, who for three years will have three fewer priests to allocate to a growing body of archdiocesan needs. Father Salonek also recalls the sacrifice of other priests in the archdiocese, who must pick up extra work because of the absence of these three. Finally, he thinks of the parishioners in the archdiocese, who have generously made a temporary sacrifice of three of their priests for fellow Catholics in the Crookston diocese who have a greater need.
In the course of these reflections, though, something is missing. Father Salonek omits his own sacrifice and those of Father Blume and Father Niehaus — the way they dropped everything to serve Christ’s flock far from their homes.
“Oh no,” Father Salonek said, when asked to comment on this omission. “Here in Bemidji, we have a multitude of excellent opportunities to make Christ known to people yearning deeply for his love. Pursuing this joyful goal — especially with these fine brother priests by my side — is no burden. This is exactly the vocation for which we were called.”
Stage 4 cancer survivor, ‘it’s all bonus time’
By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
Mike Neeson was the picture of health when, at 45, the Stillwater dad got the shocking diagnosis: Stage 4 colon cancer. The five-year survival rate, at the time, was 6 percent. He and his wife, Patty, broke the news to their boys, then ages 11 and 9.
Neeson had to miss the better part of a year at Andersen Windows to become a full-time cancer patient. He endured 72 weeks of chemo, 40 radiation treatments and multiple surgeries, including a colostomy and a urostomy.
Today, he is 61 and cancer-free. He sees every new day as a gift. “It’s all bonus time,” said Neeson, a member of St. Michael in Stillwater. He’s become a powerful fundraiser for the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center and a counselor to more than a hundred newly diagnosed cancer patients. To join Neeson’s efforts to assist the center, go to z umn edu/coloncancer
Q Let’s start with a lighter topic. Tell me about your Christmas trees!
A We have a 16-footer in our great room and an 8-footer in the front room. We end up using maybe 6,000 lights and over a thousand ornaments. Patty used to collect Christopher Radko ornaments. There’s a train under the tree and a village. People ooh and ahh. It takes me three eight-hour days (to trim the trees). But on the high tree, I’m on the ladder for over half of it, and you can only carry two ornaments at a time, so you’re up and down. If you’re going to put 400 ornaments from 8 feet up to 16 feet up, it’ll take me hours and hours to get the right ornaments facing the way (that) I want and then bury the lights and make sure they face out. I bury them deep inside. If you only put them on the periphery, the inside of the tree wouldn’t glow.
I’m kind of OCD about it, but I really enjoy it while listening to old Christmas music –– Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. The ornaments bring back so many fun memories. We have collected ornaments from over 30 years of traveling. We just got some ornaments from Switzerland that are really cool with small bells and Santa.
Q You’re relishing every day, aren’t you?
A I’ve always been a really positive person. But I can tell you, I don’t think I’ve been rattled in the 16 years since I’ve been diagnosed. Car issues happen, appliances break, flights get delayed. Nothing is a big deal. That’s how my life has changed. I really enjoy the little things. I love going for walks in the woods with the dog. I’ll tell my friends: “This was a great day on the golf course.” They’ll say, “Yeah, it was fun.” And I’m like, “No, it was a great day.”
Q You see your life, as it’s unfolding, like Scrooge looking at his past in “A Christmas Carol.”
A That’s always been one of my favorite stories –– even before my diagnosis.
You’d never want anybody to have a dose of mortality. But I have friends who don’t do things because they think they’re taking the money with them. I have friends who continue to delay trips or this or that because they always think there’s tomorrow. And one day there isn’t.
Q Has your cancer journey led you to embrace your Catholic faith?
A Absolutely. Before I got sick, it might’ve been a two or a three on a spiritual scale of 10. There’s a huge physical aspect when you’re dealing with advanced cancer. There’s an even bigger mental part. And there’s a spiritual part. You need all three of those pieces. You have to find some peace. I was pretty prepared if it wasn’t going to turn out. My faith helped me get there. If it doesn’t, and if there’s a reason –– I came to peace with it and that helped my stress and anxiety level enormously.
Q Now where do you fall on the scale?
A Now I’d consider myself a nine. I’m real personal
about my faith. I don’t preach or pontificate. But I consider myself very spiritual.
Q You’ve discovered new facets of yourself, like how much you enjoy public speaking. You’ve spoken to thousands at cancer conferences over the years. As someone who’s beat Stage 4 cancer, you’re a walking, talking miracle.
A I would give presentations at work, but that was different. I wasn’t passionate about it. It was sales numbers or trends or profits. This is storytelling. I like trying to help others and inform people and promote the U of M fundraising.
People often say: “Look at you now! You look like the picture of health!” I thought I was helping people with tips and tricks around nausea, the chemo and the ostomies. But I’ve been told by patients that the most important thing I provide is that inspiration. I didn’t realize that for years. People need hope and to envision themselves thriving at the conclusion of the cancer journey. That’s what they say they see in me.
Q How does it feel to give them that hope?
A It’s very fulfilling because it’s a role their doctor, their spouse, likely their friends can’t do. Only a cancer survivor can totally relate. It’s the old adage “until you walk a mile in my shoes.” When I got my diagnosis, I didn’t know anyone who had an ostomy. I was told that, based on the location of my tumor, 100 percent I was going to have a colostomy bag. I freaked out. Now I get satisfaction in trying to alleviate the fear that people have. For me, it’s the same as shaving. I bike, I ski, I travel, golf and swim. People often assume the worst and speculate on things that are not the case. I tell people you will adjust and do everything you did before. Like so many things in life, it’s about attitude. If you think you can, you will.
Q What’s it like counseling someone who just received a grim cancer diagnosis?
A Many patients will really open up to me. I’m safe. I don’t judge, I can relate to their situation and fears. They don’t know me, so in some ways it’s easier talking to me than to your spouse or family. My conversations typically start out: How are you handling the side effects of chemo and radiation? But the more you talk, it kind of changes. I make a concerted effort with these people to really just listen. Everybody handles it differently. There are stages of grief, anger, sadness and denial, but I think there’s a stage in there that’s a faith piece. I was on the phone for over an hour on Saturday with a patient who has very advanced cancer. His prognosis is grim. The cancer is in his spine, skull, liver, lungs, kidneys. He was talking about how the nights just drag –– a common struggle for advanced cancer patients. During the day, he said, at least he can
look out the window and see squirrels and activity. At night it’s just darkness. I could relate. He’s a serious hunter, so I recommended some hunting podcasts to get him through those long nights.
Q Tell me more about the fundraising you’ve helped lead.
A We do one big charity event down on the St. Croix River every June on a big paddleboat. We’ve raised close to $1.5 million, and we’ve grossed $1.5 million ––meaning we’ve donated every nickel. It all goes to research on colon cancer and it’s all given to the University of Minnesota. I join a lot of donors on tours through the research labs so they can look through the microscopes and hear from the Ph.D.s and doctors about the advancements and actually see how their money is used –– so powerful!
Q What are the advancements?
A They’re slowly making advancements not only towards a cure, but in duration and quality of life of advanced stage colon cancer patients. Thanks to their research, twice as many people are living five years (from the diagnosis). It’s gone from 6 percent to 12 percent. Donations are giving people more time.
Q You get to witness generosity in action.
A What I’ve learned over the years is that people want to help. Sometimes they just don’t know how to or where their dollars should be directed. I’m a big advocate of estate planning, because during the first half of a person’s lifetime they likely have a mortgage, are saving for college and have other financial obligations. While financial donations are important to charities, sometimes small acts of kindness can be just as impactful, such as helping someone with carrying groceries, shoveling their driveway, helping with leaves, etc. Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness can be really big.
