February 7, 2019 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Deaf ministry Father, daughter team up to serve the hearing impaired at northeast Minneapolis parish. — Pages 10-11
Consecrated life commission formed
HOMELESS no MORE
At Jan. 27 Mass to celebrate jubilees, archdiocese introduces members of a group that will serve religious men and women. — Page 5
Canon law expert Chancellor for Canonical Affairs in the archdiocese uses expertise to address clergy sexual abuse, gains national recognition. — Page 7
Vocations book for children Local author uses rhyming prose and colorful pictures to help children look at career choices through the lens of serving God. — Page 13
Paying for college As costs for higher education rise, parents look for ways to keep debt to a minimum. — Page 14-15
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Markeus Taylor has found a home at Higher Ground in St. Paul. Others in Minnesota are not so blessed. Shelters and affordable housing are full, and people routinely find shelter in public transit, skyways and vestibules. Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which built and runs Higher Ground and other shelters and affordable housing options, is among agencies trying to help and lobbying for more affordable housing in Minnesota.
Catholic Charities’ Higher Ground: Multi-service approach to homelessness By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
T
wo large encampments of homeless people, one in St. Paul, another in Minneapolis, drew unprecedented attention this fall and winter to the plight of people unable to afford a home, including the working poor, unemployed, mentally ill and intellectually disabled. More than 7,000 people on any given night in Minnesota experience life on the streets, in shelters or transitional housing programs, based on numbers gathered in an annual survey conducted by local agencies for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The high cost of health care, persistent racial disparities, a hot housing market in a growing economy and lack of proper support for people facing mental health and other health difficulties create a challenging environment, experts said. But Catholic Charities has stepped into that environment with vision and energy through a Higher Ground facility
The Catholic Spirit is taking a four-part, multi-faceted look this year at homelessness in Minnesota and the ways agencies, governments and people work to prevent and eliminate homelessness. This issue highlights Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Higher Ground initiatives in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
in each city that in one place provides overnight shelter, transitional “pay-tostay” shelters, permanent apartments for people suffering from late-stage alcoholism and other chronic barriers to housing, as well as food service, job assistance and health care. In St. Paul, finishing touches are being made on an Opportunity Center that will offer hot meals, social and health services and apartments beginning in late summer or early fall. The center is adjacent to the Higher Ground shelter and apartments that opened in 2017. Collectively called Dorothy Day Place, the $100 million facilities are the largest public-private partnership in housing and social services in Minnesota history. They replace Catholic Charities’ Dorothy Day Center, which had served the downtown homeless population since 1981, first as a drop-in center for meals and later as a shelter it was never truly designed to be, with bedding on the floor. PLEASE TURN TO HOMELESS ON PAGE 12
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PAGETWO NEWS notes
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The number of churches and chapels local and nationally-renowned architect George Rafferty played a part in renovating or designing in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He worked on Catholic and Protestant churches throughout the country during his career, which lasted until his late 80s. He died in late December, days short of his 101st birthday.
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The number of Catholic schools with students who spoke at the National School Choice Week rally Jan. 23 at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis and St. Agnes School in St. Paul were both represented. Organized by Opportunity for All Kids, aka OAK, the rally supports efforts to expand school choice in Minnesota. The Minnesota Catholic Conference is among OAK’s partner organizations.
$5
The cost of a ticket for Catholic United Financial’s annual Catholic Schools Raffle underway through Feb. 24. In its 10th year, the raffle this year is showcasing a 2019 Chevy TRAX or $20,000 in cash as its grand prize. Almost 5,000 students in schools in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota are selling the tickets, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Catholic schools. The grand drawing is March 5 at Catholic United’s home office in St. Paul. Since its inception in 2009, the raffle has raised more than $1.7 million for schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and more than $7 million for schools in all three states.
CNS
WORLD YOUTH DAY Pope Francis arrives at Panama City’s Rommel Fernandez Stadium Jan. 27 to thank World Youth Day volunteers for their service in making the event a reality. Hundreds of thousands of youths — including more than 80 from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — traveled from around the world for the Jan. 22-27 event. Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens writes about the experience, see facing page. Watch for the Feb. 21 edition of The Catholic Spirit to read more about the pilgrims from the archdiocese and the journey’s impact on their faith lives.
in REMEMBRANCE Minneapolis native served in North Dakota, Ohio
A priest who was born in Minneapolis, graduated from now-closed Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul and served the Church in the Diocese of Fargo for 68 years died Dec. 30. Father Leo Stelten was 93. A funeral Mass was held Jan. 2 at St. Mary Cathedral in Fargo. Father Stelten served as an associate pastor, the dean of men at Shanley High School and taught at former Cardinal Muench Seminary, all FATHER LEO STELTEN in Fargo. He was associate pastor of St. Paul Newman Center in Fargo and a faculty member of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. In retirement he spent time at the library at Cardinal Muench, indexing articles from the Fargo diocese’s newspaper and from The Catholic Spirit of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Member of first diaconate class served at St. Pascal Baylon Deacon Joseph Schmitz died Jan. 26 at age 89. He grew up in Marystown and graduated from then-Cretin High School and then-St. Thomas College in St. Paul. He worked as an engineer and was ordained a permanent deacon in 1976, in the first permanent diaconate ordination for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He served at St. Pascal Baylon in St. Paul and the Woodbury Health Center in Woodbury. His funeral Mass was Jan. 31 at St. Pascal Baylon. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dolores, and survived by their four children.
Deacon Barrett served on the east side Deacon Ervin Barrett died Jan. 19 at age 87. He grew up on the east side of St. Paul and attended then-Cretin High School, followed by service in the Navy. Later a businessman, Deacon Barrett was ordained in 1980 as a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He served at St. Thomas the Apostle in St. Paul. His funeral Mass was Jan. 24 at Holy Spirit, also in St. Paul. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, and eight children.
DEACON ERVIN BARRETT
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 24 — No. 3 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love
MARIA C. WIERING, Editor
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The number of films showing at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis about mental health during February. The parish’s mental health ministry hosted its first event Feb. 5 on obsessive compulsive disorder with the film “The Aviator.” The ministry will show “Away from Her” Feb. 12 in an event on Alzheimer’s disease, “When the Bough Breaks” Feb. 19 on post-partum depression and “Concussion” Feb. 26 about brain injuries. Discussions with professionals regarding the applicable mental health issue follow each film.
1
The place the University of St. Thomas dance team finished in two categories for the UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship Jan. 20 in Orlando, Florida. The St. Paul-based Catholic university team won the Open Hip-Hop and Open Jazz competitions.
100
The percentage of the book sale proceeds at St. Joseph in Lino Lakes that will benefit the Believe Guatemala Community Center. It will help the center buy more books for a reading program started in Guatemala by St. Joseph in 2018. The parish will host its book sale Feb. 10, and book donations can be dropped off at the parish office.
26
The number of educators around the country Joseph Seidel of St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights joined as winners of the 2019 Lead. Learn. Proclaim. Award from the National Catholic Educational Association for dedication to excellence in Catholic education. More than 150,000 teachers, administrators and diocesan leaders and organizations were nominated for the award. A theology teacher, Seidel was credited in his nomination packet for teaching students “the principles of the Catholic faith in theory and practice, influencing them to become upstanding, moral young men.” He will be recognized during the annual NCEA convention April 23-25 in Chicago. Seidel was a 2018 Leading with Faith Award winner, a program sponsored by The Catholic Spirit.
3
The number of days many Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis were closed during the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 1. Gayle Stoffel of the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education estimated that more than half of the elementary and high schools in the archdiocese were closed because of snow or cold for at least one day, with many closed three and even part of a fourth day. Stoffel noted that some schools, including Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park and Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, used special online programs to keep teachers and students academically connected during the closures. The closings coincided with Catholic Schools Week, which meant cancellations of festivities planned to celebrate the week. Stoffel said she has heard from schools that have rescheduled events for Feb. 4-8.
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3
FROMTHEBISHOP ONLY JESUS | BISHOP ANDREW COZZENS
Pilgrimages: Panama or closer to home, provide opportunities for growth
L
ast week I had the incredible privilege to join almost 60 youth and young adults on a pilgrimage to Panama to join the youth of the world called together by Pope Francis for World Youth Day. Over 400,000 pilgrims made their way to Panama for this unique Catholic extravaganza of faith. As I told the pilgrims from our archdiocese, this is a pilgrimage and not a vacation. Pilgrimage is an opportunity to grow in faith and to discover or rediscover the purpose of our lives. This being my fifth World Youth Day, I’m always amazed at the genius of St. John Paul II in founding these incredible events. When you bring Catholic youth together from all over the world and encourage them to celebrate the gift of faith, receive catechesis, go to confession, participate in eucharistic adoration and celebrate Mass with the successor of St. Peter, the Holy Spirit always works powerfully in their hearts. Conversions happen, vocations are discovered and the young people realize the depth, beauty and universality of our Catholic faith. This was certainly true of our group of pilgrims who each in their own way shared how they encountered Christ, whether through powerful moments of adoration or the sacrament of confession, or the suffering of the pilgrimage or times of prayer ministry we offered them. They discovered that the Catholic faith is alive in our world through encountering so many young people who also love Christ and experience the gift of the Church. They discovered that Jesus Christ is calling them to a life of holiness to become truly his disciples and to surrender their lives to him.
Panamá o más cerca de casa, ambos ofrecen oportunidades únicas para el crecimiento
L
a semana pasada tuve el increíble privilegio de unirme a casi 60 jóvenes y adultos jóvenes en peregrinación a Panamá para unirme a los jóvenes del mundo convocados por el Papa Francisco para la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud. Más de 400,000 peregrinos se dirigieron a Panamá para este extraordinario espectáculo de fe católico. Como les dije a los peregrinos de nuestra arquidiócesis, esto es una peregrinación y no unas vacaciones. La peregrinación es una oportunidad para crecer en la fe y descubrir o redescubrir el propósito de nuestras vidas. Siendo esta mi quinta Jornada Mundial de la Juventud, siempre me sorprende el genio de San Juan Pablo II al fundar estos increíbles eventos.Cuando reúnes a jóvenes católicos de todo el mundo y los alientas a celebrar el don de la fe, recibir catequesis, confesarte, adorar y celebrar misa con el sucesor de San Pedro, el Espíritu Santo siempre trabaja poderosamente en sus corazones. . Las conversiones suceden, las vocaciones se descubren y los jóvenes se dan cuenta de la profundidad, la belleza y la universalidad de nuestra fe católica. Esto fue ciertamente cierto para nuestro grupo de peregrinos que compartieron a su manera cómo se
World Youth Day is a profound experience of the Church, especially her universal nature. It reveals how important it is for us to come together in the Church to strengthen each other in this call to holiness which we all share. None of us can live holiness alone, which is why Christ gave us the Church and her life of prayer and sacraments through which we are united to Christ as branches on the vine (John 15). If we separate ourselves from the Church, even when we see the weakness and sinfulness of our own lives or those of others in the Church, we separate ourselves from the source of holiness which is the vine of Christ. When we come together to share this wonderful life of Christ we are strengthened and invited to the fullness of life in Christ (John 10:10). But we don’t have to go to Panama to experience this. This next month offers two wonderful opportunities for Catholics locally to come together and be strengthened in their call to holiness: our Archdiocesan Men’s and Women’s conferences. Women in the New Evangelization (WINE) will bring hundreds of women together on Saturday March 1, to explore how to live out God’s providential plan for their lives and how he has beautifully united Catholic women in his Spirit for such a time as this to live out that plan. The conference, with emcee Alyssa Bormes, includes inspirational talks by Catholic singer and storyteller ValLimar Jansen; Catholic evangelist, author and retreat leader, Kathleen Beckman; St. Paul’s own Bible teacher, author and singer, Elizabeth Kelly; and Catholic speaker, author and founder of WINE, Kelly Wahlquist. The Archdiocesan Men’s Conference on Saturday, March 23, will bring together over 1,000 Catholic
encontraron con Cristo, ya sea a través de poderosos momentos de adoración o el sacramento de la confesión, o el sufrimiento de la peregrinación o los tiempos del oración ministerio que les ofrecimos. Descubrieron que la fe católica está viva en nuestro mundo al encontrarse con tantos jóvenes que también aman a Cristo y experimentan el don de la Iglesia. Descubrieron que Jesucristo los está llamando a una vida de santidad para convertirse verdaderamente en sus discípulos y entregarle sus vidas. La Jornada Mundial de la Juventud es una experiencia profunda de la Iglesia, especialmente su naturaleza universal. Revela cuán importante es para nosotros unirnos en la Iglesia para fortalecernos mutuamente en este llamado a la santidad que todos compartimos. Ninguno de nosotros puede vivir la santidad solo, por eso Cristo nos dio la Iglesia y su vida de oración y sacramentos a través de los cuales nos unimos a Cristo como ramas en la vid (Juan 15). Si nos separamos de la Iglesia, incluso cuando vemos la debilidad y el pecado de nuestras propias vidas o las de los demás en la Iglesia, nos separamos de la fuente de santidad que es la vid de Cristo. Cuando nos reunimos para compartir esta maravillosa vida de Cristo, somos fortalecidos e invitados a la plenitud de la vida en Cristo (Juan 10:10). Pero no tenemos que ir a Panamá para experimentar esto. El próximo mes ofrece dos oportunidades maravillosas para que los católicos de la localidad se unan y se fortalezcan en su llamado a la santidad: nuestras conferencias Arquidiocesanas para
“
Pilgrimage is an opportunity to grow in faith and to discover or rediscover the purpose of our lives.
