‘Pilgrims of Hope’
2025 JUBILEE YEAR Joseph Pratt, a member of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, reads the Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, “Spes Non Confundit” or “Hope does not disappoint,” (Rom 5:5) as Father Ryan Glaser, left, Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Deacon Ron Schmitz, far right, prepare to lead a solemn procession into the Cathedral for the opening Mass Dec. 29 of the 2025 Jubilee Year in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The archbishop presided at a similar opening Mass Dec. 28 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. More on page 7. TOM HALDEN | OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
PAGETWO
BLESSED CHRISTMAS Bishop Kevin Kenney reveals he is behind the Santa Claus suit at a Christmas celebration and breakfast at the Little Sisters of the Poor’s Holy Family Residence in St. Paul. Decorative invitations to the meal read, “Residents, I ‘Ho Ho’ hope you join me for breakfast! I’ll see you at 8:00 am Monday, December 23rd, Main Dining Room. Ho Ho Ho, Santa.” Bishop Kenney’s Santa suit was made by his grandmother and worn by his late father, Bill, to spread Christmas cheer. Bishop Kenney has worn the suit on other occastions as well. The bishop’s mother, Dorothy, lived at the home for low-income adults until her death in 2022. As a priest and now as a bishop, Bishop Kenney has been celebrating Mass at the residence each Saturday. Everyone received a gift –– many of the presents were donated by parishioners of St. Ambrose in Woodbury –– and Bishop Kenney accepted the invitation to join those gathered for breakfast, said Sister Joseph Marie, who helped organize the gathering. “To complete this beautiful event, the bishop gave us his blessing and best wishes for Christmas and the new year,” she said. “A big thank you to our Bishop Kenney.”
New columns, other changes to watch for in The Catholic Spirit
Editor’s note: As we pray for a blessed new year for all in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and around the world, the staff of The Catholic Spirit would like to wish a departing columnist well, introduce three new columnists and offer a look at three aspects of our news and commentary plans for 2025.
After more than a decade of writing for The Catholic Spirit, including her column, “Your Heart, His Home,” in the second issue of each month, Liz Kelly Stanchina is leaving the newspaper to devote more time to her role as community leader for women’s formation with the Word on Fire Institute. Stanchina also plans to continue traveling widely for speaking engagements and retreats. We will miss her voice in the paper, and we pray for her continued success. Two new columnists will alternate writing in that space on our Commentary pages: Catholic Spirit reporter Josh McGovern and Angela Jendro, a theology teacher at Providence Academy in Plymouth who has written occasional guest columns for the paper.
PLEASE TURN TO NEW COLUMNS ON PAGE 18
PRACTICING Catholic
In a conversation with Kate Soucheray, a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a columnist for The Catholic Spirit, the Jan. 3 “Practicing Catholic” radio show explored ways to set New Year’s resolutions with an eye toward growing closer to God. The program also included an opportunity to get to know Patrick Conley, host of the radio show, and it explored ways of surrendering to God in the new year with Lacy Apfelbeck, founder of Minnesotabased nonprofit Edge of the Red Sea Ministries. Through her work, Apfelbeck abides by the teachings of the Catholic Church to encourage emotional, physical and spiritual healing. Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingcatholicShow com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
A story on page 9 in the Dec. 5 edition incorrectly stated that the canonization of Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen is inevitable. Archbishop Sheen has a verified miracle that makes his beatification, the next step in his cause for canonization, “inevitable”; however, a second verified miracle required for his canonization cannot be guaranteed.
A story on the last page of the Nov. 21 edition about an AI-generated “digital twin” of St. Peter’s Basilica included incorrect information putting the amount of data collected into perspective. Project managers collected 22 terabytes of data, which would need almost 5,000 DVDs to record all that information. To comprehend what 5,000 DVDs look like, they would be more than 18 feet (5.62 meters) high if stacked one on top of another –– about the height of a two-story building.
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 30 — No. 1 MOST
NEWS notes
Volunteering with his family to serve breakfast Nov. 23 at Catholic Charities’ Twin Cities Dorothy Day Residence in St. Paul, Ryan Gansler noticed that guests at risk of or experiencing homelessness who stepped up to access water at a dispenser didn’t have water bottles. Aiming to help change that, the senior at Unity Catholic High School in Burnsville plans to distribute 30 water bottles as gifts for the new year to those attending a Jan. 25 Mass at Catholic Charities that will be celebrated with the help of his parish, St. John Neumann in Eagan. Gansler and his family volunteer through the parish’s Loaves and Fishes program to help serve breakfast once each month, said his mother, Jennifer Gansler.
Pro-Life Action Ministries of St. Paul, with legal assistance from the Thomas More Society, secured the right in Minneapolis to enter the driveway area of a public sidewalk as it reaches out with literature and life-giving alternatives to people entering or leaving abortion facilities. The interdenominational Christian organization sued the city in April 2023 after Minneapolis passed an ordinance that Pro-Life Action Ministries said was enacted to prevent pro-life activists from reaching out to clients of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in a Minneapolis neighborhood. The city agreed Dec. 6 to pay courtapproved legal costs Pro-Life Action Ministries incurred while challenging the ordinance. The ordinance was amended Dec. 10 to allow driveway access for activists to engage in conduct protected by the U.S. Constitution, the Minnesota Constitution or federal or state law. “It’s a simple situation,” said Erick Kaardal, Thomas More Society special counsel. “The ministry of pro-life sidewalk counseling is a peaceful interaction with pregnant women to convey life-affirming alternatives to abortion.” Brian Gibson, CEO of Pro-Life Action Ministries, said the group was elated.
Cynthia Bailey Manns, adult learning director at St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis, will share her experiences at the Vatican Synod on Synodality that closed Oct. 26, 2024. Bailey Manns was one of 10 non-bishop voting delegates chosen by Pope Francis to represent the North American region at the synod, a three-year process of listening and dialogue that included a solemn opening in Rome in October 2021. The 2-3:30 p.m. Jan. 19 presentation and discussion about sharing the journey from the synod toward a more participatory and missionary Church will be held at the St. Joan of Arc gym. Bailey Manns will be joined by members of Discerning Deacons, a group that hopes to engage Catholics in the Church’s active discernment about women and the diaconate.
The Center for Mission, which supports missionary outreach in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, with the Damascus Partnership Committee, is facilitating a six-month pilgrimage among local parishes with a first-class relic and icon of the Martyrs of Damascus, a group of 11 men who were canonized in October in Rome. The saints were killed while praying inside a Franciscan-run parish in Damascus during an 1860 civil conflict in Syria. The pilgrimage begins Jan. 25 at St. Maron in Minneapolis. It will conclude on or near the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29. The relic and icon will spend 10 days at each host parish. The pilgrimage is happening as Christians face uncertainty amid Syria’s recent regime change. As reported by OSV News, the primary rebel force that led a lightning offensive against the regime of President Bashar Assad is the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which had ties to al-Qaida. But the leader of the transitional Syrian government –– Mohammad al-Bashir –– has promised to respect the rights “of all people and all sects in Syria.” The archdiocese’s partnership with the Diocese of Damascus, Syria, began in 2017.
On Jan. 16, Lumen Christi in St. Paul will inaugurate an eight-part, free, online series that delves into the realities of mental health and illness. The series will highlight the importance of faith-based community conversations surrounding these topics. Each session will include films showcasing the stories of Catholics living with mental health challenges, complemented by insights from archbishops, theologians and psychologists. Experienced facilitators, including local mental health community leaders, will guide the sessions. This series is recommended by the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, founded by Deacon Ed Shoener and Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix. The association aims to support parishes and dioceses in establishing mental health ministries that offer spiritual companionship and pastoral care for individuals facing mental health challenges. Lumen Christi is collaborating with Deacon Shoener and the association, the University of St. Thomas and the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota, both in St. Paul, to develop and expand the ministry to local St. Paul parishes. To register for the series, please contact Dennis Degeneffe at ddegeneffe@comcaSt net or Steve Regnier at Sregnier@lumenchriSticc org
The Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul was the site of several opportunities for families and young adults to gather from Advent through New Year’s Eve this year. The festivities included an 11 p.m. Mass on New Year’s Eve with Archbishop Bernard Hebda presiding for the feast celebrating the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, followed by a champagne reception. About 400 people joined the archbishop and Fathers Joseph Johnson and Ryan Glaser. Advent liturgical offerings began with Sunday Advent Vespers, with Christopher Ganza leading the Cathedral Schola Cantorum each week before the 5 p.m. Mass. The annual Christmas Market returned this year in the courtyard, with music in the Cathedral, and an archdiocesan Carols and Cocoa celebrated Dec. 28 included nearly 300 parents and children for songs, stories and Eucharistic adoration.
FROMTHEBISHOP
ONLY JESUS | BISHOP KEVIN KENNEY
In the beginning was the Word
As we conclude our Christmas celebrations, having been blessed with the graces of the season and the opening of the Jubilee Year, we move into Ordinary Time with an invitation to see the beauty and complexity of life that surrounds us.
We read on Christmas Day from the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” We carry in our lives the light of truth that life is from God and came into being through Jesus Christ. Our faith and the teachings of the Church draw us deeper into life and the issues that are ever before us.
Every day we are challenged to care for not only our own lives but the lives of many around us and throughout the world. We cannot let darkness overcome the light that Jesus has brought into the world. Through Jesus we can find reconciliation, compassion, understanding and the truth. When we realize that the lives we have been given are precious gifts, then we can lean into the issues of justice and truth for the unborn, the elderly, the youth, the homeless, the immigrant. In the eyes of God every life counts. The Holy Spirit, awakened within us, as received in our baptism, leads us into tomorrow in a way that challenges today’s culture to look at life through the eyes of Jesus Christ.
Prayer brings us into an awareness of the gift we carry in our bodies. Our spirit, our soul and our heart are influenced in many ways, directing us to make decisions in life from a cultural perspective, a religious perspective, or a little bit of both. Our world is complicated, and knowing so, we cannot just turn inside and ignore what is happening around us.
A worldly perspective is shown to most of us through the lens of the media. Our perspectives can broaden immensely through reading stories from missionary groups or experiencing firsthand the way people live in two-thirds of the world. We need to listen to stories and when we offer advice, we need to back it up with our own commitment to follow the
En el principio era el Verbo
Al concluir nuestras celebraciones navideñas este fin de semana, después de haber sido bendecidos con las gracias de la temporada y la apertura del Año Jubilar, entramos en el Tiempo Ordinario con una invitación a ver la belleza y la complejidad de la vida que nos rodea. El día de Navidad leemos en el Evangelio de Juan: “En el principio era el Verbo, y el Verbo estaba con Dios, y el Verbo era Dios. En el principio Él estaba con Dios. Todas las cosas llegaron a existir por medio de él, y sin él nada llegó a existir. Lo que llegó a existir por medio de él era la vida, y esta vida era la luz de la raza humana; la luz brilla en la oscuridad, y la oscuridad no la ha vencido”. Llevamos en nuestras vidas la luz de la verdad de que la vida proviene de Dios y llegó a
Prayer brings us into an awareness of the gift we carry in our bodies. Our spirit, our soul and our heart are influenced in many ways, directing us to make decisions in life from a cultural perspective, a religious perspective, or a little bit of both. Our world is complicated, and knowing so, we cannot just turn inside and ignore what is happening around us.
decision to a proper end. When we listen to the story of a young pregnant woman, or that of an immigrant far from home, or an elderly person abandoned in their own home or in assisted living, or we listen to a missionary with dreams to educate children and youth, we can walk alongside them. We can share with them an experience that may seem foreign to us. The Holy Spirit gives us strength and wisdom to see life past ourselves and to be aware of the challenges and needs in the world around us.
As we celebrate the baptism of the Lord, we are called to be renewed in the grace of our own baptism. God planted in our hearts that we are beloved. Can we bring that message into our challenged world this
existir por medio de Jesucristo. Nuestra fe y las enseñanzas de la Iglesia nos llevan a profundizar en la vida y en los problemas que siempre tenemos ante nosotros.
Cada día nos vemos desafiados a cuidar no sólo de nuestras propias vidas, sino también de las vidas de muchas personas a nuestro alrededor y en todo el mundo. No podemos permitir que la oscuridad venza la luz que Jesús ha traído al mundo. A través de Jesús podemos encontrar reconciliación, compasión, comprensión y la verdad. Cuando nos damos cuenta de que las vidas que nos han sido dadas son regalos preciosos, entonces podemos apoyarnos en las cuestiones de justicia y verdad para los no nacidos, los ancianos, los jóvenes, los sin techo, los inmigrantes. A los ojos de Dios, cada vida cuenta. El Espíritu Santo, despertado dentro de nosotros, tal como lo recibimos en nuestros bautismos, nos conduce hacia el mañana de una manera que desafía a la cultura actual a mirar la vida a través de los ojos de Jesucristo.
La oración nos hace tomar
January as many issues come to the forefront?