Q What was a memorable gift you’ve received?
A A person once told me he often asks himself if he’s making a difference, what is his purpose, has he made the world a better place? He’s my age. Then he told me, “Mike you never have to ask yourself that question.” Those words were the greatest gift I ever received. There are many different kinds of gifts. We often get stuck on material things. Sometimes it’s easier to just get somebody a pair of earrings, a bike or golf clubs. But the most memorable gifts are handmade or personal in nature. Gifts can simply be words of appreciation or gratitude. We probably don’t say those words enough to those close to us. I know for sure to value people and experiences, not material things.
By Phil Lenahan OSV News
As we move closer to winter, we anticipate the holidays and the fact that the New Year is just around the corner. When it comes to our responsibility as stewards of Providence during this special time, two important themes come to mind: preparing well for the coming of our Savior at Christmas and setting the stage for a financially successful year to come.
Our society is especially good at focusing on the externals of Christmas. Many stores have their Christmas aisles ready to go after Labor Day. You can hear Christmas music non-stop while carving the Thanksgiving turkey. While no doubt these contribute to a festive atmosphere, it’s important for us to remember that the Advent season is a gift from the Church to help us prepare our interior for Christ’s coming.
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming” (No. 524). If we use this time well to recommit ourselves in our relationship with the Lord, we will also
By Woodeene Koenig-Bricker OSV News
When we let the world know that there is more to the holiday than presents and decorations, we fulfill our mission as Christians to evangelize the world.
Imagine expecting a new baby. For months, you prepare to welcome this addition, but in the last month, the preparations really step up. You make sure that the crib is clean, the diapers are in place, the car seat is installed, and family and friends are ready to meet the new baby.
That sense of joyful preparation combined with anticipation is the attitude we bring to Advent as we await the arrival of Christ the Lord. Christmas is the high point but using the days leading up to Dec. 25 to prepare both spiritually and materially is what Advent is all about.
What sets Advent apart from the usual secular preparations for Christmas is the spiritual dimension: Advent is a time of both prayer and penance. As Catholics, we are called to exercise a more disciplined approach to our spiritual lives during the four weeks of Advent and to pay special attention to our words and deeds as we wait patiently for the coming of Christ.
Waiting is a challenge, but instead of just counting down the days, we are called to use Advent as a time to deepen
be prepared to better appreciate the externals of the Christmas season.
Christmas spending is a major issue for many families. In some cultures it is customary that gifts will be given throughout the family, down to second cousins. Many families succumb to this pressure and find their credit card balances ballooning because of it.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to share in a spirit of generosity during the Christmas season. It’s just that we need to re-examine what it means to be truly generous.
I encourage you to sit down now and think through your gift plan for this
Christmas. First, you’ll want to develop your overall budget, and then you can determine how that spending can best be allocated. It’s also a time you can think about creative ways you can show your love without breaking the bank. Consider making homemade cards and baked goods or jam for your family and friends. Each fall we make an annual outing to go apple picking. Some of the apples are for eating, but most go toward making apple butter, which is given to family and friends as Christmas gifts. Many couples in the midst of raising families find it very difficult to go on a date due to the lack
our relationship with God. Keep things simple: Read a psalm as a bedtime prayer, go to confession, pray the rosary, especially on the special Marian feasts of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 9) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12), spend some time in Eucharistic adoration, or go to daily Mass.
You could also say the traditional St. Andrew novena — 25 days of prayer for a holy Christmas, beginning on the feast of St. Andrew, Nov. 30. If you have children, make a “good deed” crèche: Put a slip of paper, acting as a piece of straw, in the manger each time you do a good deed so that the bed will be filled with “holy softness” for the Christ Child. Some of the major signs of the season are decorations and lights, especially those on the outside of the house. As
of a babysitter. Coupons for periodic babysitting help from a trusted source would be a much-appreciated gift! What better way to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas than by helping those who have fallen on hard times? You can participate directly by volunteering for one of the local outreaches in your area, whether it is a soup kitchen or other type of ministry. Many communities offer programs where you can “adopt” a needy family for Christmas by providing food and gifts. Allow your children to participate financially by sharing some of their allowance for this purpose. What a marvelous way for your children to learn about the joy of giving!
For those who have operated on a budget and tracked their activity over the past year, it’s a time to put that information to good use as you look ahead to the next. Use this year’s information as a starting point for next year’s budget and then tweak it for changes you can see on the horizon. If you don’t yet have a budget, the new year presents a great opportunity to get off to a good start. Unless you tell your money where you want it to go, you can count on the fact that it will control you.
As you prepare for Christmas and the new year, emphasize preparing your interior spirit to welcome Christ each day. If you do that well, you’ll be a faithful steward of Providence and be in a position to set solid priorities for the new year.
Lenahan is chief financial officer and treasurer of Catholic Answers.
others make a special scene on a table. Some families make the crèche into an ongoing tradition by adding a new figure each year.
Many families have special foods that they serve only at Christmas. As you prepare these treats, use the time to recall and to pray for all those family members who have gone before us in death.
you decorate your house, think about how lights are more than just pretty objects. Lights, especially candles, have been used for centuries at Christmas time as a symbol of the star that showed the shepherds and wise men where to find the Christ Child. Your lights can serve as a witness to the “light of the world” that is both coming and has already arrived.
Each household develops their own traditions about when to put up a tree, stockings and other decorations. Some people like to do a little bit over the weeks; others prefer to make decorating a major part of Christmas Eve.
St. Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first Nativity scene. Invest in having a crèche of your own. Some people put theirs under the tree,
You might want to begin building some new and flavorful traditions. One idea from the Anglican tradition is to begin your holiday baking on the last Sunday before Advent. This Sunday is called “Stir-up Sunday” because traditional fruit cakes were mixed on this day and left to “mellow” until Christmas. The name comes from the collect prayer from the day’s liturgy: “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people.” Although the last Sunday before Advent has passed, it’s not too late. Put a new twist on the tradition by making and freezing batches of cookie dough to be baked later in the month.
Advent is a time of hope and light. It is a time when we reaffirm that “nothing is impossible with God,” not even a virgin bringing forth a child. This Advent, find hope as you recommit yourself to spiritual renewal. This Advent, look for the light in everything you do, from shopping for presents, to mailing cards, to making special food, to decorating the house.
This Advent, prepare your home and your heart for the coming of Emmanuel, God-with-Us, Jesus Christ.
Koenig-Bricker writes from Oregon.
By Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
As Hurricane Milton threatened Florida’s stormbattered Gulf Coast and cleanup continued in Florida and five other states after late September’s Hurricane Helene, Archbishop Bernard Hebda urged parishes to conduct special Sunday collections for hurricane relief. Parishes are encouraged to take emergency collections on or near the weekend of Oct. 12-13, said Deacon Mickey Friesen, the director of the Center for Mission
By Josh McGovern
Catholic Spirit
“Hold Fast” by Spencer K. M. Brown, Wiseblood Books. (Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 2022). 328 pp., $10.
In his homily during Father Robert Valit’s funeral Mass Sept. 27 at St. Michael in Stillwater, Father Michael Skluzacek told a story about their friendship.