men to learn about living as men of integrity. We will be inspired by Catholic evangelist and Relevant Radio host Patrick Madrid. We will have Mass with Archbishop Bernard Hebda. We will have breakout sessions to focus on the different needs of Catholic men, from growth in virtue through Exodus 90 to how to be a faithful husband and father. And of course, both conferences will provide opportunities for Mass and confession. Just like those thousands of young people who made great sacrifices to come together to discover and commit themselves to a life of holiness at World Youth Day, so also as women and men of this archdiocese we need these conferences to be inspired and to recommit ourselves to following Christ. Both conferences are excellent opportunities to invite a friend who you know may have fallen away from the Church or needs a boost in their faith. None of us can live this life of holiness alone; it requires sacrifices to make growing in our faith a priority. But if you will make that sacrifice and come to our women’s or men’s conferences, I know you will find yourself renewed in your own life of holiness in the Church.
hombres y mujeres. Mujeres en la Nueva Evangelización (WINE, por sus siglas en inglés) reunirá a cientos de mujeres el sábado 1 de marzo para explorar cómo vivir el plan providencial de Dios para sus vidas y cómo él ha unido a las mujeres católicas en su Espíritu durante un tiempo como este para vivir ese plan. La conferencia, con el maestro de ceremonias Alyssa Bormes, incluye charlas inspiradoras de la cantante y narradora católica ValLimar Jansen; La evangelista católica, autora y líder de retiros, Kathleen Beckman; St. Paul, la propia maestra de Biblia, autora y cantante de Minnesota, Elizabeth Kelly; y orador católico, autor y fundador de WINE, Kelly Wahlquist. La Conferencia de Hombres de la Arquidiócesis, el sábado 23 de marzo, reunirá a más de 1,000 hombres católicos para hablar sobre vivir como hombres de integridad. Nos inspiraremos en el evangelista católico y en el presentador de Radio Relevante Patrick Madrid. Tendremos misa con el arzobispo Hebda. Tendremos sesiones divididas para enfocarnos en las diferentes necesidades de los hombres católicos, desde el crecimiento en virtud hasta el Éxodo 90, hasta cómo ser un esposo y padre fiel. Y, por supuesto, ambas conferencias ofrecerán oportunidades para la misa y la confesión. Al igual que los miles de jóvenes que hicieron grandes sacrificios al unirse para descubrir y comprometerse con una vida de santidad en la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud, también como mujeres y hombres de esta arquidiócesis necesitamos estas conferencias para inspirarnos y
para volver a comprometernos con nosotros mismos siguiendo a cristo. Ambas conferencias son excelentes oportunidades para invitar a un amigo que conozca que pueda haberse alejado de la Iglesia o que necesite un impulso en su fe. Ninguno de nosotros puede vivir esta vida de santidad solo, requiere sacrificios para hacer que crecer en nuestra fe sea una prioridad, pero si haces ese sacrificio y asiste a nuestras conferencias de mujeres o hombres, sé que te encontrará renovado en tu propia vida de santidad en la iglesia.
OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:
Effective January 16, 2019 Reverend Rolf Tollefson, appointed temporary parochial administrator of the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Excelsior, while the pastor, Reverend Alex Carlson, is on a leave of absence. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Hubert in Chanhassen.
Effective February 4, 2019 Reverend Michael Monshau, OP, appointed as faculty and formator for the Saint Paul Seminary in Saint Paul. Father Monshau is a member of the Central Province of the Dominican Friars.
SLICEof LIFE
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SLICEof LIFE Christ in the classroom Father Mark Moriarty, pastor of St. Agnes in St. Paul, holds up a monstrance with the Eucharist Jan. 31 at St. Agnes School, where he processed through the building and brought the Blessed Sacrament into every classroom. Sister Mary Margaret O’Brien, a Latin and religion teacher for grades 4-6 and a member of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, came up with the idea as a way of both celebrating Catholic Schools Week and bringing the presence of Christ into the hallways and classrooms of the school. “It was amazing — a huge opportunity to sanctify and bless our students during Catholic Schools Week,” said Michael Adkins, dean of academics and interim director of the Lower School. “Even the main office got blessed. It was pretty awesome.”
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New commission to serve consecrated life in archdiocese By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit Sister Carolyn Puccio announced 14 members of a new Interim Commission for Consecrated Life during the World Day of Consecrated Life Mass at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet chapel in St. Paul Jan. 27. “In the past, there were organizations like sisters’ councils and things like that, but for the last while, there hasn’t been anything just like that,” said Sister Carolyn, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and delegate for consecrated life for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. She started the Interim Commission for Consecrated Life this year to better serve consecrated men and women in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The commission will support the variety of ways people are living out consecrated life in the archdiocese. It will also “serve as an advisory committee to the Delegate for Consecrated Life” according to the commission’s constitution and bylaws. Plans for the commission include providing enrichment opportunities, improving communication between the archdiocese and consecrated persons and supporting vocations to consecrated life. The commission, which will meet quarterly, has 14 members from different religious orders or institutes of consecrated life. The commission includes members of 10 different religious orders or institutes of consecrated life, such as the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, the Jesuits and Visitation Sisters.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Members of the newly-formed Interim Commission for Consecrated Life include, from left, Sister Charlotte Berres, Greg Darr, Sister Dianne Perry, Sister Linda Soler, Jane Lynch, Sister Gert Brixius, Sister Sue Torgersen, Brother Robert Smith, Sister Clarinda Coffel, Sister Emy Ychikawa and Sister Suzanne Homeyer. The commission serves as an advisory to Sisters Lynore Girmscheid, second from right, and Sister Carolyn Puccio, Delegate for Consecrated Life in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Not pictured: Brother Dominic Michael Hart, Nicoleta Manciu and Father William O’Brien. Sister Dianne Perry, of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who will serve on the commission, sees the opportunity as a way to celebrate and uphold consecrated life. “Consecrated life is a special call within the body of Christ within the Church” and the commission is one way to “keep the story alive [and] articulate gratitude for
those who have answered God’s call in this particular way,” she said. Sister Carolyn initiated discussion about creating a commission in 2017 with a group, or think tank, of consecrated persons. In their meetings, they concluded it would serve the consecrated people of the archdiocese to form a commission.
“This was very important to us that it be the whole scope, … the rich diversity of the different expressions of the consecrated life,” Sister Carolyn said. “And that we value one another, we support one another, we collaborate [and] we appreciate each other.” Sister Dianne, also a member of the think tank, said bringing consecrated people together will help younger religious priests, brothers and sisters learn from the seasoned ones’ experiences. “Not to tell them what to do as much as to say, ‘this is how we did it and this is what we learned, and we’ll be happy to share it with you,’” Sister Dianne said. “I also think how we can work together across our different groups is a way that we witness to the unity that Pope Francis calls us to.” People living consecrated life include more than 40 religious orders represented in the archdiocese, consecrated virgins and members of societies of apostolic life. Sister Carolyn noted that the great diversity of consecrated people in the archdiocese offers an opportunity and a challenge. She realized early on in her work as delegate for consecrated life that “we are blessed with a great diversity of persons called to consecrated life in the archdiocese but no vehicle for communicating effectively with that diverse population.” She hopes the group will “facilitate collaboration and cooperation among those people” and assist in her work of serving as Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s delegate to consecrated men and women.
Summer house to open for women pondering vocations By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit Long Lake native and Benedictine College student Megan Healy has been discerning whether she is called to religious life since her early high school years. She will have a place to go this summer for deeper discernment while working on a project with the Office of Vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The vocations office will host its first women’s summer discernment house at the Bethany House in Minneapolis, where since 2017, women have spent nine months during the academic year discerning consecrated life. Healy believes she has a call to religious life but hasn’t found an order yet. This summer, she hopes to find greater clarity in where the Lord is leading her amid hundreds of options for religious orders. “I think it takes recognizing what are the desires placed in my heart, what is my spirituality, what are the charisms that God has given me and then which orders does that line up with,” Healy said. Vocations Director Father David Blume asked Healy to lead the house, she said. Healy, a junior at the Atchison, Kansas-based Catholic college, knows Father Blume from attending other vocations events over the years. She also leads a women’s household with
St. Paul’s Outreach, a Catholic campus ministry at Benedictine. “As a leader in the house, I’ll just be journeying with these women, and together we will be growing in our friendships with each other and growing in our relationships with the Lord,” Healy said. Titled “Home for the Summer,” the program will offer women ages 18-27 an opportunity to live in community for eight weeks and discern their vocation. They will attend daily Mass together at Holy Cross in Minneapolis next door and pray at an adoration chapel attached to the house. “It is going to be an opportunity for women to live in community with one another as well as discern their vocation while they still are able to live in the world [and] have a normal summer job,” Healy said. Father Blume said the summer house will resemble the Bethany House’s structure of prayer and community life. He recognized that some women who want to join the Bethany House during the school year can’t because they attend college outside of the Twin Cities. “These are women who are in college for the most part, and they’re home for the summer,” Father Blume said. “They have an opportunity during the summer months to take some time and to seriously discern along with other women.” They will share three communal
meals per week, including one with guests from a religious order. They will participate in a book study on discerning religious life, visit a religious order and make a pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. “I really hope that they just gain a deeper intimacy with Jesus and [keep] developing in their own interior lives and pursuit of holiness,” Healy said. “I also hope that it would bring them greater clarity as they continue to discern the Lord’s will for their life as well as deep sisterhood or just deep friendship among the women who are living at the house.” They’ll go on recreational outings, too, she said. “I think just being in the city, it’s a good opportunity to have fun together,” Healy said. “We can go on little adventures.” Community life complements the discernment process, Father Blume said. “I think the biggest thing to know in discerning their vocation, [is] they’re not alone.” Women can apply for the summer house through the vocations office website, 1000vocations.org. The program begins June 15 and ends Aug. 10. Participants are expected to hold a summer job and pay $500 for room and board. For women who have trouble paying, the Serra Club, a Catholic organization that supports vocations, will offer scholarships.
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FEBRUARY 7, 2019
Addressing Church’s abuse crisis: Panelists, others offer advice By Kurt Jensen Catholic News Service Permanent solutions to the Church’s sexual abuse crisis are going to require a greater level of lay participation and more legal muscle. These were among conclusions discussed at a news conference following the Leadership Roundtable’s Catholic Partnership Summit Feb. 1-2. The summit, which included three cardinals, university and college presidents and canon lawyers representing 43 dioceses, is expected to issue a document with recommendations in a couple of weeks. Participants during the summit included two officials with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: Tim O’Malley, director of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, and Susan Mulheron, chancellor for Canonical Affairs. A key term at the summit was “emerging best practices” for identifying abusers and bringing them to justice. A reputation developed by the archdiocese for paving the way in best practices was a key reason O’Malley and Mulheron were asked to participate on a panel Feb. 2 that included moderator Kathleen McChesney, a former FBI agent and former head of what is now the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection. Some of the participants in the summit
spoke to the press in a teleconference afterward. There are “twin crises,” of leadership and sexual abuse, McChesney said. “Survivors have been telling us for 15 years that there are two crises,” she said. Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, said, “We as bishops have to respect the need for the laity to be involved, and in principle, the whole Church is going to have to be utilized in resolving the twin crises. As one person put it, I think so eloquently, ‘If all we have is miters and collars around the table, we won’t get anywhere. Where are the mothers and fathers?’” Key to any solution is transparency, and the largest element of that is for dioceses to release “the names of those credibly accused,” Bishop McKnight said. He also called for a “cultural mindset conversion as well as specific norms and processes. We need to commit to having a good study, a foundational research to understand the root causes of the problem that we’re in.” “People without influence and without connections need to be a part of this,” said John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University. “The Church should be speaking up effectively and credibly on behalf of the vulnerable, whether it’s unborn children, whether it’s children taken away from their mothers at the border,
COURTESY LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE
Susan Mulheron, center, chancellor for Canonical Affairs in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, makes a point during a panel discussion Feb. 2 in Washington on “Emerging Best Practices for Responding to Sexual Abuse” organized by the Leadership Roundtable. Mulheron and Tim O’Malley, left, director of the archdiocese’s Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, appeared on the panel with Francesco Cesareo, chairman of the National Review Board, right. Not pictured but moderator of the panel is Kathleen McChesney, former executive director of what is now the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection. whether it’s the poor,” he said. “And one of the real tragedies to the crisis is, that voice has been undermined and can be marginalized.” Ahead of the Catholic Partnership Summit, which was not open to media coverage, the Leadership Roundtable said the event’s focus on the abuse crisis included looking at the impact of the crisis on “the youngest generation of Catholics.” “Leadership Roundtable believes that
Catholic leaders, lay and ordained, must create a new culture of leadership and management that is transparent, accountable, competent and grounded in best practices in order to provide justice to survivors and credibly lead the Church into the future,” it said in a statement. Among the co-hosts of the event were Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey.