The darkness will not overcome the light. The light remains forever as we await the return of Jesus Christ. May the light guide our political and religious leaders, our representatives, our parents and children, our teachers, our counselors, our mentors and many others in their lives so the respect for life, the body, for justice, peace and the love of neighbor strengthen our culture. Let us welcome dialogue with one another about the issues at hand, with a respect for differences, and a just way of dealing with unfair practices. Pray, pray, pray that in this Jubilee Year the Eucharist may strengthen our spirit, the Blessed Mother may guide our paths, and the Holy Spirit renew the fire within.
conciencia del don que llevamos en nuestro cuerpo. Nuestro espíritu, nuestra alma y nuestro corazón reciben muchas influencias que nos llevan a tomar decisiones en la vida desde una perspectiva cultural, religiosa o un poco de ambas. Nuestro mundo es complicado y, al saberlo, no podemos simplemente mirar hacia dentro e ignorar lo que sucede a nuestro alrededor.
La mayoría de nosotros tenemos una perspectiva mundana a través de los medios de comunicación. Nuestras perspectivas pueden ampliarse enormemente al leer historias de grupos misioneros o al experimentar de primera mano la forma de vida de las personas en dos tercios del mundo. Necesitamos escuchar historias y, cuando ofrecemos consejos, debemos respaldarlos con nuestro propio compromiso de seguir la decisión hasta el final apropiado. Cuando escuchamos la historia de una joven embarazada, o la de un inmigrante lejos de casa, o la de una persona mayor abandonada en su propia casa o en una residencia asistida, o escuchamos a un misionero
con sueños de educar a niños y jóvenes, podemos caminar junto a ellos. Podemos compartir con ellos una experiencia que puede parecernos extraña. El Espíritu Santo nos da fuerza y sabiduría para ver la vida más allá de nosotros mismos y para ser conscientes de los desafíos y necesidades del mundo que nos rodea.
La oscuridad no vencerá a la luz. La luz permanece para siempre mientras esperamos el regreso de Jesucristo. Que la luz guíe a nuestros líderes políticos y religiosos, a nuestros representantes, a nuestros padres e hijos, a nuestros maestros, a nuestros consejeros, a nuestros mentores y a muchos otros en sus vidas para que el respeto por la vida, el cuerpo, la justicia, la paz y el amor al prójimo fortalezcan nuestra cultura. Acogamos con agrado el diálogo entre nosotros sobre los temas en cuestión, con respeto por las diferencias y una manera justa de tratar las prácticas injustas. Oremos, oremos, oremos para que en este Año Jubilar la Eucaristía fortalezca nuestro espíritu, la Santísima Madre guíe nuestros caminos y el Espíritu Santo renueve el fuego interior.
Capitol prayers
Lois Freeman of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul prays before the Eucharist in a monstrance at the nearby Minnesota State Capitol Jan. 3. The Minnesota Catholic Conference is offering this prayer opportunity on the first Friday of every month from January through May, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “It’s a privilege to be able to come and pray for our government here in Minnesota and nationally,” Freeman said, “and to uphold our legislators — our senators, our governor — that they will honor God in their decisions, and that God will be able to guide them to be good servants, to take good care of all of the people of our city and state.” The MCC began offering adoration in 2023. Freeman said she has come “quite a few times.” Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of the MCC, said participation in the event has been strong and impactful. “We believe these prayers make a tangible difference, not only in the lives of our leaders but also in the direction of our state,” he said.
Students for Life March and Rally to include procession from St. Agnes to State Capitol
By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit
On Jan. 22, the 2025 Students for Life March and Rally will take place in part on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol building in St. Paul and then on the Capitol steps from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
The rally will also include Mass, talks from national pro-life leaders and panel discussions at nearby St. Agnes School, and a student-led Eucharistic procession from the school to the Capitol for the annual March for Life organized by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL).
At 10:30 a.m. the same morning, Bishop Michael Izen will preside at the annual Prayer Service for Life at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. After the prayer service, many participants will process to the Capitol as part of MCCL’s March for Life.
The student rally is geared toward high school students, with the Office of Marriage, Family and Youth in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis predominantly inviting Catholic high schools in the archdiocese and some home-school groups.
Most of the student rally, including the Mass and activity sessions, will be held at St. Agnes. After their Eucharistic procession — almost a mile and a half from the school to the Capitol — students will listen to speakers at the Capitol, then bus back to St. Agnes for more activities, including a series of short films about Catholic youth involvement in politics, sidewalk counseling and how to be more active in the pro-life movement.
Bridget Lippert, the archdiocese’s youth discipleship events and communication coordinator, said the Students for Life March and Rally is important in educating young people who can make a difference through voting, or who are on the cusp of being able to vote.
“They’re emerging adults,” Lippert said. “Part of the rally is to also really empower them and encourage them to be active in being for life. Being pro-life is not just something that you are, but it hopefully should impel you to take action. That will be a good half of our topics during our programming. What now? What can you do?”
Lippert suggested that there are ways other than voting for emerging adults to be active in the pro-life movement, such as sidewalk counseling and volunteering at pregnancy resource centers.
Jay Watts, with Merely Human Ministries, an organization that equips pro-life advocates with communication tools to defend human life, said he will talk about “making a case for the value and dignity of unborn human life.”
Kallie Fell, executive director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC) based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, explained that her talk will focus on three aspects of assisted reproductive technologies: egg donation, surrogacy and in vitro fertilization. Fell will be joined by Jennifer Lahl, CBC founder.
Maggee Hangge, the policy and public relations associate with the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), has been in contact with Lahl and the CBC to keep them updated on legislative changes in Minnesota. Hangge invited Lahl and Fell
to come to Minnesota on Jan. 22 not only to speak to high school students about the risks of assisted reproductive technologies, but also to offer Minnesota lawmakers information and background in these areas.
Fell explained that egg donation and gestational surrogacy carry health and psychological risks that often go unreported.
“There’s no registry tracking,” Fell said. “These women who sell their eggs or who rent their wombs, once the eggs are collected and once a baby is handed over, that woman is lost in what we say, medical history. We don’t track her. Does
she have a higher risk of having cancer later? What are her psychological risks? We do know short-term though that there are health and psychological risks, and that’s something (that) the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (is) really concerned about.”
Lippert said that with Minnesota being a pro-choice state, the big challenge for pro-life individuals is vocalizing their opinions, especially for young people and young men. Lippert recalled a time when she talked to a high school student at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights who said that young men feel like they can’t have an opinion on reproductive
STUDENTS FOR LIFE MARCH AND RALLY
ST. AGNES, ST. PAUL
8:30 a.m. – Mass
9:30 a.m. – Transition to Gym
Morning Session
9:45 a.m. – Introduction, Overview, Intro Keynote –Lydia Taylor Davis, Students for Life of America
9:57 a.m. – Apologetics Keynote
10:37 a.m. – Turn and Talk
10:40 a.m. – When Does Life Begin and IVF
March to State Capitol
10:55 a.m. – Directions
11:15 a.m. – Eucharistic Procession to Capitol
Noon – Program at the Capitol
Includes:
uTalks from pro-life leaders including Jay Watts (Merely Human Ministries) and Kallie Fell (CBC)
u12:45 p.m. – Walk back to St. Agnes
Afternoon Session
1:30 p.m. – Talks / Panel
uWhat Can I Do? – Lydia Taylor Davis
uCatholic Youth in Politics – Maggee Hangge, Minnesota Catholic Conference
uCaring for Women – Catherine Kracht, pro-life testimony
uSidewalk Counseling – Brian Gibson, Pro-Life Action Ministries / Clare Kracht, pro-life testimony
2:20 p.m. – Prayer
2:30 p.m. – Close
Students from St. Agnes School in St. Paul join other pro-life supporters at last year’s annual March for Life at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.
legislation because it’s a “woman’s issue” and that vocalizing a contrary opinion to pro-choice would result in being labeled “anti-women.”
“Young people are told in our culture that even if you have an opinion about this, you can’t say it, you can’t vocalize it,” Lippert said. “Some of the challenge is trying to, again, empower them to have a voice and be bold in a culture that doesn’t really want to hear their opinion.”
In previous years, students traveled to Washington, D.C., in January to take part in the national March for Life rally there. In 2021, however, a trip to Washington wasn’t possible because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the archdiocese held a youth conference at St. Agnes and other sites and rallied at the Minnesota State Capitol. With the Supreme Court decision of June 24, 2022, overturning Roe v. Wade –– the high court’s decision of 1973 that made abortion legal across the country –– the focus has turned to state legislation on abortion. The 2025 Students for Life March and Rally will be the first since 2021 to be held at St. Agnes and at the Minnesota State Capitol. Plans now are to alternate each year between a local march and joining the national rally in Washington, said Lippert.
Typically, the archdiocese sends about 180 high school students and others to the march in Washington. Lippert is expecting 500 to 600 Catholic school students at this year’s march and rally at the Minnesota State Capitol.
“They did something locally during COVID just because they couldn’t go to D.C.,” Lippert said. “But it was fairly different than this ... . There’s some precedent, but it’s going to look very different than even that event.”
Lippert said Students for Life of America, based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, has been a big partner with the archdiocese for the local rally at the Minnesota State Capitol.
“We really do think that this event will provide them (young people) with greater confidence in understanding why they are pro-life or why they should be pro-life,” Fell said. “It will give them some tools to better defend that stance.”
Reaction mixed as proposed affordable housing at St. Paul parish property advances
By Rebecca Omastiak The Catholic Spirit
Members of St. Pascal Baylon in St. Paul have mixed reactions to forward movement on an affordable housing project proposed on parish-owned property opposite the church across White Bear Avenue.
Most recently, the St. Paul City Council passed an ordinance Dec. 11 allowing rezoning at the site, as part of proposed plans to build affordable housing.
According to its website, the St. Paul nonprofit Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative has proposed building the Aragon — 53 “apartment homes” for individuals and families below certain income thresholds — along White Bear Avenue North in St. Paul’s east side. St. Pascal Baylon has sought to sell a portion of its property for the project.
Among those supporting the project is Father John Mitchell, pastor of St. Pascal Baylon. Father Mitchell said that he, along with parish trustees and members of the parish’s finance council and pastoral council, have been in favor of selling the plot of land, known as Ryan Field, so it can be developed into affordable housing. “We want to move in this direction and sell this land and see it used for this purpose,” he said.
The sale of the property was approved by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Father Mitchell said.
Beacon’s initial plans for the project indicate the development would be “a mixed-income and mixed-use building primarily with workforce housing units with a small proportion of supportive housing units.” The building would contain a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. Units would be geared toward those with incomes below $49,000 annually for a two-person household and those with incomes below $75,000 annually for a fourperson household, according to Beacon. Meanwhile, roughly 13 units would be geared toward “families or individuals with barriers to housing stability due to a disability or history of homelessness,” Beacon reported.
“Our vision is that all people have a home,” Heidi Goldman-Gray, vice president of advancement and communications for Beacon, said in an email. “Affordable housing is generally in short supply in the Twin Cities, including in St. Paul. In its 2040 comprehensive plan, the city indicated a need for at least 600 homes affordable at The Aragon’s upper guideline and another 800 homes affordable at its lowest.”
On-site services, according to Beacon, would include first-time homebuyer training, case management, parenting support, homework and academic help, and budgeting and financial literacy resources. “Families who choose to live at The Aragon will enjoy the same community amenities that attract so many to the East Side, including the rich cultural heritage of East St. Paul, access to transit, retail and dining, and strong and vibrant community schools,” GoldmanGray said.
Support for ‘affordable, stable housing’
Father Mitchell said his interest in affordable housing development increased during the COVID-19
A rendering of the proposed Aragon — 53 “apartment homes” for individuals and families below certain income thresholds — along
North in St. Paul’s east side.
pandemic, “seeing how many homeless people in St. Paul were sleeping along Shepard Road” and other nearby locations in the city. It was at that point Father Mitchell said the parish started getting involved with Beacon, to “advocate for public funds to be used for affordable housing and things like that.”
As the conversation turned toward St. Pascal Baylon’s available land, Father Mitchell said, “It just turns out that they (Beacon) were the ones that made the best offer (in) buying the land and wanting to build something.”
Father Mitchell submitted his own letter of support to the city council — calling the proposed project “an excellent way to live our mission of service to the community” — and added his name to a support letter sent by six local clergy members of Catholic and other faiths.
“As faith leaders, we know the very real and personal pain our community members experience as they face housing instability,” clergy members wrote, in part, in their letter of support. “We often open our doors and share what resources we can with families who approach us in vulnerable moments such as eviction, foreclosure, job loss, or a tough choice between energy bills or rent. We know that the answer to homelessness is a home — and that it takes all of us working together to ensure that the homes being built in our communities are within reach of people with moderate and low incomes.”
Meanwhile, Inna Collier Paske, principal of St. Pascal Regional Catholic School, shared her support, seeing an enrollment boost as a positive potential result. “Our school will benefit from growing enrollment if we say ‘yes’ to affordable housing,” she wrote, in part, in her letter of support. “More families with children would be able to move in.”
Several parishioners expressed their support in writing to the city council, as part of opportunities to submit public comment.
One parishioner said she supported the proposed development having worked as a social worker with low-income families and those experiencing homelessness.
