The Catholic Spirit - January 21, 2016 by The Catholic Spirit Publishing Co.

January 21, 2016 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

2016

An overview of this year’s appeal • 2A

CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL

CAMPUS MINISTRY 2016 goals and reasons to give • 3A

CATHOLIC CHARITIES Photos by Dave Hrbacek

In their own words: Why the CSA matters • 4A

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

2A • The Catholic Spirit

eadership skills, a strong community and a deeper love of God are the fruits of Dafne Carmona-Rios’ involvement in Pastoral Juvenil, the youth group for Latino teens in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. There, the youth “learn to trust him [God], to be capable of being blown away by his greatness and humility,” said Carmona-Rios, a parishioner of Holy Rosary in Minneapolis who has received leadership training through the archdiocese’s Latino Ministry. Last year, Pastoral Juvenil served more than 1,000 youth, ages 13-17, through eight programs in the archdiocese’s 22 parishes that celebrate Mass in Spanish. The initiative is supported by the archdiocese’s Office of Latino Ministry, one of 17 ministries in the archdiocese funded by the annual Catholic Services Appeal. Like last year, the 2016 appeal goal is $9.3 million, with plans to distribute amounts ranging from $11,000 to St. Paul’s Outreach to $1,375,000 to Catholic elementary schools. Parishes that meet or nearly meet their appeal goals receive a percentage of the funds they raise, and the appeal estimates it will return $1.8 million to parishes in 2016. The Catholic Services Appeal Foundation, a Plymouth-based organization that separated from the archdiocese in 2013 and is led by a board of directors, hopes using more social media; a new blog at its website, www.csafspm.org; and stronger yearlong communication about the funds’ impact in the community will attract more people’s giving. The appeal launches in parishes across the archdiocese Jan. 23-24 and Jan. 30-31.

A focus on serving Last year, the CSA launched with the tagline “Serve, Support, Strengthen.” The 2016 appeal’s theme is “Serve,” marking the first of a three-year campaign that will focus on each theme. “In this Year of Mercy, it’s important to serve all of the different people who are in need,” said Jennifer Beaudry, the CSAF’s executive director. “With everything that’s going on the archdiocese, it’s still important to serve these people who need our help. They can’t just be dropped, and we can’t say we’re not going to give . . . because we’re upset with the archdiocese. . . . These people don’t get funding any other way.” While some CSA recipients — such as Catholic Charities, St. Paul’s Outreach and the seminaries — have their own fundraising arms, others rely heavily on what they receive from the CSA to fund their basic programs. People may not otherwise think of the archdiocese’s American Indian ministry, deaf ministry or Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women when exploring where to give, Beaudry said. Although the goal is the same as last year, its distribution plan varies slightly. Because the amount given to seminaries is based on the number of seminarians from the archdiocese — $30,000 each for men enrolled at St. Paul Seminary and $10,000 each for men at St. John Vianney College Seminary — the CSAF expects to give less to the seminaries this year, based on enrollment projections. That allowed it to boost the amount it plans to give to support new prison ministry initiatives. The CSAF also increased funding for its expenses by $150,000 to $950,000 to reflect two new staff members, new marketing plans and the fact that it went over budget in 2015 due to unforeseen computer issues. [See a graphic of the 17 ministries and their 2016 funding goals on page 3A.]

CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL

January 21, 2016

2016 CSA

shoots for same dollar goal as last year, but has bigger aims overall By Maria Wiering • The Catholic Spirit

Affecting every Catholic The CSA-supported ministries are so varied that Beaudry said she would be amazed if she met a Catholic who sincerely thought he or she hadn’t been affected by at least one of them. While some of the ministries, such as American Indian and deaf ministries, focus on particular groups, many of the ministries affect all corners of the archdiocese, CSAF leaders said, pointing to Catholic school scholarships; the Office for Marriage, Family and Life’s marriage preparation retreats; and the seminaries’ priest formation. The CSA funds also make it possible for the Church’s charitable arms — such as Catholic Charities — to perform acts of mercy in the broader community. The $1.1 million it receives from the CSA comprised about 1.7 percent of Catholic Charities’ $52 million operating budget in 2015, but the Twin Cities organization greatly depends on it, said Tim Marx, its chief executive officer. It’s “really important to have the broad support of the community,” he said. “Those who contribute to us through the Catholic Services Appeal help those who are homeless on the streets, help abused children . . . [and] those who need early childhood education, help in our prenatal programs, help resettle refugees, as well as keep older adults in their homes. They are part of all the work that we do, including the advocacy work we do at the Legislature.” Florence Schmidt, ACCW president, also ticked off a litany of programs the CSA helps the organization execute, from bringing Christmas gifts to families in need in Appalachia to an Advent retreat the organization hosts. And, because so many parishes have CCW groups, their work reaches far across the archdiocese. “The funds make the difference in being able to help women in our 12-county archdiocese and beyond,” she said. “I consider our program important. As I often say, our women are the backbone of the archdiocese.” St. Paul’s Outreach, a campus ministry based in West St. Paul, receives the smallest slice of CSA funds, but they’re no less important to the organization. “In the past year, support from the Catholic Services Appeal helped enable 200 St. Paul’s Outreach missionaries to reach more than 14,000 college students across the country with the saving message of the Gospel,” said David Fischer, SPO’s vice president for advancement. The CSA asks each parish to raise a certain amount, and parishes that collect 100 percent of their goals receive 25 percent back to use for their own ministries. The combined parishes’ goals amount to $7.7 million, $1.6 million shy of the overall goal.

2015 fell short, but better than expected Given the challenges the archdiocese faced last year — Reorganization, civil and criminal charges, and the resignations of two bishops — CSAF leadership didn’t expect to make the 2015 appeal’s $9.3 million goal. They estimated pledges would reach $6 million or $7 million, said Greg Pulles, a CSAF board member. Instead, givers rallied at the year-end and pledged $9 million, which meant all ministries received at least 80 percent of the CSA’s goal for them, and some received 100 percent. For that reason, the CSAF stuck with the $9.3 million goal in 2016. “The board basically thought, let’s try not to rock the ship in these times; let’s be steady,” Pulles said. The CSA’s number of givers dropped 7,000 in 2015, and 5,000 in 2014. The drop is, in part, because there are fewer Catholics in the pews, Pulles said. In November, however, the CSAF participated for the first time in Give to the Max Day, where it drew in about $10,000 — four times the amount it expected. Some of the CSAF’s challenges are shared with all fundraisers. The numbers of overall donors are decreasing, Beaudry said, but those who are giving are giving more. The CSAF estimates about 25 percent of Catholics registered in parishes contribute to the appeal. “It is our No. 1 task here to increase the number of givers over time,” Pulles said. “We’d like everyone to give something.” Expanding the number of parishes represented on the CSAF’s board of directors may help with that, he said. The board includes three pastors and three parish administrators among its 23 members. “We’re making progress in effectively communicating with the pastors and parishes that we’re here to serve them,” Pulles said. “It’s their appeal. These are shared ministries of the archdiocese that no one parish can support on its own. . . . If everybody just participates a little and acknowledges that shared responsibility to fund these ministries, we can get this job done.” Part of the CSAF’s challenge is helping Catholics in the archdiocese see “the local Church” as larger than their own parish. It is also working to increase awareness that it is a separate organization from the archdiocese, and none of the money it raises pays the archdiocese’s attorneys’ fees.

Looking ahead The CSAF has funded the same 16 ministries — plus the parishes, through the funds it returns to them — for years, Beaudry said. At some point it hopes to expand its reach. The appeal goal of $9.3 million has also held steady for seven years, and CSAF leaders hope to begin raising it in the future. “In a diocese this size, we should really be in the $15 [million] to $20 million range,” Beaudry said. “It’s going to take a lot of work and there’s a lot of healing that needs to happen here within the archdiocese, but I really believe we have the potential here to do it. “I believe the archdiocese is a very generous archdiocese and we have a lot of really good people here,” she added. “I believe we have a really good shot of doing it if we can get through this turmoil going on right now, and grow . . . and keep showing people what the CSA does.”

CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL

January 21, 2016

The Catholic Spirit • 3A

2016 APPEAL GOALS Parishes

$300,000

$1.8 million

Latino Ministry

Archdiocesan Council Catholic Women

Hospital Chaplains $600,000

$25,585

Campus Ministry Newman Center $264,000

Saint Paul Seminary

Deaf Ministry

$350,000

$42,427

$950,000

Campus Ministry St. Paul’s Outreach

$1,375,000

Prison Chaplains

Expenses

$800,000

Catholic Elementary Schools

$39,733

$650,000

Catholic High Schools

St. John Vianney

$11,000

Marriage, Family & Life $438,092

Catholic Charities $1.1 million

Venezuelan Mission Evangelization Indian Ministry $204,163

$150,000

$200,000

Total for ministries • $8.35 million

A good reason not to give? CSAF invites you to reconsider For The Catholic Spirit Each year, the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation raises millions of dollars to fund ministries in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. But in the fundraising process, it hears from Catholics who choose not to give to the appeal. Some of the common reasons, its board members find, are based on misinformation. The Catholic Spirit asked the CSAF to identify and respond to the six most common reasons people do not give to the appeal.

Reason No. 1: I am going to give my money directly to the charities, like Catholic Charities.

Response: If everyone gave their money

to their favorite charity, there are a lot of local ministries that wouldn’t get much in the way of donations. First, most people think first of the popular charities, like Catholic Charities. They maybe haven’t heard of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, the prison ministry or the American Indian ministry. Second, there isn’t any way to give to many of these ministries except collectively. For example, CSAF funds 325 scholarships to Catholic high schools.

Reason No. 2: I am mad at the

archbishop and the leadership. The only thing they understand is money.

Response: Leadership has changed and “gets it.” Withholding money hurts those who need our help the most.

Reason No. 3: I’m only going to give to my parish. It needs the money.

Response: We are called as Catholics to

serve our brothers and sisters throughout our larger community and the world. There are many valuable ministries that are larger than any one single parish, and they benefit all of us — hospital chaplains, prison ministry, American Indian ministry, evangelization initiatives, tuition assistance for Catholic school students, support for our seminarians in formation and assistance for those most in need among us. Many of these ministries do not receive additional funding, and if CSAF support declines, they need to cut back their services.

Reason No. 4: I am not going to give any money if it is going to lawyers.

Response: All of your donations are

restricted gifts to the designated ministries, as they always have been. All the money raised by CSAF goes into a single account, and all of it is paid out every year to the designated ministries. The money goes where you intended it to go.

Reason No. 5: I don’t think the CSAF is really separate from the archdiocese.

Response: The Catholic Services Appeal

Foundation is a separate Minnesota nonprofit corporation, with its own employees, offices, directors, bank account, accountants and contracts. It is audited by an independent auditing firm. Its audit is published on its website, www.csafspm.org.

Reason No. 6: I don’t know where my money goes.

Response: When a gift is made to the

Catholic Services Appeal Foundation it is used to support the 17 designated ministries of the archdiocese, including the parishes that make their goal, as well as the appeal’s expenses. The 17 designated ministries are: American Indian ministry; Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women; Campus Ministry – Newman Center; Campus Ministry – Saint Paul’s Outreach; Catholic Charities; deaf ministry; Catholic elementary schools; Catholic high schools; the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis; archdiocesan hospital chaplains; Latino ministry; the Office of Marriage, Family and Life; archdiocesan parishes; prison chaplain ministry; St. John Vianney College Seminary; St. Paul Seminary; and the archdiocese’s Venezuelan mission.

4A • The Catholic Spirit

“The funds we receive from CSAF enable us to respond to people’s spiritual as well as physical needs. Our mission parish is located in a very poor area of Venezuela afflicted with high unemployment; chronic malnutrition, especially amongst the elderly and children; and pervasive delinquency and violence. Some people turn to drugs and alcohol to escape the poverty. Others turn to the Church for hope and help, spiritual and physical.” Father Greg Schaffer, pastor of the archdiocese’s Venezuelan mission parish, Jesucristo Resucitado, since 1997

“A

s a seminarian at St. John Vianney College Seminary, I benefit greatly from the CSAF. The assistance that I receive to cover room and board is an incredible blessing. This gives me freedom to focus less on financial concerns and more on my education and vocation.” Michael Bielejeski, senior at St. John Vianney College Seminary

Tuition assistance “allows us to send our children to the private [Catholic] school versus the public school. They enjoy the smaller classroom settings . . . and keeping the faith in pretty much every class that they attend.” Richard Akerlund, parent of a kindergartner and second-grader attending Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Montgomery who receive tuition assistance through the CSAF

“I feel proud to be part of youth ministry where I have strengthened my leadership skills. Furthermore, I dare say that today I am able to know who I am — and where to direct my dreams as a teenager — without leaving aside my values at the core of my humanity.” Dafne Carmona-Rios, parishioner of Holy Rosary in Minneapolis and participant in a Latino youth group supported by the Office of Latino Ministry (Quote translated from Spanish.)