Annulment Questions? Staff members of the Archdiocesan MetropolitanTribunal will be available for confidential consultation and to answer questions regarding the investigation into the possibility of nullity of the marriage bond (annulment process) at the Cathedral of St. Paul 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul March 6, Ash Wednesday, during and after each Mass 7:30 am to 7pm For more information contact the Tribunal at 651-291-4466 No appointment necessary To learn more about the changes to the process, visit the Links page of the Tribunal web page, http://www.archspm.org/departments/metropolitan-tribunal/
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
LOCAL
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7
Canon law work on clergy sex abuse gains national attention By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Susan Mulheron, chancellor for Canonical Affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is gaining national attention with her experience and study of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in light of canon law. She was the keynote speaker last September at a meeting of experts in Naples, Florida, discussing the abuse crisis. They were brought together by the Catholic-based International Center on Law, Life, Faith and Family. Mulheron addressed the cultural, institutional and systematic roots of the crisis and ways canon law can be used to address it — or misused to exacerbate it. Mulheron spoke in October at the national convention in Phoenix of the Canon Law Society of America, where she serves on the board, on canonical considerations in the Church’s response to scandals, particularly the abuse crisis. And she was in Washington, D.C., Feb. 1-2, along with Tim O’Malley, the archdiocese’s director of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, as part of a panel discussion on emerging best practices in response to the crisis. That gathering was organized by the Leadership Roundtable, a Washingtonbased organization of lay and clergy dedicated to good management and leadership development in the Church. Mulheron credits Archbishop Bernard Hebda, O’Malley, Joe Kueppers, chancellor for Civil Affairs, and others with working as a team to address the abuse crisis in the archdiocese in effective and insightful ways. That includes placing the rights of abuse victims front and center, improving accountability and disclosure when dealing with concerns about clergy, and ensuring a safe environment for children and adults, Mulheron said. The archdiocese’s 12-member Ministerial Review Board, which includes a victim of clergy sexual abuse and people with a wide range of professional experience, has also drawn attention from other dioceses, Mulheron said. One innovation is having the board deal with misconduct of all kinds, such as financial misdeeds, as well as sexual abuse, she said. Some dioceses have expressed concern about broadening the scope of their review boards, but an advantage, particularly for smaller dioceses, could be keeping board members well-informed, active and involved in a variety of issues, Mulheron said. People are hearing good things about the archdiocese’s actions since the local scandal broke five years ago, Mulheron said. Mulheron, 36, holds a licentiate degree in canon law and is writing her dissertation for her doctorate on a canonical response to the sexual abuse of minors. It came out of her own experience, when she was appointed interim chancellor in May 2013 from her position since August 2011 on the archdiocese’s marriage tribunal. She became chancellor that September, just as the scandal was erupting in the archdiocese. She replaced Jennifer Haselberger, who had resigned as chancellor in April 2013. “At the time, I did not know what was
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
coming,” Mulheron said. “You could tell there was unrest going on and some challenges … It really didn’t blow up until the end of September 2013, and then in October it lit up.” (St. Paul Police Department launched an investigation in October 2013). But O’Malley and other leaders came on board in 2014, and Archbishop Hebda was appointed apostolic administrator of the archdiocese in June 2015, then archbishop in March 2016. An effective team was formed, she said. “I know the job I have now and the circumstances I work in now are very different (than what Haselberger faced),” Mulheron said. “I am grateful to see the changes that have been made. It’s unfortunate that it took what happened to get these changes to come about. Overall though, I feel really good about where we’re at as an archdiocese. I am grateful I do not face the same challenges and obstacles that she talks about that she faced in her job.” Mulheron said the subject of her dissertation stems in part from frustration with Church law after the state Legislature in May 2013 lifted for three years the statute of limitations on historic claims of sexual abuse of a minor, and people came forward with complaints. “Allegations were wide-ranging, and in trying to devise a canonical response this came up a number of times, ‘how do we deal with this?’” she said. “It (the dissertation) came out of that experience, in looking for something a little more applicable, or practical.” The dissertation is looking at universal canon law on the subject, which is broad and gives wide discretion to bishops, as well as particular responses and essential norms in bishops’ conferences around the world, such as the U.S. bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and ways canon law might be improved at all levels in the area of sexual abuse of minors, Mulheron said. One suggestion might be placing into Church law more emphasis on the rights of sexual abuse victims, she said.
On a wider note, clergy sexual abuse of adults and seminarians also must be addressed in the Church, and penalties prepared that would be proportional to the alleged misconduct, she said. Bishops must also be held accountable for any misconduct and a process devised to investigate complaints against them, Mulheron said. The archdiocese has developed protocols for accusations of clergy sexual misconduct with adults in its code of conduct, and if a bishop in the archdiocese is accused of misconduct, the archdiocese’s Corporate Board is notified, immediately involving lay leadership, Mulheron said. But the universal Church has not adequately addressed these issues, she said. “In my opinion, the Church could really benefit from some development in the law,” she said. A Feb. 21-24 meeting Pope Francis will hold at the Vatican with all the presidents of the bishops conferences around the world is expected to address Church law and some of the difficult issues around clergy sexual abuse. Mulheron’s involvement with the Church didn’t really begin until college at the Newman Center at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. She grew up in Boise, Idaho, without a faith tradition, and in high school was active at a Protestant church. While in high school, Mulheron said, she began studying Scripture and asking questions, and she found a vibrant Catholic community at Syracuse University. She grew closer to the Catholic faith as she studied its history, traditions and doctrines. The sacraments became important (“the Eucharist was the hook,” she said) and she began the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program. She entered full communion with the Church at the 2001 Easter Vigil. For her junior year, Mulheron transferred to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Catholic Studies, which included a stint studying in Rome.
Susan Mulheron, chancellor for Canonical Affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is writing the dissertation for her doctorate on a canonical response to the sexual abuse of minors.
She met her husband, Jeremiah, in the program, and they married shortly after graduating. Interested in law, she thought about entering law school, but was discouraged by a priest who counseled her to wait and discern her calling. She learned more about canon law, earned her master’s degree in theology at St. Thomas, and then her licentiate in canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Now, she is studying for her doctorate through the University of Santa Croce in Rome. She is comfortable in Italian, reads and does research in Latin, Spanish and French. And she loves her work. It goes well beyond clergy misconduct issues to include drawing up documents and answering questions about baptisms, pastoral accommodations for a wedding, relegating a church to secular use in the event of a sale and other issues, often working with Kueppers as together they meet canon and civil law requirements attached to many duties, and helping Archbishop Hebda in his daily tasks. “I do enjoy my job,” Mulheron said. “I work closely with the archbishop. Often on big decisions that he makes, he looks for recommendations, and he often looks to me for recommendations. Sometimes it’s both me and Joe (Kueppers); he needs advice from a canon lawyer and a civil lawyer ... It’s often very challenging. I like to joke that nothing gets to my desk unless it’s a really hard question.” When not at work, she and her husband enjoy the faith community at their parish, St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake. Her husband sings in the choir, and Mulheron enjoys the liturgies and not having direct responsibility for parish happenings. “The community is friendly and welcoming, and so authentic about their faith,” she said. “I tend to really value my time at the parish as a way to be part of the Church in a way that is different from the rest of my week.”
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FEBRUARY 7, 2019
NATION+WORLD Catholic Rural Life grant to help country parishes in archdiocese By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit A five-year, $1 million grant for Catholic Rural Life will offer pastors at rural parishes an opportunity to strengthen evangelization and other outreach, while developing support networks in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and around the country. The grant will help CRL, a St. Paul-based nonprofit supporting rural communities nationwide, offer quarterly retreats where priests can explore best practices in rural parish ministry and ways to support each other. As part of the grant, CRL is
conducting a nationwide survey to gather information that will help develop the retreats, said Jim Ennis, CRL’s executive director. “The purpose of the program is to bring exemplary models of rural ministry to a retreat setting and have priests who are serving in a rural community share with priests who are out covering multiple parishes,” he said. The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul will host the first retreat on a fall date to be determined. CRL will have four retreats in 2020 in different regions of the country. CRL also plans to form networks of priests who can support one another. The organization hopes to develop a sustainable retreat
and follow-up program that will last beyond the grant years, Ennis said. CRL has learned through its research that “many of the priests who are serving rural communities are serving multiple parishes and are feeling very stretched.” They would “love to network with others who are experiencing the same challenges they are,” Ennis said. The grant came from the Lily Endowment, an Indianapolisbased philanthropic foundation, which supports religion, education and community development. CRL entered a pool of more than 600 applicants for the grant and is one of 78 recipients, Ennis said.
Kitui archbishop visits archdiocese during cold week By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit Archbishop Anthony Muheria kept a sense of humor while visiting the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, when the weather dipped 104 degrees colder than in his homeland of Kenya. “I went from the frying pan into the freezer,” he said. Even while making light of the double-digits-below-zero temperature during his visit to the archdiocese’s Catholic Center Jan. 30, he expressed gratitude to local
Church leaders as he traveled back to Kenya from World Youth Day in Panama, which he attended with 15 other pilgrims. He is apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Kitui, which has a partnership with the archdiocese. He also serves as archbishop of Nyeri. While in Minnesota Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, Archbishop Muheria visited with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Archbishop Muheria also visited with archdiocesan staff and
laity involved in the partnership. The archdiocese and the Diocese of Kitui began a partnership in 2004 in response to the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter “A Call to Solidarity with Africa.” It involves a delegation from Kitui and the archdiocese visiting each other’s local Church every three years and learning from one another. Archbishop Muheria said the partnership is “crystalizing” as people from Kitui and the archdiocese learn how they can mutually support each other.
International study: Religiously active people are happier By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service Charles Schulz, in his “Peanuts” comic strip, coined the adage, “Happiness is a warm puppy.” However, the results of a wide-ranging study that surveyed the attitudes of people in as many as 35 countries suggest that happiness is tied to being religiously active. The research also indicates that happiness stretches across faith systems, as the countries surveyed embrace either Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Islam or eastern religions as their principal religion. Where Americans fit on that scale hops around a bit depending on the subject matter, according to the study, “Religion’s Relationship to Happiness, Civic Engagement and Health Around the World,” issued Jan. 31 by the Pew Research Center. “We began with a more fundamental question about religion’s role in societal and individual wellbeing,” said Joey Marshall, lead researcher for Pew on the report. In a group of 26 nations, the United States tied for 14th in the percentage of religiously active people who say they are “very happy.” Thirtysix percent of religious Americans said as much, compared to 25 percent each for their counterparts who are religiously inactive or religiously unaffiliated. The United States finished second among 26 countries, behind only New Zealand, with 85 percent of the religiously active respondents saying they also are involved in some kind of nonreligious organization. The U.S. finished 17th among 25 nations with 62 percent of religiously active respondents always voting in national elections.
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FEBRUARY 7, 2019
NATION+WORLD
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9
Excommunication examined in wake of abortion law By Jacob Comello Catholic News Service On Jan. 22, the New York Statehouse burst into cheers after lawmakers passed a landmark abortion bill. The Reproductive Health Act, or RHA, most notably removed abortion from New York’s criminal code and now permits abortions with very few restrictions at any week of a pregnancy. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had been one of the bill’s strongest supporters. He called its passage “a giant step forward in the hard-fought battle to ensure a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her own personal health.” He ordered that the needle atop the One World Trade Center — the tallest building in the United States — be lit pink in celebration. Cuomo, a Catholic, drew the ire of his fellow Catholics in New York and across the country for his advocacy against Church teaching on the issue. Some petitioned Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York to excommunicate Cuomo. But a spokesperson for the cardinal’s office released a statement on Twitter, which suggested that “under canon law, excommunication is not an appropriate response to a politician who supports or votes for legislation advancing abortion” and that issues regarding abortion should be addressed “personally and directly” with offending politicians. So what does the Code of Canon Law say about excommunication for public servants who do not accept elements of the Catholic Church’s teaching? In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service Jan. 28, Villanova University law professor Patrick Brennan, who holds the university’s John F. Scarpa Chair in Catholic Legal Studies, said Cardinal Dolan’s
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
CNS
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a 2017 and 2016 combination photo. spokesperson alluded mostly correctly to canon law, but failed to make the “crisp moral argument” that would have befitted the situation. Brennan pointed to Canon 1398, which states: “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs a ‘latae sententiae’ excommunication”; “latae sententiae” means “automatic.” While this provision does not mention politicians, Brennan said “canon law does acknowledge the role of an accomplice in moral evil.” Would Catholic policymakers who ardently support legal abortion qualify as accomplices? Brennan turned to Canon 19, which reads in part: “If a custom or an express prescript of universal or particular law is lacking in a certain matter, a case ... must be resolved in light of ... the common and constant opinion of learned persons.” According to him, “the overwhelming view among learned people ... is that it (Canon 1398) does not apply to legislators.” But Brennan criticized the first point of the representative’s statement, which was: “First, excommunication should
not be used as a weapon. Too often, I fear, those who call for someone’s excommunication do so out of anger or frustration.” Additionally, Brennan took aim at the spokesperson’s last point: “Fourth, and finally ... I do not believe that excommunication would be effective as many politicians would welcome it as a sign of their refusal to be ‘bullied by the Church,’ thinking it would therefore give them a political advantage.” “The purpose of the bishops in administering canon law is not from the standpoint of public relations,” Brennan said. Including considerations about the Church’s public image “sound(ed) prudential” as opposed to morally correct and dulled the overall credibility of the statement, he said. In remarks Jan. 28 on “Fox & Friends,” Cardinal Dolan seemed to indicate that excommunicating Cuomo would hurt the Church, saying it would “be giving ammo to our enemies.” “We have a governor that uses his dissent from Church teachings as applause lines,” Cardinal Dolan said. “He’s not going to be moved by this. So what would be the use?”