“I have been involved with Saint Pascals both during the day and night on a regular basis and feel secure that I will be safe when Aragon is built and families are accepted because I know that I can trust the process that Beacon will use in choosing which families to take in,” she wrote, in part, in her letter of support.
As a retired educator, another St. Pascal
ONGOING HOMELESSNESS
As plans for the St. Pascal Baylon-owned property move forward, the United States saw an increase of about 18% in homelessness in 2024, according to researchers.
Dec. 27, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates. This annual report highlights the numbers of those who are experiencing homelessness, as well as those visiting shelters and seeking temporary housing.
According to the report, roughly 771,480 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024; this marked an 18% increase from 2023 data. It is also the highest number observed since this annual reporting began in 2007, according to HUD. However, in a news release corresponding with the report’s release, HUD stated: “This report reflects data collected a year ago and likely does not represent current circumstances, given changed policies and conditions.”
“While this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it is critical that we focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness,” HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman said in a statement.
The report cited such factors contributing to homelessness as a “worsening national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households, and the persisting effects of systemic racism” as well as “(a)dditional public health crises, natural disasters that displaced people from their homes, rising numbers of people immigrating to the U.S., and the end to homelessness prevention programs put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Increased homelessness is the tragic, yet predictable, consequence of underinvesting in the resources and protections that help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing,” Renee Willis, incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a Dec. 27 statement about the HUD report. “As advocates, researchers, and people with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to increase as more people struggle to afford sky-high housing costs.”
parishioner voiced her support, writing in part: “I have seen the importance of stable housing on children and families. I feel that the Aragon property fulfills the need for not only affordable, stable housing but stable housing with some supportive services.”
Safety concerns in neighborhood
Others dissented, arguing the project produces safety concerns.
Two parishioners, who have family members attending the parish school, expressed in their letter of dissent to the city council concerns about the project leading to potentially increased traffic, “creating more risk for the kids.” The two shared that they were concerned about safety as new residents moved in, also writing that “Beacon has issues at its current facilities that are not good for any neighborhood.”
Similarly, another parishioner cited concerns the project “will bring homelessness, drugs, theft, and other problems” and shared concern about the proximity of the building to the nearby school in his letter of dissent. Referring to another Beacon-developed property — Kimball Court apartments, also in St. Paul — he added, “I personally have
inspected the exterior of this property with SPPD (St. Paul police), and the owners can’t keep it clean, nor do they control the homeless, drugs or theft from the occupants.”
“Beacon is no stranger to community pushback when it comes to bringing new affordable homes into all kinds of communities,” Goldman-Gray said in an email. “We are tenacious in our belief that everyone deserves a home in a community that welcomes them. At the end of the day we hope that the residents of The Aragon are welcomed with open arms into the neighborhood which they will soon call home, so we work to answer community questions and concerns in open dialogue, we work to understand the current needs of the community in which The Aragon will be located, and we continue to build understanding and support for affordable housing to meet the vast unmet needs of our neighbors. ... One question that we have shared in response to concerns is about how The Aragon might differ from other Beacon homes. It’s important to note that each property in Beacon’s
Solemn processions, prayers mark archdiocese’s opening Masses of 2025 Jubilee Year
By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit
Marked by solemn processions and prayers for hope in troubled times, Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided over two opening Masses for the 2025 Jubilee Year, proclaimed by Pope Francis to carry the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”
“And in the sign of the cross, anchor of salvation, we solemnly now open the Jubilee Year for the Church of St. Paul and Minneapolis,” the archbishop said Dec. 28 at the anticipatory Mass of the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.
“This rite is for us a prelude to a rich experience of grace and mercy,” the archbishop said. “We are ready always to respond to whoever asks the reason for the hope that is in us, especially in this time of war and disorder.”
Archbishop Hebda also presided at a Dec. 29 opening Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. During the Jubilee Year, each of the co-cathedrals will have in their sanctuaries special reminders of the year’s significance –– a large, wooden cross at the Basilica, and a large, ornate crucifix in the Cathedral.
Pope Francis inaugurated Holy Year 2025 by opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican during midnight Mass Christmas Eve. He opened a Holy Door in a prison in Rome two days later, and Holy Doors were opened at several major basilicas in Rome: St. John Lateran Dec. 29, St. Mary Major Jan. 1 and St. Paul Outside the Walls Jan. 5. In addition, Pope Francis asked bishops around the world to celebrate the solemn opening of the Jubilee Year on Dec. 29.
In his homily at Mass at the Basilica in Minneapolis, Archbishop Hebda recalled working at the Holy See in Rome when St. John Paul II opened the 2000 Jubilee Year.
“It’s a magnificent time,” the archbishop said. “It’s a moment, brothers and sisters, that should give you great joy. Because throughout this year, from now until the feast of the Holy Family next year, the Church is opening up her great treasury of graces.”
Gretchen Amigon, 45, a volunteer teacher of faith formation at the Basilica, came to the evening Mass with her husband, Antonio, 46, and their six children, ages 6 to 18. Gretchen Amigon said she was in Rome for the 2000 Jubilee Year, and she wanted to attend this year’s opening Mass.
“The theme of hope really speaks to me,” she said. “In our political world, I feel there is a dearth of hope.” Recalling the anticipation and fervor in Rome in 2000, Gretchen Amigon said she wants her children to know some of that same excitement.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE portfolio has a different tenant selection plan and lease terms to which residents must adhere. These terms vary by building and at The Aragon the lease will support healthy community standards for families with children.”
City council and affordable housing advocacy
Led by councilmember Cheniqua Johnson, the St. Paul City Council voted 6-0 in favor of the rezoning ordinance.
“I want more housing on the east side of St. Paul, and I want to be able to be an affordable housing advocate for my ward,” said Johnson, who represents Ward 7, which includes St. Paul east side neighborhoods.
Johnson suggested potential benefits of the building plan: “This rezone parcel is situated in a broader residential area and near the future of the Gold Line (transit). It’s surrounded by other residential properties, a restaurant, a church.”
Johnson also acknowledged the
“I think of all generations having this sense of hope,” she said.
In his homily, Archbishop Hebda outlined a path with four steps the faithful could take to participate as “Pilgrims of Hope” and in the grace of indulgences that are promised in this Holy Year 2025. The first step is performing a pilgrimage or spiritual activity, such as visiting one of the co-cathedrals in Minneapolis and St. Paul, or engaging in an act of charity for migrants, the elderly, someone in prison or living in poverty, the archbishop said.
“Any of those things, you would have the opportunity to get those graces of the Jubilee Year, provided that you made a good confession, went to holy Communion and then offered a prayer for the intention of the Holy Father,” the archbishop said.
Reflecting on the feast of the Holy Family and its significance for the opening of the Jubilee Year and for the Christmas season, Archbishop Hebda said three insights might be drawn from the passage in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus’ parents losing track of him at age 12 during the feast of Passover and finding him three days later in the temple in Jerusalem.
“The first, it’s easy to lose sight of Jesus in the hustle
broad public opinion surrounding the project during the council’s Dec. 11 meeting. Thanking local residents who submitted hundreds of comments in the weeks leading up to the meeting during which the rezoning ordinance passed, Johnson said the ongoing dialogue with representatives of St. Pascal Baylon, Beacon and community members was “super necessary and vital.”
“What I heard from residents was that it was important for them to not only understand the changes that were happening in their neighborhood, but to also understand, and have an opportunity to ask questions, to vocalize concerns and actually be heard ... that’s a really important part of this process,” Johnson said during the council meeting.
Johnson noted community members’ concerns, one of which was potential spot zoning (or when special zoning laws are applied to a parcel of property that differs from the zoning laws surrounding the property). She said assessments conducted by city agencies were unable to find evidence of spot zoning and that the proposed use for the parcel of land is
and bustle of daily life,” the archbishop said. “Even Joseph and Mary, whom we hold up as exemplars of family life, lost Jesus. They lost sight of him! We shouldn’t be surprised if this happens to us.
“We need to be committed, as were Mary and Joseph, however, to seeking out Jesus, to drawing close to him in the Jubilee Year and staying with him.
“Second insight is that the first place we should always go to find Jesus is in his Father’s house, doing his Father’s work,” Archbishop Hebda said. “In this Jubilee, as I mentioned, the Cathedral and the Basilica are both privileged places. We know that we can always find Jesus in these churches, and anywhere there is a tabernacle. ... But the Jubilee reminds us that we’re also going to be able to find Jesus when we’re engaged in the works of mercy or works of penance.”
The third insight is that following Jesus means embracing sacrifice, “to pour ourselves out,” the archbishop said. In the family, that means a willingness to sacrifice for one another, “whether we be children, whether we be parents, whether we be a spouse, we need to pour ourselves out in imitation of Jesus.
“That, brothers and sisters, is a great goal for us this Jubilee Year,” the archbishop said. “Now, let’s not miss this opportunity that’s offered to us this year.”
in keeping with the area’s current zoning code. Another concern was a lack of opportunities for communication about the project. Johnson acknowledged this and pointed to the creation of a public engagement plan to allow residents to obtain information about the project and weigh in, via different forums and formats (virtual versus in-person).
Johnson said she viewed the vote to approve the rezoning ordinance as “the first step in a multi-year project and in many ways, I look forward to being able to work with my community because it’s very clear that there’s a lot of folks who feel otherwise — and that isn’t something to ignore or to act like we don’t see, but that is not a reason to not make sure that we are also welcoming, on the flip side, to having affordable housing opportunities in our neighborhood.”
Next steps
During an announcement at Mass Dec. 15, Father Mitchell highlighted the city council vote to approve rezoning, adding that once a purchase agreement has been approved, Beacon would
begin initial fundraising for project costs. “(I)t might take a few years for them to get enough money to do it, but we’re happy that this step has been completed,” Father Mitchell said. Father Mitchell said most of the money from the land sale would go toward paying down the parish’s mortgage. The pastor said those who support the project are “happy about it,” in reference to the city council’s decision to approve the rezoning; “the next steps of this are going to kind of unfold in the months to come,” he said.
“The process to build new multifamily buildings is a lengthy one,” GoldmanGray said in an email. “We have to assemble public financing to build the building, establish a partnership with a service provider who will best meet the needs of the people living at The Aragon, attract public investment for services and rental assistance, meet with community to ensure the design accurately reflects the hopes and needs of future residents and neighbors, and then once all of this is done, we start the construction process.”
Father Fitzgerald, known for ‘welcoming personality’ and ‘sense of humor,’ dies at 84
By Rebecca Omastiak
The Catholic Spirit
Father Tom Fitzgerald — a priest known for his sense of humor and his welcoming ways — died Dec. 29 at the age of 84, with his ministry spanning 46 years in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Father Fitzgerald, who was ordained an archdiocesan priest in March 1966, had most recently served as pastor of St. Genevieve in Centerville from 1999 to 2012 before retiring in 2012. In his retirement, he continued to participate in parish events at St. Genevieve while also assisting at area churches such as St. Gregory the Great in North Branch, Sacred Heart in Rush City and St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake.
His death prompted many reflections that were shared on a special page of St. Genevieve’s website.
“I appreciated his sense of humor and his ability to make you feel at ease no matter what the situation,” one person shared. Another mentioned meeting Father Fitzgerald through the home visits he did for new parishioners at St. Genevieve: “I will never forget how
welcoming he made me feel and his open-mindedness.” She added, “Mass didn’t always start on time because he was looking in the parking lot for late arrivals, sometimes me, and welcoming everyone.”
“He was so inclusive of all people, he was welcoming to all people, he was very non-judgmental, and he just had a welcoming personality,” said Father Mike Arms, a retired archdiocesan priest whose friendship with Father Fitzgerald spanned 56 years and who will be the homilist at Father Fitzgerald’s funeral Mass.
Father Arms, 82, who most recently served as pastor of St. Patrick in Inver Grove Heights, described Father Fitzgerald as “a wonderful priest and most of all, he was especially a great pastor.”
Father Arms said his friendship with Father Fitzgerald grew when they were both assigned to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul in the late 1960s. Father Fitzgerald served as assistant pastor there from 1966 to 1973. “We really hit it off with each other, we both loved sports and obviously we were on fire with being young priests and sharing ministry,” Father Arms said of the early days of their friendship.
In addition to sharing their love of ministry, Father Arms said “some of what bonded us together” included duck and goose hunting, fishing, and attending Minnesota Vikings games.
“It was a good friendship over 56 years,
a lot of great, great memories,” Father Arms said. “I’m so blessed with that.”
Father Arms said he and Father Fitzgerald agreed that they would be each other’s funeral Mass homilist. When Father Arms asked Father Fitzgerald what he would want Father Arms to say, should he be the one to give Father Fitzgerald’s funeral Mass homily, Father Fitzgerald told Father Arms to tell those gathered two things: that he “was a good guy and secondly, that he loved Jesus,” Father Arms said. “‘And then,’ he said, ‘I want you to shut up and sit down,’” Father Arms laughed. “He had a great sense of humor.”