“The funds are used to cover our expenses used in promoting our various programs such as the Madonna Plan, Naomi-Ruth Prayer Partnership, Appalachia Program and much more. We also use funds to put on our Advent Reflection morning the first Saturday of Advent and our annual ACCW convention in [the] spring. Funds can also help to fund education opportunities for our members, such as our ‘On the Road’ program to help church CCW councils.” Florence Schmidt, president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women

“Support from the CSAF, which represents approximately half of the real cost of forming our future priests, is essential during the formation process. Without this, there would be an extra burden on the diocese and the seminary. We are grateful.” Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, rector of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity

CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL

IN THEIR OWN WORDS “Corrections ministry has greatly been enhanced by the CSAF. We are able to expand existing programs, including REC (Residents Encounter Christ), retreats at Lino Lakes and Stillwater, and we’ll also be adding Rush City. It has also enabled us to create new programs such as EMBRACE, in which a parish embraces an inmate and assists him or her upon release with employment, housing, transportation and other needs.” Deacon Tim Zinda, coordinator of archdiocesan correctional ministries

“Catholic patients and their loved ones highly appreciate the ongoing ministry of the priestchaplains during their stay in the hospitals. They experience Christ’s love and mercy, and the spiritual support of the whole Church.” Father Jules Omalanga, priest-chaplain at Fairview/ University of Minnesota

“It was rough in the beginning, but through perseverance it all came together. I’m in a better situation and getting better, thanks to going through Catholic Charities’ Dorothy Day Center.” Melvin Browning, resident of Catholic Charities’ St. Paul Residence working toward a college degree, who credits the Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul for helping him escape homelessness

“Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is the only parish in Minnesota specifically equipped to minister to deaf and hard-of-hearing Catholics. All prayers, songs, Scriptures and even the priest’s and deacon’s homilies are delivered simultaneously in two languages, English and American Sign Language, and there are numerous other spiritual and social opportunities for the deaf every month. A third of our annual budget comes from CSA donations, without which we would not be able to serve our deaf brothers and sisters.” Father Tom Margevicius, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Deaf Community in Minneapolis

“T

he men and women who can contribute to the Catholic Services Appeal are the foundation of the work that we do. Without them, we could do nothing. They’re the ones who reach out to serve the woman in a crisis pregnancy, or the family that’s stuggling in their marriage, or making sure that the youth have an experience and encounter of Christ.” Jean Stolpestad, director of the archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life

January 21, 2016 “That support, especially more recently, has been really uplifting for us to help get the word out and help people know that big things are happening at the U and at St. Lawrence. It makes all the difference, all of their support, because we really can’t do any of the events without their funding.” Laura Knippling, senior at the University of Minnesota and member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center

“Every dollar [from the CSA] allows us to impact the lives of college students in a way we would not otherwise be able to, through hosting events on campus, men’s and women’s nights at our houses off campus, as well as helping fund retreats and trips for students who would not otherwise be able to [go].” Nick Redd, St. Paul’s Outreach men’s mission director at the University of St. Thomas

“J

esus has called us to go into the world and make disciples. The funds that we receive are used to rally and equip the faithful to go out into the world and communicate the good news. Evangelization is at the heart of the Church’s mission, and every dollar spent is translated into a spiritual currency that can impact lives in an eternal way.” Jeff Cavins, director of the archdiocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis

“Burial services can mean traveling to Indian reservations located in North Dakota, South Dakota [and] Wisconsin, but primarily to one of the 11 Indian reservations that exist in Minnesota. . . . It can mean remaining on the reservation to assist in wake services, or overnight stays. I often will drive the hearse to a reservation that can be up near Canada.” Richard Wright, Going Home Project volunteer for the archdiocese’s American Indian ministry, which arranges for American Indians who die in the Twin Cities to be buried at their home reservation or ancestral burial place

“Clearly middle class families are being squeezed where you’re seeing both mom and dad working full time — and some cases one parent is working a second job — so without this tuition assistance . . . these students just wouldn’t be able to come here.” Brother Pat Conway, vice president for advancement at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, where 76 students are currently supported by CSA-funded tuition assistance

“The Catholic Services Appeal helps parishes make sure that no one is missed when we reach out with the compassion and mercy of Christ. Hospital chaplains extend Jesus’ healing touch to those who are often far away from home and from their pastors. I’ve been privileged to work with parishes partnered with the American Indian ministry, but the ministry itself exists through CSA funding. Our staff benefits from workshops funded by the CSA, whether we’re looking at new ideas in Catholic education or sharing ideas about how to spread the good news.” Father Thomas Walker, pastor of St. Michael in Prior Lake

WINE pilgrimage 7B • March for Life 9B • Healing after loss 19B January 21, 2016 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Totino-Grace High School senior John Wander, right, helps Frassati Catholic Academy seventh-graders Nicholas Gambeski, left, Jack Gorman and Conor Cooper with an engineering project. Frassati students visited the Fridley school in December to learn about its Engineering Institute. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Celebrating Catholic Schools Week Jan. 31 – Feb. 6 • Archbishop: Upholding Catholic identity key to schools — 3B • Totino-Grace students are geared to engineer — 6B • Beyond the Beltway: St. Dominic in Northfield — 23B

ALSO inside

Men in the Church

Marking 150 years

Birthday blessings

Local initiative launching at Archdiocesan Men’s Conference seeks to equip men to be faithful leaders.

Sinsinawa Dominicans celebrate sacrifice and service in archdiocese.

At 105, Sister Mary Mark Mahoney, CSJ, continues to write letters to inmates and dole out chocolate to friends.

– Pages 14B-17B

– Page 24B

– Pages 12B-13B

2B • The Catholic Spirit

PAGE TWO

January 21, 2016

in PICTURES “If the petitioners abide by their religious beliefs, they face the loss of the ability to sponsor health coverage for their employees and millions of dollars in fines, threatening financial ruin. No one benefits from such an outcome — not the organizations, their donors, their clients or their employees.” An amicus brief filed Jan. 8 by the general counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who have asked the court for relief from being forced to comply with the federal contraceptive mandate. The brief was filed in the Zubik v. Burwell case, which the court will hear this year.

NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit GET PACKING Elsa Reichenberger, right, a fifth-grader at St. Joseph Catholic School in Waconia, pours a cup full of rice as part of a meal for a Feed My Starving Children mobile packing event at Notre Dame Academy in Minnetonka Jan. 14. A total of 500 students from 11 Catholic elementary schools participated in the two-day event, packing a total of 108,000 meals at two sites (the other was All Saints School in Lakeville). The event was sponsored by the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence. Joining Reichenberger at the packing station are fifth-grader Reilly Alvord, left, of St. Therese Catholic School in Deephaven, sixth-grader Grant Hayes and fifth-grader Aidan Chambundabongse, both St. Joseph students. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Dinners for men, women discerning vocations An Operation Andrew Dinner for men discerning priesthood or religious life will be held 6-8 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Archbishop’s Residence, 230 Summit Ave., St. Paul. A Miryam Dinner for women discerning religious life will be held 6-8 p.m. Feb. 18 at the same location. Bishop Andrew Cozzens will host both events. The events include prayer, dinner with priests and/or consecrated religious, and vocation testimonies. For more information or to register, call 651-962-6890.

A look ‘Inside the Synod on the Family’ Jan. 28 John Grabowski, an associate professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., will speak 7 p.m. Jan. 28 at the University of St. Thomas on “Inside the Synod on the Family: What Really Happened and What Does It All Mean?”. Grabowski is a theological advisor to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family and Youth, and served as a marriage and family expert for the Synod. The free event will be held in the Owens Science Hall’s 3M Auditorium, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. It is hosted by the UST Center for Catholic Studies’ Terrence J. Murphy Institute for Catholic Thought, Law and Public Policy.

BACK FROM SABBATICAL Father Michael Skluzacek, pastor of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, celebrates a baptism in Tanzania. During his five-month sabbatical, Father Skluzacek also visited Uruguay, Spain, Italy and the Holy Land. Read about his travels on his blog at www. ascenttomounttabor. blogspot.com. Courtesy Father Skluzacek

Catholic Medical Association dinner Jan. 30 Physicians, spouses and guests are invited to an educational symposium and dinner hosted by the St. Paul and Minneapolis Guild of the Catholic Medical Association Jan. 30 at the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. The event begins with 5 p.m. Mass in St. Mary’s Chapel and is followed by a dinner and lecture in the Binz Refractory West. Cost is $50 per person for physicians and spouses, $25 for other health-care workers and spouses, and free for medical students and spouses. For more information, call 651-2914488. The event is co-sponsored by the archdiocesan Office for Marriage, Family and Life.

Newlywed retreat with Bishop Cozzens Feb. 6

WHAT’S NEW on social media St. Thomas Academy cadets received leadership advice Jan. 14 from Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. The admiral is responsible for defending North America from attack from air, sea or ground, and he shared his experience leading military operations and commanding thousands of American and allied troops. Still bemoaning the Vikings’ Jan. 10 loss to the Seahawks? SJV seminarian Chris Vance makes a case for having hope in the home team. Ever eaten a colorful Rosca de Reyes pastry? The Office of Latino Ministry gave one of the Epiphany breads — traditional to Spain and Latin America — to The Catholic Spirit Jan. 6, and we snapped a photo before gobbling it up.

The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 21 — No. 2 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love

MARIA C. WIERING, Editor

With the topic of “The Primacy of Marriage in Our Culture,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens is the keynote speaker of the 2016 Newly Married Retreat, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony. The event is for couples who have been married seven years or less. Cost is $40 per couple. Register online at events.archspm.org/nmr16.

CORRECTION In “State of the movement: Pro-life approach shifting in current abortion climate” (Jan. 7), it was incorrectly reported that Sarah Mealey, a marketing and strategic planning consultant, led the merger of Highland LifeCare Center and University LifeCare Center. Rather, she helped streamline its previous merger to form Abria Pregnancy Resources last fall. The Catholic Spirit apologizes for the error.

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 bi-weekly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 • (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, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: catholicspirit@archspm.org • USPS #093-580

January 21, 2016

FROM THE APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR

The Catholic Spirit • 3B

Being intentional about Catholic identity key to our schools’ success

t was my first morning in Minnesota. I gathered with the priests of the Archdiocese to listen to our convocation speaker, Archbishop Michael Miller, discuss the hallmarks of a truly Catholic school. The presentation was superb, but what really impressed me was the attentiveness of my brother priests and the depth of their questions. It was clear to me from the start that Pope Francis had sent me to work in an archdiocese with a deep appreciation for Catholic schools. I should not have been surprised, then, that Catholic schools were consistently identified in the listening sessions last fall as being among the greatest strengths of this archdiocese. The first bishop of St. Paul, Bishop Joseph Cretin, seems to have understood the connection between Catholic schools and the health of a diocese. I suspect that it was his passion for education (rather than his description of the gnats) that convinced the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to venture north to begin the first Catholic school here. Resting on that sound foundation, this local Church continues to reap the benefits of excellent Catholic schools. As the universal Church comes to the end of the Year of Consecrated Life Feb. 2, it would be fitting to express our gratitude to all those religious women and men who embraced the challenges of Catholic education. As Pope Francis remarked last October at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York: “In the field of education alone, how many priests and religious in this country played a central role, assisting parents in handing on to their children the food that nourishes them for life!” Nearly 165 years after the first Catholic school in St. Paul opened, we have to ask how well we are continuing to assist parents in providing “food” that will sustain their children for life. With far fewer religious sisters, brothers and priests involved in the educational apostolate these days, the task of providing the “nourishment” of an authentically Catholic education APOSTOLIC falls more clearly on the rest of us. Without so many religious to guarantee the Catholic identity of our ADMINISTRATOR schools by their very presence, we need to be intentional about making sure that our schools and their educational Archbishop philosophy reflect our faith and our Catholic identity. In the seven months that I have been in Minnesota, I Bernard Hebda

Nearly 165 years after the first Catholic school in St. Paul opened, we have to ask how well we are continuing to assist parents in providing “food” that will sustain their children for life.

have been deeply impressed with the work of the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education in sustaining the schools of the archdiocese as places where the Church can give students a formative experience of the good news of Jesus Christ: helping to form the intellect through academic excellence, the will through Catholic morality, and the heart through prayer and service. The annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 31-Feb. 6, provides us with an ideal opportunity not only to celebrate the great work that is taking place in our schools, but also to assess how we are molding our schools into “Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service,” this year’s theme. When visiting Queen of Angels Academy in Harlem, Pope Francis highlighted that a Catholic school has to be a family in which “we learn to help one another, to share our good qualities, to give the best of ourselves, to work as a team and to pursue our dreams.” I am inspired that there are so many people here in the archdiocese who are dreaming with our Catholic school students and are willing to endure personal sacrifice to sustain those dreams, always with an eye to instilling in our youth what the pope described as “the hope of a better world with greater possibilities.” The Holy Father reminded us that “wherever there are dreams, wherever there is joy, Jesus is always present.” As we enter Catholic Schools Week 2016, please join me in praying that the schools of this archdiocese might always be places of joy-filled encounter with Jesus.

Ser intencional sobre la identidad Católica es la clave para el éxito de nuestras escuelas

ue mi primera mañana en Minnesota. Me reuní con los sacerdotes de la arquidiócesis a escuchar a nuestro orador, el Arzobispo Michael Miller, para discutir las características de una verdadera escuela Católica. La presentación fue excelente . . . pero lo que más me impresionó fue la atención de mis hermanos sacerdotes y la profundidad de sus preguntas. Fue claro para mí desde un principio que el Papa Francisco me había enviado a trabajar en una arquidiócesis con un profundo aprecio por las escuelas Católicas. Yo no debí haber estado sorprendido, entonces, de que las escuelas Católicas consistentemente fueron identificadas, en las sesiones de escucha el otoño pasado, como una de las fortalezas más grandes de esta arquidiócesis. El primer obispo de St. Paul, el Obispo Joseph Cretin, parece haber entendido la conexión entre las escuelas Católicas y la salud de una diócesis. Sospecho que fue su pasión por la educación (en lugar de su descripción de los insectos) lo que convenció a las Hermanas de San José de Carondelet a aventurarse en el norte para comenzar la primera escuela Católica. Con fundamento en esa base sólida, esta Iglesia local sigue cosechando los beneficios de excelentes escuelas Católicas. A medida que la Iglesia Universal llega al fin del Año de la Vida