Bishops call Virginia effort to expand abortion ‘vicious’ Catholic News Service Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout said the words “horrific, outrageous, vicious” were “in my heart” when he heard about a measure proposed in the Virginia Legislature to expand “the brutal practice of abortion.” “We should not be legislating in favor of abortion, let alone third-trimester abortions at all,” he said. “All our actions and decisions should be lifegiving.” Bishop Knestout, Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington and the Virginia Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops on public policy matters, issued statements Jan. 31 about an abortion measure introduced by Del. Kathy Tran of Fairfax, which a
Pope to politicians: Defend the unborn
subcommittee of the House of Delegates tabled in a 5-3 vote Jan. 28. At a hearing on the bill, Tran, a Democrat, confirmed it would allow for an abortion to be performed at delivery. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, also a Democrat and a former pediatric neurosurgeon, discussed the bill in a radio interview Jan. 27, and was criticized for saying: “If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.” “This legislation shocks the
conscience and is made more egregious by the governor of Virginia suggesting the permissibility of denying care to infants born alive during the abortion,” said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “This senseless disrespect for new human life is horrifying,” said the chairman, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas. Among other things, Tran’s bill would have loosened restrictions on third-trimester abortions that take into account the risk of the pregnancy to the mother’s “physical or mental safety” by removing language that says third-trimester abortions are allowed only if the risk to the mother’s life is “substantial and irremediable.”
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Appealing to the world’s leaders and policymakers, Pope Francis called for protecting the unborn and seeing these new lives as people who will bring new beginnings and hope for the future. Each and every new life conceived — “they are children of the entire community, and their being killed in large numbers with the backing of the state constitutes a grave problem that undermines the foundations of the building up of justice, compromising the correct solution for every other human and social problem,” he said. The pope made his remarks during an audience Feb. 2 with the board of directors of Italy’s pro-life movement. Italy celebrated its national day for life Feb. 3. The pope said the celebration offered him the opportunity to make “an appeal to all politicians, regardless of each person’s faith belief, to treat the defense of the lives of those who are about to be born and enter into society as the cornerstone of the common good.” Every life brings “newness, the future and hope,” he said. May leaders not let themselves be “conditioned by mindsets that focus on personal success or immediate or one-sided interests,” but look at the long term and everyone’s good, he said. “To voluntarily extinguish life in its blossoming is, in every case, a betrayal of our vocation, as well as of the pact that ties generations together” and that allows people to feel hope, he said. Pope Francis again underlined that protecting life means protecting the entire life span of a person and promoting all that is needed for living in a “dignified manner,” including good health, education and job opportunities. The pope made another appeal Feb. 3 after praying the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, saying it was increasingly important that there be a “concrete commitment” to life by all cultural and social groups, associations and institutions, and to recognize the family as the “generative source” of a community.
10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Blind father, deaf daughte
A
Minneapolis parish is home to archdiocese’s ministry to deaf, hard of hearing By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
role models, people who are deaf carrying out their faith.” Meeting the challenges has allowed Justin to work in business training, organizational development and purchasing. He also volunteers at a hospice center. Maeve is a sophomore at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, studying English and ASL in hopes of teaching those languages to others. “We’ve had to find ways to adapt the best we can and not let our disabilities become a hindrance,” Justin said. “We have opportunities to work and participate in the world around us.”
A father and his 20-year-old daughter stand Embracing community In addition to lectoring, Justin and Maeve’s participation at side-by-side as lectors at the ambo at our Lady Our Lady of Mount Carmel includes volunteering at of Mount Carmel in northeast Minneapolis. fundraising and other events. The parish is warm and embracing, Maeve said, and having ASL widely shared among They help each other in this ministry, as well parishioners helps her learn more about her faith and hold firm to her own identity as a deaf person. as the broader congregation, in unique and “At this parish I am able to talk with deaf people,” Maeve said. “I’m learning so much about religion. For me, it’s easier to special ways. Justin McDevitt is blind, using his hands to read in Braille and proclaim aloud the first and second readings at Sunday Mass Dec. 30. As he begins, he taps the shoulder of his daughter, Maeve, who is hard of hearing and uses his prompt to start reading and using her hands in American Sign Language, sharing the same Scripture with a congregation of deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing people in this parish that is home to the deaf ministry of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. She taps him on the hand when she is done, and the Mass can continue. They read every other month at the parish’s 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. “We share the faith through proclaiming God’s word to the congregation,” Justin said of sharing the readings with Maeve. “We all need to be nourished. And God’s word nourishes us.” Ten parishioners recently sang in the choir at the back of the church, while three people at the front signed the lyrics in a beautiful, poetic melding of hands, body and facial expressions. There was organ and piano, and people in the congregation responded by signing the lyrics or singing. In addition to Masses, the parish nourishes the deaf, hard-ofhearing and other parishioners with activities including a faithbuilding book and movie club that meets before Mass, time to visit for hours at potlucks in the church basement after Mass, monthly meetings of elderly who are deaf, and an annual fall festival. The McDevitts live in St. Paul, and deaf and hard-of-hearing parishioners at Our Lady of Mount Carmel come from across the Twin Cities, as well as from New Prague, Monticello and towns in western Wisconsin. About 50 of the parish’s 170 members are deaf or hard of hearing. Several said the fellowship they have created is important to them. “It’s big-time important,” said Mary Jane Novotny, a parishioner from Bloomington who spoke through fellow parishioner and ASL interpreter Susan Sweezo. “We have a community.” Novotny and her husband, Richard, are deaf. So are their two children, Amy and Sarah, who were visiting for the Christmas season from their homes in Colorado and California, respectively. Sarah’s husband, Michael, is deaf, and she was with her daughter, Audrey, 5, who also is deaf. Richard’s mother was deaf, making it four generations of deaf people in the Novotny family. That is highly unusual, Sweezo said. Only 10 percent of deaf people are born to deaf parents. Many people who are deaf consider having a deaf child a blessing, because communication is so much easier, she said. Being able to communicate with one another is a challenge for Justin and Maeve. Maeve has a cochlear implant that helps her hear when she is spoken to directly. That allows father and daughter to talk with one another. Justin’s wife, Liz, knows ASL. Their older daughter, Maura, knows some ASL signs. “It was a challenge to my faith, wondering what kind of God would give a deaf child to a blind father,” Justin said. “I had to trust enough in God’s providence and his support.” Liz shares those challenges, and she also turns her trust to God. She also enjoys the people at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “We’ve always had a strong faith,” she said. “Like any parent I pray for patience and guidance, and lots of times I want to pray for the right answers. Being here, it’s great for me to have
learn it. It’s helped my life spiritually.” Growing up, it seemed well-meaning people would encourage her to pray for healing of her deafness, Maeve said. Now, she embraces being deaf, including ASL and its combining of language and body movement, and the kind of word play and humor that is uniquely its own. “It was almost like I was losing my identity as a deaf person,” Maeve said of past experience. “Now I can better concentrate on what’s going on in my life. I want people to have faith in deaf people. We have a culture.” Father Paul Moudry, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Frances Cabrini, also in Minneapolis, said Our Lady offers a home for the deaf and hard of hearing ministry that it lacked before joining the parish in 1986. “It’s kind of like a small-town parish,” he said.
Finding a home Father William Kenney, now retired and living in St. Paul, was chaplain for the archdiocese’s deaf community for 40 years. While working in the mid-1980s as the archdiocese’s personnel director in addition to his chaplaincy, he received a telephone call from a departing pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel offering the parish as a potential home for the deaf community. The community had been sharing Mass once a month at other churches and at the Newman Center on the University of Minnesota campus. One important advantage for the deaf community at Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the church’s construction, with theater-style seating and no pillars or other obstructions. That helps with sight lines as music and readings are shared with the congregation through ASL. Established in 1910 for the Italian community in northeast Minneapolis, the parish also had become smaller by the mid-1980s and hoped for new members, Father Kenney said. “I went over there to see the layout and I met with the Italian community,” Father Kenney said. They welcomed the newcomers, he said. At the same time, Father Kenney was named pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where he served even past his retirement in 1999 until 2005. Prior to that, he spent time as director and associate director of the archdiocese’s Office for the Deaf and at state-run schools for the blind and the deaf in Faribault. Serving and being accepted by the deaf community has been an important part of his ministry, for which he is grateful, Father Kenney said. He also learned a great deal about those he served. “I think for so many years we tended to tell deaf people what was good for them, and tell them what they should believe is best for them,” he said. “Only in the 1970s was American Sign Language recognized as a valid language. Now we recognize they have great insight into what they need, and they determine what’s going to happen.” Part of Maeve’s dream is to share the faith with others who cannot hear. “I’d like to be able to teach other deaf people the Hail Mary and just about the Bible,” she said. “I’d like to be a deaf missionary, but I have a lot more learning to do.”
Sarah daugh northe
FEBRUARY 7, 2019 • 11
er share lectoring ministry
Novotny, left, uses sign language to communicate with her hter, Audrey, 5, before Dec. 30 mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in east Minneapolis.
PHOTOS BY JIM BOVIN | FOR THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
John Heinn of Andover, left, and Michael Hile of Minneapolis pray using American Sign Language at the Dec. 30 Mass.
TOP and ABOVE Justin, right, and Maeve McDevitt use Braille and American Sign Language to proclaim the first reading during Mass Dec. 30 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in northeast Minneapolis.
12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
HOMELESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The new facilities are modeled after Catholic Charities’ successful Higher Ground effort in Minneapolis, which includes many of the same services and opened seven years ago.
Affordable housing The nonprofit organization’s effort is driven by faith and based on the call of Catholic social justice, said Tim Marx, Catholic Charities’ president and CEO and a member of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. “Our work is deeply rooted in Catholic social teaching,” Marx told TIM MARX The Catholic Spirit in a recent interview at Higher Ground St. Paul. “We recognize the dignity of each person, and we believe that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.” Higher Ground’s approach to homelessness alone will not solve the housing crisis, Marx said. A key element to helping more people is having society meet a basic need: Make certain everyone has an affordable place to live, Marx said. Affordable housing can be the stable base people require, even as they get assistance with economic, health or other challenges, Marx said. “We’re not going to ‘serve’ our way out of poverty,” Marx said. But the seamless services provided by Catholic Charities are designed to help prevent and end homelessness, lifting clients from poverty to self-sufficiency.
Housing First Widely known as Housing First, the approach described by Marx works to quickly connect the homeless to permanent housing, without preconditions or barriers to entry, such as sobriety or service participation. Supportive services are designed to maximize housing stability and prevent a return to homelessness. That approach certainly has helped Markeus Taylor, a 42-year-old from Mississippi with mental health challenges who has struggled with employment and home loss for 21 years. He first found a safe place to sleep on the floor of the Dorothy Day Center, then was placed in an apartment across the street in the nonprofit’s Mary Hall about 13 years ago, and two years ago moved into the new Higher Ground facility. There are case workers on each floor. He likes Wednesday night community events, especially when they feature ice cream and music. He is warm and dry. He works at a fast food restaurant when he can, and
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
HOMES FOR ALL COALITION PROPOSES $430 MILLION PACKAGE A statewide coalition of more than 200 organizations for the homeless that includes Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis proposed a package Jan. 23 of $430 million in state spending and borrowing to create affordable housing. At a news conference at the State Capitol, members of Homes For All suggested $300 million in housing bonds to build and preserve affordable and emergency housing across Minnesota. They urged appropriating $55 million to the Minnesota Housing Agency to produce more homes for workers, match local community resources, help families attain home ownership and prevent homelessness. The group proposed allocating $25 million to the Department of Human Services to provide emergency shelter and supportive services for homeless families, and housing assistance for people with severe mental illness. Another proposal calls for $50 million in dollar-for-dollar tax credits for donations to a fund for locally directed affordable housing projects. The proposals stem from recommendations made last year by former Gov. Mark Dayton’s Governor’s Task Force on Housing. It’s not the only recent effort to create more affordable housing in Minnesota. Lawmakers approved selling $100 million in housing bonds in 2014 and an additional $87 million last year. — Joe Ruff with government assistance he pays a Higher Ground subsidized rent. details for sites Taylor said in St. Paul he likes working and Minneapolis. and staying where he is. But he would consider moving into the apartments being built above the Opportunity Center. He still remembers going from a floor to a bed at Catholic Charities. “I felt relieved having a bed to sleep in for the very first time. And it’s still great,” he said.
