efforts

CSAF lists its priorities on a prayer card with the image above, which also includes this prayer:

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for your great love. Move us, in real and concrete ways, to an ever deeper level of compassion, conviction, and trust. In our love and care for others, and support of the ministries of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, may we draw ever closer to you and those we serve.

We ask this in your most holy name. Amen.

“The noble love of Jesus impels us to do great things, and stirs us up to be always longing for what is more perfect.”

— Thomas à Kempis

stages and to affirm the dignity of each and every person.” u“Archdiocesan efforts today: To serve those most in need and to strengthen the faith.” u“Church’s priorities going forward: To support the priorities of the future Church and vigorously express the Good News of Jesus.” u“Catholic education: To educate our children and young adults in safe and healthy environments that provide both academic and spiritual growth.”

In keeping with those four focus areas, CSAF has designated 19 Catholic ministries in the archdiocese to receive its support.

Lisa Gott — a member of St. Michael in Stillwater who serves on the CSAF board’s executive committee and is chair of the ministry committee — said CSAF board members “were able to make sure that the ministries we support fit within those four pillars, to give the most benefit to the most people that are in need or had the best potential for growing our archdiocese in their Catholic faith.”

Fruits of the labor

Fasano, Rosales and Gott said CSAF aims to meet the needs of the local Church.

Considering the PRO Act recently signed into state law, which codifies a right to abortion in Minnesota, Fasano said the pro-life pillar matters “more than ever.”

“The culture of life really directly impacts our local

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Church here in Minnesota,” she said. Meanwhile, Rosales said he views the outreach and seminarian support ministries as exemplifying the pillar focusing on “archdiocesan efforts today.”

“We want to serve those most in need, strengthen the faith, and support future leaders of our Church,” Rosales said. For the latter, he pointed to CSAF’s commitment to pay for room, board and retreat fees for seminarians studying for this archdiocese at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, as well as the commitment to pay for tuition, room and board for seminarians studying for this archdiocese at The St. Paul Seminary, also in St. Paul.

Father Michael Van Sloun — director of clergy personnel for the archdiocese — said he promoted CSAF efforts while he was pastor of St. Stephen in Anoka and St. Bartholomew in Wayzata. He also was a CSAF board member “for five or six years.” Having known Rosales since Rosales’ time as senior advancement officer at St. John Vianney and The St. Paul Seminary, Father Van Sloun said “the working partnership is excellent.”

“I’m glad to promote the Catholic Services Appeal (Foundation) because I know about the good things that it does,” Father Van Sloun said.

Service ministries

The good things include serving ministries that need support from more than one parish — like hospital chaplains. According to Father Van Sloun, there are currently 10 full-time archdiocesan chaplains and two regular substitute chaplains serving 18 hospitals in the archdiocese.

Father Van Sloun said his experience as a hospital chaplain at what is now RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago taught him how to respond to patients, their families, nurses and doctors. “It was a much bigger ministry than I anticipated.” He was surprised to discover that instead of wanting to talk about their medical conditions, patients “were more worried about their relationship with God, their relationship with their families and whether their life has been a purposeful life.” He spoke with patients about the meaning and regrets of their lives. “The need for someone to be available when you’re trying to address those spiritual questions, having a priest there for that, is wonderful,” Father Van Sloun said.

Priests who are hospital chaplains are also able to provide the sacraments of confession and anointing of the sick, Father Van Sloun said, and to offer patients who are dying last rites — confession, anointing of the sick and viaticum. The apostolic pardon is also offered.

The support offered through the hospital chaplain ministry — which is just under 9% of CSAF’s designated ministry budget — is of great value, Father Van Sloun said. “If you’re in the hospital, wouldn’t you want to have a priest available for you?” Through CSAF, he said, “we’re trying to support the priests who will provide this, and we want to have as good a coverage as we can.”

A hospital chaplain visited a family friend of Rosales in the man’s final moments. Rosales said beyond the fact that the chaplain “embodied his duties so well” was the gratitude the family felt. “He witnessed to the kids and the grandkids; here comes this priest, this chaplain to do this, above and beyond the help that he gave (the family friend’s) soul.” Rosales said that there are “countless of those” situations of service every year and that “all of the ministries have that kind of impact in various ways.” He said that’s why it’s important for donors to give to CSAF throughout the year, “because we spread that support out throughout the year.”

Broadly, Father Van Sloun said, Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s vision of the Church’s priorities going forward through the Synod process — “about where we’re going as a diocese and what we need to support” — is critical for building the local Church.

‘FAITH IN ACTION’

This year’s appeal features a video — shown in parishes

Feb. 18-19 and Feb. 25-26 — with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and CSAF President Tizoc Rosales on the golf course.