Alongside Father Fitzgerald’s tendency to crack jokes was his interest in storytelling, said Father Arms — this interest led him to attend storytelling workshops around the world. “I went on three of them, but he went on about six or seven workshops to different countries,” Father Arms said.
“He was especially good at telling stories,” Father Arms said. “He preached by telling stories.”
In addition to his tenure at St. Genevieve, Father Fitzgerald served as pastor (1987-1999) then as parochial administrator (1999) at St. Rita in Cottage Grove.
Encouraging parishioners to reflect on “what does it mean to be Church?” was part of Father Fitzgerald’s legacy at St. Rita, said the late Sister Pauline Fritz of
the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
“Dear to his heart has been the conviction that the people of God coming together in small Christian communities, to read, pray and share how the word of God has and is affecting their lives on a day-to-day basis; how it calls them to be for one another in celebration and sorrow; how it offers courage, hope and a way of life in the beatitudes,” Sister Pauline, who died in 2013, told The Catholic Spirit in 1999. “Many of our lives are forever changed because Father Fitz held up for all the importance of the lived Word as the best expression of what it is to be Church.”
Prior to his ministry at St. Rita, Father Fitzgerald was an associate pastor (19731977), a parochial administrator (1977), then the pastor (1977-1987) of St. Michael in Stillwater.
“His parishes that he was at, they all loved him,” Father Arms said. “He also loved to be with people.”
A visitation for Father Fitzgerald is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 13 at St. Genevieve, prior to the funeral Mass, set for 10 a.m. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will be the principal celebrant and Father Greg Esty will concelebrate the funeral Mass. A luncheon in St. Genevieve’s Parish Community Center will follow Mass. Interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul, following the luncheon.
Small group members bring varied experiences, find unity in Christ
By Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
Heather Lage, 48, who for years has been part of a small group for parents at Holy Name of Jesus parish and school in Medina, said she still felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to start a new small group under a model called Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS) that is being encouraged by Archbishop Bernard Hebda. Lage didn’t advertise it, but privately she hoped it would be a group for women who felt like they were on the outside looking in at parish life.
“I personally invited just one woman, another woman who I knew was a divorced, single mom (like me),” Lage said in an email interview. “After our group started meeting, she confided in me that before I reached out to her, she had been wondering if she should even stay at Holy Name, or if there was a place for her here. It was a sign to me, right away, that starting this group was the right thing to do.”
“My roster filled up very quickly,” Lage said of forming the group in February 2024. The group of eight women plus Lage didn’t know each other. They “took a chance on signing up because they also felt that nudge. We have young moms who are new to our parish and wanted to meet others. We have moms with kids busy in school and others who are empty nesters. One who isn’t Catholic. Two of us are divorced. And one who is a widow. It is a very random group of women who have turned into the most beautiful friends.”
Lage’s new group is one of 39 small groups at Holy Name of Jesus; 34 of those follow the PECS model, which includes seven meeting moments: Praising God with songs and prayers; sharing recent experiences of God and participants’ responses to him; a teaching element; discussion, with content depending on a group’s focus; parish announcements; intercessory prayer for people in and outside the group; and prayers for one another’s petitions within the group.
Father Tim Wratkowski, Holy Name’s pastor, said the parish has a history of small groups, particularly through Cursillo, which are weekend retreats with community building and evangelization that continue after a retreat.
GROUP
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Discipleship and Evangelization is making it easy for people to join small groups that promote prayer, community and evangelization.
An interactive website map at archspm groupvitals com/ groupfinder can be searched by parish and small group types, topics, times, locations, days and targeted stages of life.
Archbishop Hebda’s invitation to the faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to form parishbased small groups began with his 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.” The invitation is making a difference as it offers a vehicle for exploring “how faith can be nurtured in the communion and friendships formed by small groups,” Father Wratkowski said.
“It’s responding to something people are desiring,” Father Wratkowski said. “It’s bringing people together; it’s being with others who are seeking to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.”
The PECS movement is growing across the archdiocese, said Gizella “Gizzy” Miko, facilitator of small groups through the archdiocese’s Office of Discipleship and Evangelization. In the first year of implementing Archbishop Hebda’s letter, 1,220 groups formed with more than 16,000 participants. Entering 2025, there are 1,792 small groups in 138 of the archdiocese’s 188 parishes, Miko said.
Furthering the effort, Archbishop Hebda wrote a letter Dec. 12 to priests of the archdiocese thanking them for
their work promoting a culture of small groups that goes beyond “small-group programming.”
“Small groups serve higher ends: a deepening encounter with Jesus Christ and stronger relationships with others in Christ,” the archbishop wrote. “Jesus and relationships are not programs.”
Lage said faith connections among her small group members have taken profound and life-giving turns, including group texts outside of their twice-a-month meetings for sharing prayer requests and the graces of “God winks” or “God sledgehammers,” the group’s terms for recognizing the Lord’s actions in their lives.
“We prayed for and celebrated when one member found the courage to talk to her father-in-law, who was in hospice, about making space in his heart for Jesus before he died,” Lage wrote in her email. “We’ve prayed together as a group through job losses and changes, family struggles and many questions of faith. We laugh together a lot!”
One member recently shared that she was thinking about returning to confession, Lage said. Members who go to the sacrament of reconciliation regularly shared their experiences, “but the majority of the group had not been to the sacrament in many, many years,” she said.
When Lage suggested they might go to church as a group for their individual confessions, everyone immediately said yes. “There was both anxiety and excitement, but you could literally feel the desire for this experience of love and mercy,” she said.
On Dec. 4, eight of the group’s nine members went to confession, Lage said. “(We) celebrated and hugged as each member came back,” she said. “There was talk of bringing other family members in the future and coming back again soon.”
Entering the new year, group members are discussing ways to volunteer together in a ministry as they continue to pray and learn with one another, she said.
Miko said she and Regina Mancilla, who assists Miko in providing small group support, and Deacon Joseph Michalak, director of the Office of Discipleship and Evangelization, have heard many stories of people returning to the sacraments through small groups, of learning to pray together and feeling encouraged by others in their groups who share their faith journeys.
“I think people have really found ways to deepen their faith life, in addition to community life,” Miko said.
By Simone Orendain OSV News
IExperts: Church must better educate Catholics about IVF
n vitro fertilization (IVF) is a topic that received significant national attention during the past election season as candidates made it a policy issue. A costly but widely accepted option in society for conceiving children through artificial means, IVF also involves significant moral and ethical concerns.
The Catholic Church teaches the use of IVF is morally impermissible — and that’s something that’s not generally known or understood among American Catholics.
According to a Pew Research Center survey from April on attitudes toward having access to IVF, 70% of Americans view it as good. Among American Catholics, that number is 65%, and 27% say they are not sure whether this is good or bad.
IVF is fraught with moral issues from beginning to end, explained Joe Zalot, director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, as the process severs conception from sexual intercourse and destroys innocent human lives at a very early stage of development.
The Church teaches that procreation must come through an act of marital intercourse between a husband and wife, and IVF obviously substitutes for it.
Joe Zalot
“The Church teaches that procreation must come through an act of marital intercourse between a husband and wife, and IVF obviously substitutes for it,” Zalot said. “IVF works where you have to stimulate the woman to hyperovulation with drugs. That can have medical challenges. Sperm is obtained through masturbation, which raises moral concern.
“A child or children are manufactured in a petri dish” he continued. “After being manufactured, they are graded — subjectively graded by whoever the tech person is — to try to determine who’s the most ‘viable,’ so they call it. Others are thrown away or kept in storage.”
Out of more than 413,000 artificial reproductive technology cycles recorded in 2021, only 112,088 resulted in pregnancy. Of those, only 97,128 babies were successfully born, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Bioethicists have said that for every IVF cycle that results in embryo implantation an average of seven to 12 embryos are either cryopreserved or terminated, amounting to the loss or suspension of life on a significant scale.
Some studies estimate as many as 1.5 million human embryos may be frozen in storage.
The Church teaches that at the moment of conception a human life begins. “Donum Vitae” (“The Gift of Life”), the Church document issued in 1987 by the Vatican’s Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith that raises moral objections to IVF, clearly states that every stage of life from a zygote (upon the fusion of egg and sperm) to an embryo to a fetus is a stage in a human being’s development.
“Development of the practice of in vitro fertilization has required innumerable fertilizations and destructions of human embryos,” it stated, explaining that “through these procedures, with apparently contrary purposes, life and death are subjected to the decision of man, who thus sets himself up as the giver
of life and death by decree.”
In “Dignitas Personae” (“Dignity of a Person”) — issued by the doctrinal congregation in 2008 — the Church recognized the suffering of couples who can’t conceive but counseled that “the desire for a child cannot justify the ‘production’ of offspring.”
“There’s a whole host of ethical issues” regarding IVF, Zalot said. “And most people have no idea.”
Since many Catholics are unaware or confused about Church teaching on IVF or feel that the desire for a child overrides it, Catholic clergy have a task that requires both informed clarity and pastoral sensitivity.
“When (married couples) meet the cross of infertility, it’s a painful journey,” Father Shenan Boquet, president of Human Life International, told OSV News. The priest travels to dozens of countries yearly training
clergy and health care workers in how to navigate bioethical issues, including IVF. “And that pain can be very powerful and make someone make a decision that ... they just feel drawn to make because that yearning is that strong and that want is so deep.”
He said, “But here again, that’s where we’ve turned the child into a thing and a right, versus the fruit of conjugal love, the fruit of the marital embrace, the fruit of a belonging and yearning in an embrace, and it’s so important to help people to see that.”
Father Boquet, a priest of the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux, Louisiana, emphasized the need to affirm the children conceived by IVF. He explained parish clergy must be “prophetic,” but respectful, when broaching the topic, which “is not a morally neutral issue,” when speaking to people in the pews, since
IVF moral objections, alternatives
some of those very people in the pews may have been conceived through IVF or have used the procedure.
“A child conceived through IVF has equal dignity to any other human being, and the good of parents welcoming that child is a great good, of course,” he said. “But it sparks people to think, and it may make people uncomfortable a little bit. But that’s OK, because the goal here is to open the opportunity and say ... ‘I’d love to meet with you one on one. If there’s someone here that has questions about any of this. I’d love to ... talk to you about this in greater detail,’ so it opens the conversation. We should not be afraid of it.”
At the same time, he stressed, “We don’t want to just be like a dump truck and just dump information. … ‘OK I’ve done what I’m supposed to do.’ … That could cause great harm because you don’t have a follow-up.”
“We need to be pastors,” he said. Catholic bioethicists field questions from Catholics concerned about artificial reproductive technology like IVF by referring them to the practice of restorative reproductive medicine, or RRM.
Carpentier told OSV News he has been a practitioner of natural family planning for almost four decades and sees an average of 14 patients daily.
“Infertility is a symptom,” said Carpentier, explaining it affects men and women alike. “It’s a symptom of many underlying disorders. So, a good doctor, his job is to figure out what caused the symptom, and in the case of infertility it could be 70 or 80 different things.”
Pastors care about their people and they love them, and they want them to have the good as we want the good. And we live in the midst of the community because we are one with them. So, we need to be there in good times and bad, and richer or poorer ... to address these morally important issues even when they may not be welcomed.”
Father Shenan Boquet
The field, which encompasses fertility awarenessbased methods for conception, or natural family planning, uses highly specialized means to detect and address the causes of infertility. And it incorporates advanced methods that predict optimal times for fertility.
One of the field’s main components is to restore or optimize normal reproductive function, especially in women who are having fertility problems. It helps couples to conceive children through natural means at quarter of the price of an average IVF cycle, according to Dr. Paul Carpentier, medical director of the Long
Carpentier said visits to his clinic are covered by health insurance just as any primary care physician visit would be. He said sometimes there is additional uncommon lab work and diagnostics such as ultrasounds of the uterus.
Carpentier explained that IVF has been well funded and well marketed over the years, receiving far more media attention than RRM as a way to address infertility and raising it to a much higher profile. When the science of IVF was new in the late 1970s, he said, news outlets captured the public’s imagination with the thought of resolving infertility by making human beings in a lab.
At the moment, IVF accounts for around 2.5% of births in the U.S. and an estimated 8 million children worldwide born since 1978.
Father Boquet said that even if IVF has become widely accepted, the Church must press forward with educating people with its teaching on the moral concerns regarding IVF.
“Pastors care about their people and they love them, and they want them to have the good as we want the good,” the HLI president said. “And we live in the midst of the community because we are one with them.”
“So, we need to be there,” he said, “in good times and bad, and richer or poorer ... to address these morally important issues even when they may not be welcomed.”
Bioethics expert to talk about IVF, other reproductive technology concerns
By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit
The Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) invited Kallie Fell, the executive director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC) based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, and Jennifer Lahl, CBC founder, to educate Minnesota legislators and key stakeholders on the topics of surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
“Surrogacy and IVF have been topics of debate at the State Capitol,” said Maggee Hangge, policy associate at MCC. “Similarly, in 2024 the House of Representatives passed a bill that would have created a surrogacy framework in our state. Fortunately, neither passed, but both were close. We continue to educate legislators and Catholics across the state about the harms and refocus the conversation on a better path.”