Advent, Father Skluzacek said, was Father Valit’s favorite liturgical season. Every year, Father Skluzacek could count on a call from Father Valit with an invite to Handel’s Messiah, a concert at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
in the archdiocese, which was helping to handle the collections.
out to those displaced by the natural disaster, Deacon Friesen wrote.
“This crisis offers us an opportunity to stand in solidarity of prayer and give what we can to bring relief to those suffering from this crisis,” Deacon Friesen said in a letter to priests of the archdiocese. “The funds collected in this special appeal for Hurricane Relief will be sent to Catholic Charities USA, the U.S. Catholic relief agency, to provide immediate disaster relief with necessities such as water, food and shelter,” as well as pastoral and social needs of the Church as it reaches
expectation of the glory of God.”
“But still the desire is there, that hope for salvation, for love, for truth. Sometimes that desire to believe in something might just be enough. These are the new martyrs. No more burnings at the stake, no beheadings or crucifixions. But those who simply hold fast to that tiny possibility of hope, of love.”
“When we traveled (overseas) and he encountered a beggar, he wouldn’t think twice,” Father Skluzacek explained. “He would reach into his pocket and give the beggar 10 euros. I saw that happen so many times. He readily would give to others whatever he had, and he always had enough. God will not be outdone in generosity.”
What follows is a diptych of stories — one a father’s determination to find salvation, and the other his son’s embittered reluctance to hope. As Thom’s and Jude’s stories intertwine and cast light on each other, the world of a North Shore community is filled out with a cast of secondary characters who are each trying to numb their despair in their own ways. Substance abuse, lackluster relationships and consumerist distractions all provide partial anesthetics to creeping senses of purposelessness and wasted potential, though a few individuals, including a young craftsman and a line cook, provide moments of hope that point the main characters back toward the right path.
“He loved the season that prepares to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the word made flesh,” Father Skluzacek said. “The season that waits in joyful hope for the coming of the kingdom of God. … ‘Waving in joyful expectation for the full revelation of the glory of God’ might rightly be the theme of Robert Valit’s life. He lived every day of his life in joyful
These words, coming roughly two-thirds of the way through Spencer K. M. Brown’s 2022 novel, “Hold Fast,” serve as something more lyrical than a thesis statement for the story as a whole. Set in the icy heart of a North Shore winter, “Hold Fast” is the tale of a father and son in the harsh time following a pair of tragedies. Thom, a grizzled Minnesota handyman and snowplow driver, has fallen into a deep depression after the loss of Helen, his wife; Jude, his son, has lost both his mother as well as his dream of rowing on the Olympic team after an injury. Trapped in a cycle of day drinking, night jobs, heated arguments and heavier silences, it seems they are headed inevitably down the path of despair — until Thom has a fit of either madness or divine inspiration and sets himself a quest: he is going to build a boat and sail it across Lake Superior, or die trying.
Father Robert “Bob” Valit, who had served the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 1978, died Sept. 21 at the age of 96 at the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul. Father Valit retired in 2001, wrapping up an eight-year tenure at Our Lady of Grace in Edina.
During his retirement, he served St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater for 17 years.
If this all sounds a bit grim, then it is grim only as the winter is grim: dark and stern, but starkly beautiful too. Brown’s prose is its own work of craftsmanship, oftentimes blurring the line between the prosaic and poetic, especially in his descriptions of a frozen and sleeping world that only seems to be dead. Winter, or to be more accurate the lake in winter, is a silent third protagonist in this story, providing a backdrop ever-ancient and ever-new to the characters’ struggles to hold fast through their spiritual winters for a spring they’re not certain will come. In the center of it all Thom’s boat slowly takes shape, driving change in the lives of characters who might otherwise have preferred to hunker down and hibernate forever, and the reader is left to wonder until the very end if the vessel is really capable of carrying Thom and Jude to kinder shores.
Prior to Our Lady of Grace, Father Valit served as parochial administrator (1989), then pastor (1989-1993) of St. Peter in Forest Lake. He served as
It is difficult to level a criticism against such a work of art, but the book does have one fault, namely that of the characters of Freya and Andrew, a young pregnant woman and her physically abusive
Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from THE GLENN HOPKINS in some copies of this issue.
As parishes were to complete their collections, staff members were asked to send one check made payable to Center for Mission, with Hurricane Relief Appeal in the memo line, Deacon Friesen said.
As the Church responded to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, emergency
boyfriend. Thom takes Freya in after she saves him from drowning and he returns the favor upon finding her walking through a snowstorm with a black eye, seeking shelter from Andrew’s rage. A good opener, Freya’s arc unfortunately ends with her returning to Andrew, who, on Thom’s advice, promises to become a better man. While it is a theological truth that anyone can be redeemed, it is a practical truth that a woman returning to her abuser, especially in a vulnerable time such as after giving birth, rarely ends well for her or her child. Given how much the novel centers on themes of change when change seems most impossible, that particular plot element, in this reader’s view, breaks the spell by pushing our suspension of disbelief too far, especially for female readers — a sour note in an otherwise bittersweet refrain.
PLEASE TURN TO HURRICANE RELIEF ON PAGE 19
(1975-1978), as well as chaplain at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale (1975-1978). He served as associate pastor of St. Anne in Minneapolis from 1974 to 1975.
Nevertheless, this is a single failure in Brown’s otherwise excellent narrative, with its unflinching description of the chill despair that can be cast over the human soul, and the search for faith that warms it. “Hold Fast” is a novel about many things: grief, depression, modernity and our collective sense of lost wonder and purpose. Fundamentally, however, it is a story about hope, and the desire for hope. “I want to be someone who believes now,” Thom says near the end of the novel, and seeing the first blushes of spring after spending so long in the story’s winter, the reader can’t help but want it, too. Perhaps, the story whispers, the wanting itself is enough.
pastor of St. John the Baptist in Dayton (1983-1989); associate pastor of Our Lady of Grace (1983); associate pastor of St. Luke in St. Paul (1982-1983); and pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada (1980-1982). Father Valit served as associate pastor of St. Columba in St. Paul (1978-1980) and St. Margaret Mary in Minneapolis
Reichert is publications administrative coordinator at The Catholic Spirit. She can be reached at reichertm@archspm org
“He sincerely believed that the most important and joyous experiences of his life were celebrating the Eucharist with the people of God,” Father Skluzacek said. “The Eucharist was the center of Father Valit’s life. It was the most important thing he did every day. He relished the opportunity to preside at Eucharist and to preach and as you know, he was a great preacher, an excellent homilist. He believed Jesus’ words that the Eucharist is the promise of eternal life. His entrance into the eternal glorious kingdom of heaven. That’s why he celebrated it with such care, such beauty. That’s why he loved exquisite vestments, beautiful music, quality sacred vessels. But most of all he loved the people of God.”
Permission. God needs your permission. It shows his humility. It shows that he understands love. He certainly loves us. As Love itself, it is all he can do; however, Love itself desires to be loved. He desires to be loved in an uninhibited manner.
Thus, he sends a prophet to prepare the way. John takes up the words of an earlier prophet, Isaiah, in words we hear in each of the four Gospel accounts, “A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths’” (Is 40:3). They are words that echo within us in part because we hear them each Advent through liturgical readings and hymns.
What does it mean to prepare the Lord’s way or to make straight his paths? It can seem like a lot of responsibility, a great task.
This year in Luke’s Gospel we hear this quotation extended by a couple of verses: “Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Is 40:4-5).