Cerca de 165 años después de que la primera escuela Católica se abrió en St. Paul, tenemos que preguntarnos qué tan bien seguimos ayudando a los padres en la prestación del “alimento” que sostendrá a sus hijos para la vida. Consagrada, este 2 de febrero, sería apropiado expresar nuestro agradecimiento a todas aquellas mujeres y hombres religiosos que abrazaron los retos de la educación Católica. Como comentó el Papa Francisco el pasado octubre en la Catedral de San Patricio en Nueva York: “los sacerdotes y consagrados de este país que, solo en el campo de la educación, han tenido un papel fundamental, ayudando a los padres en la labor de dar a sus hijos el alimento que los nutre para la vida.” Cerca de 165 años después de que la primera escuela Católica se abrió en St. Paul, tenemos que preguntarnos qué tan bien seguimos ayudando a los padres en la prestación del “alimento” que sostendrá a sus hijos para la vida. Con menos religiosas, hermanos y sacerdotes que participan en el apostolado de la educación en estos días, la tarea de proporcionar el “alimento” de una educación

auténticamente Católica cae con mayor claridad en el resto de nosotros. Sin tantos religiosos para garantizar la identidad Católica de nuestras escuelas con su sola presencia, necesitamos ser intencionales para asegurar que nuestras escuelas y su filosofía educativa reflejen nuestra fe y nuestra identidad Católica. En los siete meses que llevo en Minnesota, he estado profundamente impresionado con el trabajo que realiza la Oficina de la Misión para la Educación Católica en el sostenimiento de las escuelas de la arquidiócesis como lugares donde la Iglesia puede dar a los estudiantes una experiencia formativa de las buenas nuevas de Jesucristo: ayudar a formar el intelecto a través de la excelencia académica, la voluntad a través de la moral Católica, y el corazón a través de la oración y el servicio. La celebración anual de la Semana de

las Escuelas Católicas, del 31 de enero al 6 de febrero, nos proporciona una oportunidad ideal, no sólo para celebrar el gran trabajo que se está realizando en nuestras escuelas, sino también para evaluar la forma en la que estamos moldeando nuestras escuelas en “Comunidades de Fe, Conocimiento y Servicio.” Durante la visita a la Academia Reina de los Ángeles en Harlem, el Papa Francisco destacó que una escuela Católica tiene que ser una familia en la cual “aprendemos a ayudarnos unos a otros, para compartir nuestras buenas cualidades, para dar lo mejor de nosotros mismos, para trabajar en equipo, y para perseguir nuestros sueños.” Estoy inspirado ya que hay tanta gente aquí en la arquidiócesis que están soñando con nuestros estudiantes de las escuelas Católicas y están dispuestos a enfrentar el sacrificio personal para mantener esos sueños, siempre con la vista puesta en inculcar en nuestros jóvenes lo que el Papa describe como “la esperanza de un mundo mejor, con mayores posibilidades.” El Santo Padre nos ha recordado que “donde hay sueños, donde hay alegría, Jesús está siempre presente.” A medida que entramos en la Semana de las Escuelas Católicas 2016, por favor, únanse a mí en oración para que las escuelas de esta arquidiócesis puedan ser siempre lugares de encuentro llenos de alegría con Jesús.

4B â&#x20AC;˘ The Catholic Spirit

SLICEof LIFE

LOCAL

January 21, 2016

Sticking it to the cold Jenna Franklin, center, of the Basilica of St. Mary Young Adults broomball team, tries to swat the ball away from an opponent during action Jan. 11 at Bryn Mawr Meadows Park in Minneapolis. A cold snap swept in over the weekend to give the season a frosty start, with temperatures in the single digits at game time. The Basilica team lost to the Heartthrobs 3-1 in the season opener for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board coed league. Behind Franklin is team captain Ryan Hamilton. Dave Hrbacek/ The Catholic Spirit

www.TheCatholicSpirit.com

January 21, 2016

LOCAL

Hayden sale approved, chancery sale awaits court approval

in BRIEF BATTLE CREEK, Mich.

Archbishop Nienstedt assisting in Michigan parish until summer Archbishop John Nienstedt is assisting in a parish in Battle Creek, Michigan, the parish announced in its Jan. 10 bulletin. The archbishop emeritus of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Archbishop Nienstedt will help with various ministries at St. Philip Catholic Church for about six months, according to its pastor, Father John Fleckenstein, who wrote in the bulletin that he needs assistance at the parish for health reasons and to allow him to complete projects in his role as episcopal vicar for education for the Diocese of Kalamazoo. Father Fleckenstein, who has known Archbishop Neinstedt for 20 years, wrote that the archbishop “will celebrate some of the weekend and weekday Masses, visit the sick in the hospital, visit the sick and homebound, and celebrate Mass for the nursing home and assisted living facilities.” He may also celebrate Masses at other parishes in the diocese when their pastors are away.

ST. PAUL

Parishes collected funds for U.S. flood victims in Midwest, South Jan. 16-17 At the request of Archbishop Bernard Hebda, apostolic administrator, parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis took a special collection for victims of late-December flooding in the Midwest and southern states. The collection supported Catholic Charities USA’s relief efforts, which include supplying water, food, shelter, medical care and long-term material and spiritual needs to people in the affected areas. The Center for Mission in the archdiocese coordinated the collection. The amount raised was unavailable at press time.

St. Kate’s launching theological institute for high school girls A new project slated to begin in July at St. Catherine University seeks to bring together high school sophomore and junior girls from diverse backgrounds for theological education and spiritual formation to help them become leaders in their communities, the university announced Jan. 11. A $600,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment is funding Encuentro: St. Catherine University Theology Institute. “Encuentro” is Spanish for “encounter.” During the four-year grant period, the project will aim to educate

www.TheCatholicSpirit.com

The Catholic Spirit • 5B

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

Bishop Andrew Cozzens blesses the new altar at Ave Maria Academy in Maple Grove with incense Jan. 8 as part of the Rite of Dedication. The marble altar with a bronze tabernacle was designed and built by sculptor Cody Swanson and architect David Napolitano of Florence, Italy. It is titled “Our Lady of Annunciate” with depictions of Mary and St. Gabriel. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit about 140 high school girls and their mentors, according to a press release. The first institute this summer will be held at St. Kate’s and include theological coursework, spiritual practices and local service projects.

Cathedral, Basilica to host round-theclock confessions March 4-5 In response to Pope Francis’ call for each diocese in the world to host confessions for 24 hours beginning March 4, the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis are making the sacrament of reconciliation available around-the-clock from noon March 4 to noon March 5 in an event called 24 Hours for the Lord. In a Jan. 6 letter to priests, Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Andrew Cozzens asked them to participate in a 90-minute penance service for priests at the Cathedral or Basilica at noon March 4. At 1:30 p.m., priests of the archdiocese will begin hearing confessions for the public. Each priest is asked to hear confessions for one hour at either the Cathedral or Basilica during the 24-hour period. The bishops also asked priests to add or extend the opportunity for confession in their own parishes during 24 Hours for the Lord. Pope Francis called for the event in “Misericordiae Vultus,” the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy promulgated in 2015.

A U.S. bankruptcy court judge approved the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ sale of one building and the archdiocese filed for its approval of another Jan. 7. Both buildings are home to the archdiocese’s central corporation offices. At a morning hearing at the Minneapolis U.S. Courthouse, Judge Robert Kressel gave the court’s go-ahead for the archdiocese to sell the Monsignor Ambrose Hayden Center to the Minnesota Historical Society, located across Kellogg Boulevard from the property, for $4.5 million. The judge stipulated that the sale revenue be reserved for paying the archdiocese’s creditors, including victims of clergy sexual abuse. The archdiocese announced the proposed sale in November. The court required the property to be made available for other bids for a period of time, but no other bids were made. Following the hearing, the archdiocese filed for the court to approve the sale of its chancery building and archbishop’s residence at 226 Summit Ave. and 230 Summit Ave. to United Properties for $2.75 million. According to a statement from Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator, the bankruptcy court must approve the sale for it to proceed. As with the Hayden Center, the court also requires the property to be made available for other bids. Other interested parties have until March 18 to submit an offer. The Archdiocesan Finance Council, College of Consultors and the Corporate Board of Directors have approved the chancery’s sale to United Properties, a Minneapolis-based commercial and residential developer. If the bankruptcy court approves the proposed sale, the archdiocese expects to close on the building in April and would lease the buildings from United Properties until it moves its offices into a new space. The chancery and archbishop’s residence, which are connected, were built in 1963 by Minneapolis-based Cerny Associates for $1.5 million. They currently house the archdiocese’s legal and administrative offices, including the offices of the archbishop, auxiliary bishop and vicar general. The archbishop’s residence has been home to the archbishop and a small staff of religious sisters since its construction.

6B • The Catholic Spirit

LOCAL

January 21, 2016

Totino-Grace to graduate first seniors with engineering know-how By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Tommy Paal, a senior at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, has considered pursuing an engineering career since his sophomore year. Now, as he enters his final semester of high school, he is more sure of his choice, thanks to a program the school started three years ago. The E3 Engineering Institute is designed to provide courses in the classroom and outside experiences with engineering, including field trips and mentoring. “I’m going to look at going into either mechanical or aerospace engineering next year; I have a few schools still on my list — Minnesota, [University of Wisconsin] Madison and Notre Dame,” Paal said. “As a sophomore, I knew I kind of wanted to do something in engineering, but I didn’t really know a whole lot about it. So, this program gave me a look at all the fields in it.” That’s exactly what teachers such as Dan Vandermyde envisioned when they launched the program. With a background teaching physics, Vandermyde was asked to explore the possibility of offering a program that

Totino-Grace High School senior Caitlyn Tigner, right, works with Frassati Catholic Academy seventh-graders Rhys O’Brien, left, and Belle Petronack. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

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The Catholic Spirit • 7B

When in Rome

Women’s ministry to host Italian pilgrimage in June By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit This summer, one of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ newest ministries — Women In the New Evangelization (WINE) — is inviting women on a 10-day pilgrimage to Italy to “meet mystics, martyrs, monastics and two great moms: St. Helena and St. Monica.” “Wine & Shrine: Visiting the Great Female Saints of Italy” will take place June 17-26. The destination is especially appropriate, given the Holy Year of Mercy, said WINE founder Kelly Wahlquist; pilgrims will walk through the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. They’ll also explore monasteries, shrines and catacombs to experience St. Scholastica, St. Clare of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena, to name a few. The pilgrimage will focus on the spirituality of women “to help them know and grow their gifts as women — how the same gifts were manifested in the women who went before them and are now saints,” Wahlquist said. “This is one of God’s great gifts of mercy to us — the communion of saints.” Diana George of Corporate Travel in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, is organizing the pilgrimage and said it’s different from the many others to Rome that she’s working on in the Year of Mercy. “The fact that this is a pilgrimage only for women is really unique and exciting,” George said. “The fact that they’ll be doing some wine tasting and sharing meals is a very Italian thing to do to create community. And then on top of it to see beautiful churches and going to Mass and just sharing their faith is very special.” George explained that with student groups, “you can talk to kids all day

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This painting in Assisi, Italy, depicts St. Clare of Assisi. Pilgrims of “Wine & Shrine”will see her relics during the June trip. CNS

long about the ‘Mona Lisa,’ but then once you show them the ‘Mona Lisa,’ [it’s apparent] how much that really changes and affects them. The same is for pilgrimages. You hear about St. Monica, and as Catholics we pray for her intercession, but then to see her tomb . . . makes it real. The hope is for [the pilgrims] to come home refreshed and renewed and excited about their faith and their role in it.” Wahlquist, a parishioner of Holy Name of Jesus in Medina, will host the pilgrimage with Teresa Tomeo, author and syndicated Catholic talk show host, and Sarah Christmyer, co-developer with Jeff Cavins of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible Study program. In Italy, American-born art historian Liz Lev and special guest Joan Lewis, Eternal Word Television Network’s Rome bureau chief, will serve as tour guides. Leading up to the pilgrimage, which is open to about 80 women, Wahlquist said WINE will suggest preparation materials, including Lewis’ new book, “A Holy Year in Rome: The Complete Pilgrim’s Guide for the Jubilee of Mercy.” The pilgrimage includes daily Mass, opportunities for confession, prayer, journaling, learning “nuggets of the faith,” a vineyard tour and cooking class. Wahlquist hopes women unable to go on the pilgrimage will be able to experience a taste of it through WINE’s videos, social media and blog posts. Wahlquist said she wants the pilgrims to return with courage and confidence to live the faith, “knowing they’ve got their sisters in Christ here on earth to help them on this journey, and they’ve got their sisters, the saints, that they now have this deeper relationship [with] to help them as they continue on their pilgrimage to the heart of the Father.” The trip’s early-bird pricing lasts until Feb. 14. For more information, visit www.womeninthenewevangelization.com.

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8B • The Catholic Spirit

U.S. & WORLD

January 21, 2016

Vatican not a ‘den of thieves,’ says top official By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service The Vatican is not “a den of thieves,” and such insinuations are an injustice to employees who are proud to serve the pope and the Church, said Archbishop Angelo Becciu, a top official in the Vatican Secretariat of State. Necessary economic and administrative reforms and countermeasures have been taken to address any problems, he told the Italian weekly Panorama in an interview published in the Jan. 20 issue. “I must reiterate firmly that we are not a bunch of corrupt and incompetent people,” he said in a lengthy interview conducted at the Vatican Dec. 31. “The Vatican is not a den of thieves. To represent it as such constitutes an absolute falsehood. I find it extremely unjust that our employees, proudly carrying out a service for the pope and the Church, have gotten to the point, for some time now, of being ashamed to tell people they work here,” he told the weekly. Archbishop Becciu, 67, has been substitute secretary for general affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State — a job similar to a chief of staff — since 2011. A large portion of the Q&A interview focused on accusations of financial mismanagement illustrated in recent books by Italian journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi, author of “Merchants in the Temple,” and Emiliano Fittipaldi, author of “Avarice.” The two authors are on trial at the Vatican for “soliciting and exercising pressure” on their alleged sources in

order to obtain confidential documents and news. Also standing trial on accusations of forming an “organized criminal association” with the aim of “committing several illegal acts of divulging news and documents” are Spanish Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, secretary of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See; Francesca Chaouqui, a member of the former Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organization of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See; and Nicola Maio, a personal assistant to Msgr. Vallejo. “The right of journalists to publish news they come to have is not in question. The misgivings concern the way in which this news was obtained,” Archbishop Becciu said. “There is a trial underway that will find out.” Regarding Msgr. Vallejo and Chaouqui, the archbishop said their “betrayal was a slap in the face to the Holy Father. They had sworn on the Gospel to not reveal to anyone what they saw, heard and read in carrying out their assignment” as members of the commission to reform Vatican financial practices. When asked why money donated by the faithful for Peter’s Pence is being used primarily to fund the Roman Curia — only about 2 euro out of 10 donated goes to charity — the archbishop said if the Vatican were to earmark, for example, 60 percent of the funds to charity “we would have to immediately fire 400 people” out of the current 4,000 Vatican employees. “We prefer not to load the Italian government with this further burden” of unemployment and

to abide by the pope’s request to reform without layoffs, he said. The charitable fund’s balance sheets are “public and approved by the Holy Father and the council of cardinals,” he said, adding that it can be seen the money is used to support Vatican Radio, the Vatican newspaper and the various Vatican diplomatic representatives abroad who channel the pope’s financial support to mission churches and the poor. The archbishop was asked to comment on the fact cardinals living in Rome reside in very large apartments while Pope Francis has chosen to live in a small set of rooms in a Vatican guesthouse. The archbishop said the apartments date back to the 1930s “when the cardinals were in effect considered princes of the Church and were treated as such.” He said Nuzzi’s suggestion of moving the cardinals into the more modest Vatican guesthouse would be “populist bordering on the ridiculous.” There would be the problem of where to then house the priests who are living at the guesthouse, he said; “We would have to build another building to house them,” which would be a “huge waste” of resources, and all the large cardinal residences would be left empty. The archbishop explained that only Vatican citizens and employees are allowed to live in Vatican-owned properties. “Imagine the pandemonium that would be let loose if by accident they ended up being rented to tax evaders or in any case individuals wanted by the law who could benefit from immunity” by living in Vatican City State instead of Italy, he said.