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How it works Taylor lives in one of Higher Ground’s 193 permanent apartments, similar to college dorm rooms, where he and others can stay indefinitely. More than 170 similar apartments, with 77 of them including kitchens, are being built as part of the nearby Opportunity Center. They are available for men and women who have barriers to housing, including disabilities, mental illness and chemical dependency. The goal is to help them find stable ground, and eventually, if they can, move out to establish their own homes or apartments. “We never force people out,” Marx said. “But we also work with people when they are ready to move on.” The apartments vary in cost depending on ability to pay and government assistance. Rules are strict, including no overnight guests and no alcohol on site. Higher Ground also includes an intake desk where the first order of business is determining whether permanent housing can be retained or found for people before they move into the shelter or other arrangement. The attached Opportunity Center will offer hot meals, contacts for government
assistance and subsidized health care to assist people who might be on the edge of homelessness remain in their homes, Marx said. Those services temporarily are being offered at Mary Hall. People who need emergency shelter can stay free at Higher Ground, with space for 172 men and 60 women. Space used one night can be reserved for the next night. Higher Ground also offers a pay-tostay shelter with 42 beds at $42 a week for men who are working. The money is saved for each client as they get back on their feet, to help them pay for a first month’s rent or down payment to a landlord. The goal is to get people off the streets and into permanent housing, Marx said. The shelter and housing do not allow couples or families. But Catholic Charities has another facility, Family Service Center in Maplewood, with emergency shelter for 21 homeless Ramsey County families. The nonprofit agency also has emergency shelter for children in crisis situations in Minneapolis, and other housing and social service initiatives. Other agencies, state and local governments in St. Paul, Minneapolis and around Minnesota assist people who are homeless, such as St. Stephen’s Human Services in Minneapolis, St. Paul-based Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities and government assistance programs.
Community effort Help for Taylor and others is being provided in the shadows of the State Capitol, the Cathedral of St. Paul and downtown’s commercial and entertainment district. And it was fueled by $40 million in corporate and other private donations, as well as $60 million in bonds and tax credits approved in 2017 by the state Legislature and
Honoring Catholic business leaders whose faith shapes their work. Nominations open through March 29 at TheCatholicSpirit.com. Awardee luncheon with Archbishop Bernard Hebda Aug. 1.
then-Gov. Mark Dayton. It’s extremely rare for a community to “welcome and support something that serves up to 1,000 homeless” at the front doors of a city’s State Capitol and cathedral, Marx said. “That gives us (Catholic Charities) a sense of stewardship” and desire to manage it well, he said.
Housing encampments Higher Ground in St. Paul also was only steps away from a homeless encampment of about 50 people that sprang up in St. Paul last summer. About the same time an encampment of more than 200 people formed in south Minneapolis along Hiawatha Avenue, perhaps the largest such camp in state history. The encampments were a sign of increasing homelessness in the Twin Cities and around the country, sparked in part by rising costs of housing in a growing economy, Marx said. Catholic Charities, parishes and other groups helped at both encampments, with Catholic Charities providing outreach workers at each camp and helping set up and providing the staff for an additional emergency shelter in St. Paul. In Minneapolis, city officials sought permanent housing for people and temporarily replaced the camp with a gated compound of large, heated tents that will remain open until May. Social services are available, and Catholic Charities is providing three meals a day at that camp, which this summer is slated for groundbreaking of an affordable housing project sponsored by the Red Lake Nation. Officials in both cities have been patient and worked hard to find housing and provide services for people in the camps, Marx said. “It had not happened before on that scale,” Marx said of both encampments’ size. The camps also presented different challenges, he said. The Minneapolis camp drew a number of Native Americans, and city officials worked with that community to help those in need, Marx said. Drug deaths and overdoses, harassment and violence also became concerns at the Minneapolis camp. The St. Paul encampment was not dominated by any one group of people. And while not as many people were involved, health and safety were among concerns that prompted action on the part of city officials, he said. One thing all sides are trying to avoid, Marx said, is having transitional housing become a permanent solution to homelessness. That fate can be avoided by building more affordable housing and tackling challenges with “speed, scale and intensity,” similar to Catholic Charities’ multi-pronged efforts at Higher Ground, he said.
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13
PARENTING
Explaining death to children through lens of faith By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit
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hen “Grandma Betty” died more than a year ago, John and Heidi Flanagan did their best to answer the questions of their three children age 6 and younger and prepare them for their beloved family friend’s funeral. Because concepts of heaven and death frequently come up in family conversations about faith, it was easier for the Flanagans, who have seven children and belong to St. Joseph in West St. Paul, to explain death when their kids encountered it for the first time. “It wasn’t scary for them; we took our time; we approached the casket as a family,” said Heidi, 44. “We were holding onto our little ones. We had a lot of time to kneel in front of her casket and pray.” From talking with their children about complex ideas of how the body stops working while the soul goes to God and how we hope heaven will be our eternal home, the Flanagans have found ways of explaining death that build on dinner table conversations about the saints and other topics. “The more we can tangibly, from a young age, show that death is a normal part of life, it takes the fear and the scariness out of it,” Heidi said. Even if children already have some understanding of spiritual concepts, they likely will have questions and even fears when they first encounter death. Several Catholic parents and therapists shared advice for how parents can console their children and prepare for their questions with responses grounded in faith. Three fears children have about death are that their parents will die and leave them alone, that they will die unexpectedly, and that death will
COURTESY FLANAGAN FAMILY
John and Heidi Flanagan, gathered here with their family at St. Joseph in West St. Paul, find opportunities to teach their seven children about life and death during regular family conversations involving faith. hurt, said Therese McCann, a licensed psychologist based in St. Paul. “Sometimes it does hurt, but God is there to help — he never gives us more than we can bear,” she said. Like all their thoughts and feelings, parents should acknowledge and validate children’s fear of dying, said Anne Kunesh Carney, a licensed marriage and family therapist at MidWest Center for Personal & Family Development in St. Paul. The fact that God the Father experienced the death of his son, Jesus, as did Mother Mary, may comfort them, said Kunesh Carney, a parishioner at Holy Trinity in South St. Paul. Parents can encourage children to trust God by explaining that he decides when people die — and we don’t know when
— but that he’ll always take care of us, said McCann, who also belongs to St. Joseph in West St. Paul. Heaven, she said, is where God is, as well as those who have died who love and choose God. The death of an animal or plant can help young children understand when a body is no longer living, said Kunesh Carney, who also recommends explaining how the births of babies and peoples’ deaths are part of the natural life cycle. To teach children about creation and immortality, Kunesh Carney suggested drawing a line with an arrow on both ends representing God, who has neither beginning nor end. An arrow extending out of a point shows that humans were created but have eternal souls. A third
Children’s book invites readers to explore vocations By Debbie Musser For the Catholic Spirit
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hat do you want to be when you grow up? A new book, “So Many Ways to Be Holy: A Child’s Book about Vocations,” asks that question while offering young children a unique look at career choices through the lens of serving God. Author Kristen Soley, a member of St. Mary in Waverly, penned the book, which features rhymes and colorful photos of children portraying vocations such as farmers, astronauts, artists, scientists, priests and nuns. “It’s a fun way to introduce your children to their call to holiness and how God, through our vocation, leads us to him,” Soley said. Another component of the book, edited and designed by Jerry WindleyDaoust of Peanut Butter & Grace Books, which also co-published the book with Holy Heroes, is its tie to the saints. “Look at the lives of the saints and the paths they had to walk,” said Soley. “As St. Catherine of Siena said, ‘Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.’” Soley weaves prayers to patron saints into the book. For example, “Could you
COURTESY KRISTEN SOLEY
This book is available for purchase at: Grace Watch Media – gracewatch.media Holy Heroes – holyheroes.com be a scientist, exploring God’s creation?” is paired with “St. Albert the Great, patron of scientists, pray for us!” “I had read a lot of books about saints and their amazing lives — those are my superheroes,” Soley said. “I want to be like them and give my life to God and reflect him.” Soley, her husband Nate, and their seven children, who range in age from
6 to 17, enjoy life in Waverly. She is currently home schooling five of their children. “We’re just super blessed to have had seven pregnancies and seven healthy babies,” she said. “We opened our hearts to a larger family and to have me stay home instead of working outside the home .... When you give (God) a little bit of trust, he gives you volumes back.” Soley’s strong faith has been tested. In 2015, she faced a major health crisis, successfully undergoing a bone marrow transplant for Aplastic anemia. That was followed by harrowing news: Soley had developed a form of cancer throughout her body that strikes transplant patients. She beat that as well. Soley’s first book, “My Confession Handbook, Jr.: A Child’s Worry-Free Handbook to the Treasure of the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” was written during time she said God gave her during recovery. And God played a hand in Soley’s desire to write her new book. “I have such a smile on my face when I picture parents reading that last page with their children,” she said. “It’s a prayer: ‘God, send your Holy Spirit to help me become the person you made me to be; to listen for your call; and to answer with a glad heart.’”
line with a point at each end represents animals that were created but lack souls. Kendra Tierney, a Los Angeles-area blogger who writes Catholic All Year, prepared her (then seven) children of all ages for a relative’s funeral in 2014 by telling them how the soul animates the body and what happens when it leaves at death. “I’m pretty sure my kids weren’t uncomfortable with it because we weren’t uncomfortable with it,” she wrote shortly after the funeral. Parents can explain that while children won’t see the loved one again during their lives, they can pray for them and ask the loved one to pray, Kunesh Carney said. Parents can help their children process grief by showing and identifying their own emotions while also assuring them that God is comforting their parents, she said. Tierney and her husband didn’t shelter their children from family members’ grief at the funeral. “Watching other people process grief will help my kids understand how to process it for themselves,” she wrote. And taking them to a wake or funeral can teach them to comfort others, Tierney wrote. Closure may take time, but kids can learn that life will still be good after loss because God will be there, Kunesh Carney said. “When everything in life can change and we’ll be sad, when something bad happens or a loss we can’t control, what we do know is that God is the constant, and he will be there,” she said. “He doesn’t promise that there won’t be death and that we won’t be sad or suffer, but he promises that he’ll be with us.”
14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
FAITH+FINANCES
Family works, prays to meet college expenses By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
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lare Reinhardt knew she wouldn’t get much help from her parents for college expenses. The fifth-youngest in a family of 10 children, she followed brothers and sisters who didn’t get much assistance, either. Her parents, Deacon Jim and Nadine Reinhardt of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, were busy putting all of their children through Catholic grade schools and private high schools. “My dad didn’t pay for any of it [college],” said Clare, now a senior studying dietetics at North Dakota State University in Fargo. “But he helped me write scholarship applications and financial-aid type stuff.” “I kind of knew,” she said of going-italone to get through college on savings, finding jobs during the summer and school year, grants and loans. “I have older siblings, and I knew my parents didn’t pay for them, either. It’s all worked out for them.” Deacon Reinhardt, a rehabilitation counselor who runs his own business, said he and his wife tried to teach good savings and work habits. By the time their children were in high school all of them were buying their own clothes, toiletries, sports equipment and meeting other needs. They mowed lawns, worked as nannies, worked for him. One son worked in a hardware store. Over the years, five Reinhardt children have graduated from the University of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas and St. Paul College in the Twin Cities, and Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Clare and her sister, Sarah, are at NDSU. Two children are in high school and one is a seventh grader. Over the summers, Clare worked as a nanny, at a nursing home and for her father. She works during college in the nutrition department of a Fargo hospital. She saved money, got help through a Knights of Columbus school loan, and expects to owe about $20,000 in student loans when she graduates.
COURTESY CLARE AND SARAH REINHARDT
Clare, left, and Sarah Reinhardt are together at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., two of seven Reinhardt children who have graduated or are in college.