What we meet here can at first glance seem to raise the ante even more, not just preparing a way or straightening a path but filling in valleys and flattening mountains! Gratefully, however, we see how these images are communicated to us: in the passive voice. The agent by whom the action is done is implied. Valleys will be filled in. We ask, “By whom?” Mountains will be made low. We ask, “By whom?”
Likewise, we have the same question with the rough ways made smooth. When faced with life’s difficulties we can — unknown to ourselves — take too much responsibility and be left overwhelmed. How in the world can I fill in this valley? Level this mountain?
FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN
One of the great blessings of the Catholic faith tradition is its devotion to the saints, those who have gone before us and led exemplary lives of virtue and holiness.
The saints are an inspiration to those who are alive today. If the saints could live good and holy lives, then we can live good and holy lives, and if the saints have gone to heaven, then it is possible for us also to go to heaven. And, if we turn to the saints, they will intercede for us.
Many kinds of saints are celebrated throughout the liturgical year, abbots and abbesses, apostles, bishops, deacons, doctors of the Church, evangelists, founders, hermits, holy men and women, martyrs, popes, religious, virgins — and priests. Each priest who is featured during the liturgical year demonstrated genuine holiness, exercised his ministry with exceptional dedication, and made a notable contribution to the work of the Church.
St. John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests. His memorial is celebrated on Aug. 4. He was born in 1786 in France, spent his youth as a shepherd boy, entered the seminary, struggled academically, particularly with Latin, was given special assistance, and eventually was ordained to the priesthood in 1815 at the age of 29. Two years later, in 1817, he was named the pastor of Ars, a small French village with a population of about 250 where he served for 42 years until his death in 1859. He is commonly known as the Cure d’Ars. He exuded kindness. He was a man of integrity. He made a home visit to every parishioner. He delivered animated homilies and was an effective teacher. He is most remembered for his compassion and spiritual wisdom as a
Often, we would like God to act directly, actively in our lives to solve our problems. Yet most of the time he works in what are subtle ways in the background perceptible only with the eyes of faith.
Smooth out this rough patch? However, the passives used by Isaiah are a common way to speak about God’s action. We see them in both Matthew’s and Luke’s beatitudes, e.g. “blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied” (Lk 6:21). Who will satisfy? God will. Often, we would like God to act directly, actively in our lives to solve our problems. Yet most of the time he works in what are subtle ways in the background perceptible only with the eyes of faith. The effects can be tremendous, with valleys filled in and mountains leveled, showing the extent of his love and his desire to be loved in return. He initiates and with the help of his grace we respond.
A point of reflection to consider as we approach this Sunday is: How I might inhibit his invitations in some manner or resist them. Sometimes the very fact that I experience resistance or resentment in my heart indicates that the Lord is inviting me to bring that valley or mountain to him. It is a way he desires to be loved in an uninhibited manner. Sometimes these can be tender or difficult parts of our heart. Sometimes we don’t realize that the Lord is waiting for us to invite him into such places. We sense ourselves waiting on him — to take an active part — while in his subtle and passive ways, he is waiting for us to invite him.
In the first weeks of Advent, we do await his return, yet until then he is often waiting for us to permit him into our unseen depths or breathless heights. With renewed vigor this Advent, let us grant him permission to act: maranatha — Lord, come!
Father Carl is vice rector and associate professor of sacred Scripture at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul.
The saints are an inspiration to those who are alive today. If the saints could live good and holy lives, then we can live good and holy lives . . .
confessor, and during his later years he heard confessions for 10 to 12 hours per day in the winter months, and up to 16 hours per day during the summer months when there was an influx of pilgrims who came from far and wide to approach him for counsel and absolution.
There is a long list of canonized saints who are priests. The priests remembered in January are St. Raymond of Penyafort, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Bosco; in April, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. John the Baptist de la Salle, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, St. Peter Chanel and St. Louis de Montfort; and in May, St. Damien de Veuster, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. Christopher Magallanes, St. Bede the Venerable and St. Philip Neri.
The priest commemorated in June is St. Anthony of Padua; in July, St. Junípero Serra, St. Anthony Zaccaria, St. Augustine Zhao Rong, St. Camillus de Lellis, St. Lawrence of Brindisi, St. Sharbel Makhluf, and St. Ignatius of Loyola; and in August, St. Peter Julian Eymard, St. John Vianney, St. Cajetan, St. Dominic, St. Hippolytus, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. John Eudes and St. Joseph Calasanz.
The priests honored in September are St. Peter Claver, St. Andrew Kim, St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), St. Vincent de Paul and St. Jerome; in October, St. Bruno, St. John Leonardi, Sts. John de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues, St. Paul of the Cross and St. John of Capistrano; in November, St. Andrew Dung-Lac; and in December, St. Francis Xavier, St. John Damascene, St. John of the Cross, St. Peter Canisius and St. John of Kanty.
These canonized priests were wonderful in their pastoral zeal, and they inspire us to persevere on the journey of faith on the path to salvation.
Father Van Sloun is the director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This column is part of a series on the sacrament of holy orders.
Sunday, Dec. 8
Second Sunday of Advent Bar 5:1-9 Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 Lk 3:1-6
Monday, Dec. 9
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gn 3:9-15, 20 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Lk 1:26-38
Tuesday, Dec. 10 Is 40:1-11 Mt 18:12-14
Wednesday, Dec. 11 Is 40:25-31 Mt 11:28-30
Thursday, Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:16a, 10ab Lk 1:26-38 or 1:39-47
Friday, Dec. 13 St. Lucy, virgin and martyr Is 48:17-19 Mt 11:16-19
Saturday, Dec. 14 St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 Mt 17:9a, 10-13
Sunday, Dec. 15 Third Sunday of Advent Zep 3:14-18a Phil 4:4-7 Lk 3:10-18
Monday, Dec. 16 Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a Mt 21:23-27
Tuesday, Dec. 17 Gn 49:2, 8-10 Mt 1:1-17
Wednesday, Dec. 18 Jer 23:5-8 Mt 1:18-25
Thursday, Dec. 19 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a Lk 1:5-25
Friday, Dec. 20 Is 7:10-14 Lk 1:26-38
Saturday, Dec. 21 Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a Lk 1:39-45
Sunday, Dec. 22
Fourth Sunday of Advent Mi 5:1-4a Heb 10:5-10 Lk 1:39-45
ST. JUAN DIEGO (1474-1548) Baptized at 50, St. Juan was walking to Mass on Dec. 9, 1531, when the Virgin Mary appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, near Mexico City. She asked him to petition the bishop for a shrine to be built there, but the bishop asked for a sign. On Dec. 12, St. Juan returned to Tepeyac; Mary told him to pick flowers blooming atop the hill and put them in his cloak to take to the bishop. When St. Juan opened the cloak, the flowers fell out and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe adorned his garment. This miraculous image is preserved in the famous basilica in Mexico City. St. Juan lived out his days as a hermit near the first chapel built there; he was canonized in 2002. His feast day is Dec. 9. –– OSV News
TWENTY SOMETHING
| CHRISTINA CAPECCHI
Growing up on a small farm, vacations were rare for Liz Gilbert.
But one summer, her parents enlisted a neighbor to tend to their goats and chickens so the Gilberts could retreat to the beach for a week.
The morning they departed, Gilbert’s mom stripped her bed, washed the sheets and neatly remade the bed –– as if she were preparing it for a guest.
Gilbert was puzzled. No one would be staying there that week. Why bother? “Oh,” her mom explained. “This is just a little present I’m giving my future self. This way, when she comes home all tired and worn out at the end of her vacation, she’ll have the gift of fresh, clean sheets waiting to welcome her back to her own bed.”