While in Minnesota, Fell and Lahl will also be at the Minnesota State Capitol Jan. 22 to talk to students and others gathered there as part of the Students for Life March and Rally and the annual March for Life organized by Minnesota Catholics Concerned for Life.
Fell plans to talk about three aspects of assisted reproductive technologies: egg donation, surrogacy and in vitro fertilization. Fell said third-party conception, such as egg donation and surrogacy, are host to numerous risks that aren’t often addressed.
“Even IVF is risky,” Fell said. “It costs a lot of money … it’s often eugenic, it involves coercion in the case of monetary compensation. You have all these issues, and I think the problem with it is that there are healthier ways to help people who are struggling to conceive. There is a restorative approach, and we’re trying to get people to understand that.”
Fell suggested that healthier alternatives to conception are less invasive and target the underlying cause of being unable to conceive a child.
“There are things like macro technology, less invasive ways that are finding out the underlying cause,” Fell said. “(Third-party conception) is not really fixing the problem. They’re just coming after a symptom and they’re bypassing it to have a child. … Assisted reproduction, you provide them a lot of money, they’re going to bypass that system, that symptom. Though you use IVF or some technology to get you or somebody else pregnant, and then you’ll have a baby, you’re still going to have that problem, you’re still going to have what caused the symptom of infertility. Restorative reproductive medicine goes deeper. It’s going to find out what that problem is. Is it your fallopian tubes causing issues? Is it your hormones? Is it dad? Is his sperm count and quality low? It’s going to look for the problem and restore that to health.”
According to Fell, a CBC study found that mothers who had babies who were their own children and then delivered someone else’s baby through surrogacy experienced pregnancies with a high risk of ending in preterm delivery or early-term delivery. These pregnancies were also more likely to end in risks to the mother such as pre-eclampsia, which is a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder.
“That’s just the mom,” Fell said. “Even though we know that whatever happens to a pregnant woman when she’s pregnant also happens to her fetus or can affect her fetus or her baby. But these babies are at risk of being born early. And of course, there are tons of side effects and risks for babies that are born early, babies that are born with low birth weight, these babies have longer or initial stays in the neonatal intensive care units. And then from a cost standpoint? They’re more expensive. These high-risk pregnancies require more medical interventions, which then of course are more costly.”
Fell noted that credit card companies are not allowed to advertise credit cards on university campuses because of the financial risk they could pose to young people. However, advertisements for egg donors can be placed on university campuses.
“They can advertise that it will pay for your spring break trip, it can cover a semester of class, if you donate your egg,” Fell said. “I’ve spoken to countless women who were put in situations, financial situations where they needed to pay for the last semester of class, or they needed to pay for housing and so they sold their eggs to do that.”
Hangge said there are an estimated 1 million embryos stored in a frozen state throughout the country. “We oppose efforts to cover these services through insurance mandates and create a legal framework for surrogacy contracts that would put the interest of adults ahead of children,” she said.
“While we have much compassion for couples experiencing infertility, engaging assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilization and commercial surrogacy is not the right approach,” Hangge said. “For those couples experiencing infertility, engaging in restorative reproductive medicine is a better path forward.”
FAITH+CULTURE
New Abria director aims to bring ‘hope and healing’
By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
After working more than three decades as a labor-anddelivery nurse, Pam Baker was feeling restless. She was seeking her next adventure, a job that would tap into her vast skill set –– from nursing to nonprofit work to Navy service –– and fuel her faith. Then she found Abria Pregnancy Resources based in St. Paul and Minneapolis, where she was hired last fall as executive director.
“This role is a culmination of everything I’ve done before, where I get to lead with passion and purpose,” said Baker, 54, a member of St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park. She and her husband, John, are parents of four 20-something children and grandparents of two.
Q Tell me about your experience helping deliver babies.
A I made it my practice to walk into the hospital asking for grace. “Heavenly Father, place me where you need me and allow me to be the gift that you need me to be.” I prayed over each mother upon entering. And I was always blessed, at each delivery. When you’re admitting a patient, you go through a litany of questions, including a question about their spirituality or faith. People would say, “I’m Christian” or “I’m Catholic,” and I was always really intentional about that, and I’d say, “Oh, so am I!”
There was a woman, and we ended up in the operating room. She hadn’t had her epidural, so she was sitting up to get it, and we’re hugging each other –– she’s leaned in, curled over, my mouth is against her ear. They could not get her epidural in. My admission questions allowed me the knowledge that she was Catholic. So, as I leaned into her –– it’s the third or fourth attempt –– I said, “Hail Mary, full of grace,” and we prayed a Hail Mary together. That was the movement that got that epidural placed, and away we went to have a baby!
Q You encountered messy situations and realworld struggles faced by pregnant women. How has that softened your heart?
A Ever since my youngest child started kindergarten, I had planned that when I would become an empty nester, I would walk the Camino de Santiago. So, in April of 2023, I went alone to Spain and walked all the way across northern Spain to Santiago. I did not go into my walk with a desire to meet anybody. But I came home with a new family –– a group of 11 of us from nine different countries, speaking seven different languages and coming from very different backgrounds. What I learned is that I was not there for myself. I was there as a child of God. I was there to say: “How can I love you? How can I care for you?” Every single person I met on that Camino softened my shoulders. I went from this sharp, abrasive approach to, “I am just supposed to love you.”
My favorite prayer is (from) St. Francis of Assisi: “Make me an instrument of peace.” I enter into these friendships not to be understood but to understand, not to be consoled, but to console.
My prayer about this role at Abria began at the Camino. “Heavenly Father, I’m praying for a holy, wise and discerning heart: Please make it clear to me where you want me next.” And it was a culmination of every skill set I’ve ever had. I can finally bring all of my passions together for one singular purpose. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in being prepared for opportunity.
When I think about the women who come through these doors at Abria, it’s the same approach. “Heavenly Father, allow my presence to be a blessing. Help me to understand, to console, knowing the dignity in this human life.”
Q How did you find this job?
A I was working as a traveling nurse, and I was getting ready to go back to Iowa City. But I just didn’t
want to go. I was so frustrated. I have so much to give. Why can’t I find that space? Why don’t I have an answer yet on where God wants me? That evening, I sent my beautiful auntie a “happy birthday” text. She texted back and said she’d just heard about this position.
When I got the call that I was selected, it was a very easy yes. It felt so, so right.
Q I love the simple yet profound goal of Abria to cultivate “hope and healing.” What does that look like in action?
A The eight individuals who work here are the most beautiful, anchored, rooted, devoted people. They have servant hearts. The four young women who meet with our clients radiate peace and compassion. They talk to teenagers facing unplanned pregnancies with such compassion: “How do we step forward when this is so difficult?”
We have an access point in North Minneapolis, in the zip code with the highest percentage per capita of abortions (in Minnesota), and our office is in St. Paul, off University (Avenue), strategically located near the center that performs the highest number of abortions in the state. Without any question, there is spiritual warfare –– whether it’s trying to take me out by taking out my gall bladder or some other obstacle. But we are so blessed to have an army of prayer warriors who pray over us and alongside us.
Q That location must be huge.
A The impact we have is profound. We can have somebody who just slips in here thinking that they’re coming in for an abortion service, and we tell them we don’t perform those here. We tell them: “You have three options: abortion, adoption or parenting. Where do you want to start?” It’s a beautiful opportunity when we have somebody show up here thinking they’re going to get an abortion today and they leave here thinking, “Perhaps I can do this with the support of someone from Abria.” We offer a plethora of support through our two-year follow-up program. If you’re going to engage with us, we’ll stay with you.
Q G.K. Chesterton once wrote that hope isn’t the same as optimism. Optimism is rooted in presumption, whereas hope is marked by humility. It begins when someone can “hang on for 10 minutes after all is hopeless.”
A I love that! That, to me, is dignity. Everybody has crises. If we all just had somebody who would hang on with us for 10 minutes, after all else is hopeless ––and that’s what we’re doing.
Q I noticed the sign-off you use in email, “Abundantly.” What does that mean to you?
A Sometimes I write, “Abundantly blessed,” or I modify it to “Abundantly.” Whoever reads it, I want them to know there is abundance for them. You are blessed in abundant ways. It’s as simple as that.
Q What are the greatest challenges facing Abria right now?
A No. 1 is the political climate in the state of Minnesota regarding abortion. They want to shut us all down. Prior to 2022, Minnesotans had the right to abortion in the first trimester. Now you can have an abortion up until birth. The law allows that in Minnesota.
No. 2, the majority of abortions right now are done with a pill. It’s happening at home. So, it’s accessibility –– to reach these women earlier so we can provide the care they need before they make a life-altering decision.
Q How would you reframe the public discourse about pro-life issues? Are we missing something?
A They don’t speak truths about us. There’s so much slander. That’s what we’re missing: the truth.
Q What’s your vision for the future of Abria?
A I am so eager to collaborate! Each pregnancy resource center has its own angle. I want to utilize everybody’s strengths.
AND THE BEAUTIFUL | MADELYN REICHERT
‘An awfully big adventure’: Novel sends readers on journey through purgatory
“A Hiker’s Guide to Purgatory: A Novel” by Michael Norton. Ignatius Press. (San Francisco, California, 2022). 269 pp., $15.36.
“To die would be an awfully big adventure.” — J. M. Barrie, “Peter Pan.”
So runs the epigraph of the first chapter of “A Hiker’s Guide to Purgatory: A Novel.” In terms of adventure, the author, Michael Norton, does not disappoint. For a story with a foregone conclusion, the road to heaven nonetheless takes many turns for its main character, an erstwhile family man and lawyer from St. Paul by the name of Dan Geary.
Although Dan appears at first to be an everyman — former husband, father and dog-lover, not exactly unusual traits — it gradually becomes apparent to the reader that, as a proper “every man,” he is a fully unique individual. The first defining character trait the reader encounters marks the course of the novel: Dan is a hiker, and to him purgatory has manifested itself as a terrain of verdant meadows and soaring snow-topped mountains. Norton’s skill in describing
the landscape of purgatory is apparent from the first few pages; several times throughout the novel this reviewer had to slow down and reread a paragraph simply to admire the scenery.
It’s said that in a good poem the form emphasizes the content; likewise, Norton’s terrain is not mere window dressing but rather mirrors Dan’s internal journey as he begins his trek through purgatory. Early in the novel Norton makes clear the purpose of the hike metaphor: Purgatory here is not some dreary jailhouse realm where middling souls “do the time” for their earthly crimes, but rather a preparatory challenge to strengthen them for the glories of heaven.
The hike isn’t all sunshine and meadows, however, and while Dan might start in the sunny grasslands, greeted by (what else?) his childhood labrador, Buddy, he soon finds himself encountering deeper woods and steeper trails. The reviewer is also pleased to note that Dan is no hapless blank slate who needs everything explained to him; he quickly figures out, for example, that the helpful park ranger “Rafe” is an archangel, and understands the metaphor of his journey just as easily as the reader does. As such, what might have otherwise felt like a parable instead becomes a character-driven story in its own right, as Dan explores the afterlife via paths which, for better or worse, he takes of his own agency.
skim over a handful of terrestrial mistakes and sinful periods, rendering the story ham-fisted and saccharine. Like Dan, however, Norton takes the harder path, deftly balancing the inherent pathos of the setting with a sometimes-discomforting vulnerability in its examination of Dan’s past in particular, and the human condition in general. Particularly moving in the early chapters is Dan’s difficulty with prayer, which it seems is no less awkward to him in purgatory than on Earth. Other characters encountered on his path also bear their own wounds and weaknesses, and the story’s refusal to take the easy way out makes its necessarily happy conclusion feel earned, rather than perfunctory. Prayer itself becomes a throughline of the novel, at first subtly and then explicitly weaving these former sinners into a communion of aspiring saints. It’s never an easy task to write about the afterlife, but Norton’s reimagining of Dante’s “Purgatorio” as a great hike toward the highest of peaks makes for an engaging and poignant narrative. If you’re getting a touch of cabin fever this January, “A Hiker’s Guide to Purgatory” is the perfect breath of fresh air.
One can imagine a lesser version of this novel in which “a hike through purgatory” is used to
Trojack Law Office, P.A.
Reichert is publications administrative coordinator at The Catholic Spirit. She can be reached at reichertm@ archspm org
Vacations, family reunions, special celebrations — these are all on your calendar. Is charitable giving?
Now’s the time to make a plan to maximize your tax benefits — and your giving. This is especially true if you might give non-cash assets, like shares of stock or required minimum distributions from your traditional IRA. To make the most of your charitable gifts this year, start planning now.
experts at the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota can help. 651.389.0300 ccf-mn.org
FOCUSONFAITH
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER LEONARD ANDRIE
Wedding preparation
I typically experience a tinge of sadness leaving the Christmas season because it is so lovely. There are many joyous celebrations: Christmas, Holy Family, Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. With all these celebrations, there is a common thread that weaves them together. Naturally, Jesus is the center of all our celebrations. However, the theme of a wedding nicely ties all our celebrations together.