Pope makes ‘mercy Friday’ visit to elderly, infirm By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service As part of his personal observance of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis made an unannounced, “private” visit to a retirement home and to a group home for people in a persistent vegetative state, the Vatican said. The visits to the 33 residents of the Bruno Buozzi Retirement Home and the six residents of Casa Iride Jan. 15 were announced with the hashtag #MercyFriday by the pontifical

commission organizing the Year of Mercy. The Vatican previously announced that one Friday each month during the Holy Year, Pope Francis would personally and privately perform a work of mercy. The series ended up beginning very publicly Dec. 18 when he visited and celebrated Mass at a shelter run by the Rome diocesan chapter of Caritas. For the January visit, journalists were not invited or even informed. Even the residents of the two facilities were not

told in advance, said a statement issued by the Vatican press office once the pope had returned to the Vatican. Pope Francis was accompanied by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who is in charge of the jubilee organizing committee; the archbishop’s office tweeted several photos of the pope’s visit. The Vatican described the atmosphere at the retirement home as one of “great surprise and joy” as the pope greeted each resident and stopped to speak to them, one by one.

Pope to migrants: Don’t be robbed of hope, joy By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Welcoming thousands of migrants and refugees to the Vatican for their own Year of Mercy celebration, Pope Francis urged them to resist everything that would rob them of hope and joy. “Each of you is the bearer of a history, culture and precious values and, unfortunately, also often of experiences of poverty, oppression and fear,” the pope said Jan. 17. But gathering in St. Peter’s Square for the Holy Year “is a sign of hope in God. Don’t allow yourselves to be robbed of hope and the joy of living, which spring from the experience of divine mercy, also thanks to the people who welcomed and helped you.” The pope prayed that passing through the Holy Door and attending a special jubilee Mass “will fill your hearts with peace.” He also thanked the inmates of a maximum security prison in Milan who prepared the hosts consecrated at the Mass. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, an estimated 7,000 migrants from 30 countries were present. The group passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, following a 9-foot tall, 3-foot wide wooden cross made out of the wreckage of boats carrying migrants from northern Africa to Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, who said in his homily that the cross was “an expressive symbol” of the tragic circumstances facing migrants who risk their lives seeking a better future. The World Day of Migrants and Refugees, he said, was “a fitting occasion to remember that the Church has always contemplated in migrants the image of Christ. Moreover, in the Year of Mercy, we are challenged to rediscover the works of mercy where, among the corporal works, there is the call to welcome the stranger.”

Annulment Questions? Staff members of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal 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 February 10 • Ash Wednesday, during and after each mass, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. 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, archspm.org/offices/metropolitantribunal

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U.S. & WORLD

January 21, 2016 EL PASO, Texas

El Paso Mass scrapped, but not papal Mass across border

The Diocese of El Paso has scrapped plans for a border Mass that would have taken place at the same time as the closing Mass of Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 visit to Mexico. However, the Feb. 17 papal Mass at the fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, is still going to take place as scheduled. Elizabeth O’Hara, a spokeswoman for the El Paso Diocese, said security concerns over the size of the anticipated crowd for a U.S.-based Mass taking place at the same time as the Juarez Mass prompted the change in plans.

VATICAN CITY

Church’s credibility found in showing mercy, pope says in new book

Being ministers of God’s mercy, Church members overcome “prejudice and rigidity,” taking risks like Jesus did in order to heal and save, Pope Francis said. In Jesus’ day, lepers were cast out of the community “to avoid contamination: the healthy needed to be protected,” but Jesus, at his own risk, “goes up to the leper and he restores him, he heals him,” Pope Francis said in a new book-length interview on mercy. “By welcoming a marginalized person whose body is

wounded and by welcoming the sinner whose soul is wounded, we put our credibility as Christians on the line,” the pope told the Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli in “The Name of God Is Mercy.” The book was released worldwide Jan. 12. In the interview, the pope spoke about experiencing an overwhelming sense of mercy during confession when he was 17 years old; provided more details about stories he has recounted in homilies; explained his comment, “Who am I to judge,” about a homosexual person seeking God; and discussed the need he saw to invoke a jubilee Year of Mercy.

Papal almoner organizes a day at the circus for Rome’s poor Poor residents, the homeless, refugees and some prisoners were offered a special treat by the Vatican: a circus show. The papal Almoner’s Office announced that the Rony Roller Circus in Rome made all 2,000 seats in their big top venue available for a free show Jan. 14. Doctors and nurses from the Vatican’s health clinic were on hand at the event to offer free checkups and medical care from its mobile unit to those in need. The show was to open with a song dedicated to Pope Francis, written by a homeless singer-songwriter from Spain as a way to “give thanks to the Holy Father for this latest gesture of being close” to others, the papal Almoner’s Office said in a statement. – Catholic News Service

Inside the Synod on the Family:

What Really Happened & What Does It All Mean? Date & Time: Thurs, January 28, 2016 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Location: 3M Auditorium, Owens Science Hall, St.Thomas/St. Paul campus Admission: Event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to: StThomas.edu/MurphyInstitute

Speaker: John Grabowski • Associate professor/Director of Moral Theology/Ethics at Catholic University of America • Theological advisor to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family, and Youth, will speak on the Holy See’s recent Synod of Bishops on the family. Grabowski served as a marriage and family expert for the Synod. He offers an insider’s take on the 2015 Synod on the Family and what it all may mean for the Church. His presentation will be particularly interesting to those seeking a better understanding of Church synods and the family’s role in the New Evangelization.

The Catholic Spirit • 9B

March for Life changes venues, strengthens message By Kurt Jensen Catholic News Service The annual March for Life, set for Jan. 22, will convene in a new location in the nation’s capital for the traditional midday rally. Because of the ongoing refurbishment of the National Mall and strict new regulations that require temporary flooring to protect the grass, the rally has been moved from the West Front of the Capitol to the Washington Monument grounds. “We were lucky to get that. It’s going to cost us $70,000, and it’s not something we budgeted for,” said Jeanne Monahan-Mancini, president of March for Life. “It’s the most economical wideopen space we could afford.” Other than the venue, the event, which draws busloads of Catholic parishioners and parochial school students, is expected to remain much the same. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has 130 people from eight parishes and one high school traveling to Washington, D.C., for the march. Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens is expected to be with the group Jan. 2023. Father Thomas McCabe will travel with the group as chaplain. Held since 1974, the march marks the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, which legalized abortion. “Pro-Life is Pro-

Woman” is this year’s theme. “We know that abortion takes the life of one and wounds the life of another, so we always try to emphasize . . . that there’s always hope and healing for anyone who’s made that sad decision, and it’s very important in terms of our messaging,” Monahan-Mancini said. “It’s also intended as a way to blunt critics, “because of the [presidential] election and a lot of the rhetoric about the false ‘war on women,’” she added. Retired Baltimore Ravens football player Matt Birk is the headline speaker at the rally and that evening’s Rose Dinner. Monahan-Mancini said she expected at least a couple of Republican presidential candidates to speak at the rally, but that any announcement would come just before the event. Other march-related activities include a Mass opening the overnight National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Jan. 21 and a Mass the next morning at the Basilica; and a Mass and interdenominational prayer service at Constitution Hall prior to the march. In St. Paul, the Cathedral of St. Paul will host the annual Prayer Service for Life 10:30 a.m. Jan 22, followed by Minnesota’s March for Life at noon on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds. The event is sponsored by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. – The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report

10B â&#x20AC;˘ The Catholic Spirit

January 21, 2016

FROM AGE TO AGE

January 21, 2016

The Catholic Spirit • 11B

New ministry for elderly helps young women grow in faith By Katie Scott Catholic News Service If you flipped on the television around this time last year, you may have caught a glimpse of Stacey Jackson alongside religious sisters in an episode of “The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns,” a Lifetime network reality series following five women as they discerned the religious life. Fast-forward a year and Jackson again is surrounded by religious sisters, but this time off camera. She’s not donning a novice’s habit, but rather an engagement ring and the desire to serve a demographic often forgotten or neglected. The 27-year-old is spearheading a ministry called Serving the Aged Lovingly Today, or SALT, a weeklong mission program through the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm in Germantown, New York — featured on the television program — that connects young women with the elderly through service. Grounded in pastoral care, program participants join nursing home residents in their everyday activities; play games; and sit, talk and pray with them. After a successful pilot program last summer, four immersion weeks are planned at Carmelite-run nursing homes or assisted living facilities in 2016.

God working quickly Jackson said her road from “The

Stacey Jackson, right, and Amy Endres, center, speak with nursing home resident Kathleen Grace during last summer’s pilot of SALT, a mission program hosted by the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. CNS Sisterhood” to engagement and to employment with the Carmelites was unexpectedly fast. “My spiritual director said God can work quickly, and he sure was right,” laughed Jackson, who graduated from Seton School in Manassas, Virginia, and grew up attending St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton, Virginia. Hired by the Carmelites last January, Jackson said the job is a “perfect fit.” “I’ve long had a passion for serving the elderly. You often go into it

thinking you are bringing something for them, but leave thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, you’ve given me so much.’” Geared toward college-age women, SALT welcomes participants of all ages and faiths. Young women stay at the convent or nearby while serving at a nursing home. Hourlong enrichment sessions are interspersed throughout the week to give the women tools to guide their interactions. Discussions include compassionate listening, ministering to individuals with dementia, and the

meaning of pastoral care. “Pastoral care is different from a social visit,” Jackson said. “It’s dealing with life as it is, not life as it should be. Women are encouraged not to simply chat about the weather or engage in small talk, but if someone opens up about something painful, to sit with them in their pain. “Some don’t have a lot of visitors to talk to,” she added, and because many residents are near the end of their lives, “they are also more inclined to reflect on the past.” Ministering to the elderly often is overlooked, even in Catholic service circles, Jackson said. “Sometimes, once the elderly’s physical needs are met, people think their care is finished and neglect their spiritual needs. The Carmelites, however, look at the whole person,” she explained. With insights earned through the ups and downs of life, the elderly often have “rich wisdom” that is available to those who take the time to listen, Jackson said. SALT participants learn to be compassionate listeners, and that ability translates into their interactions with parents, friends, strangers and spouses, she said. “And when you’re talking to a 90-year-old woman who has a deep peace about things, it helps you stop worrying about things in life that are not a big deal,” Jackson said. “They put life in perspective, and that is an amazing gift.”

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12B • The Catholic Spirit

Protectors, Providers, L

New initiative aims to make Catholic men ‘watchmen By Jonathan Liedl For The Catholic Spirit

ist

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or years, Chad Crow has attended the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ annual conference for men. And the father of four, who is a parishioner at Transfiguration in Oakdale, said that he and other men who attend the conference typically get a lot out of it. The difficulty, he said, is that they didn’t find a lot of support for men’s spirituality once they left the conference center and returned to their homes, jobs and parishes. “It’s like we were all dressed up but had nowhere to go,” he said, noting that while there were many programs that effectively catered to women’s spiritual needs, it was difficult to find suitable equivalents for men. But Crow and other Catholic men in the archdiocese can expect that to change in the near future as the archdiocese prepares to launch a bold new approach to ministry for adult men. It’s called the Catholic Watchmen movement, and it aims to equip men to live their faith deeply, lead their families and carry out the new evangelization in an increasingly secular world. The movement is backed by Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who sees it as a response to Pope Francis’ call to men to be protectors, providers and leaders of their family. Fulfilling this call to authentic manhood, he said, can only be achieved through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the initiative’s model of heroic manhood. “The Catholic Watchmen initiative offers the bishops a chance to invite Catholic men to join together and fully live their calling to holiness, encouraging them to take a stand in our culture in favor of Gospel values,” said Bishop Cozzens, an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He will be inviting all men in the archdiocese to become Catholic Watchmen, beginning with a special event at the 2016 Archdiocesan Men’s Conference Feb. 27 at the University of St. Thomas’ Anderson Fieldhouse. Men will be initiated into the Watchmen by the bishop and receive a pin if they commit to a set of seven spiritual practices, including leading the family in daily prayer, faithfully attending Sunday Mass and going to confession monthly. (See “The Catholic Watchmen vision” on page 13B.) Matthew James Christoff, the founder of the New Emangelization Project, has worked with Jeff Cavins, the archdiocese’s director of evangelization and catechesis, to develop the Catholic Watchmen initiative. Christoff makes it clear they’re not aiming

small. “Our goa began writ Catholic Sp man [in th have receiv Watchmen

Address

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January 21, 2016 • 13B

Leaders

n’ of their homes, families

al is incredibly aggressive,” said Christoff, who ting the “Catholic Watchmen” column for The pirit in November. “The vision is that every single he archdiocese] who calls himself a Catholic will ved a personal appeal to join the Catholic n.”