Gilbert was intrigued by the idea –– and the wording.
BRIDGING FAITH | DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN
Over the years, I have known many people who have served in and gone on mission trips to Africa, Asia and Latin America.
A common story I hear and know personally is the way we are welcomed by people who have so little. Their generosity can be overwhelming.
I remember the story that one woman, returning from a mission trip to Tanzania, told me about a meal she had at the home of a family. They brought her into the center of their simple grass hut and served her a chicken dinner, which seemed like all they had. She recalled how this family, who had so little food, watched her with such joy on their faces as she ate in their presence. She ate the meal feeling guilty and astonished by such generosity and hospitality.
ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant is capable of generating 7,965 megawatts in an instant. In other words, the Japanese plant’s seven reactors can produce as much energy as 10,681,065 horses, 31,860,000 typically-sized solar panels, 2,342 utility-scale wind turbines, or 3,982 tons of coal.
The potency of the Kashiwazaki plant, and nuclear power in general, comes from the incredible amount of energy released during nuclear fission, which happens when uranium or plutonium atoms are split in two by a neutron crashing into them. The energy released by the resulting chain reaction is used to heat water into steam,
Her mom had described her future self as “she,” not “I.” It felt like “a handshake of affection across time, a way of connecting the woman of this moment to the woman of the future,” wrote Gilbert, who went on to become the bestselling author of “Eat, Pray, Love.”
Even on the days you’re full of self-loathing, Gilbert mused, you can still find it in your heart to do a good deed for your future self –– “a deserving visitor worthy of affection and sympathy,” she wrote, “a blameless stranger” who someday will live in the world you’re creating for her.
We tend to think in extremes, classifying daily practices either as acts of self-control or self-care. Both are loaded concepts. But when we frame our thinking as Gilbert’s mom did, we create a third, more welcoming category: compassion. In that broad space, all sorts of good deeds are inspired –– from flossing your teeth to scheduling a colonoscopy.
It reminds me of a conversation I once had with Father Paul Scalia, son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Father Scalia, 53, serves the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, as episcopal vicar for clergy and as pastor of St. James in Falls Church.
Sensing how busy he is, I asked him what time he sets his alarm. The answer: 5 a.m.
“That’s early!” I remarked. “You have to be disciplined about going to bed early to make that possible.”
I was thinking of all the ways I delay sleep at the end of
“I thought I was a welcoming person until I met these people,” she said. “I went on a mission trip to serve the poor and it was the poor who served me. They gave from their emptiness, and I became filled.”
The Scriptures consistently lift up the examples of humble people with very little acting with generosity. Recall the stories of Abraham welcoming strangers, a poor widow giving all she had to serve Elijah and the widow Jesus noticed in the temple giving her last two cents to God. In each case, when they shared all they had, they received a surprising blessing of God’s providence.
Jesus blessed them as the poor in spirit living in the kingdom of God. The Bible refers to them as the anawim — the little poor ones of God. To be clear, this blessing does not celebrate poverty, malnutrition, injustice or taking advantage of vulnerable people. Rather, it lifts up the spirit of those who are generous despite their poverty. It blesses those who voluntarily become poor for God and make space in their lives for the least among us.
Jesus gave himself out of love for us. St. Paul says that Jesus, “Even though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself taking the form of a servant … he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death” (Phil 2:6-8). Jesus fills the world by emptying himself.
which turns turbines to generate electricity.
Even by comparing it to other energy sources, it’s difficult to fathom just how powerful nuclear fission reactors really are –– and they don’t even use the most potent form of nuclear energy. That would be nuclear fusion, which is still in the developmental stage, but could generate as much as three to five times more energy than fission.
And yet, it’s safe to say that nuclear power is not the most potent force in the universe. In fact, although impossible to convert directly into megawatts, the power present in your parish tabernacle and on the altar at every Mass is infinitely more potent than all the world’s nuclear power plants combined.
This isn’t a pious religious platitude. It’s a simple philosophical truth. In the Eucharist, the God who created and sustains the physical universe in which nuclear fission exists is present to us. In other words, each of our parishes is home to something like an infinitely powerful, cosmic energy reactor. The generative power of the cosmos, who is nothing but pure, unadulterated existence, comes to us under the guise of bread and wine.
It is an energy we can tap into, and this is how God, in his providence, seems to prefer to transform the
the day –– putzing, puttering, clicking, scrolling.
Father Scalia didn’t miss a beat.
“All the great spiritual writers and guides emphasize this: that the victories of today were sown last night,” he said. I was dazzled by this conclusion. Such a profound concept, put so simply. Such a diverse range of creeds, unanimous on this point. Win tomorrow’s battles tonight. Wasting time at night can lead not only to inaction but sin, Father Scalia pointed out. He called spending too long on screens “one of the great vices,” which can “ruin things not just for that night but means in the morning you’re not going to be at your best.”
That’s where discipline comes in, Father Scalia told me. “This is why the Church has a Liturgy of (the) Hours. The whole concept of night prayer, compline, is that we end the day well.” We wrap up our day peacefully, prayerfully –– and punctually –– setting ourselves up for the next morning.
As we look to 2025, we can sow some of its victories today. Identify a workout buddy. Sign up for a weekly Eucharistic adoration hour. Review your calendar and find an activity to drop. And when the new year picks up speed, embrace those mundane evening rituals to help your future self. Turn off the TV. Brush your teeth. Apply the eye cream. Start the dishwasher. Lay out your outfit. Prep your bag. Say your prayers.
God blesses our humble, holy efforts.
Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.
This little way has inspired missionary movements in the Church like St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s little way and St. Charles de Foucauld’s Little Brothers and Sisters of Jesus. They adopted Jesus’ way of emptying themselves so that they had space for God to fill them. St. Charles is known for his Prayer of Abandonment:
“Father, I abandon myself into your hands, do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me and in all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands, I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart; For I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself: To surrender myself into your hands without reserve and with boundless confidence. For you are my Father. Amen.” During the Advent and Christmas seasons, we reflect again on the spirit of giving and receiving and the gift of Jesus being born into our world. We remember his humble birth in a simple stable among his poor parents and shepherds. He came among us to bring good news for the poor. May we share the gifts of ourselves with faithful and generous hearts this Christmas and always.
Deacon Friesen is director of the Center for Mission, which supports missionary outreach for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He can be reached at friesenm@archspm org
world: by pouring his divine power into human hearts, which are in turn transformed and empowered to be agents and participants in his divine love.
The powerful love that generated the world, that was at the core of Christ’s redemptive self-offering on the cross, and that continues to be poured out on the Church through the Holy Spirit and the chain reaction of Christian love, is present in the Eucharist, made available for both our contemplation and consumption.
During this cold and dark season of Advent, we’re certainly grateful for all our sources of physical energy, nuclear and otherwise. But perhaps the coming of Christ might also prompt us to reflect upon the absolute, sheer power present to us in the Eucharist: the power to transform our lives, change our hearts, and fill us with the creative dynamism of God’s love. Perhaps this image can change our vision of the tabernacle as we pray in our parish or prepare to go up for Communion; less of a golden box containing something that looks like bread, and more of a divine reactor, home to the most potent force in the universe, that becomes present and available so it can course through each of us.
Liedl lives in South Bend, Indiana, and is senior editor for the National Catholic Register.