Looking back at preparing for college, Clare said, she might have sought out more scholarships. “But that can be time consuming, too,” she said. Her parents won’t have any debt stemming from her studies. “I’m not really a big spender,” Clare said. “After high school I had a pretty good chunk saved. I don’t know exactly, I guess around $5,000. It all went to college.” She’s made good friends at college, many of them connected to the Newman Center on campus. They don’t go out much, opting instead for board games and other inexpensive entertainment. And Sarah joined her this year as a freshman at the college. They live together in an apartment owned by the university. “It’s awesome,” Clare said. “We share a bunk bed again.” Faith plays a major role in her life, Clare said, including her approach to school and finances. “That is the most important part,” she said. “It can be kind of stressful at times. But God always provides.” Deacon Reinhardt said having several children in school at once helped his family. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid takes multiple children into account, effectively splitting the amount parents are expected to help among the children. A family expected to foot $30,000 of the bill each year, for example, with two children in college might be expected to provide $15,000 each. That opens the door to more federal aid and more need-based aid from the schools, Deacon Reinhardt said. Other avenues he followed, Deacon Reinhardt said, included schools’ “special circumstances” funds for families who need extra financial help. “I called and said, ‘we’ve got financial aid, but it’s not cutting it,’” and schools found a way to assist them, he said. God has helped all along the way, Deacon Reinhardt said. “On paper, we couldn’t afford 10 kids,” he said. “On paper, those kids can’t afford to do what they’ve done. But God is faithful. It’s a rich life, and God takes care of you.”
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FAITH+FINANCES
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
College costs, debt rising: Ways to adapt By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
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ollege debt hit $1.5 trillion for U.S. households last year, up from $1.2 trillion in 2017 and $500 billion higher than 2012’s $1 trillion. Debt for college is higher than for credit cards, which the Federal Reserve in New York last year put at $815 billion, and higher than all debt except home mortgages, at $8.9 trillion. Rising college debt is triggered in large part by higher costs to obtain a higher education. Tuition and fees over the last five years rose 10 percent at private, nonprofit fouryear universities, from an average of $32,500 in 2013-2014 to $35,830 in 2018-2019, according to the nonprofit, New York-based College Board. That cost rose 7 percent at public four-year colleges and universities, from $9,590 to $10,230, and 5 percent at two-year public colleges, from $3,500 to $3,660. Those increases followed 14 percent increases in the five years between 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 at private four-year institutions, and nearly 30 percent increases in that same time frame in public two-year and fouryear schools, according to the College Board. But there are ways families can keep debt at a minimum, though some might require hard choices, said Kris Roach, director of financial aid at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The sticker price is more daunting at many schools than the actual costs, particularly at private institutions, as schools increase merit-and need-based financial aid, she said. Some public universities and colleges over the last 10 years have begun raising more money from alumni and others as well, helping students to attend through scholarships, she said. Parents should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to get a snapshot of their financial strength and what governmentsubsidized grants and loans might be available, both for them and their student, Roach said. Students can apply to multiple schools; families can lay out the financial pros and cons of each, and decide what best fits their situation, Roach said. FAFSA does expect a lot from families, Roach said, because the government considers the family responsible for the cost of an education. And federal grants and loans have not kept up with the rising costs of higher education, she said. Under FAFSA, children generally are considered dependents until age 24.
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If a student is set on a college, but can’t afford it, you might have to disappoint” him or her. “But maybe the second choice is not a bad thing.” Kris Roach, director of financial aid, University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. iSTOCK PHOTO | BESTDESIGNS
But parents and their children can do things to pave the way to financial success in college, she said. Children should take challenging courses, work hard and do well in high school, as schools look at rank in class, ACT and SAT scores and other markers for successful and ambitious students, she said. Volunteer work at school and in the community and extracurricular activities also mean a great deal to colleges, Roach said. They also can apply for any number of scholarships offered by nonprofit and other groups, she said. Parents can save for their children’s education and/or use their current cash flow, mixing that money with scholarships, financial aid and loans to keep debt down, she said. Students can save for college and help pay while in college by working each summer and through the school year, Roach said. Many schools offer work-study programs on campus, she said. Families with more than one child will find that FAFSA essentially splits the expected family contribution among their kids, Roach said. A family expected to provide $30,000, for example, would see that split between two children, at $15,000 each. That can help each child receive more in grants and loans, she said. If a school identified as a favorite by a student appears to be out of reach financially, a decision might have to be made to take the next best choice, Roach said. And if a four-year university or college is too expensive, a less costly two-year or technical college might be the best decision, she said. “If a student is set on a college, but can’t afford it, you might have to disappoint” him or her, Roach said. “But maybe the second choice is not a bad thing.”
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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15
Vatican underlines support of universal health care Catholic News Service The Vatican supports efforts to build stronger and sustainable essential health care services on the way toward achieving universal health coverage, a Vatican official said. The Catholic Church is part of this effort in providing primary care to people in need and always “with due recognition to the sacredness of human life, from conception to natural death,” said Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, Vatican observer to U.N. agencies in Geneva. Speaking to the executive board of the World Health Organization Jan. 28, the archbishop noted the organization’s call for a renewal of primary health care and the Sustainable Development Goals’ target of universal health coverage to “ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.” “The Holy See affirms the call to mobilize all stakeholders to take joint action to build stronger and sustainable primary health care toward achieving universal health coverage,” he said in a brief address. In fact, over the course of 2018, “Catholic-inspired organizations provided health care at 5,287 hospitals and 15,397 dispensaries, 15,722 residential programs for the elderly and for persons living with debilitating chronic illnesses and other disabilities in all parts of the world,” he said. “The majority of these health-related programs provide integrated, person-
centered and primary care to all persons in need, but with special commitment to those who are most poor and marginalized,” he added. He repeated Pope Francis’ message observing International Universal Health Coverage Day in 2018 in which he underlined “the right of all to have access to health care as a means of fostering the value of justice and the common good, which at the same time is the good of all and of everyone in particular.” The Geneva meeting of WHO leadership was part of a series of preparatory gatherings for the first-ever United Nations’ high-level meeting on universal health coverage planned for Sept. 23 during the 2019 meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. The meeting, dedicated to the theme, “Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World,” is geared to inspiring global action to achieve universal health coverage by 2030 as part of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. A preparatory report by the WHO published Dec. 27, 2018, found that: At least half the world’s population still lacks access to essential health services; some 800 million people spend more than 10 percent of their household budget on health care; and almost 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty each year because of out-ofpocket health expenses.
16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | MSGR. JEFFREY STEENSON
God’s call prompts mission and action For the person in biblical times, there was an intuitive dread about suddenly encountering the living God. “No one shall see me and live,” the Lord told Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex. 33:20). Such was the gulf fixed between the all-holy God and sinful humanity that the biblical person instinctively turned the eye downward and would not dare to approach, if visited by a theophany. The gulf was so unbridgeable that the early Church would develop a theology that stated every divine visitation before the Incarnation was mediated by an angel; God in his essence was utterly hidden from us. In our three readings for Mass Feb. 10, we meet three holy souls who have been visited by God and who would
not presume on this grace. In Isaiah 6, the magnificent vision of the heavenly liturgy which is invoked in every Mass at the Sanctus, the reluctant Isaiah is called to be a prophet. In a vision he is summoned to God’s throne in heaven, surrounded by the seraphim, the highest of the angelic orders. Isaiah is overcome by a sense of his utter unworthiness. But then one of the seraphim touches a burning coal from the altar to his lips and purges his sins. He hears (but does not see) the Lord himself, who sends him forth to proclaim the word of the Lord. In the second reading (I Cor. 15:1-11), Paul, whose encounter with the ascended Lord on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) was unique among the apostles, declares himself to be the least of the apostles. Only by the grace of God is he able to proclaim the Gospel and
ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ
Can I really be a saint? Q. When I
read about people who became saints in the past, it gets me a bit worried. They all seemed to have led very “extreme” lives. I don’t think that I could do that. Can I still be a saint?
A. You are asking one of the
most important questions in the world: “Can I be a saint?” This question reveals that you have both awareness and desire: You are aware that there is nothing greater that a human person can become, and you actually want it. There are three different uses for the term “saint.” The most broad is the biblical term: anyone who has been baptized is among the “holy ones.” The second most general use is “anyone who is in heaven.” The third and most specific use of the term refers to those who have gone through the canonization process and are officially recognized by the Church as “Saint So-and-So.” If you are baptized, you are already numbered among those who are called the “holy ones.” The goal of being officially
declared “Saint You” by the Church would be pretty cool but is more or less out of your control. Therefore, the kind of saint you are called to become is the middle one: the one who is simply in heaven with God and the rest of the communion. So, you are aware and have the desire. What a gift. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” But obviously, awareness and desire are not the only ingredients necessary to be a saint. We require an abundance of God’s help. This is called “grace,” and we can do nothing without it. But beyond that, when it comes to our part, is being a saint nearly impossible in this day and age? Let’s make something very clear before taking any next steps. A person never becomes a saint because they fasted a lot, or because they prayed a lot, or because they helped a lot of people in some dramatic fashion. Every single saint did pray and fast and serve, but this isn’t why they are saints. Saints are people so conformed to the image of Jesus that they do the Father’s will. “Doing the Father’s will is the food that sustains me,” said Jesus.
the revelations he has received. And in the Gospel (Luke 5:1-11), Peter leaves behind his previous vocation of fisherman to become a fisher of men. He is visited by Jesus after an unproductive day at work on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus asks to use his boat to teach the people ashore. And then the Lord performs the miracle of the miraculous catch of fish. Peter is overwhelmed by this divine power that has come into his life. He falls to his knees and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” In all three of our readings today, this sense of unworthiness opens the way to vocation, being called by the Lord and being sent forth with a mission. This is the experience of other great saints in the Bible who suddenly find themselves in the presence of God, such as Abraham (Gen. 18:27) and Job (Job 42:6). On Mount Sinai, at the giving of the Ten Commandments, the people begged Moses to mediate, lest they hear God speaking and die (Ex. 20:19). These texts deeply moved our early Christian brothers
and sisters. The tradition of sealing our lips with the sign of the cross at the proclamation of the Gospel is no doubt rooted in this sense of our unworthiness to stand before God’s holiness. St. Cassiodorus, who left politics to be a monk in A.D. 540, said that by signing our lips with the seal of the cross we pray to the Lord that he may cleanse our mouths which are disfigured by sin (Explanation of the Psalms 141.8). Encountering the word of the living God, which throughout Scripture and tradition is described as a fiery experience, is for the redeemed people of God, not an occasion of fear but of hopeful serenity. A lovely hymn by Blessed John Henry Newman’s old Anglican colleague, John Keble, captures this sense so well: “The fires, that rushed on Sinai down, In sudden torrents dread, Now gently light, a glorious crown, On every sainted head.”
I wouldn’t say that it is any more difficult to become a saint in our time than in any other time. But there are certain obstacles we currently face that may not have been present to our ancestors who have run the race before us. First, our culture has become preoccupied with instant gratification. Our attention spans are limited, and our ability to wait patiently has shrunk. Further, constant distraction has inculcated a tendency toward remaining on the surface of things and becoming unable to truly dive deeply into meaningful ideas, relationships and prayer. The modern saint will have to contend with these obstacles. Sanctification (or becoming more and more like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit) is a process. There are no shortcuts, and there are no quick fixes. It will be a process of choosing the Father’s will over and over. The person who desires to be a saint will enter into this process with the hope and joy of knowing that God will do a great work in him or her, even if it is the work of a lifetime. The second obstacle I can see is our attraction to keeping our options open. I have a friend who diagnosed our culture as having “optionitis.” We have an aversion to commitment. We don’t like to be tied down. But Christian faith is far more than simply believing in a set of
doctrines; it is fully “belonging” to God and submitting one’s intellect and will to Christ and his Church. This constant act of self-surrender requires a willingness to be “all in.” The third challenge the modern saint will face is a lack of courage. We can be tempted to imagine that being a saint is nothing more than someone who is “just really, really nice.” But Jesus taught that heaven is taken by force, and that the violent bear it away. Not physical force, but certainly physical, moral and spiritual courage. There is no saint who ever lived who did not have the virtue of courage in abundance. We could even describe it as a “warrior spirit.” You are called to be a saint. You have been redeemed so that you may become one: to enter into the process of sanctification, to give yourself fully to the Lord, and to embrace a fighting spirit of courage. With God’s grace, this is something eminently possible. As one contemporary writer has put it, “There is only one real reason why you are not already a saint: you do not yet want to be one.”
Msgr. Steenson is ordinary emeritus of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. He retired this summer from teaching at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity.
Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Reach him at fathermikeschmitz@gmail.com.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, February 10 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 6:1-2a, 3-8 1 Cor 15:1-11 Lk 5:1-11 Monday, February 11 Gn 1:1-19 Mk 6:53-56 Tuesday, February 12 Gn 1:20–2:4a Mk 7:1-13 Wednesday, February 13 Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17 Mk 7:14-23 Thursday, February 14 Sts. Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop Gn 2:18-25 Mk 7:24-30 Friday, February 15 Gn 3:1-8 Mk 7:31-37 Saturday, February 16 Gn 3:9-24 Mk 8:1-10 Sunday, February 17 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jer 17:5-8 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20 Lk 6:17, 20-26 Monday, February 18 Gn 4:1-15, 25 Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday, February 19 Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10 Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday, February 20 Gn 8:6-13, 20-22 Mk 8:22-26 Thursday, February 21 Gn 9:1-13 Mk 8:27-33 Friday, February 22 Chair of St. Peter, apostle 1 Pt 5:1-4 Mt 16:13-19 Saturday, February 23 St. Polycarp, bishop and martyr Heb 11:1-7 Mk 9:2-13 Sunday, February 24 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 1 Cor 15:45-49 Lk 6:27-38
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17
COMMENTARY
TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI
Adventure by Catholic terms: ‘You were made for greatness’ All afternoon I had been hunkered over my MacBook, perched above a frozen lake and watching the sun cast pink into the clouds. I was thinking about what lie dormant and all the possibility below, waiting to thaw. My task at hand: editing a cover story about three Catholic families who had taken radical leaps of faith. One couple moved to Costa Rica with their baby to do mission work. One man felt called to head up a floundering radio station. Another family set aside their jobs and rented out their home to embark on a year-long cross-country RV trip, prodded by a sensation many of us recognize. “Life was starting to rule us, not the other way around,” the 40-year-old mom said she had realized one Wednesday evening during her son’s karate class. “We felt we were losing time.” Their travel is reshaping them. Worshipping at tiny desert churches and ancient cathedrals has made them appreciate the universal church. And the time together in tiny quarters, the experience of truly putting family first has been restorative. When the year is over, they’re determined to apply their lessons from the road. They plan to do a homeschool hybrid — two days at a local charter school and three days at home — rather than the traditional school
their son had attended. They vow to camp monthly to continue the intense family bonding begun in their RV. And they pledge not to overcommit, to never agree to something on the spot but rather say, “That sounds great; let me get back to you after talking to my spouse.” As I kicked around cover lines for the story, I considered phrases like “leap of faith” and “bold journey.” But one word felt most apt, dulling in any paraphrase: adventure. Somehow it contains both courage and motion, stretching long like an open highway. Webster’s defines adventure as “an exciting or remarkable experience” and “an undertaking usually involving danger.” It originates from the colloquial Latin word adventura, “what must happen,” which conjures a sense of destiny — the thing with burning urgency that can no longer be delayed or denied. That evening my friend Stephen came over to discuss the epic road trip he was about to begin: driving from Minnesota down to the bottom of South America to take in Patagonia. He’d just been at a party where they were swapping definitions of adventure, Stephen told me. For him, it involved the new, “going into the unknown.” I’ll be following his travels through Instagram while staying put. Days after he hits the road, I’ll be going into labor. A sense of peace washed over me as I listened to Stephen. I know my next adventure ordained by God is about to begin, and though mine centers on a
SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY
When a marriage is hurting With the celebration of Valentine’s Day this month, most people do not think about marriages that are struggling or hurting, due to infidelity, miscommunication or past hurts. When a partner of such a couple attempts to purchase a card for their spouse to express their feelings, it can be a difficult experience. In such instances, honesty about the state of the marriage is far more valuable than an expression of words the spouse does not sincerely mean. A simple card to extend well-wishes to the partner, rather than an emotional, overlyexpressive message would be more appropriate. However, finding such a card may be challenging. When a marriage is hurting, no matter the season, both partners are hurting. Additionally, family members, children, grandchildren and in-laws are affected by the pain of the aching relationship and are often at a loss of finding ways to help. Again, honesty is
the first step toward healing. If the couple has the desire to reinvigorate and restore the marriage, they must be candid about what they believe is wrong and work together to make every effort to repair the hurt and harm that has been caused by the rupture in their relationship. Chris Witte, a professional speaker and corporate trainer, explains that resolving conflict in our relationships begins with the decision to communicate with each other by finding an agreed upon place and time to hold a discussion, not an argument. If the communication devolves into a disagreement, the couple must stop immediately, in order that neither partner experiences further harm. If the partners are able to remain civil and polite, one partner begins by sharing one grievance, while the other listens carefully and calmly, preparing to ask questions for clarification, not to defend themselves against what they perceive as criticism. When the listening partner asks questions for clarification, the speaking partner has the opportunity to correct or affirm the
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The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness. Pope Benedict XVI
iSTOCK | ANISZEWSKI
rocking chair and a dimmed nursery, it is no less thrilling. What greater adventure could there be than raising a child? I felt happy for both of us, thinking in that space beyond comparison, where you see how unique and worthy each path is and would never hold them up together. That night I Googled quotes on adventure for the back of the magazine, circling around words from Helen Keller and the ever-quotable G.K. Chesterton.
Suddenly the answer flashed in my mind: a statement from Pope Benedict XVI. “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” That’s the true meaning of adventure, whether you’re in Patagonia or in pajamas at home: the times you push beyond comfort to achieve your greatness designed by God.
questions posed by the listening partner. Both partners must choose to be calm and mature if this discussion is to remain at the discussion level. Next, the partners agree to work together toward the most logical, practical solution that both find amenable. They will agree on who will do what by when, a timetable, and the expected outcome of their efforts to resolve the conflict they face. If the discussion becomes accusatory or angry, the couple is encouraged to step back and take a time out, but must agree to return when tempers have subsided and they can safely resume their conversation. When we think about how Jesus handled disagreements he faced on his journeys throughout Palestine, he nearly always remained loving, patient and present. He rarely became angry toward those who challenged his thinking or questioned his motives. Rather, he often posed a question in return, gave a simple teaching, or offered a quotation from what we know as the Old Testament. For Jesus, this was the Torah, the Writings, or the Prophets and was his written source of wisdom from God. The New Testament was not available to him because it was written after his death and resurrection and taught about his life and teachings. We have so many options and
ACTION CHALLENGE
Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.
Follow the steps outlined by Chris Witte and engage in a discussion with your spouse or work associates this month. Do not judge yourself on the outcome. Instead, focus on using the strategies outlined above. choices for handling disagreements with those whom we love or with whom we work. Allowing disagreements to become stumbling blocks to a richer life is unnecessary and unwise. Not only does entering into an argument harm our relationships, it also harms our health. Finding simple and straightforward ways to manage difficulties in our relationships is an opportunity for personal and relational growth. Take time during this month of love to improve your relationships. Rather than offer a sentiment on a card you don’t really mean, be sincere and truthful and use this month as an opportunity for growth and honesty in your marriage. Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a member of Guardian Angels in Oakdale. She holds a master’s degree in theology from the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.
COMMENTARY
18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FAITH AT HOME | LAURA KELLY FANUCCI
Wanting what Jesus is doing
“I want some of that — what Jesus is doing.” My young son tugged at my elbow, pointing to our pastor who stood at the front of the church, praying with each person who came forward for the sacrament, anointing their heads and hands with the oil of the sick. “I want some of that,” he insisted. “What Jesus is doing!” I could have chuckled at his request, a classic “kids say the cutest things” comment during Mass. He was only 2 at the time, young enough to confuse the priest in flowing robes with pictures of Jesus in his children’s Bible. But his words kept me wondering, even after I explained what he was seeing. Could his eyes — the clearer, childlike eyes of faith — catch what mine couldn’t? A theology professor of mine used to teach this wise maxim in his Scripture classes: “If it happened back then, it’s happening now.” Meaning that we should keep our eyes open wide to see God at work in the world today. We need to remember that the Bible tells not
ancient history but ever-present reality. What was Jesus doing in Scripture? Healing the sick. Forgiving sinners. Teaching the crowds. Comforting the grieving. Preaching good news. Everything God continues to do in our world today. What if we approached each Mass, each Scripture story and each moment of prayer with this same longing and eagerness? “I want some of that — what Jesus is doing.” My son’s words have remained with me over the years, a refrain for seeing the world with eyes of faith. His recognition of the holy and his desire for Jesus remind me to look from his level. God works through our ordinary lives in moments so small we can miss them. Cooking breakfast for the ones we love. Baking bread. Washing feet. Sweeping the floor. Sitting with a sick child. Holding a baby. Jesus did (or taught about) these ordinary actions, weaving them into his parables and preaching. The same moments that fill my days as a parent. The same tasks I’ve watched my friends do over and over, in small or heroic ways in their own homes: uWashing children’s feet at bath time
THE LOCAL CHURCH | LYNDA MCDONNELL
An army of solidarity in El Paso Jan.16 was my last day in El Paso. With a noon flight, I didn’t sign up for a shift at Casa Nazareth, the refuge for immigrant families where I’d volunteered the previous eight days. I stayed away from the kitchen, where I had spent a lot of time helping prepare meals for an everchanging population of guests. The need was still there. The previous night’s 65 guests had to be fed and sent on their way to relatives across the country. New families — fresh from ICE detention — had to be prepared for. But other volunteers would do that. A trio of grey-haired nuns had just arrived from Ohio. A retired couple from California were in the office, arranging for volunteers to drive guests to the bus station and airport. The out-of-work chef who volunteers to make breakfast every Wednesday was busy peeling potatoes and chopping ham in the kitchen with three other volunteers. It was time, as they say, for me to let go and let God. God and what a longtime volunteer calls “the army of solidarity” that serves immigrants at Casa Nazareth and other sites operated by its parent, Annunciation House. Of all the lessons I carry home from my experience at this border refuge, the combined power of faith and solidarity is the greatest. Day after day, volunteers with willing hands and open hearts feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give rest and comfort to the weary and fearful. Retired couples,
college students and religious sisters well past retirement age stream to Casa Nazareth from across the country. New college grads dedicate themselves to serving poor immigrants for a year without pay. A vast team of El Paso residents are the frame that holds up the enterprise. Local churches bring many meals. Local volunteers run the daily operation as shift supervisors. People who see a bargain at the grocery store buy extra for the shelter. As a Minnesotan living far from the southern border, I feel enormous gratitude and humility for their commitment and generosity. We out-of-towners provide important relief and support. In return, we draw closer to the real face of our nation’s immigration crisis and can help change the story that’s being told. I also got to live and work with a remarkable group of women — funny, smart, energetic nuns in their 70s and 80s who have served the children of God for decades. I’ll write about that another day, including their example of how much we elders have left to give. Thanks to the work of so many, small miracles seem to happen daily. On Tuesday, a team of students from the University of St. Thomas gave the kitchen a much-needed deep cleaning. Days earlier, a woman arrived with a huge pot of homemade chicken stew just before another ICE bus packed with hungry families arrived. There are limits to this model of loaves and fishes. Volunteers fall sick and burn out. Cleanliness and order are transitory. With no easy way to wash dishes or recycle containers, we threw
after long days as a nurse and raising money to give other children access to clean water. uCooking hot breakfasts for their family on a tight budget and baking a year’s worth of pastries as a gift for a parish fundraiser. uSweeping floors three times a day with toddlers underfoot and launching letter-writing campaigns to sweep the Church clean from abuse scandals and cover-ups. uSitting up long nights with kids with special needs and sitting down to dinner with other mothers to help them know they aren’t alone. uWaiting to hold a baby after multiple miscarriages and welcoming foster children into an already full home. When I look at my friends’ lives, I want some of all of this — what Jesus is doing, in and through them. Picture the friends you know who nudge you closer to God. Friends whose ordinary love and service for neighbors and strangers has changed you. Friends whose faithful prayer or prophetic witness made you dig deeper into discipleship. How do they spur you on toward a life that could make a toddler tug at a parent’s sleeve, point and say, “I want some of that — what Jesus is doing”? Over the years, I have come to marvel at the mysteries of God at work in the world, but only because others taught me to see. They believe in the abundant away bags full of Styrofoam cups and plates, plastic spoons and forks and other waste after every meal. With fluctuating numbers and volunteer cooks, food is inevitably wasted. And while Annunciation House relieves the suffering of immigrant families who cross the southern border, it cannot address the violence and poverty in their home countries that cause them to flee. Nor can it budge the political impasse that keeps Congress from undertaking humane, practical
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
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God works through our ordinary lives in moments so small we can miss them. Cooking breakfast for the ones we love. Baking bread. Washing feet. Sweeping the floor. Sitting with a sick child. Holding a baby. iSTOCKPHOTO | ANDREYGONCHAR
presence of God. They model the Christian life in quiet, common ways. But it took a child to lead me. To see God in the work of their hands. Fanucci, a parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, is a mother, writer and director of a project on vocations at the Collegeville Institute in Collegeville. She is the author of several books, including “Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting,” and blogs at motheringspirit.com. and serious immigration reform. That’s up to the rest of us. McDonnell is a parishioner of Incarnation/Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Minneapolis. In January, she spent eight days volunteering at Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, along with Dominican Sister Margaret McGuirk and another fellow parishioner. Read more about their experience at inc-scj.org/sister-margaret-sblog.html. A version of this commentary was first published at lyndamcdonnell.com.
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19
CALENDAR St. Paul. A group of men, women, family and friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholic alcoholics. Kathy at 651-330-3387. calixsociety.com. Job transitions and networking group — Tuesdays: 7–8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph the Worker, 7180 Hemlock Lane, Maple Grove. Bob at bob.sjtw@gmail.com. sjtw.net. Dementia support group — Second Tuesday of each month: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. RSVP sarnold@benedictinecenter.org. benedictinecenter.org.