sing a crisis

sion of the initiative isn’t modest, it’s because the it seeks to address isn’t either. s a catastrophic lack of faith among Catholic d Christoff, who combed studies from the Pew Center, the Center for Applied Research in the e, and other researchers to identify trends in men’s spirituality. He found that 1 in 3 men who zed as Catholics have left the faith, making this hic the largest contributor to the “nones,” or those ify as belonging to no particular faith. ority of those who do remain don’t know or heir faith, Christoff said. They are typically d from parish life, don’t believe the sacraments are o their faith, and are not committed to passing the g to their children. Catholic Spirit has previously reported, Christoff s refer to this trend as the Catholic “man crisis.” uting factors include broader societal forces, such ual revolution, the stigmatization of traditional ty and widespread use of pornography. ins and Christoff also suggest that the Church o a better job of conveying the faith to men in are more understandable and approachable. While been considerable effort to reach out to women icitly, such as St. John Paul II’s teaching on the genius, men haven’t received the same kind of Cavins and Christoff say that, as a result, many men today find their faith to be unengaging and ng. Cozzens agrees that there needs to be a greater male spirituality and outre ach, but this should not as an effort to diminish the important role of the Church. her to begin where the need is greatest,” he said. ders of the Catholic Watchmen movement argue nly is the crisis of faith among men more dire among women, but it also could have a deeper future generations of Catholics. Christoff and int to a Swiss study that found that the best of whether children will practice the

faith is if their father practiced it and modeled it for them. “If you get the men, you get the women and children,” Christoff said, underscoring why he believes male-targeted ministry is so important. It’s a topic other U.S. Catholic leaders are taking seriously, too. In October, Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix published “Into the Breach,” a letter to men in his diocese urging them to “engage the battle” for their families and homes. Christoff contributed to its writing and appears in a related video released on YouTube in January titled “Society’s Crisis in Masculinity.” A verse from the Book of Ezekiel that inspired the title “Into the Breach” is also one motivating the Catholic Watchmen movement: “Thus I have searched among them for someone who would build a wall or stand in the breach before me to keep me from destroying the land, but I found no one.”

Building on nature Cavins said the Catholic Watchmen movement is informed by the theological understanding that grace builds on nature. “It’s a powerful paradigm and a powerful idea for evangelization,” he said. In fact, many adult faith formation programs are already organized around this principle. The problem, according to Cavins and Christoff, is that these programs consist of things that appeal to women’s nature, such as group sharing and an emphasis on relational language. “These are roadblocks to men unless they’ve already been initiated into the faith in a deep way,” Cavins said. The strength of the Catholic Watchmen movement, he said, is that it reaches out to men where they are by tapping into things that naturally appeal to them, such as fraternity, ritual and an emphasis on mission. For example, established Catholic Man Nights — part of Christoff’s New Emangelization efforts — will give men an opportunity to learn more about their faith and gather with the bishop, but also to drink beer and spend time with other Catholic guys. Another aspect of the movement that its proponents believe will allow it to catch on is its reliance on personal appeals, and men holding other men accountable. “There is no substitute for one man inviting another,” said Christoff, who also noted that men typically respond well to challenges from respected leaders, such as their pastors. Cavins and Christoff also believe that the Catholic Watchmen movement can thrive because it provides men seeking masculine models with an identity rooted in Christ.

“MEN ARE ABSOLUTELY HUNGRY FOR SOMETHING E THIS. AND FRANKLY, WE NEED SOMETHING DISTINCT AND DIFFERENT THAT CAN BREAK THROUGH.” Matthew James Christoff

The Catholic Watchmen vision Calling men to be protectors, providers and leaders According to organizers, “The Catholic Watchmen are Catholic priests, deacons and laymen who have made a real commitment to know Jesus by practicing the faith, to become spiritual leaders and vigilant protectors of their families and to be the vanguard of a new evangelization of men in their parishes. Catholic Watchmen take a vow to strive to live the heroic life of a real Catholic man by practicing the faith.” Its leaders are encouraging Catholic men to commit to the following seven regular faith practices:

Daily practices 1. Personal prayer and leading the family in prayer 2. Examine conscience at the day’s end 3. Encounter Christ in sacred Scripture

Weekly practices 4. Faithfully attend Sunday Mass 5. L ook for opportunities to serve and be a witness both in family and community

Monthly practices 6. Go to confession 7. A ctively build Catholic fraternity and evangelize men through monthly parish gatherings “Men are absolutely hungry for something like this,” Christoff said. “And frankly, we need something distinct and different that can break through.”

The first step The Catholic Watchmen movement will launch in the archdiocese with the men’s conference in February, but an important part of the initiative will take place at the parish level in subsequent months. About 12 “hub parishes” will hold monthly Catholic Watchmen events. In addition to the Catholic Man Nights already underway in parishes throughout the archdiocese, organizers plan to introduce a variety of other “microinitiatives” to help men become protectors, providers and leaders of their families, such as a program that encourages fathers to read Scripture to their children and an effort to have men “own” the late-night hours at adoration chapels. Although the initiative might not roll out in every parish initially, Bishop Cozzens believes the Catholic Watchmen movement “is the first step” in something much larger. “My hope is that someday every parish will have small men’s groups,” he said, “where men find support and encouragement to be authentic disciples, and therefore can become the fathers and leaders of the faith in their families that God intended them to be.” For more information or to register for the 2016 Archdiocesan Men’s Conference, visit www.rediscover-faith.org or call 651-291-4411.

14B • The Catholic Spirit

SINSINAWA DOMINICANS AT 150

s r a e y

January 21, 2016

The courage and sacrifice of the first Sinsinawa Dominicans to serve in the archdiocese began a remarkable legacy of ministry that continues to this day

0 5 1 of reasons

to celebrate

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit

hey came by steamboat and stage coach, those first five dauntless Dominican sisters to serve in Minnesota. The year was 1865. Their mission: bring Catholic education to the pioneer town of Faribault. Looking back 150 years later, Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Doris Rauenhorst said one thing stands out about the beginning of her congregation’s ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: “The courage of our sisters who came into a territory that was not yet civilized and founded schools and helped to imbed the faith among the people.” Thousands of Sinsinawa Dominicans have followed in the years since, and sisters, friends and supporters will celebrate 150 years of their service and presence in the archdiocese Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. Mass at St. Albert the Great in Minneapolis. The congregation’s prioress, Sister Mary Ellen Gevelinger, who formerly served in the archdiocese as principal of nowclosed Regina High School in Minneapolis and as director of planning and personnel for Catholic Education and Formation Ministries in the archdiocese, will speak at the Mass. A festive supper is to follow, and the

In the early days of Bethlehem Academy in Faribault, the Dominicans Sisters who taught there lived in the school building. Courtesy the Sinsinawa Dominicans evening’s entertainment will feature a collage of pictures, stories, reflections and memories.

Sacrifice in early years Established in southeastern Wisconsin by Dominican Father Samuel Mazzuchelli with two sisters in August 1847, the Sinsinawa Dominicans had grown to 23 sisters by 1865 when Bishop

Thomas Grace of the then Diocese of St. Paul — himself a Dominican — invited the congregation to open a Catholic school in Faribault. The congregation wasn’t all that strong at that point, Sister Doris noted. Both Father Mazzuchelli and the community’s mother superior had died in the previous year. The fact that five sisters accepted the mission to open Bethlehem Academy in Faribault took courage on the part of

the whole congregation, Sister Doris said. The founding sisters lived in the school building, too; three taught at Bethlehem Academy and two taught across town at Immaculate Conception parish’s grade school. “I’d hope people would realize what a sacrifice it was for them,” Sister Doris said. “Those early sisters were so poor Continued on next page

Honoring 150 years of loving care and faithful service by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. We embrace these shared values in memory of founder Sister Ruth Roland, OP. Her compassionate vision for serving older adults remains our faithful calling.

The Visitation Sisters of Minneapolis congratulate you, our Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters as you celebrate 150 years living

“The Joy of the Gospel” in this archdiocese! Nurturing Life’s Ageless Spirit

“God’s mercy reaches from one generation to the next.”

SINSINAWA DOMINICANS AT 150

January 21, 2016

Anniversary fete Jan. 23 Continued from previous page they didn’t have wood to heat that building. They didn’t have food. They scratched out a living. They had stickto-it-tiveness.” Fourteen years later, the sisters were invited to open schools in Minneapolis at Holy Rosary and later Incarnation, and their education ministry through the years spread to founding more schools — including Regina High School — plus serving at other schools and expanding into a variety of ministries. Sister Doris, for example, served for 18 years as one of the vicars for religious in the archdiocese, founding the Council for Religious as an advisory group to the archbishop, as well as the annual celebration for jubilarians that will take place again Jan. 31 this year. Sister Ruth Roland was instrumental in the founding of Catholic Eldercare to serve the needs of seniors, and Sister

Martha Wiegand started the ministry to Spanish-speaking immigrants at Holy Rosary Church in Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood, work carried on for many years by Sister Margaret McGuirk. Working for immigration reform and combating human trafficking in the Twin Cities, the sisters are “living in tune with the times,” Sister Carol Bongaarts wrote recently in the congregation’s newsletter. She noted, “The Sinsinawa Dominicans have continued to respond in new ways to the needs of the people of God in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis with the hope that our presence and ministry in this local Church is a spirit-filled participation in ‘the building of a holy and just Church and society,’” quoting the congregation’s mission statement.

The Catholic Spirit • 15B

Through the past 150 years • In 1859, Dominican Friar Thomas Grace was appointed bishop of St. Paul, and six years later he invited the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, to open a Catholic school in Faribault. • July 31, 1865, at 4 a.m., five Dominican Sisters left Benton, Wisconsin, for Dubuque, Iowa, where they boarded a boat heading for St. Paul. • On Aug. 4, 1865, the five sisters once again arose at 4 a.m. and took a stagecoach to Faribault, a frontier town, arriving on Aug. 8, the feast of St. Dominic. They founded Bethlehem Academy, and as the school flourished they staffed three parish elementary schools in Faribault as well. • With the success of the schools in Faribault and the urgent need for quality education, in 1879 the sisters were invited to open Catholic elementary schools in Minneapolis. Holy Rosary and Incarnation were the first of seven parish schools that the sisters established. In addition to the schools they opened, they taught in 16 other Catholic schools in the archdiocese. • The1960s, Second Vatican Council and shifting demographics began a time of change where there were fewer sisters in the schools and fewer vocations to religious life. The Dominicans continued to respond to the unmet needs of the era. Today, they work in prisons, social service agencies, spiritual direction and retreats, and programs for new immigrants. • While they are known for their years of teaching and administering in Catholic schools, their work continues in new ways, embracing such critical issues as ending child abuse, human trafficking and racism, and seeking immigration and prison reform. • The Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa continue to welcome women who are called to religious life. They are joined by associates and Dominican Volunteers, women and men who have embraced the Dominican charism. Together they continue to commit their lives to ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

— Sister Margaret McGuirk, O.P.

Thank You to the Sinsinawa

Celebrating

Dominicans for your service

150 years of service in Christ Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa

Thank you!

to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis over the past 150 years. Your presence in Faribault, Minnesota has been a blessing! Your gift of educating our youth has been richly sowed and reaped over these past 150 years. THANK YOU!

Twin City Gear • (763) 780-9780

The Community of Divine Mercy Catholic Church & School

To our dear sisters the Sinsinawa Dominicans, May your ministry proclaiming the Gospel through preaching and teaching as you work to build a holy and just Church and society continue with God’s blessings. We celebrate with you at this special time. Sincerely, The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province

s www.csjstpaul.org

SINSINAWA DOMINICANS AT 150

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16B • The Catholic Spirit

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January 21, 2016

Joyful Dominicans attracted more sisters — and still do By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit

become my fullest self. What a gift.” At 80, Sister Mary Catherine St. Martin describes herself as “a Sinsinawa Dominican for 62 happy years,” and still exudes the joy that she saw in the sisters who taught her in grade school at Incarnation in Minneapolis and influenced her decision to enter religious life in the early 1950s. “One of my fondest memories is of Sister Aemeliana, who taught me piano lessons,” Sister Mary Catherine said. “She gave me a wonderful sense of music appreciation. I also remember Sister Lucian, who taught me in third grade and ran the yearly paper sales. We would do anything for her.”