By Jeannette de Beauvoir OSV News
Once upon a time, fasting was an expectation. Prayer, almsgiving (charity) and fasting were seen by the early Church as naturally supporting and completing each other. They’ve been called, in fact, the three pillars of Christian discipline. Jesus taught his disciples about fasting and clearly expected it of them: “’But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you’” (Mt 6:17-18).
He said when you fast — not if.
And that’s not even close to being all: The Hebrew Bible is filled with examples of God’s people fasting, and the first thing St. Paul did upon his conversion was — you guessed it — fast.
So how is it that fasting has slipped between the cracks, as it were, of our present-day Catholic spiritual traditions? Especially at those times when the Church calls us to focus more intentionally on our spiritual lives — Advent and Lent — it sometimes feels as though fasting is simply one among many options. And not a particularly popular one, at that.
It’s true that the Church has relaxed its rules around fasting, in terms of both when and how it’s done. These days, you’re only required to fast on two days — Ash Wednesday and Good Friday — and you’re even permitted one full meal on those days, which to many people doesn’t actually feel like such a great burden at all. Because of those requirements, most Catholics associate fasting with Lent, but it’s not the only penitential season in the Church’s calendar. Advent leads up to a solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) that is second only to Easter in its importance. As such, it needs to be celebrated, as it were, with penance and preparation. But especially in Advent, penance and preparation can be difficult to achieve. Every year, the commercial celebration of Christmas seems to begin earlier, with carols everywhere and the planning for Christmas shopping as a major focus. And, honestly, the holiday season seems anything but penitential, with most people engaged in a great deal of excessive eating and drinking as they go from party to party. But we’re called to do something else. Christians are
not “most people.” We are called to be apart from the world, apart from what the world does. Christ is coming, and we use penance — prayer, fasting and acts of charity — to prepare ourselves as we await his birth. “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8).
Perhaps it is precisely in the way the secular world does Advent that makes this season such an appropriate one for fasting. If you’ve never thought much about fasting, or if you haven’t done so in a long time, then Advent is an excellent time and place to begin.
Fasting, more than any other discipline, does not let you forget for one moment what it is that you’re doing. You’re hungry. You feel deprived. Your body is reminding you that something is different, uncomfortable. That discomfort gives you focus. What better way is there to balance the excessive consumerism through which the world around you celebrates the season than with a constant reminder of what it is that we as Catholics are about now: the anticipation of the coming of the Lord? In a sense, fasting isn’t about food as much as it’s about abstinence. You could fast from something other than food. And, in fact, the discipline of fasting doesn’t say that consuming the food of our choice is bad — quite the contrary. Abstinence is the act of voluntarily giving up something that is good. It’s giving up something that we like and even that we need for a higher purpose. It’s enabling the spirit to focus.
So why choose food? Well, have you noticed how you feel after a large meal? Sleepy, possibly uncomfortable, lethargic, distracted. Notice that these are all feelings
that go against the spirit of Advent. Advent is a time of anticipation and watching, of preparing yourself spiritually, of holding your breath with the longing of centuries, waiting for the Messiah to arrive. You cannot wait and watch if you’re replete from a large meal.
Fasting doesn’t need to mean abstaining from all food. Though Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, most of us would die with nothing. God wants us to survive! Fasting does mean, however, abstaining from enough to allow you to keep coming back to the discomfort and, through it, to the reason for the discomfort. It keeps you coming back to God.
Have you heard the expression “give until it hurts”? Fasting is very much like that: give up until it hurts. Literally. Feel the hunger. Feel the discomfort. And feel the spiritual longing for the Son of God singing in your body and in your heart and in your soul.
There are many ways to fast, and a good place to begin is by asking God for discernment: What kind of fast are you being called to this Advent?
The Bible gives examples of one-day, three-day, sevenday and 40-day fasts. But you’re not required to follow any of those. You can fast on Fridays, on Wednesdays and Fridays, or (in a modified way) every day.
Some people abstain from food altogether for short periods of time. Others give up one or two meals a day. Some even prefer to give up something that they love (chocolate, for example, or alcohol) while still having regular meals. Just be careful that you’re not using your fast as an aid to weight loss.
So, what do you do instead of eating?
Use the energy of fasting. That may sound counterintuitive: It’s food that gives our bodies energy, so how can we be energized by fasting? Yet time and time again, in various religious traditions, people report that fasting brings them clarity of mind. An experiment at the University of Chicago showed an increase in mental alertness and better schoolwork performance when participants were fasting. So, take advantage of that clarity and focus to open yourself up to new ways of being with God.
You spent time preparing and consuming the meals that you’re giving up. Use the gift of time that the discipline has given you in spiritually constructive
PLEASE TURN TO FASTING IN ADVENT ON PAGE 19
Each one of us in marriage is expected to provide a positive spiritual influence for our spouse. This presupposes that we ourselves have a faith life that can be shared to offer an impact on our loved one’s life. This is a gift we can give to our spouse daily, which begins in our own prayer rituals and spiritual commitment to our precious Catholic faith.
These prayer rituals may include morning offerings, such as the prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, found on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website: usccb org/prayers/morning-offering Throughout the day, you may take time to offer rote prayers or say the rosary with others, or on your own. You may also attend Mass or spend time in the adoration chapel, adoring the Blessed Sacrament. There are many opportunities available to us to pray all throughout our day for guidance and peace. At the end of our day, we may take time for an evening prayer and an examination of conscience, asking God to forgive any venial sins we committed throughout the day, which could be sins of omission or sins of commission. When we ask God to forgive our sins, we must be truly sorry and contrite, vowing to do better the following day. Turning to God with our venial sins can help prevent them from leading to mortal sins, which include violations of the Ten Commandments, and must be absolved by a priest
During this month of giving, offer your spouse the deepest and most committed gift you can give them: the holiness of your own life and your commitment to the marriage sacrament you made for your life together.
Commit to attending weekly Mass, continue to offer morning and evening prayers, and devote yourself to creating a holy marriage.
through the sacrament of reconciliation.
We may also take time to pray for our spouse in specific ways, for an area in which we know they are struggling, as well as general prayers for their overall well-being. We are standing in a privileged position, as ideally the closest person to our spouse, and therefore we have the opportunity to pray for them in specific and personal ways. And again, these prayers must begin with our own dedication and commitment to holiness in our own life.
According to “Lumen Gentium” of the Second Vatican Council, Catholic Christians are called to “the perfection of love, thus helping others to grow in holiness” (art. 40), as a response to promptings of the Holy Spirit. To hear and understand the Spirit’s voice in our head, heart and soul, we must spend time in prayer to help us recognize his voice and what is being asked of us. We are called by the document to
“give a striking witness and example of that holiness” (art. 40) in every aspect of our lives, perhaps most importantly in our marriage.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that holiness for Christians is our call and must be our mission, which will lead to the perfection of charity (CCC, 2013). As St. Matthew states in his Gospel: “Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” St. Luke has a similar passage that states, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” We can only be perfect as God is perfect when we are perfectly loving toward our spouse by extending mercy and compassion to them.
Modern marriage is clearly more difficult in our era, partly due to the pace of life, the intrusion of social media, and the complication of our political, social and intellectual systems. Catholics must bring their faith into every conversation, whether spoken aloud, written online, or communicated in other ways. Our Catholic faith must inform every decision we make, even those we tell ourselves are hurting no one, including ourselves. If we make decisions that depart from our Catholic faith, we have entered territory that may be morally dangerous and hurtful toward our commitment to our spouse. Make holiness the mainstay in your life, so that it supports not only the institution of the sacrament of marriage, but also the integrity of your lifelong commitment to your spouse.
Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.
Ihad acknowledged the Lord here and there since I was little, but I was confused about who God was. I did not understand what he desired for me or that I could have a personal relationship with him. I saw him more as someone distant who I’d pray to if I was scared or to remedy something bad that was happening.
It wasn’t until my college years at Carroll University in Waukesha (Wisconsin) that I met some Catholic friends who taught me about the Church, Jesus, and his desire to know me deeply and have a relationship with me. I began to encounter the Lord more deeply in my college years through the sacraments, and particularly through praying before the Blessed Sacrament. I began to understand that to walk with the Lord in my everyday life, I needed to have a daily prayer life.
When I moved back to Minnesota, I encountered the Lord through a strong community at St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis. I began to understand what it meant to walk with others in the faith, to incorporate the way of Christ into every aspect of my life and try to live entirely for him. I learned that
Why I am Catholic
I needed a community to encourage me and my family in our walk with Christ, to inspire us to continue to stay on fire for him and not become lukewarm or passive in our faith. Being around other Catholics has shown me many examples of how to live out the faith and how that can look unique in different situations, seasons and with different personalities.
My Catholic faith has taught me who God is. It has opened for me a whole new understanding of the world and how I see others. My Catholic faith has given me an identity and purpose for living.
Johnson, 24, belongs to St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis with her husband, Dan, and their 11-month-old daughter, Magdalene. She enjoys being outside, visiting local coffee shops, playing games, cooking and spending time with family and friends. A “Why I Am Catholic” essay by Dan appeared in the Nov. 21 print edition of The Catholic Spirit.
“Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic? Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholiCSpirit@arChSpm org with subject line “Why I am Catholic.”
St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Bazaar — Dec. 7: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Join us for a day of fun with over 85 crafters, Slice of Heaven Bakery, soup and sandwich lunch, coffee at Java Joe’s and a raffle. Saintvdp org/ChriStmaS-bazaar
Cathedral Christmas Market — Dec. 12-14: 5-9 p.m. Dec. 12 and 13, noon-7 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Join us for an outdoor Christmas market with unique local vendors, food trucks, gluhwein, beer and hot cocoa; come in also to admire the inside of the Cathedral, lit beautifully for the season. For questions, contact event planner at Carolyn@CwCommuniCationS info, 612-414-9661
A Festival of Lessons and Carols — Dec. 13: 6:30-8:30 p.m. at St. Bartholomew, 630 Wayzata Blvd E., Wayzata. Based on the annual service held at King’s College (Cambridge, England) since 1918, this event includes choral pieces, carols, Scripture and sacred reflections. It is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served afterward. St-bartS org/eventS
Breakfast with Santa — Dec. 15: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. Use door 5. Join us for a pancake breakfast and take your picture with Santa. The pancake breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, sausage and beverages. Adults: $8; kids (6-12): $5; kids (5 and under): free, with paid adult meal. St-mattS org Christmas Bake Sale, Boutique and Craft Fair — Dec. 15: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. Use door 5. Features homemade baked goods, candies and treats, a jewelry booth, a variety of holiday related items, homemade mittens, specialty linens and other unique items for gift giving. St-mattS org
Knights of Columbus Christmas Brunch — Dec. 15: 8:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Enjoy a Sunday brunch with your family and the Epiphany parish. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast sticks, sausage, toast, coffee, juice, and milk. Hosted by the Father Resier Knights of Columbus, Council 10138. epiphanymn org/bulletinS
“Let There Be Christmas” Cantata — Dec. 15: 3 p.m. at Mary Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road, Burnsville. The parish’s combined choirs, youth choir, bell choir, full orchestration and Christmas narratives. A freewill offering will be taken. mmotC org/upComingeventS
Pancake Breakfast and Bake Sale — Dec. 15: 9:3011:30 a.m. at St. Jerome, lower level, 380 E. Roselawn Ave., Maplewood. Breakfast will include pancakes, sausage and juice. Christmas bake sale will feature cookies, candies and treats. Breakfast price: goodwill offering. All proceeds go toward the reconstruction project after the fire.
WORSHIP+RETREATS
Serenity Retreat — Dec. 13-15: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 1312:30 p.m., Dec. 15 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Conference talks and classic retreat elements such as unhurried confession, guided prayer, spiritual direction, Mass and
generous unscheduled periods. tinyurl Com/4h54p5vm
Lessons and Carols for Advent 2024 — Dec. 14: 4-5:30 p.m. at The St. Paul Seminary, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Join The St. Paul Seminary schola, mixed choir and instrumental ensembles for an evening of Advent hymns and readings preparing hearts and minds for the Christmas season. Free and open to the public. A reception will follow. tinyurl Com/5eaj5rue
Second Annual Lessons and Carols Service with International Artists — Dec. 17: 7-8:15 p.m. at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1725 Kennard St., Maplewood. The service features internationally renowned musicians with our parish choir and lectors. A candlelit setting, spiritual readings and prayerful, professional music all prepare our hearts for Christmas. preSentationofmary org
Retrouvaille Marriage Help — Dec. 6-8: Best Western Dakota Ridge Hotel, 3450 Washington Drive, Eagan. Retrouvaille is a lifeline for troubled marriages. Couples learn the tools to rediscover each other and heal their marriage. 100% confidential. helpourmarriage org
Life Compass: A Workshop Retreat for Catholic Men — Dec. 7: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Maternity of Mary, 1414
Dale St. N., St. Paul. Join Brett Powell, leadership coach for business executives and pastoral leaders, for a day of teaching, fellowship and reflection on living an integrated, purposeful life at home and at work. Cost: $139. tinyurl Com/ Szh3vxdv
Advent Days of Prayer: “Waiting for the Light” — Dec. 4, 11 and 18: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (all days), at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Dec. 4: “Awake and Waiting.” Dec. 11: “Trusting the Light that Shines Within.” Dec. 18: “Winter Solstice and the Light of Christ.” Lunch provided by the retreat center. Each day includes a conference talk, confession, guided prayer, lunch (provided by the retreat center), Stations of the Cross and Mass. Free time for prayer. tinyurl Com/2rjyyf29
Lumen Vero: Inspiring Catholic Leaders — Dec. 12: 6:30-8 p.m. at Concord Lanes, 365 Concord Exchange N., South St. Paul. Bold Catholic men are needed now more than ever. Monthly Lumen Vero meetings feature prominent Catholic leaders who share testimonies and convictions, followed by an audience question-and-answer session. Be inspired by men on fire for Christ. No cost. lumenvero Com
Advent Day Away for Men and Women — Dec. 14:
8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Take time to be with the Lord, grow closer to him during this sacred season, preparing for the wonder of the holy season of Christ’s birth. Meditations and liturgies are optional. Come spend quiet time with the Lord. Lunch included; register online. kingShouSe Com/eventS
Advent Morning of Healing for Women — Dec. 14
8 a.m.-12 p.m. at Good Shepherd, 145 Jersey Ave. S., Golden Valley. All women are invited to a morning of healing and empowerment with Father Jim Livingston. The
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Benilde-St. Margaret’s Fall Senior High Choir Concert — Dec. 9: 7-8 p.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 Highway 100, St. Louis Park. The Benilde-St. Margaret’s Senior High (grades 9-12) Choir will perform its fall concert. bSmSChool org/Calendar
Benilde-St. Margaret’s Winter Band Concert — Dec. 11: 7-8 p.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 Highway 100, St. Louis Park. Benilde-St. Margaret’s senior high and junior high students will perform their winter band concert. bSmSChool org/Calendar
Cathedral Christmas Market — Dec. 12-13: 5-9 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Local vendors, food and beverages for sale and a welcoming atmosphere for celebrating the Advent season await at this free event in the Cathedral courtyard. tinyurl Com/mrxuzrx4
Christmas Together with Steven C. — Dec. 12-14: 7 p.m., Dec. 12 and 13; 11 a.m. Dec. 14; at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. The eighth annual series of Christmas Together with Steven C concerts will take place at the Cathedral of St. Paul on Dec. 12 and 13 at 7 p.m., and Dec. 14 at 11 a.m. Get tickets at Eventbrite tinyurl Com/mrxuzrx4
Advent Lessons and Carols — Dec. 14: 7 p.m. at 1621 University Ave., Minneapolis. This service puts a Polish spin on a British tradition with beloved seasonal songs and Scripture readings in English and Polish. The theme is Born A Child and Yet A King. It is free, with a reception to follow. ourholyCroSS org
Messiah Dinner and Concert — Dec. 19: 5 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Celebrate the holidays with dinner at The Basilica followed by Handel’s Messiah by The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Reception at 5 p.m., dinner at 5:30 p.m., concert at 7 p.m. Proceeds support The Basilica’s vision, mission and ministries. mary org/event/meSSiah/
Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victims-survivors. Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor support group — third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — fourth Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — second Thursdays. Visit arChSpm org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@arChSpm org or 651-291-4429.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 ways. You might want to spend that time in Eucharistic adoration or other prayer, in reading Scripture, or in organizing an Advent discussion group.