In a golf cart, the archbishop drives up to Rosales, who is contemplating how to get his golf ball out of the rough. They begin talking about CSAF, and the archbishop compares the foundation to a golf caddy “who is assisting the Church with the best shot,” to help “make Jesus known and loved within our archdiocese through financial gifts in service of the Church.”

The two talk about CSAF’s focus areas. “To help more families give their children a life-changing Catholic education,” Rosales says, before Archbishop Hebda adds, “And gifts for vocations to the priesthood to flourish.”

“To strengthen the faith for young and old,” says Rosales, and Archbishop Hebda responds with, “For more moms and families to choose life and get the help that they need.”

“Giving is faith in action,” the archbishop says. “Yes, and we do it because the love of Christ impels us to,” Rosales responds.

Francesca Fasano — daughter of Yen Fasano, chair of CSAF’s board of directors — makes a bright appearance in the video, informing viewers they can use a QR code to donate online, mail in a check, or drop a donation into parish collection baskets.

Csaf Ministries

uAbria Pregnancy Resources uAmerican Indian Ministry uArchdiocesan Council of Catholic Women uCampus Ministry Newman Center uCampus Ministry Saint Paul’s Outreach uCatholic Charities uDeaf Ministry uElementary School Funding uElementary School Scholarships uHigh School Scholarships uHospital Chaplains uLatino Ministry uMission of Catholic Education uOffice of Marriage, Family and Life uPrison Ministry uSeminarian Tuition, Room and Board uThe Society of St. Vincent de Paul: Twin Cities uVenezuelan Mission uYouth Ministry

Even beyond the archdiocesan Synod implementation plan for forming parishes in evangelization, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, and forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young, Gott and Fasano said CSAF intends to focus on the future of a Church that is, as Fasano described it, “vibrant, alive.”

“We want to make sure that we are working to meet the needs of the Church going forward and meet the needs of our community going forward,” Gott said, adding, “Our Church in the past isn’t always going to be what our members need in the future.”

Father Van Sloun agreed: “Change is the rule.” He went on to say, “Things in life and in the Church are always evolving.”

Gott suggested, “We need to encompass a broader range of families in meeting their needs, to bring the youth back into our parishes and into our pews. So, we have to be changing and we always have to be looking at new programs to work with that next generation.”

Serving the next generation

CSAF emphasizes the next generation as it presents the pillar of Catholic education. Fasano said CSAF efforts to support school-age children “from elementary to high school” continue to be a priority, and good news includes the archdiocesan Office for the Mission of Catholic Education’s annual report indicating that total K-12 enrollment at Catholic schools in the archdiocese has increased 9% over the past three years.

Jason Slattery, director of Catholic education for the archdiocese, said giving to the appeal provides “direct support for helping ensure that the beauty, truth and goodness of the Catholic faith is handed on to the next generation.”

Slattery noted that CSAF’s support of the Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education helps the archdiocese, parishes and schools “partner with parents in the education of their children.” Announced by OMCE in January 2019, the Roadmap has helped Catholic schools in the archdiocese grow in governance, leadership development, curriculum and assessments, access and sustainability, and mission schools.

“The Roadmap helps all those seeking to support Catholic education remain well coordinated in our common effort to make sure that children and families have access to a quality Catholic education,” Slattery said. “Parents need good partners and students have a right to an education rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Future growth

As CSAF shares its core values, revitalized mission statement and four pillars of support with the community, what is a primary challenge the foundation faces? Father Van Sloun noted a demographic shift: “As the donors are getting older, the younger ones aren’t giving as much.” Father Van Sloun said he views evangelization as the way to bridge the gap. “If you really believe in Jesus and you really practice your faith, the dollars will follow. So, if you get people to be alive in their faith, that’s good fundraising … because you donate to what you love and support. And if you love Jesus and you love his Church, you’re going to support his Church.”

Rosales said the CSAF board is considering how to appeal to younger members of the Church and encourage their financial gifts. “It’s not that they’re not generous, but they have a lot of choices,” he said. The board is evaluating CSAF messaging, its website and its social media to creatively reach younger generations. The board is also evaluating the makeup of its committees with goals of expansion and diversification in mind, he said.

Fasano said she views those who contribute to CSAF efforts both through their donations and their service to ministries as “the ones watering our roots.”

“Their participation says something greater than just their financial gifts,” Fasano said. “Yes, we need their financial gifts, but their participation is kind of an affirmation that ‘I love my parish, I love my local Church and I love God and my neighbor.’”

That participation is why Gott calls her work on the CSAF board “a true honor.”

“There are so many people out there that are really working to make Jesus known and loved,” Gott said. “And to be able to work with all of these teachers and see the impact that they have on our children and teaching them the faith, it’s such an honor to work with so many wonderful people that are doing so much to spread the love of Jesus.”