Growing up in southwest Minneapolis and attending grade school at St. Thomas the Apostle, Carol Bongaarts wasn’t sure the lifestyle of a religious sister was for her. “I entered later,” Sister Carol explained. “The call was there, but I couldn’t imagine being in a convent and so limited.” After high school she had a good job as a receptionist and office assistant. “My friends and I would travel when we got up enough money,” she said. “But I knew I wanted to look for something more.” It was the mid-1960s when Convent life recalled she attended some Twilight Seminars and got involved Life as a sister in the 1950s with the Saturday Nighters at and ’60s was “very the Catholic Youth Center in structured,” Sister Margaret Sister Carol Minneapolis. McGuirk said. “It was a wonderful group With her German last BONGAARTS of young people,” she said. name, Doris Rauenhorst was “We had a lot of fun, and renamed Sister Friedrich there were a number of the when she entered the Sinsinawa Dominicans who congregation in 1956. She taught at Regina High School wasn’t especially pleased with who joined in. They were so the new name, she admitted. happy, joyful and so open to She recalled her early years people. They were able to in the convent, when, as one serve the Church among the of the younger sisters, she was people, and that’s what I assigned tasks such as wanted to do, serve God’s Sister Christin running off tests on the people.” mimeograph machine for the TOMY Attraction to Sinsinawa other teachers and got the Dominicans’ joy is a common purple fingers that came with denominator among both the job. seasoned and newer members of the Sister Carol, who taught and served as congregation. principal at several schools and retired after many years as principal of St. Different ages, similar joy Bartholomew School in Wayzata, said that after she professed vows she was Sister Christin Tomy, 27, began the sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to teach fifth novitiate just 17 months ago. “I was grade and junior high students. totally drawn in by the deep joy of the sisters, as well as their commitment to “In that day you went where you were justice and lifelong learning, their sent,” she recalled, but that was OK with prayerful way of living community, and her. their diversity,” explained the native of “I appreciated the opportunity,” Sister Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Carol said. “I loved being able to work Sister Christin, who is on the staff of with children and to see them become the Eco-Justice Center in Racine, successful, and not just academically but Wisconsin, said, “I love the saying ‘If successful in life.” Because teachers were you’ve met one Sinsinawa Dominican, needed, she earned a bachelor’s degree you’ve met one Sinsinawa Dominican.’ in education and then a master’s degree. How true!” Along the way she taught at every grade She added, “I’ve been embraced just as level, again referring to each role as “an I am, and yet I’m called to grow with the sisters to become something more — to Continued on next page

January 21, 2016

SINSINAWA DOMINICANS AT 150

The Catholic Spirit • 17B

‘My life as a Dominican has been an endless gift of friendship and a wide variety of experiences.’ Sister Margaret McGuirk, O.P. Continued from previous page opportunity.” “I loved the freedom to dedicate my time to helping children learn about Jesus and about God and the Church,” Sister Carol said. “I wasn’t bogged down [worrying about earning money] because our essential needs were taken care of.” As a self-described people-person, Sister Carol said she enjoyed living in community with other women religious. She liked being able to walk to school and walk home to the convent after teaching, when convents were typically on parish grounds. “We could serve more of the neighborhood, if only as a witness,” she said. “That’s why we were there.” Sister Margaret echoed those sentiments. “I’ve always lived in a group of sisters, and I still live in community with 12 others,” she said. “I’ve found community life to be a blessing. I appreciate the gift to live with other people who are committed to various ministries yet all working for the reign of God.”

term on her community’s vocations team. She said the experience gave her a unique opportunity to observe what drives new and younger members to join the order.

Sister Mary Catherine ST. MARTIN

Sister Doris RAUENHORST

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the sisters’ then Dominican College (now University) in River Forest, Illinois, then went to Fordham University in New York for her master’s in education before earning a second master’s in divinity. She taught elementary school and was a director of religious education.

Endless gift of friendship

“I was fortunate to be assigned to mainly Latino parishes in large urban areas,” the Spanish-speaking sister said. “Later, Archbishop Harry Flynn assigned me to two priestless parishes [in St. Paul], St. Francis de Sales and St. James, where I served as parish life administrator for two years.”

Sister Margaret McGuirk grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and entered the Sinsinawa community in 1965 at age 18, right out of high school.

She then followed Sister Martha Wiegand as executive director of Centro Guadalupano at Holy Rosary in Minneapolis.

Sister Margaret McGUIRK

Sister Jeri CASHMAN

“I’ve felt that you always receive more than you give,” Sister Margaret said. “My life as a Dominican has been an endless gift of friendship and a wide variety of experiences.” Sister Doris feels the same. After teaching German at the college level she was sent to Fribourg, Switzerland, to earn a doctorate in German. “The opportunities I’ve been given in my life are irreplaceable,” Sister Doris said. “I loved being who I am and all I’ve been called to do. . . . My eyes have been opened and so many parts of me used that otherwise never would have been.”

Joy still a magnet Dominican Sister Jeri Cashman, who ministers as a family therapist in Hennepin County, recently concluded a

“The joy and affection they experience among our sisters, the passion for mission, the diversity of ministry possibilities” are what continue to attract people to the Sinsinawa congregation, she said. “Many of the new and younger members are bilingual,” Sister Jeri noted, “and they bring their experience of mission and service, their education, a commitment to the environment and evolving consciousness.” They are adept at planning and fearless, and are talented artistically and musically, she pointed out. “They have an openness to our evolving future, and they are realistic about the congregation and changes in religious life,” Sister Jeri said.

Web exclusive Will mainstream religious communities like the Sinsinawa Dominicans die out? Sister Jeri Cashman offers an opinion at bit.ly/234EWsP

Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters

Join us in our mission of preaching and teaching to build a holy and just Church and society by making a donation today. We thank you for your generosity and hold you in prayer. Since 1865, we have ministered in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis with over 2,000 Sisters giving a combined nearly 10,000 years of service! Prioress Mary ellen GevelinGer, oP “The Sinsinawa Dominicans have been blessed in the support and love of the archbishop, priests, and people of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. We continue to teach and preach the Gospel through the witness of our ministries and of our lives.” sister MarGaret McGuirk, oP “I am grateful to the people of this archdiocese for their friendship, dedication, and the many years we have worked together.”

bethlehem AcAdemy StPaulMinn-150Ad-62x42pica.indd 1

sister tanya WilliaMs, oP “To work with people on the margins is both social responsibility and gift. As an employment counselor, broken systems and economic injustices are among the greatest challenges in helping people find meaningful work that offers livable wages. My clients regularly teach me about resilience, determination in the face of adversity, and what it means to create communities that thrive.”

Sinsinawa Dominicans Office of Development (608) 748-4411, ext. 273 develop@sinsinawa.org www.sinsinawa.org

cAtholic eldercAre

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18B • The Catholic Spirit

THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY

EVERYDAY MERCIES Alyssa Bormes

Realizing gratitude High school teachers everywhere know what it is like to have students in class who are only there because it is a requirement. This is why a required speech class can really be an adventure. Public speaking is terrifying! In my experience, there is usually one student who is excited to take the class — and he or she shows up every five or six years. I assign the last speech of the semester on gratitude; it has the most wonderful surprises. Let me tell you about two students. Being a teenager can certainly have its

share of suffering. One student spoke of his time in junior high. No one spoke to him or sat by him. His efforts to make friends went unnoticed. After two years, he was invited to a class party. He found it more uncomfortable than ever, as it seemed they were intent on embarrassing him. He spoke about these two years as the time he was nonexistent. My note taking stopped. He held my heart. To be nonexistent for two years, it is such a weight. Think of how many people feel nonexistent. This is the spot where many youth shut down, except

FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA Jonathan Liedl

Don’t make politics an idol When we hear the word “idolatry,” we probably think first of a golden calf and pagan worship. But idolatry, giving the reverence and devotion owed to God to something created instead, is actually a much more commonplace sin. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church warns us that idolatry “remains a constant temptation of faith.” Idolatry can be a particular problem in politics, which is too often portrayed and practiced as if it is the solution to all problems and a font of salvation. In a society where belief in God and his promises is declining, people put their hope in other things, including the hope that the kingdom of heaven can be legislated into existence, or brought about by some revolution. When this happens, concepts like “equality,” “rights” and “liberty” are divinized as idols, objects worthy of absolute devotion in their own right. We must remember, however, that these concepts are good only when understood as part of a broader, integrated vision of the person and society. Otherwise, these political idols become harmful and destructive ideologies. Political idolatry is plainly illustrated in abortion politics, where many abortion advocates cite the absoluteness of a woman’s “autonomy” as the justification for the crime. A disordered attachment to

an abstract political conviction compels abortion advocates to literally sacrifice unborn children at the altar of “autonomy.” Of course, individual autonomy and privacy are not bad in themselves. The problem is that “autonomy” has become a golden calf for abortion advocates. They mistakenly treat it as an end unto itself, a self-contained truth. But in order to be true, autonomy must be understood in the fuller context of God’s plan for the human person and society, where freedom is a gift meant for developing our powers, living our vocation and serving others — not as an immunity from responsibility. Autonomy, or any other political value, can never be used as a justification for violating human dignity and trampling on the common good. Lest we get self-righteous, even pro-life advocates can become victims of political idolatry. We cannot isolate the truth of the evil of abortion from other truths, nor can we treat the mission of ending legal abortion as a god that must be served through whatever means necessary. For instance, in combating legal abortion, one might resort to unethical and immoral tactics to score political points. One might demonize abortion advocates as not just wrong, but as

that Ryan didn’t. On his first day of high school, he went to the table with the kid sitting alone; they became great friends. These two became friends with two others; with friendship, a new existence began. His friends were in the audience for his speech; he gave thanks for their friendship and for existing. It was interesting that quite a few students hadn’t really thought about gratitude before this assignment. Having to speak about it became a realization that they may be taking some things for granted, like their parents, siblings and education. But there was something else unexpected. I had assigned the speech a few weeks before it was due. One student said that she was pondering the assignment, and having to figure out some reason why she was grateful. There was a G.K. Chesterton quote painted on her bedroom wall. To this point, she had been able to look past it. But there it was, “An adventure is only an inconvenience fundamentally and irreparably evil. And one might be too easily satisfied by headline-grabbing legislation or speeches that provide a sort of emotional rush, but don’t actually accomplish anything except stirring up activists and donors. Experience continues to show that the success the pro-life movement has enjoyed has not come about by turning abortion into a partisan issue. Instead of shrill screams and publicity stunts, it’s been an integrated vision that connects the push to end legal abortion with a broader and consistent ethic of life that has won hearts and minds, leading to legislative breakthroughs and changes in public opinion. For instance, the theme of this year’s national March for Life is “Pro-Life and Pro-Woman Go Hand in Hand.” This approach deftly counters the “War on Women” rhetoric by correctly tying the dignity of unborn human life to the dignity of the mother. Both babies and women are better off when we choose life and support both mother and child. By locating the wickedness of abortion within a larger conversation about human dignity, and by focusing on helping actual persons with real needs and challenges rather than merely attacking a court decision, we can avoid political idolatry and contribute to an integrated understanding of human life that is more complete, more Catholic and more winsome. Liedl is the communications manager for the Minnesota Catholic Conference. Follow MCC on Twitter @MNCatholicConf and Facebook.

January 21, 2016

rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” At this point, Katy had a few really difficult things in her life; she had been bullied throughout junior high, and suffered the death of her 6-year-old cousin. Preparing for the gratitude speech made her realize she was grateful for life. She cried her first tears for her cousin’s lost life. She understood that she had a decision to make — she would no longer see life as boring, but as an adventure. She said, “I learned to live two weeks ago!” There is no doubt that a required speech class makes most students shudder, but now and again, it is the conduit of everything coming together. The results are breathtaking, and for this teacher, it is a great joy, a mercy to witness and quite an adventure. Bormes, a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, is the author of the book “The Catechism of Hockey.”

Protect the conscience rights of those who serve Support the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act Our nation has laws that protect conscientious objectors to abortion from facing discrimination based on their beliefs. But these laws have loopholes and legal weaknesses that opponents of conscience rights have learned to exploit. The biggest loophole? None of these laws includes a “private right of action,” allowing victims of discrimination to go to court to defend their rights. As a result, individuals have lost jobs and charitable agencies have lost funding — all for following their consciences and standing up for life. A solution is available and we should be a part of it. Congress is considering a remedy called the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA). The measure would close the loopholes and secure a private right of action for victims of discrimination. Stand with pro-life medical professionals and Catholic welfare agencies and support this important legislation. Call your U.S. senators and tell them to support ANDA: Sen. Al Franken: 202-224-5641 Sen. Amy Klobuchar: 202-224-3244

LETTERS Parents as examples of Christian charity Last weekend, I volunteered to keep score at my son’s Cub basketball game. The Sabres were playing a team from another Catholic school, and I had the opportunity to volunteer and run the scoreboard. Unfortunately, the clock on the scoreboard was malfunctioning, so the coaches, the referee and I came up with a backup plan. It was a great plan and would allow the boys to complete their game,

but the dads from the opposing team didn’t like it. Three fathers decided that the example of Christian charity they wanted their sons to experience was screaming across the gym at me to “Start the clock, you idiot!” After the game, I approached the dads and explained the situation, expecting that they would see the error of their ways and maybe even apologize. Instead, they said that since no one informed them that the clock was malfunctioning, they were right to scream at a volunteer — at a kids’ basketball game — at a Catholic school. And then the[y] stomped off,

muttering nasty comments. What an example they set for their little boys! I encourage all parents to remember that these are children. They are impressionable. They learn from your behavior. Next time, why don’t you consider taking a step back and think about how Mary and Joseph would handle the same situation. I bet you’ll react differently. Katie Tierney Guardian Angels, Chaska

January 21, 2016

THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN Matthew James Christoff

In Scripture and now: men’s duty to be watchmen Men and women are created in God’s image and are equal in dignity. Men and women have also been endowed with unique gifts that God draws together in beautiful complementarity in the sacrament of marriage in which the “two become one flesh” (Gn 2:24). God has endowed men with the natural inclination to be “protectors.” The book of Genesis reveals that God endowed Adam with the instinctive ability to be a protector, instructing Adam to “shamar” (in Hebrew, “to watch or guard”) the garden and Eve. Adam spectacularly fails to watch and guard the garden and Eve when Satan slithers in. God holds Adam accountable for this failure. Throughout the Old Testament, God continued to call men to be watchful and on guard against evil. Ezekiel, the Old Testament prophet who lived 600 years before Christ during the fall of Jerusalem, offered this lament from God: “And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land” (Ez 22:30). Isaiah also echoes

God’s call for men to be watchful: “Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest” (Is 62:6). Jesus Christ, the almighty king, repeatedly called for men to be watchful. Christ teaches that men should be watchful over their homes (Mt 24:43) and to be in a state of constant vigilance: “Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Mt 24:32). Christ’s chosen apostles also emphasize the need for men to be watchful. Peter advises, “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). Paul directs: “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong” (1 Cor 16:13).

Watchful, but how? What does it mean for today’s man to be “watchful”? Men can relate to this scenario: It is the middle of the night. A

The Catholic Spirit • 19B

Most men will not face a home invasion, but every Catholic man today is facing much greater threats as the modern culture attacks religion and embraces great evils.