On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our savior. Essentially, we celebrate Jesus (whom John the Baptist refers to as the “Bridegroom”) leaving his chamber in heaven. Psalm 19:6 speaks of a voice (i.e., the Word) “which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.” On Christmas, we celebrate the arrival of Jesus our bridegroom.
In the Jewish tradition, there was a betrothal period during which the bridegroom left his father’s house and went to the house of his respective bride. There, he paid the purchase price and established the marriage covenant with his bride. In this light, Jesus leaves his Father’s house (heaven) and comes to our house (Earth) and pays the purchase price — his own life on the cross.
On Epiphany, the wedding guests arrive. The Magi travel from the east, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Essentially, these are the wedding gifts for the baby Bridegroom. The Magi, of course, symbolize all those God invites to the wedding feast.
The saints, for their part, are all those who accept the Lord’s wedding invitation and respond with great charity. If Jesus is the bridegroom and John the Baptist is his best man, the saints are like the groomsmen and bridesmaids. They are the wedding party.
What about our Lord’s baptism do we celebrate today? In the Jewish
FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN
Thank-you
notes to priests
Have you ever wondered if it is a good idea to send a thank-you note to a priest? And if it is a good idea, how it should be written?
Thank-you notes are appropriate whenever a person shares a gift or goes above and beyond. My mother made this eminently clear to me when I was a young boy. I received cash gifts from my grandparents and godparents for my birthday, Christmas, first Communion and graduation. In our house, a thankyou note is not only a politeness or a courtesy — it is a requirement. The money could not be spent or deposited in the bank until the thank-you note was written, and my mother checked to make sure that it was done. My mother had a saying: “You can never thank people too much.” It is important to let people know that they are appreciated. Priests generally have a full schedule with Masses, confessions, meetings with staff and parishioners, hospital visits, classroom visits and a host of other things. Priests frequently go to extra effort for a funeral, wedding or baptism. A priest may deliver a particularly moving homily or write a particularly insightful or informative article. If the priest did something that was helpful to you or your loved ones, it is an act of kindness to let him know and write him a thank-you note.
A thank-you note can be a card or a letter. If the note is sent by mail, the salutation on the envelope, if formal, for example, is The Reverend John T. Doe, with the address. It is also acceptable to write Father John T. Doe. The greeting at the beginning of the note can be more formal, Dear Father Doe, or if the priest normally goes by his first name, Dear Father John.
When expressing thanks, it is best to say specifically what is appreciated. After Mass many people say, “Nice homily, Father,” without saying what was nice about it. Also, it is surprising how often someone will say, “Nice homily, Father,” when the deacon gave the
KNOW the SAINTS
Our Christmas celebrations are a great reminder that Jesus loves you and like a marriage, desires to give himself to you. And he hungers to receive your love in return!
tradition, there was a custom wherein the bride (and sometimes the bridegroom) underwent a ritual washing prior to her wedding. This was called the bridal mikvah or “bridal bath.” It was done in running water either the night before the wedding or as close to the wedding as possible. The bath not only recalled the rivers from the Garden of Eden but also conveyed the sense of new birth and the new world that begins with marriage.
In this light, we find John the Baptist “baptizing” or administering the “bridal bath” for those willing to repent. In other words, John is preparing the bride — you and me — for the wedding with Christ! Our baptism is a “bridal bath,” a cleansing as we begin the marriage covenant, our new life in Christ.
Finally, we have the wedding feast at Cana. It is no accident that Jesus performed his first miracle or “sign” at a wedding. By turning water into wine, Jesus reveals that he is the long-awaited Messiah-bridegroom who will give himself to his bride, the Church. Jesus will do so at what John calls his “hour,” or his passion, death and resurrection.
Our Christmas celebrations are a great reminder that Jesus loves you and like a marriage, desires to give himself to you. And he hungers to receive your love in return! While our Christmas season has come to an end, there is reason to remain joyful for Jesus, your bridegroom, is preparing you for the wedding banquet of heaven.
Father Andrie is pastor of St. Therese in Deephaven.
BISHOPS AND DEACONS
u A thank-you note to a bishop, if formal and sent by mail, includes the salutation on the envelope, as, for example, The Most Reverend John T. Doe, with the address. It is also acceptable to write Archbishop or Bishop John T. Doe. The greeting at the beginning of the note or letter, if formal, is Your Excellency, while it is appropriate to begin, Dear Archbishop or Bishop Doe.
u A thank-you note to a deacon, if formal and sent by mail, includes the salutation on the envelope as, for example, Deacon John T. Doe. The greeting at the beginning of the note can be either Dear Deacon John T. Doe, Deacon Doe or Deacon John.
homily. I was deeply touched when someone wrote to me, “Father, your stewardship homily really got me thinking. After you spoke about the importance of sharing, I donated one of my kidneys to my brother, and spiritually, it was not a hard decision for me to make.” If your priest served you well or if he did an exceptionally good job, it is a thoughtful gesture to let him know that he is making a difference and thank him.
Thank-you notes offer encouragement and support. When I was student teaching, my wise master teacher and supervisor advised me, “If you are fortunate enough to receive thank-you cards or complimentary letters, keep them. Save them in a large envelope or shoe box. Then, when you have a down day, as you surely will, when everything goes wrong and you wonder if your efforts are worth it, reread your cards.” Priests make mistakes. Priests are criticized sometimes. Priests have bad days. Thank-you cards with words of appreciation offer reassurance, give a boost, help priests get through tough times, and can renew energy and commitment.
The traditional polite way to sign off at the end of a note or letter is “Sincerely yours.” A more spiritual closing might be “With my prayers and thanks to you,” “Wishing you abundant graces and blessings,” or “May God richly bless you now and always.”
Father Van Sloun is the director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This column is part of a series on the sacrament of holy orders.
DAILY Scriptures
Sunday, Jan. 12
The Baptism of the Lord Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11
Acts 10:34-38 or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7
Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
Monday, Jan. 13
Heb 1:1-6
Mk 1:14-20
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Heb 2:5-12
Mk 1:21-28
Wednesday, Jan. 15
Heb 2:14-18
Mk 1:29-39
Thursday, Jan. 16
Heb 3:7-14
Mk 1:40-45
Friday, Jan. 17
St. Anthony, abbot
Heb 4:1-5, 11
Mk 2:1-12
Saturday, Jan. 18
Heb 4:12-16
Mk 2:13-17
Sunday, Jan. 19
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 62:1-5 1 Cor 12:4-11 Jn 2:1-11
Monday, Jan. 20
Heb 5:1-10
Mk 2:18-22
Tuesday, Jan. 21 St. Agnes, virgin and martyr Heb 6:10-20 Mk 2:23-28
Wednesday, Jan. 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Heb 7:1-3, 15-17 Mk 3:1-6
Thursday, Jan. 23
Heb 7:25—8:6 Mk 3:7-12
Friday, Jan. 24
St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church Heb 8:6-13 Mk 3:13-19
Saturday, Jan. 25 Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22 Mk 16:15-18
Sunday, Jan. 26
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 1 Cor 12:12-30 Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
ST. MARGUERITE BOURGEOYS (1620-1700) Growing up in Troyes, France, St. Marguerite formed a special relationship with Our Lady. Two religious communities turned her away, but she met the founder of Montreal, Canada, when he returned to France to visit his sister. He invited St. Marguerite to open a school in the New World; she went, despite misgivings, after praying to Mary. From that first school in an abandoned stable, her ministry grew to include teaching women crafts and founding the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. She managed to keep her sisters uncloistered, despite opposition from the bishop, and served as superior for many years. When Pope St. John Paul II canonized her in 1982, she became Canada’s first woman saint. Her feast day is Jan. 12. –– OSV News
TWENTY SOMETHING
| CHRISTINA CAPECCHI
Holy attention: reclaiming quiet in the new year
If you’re trying to write a book about quiet and you’re a mom of four, you might need a few extensions on your deadline.
Such was the reality for writer Sarah Clarkson, 40, daughter of the acclaimed Christian author Sally Clarkson.
It all started — as did so many creative pursuits — during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clarkson began “deep, convicted work” about quiet: why it’s threatened, why it’s needed, how to cultivate it. She sensed its ramifications were profound, and ultimately, a spiritual matter. She believed the topic warranted a book.
“Then I promptly entered three of the least quiet years of my life,” Clarkson said. Two babies, three moves, numerous health issues and family deaths.
She kept trying to resume her book, hoping another extension would ignite that “deadline fire,” but she was simply too overwhelmed.
Finally, Clarkson reached an impasse. Her family had just moved to Oxford, England, where her husband would be shepherd of two little Anglican churches. They were settling into an old brick vicarage. She knew her options: isolate herself for six weeks to complete the book (and neglect her family) or ask for one more extension.
They were vacationing in Devon, a historic county in England’s South West Peninsula. Sarah retreated to the coast. Gazing at the water, praying furiously, her heart cried out with the gulls overhead. She ended up in a café, writing an impassioned letter to her publisher from Baker Books requesting another year.
Rebekah (of Baker Books) said yes — “a decision,” Clarkson later wrote, “that brought the gift of quiet to my own life in a healing way.” In total, her deadline was pushed back 18 months, which allowed a very different (and better) book to be written.
ECHOES OF CATHOLIC MINNESOTA | REBA LUIKEN
Martha Jane Gates:
Decades
of fighting hunger, poverty and homelessness
Editor’s note: As the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, Catholic historian Reba Luiken will devote her columns to stories of women — some well-known and others less so — who have impacted the archdiocese’s history. The following column addresses the influence of Martha Jane Gates.
By 1970, St. Joseph parish in Plymouth had outgrown its pioneer church and purchased land nearby in New Hope. It took two years for a new church to be built. In the meantime, Father Blane Barr saw social ministry as an essential part of parish ministry. He put his vision into practice by hiring Martha Jane Gates to open the Social Action Center in the house on the property. Better known as Marty,
“Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention” is now in bookstores and book clubs, homes and hands across the globe. And now Clarkson gets to hear from readers who are also thirsting for more quiet in a noisy world.
“I’m delighted by the enthusiasm and have a growing sense of the communal nature of this quest, the urgency of it for all of us, the way we can help each other to grit and courage by articulating our own work in this realm,” Clarkson said.
Specifically, the book acknowledges the “clutches” of technology. She reflects on her first smartphone, which “slipped into spaces that used to be sacred” and stole moments of solitude.
she was a committed community activist with over a decade of experience running a teen center.
At St. Joseph parish, Gates started by building a local food shelf and becoming a leader of a network of food shelves in Hennepin County. The 1970s were a challenging economic time for many. Some who were early donors to the project lost their jobs in the weak economy and had to return to the food shelf as customers. In 1975, more than twice as many people visited food shelves in the county as the year before. Others looked to the Social Action Center for help paying their heating bills. Gates helped to administer the local fuel-aid program in 1979. Gates was constantly in need of supplies and funding, but she was also well-networked with other governmental and church groups working to serve the poor.
Gates was a social worker, and her ministry grew to encompass most aspects of human well-being. In addition to food, she gathered clothes and other household goods to distribute. Around Christmas time, she was known to be a matchmaker. A local newspaper columnist reached out to Gates to help someone get a pair of artificial Christmas trees to two families in need. She collected Christmas presents, too. All year long, the center hosted health clinics to screen for cancer and test blood pressure. It started study groups on the underlying causes of hunger and a support group for people who were divorced or separated. Hundreds of volunteers at the center worked to minister to residents of the northwest metro with dignity.
If there is a season that summons us to attend, it’s winter in her bare-souled grace. I am learning to embrace the slowness, the impulse to draw inward, to rest, to shelter. And snow, ah! Anytime we have even a drop, I’m outside with the children to soak it in.
The quiet, Clarkson realized, was vital for creativity and imagination, for clarity and attention, for rest and for faith.
“That quiet,” she writes. “It was a living, benevolent thing, and in its presence, I felt myself waken, felt my skin and senses sharpen, felt something like grief stir in the deep places of my heart, a yearning that had not wakened in me for many days. I hungered for quiet, not just the cessation of noise but that deep inward hush in which the kindness of God is the light burning at the back of our eyes so that we look upon the world in the brightness of his companionship.”
As we set new habits for 2025, seek quiet. “If there is a season that summons us to attend, it’s winter in her bare-souled grace,” Clarkson said. “I am learning to embrace the slowness, the impulse to draw inward, to rest, to shelter. And snow, ah! Anytime we have even a drop, I’m outside with the children to soak it in.”
In silence, Clarkson writes, we can listen to Jesus. “Faith rests not primarily on gritted will or savvy choice but on response, on a honed and holy capacity to hear.”
What is he asking of you?
Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.
The Social Action Center developed a local reputation and a hefty budget. The parish at St. Joseph had almost doubled in size in 10 years and more than 97% of parishioners supported the program’s mission.