You also spent money on the food you’re not consuming anymore. That money could well be spent this Advent on those people less fortunate than you.
Donating it to a local food bank or soup kitchen will help you address the needs of those for whom fasting is not optional, for whom the feeling of hunger is all too familiar.
You are not just abstaining from food in preparation for the coming of the Messiah; you are also echoing and remembering the centuries of longing as God’s people waited for his coming. At some point during the season, you’ll be singing the haunting “O Come, O Come Emmanuel … and ransom captive Israel / that mourns in lonely exile here.” We were indeed wandering a barren wilderness before the good news of Christ was revealed to us.
How do you feel that mourning? That sense of exile?
Fasting and Advent both remind us of that journey from darkness into light, from wandering into finding our home, from law into love. The longing of our bodies for food echoes the longing of our souls for the coming of the Savior. What more fitting way to live it out in our lives during this Advent season than through a fast?
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Residents at The Glenn in Hopkins enjoyed a rare treat Nov. 22 in the facility’s social hall. A group of nine fifth and sixth grade students from Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Edina brought music and fellowship to several dozen seniors.
School Band Director Jeff Jensen rolled out a surprise near the start of the performance. A fifth grader, Audrey Latterell, played the saxophone alongside her mom, Sarah, and grandfather, Jeff Doheny. The three played together for the first time at the urging of Michael Levine, 71, of Minneapolis, who started a program 12 years ago called Harmony Bridge that connects young musicians with residents of senior facilities like The Glenn. Our Lady of Grace (OLG) students went for the first time last spring, and a resident of The Glenn, Philothea Sweet, 93, insisted they come back. Her late husband, Al, who lived at The Glenn with her, once played in a band with Levine and wrote songs for Harmony Bridge events. Sarah Latterell, 42, who had played the saxophone in high school before setting the instrument aside for about 20 years, was asked to pick it back up when she met Levine at an OLG concert last year and Levine learned that Latterell’s father and daughter both play the saxophone. The three then made a video and sent it to Levine for review. One of the two songs they chose was “Go Tell Aunt Rhody,” a traditional American folk song written in the 1800s, which they played at the Nov. 22 concert. The second number was a Calypso folk song called “Marianne.”
“I watched them like 10 times in a row,” said Levine of the songs on the video. “They were just absolutely beautiful.”
The saxophone legacy began when Doheny, 71, was in the band at Bloomington Jefferson High School. It was there that he met his wife, Laura, 70. He played the saxophone, she played the flute. They married in 1979. When their daughter, Sarah, was growing up, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and play the saxophone.
In grade school, Audrey, the oldest of two children, was offered the opportunity to play an instrument; saxophone was an option, but not a foregone conclusion. She narrowed it down to saxophone and flute. In the words of her mother, Audrey “chose right.”
There already was an instrument waiting for Audrey, according to her grandfather.
“She is playing the horn that we got for Sarah,” Doheny explained. “And (at the Nov. 22 concert), Sarah was playing my horn that I played in concert band.”
Doheny said playing together with Sarah and Audrey was “really fun” and special given the number of options Audrey and many other kids her age have today.
“I’m always encouraged to see young people take up music and play instruments,” he said. “Kids today are so busy. They have so many activities. Audrey’s in three sports and she still wants to do music, and I really want to encourage that.”
But music is only part of Harmony Bridge events. After the concert, the young musicians are invited to stay and visit with residents. The OLG fifth and sixth graders happily stuck around to talk with people like Sweet and others who live at The Glenn. Such encounters warm the heart of Levine, who was fueled by his own experience of talking with the elderly after playing for them.
“My band, Dallas Brass, is a professional group, and we were playing a concert up in a little town in South Dakota (called Tripp),” said Levine, a trombone player who lived in Dallas for 30 years before moving back to Minneapolis. “I found out there was a lady in a nursing home who was a big (Minnesota) Twins fan, which I didn’t think much of until they told me she was 107 years old. So, I said ‘I’ve got to meet her.’”
Levine and a couple band members went to visit the woman in her room at the facility and played the Minnesota Twins theme song “We’re Gonna Win Twins.” They added “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “America the Beautiful.”
The woman loved it. She was not the only one.
“A nurse comes in the room and says, ‘You should go out in the hallway and see what’s going on out there,’” Levine recalled. “We walk in the hallway and it’s a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam with wheelchairs.”
After a couple musical numbers at the facility,
grader at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Edina and came to play
other students from the school.
From
fifth graders Alexandra
requests from the wheelchair gathering started pouring in. “One lady wanted to hear ‘Silent Night’ even though it was April,” Levine said. “I just saw people’s eyes get big and their lips moving and their bodies swaying. And that’s when this (idea for starting a group to play at other senior facilities) came to me. ... We have millions of kids playing in bands all over America and we have millions of people, seniors, who are somewhat isolated, or very isolated, and can’t get out to go to concerts. Harmony Bridge (works) to use music to bring those generations together.”
OLG is on a small list of local Catholic schools with Harmony Bridge that bring students to senior facilities to play music. Other schools include St. Hubert in Chanhassen and Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. Levine hopes to expand the list. Having a three-generation saxophone trio surely helped the effort and took the music “to a whole (new) level,” Levine said.
“But, mostly it’s about the kids connecting with the seniors,” he noted. “And today (at the Nov. 22 concert), when they went out and visited (with the residents of The Glenn), to me, that’s the most heartwarming part.”
He added, “What Harmony Bridge does for the seniors that they play for is wonderful but what it’s doing for the kids is way more powerful. It’s teaching them kindness and generosity and knowing that they can bring joy to other people’s lives by playing their instrument and visiting with them.”
If Sweet has anything to say about it, the OLG grade schoolers will be back for another concert.
“I’m going to try to organize it,” she said. “I’m strong-willed.”