Men’s conference focus “Catholic Watchmen: Calling Men to be Protectors, Providers and Leaders of their Families” is the focus of the 2016 Archdiocesan Men’s Conference, Feb. 27 at the University of St. Thomas. For more information and to register, visit www.rediscover-faith.org. See story on pages 12B-13B. man, his wife, his young daughters and sons are asleep in the upstairs bedrooms. The man awakens to the sound of men breaking into the house. What does the man do? Most men say something like the following: No. 1, call 911; No. 2, grab some kind of weapon (a baseball bat, knife or gun); and, No. 3, stand guard at the top of the stairs, ready and willing to die to protect the family. Men have been endowed by God with a natural instinct to protect. Most men will not face a home invasion, but every Catholic man today is facing much greater threats as the modern culture attacks religion and embraces great evils. Secularism and political correctness is stifling the

practice of religion. Marriage is being redefined and abandoned. Pornography, gender confusion and the hypersexualized culture are a threat to men, women, daughters and sons. Many, especially men and young people, are leaving the faith. It is a time of fierce spiritual combat in which the lives of countless souls are in mortal danger. In these troubling times, Catholic men must re-commit to their Godgiven instinct and duty to be “watchmen,” men who protect themselves, their families and parishes. To carry out this call of duty, Catholic men rely on Christ the King for strength in the spiritual battle that is raging. Each Catholic man, regardless of his past, can recommit to know and serve Christ Jesus and his Church, to learn and practice the faith, and to build bonds of brotherhood with other Catholic men. Christ has given men the instinct to be protectors and has charged men to be watchful. Now is the time for Catholic men to commit to become “watchmen” for Christ. Christoff is a parishioner of St. Anne in Hamel and founder of the New Emangelization Project.

GUEST COMMENTARY Father Paul Jarvis

Healing from grief comes in part from increasing our awareness of what we are feeling and framing that awareness with the people and pleasures in our life that can help us return from the gray zone of loss.

A New Year’s resolution: Living well with loss Author Beryl Schewe says, “Not all tears have words.” I think that’s especially true in the depths of winter. With the holidays in the rear view mirror and spring far away, I often find myself missing loved ones who are no longer here, or meditating on my own mortality. As a survivor of serious heart surgery, I sometimes feel a sense of loss that’s not easy to talk about. Perhaps you have losses in your life that affect you in similar ways. Along with the promises of our faith, where do we turn for comfort? The beginning of the new year is a good time to make small changes that could build into something that lasts. Rather than the grand New Year’s resolutions that go flat with the holiday champagne, I think it’s helpful to set achievable goals that you can repeat enough times to create a new, positive habit. In her new book, “Habits of Resilience: Learning to Live Fully in the Midst of Loss” (Twenty-Third Publications, 2015), Schewe offers hard-

won wisdom for making these kinds of changes. Written for those who grieve as well as for caregivers and pastoral ministers, “Habits” offers practices for recovering the rich, full life we may have lost in the midst of mourning loss. Based on her experiences as a hospital chaplain and as a longtime pastoral care minister at Our Lady of Grace in Edina, Schewe’s book brims with thoughtful stories about how to navigate the tricky journey through grief. Grief has no timetable, and everyone’s journey is different. Healing from grief comes in part from increasing our awareness of what we are feeling and framing that awareness with the people and pleasures in our life that can help us return from the gray zone of loss. As Schewe points out, grief is a fullbody experience. There’s a complex interaction between mind, body and spirit. We expect grief to be emotionally exhausting, but sometimes I’m surprised that it can be physically

draining as well. At the end of her book, Schewe offers spiritual practices that can help us recover our spiritual and physical energy. Most importantly, “Habits” talks about the importance of gratitude. Remembering the people in our lives and the experiences that have given us meaning and fulfillment can literally change our brain chemistry as we exercise the feelings of gratitude that we have about them. “Habits” includes special chapters on helping children and veterans who are grieving. Schewe has a compassionate voice that comes through in her book,

alternating with a puckish sense of humor that I remember well from when we worked together years ago at Our Lady of Grace. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who has recently suffered a loss or a selection to read with your book club, “Habits of Resilience” is worth your consideration. You can learn more at Schewe’s website, www.habitsofresilience.com. She publishes a weekly reflection on her blog, Open Every Door. Father Jarvis is pastor of Christ the King in Minneapolis.

20B • The Catholic Spirit

FOCUS ON FAITH

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Jeff Hensley

In comprising the body of Christ, we all have a role In Luke’s Gospel for Jan. 24, Jesus rises in the temple to read from the Book of Isaiah, where he proclaims that the poor will have glad tidings brought to them, a year of liberty would be proclaimed to the captives, recovery of sight given to the blind, and the oppressed would be set free. Jesus sits again, and with all eyes in the synagogue intently on him, says,

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” We have the specifics outlined in the rest of the Gospels, as we see Jesus walking about performing wonders, healing the ill and proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God, which he embodies, to rich and poor alike. But building the kingdom doesn’t stop there. Paul, speaking to the

January 21, 2016

Corinthians, addresses many of the dimensions of Jesus enfleshed in his people, his body. Paul emphasizes that all of us do not engage in the same manifestations of the Spirit: “The body is not a single part, but many,” he says. That truth remains to this day. When I see Jesus in those I encounter, I see various manifestations of the body. The young woman behind the deli counter at the grocery store has a smile and a presence that clearly identifies her as a believer. She confirms it when I ask her if she is a Christian and what church she attends. My two colleagues from the Catholic press with whom I recently toured the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington are proclaimers of the Gospel. I know them both by their functions within the body and by their behavior across the years. They are servant leaders within the body of Christ.

Sunday, Jan. 24 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings • Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 • 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 • Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 My wife, whose compassion extends beyond her family and colleagues to generously embrace the immigrants and refugees she teaches, shows the healing power of love that endures. Would any of these alone show forth all the complexity of Christ’s body? It’s not necessary. It takes all of us as Church to bring Christ’s presence into the world. This Catholic News Service column is offered in cooperation with the North Texas Catholic of Fort Worth, Texas.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Jan. 24 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 Monday, Jan. 25 Conversion of St. Paul, apostle Acts 22:3-16 Mark 16:15-18 Tuesday, Jan. 26 Sts. Timothy and Titus, bishops 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Mark 3:31-35

Wednesday, Jan. 27 2 Samuel 7:4-17 Mark 4:1-20

Saturday, Jan. 30 2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 10-17 Mark 4:35-41

Thursday, Jan. 28 St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29 Mark 4:21-25

Sunday, Jan. 31 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13 Luke 4:21-30

Friday, Jan. 29 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17 Mark 4:26-34

Monday, Feb. 1 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13 Mark 5:1-20

SEEKING ANSWERS Father Kenneth Doyle

Support for miscarriage; lamp for Blessed Sacrament Q.

Until my own personal experience in losing a child, I had no realization as to how deeply a miscarried baby can touch one’s heart. I am still puzzled that the Catholic Church does not have something more formal for grieving parents after a miscarriage occurs. Are there any resources, prayers or rituals available for the numerous parents who sit with empty arms?

A. Your search for solace after a miscarriage is understandable and, sad to say, all too common. The American Pregnancy Association states that 10 to 25 percent of all clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. It stands to reason, then, that the Catholic Church would provide resources for such grief-stricken parents, and in fact the Church does offer a variety of options that can bring spiritual solace and hope. The Church’s official “Book of Blessings” contains a ritual, commonly offered by a priest or deacon, called

“Blessing of Parents after a Miscarriage.” In it, a series of scriptural readings is provided, each of which highlights the continued presence and support of the Lord through times of sadness. One of the prayers reads: “Compassionate God, soothe the hearts of these parents, and grant that through the prayers of Mary, who grieved by the cross of her Son, you may enlighten their faith, give hope to their hearts and peace to their lives.” Other prayers in that same ritual note the promise of eventual reunion with the miscarried child in heaven. “Comfort these parents with the hope that one day we will all live with you.” Another option that the Church offers to parents is a funeral Mass for the miscarried child. And since the Church believes in the sanctity of life from the moment of conception, parents are always encouraged to give the miscarried child a name, acknowledging the child’s unique identity and presence now before the Lord as an intercessor on behalf of the family.

Tuesday, Feb. 2 Presentation of the Lord Malachi 3:1-4 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Wednesday, Feb. 3 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17 Mark 6:1-6 Thursday, Feb. 4 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 Mark 6:7-13

Many dioceses also offer individual counseling and/or support groups for parents after a miscarriage. Your parish would have that information.

Q. Some years ago, I was driving in an unfamiliar area and felt a desire to stop in a church and pray. I came across a huge barn of a building with no sign on the outside, and I wondered whether it might be [a Catholic church]. I entered and saw a red candle lighted to the right of the altar, and I knew that I was “home.” In more recent years, though, some of the Catholic churches I visit have no red light, and the Blessed Sacrament is locked away in a chapel. Perhaps this is just a quirk of my home diocese, but I can’t help wondering: Why are we hiding God?

Friday, Feb. 5 St. Agatha, virgin and martyr Sirach 47:2-11 Mark 6:14-29 Saturday, Feb. 6 St. Paul Miki and companions, martyrs 1 Kings 3:4-13 Mark 6:30-34 Sunday, Feb. 7 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 being “locked away in a chapel,” you should know that the GIRM does provide an option (in No. 315) so that the Blessed Sacrament may be reserved “either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration” or “even in some chapel suitable for the private adoration and prayer of the faithful.” That chapel, though, must be “organically connected to the church and readily noticeable by the Christian faithful.” I am assuming that you have not seen the Eucharist literally “locked away,” since that would preclude the chance for adoration. In our parish, we have a separate eucharistic chapel. It can accommodate six to eight people, who may kneel or sit in quiet meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. Just outside this chapel, visible as one enters the main body of the church, is a (red) sanctuary lamp that is kept lighted throughout the day and night. Far from “hiding God,” I believe this small but prayerful place honors the presence of Jesus in a special way and beckons people to visit.

Q&A

A. The “sanctuary lamp,” to which you refer, is actually required in a Catholic church whenever the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the GIRM, the Church’s liturgical “rule book”) says in No. 316 that “near the tabernacle a special lamp, fueled by oil or wax, should shine permanently to indicate the presence of Christ and honor it.” Note that it need not be red, though certainly that is the traditional color. As for your concern with the Eucharist’s

Father Doyle writes for Catholic News Service. A priest of the Diocese of Albany, New York, he previously served as director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@gmail.com and 40 Hopewell St., Albany, NY 12208.

CALENDAR

January 21, 2016 Dining out Benefit breakfast for Syrian refugees in Lebanon — Jan. 24: 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. at Holy Family Maronite Catholic Church, 1960 Lexington Ave. N., Mendota Heights. Hosted by the Knights of Columbus Council No. 4184. All free-will donations sent to Caritas Lebanon. Information: www.holyfamilymaronitechurch.org/mn. KC Lumberjack Breakfast — Jan. 24: 8:30 a.m. – noon at Mary Queen of Peace Church Hall – St. Martin campus, 21201 Church Ave., Rogers. Sponsored by the Northwest-Hennepin Knights of Columbus Council No. 11941. Knights of Columbus brunch — Jan. 24: 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at Epiphany Church, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. St. Vincent de Paul Dad’s Belgian Waffles breakfast — Jan. 24: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Information: www.saintvdp.org. Pancake breakfast — Jan. 31: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Boy Scout Troop No. 288 pancake breakfast— Feb. 7: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of St. Michael Church/Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, 335 Hurley St. E., West St. Paul. Information: 651-457-2334. Annual sauerkraut supper and live music — Feb. 9: 4–8 p.m. at Holy Cross Church, 1630 Fourth St., NE, Minneapolis. Information: www.ourholycross.org. Guardian Angels Church Men’s Club annual beef and sausage dinner — Feb. 14: 11 a.m.– 1 p.m. at 217 Second St. W, Chaska. Information: www.gachaska.org.

Fish fries and Lenten dinners Guardian Angels Church all-you-can-eat fish fry Fridays — Feb. 19, March 4 and March 18: 4:30–7 p.m. at 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Information: www.guardian-angels.org. Knights of Columbus No. 4967 fish fry — Fridays during Lent (Feb. 12, 26, March 11 and 18): 4–7 p.m. at St. Peter Catholic School cafeteria, 2620 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul. St. John the Baptist Church fish fry — Fridays during Lent (Feb. 12, 19, 26 and March 4, 11 and 18): 5–8 p.m. at 14383 Forest Blvd. N., Hugo. Information: www.stgens.org. Lebanese Lenten dinners — Fridays during Lent (Feb. 12, 19, 26 and March 4, 11 and 18): 4:30–7 p.m. at Holy Family Maronite Church, 1960 Lexington Ave. S., Mendota Heights.

Music “Cabaret” dinner theatre at Immaculate Conception Church — Jan. 29-30: 6 p.m. at 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. All proceeds benefit the liturgy ministry. Information: 763-7889062 or www.iccsonline.org.

Parish events “Parenting in the Age of Cell Phones” — Jan. 27 and Feb. 3: 6:30–7:45 p.m. at St. Edward

Retreat for pastoral ministers: “Befriending Your Limits” — March 4-5 at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@ stpaulsmonastery.org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

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

Schools Spaghetti dinner and book fair at Immaculate Conception School — Jan. 22: 4–7 p.m. at 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. Information: 763-788-9065 or www.iccsonline.org.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event • Full street address of event • Description of event • Contact information in case of questions ONLINE: www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102

A note to readers

St. Michael Church WinterFest — Jan. 30–31 at 11300 Frankfort Parkway NE, St. Michael. Information: www.stmcatholicchurch.org. Knights of Columbus No. 4967 ham bingo — March 19: 5:30–9 p.m. at 2620 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul.

franciscanretreats.net/mens_retreats.aspx

Morning of reflection – “Forgiveness: A Way to Imitate Christ” — Feb. 6: 7:30 a.m. continental breakfast followed by speaker Guy Gruters at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Information: www.guardian-angels.org.

Prayer and worship

“Embracing the Holy Time of Lent” — Feb. 7: 4–6 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Addiction recovery Mass and healing service — Feb. 13: 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at St. Pascal Baylon Church, 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. Chili lunch to follow. Information: 800-398-0524 or secretary@ calixsociety.org.

Dementia support group — Feb. 9: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Taize prayer — Feb. 19: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@ stpaulsmonastery.org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Married couple’s retreat — Feb. 12–14 at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information: www.franciscanretreats.net.