However, by the 1980s, paying three full-time staff members was becoming more than in-house collections and an annual community craft fair could support. Fortunately, other local Christian churches had taken notice and were ready to get involved in supporting the ministry. Sixteen local churches, led by the pastor of Valley of Peace Lutheran Church, came together around feeding the hungry and clothing the naked to start a nonprofit called People Responding in Social Ministry (PRISM) that would continue and expand the work of the center. PRISM moved out of St. Joseph’s ministry center in 1987 and remains a thriving nonprofit in Golden Valley helping connect families in the northwest metro to food, housing, clothing and more. Gates coordinated The Emergency Food Assistance Program for the state of Minnesota throughout the 1990s. She was also known for her work on boards and committees advocating for health care, human services and fair utility rates. She died on March 25, 2010, after decades of fighting hunger, poverty and homelessness.
Luiken is a Catholic and a historian with a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She loves exploring and sharing the hidden histories that touch our lives every day.
Making a difference in our world
Dedicating the new year to the development of holiness and virtue seems like an appropriate way to begin 2025. It is the quartercentury mark of our new century and millennium, which invites us to establish habits and behaviors of which we can be proud. The old habits and behaviors may be the very actions that led to sin, which required us to seek the sacrament of reconciliation.
As human beings, we will always be prone to sin. However, dedicating ourselves to holiness and virtue may minimize our propensity to these damaging actions.
So, it is not that we won’t sin, because we know that is part of what it is to be human. We have selfishness we must push against daily. We have our desire to win and succeed, which can oftentimes overcome our desire for community and cohesion. The fight against our human nature is found in our
ALREADY/NOT YET
| JONATHAN LIEDL
Elevating becoming over being
Anytime Hollywood touches Catholicism, controversy generally ensues. The new film “Conclave,” which is set amid a fictitious and fraught papal election, is no exception.
Most of the criticism and conversation has been directed at the movie’s absurd ending (which I won’t spoil). But the conclusion of “Conclave” is hinted at, and its foundation laid, earlier in the film, when one of the cardinal-electors utters the following line: “The Church is not tradition. The Church is not the past. The Church is what we do next.”
The line is delivered in such a way that you can tell the filmmakers think it’s pretty compelling. The Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association must have thought it was pretty profound, too, because they just gave the film a Golden Globe for Best Screenplay. But it’s not. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Catholic Church is, and it is the product of bad philosophy.
At the heart of this line of thinking is the idea that there is no being, only becoming. In other words, what something is, is utterly up for grabs. It has no internal nature that defines it or guides and limits its possibilities. It simply is whatever it becomes, like perpetually raw material.
The view has roots in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which was meant to explain the development and diversity of animal species but was quickly taken up by philosophers and applied to human society, too. Change, materialism and the preeminence of action are hallmarks of this worldview.
We see it in the revolutionary spirit of Karl Marx, who said that the point is not to understand the world, but to change it. Today, gender ideology and transhumanism are two contemporary instantiations of the elevation of becoming over being, aided by dangerous
desire to incorporate holiness and virtue into every aspect of our lives. This is accomplished on a daily commitment to walk with Christ. Whether that is in daily prayer, saying the rosary, attending Mass, spending time in the adoration chapel, listening to Christian music, reading material that supports our Catholic Christian beliefs, or meeting with a group from our church, we need not fight this battle on our own.
The saints would never have encouraged us to attempt to accomplish this struggle by ourselves. Rather, they would have encouraged us to build our virtuous, holy nature in community with other believers in Christ. It is then that we are supported by their holiness and virtue, and our desire for holiness and virtue encourages and supports them in return. It is exactly how Christ wanted it.
Maria Harris in her beautiful book, “Fashion Me a People,” explains we are a priestly people, because we are called to hallowing, blessing and preserving traditions, as well as teaching and prayer. We are a prophetic people because we are called to speak the word of justice and embody God’s pathos: his grief over human suffering and sin. And we are a kingly people, because we are called to claim and shape our world for the goodness of God as we proclaim the Gospel in our own Christian communities.
Therefore, we must each ask ourselves, as this new year begins, how we can be more involved in our church communities and contribute to the building up of the kingdom of God in our own city, state, nation and world. This is our opportunity to commit
ACTION STRATEGIES
uPray and ask God what he wants you to do with your time and energy in 2025.
uThen, based on what you hear in your head, heart and soul, choose an initiative you are passionate about and investigate how you can achieve its goals for 2025.
ourselves to an initiative we are passionate about, as we contribute our efforts to its fulfillment. If we maintain our daily and weekly actions toward the goal of this ideal, we will find we are more readily able to fulfill it as the year progresses.
And isn’t that what we all hope for: that our efforts will make a difference in this world? That the life we have lived mattered? If those are our goals in life, then we must begin with a plan and set out simple, weekly goals, which can be translated into daily tasks, to more easily accomplish this overall initiative to positively impact the world. This is so much easier accomplished in a group, working together toward a common goal. As the saying goes: “Many hands make light work.” In this case, not only will the work be lighter, but it will also be much more fun in the presence of committed individuals, working toward a common mission.
Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.
advances in technology.
The Church is not raw material that can be repurposed in whatever way we see fit. The Church is, fundamentally, a gift. It is the body of Christ, broken for and offered to us. And as the body of Christ, it has a given identity, its own nature and internal coherence. Tradition, which comes from the Latin word for ‘what is handed on,’ is not dead weight. It is a living connection with the Church’s origins and its essence — with Christ.
With this philosophical outlook in our cultural ether, it probably shouldn’t be too surprising that Hollywood applied it to the Church. But it simply doesn’t work.
The Church is not raw material that can be repurposed in whatever way we see fit. The Church is, fundamentally, a gift. It is the body of Christ, broken for and offered to us. And as the body of Christ, it has a given identity, its own nature and internal coherence. Tradition, which comes from the Latin word for “what is handed on,” is not dead weight. It is a living connection with the Church’s origins and its essence — with Christ.
To be sure, this doesn’t mean that the Church cannot change. While Tradition, with a capital T, is not alterable, not every custom or practice in the Church’s past needs to be maintained. In fact, as St. John Henry Newman wrote, “In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”
But the change the saint speaks about in his colossally influential 19th century work on the development of doctrine is the kind of change that is in continuity with what the thing fundamentally is — like a puppy becoming a dog, or a tree losing its leaves so it can survive the winter and grow them anew in the spring. He rejected an approach to doctrinal change that was more evolutionary in spirit, denying the need to be consistent with the Church’s perennial teaching or reinterpreting everything in light of modern understandings. St. John Henry Newman called these kinds of changes, the kind promoted by “Conclave,” corruptions, not genuine developments.
The Church moves through history. It is ever new, and the application of our timeless faith to the realities of today does result in real and genuine developments. In a certain sense, the Church is what happens next. But it’s a “what happens next” that flows from and contains within it the Church’s past and tradition. It’s a becoming that begins by acknowledging and hewing to being — not rejecting it, as “Conclave” does.
GUEST COLUMNIST
PATTY WASHATKA
Reflections from a pregnancy center’s executive director
As the executive director of Options for Women Cornerstone, I am constantly balancing the challenges and blessings that come with this position. Some days, the weight of the responsibility feels overwhelming while other days, the joy of seeing lives transformed through love and compassion lifts me higher than I could have imagined. This work is more than a job; it is a calling where every life encountered brings a unique opportunity to reflect Christ’s love in unexpected ways.
At Cornerstone, our pro-life stance is not political — it is rooted in a deep, unwavering commitment to the sanctity of life in all its forms. We believe that every human life, from conception to natural death, is sacred and made in the image of God. In a world that often values people based on their success or achievements, many of our clients feel that their lives, or the lives they carry, don’t matter because they don’t meet society’s expectations. This is where we step in, offering hope, compassion and the reminder that every person is inherently valuable.
Cornerstone is more than a medical clinic; it is a sanctuary — a place where women and men can find refuge from the pressures of the world. We provide
2024 Anchored in Hope gala held at St. Michael parish, also in St. Michael.
a safe space where they can be heard and seen without judgment. Our team offers time, patience and compassion, helping clients navigate the fear and confusion that often accompanies an unplanned pregnancy. We remind them that they are not alone and that their stories matter.
One of the greatest challenges in this work is helping individuals understand that their child, regardless of the circumstances, is a precious gift, and that they too are worthy of love and respect. We are constantly reminded that life is not a series of mistakes, but a journey of grace. While society may push for quick fixes like abortion, we know that courage comes when a woman chooses life — even when it
feels like the hardest option. There is no greater joy than witnessing a transformation in someone’s life. I am always amazed by the bravery it takes for a woman to choose life. I think of the many precious moments when women see their babies for the first time on an ultrasound, as one nurse beautifully described: “There is nothing that compares to seeing a baby in the womb for the first time — a human person who has not yet walked this earth but is fully alive, a beating heart that is sacred, unique and irreplaceable.” These small yet profound moments remind me why this work is so important.
Choosing life is only the beginning. For many, the path forward is filled
How did we come to call Mary the ‘Mother of God’?
By D.D. Emmons OSV News
Jan. 1 was the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the final day of the Christmas octave.
In the fifth century, a heresy led by Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople from 428 to 431, claimed that Jesus was two persons: one human and one divine, and that his divinity was instilled on him after he was born. Thus, they reasoned incorrectly that Mary was the mother of Jesus but not the mother of God. Their rationale contradicted ancient
Christian beliefs as well as proclamations and canons issued at earlier Church councils.
At the Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325, the Church Fathers had clearly determined that Jesus was consubstantial with the Father and, therefore, Mary was the Mother of God.
In response to the heretical message of Nestorius, another ecumenical council was held in 431 at Ephesus, Turkey. Led by St. Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, Mary was defended as Theotokos, God-bearer, and that Jesus was one person with a divine and human nature; Mary was
with uncertainty and fear. Our work is about more than caring for the baby — it’s also about walking with mothers as they navigate the difficult days ahead. We offer parenting classes, life coaching and material support and encourage them to become the parents they long to be. By providing tools to build confidence and cope with their fears, we help them realize they are not alone, and they can overcome the challenges ahead.
Of course, there are heavy times of sadness and loss as not every story has a happy ending. Some face circumstances that feel insurmountable and, despite our best efforts, we are unable to guide them to a place of hope. These moments are painful, but they also remind us that life is not easy. Our work is never truly finished. Yet we cling to grace, reminding ourselves and our clients that with God healing is always possible and they are worthy of love, no matter their past decisions.
In the end, the work we do is spiritual — it’s about offering love and grace. Every person who walks through our doors has a story worth hearing. I’m deeply grateful for my incredible team of staff and volunteers, each of whom serves with unwavering compassion and commitment. Through this work, our own hearts are renewed and our faith deepened.
As we continue to grow this Christcentered ministry, we recognize that we cannot do this alone. It requires a community of donors, volunteers and prayer partners united by the mission to champion life. I am immensely thankful for those who support pregnancy resource centers with prayer, time and financial gifts. Together, we help ignite hope, empower young families and change the world — one heart at a time.
Washatka is the executive director of Options for Women Cornerstone and a member of St. Michael in St. Michael.
the Mother of God. Nestorianism was condemned by the council and Nestorians excommunicated.
The people of Ephesus, joyful over the council decision, went through the streets chanting, “Mary, Mother of God,” which would become words prayed during the rosary devotion.
Some 1,500 years after the council, Pope Pius XI (pope from 1922 to 1939) would claim: “If the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary is God, assuredly she who bore him is rightly and deservedly to be called the Mother of God.”
DULY HONORED
A member of St. Joseph in Rosemount, St. Paul Police Officer Charlie Redmond holds his Life Saving Award Dec. 23, with Deputy Police Chief of Operations Kurtis Hallstrom beside him. Redmond was honored by the police department for acting while off duty when he saw a vehicle in a wooded area in June and stopped to give assistance. The vehicle was empty but owned by a St. Paul firefighter who was experiencing a mental health crisis. Searchers found the firefighter and she received treatment. Redmond’s wife, Colleen, is a sergeant with the St. Paul police department. Father Michael Anderson, who retired in July after most recently ministering at St. Joseph of the Lakes in Lino Lakes, is Charlie Redmond’s uncle.
NEW COLUMNS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
In his column titled “Poured Out,” McGovern will explore the role faith can play in dealing with alcohol and drug addiction and challenges to mental health. Watch for McGovern’s first column to appear Jan. 23. In a column titled “Abide in Him,” Jendro will discuss the many ways the Lord graces our lives. Watch for her first column in the Feb. 20 edition.
A third new columnist is Father John Paul Erickson, parochial vicar of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul and interim chairman of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission. Father Erickson also was director of the archdiocese’s Office of Worship from 2008 to 2018. In his column “Communion and Mission” for our Focus on Faith page, Father Erickson will explore the meaning, structure and rituals of the Mass and other liturgies and how they relate to living Christian discipleship, such as being better spouses, parents, employers and employees. Watch for his first column in the Jan. 23 edition.
Columnist Reba Luiken, a historian and Catholic who writes “Echoes of Catholic Minnesota” every other month, will devote her six columns in 2025 to honoring the archdiocese’s 175th anniversary. Luiken will write about women who, through the years, have been influential in the local Church. Her effort starts in this edition, page 15.