FEATURED EVENTS World Day of the Sick Mass — Feb. 9: 10 a.m. at St. Joseph, 1154 Seminole Ave., West St. Paul. The Mass takes place on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. Bishop Andrew Cozzens will celebrate the Mass, which is for the sick, caregivers, health care professionals and chaplains. All are invited to come together to pray for one another under the mantle of Our Lady and to honor those who serve the sick. After Mass, there will be optional blessings with Lourdes water, plus a reception and talk by Father Marcus Milless. For more information, visit curatioapostolate.com.
Parish events
Argument of the Month Club for Women featuring Gloria Purvis — Feb. 19: 6–9 p.m. at St. Mark, 2001 Dayton Ave., St. Paul. Purvis is the host of EWTN’s “Morning Glory.” She will speak on “Dismantling Planned Parenthood: Abortion, Racism and the Black Community” and then take questions on the topics of racism and abortion. For more information, visit facebook.com/ArgumentClubForWomen.
Dining out Guardian Angels Men’s Club Beef and Sausage Dinner — Feb. 10: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at 217 Second St. W., Chaska. gachaska.org.
Music Together In Hope Concert — Feb. 9: 8–10 p.m. at Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Featuring Together In Hope Choir, an ecumenical ensemble. mary.org. Immaculate Conception Cabaret Dinner Theatre — Feb. 9: 6 p.m. at Immaculate Conception, 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. Tickets 763-788-9062. iccsonline.org. Metropolitan Symphony: A Dinosaur Extravaganza — Feb. 10: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. st-matts.org.
Ongoing groups Calix Society — First and third Sunday of each month: 9–10:30 a.m. at Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave.,
Let There Be Light: paintings to inspire hope and peace — Through Feb. 17: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at Pax Christi, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie. Featuring Ashley Dull’s paintings. paxchristi.com. Father Daughter Dance — Feb. 8: 6–9 p.m. at St. Michael, 611 Third St. S., Stillwater. Register fatherdaughterstillwater@gmail.com. stmichaelstillwater.org. Cana Dinner — Feb. 9: 5–9 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament, 2119 Stillwater Ave. E., St. Paul. Blessing of marriages with speaker Father Al Backmann. Julie at 651-738-0677 or jtaylor@blessedsacramentsp.org. blessedsacramentsp.org. Swing Dance and Spaghetti Dinner — Feb. 9: 5:30–11 p.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul, 150 Railway St. E., Loretto. saintsppta.org. St. Pius X Winterfest — Feb. 10: 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m. at 3878 Highland Ave., White Bear Lake. churchofstpiusx.org. St. Alphonsus Women’s Day of Reflection — Feb. 16: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. at 7025 Halifax Ave. N., Brooklyn Center. Speaker Mary Kellett will share her message on “The Gift of Our Life” and “Self Care for Care Givers.” Deb Cone at 612-578-6046. stalsmn.org.
Prayer/worship Remarriage seminar — Feb. 9: 9 a.m.–noon at Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. mary.org. Prayer/worship Healing Mass with Father Jim Livingston — Feb. 12: 7 p.m. at St. Gabriel the Archangel, St. Joseph Campus, 1310 Main St., Hopkins. Barb at 952-933-8423. stgabrielhopkins.org. Exposition, Adoration, Benediction — Feb. 16: 6–8 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist, 20087 Hub Drive, New Prague. npcatholic.org. Calix Society of the Twin Cities — Feb. 23: 10 a.m. at St. Pascal Baylon, 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. Healing Mass with Father Jim Livingston. Kathy at 651-330-3387 with questions. calixsociety.org.
Taize prayer — Third Thursday of each month: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org. Taize prayer — Third Friday of each month: 7 p.m. at The Benedictine Center, St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 651-777-7251 or stpaulsmonastery.org.
Retreats Married Couples Retreat — Feb. 8-10 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16388 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Theme for 2019: Rejoice and be Glad: Our Call to Holiness in Today’s World. franciscanretreats.net. Directed Retreat — Feb. 11-15 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Directed retreat presented by Members of the King’s House Preaching Team. kingshouse.com. Listen: learning to be present to those most in need — Feb. 12: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org. School of Lectio Divina — Feb. 15-20 at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org. Women’s Silent Weekend Retreat — Feb. 22-24 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Theme: Be Patient in Affliction presented by King’s House Preaching Team. kingshouse.com. Women’s Weekend Retreat — Feb. 22-24 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16389 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Theme for 2019: Rejoice and be Glad: Our Call to Holiness in Today’s World. franciscanretreats.net. Grief to Grace Retreat: Healing the Wounds of Abuse — Feb. 24-March 1 at the Metro Retreat Center, Twin Cities. Register at diane@grieftograce.org or 612-440-7247. grief-to-grace-lsi.squarespace.com.
Conferences/workshops Investment conference — Feb. 13: 7:15–10:30 a.m. at University of St. Thomas, Woulfe Alumni Hall, Anderson Student Center, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Bringing together donors and investors interested in giving and investing with a Catholic heart. ccf-mn.org. Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office Winter Teaching Conference — Feb. 23: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. The theme this year is Anchored in Unshakable Hope with speaker Bishop Andrew Cozzens. ccro-msp.org. Working with clay as spiritual practice — Mondays Feb. 25 through April 1: 6:30–8:15 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Taught by Sr. Virginia Matter, a Benedictine Sister. benedictinecenter.org.
CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event u Contact information in case of questions ONLINE: thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106
Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50-plus Catholic singles — ongoing Sundays. Kay at 651-426-3103 or Al at 651-439-1203. Singles group — ongoing second Saturday of each month: 6:15 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. 763-425-0412.
Young adults Theology on Tap — Wednesdays through Feb. 27: 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Crooked Pint Ale House and Event Center, 1734 Adolphus St., Maplewood. Don’t miss Archbishop Bernard Hebda Feb. 20. facebook.com/groups/joincya. Friday Night at the Friary — Third Friday of each month: 7–9 p.m. at Franciscan Brothers of Peace, 1289 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. Men ages 18-35 are invited for prayer and fellowship. facebook.com/queenofpeacefriary.
Other events Church of St. Andrew’s Community Reunion and Fundraiser — Feb. 10: 3–6 p.m. at Gabe’s by the Park, 991 Lexington Ave., St. Paul. Join us for the “Save Historic St. Andrew’s.” savehistoricsaintandrews.org.
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FOR SALE Top quality L-shaped cherrywood office desk, 30” x 66” desk with 18” x 72 “ side credenza. Excellent condition, only 3 years old. Cost $1400 new, asking $250. Owner can e-mail photo. Call Jim 612-618-1774 or e-mail jstrande42@gmail.com.
GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS Catholic Youth Minister, Saint Andrew Catholic Church, Elk River, MN. Full-Time. We are seeking a joyful, outgoing disciple to help establish small-group/relational youth ministry and support middle- and high-school faith formation activities in our growing parish. Must be a confirmed and practicing Catholic, pass a criminal background check and meet all other Safe Environment requirements of the Diocese of St. Cloud. Related degree and firsthand experience or training preferred. Learn more at www. saint-andrew.net/employment. Please submit your application materials no later than February 15, 2019, to Melissa Anderson, Parish Business Administrator; Saint Andrew Catholic Church; 566 4th Street NW; Elk River, MN 55330 or melissaa@saint-andrew.net. Review of applications will begin immediately.
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20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
THELASTWORD
Totino-Grace grad thrives in NFL front-office job, helps build Super Bowl team in L.A. By Dave Hrbacek and Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit
W
hen Tony Pastoors was five days old, his mother, Betsy, kneeled in a hospital chapel to pray that his life would be spared. He seemed fine when he was born Sept. 24, 1987, at United Hospital in St. Paul. Betsy described him as a “huge baby” who weighed 11 pounds. But, after bringing him home, she quickly discovered he wasn’t able to have a bowel movement. Doctors diagnosed him with Hirschsprung Disease, which attacks the colon, and he was scheduled for surgery Sept. 29. She pleaded for God to save him, and in those tense and prayerful moments never imagined that he would not only survive the surgery, but go on to star in football at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley. He played defensive back and quarterback, and helped the Eagles win state championships in both his sophomore and junior years. The climb up the football ladder continued after he graduated from T-G in 2006. He went on to Dartmouth College, where he played defensive back all four years. The summer after his graduation from Dartmouth in 2010 with a history degree, he landed a front-office job with the then-St. Louis Rams. Now the vice president of football and business administration, he helped build the franchise, which moved to Los Angeles in 2016, into a Super Bowl team, helping with the draft and taking part in interviewing now-Head Coach Sean McVay. The Rams fell to the New England Patriots Feb. 3 in Super Bowl LIII, 13-3. “It’s not the result we certainly were hoping for, but when we look back on the 2018 season ... you really can’t help but smile,” said Tony, 31. “It was a special year (and) a special group of guys. A lot to be proud of.” “I have a chance to be around these guys every day, and it’s special to be in a game like that,” he added. “It only makes the result more difficult because you stand in the locker room right after that game.” Just days before the game, Betsy and her husband, Pat, who both graduated from Totino-Grace in 1980, boarded a plane for Atlanta, where they would reunite with their son and all would cheer for their newest blue-and-gold football squad. Tony said the “business side” of the game hits home as he knows that this particular set of players might not all be together again. “Things change with contracts, and we don’t quite know how some things will work out with certain players — who will be back [and] who won’t be.” Despite how far Tony has come, both on the field and in his faith, Betsy has no trouble going back in time to the day of her son’s surgery. She was warned it
RAM TOUGH
ABOVE Tony Pastoors, center, stands on the field at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis with his parents, Pat, left, and Betsy, Nov. 19, 2017, when the Los Angeles Rams played the Minnesota Vikings. COURTESY PASTOORS FAMILY
RIGHT As a quarterback for Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, Tony Pastoors gets ready to throw a pass in the Class 4A state championship game against SartellSt. Stephen Nov. 26, 2004. His team won the game 27-6. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT would be long, and the track record of the procedure was short, as doctors only had been using it to treat the disease for five or 10 years. Prior to that, babies with the disease often died, she said. She went into the hospital’s chapel and made her plea for divine assistance. “I do recall that very vividly,” said Betsy, 56. “I just said, ‘You know, Lord, not today, not this guy. You don’t need this angel.’” Seven hours later, her prayers were answered. After more surgeries over the next two years, Tony finally completed his recovery. There were no residual effects, and he eventually turned his thoughts toward athletics. The youngest of three brothers, he followed in the footsteps of Tim, 35, and Ted, 33, and played three years of varsity football at Totino-Grace. He also competed on the track and field team. Of equal importance to the family was following the faith tradition. Tim and Tony both won the Lasallian Man of the Year award their senior year. It is a faithbased award given to one senior boy and one senior girl each year (with some exceptions). The youngest of the Pastoors’ children, Traci Bennington, 29, now serves as a campus minister at Totino-Grace and values even more the faith she sees in the older brother she got to go to school with for two years at T-G. “Just like on the football field, Tony shows leadership in his faith,” said Bennington, who began working at the
school in 2012 as a teacher and a track coach, later becoming a campus minister. “He was a member at T-G of our student ministry team, and I, being a younger sibling, got to observe and watch that. And now, being in charge of it [ministry], I know that faith in high school is a challenging thing, to be the kid to stand up and talk about their faith, and to be a reader at Mass. And, Tony was never ashamed or afraid to do that.” He also did service, both after school and on trips, which Traci said inspired her to do the same. Tony took those traits onto the field, where he distinguished himself among his teammates, and earned the respect of his oldest brother, who joined the coaching staff in 2003. “He was a great leader, but also a great player,” said Tim, who works at TotinoGrace as director of facilities and technology. “Since I’ve been here, I don’t know that we’ve ever had a player win two conference awards in back-to-back years like he did. His junior year he was the conference offensive MVP and then his senior year, he was the conference overall MVP [both for the North Suburban Conference].” The success quickly faded after he
graduated from T-G. Dartmouth had a losing season every year he played, and the NFL Rams were in the midst of a string of years in which they did not have a winning season. His first year, they finished 7-9, and they finally had a winning season a year ago, when they went 11-5 and lost in the first round of the NFC playoffs. The losing seasons at Dartmouth and with the Rams forged one of his many character traits: resilience. As he went about his business with the Rams, he strived to “continue to look ahead, [keep] working and hopefully setting a team up, setting the organization up for, hopefully, brighter days.” Tony credits his coaches and mentors at Totino-Grace for helping him grow as a man of faith and as a football player, and he now follows the lead of his new mentor, McVay, who has put the organization on a winning path since his hiring before the 2017 season. “It’s all about the team, and it’s all about the people with you and next to you and putting them first,” Tony said. “I think that’s really what this Rams team is — it’s something Sean [McVay] always says, ‘the team has a ‘we’ not ‘me’ mentality.’”