Retreats Open the Door III: A Prayer and Discernment Retreat – “Listening with Compassion in the Year of Mercy” — Jan. 29-30: 5:30 p.m. at the Sisters of St. Joseph Provincial House, 1880 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. Information: katherinefmullin@gmail.com or 612-636-1822, or www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org. Registration: www.surveymonkey.com/r/openthedooriii Men’s weekend retreat: “God’s Tender Mercy: Opening Our Hearts” — Feb. 5-7: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 to 1 p.m. Feb. 7 at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information: 952-447-2182 or www.

Immaculate Conception School pre-K–8 open house — Jan. 27: 5–7 p.m. at 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. Information: 763-788-9065 or www.iccsonline.org. St. Charles School learning festival and open house — Jan. 31 from 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at 2727 Stinson Blvd., St. Anthony. Information: www.stchbschool.org. St. Rose of Lima Catholic School pre-K–8 open house — Jan. 31 from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. and Feb. 4 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. at 2072 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville. Information: 651-646-3832 or www.mysaintrose.net.

Speakers

As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Catholic Spirit no longer accepts calendar submissions via email. Please submit events using the form at www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions Church, 9401 Nesbitt Ave., Bloomington. Information: 952-835-7101 or www.stedwardschurch.org.

The Catholic Spirit • 21B

“Shape of the Divine: A Retreat with Clay” with Sister Virginia Matter — Feb. 14-15 at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@ stpaulsmonastery.org, or www.stpaulsmonastery.org. Women’s weekend mercy-themed retreat — Feb. 19–21 at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information: www.franciscanretreats.net. School of Lectio Divina: “How to Encounter God in a Deeper Way” — Feb. 19-24: 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org, or www. stpaulsmonastery.org.

Annual Pro-Life Presentation and Italian Dinner with Bishop Andrew Cozzens — Jan. 23: 5:30 p.m. at Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. Information: 651-489-8825. Morning of Reflection with Laura Sobiech: “How God Answered a Mom’s Small Prayer in a Big Way” — Feb. 20: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Information: www.guardian-angels.org.

Conferences, seminars, groups St. John Paul II Culture of Life Summit — Jan. 23: 8–11 a.m. at St. Agnes Church, 535 Thomas Ave., St. Paul. Mass followed by breakfast in Schuler Hall for a free-will offering, speakers from local pro-life organizations and opportunities to volunteer or donate to help with these efforts. Growing Deeper in Prayer workshop — Jan. 30: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at St. Peter Church, 1405 Highway 13, Mendota. Information and registration: Lisa Amos, pastoral associate, 651-905-4304 or lamos@stpetersmendota.org, or www.stpetersmendota.org. Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office winter teaching conference — Jan. 30: 8:30 a.m.– 5 p.m. at Epiphany Church, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Information: www.ccro-msp.org or 763-571-5314.

Other events Information session on infertility, women’s health and NaProTechnology — Jan. 30: 9:30 a.m. at St. Michael Church, 611 S. Third St., Stillwater.

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22B • The Catholic Spirit

January 21, 2016

Professional mentoring key to engineering program’s vision Continued from page 6B would introduce T-G students to engineering inside and outside the classroom. “We developed this for probably two years prior to starting this program,” said Vandermyde, who was promoted to assistant principal three years ago and now co-directs the program with teacher Matt Thibodeau. “What we realized is that most people don’t have a true understanding of what engineering is, what engineers do and how big and broad that [field] is, how many different and varied career opportunities are available within that engineering umbrella. “So we made a focus of our program exposing more of our students to that reality. And, the best way to do that is to give them first-hand experiences.” Students are diving into the opportunity. This year, 48 seniors are completing their third year. A total of 180 students are enrolled in the optional program, with the number of sophomores and juniors nearly identical.

Mentors in the field The program is available only to grades 10-12; ninth-grade students apply as they become interested during their first year. Vandermyde said most

are accepted, and only a few have dropped out. Right away during sophomore year, each student is paired with a professional engineer who serves as a mentor. Students are asked to connect with their mentors at least once each semester, either in person or via Skype, FaceTime or telephone. The co-directors say many students go far beyond that. “I think it’s good [to have a mentor in the engineering field],” said senior Kourtney Shermoen, who plans to study computer science and forensics in college. “It’s not just the schooling questions you get answered in classes. It’s the real-life [questions] you can ask them. It’s really helpful to go to them with any questions I have or concerns about engineering.” The enthusiasm works both ways, said Thibodeau, who works to organize field trips and talks to engineers to get their feedback on the program. “It’s huge,” he said of the response from engineers and firms. “It’s way more than what we expected. . . . Initially, we were worried: Are we going to be able to get enough mentors, are we going to be able to get enough field trips? Part of my role is being responsible for the field trips. And, I am turning down companies because we have so many offers to take us on field trips.”

Boosting girl-boy ratio Among the goals of Totino-Grace’s E3 Engineering Institute is to attract more girls to the program. Co-director Dan Vandermyde estimates that 35 percent of the program’s 180 students are female. Matt Thibodeau, the program’s other co-director, said he would like to someday see a 50-50 split between boys and girls. What could help boost interest in the program overall are the days when Catholic elementary schools visit Totino-Grace to learn more about engineering. So far, four schools — St. Odilia in Shoreview, Epiphany in Coon Rapids, St. John the Baptist in New Brighton and Frassati Catholic Academy in White Bear Lake — either have visited or are scheduled to do so. “It makes me wish that I had an opportunity like that when I was in middle school, because I wasn’t introduced to engineering at all in elementary or middle school,” said Kourtney Shermoen, a Totino-Grace senior in the E3 program. “I think it’s super cool getting introduced to it and actually getting to do [engineering] projects [while in middle school].” Not that the co-directors are worried about the future of the program. Both say it looks bright. “I think it’s just going to grow,” Thibodeau said. “I think a lot of people are excited about it. I think a lot of professional engineers and firms are excited about what we’re doing.” — Dave Hrbacek This year, there will be 20 field trips, he noted. In some instances, up to 30 or 40 engineers with a company are giving an entire day to the students when they visit. Some of them also offer a full day to students who want to shadow them. But, as the co-directors are careful to

point out, the goal is not to make engineers of every student who goes through the program. Rather, they want students to learn about the field so that they can make better choices about colleges and careers later, even if they don’t choose engineering.

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BEYOND THE BELTWAY

January 21, 2016

The Catholic Spirit • 23B

In a college town, a Catholic grade school touts faith, formation FINAL STORY IN A SEVEN-PART SERIES By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit Forty miles south of the Twin Cities in Northfield, between St. Olaf College on one side of the Cannon River and Carleton College on the other, a small Catholic grade school is “holding strong” and “overall doing well.” That’s Vicki Kalina Marvin’s analysis of St. Dominic School. She loves the place. Although she’s in her 10th year as the school’s principal, she’s spent a good portion of her life there. “I graduated from here, taught here for five years, and I’ve been a parent of students here,” Marvin said. “One of my former teachers is still teaching here, and one of my former students is a teacher here now. It’s an important place to me.” On a cloudy fall day, sixth-grader Olivia Hubers and fifth-grader Charlie Monahan — members of the elite Student Action Leadership Team — comfortably tell a visitor about their school. “We get to learn about God,” Hubers said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to learn about our faith.” Teacher Janet Sletten, in her 38th year at St. Dominic, talks with pride about the school’s reading enrichment program. “It’s enrichment at both ends of the spectrum,” she pointed out. “Kids have needs at both ends.” Another of the school’s strengths comes in the form of volunteers such as Kim Bobert, who continues to help in the school library although she no longer has children attending St. Dominic. “When my son left to go to the public high school, I stayed,” Bobert said with a smile. She’s been volunteering for 10 years. She thinks so highly of the school “because of the relationships kids form with the teachers and their classmates,” she said. “Even today, my son’s best friends are the guys he went

Preschooler Madilyn Terpstra looks up from her coloring work at St. Dominic School in Northfield. Bob Zyskowski/The Catholic Spirit to school with at St. Dominic.”

Enrollment challenges The rootedness that drew Marvin back to serve as St. Dominic’s principal — as well as her leadership in incorporating a focus on student progress throughout the year, not just at report card time — do not come without a healthy sense of realism. Keeping a small Catholic school strong isn’t easy, Marvin acknowledged. “We battle enrollment all the time,” she said. “People don’t look to Catholic schools to be a safe place or a better education than a public school anymore.” To work on enrollment and retention, “we compete differently,” she said. “We have to focus on the faith piece and character development.” “There’s a focus on education in Northfield,” she added, nodding to residents of the college town. St. Dominic’s small size allows for a certain intimacy, she said. “It gives us the ability to get to know kids and be flexible in caring and providing different things in ways larger schools can’t,” she said. “The difference here is that you know everybody has common values. Our core values are shared, we have the same beliefs, and that’s across our entire community.” Although St. Dominic’s enrollment has gone up and

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down over the years, this year the school gained eight students, raising enrollment to 131 in kindergarten through eighth grade. The preschool is nearly full with children from several new families, which Marvin sees as a good sign for coming years. But the cost of tuition is definitely a barrier for some families, she said. “Money is a big challenge for people. When you have more than one child, it adds up. It’s a significant payment,” she admitted. The budget, then, is another challenge. Salaries were frozen this year, and they were already about 75 percent of salaries in the area’s public school systems, Marvin said. “We ask a lot,” she said. “Everyone takes on multiple roles here, and that wears people out — parents and teachers. “We’re always trying to pull in dollars without asking our parents for it,” Marvin said. “Even with fundraisers, we’re asking from the same pool of families.” Thankfully, St. Dominic’s staff is committed and grateful for the other benefits of being part of a supportive community, Marvin said. “I’m lucky as an administrator,” she added. “I have teachers who give their all every day. “Sometimes things are hard here, but we do hard things together, and that’s why it’s so rewarding.”

24B • The Catholic Spirit

THE LAST WORD

January 21, 2016

Sister Mary Mark Mahoney, center, receives a blessing in the chapel of Carondelet Village in St. Paul during a surprise party to celebrate her 105th birthday Jan. 11. She is a retired St. Joseph of Carondelet sister who lives at Carondelet Village. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

t. Joseph of Carondelet Sister Mary Mark Mahoney should have been expecting a birthday party Jan. 11. After all, she turned 105 that day. But she was full of surprise when she was wheeled into the chapel of Carondelet Village in St. Paul at 1:30 p.m. to a chorus of applause and well wishes. Several dozen people extended their hands in a formal blessing, then sang the traditional “Happy Birthday.” “I never expected anything like this, ever,” she said, not long after her green, Irish-themed cake had been cut. A handful of smartphones captured the heartwarming moments in the chapel. No doubt, Sister Mary Mark will include the joyful details of her birthday party in the next batch of letters she sends to three prisoners in solitary confinement in correctional facilities across the country with whom she regularly corresponds. Though writing has become more difficult in recent years, she continues the outreach she began shortly after she retired from active ministry in 1974. Her list grew to 50 inmates at one time, and she enlisted other sisters to become their pen pals, too. The letters she writes about every two weeks have become a focal point of her life — and a reason why she wouldn’t mind living until her 110th birthday. “I feel that that’s the best thing I can do; and, my writing is still good,” she said. “I want to encourage them in their life.” How could an inmate not be

Life at 105:

Letters to inmates and lots of chocolate By Dave Hrbacek • The Catholic Spirit

touched by someone who has lived for more than a century, and is using the time she has left to send a message of hope to one of the darkest places of human existence? “They [the inmates] don’t want her to die,” said Mary Lou Carney, a volunteer at Carondelet Village for the last year and a half who is a retired chaplain. “Mary Mark continues to be one of the most grace-filled women I’ve ever met in my life, who wakes up in prayer with God and lives her day in prayer with God,” Carney said. “Mary Mark said to me a few months ago one morning, ‘I feel like I’m on retreat all the time with God.’ She lives her life in a spirit of prayer. And she reaches out to the prisoners, truly to be a vessel of God’s love and grace. She’s a blessing to this world.” Sister Mary Mark was born in 1911 in South St. Paul and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1932. She was a junior high teacher at several schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and beyond, including St. Anne in Le Sueur, St. Stephen in Minneapolis and St. Patrick in St. Paul.

She also worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul and St. Mary’s Hospital and Boys Home in Minneapolis. She moved to Bethany Convent, the sisters’ retirement community, in 2001 and later moved to Carondelet Village after it was built in 2011. She continues to amaze the staff at Carondelet Village with her ongoing letter-writing. She occasionally ministers to staff, too. “Mary Mark is one of my favorite people,” said Kathleen Conrad, a pastoral care coordinator. “She’s one of the first people I was told I had to meet when I started to work here, when she was merely 101 years old. So, we’ve celebrated birthdays together for the last four years, which has been a joy. My title is pastoral care coordinator, but when I need pastoral care, I go visit Sister Mary Mark. Just her presence is so rich and such a blessing for me.” She then went on to reveal to her 105-year-old friend what the friendship has meant, as she turned to her and said, “Without knowing it, you take care of me.” Lest anyone think Sister Mary Mark

has reached perfection, it was pointed out that she has one vice — and a very strong one at that. “Mary Mark adores everything chocolate,” Carney said. “And, she shares it. She likes to give a piece of chocolate to her caregivers to thank them.” She has a not-so-secret stash of chocolate candies and bars in her dresser drawer. She does all she can to give it away, but more keeps coming in to replace what she hands out. Perhaps, that’s a metaphor for the life she has been leading for more than a century. God keeps giving her more years, and she keeps giving the joy and encouragement she holds in her heart to those around her — and to those in prison. “Mary just has a way with them,” said Sister Betty Gits, 90, who has known Sister Mary Mark since she entered the CSJ community in 1943. For any prisoners who think the next letter might be their last, they needn’t worry. There’s a plan in place to keep the notes coming, even after Sister Mary Mark can no longer do it. “Mary Lou Carney is the one that will continue,” Sister Mary Mark declared. “She’ll be a good one.” As for her own future, the 105-yearold sister offers a smile and simple remark when asked about it. “It’s all in God’s hands. I feel good,” she said, refusing to speculate on how much time she might have left on earth. “However long God wants me [to live].”