The newspaper will continue its coverage of the archdiocese implementing Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.” This will include coverage of parish-based small groups in the first issue of each month, particularly groups that are using the Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS) model for relational discipleship and evangelization. Please turn to page 8 to read the first installment. The second issue of each month will include a quote from participants in small groups around the archdiocese for a fixture on our Commentary pages titled “Pivotal PECS.”
One last note is a new take on Letters to the Editor. We invite positive and constructive letters from readers about stories and commentary that have appeared in The Catholic Spirit. They will be published under the headline: “Readers’ Mailbox.” Writers of letters that do not appear, please know some will assist The Catholic Spirit staff as we generate stories and commentary that are important to the faith.
We are excited about these many developments. We pray you will find them fruitful.
–– Joe Ruff, Editor-in-Chief
National Seton Shrine kicks off 50th anniversary canonization of ‘One of Us’
OSV News
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She was a wife. A mother. A teacher. She was also –– as the title of a new exhibit at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, tells visitors –– “One of Us.”
And as the first native-born American saint, the 50th anniversary of Mother Seton’s canonization will be celebrated with a full year of spiritually immersive activities –– beginning on her Jan. 4 feast day, with an EWTN-televised Mass celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William Lori –– at the pilgrimage destination bearing her name.
Born in New York City in 1774 to a prominent Episcopal family, Mother Seton experienced much loss and sorrow –– the death of her mother, the bankruptcy of her husband’s business, and his eventual death. But following her 1805 conversion to Catholicism, she also led a courageous and pioneering life. She founded the first U.S. community for religious women and planted the seeds of Catholic education in America. On Sept. 14, 1975, St. Paul VI canonized Mother Seton in St. Peter’s Square and called on Americans to “preserve her fruitful heritage.”
The shrine, which attracts more than 50,000 visitors annually, will also offer its regular programs through the year.
PARISH EVENTS
Pancake Breakfast for Patronal Feast — Jan. 19: 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Agnes, 535 Thomas Ave., St. Paul. Knights of Columbus will serve a pancake breakfast after all Masses at St. Agnes for the celebration of the parish’s patronal feast.
Martyrs of Damascus Pilgrimage — Jan. 25: St. Maron, 600 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis. A pilgrimage in the archdiocese of a first-class relic and icon of the Martyrs of Damascus in honor of their canonization on Oct. 20, 2024. These martyrs highlight the ecumenical nature of this partnership and represent hope for Middle Eastern Christians. The relic and icon will spend 10 days at each host parish beginning at St. Maron.
WORSHIP+RETREATS
“Pilgrims of Hope” Men’s Silent Retreat — Jan. 10-12: 8 p.m. Jan. 10-1 p.m. Jan 12, at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. St. Paul proclaims, “Hope does not disappoint.” Our hope is in Jesus Christ who laid down his life conquering sin and death. Join us during this Jubilee Year and time of grace to affirm your belief in the hope that is Jesus Christ. $50 deposit. kingShouSe Com/eventS
“Pilgrims of Hope” Women’s Silent Weekend Retreat — Jan. 17-19: 8 p.m. Jan. 17-1 p.m. Jan 19, at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. “Hope does not disappoint,” proclaims St. Paul. Our hope is in Jesus Christ who laid down his life and conquered sin and death. Join us during this Jubilee Year of grace to affirm your belief in the hope that is Jesus Christ. $50 deposit.
kingShouSe Com/eventS
Special Mass for People with Memory Loss — Jan. 17-19: 1:30-3 p.m. at St. Odilia, 3495 Victoria St. N., Shoreview. All are welcome, especially anyone experiencing memory loss and their caregivers. Hospitality after Mass with community resource information available. Call 651-484-6681 or email m bronk@yahoo Com Stodilia org
CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS
Voices in Education: Andrew Pudewa, Institute for Excellence in Writing — Jan. 23: 7-8:30 p.m. at 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Join The St. Paul Seminary for its latest Voices in Education lecture, featuring Institute for Excellence in Writing founder, author and director Andrew Pudewa. Inside the seminary’s Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library. tinyurl Com/4rbadfha
Ars Celebrandi Workshop — Feb. 1 and Mar. 1: 8 a.m.2 p.m. at All Saints, 19795 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville (Feb. 1), and St. Therese, 18325 Minnetonka Blvd., Wayzata. Ars Celebrandi Workshop for all parish liturgical ministers (lectors, cantors, musicians, Communion ministers, and those involved with OCIA). RSVPs for Feb. 1 are due by Jan. 16. Register for Feb. 1 at tinyurl Com/4Sveajjf and for march 1 at tinyurl Com/2pa4jktu
SPEAKERS+SEMINARS
Lumen Vero Catholic Men — Jan. 9: 6:30-8 p.m. at Concord Lanes, 365 Concord Exchange N., South St. Paul. Speaker: Brian Hoyland, Catholic author of “From Sudden Death to Paradise.” Hear Brian’s amazing story and conversion from being clinically dead and experiencing the afterlife to becoming a man on fire for Christ. lumenvero Com
Study Group on the Catechism of the Catholic Church — Jan. 10-May 30: 7:30-9 p.m. at St. Helena, 3204 East 43rd St., Minneapolis. All Fridays except Good Friday. Freewill offering. Participants may come to any or all of the sessions. Email
Sondag@SainthelenamplS org SainthelenamplS org
Exploring the Gospel of John: A Liturgical Reading — Wednesdays Jan. 22-Feb. 26: 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Francis Cabrini, 1500 Franklin Ave. SE, Minneapolis. Father Jan Michael Joncas will highlight passages of John that appear in the Sunday Lectionary. He will consider various methods and approaches to interpreting a biblical text from a Catholic perspective. Discussion and refreshments after each session. Cabrinimn org
SCHOOLS
Benilde-St. Margaret’s Open House — Jan. 9: 6-8 p.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 Highway 100, St. Louis Park. BSM is happy to welcome families to campus at our Open House events, which include a tour of classrooms and learning settings, meeting with faculty, staff and current students, and an opportunity to ask questions of the BSM admissions team.
bSmSChool org/admiSSionS/attend-an-open-houSe
OTHER EVENTS
Taizé — Jan. 10: 7-8 p.m. at St. Mary of the Lake, 4741 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. All are welcome to this evening prayer which consists of music, Scripture and silence. Taizé will be held in the Notre Dame Chapel at St. Mary of the Lake Church.
Open Call for Sacred Art — Jan. 13: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Benedictine Center of St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, St. Paul. These artworks will be available for viewing in the monastery gallery from January through April. The submission deadline is Jan. 13. tinyurl Com/bdfnyewb
Youth March for Life — Jan. 22: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at St. Agnes School, 530 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. Mark your calendars and join us for a local Youth March for Life. The day will include speakers, breakouts and Mass, as well as a Eucharistic procession to the Capitol. For more information, contact Bridget Lippert at the Office of Marriage, Family and Youth, at lippertb@arChSpm org or 651-291-4506.
MCCL March for Life — Jan. 22: 12-1 p.m. at the Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul. Join thousands of pro-life Minnesotans for a
UNIT FOR RENT Available in Cathedral area: tinyurl.com/Albans55104
Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center in Prior Lake, MN Hours: 4 hours per week, some weekend work Submit resume, portfolio, or cover letter: marketing@franciscanretreats.net franciscanretreats.net/career-opportunities
remembrance of lives lost and a call to rebuild a Minnesota where every human life is valued and loved. Opportunities to meet with legislators are also available. mCCl org/marCh
Prayer Service for Life — Jan. 22: 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Please join Bishop Michael Izen for the Annual Prayer Service for Life, followed by MCCL’s March for Life at the Minnesota State Capitol. This prayer service commemorates the millions of lives lost to abortion and the many women and men wounded by abortion’s aftermath. All are invited and welcome. For more information, please contact the Office of Marriage, Family and Youth at 651-291-4488 or visit arChSpm org
Connect with a Cause Webinar: Cristo Rey Jesuit High School — Jan. 23: noon-12:30 p.m. Register for Connect with a Cause, a free, 30-minute webinar hosted by the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota spotlighting how Cristo Rey Jesuit High School serves Latino Catholic students and families in our archdiocese. CCf-mn org/eventS/ConneCt/
ONGOING GROUPS
Calix Society — First and third Sundays: 9-10:30 a.m., hosted by the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. In Assembly Hall, Lower Level. Potluck breakfast. Calix is a group of men, women, family and friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholics with alcohol or other addictions. Questions? Call Jim at 612-383-8232 or Steve at 612-327-4370.
Career Transition Group — Third Thursdays: 7:308:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Medina. The Career Transition Group hosts speakers on various topics to help people looking for a job or a change in career and to enhance job skills. The meetings also allow time for networking with others and opportunities for resume review. hnoj org/Career-tranSition-group
Fire on the Hill — Third Saturdays: 5:15 p.m. Mass followed by Praise and Worship at the Cathedral of St. Paul, until May 17.
Gifted and Belonging — Fourth Sundays: 6:30–8 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul., and second Fridays, 6:30-8 p.m. at Maternity of Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. Providing Catholic fellowship for young adults with disabilities, seen and unseen. Gather to share a time of prayer and reflection, followed by games and social activities. Invite friends, and bring a caregiver as needed. For more information on monthly activities and/or volunteer opportunities, call Megan at 612-456-1572 or email giftedandbelonging@gmail Com
Natural Family Planning (NFP): Classes teach couples Church approved methods on how to achieve or postpone pregnancy while embracing the beauty of God’s gift of sexuality. For a complete list of classes offered throughout
Part-time Law Office Typist in West St. Paul, Minnesota: Produce legal documents including Wills, Trusts, Briefs, Pleadings, and Reports. Administrative support to attorneys and paralegals. In addition, a paralegal or legal assistant is also needed with similar duties but expanded to include research and composition of documents and other related duties. QuickBooks experience preferred. Contact John Trojack 651-451-9696 or complete “Contact” on our website: TrojackLaw.co
HARDWOOD FLOORS
Comfort Crafter Hardwood Floors Winter’s here! Enhance the comfort of your home this season with new or refurbished hardwood floors. Chris 612-442-7571
CALENDAR submissions
DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the issue date.
LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.
ITEMS MUST INCLUDE:
uTime and date of event
uFull street address of event
uDescription of event
uContact information in case of questions
uThe Catholic Spirit prints calendar details as submitted.
TheCatholiCSpirit Com/CalendarSubmiSSionS
the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, visit arChSpm org/family or call 651-291-4489.
Quilters for a Cause — First Fridays: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Jerome, 380 Roselawn Ave. E., Maplewood. Join other women to make quilts to donate to local charities. Quilting experience is not necessary but basic machine skills are helpful. For more information, call the parish office: 651-7711209. faCebook Com/profile php?id=100087945155707
Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victims-survivors. Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor support group — third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — fourth Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — second Thursdays. Visit arChSpm org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@arChSpm org or 651-291-4429.
Secular Franciscan Meeting of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Fraternity — Third Sundays: 2:15-3:45 p.m at St. Olaf, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis. General membership meeting of Secular Franciscans who belong to the Fraternity of St. Leonard of Port Maurice. Any who are interested in living the Gospel life in the manner of St. Francis and St. Clare are welcome.
ITEM DISPOSAL
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PILGRIMAGE TRAVEL
Fatima, Lourdes & Shrines of Spain with Father John Mitchell Oct 7 – 18, 2025. $2,699.00 double, land only. Space is limited. Scan QR code for more info. 651-771-5666
Paul Prior, left, of Transfiguration in Oakdale, and others hold signs about adoption and respect for life on a cold winter day near the nowclosed Planned Parenthood facility in Woodbury. Regardless of cold, snow or wind, rain, heat or sun, for more than three years Prior and about a dozen others gathered in prayer and presence near the facility every Thursday (unless it fell on a holiday, when instead they would meet on a Wednesday).
LEFT Prior took a photo on another winter day with Frank Schultz of St. Peter in North St. Paul, Mike Schilling and Sean Willy, both of Transfiguration, among those holding signs.
FAR LEFT Prior, left; Joanne Horrisberger; Jessica Willy and her father, Sean; Phil and Virginia Stoffel; Noreen Phillips and Michele and Frank Schultz hold signs in warm weather near the now-closed Planned Parenthood facility in Woodbury.
PHOTOS COURTESY PAUL PRIOR
Pro-life advocates hold signs about adoption at Planned Parenthood facilities
By Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
More than three years ago, about a dozen pro-life advocates began a weekly ministry of prayer and presence near a Planned Parenthood facility in Woodbury.
Regardless of the weather, they held signs for an hour each Thursday urging adoption, respect for life and help for pregnant mothers. They prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet. They answered questions when asked.
At the same time, they forged friendships as a group and shared meals at one another’s homes. The Woodbury facility closed in July, and now the group meets each Thursday for an hour at a Planned Parenthood center in Little Canada, holding the same signs.
“It’s something I can do,” said Phil Stoffel, 64, of Transfiguration in Oakdale, a founding member of the group. “It’s more than doing nothing. At least, we’re trying to make some difference. On the other side of the veil, we’ll know what difference it makes.”
Paul Prior, 66, whose late mother, Mary, was a founding member of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and Human Life Alliance, both in Minneapolis, said one memorable St. Patrick’s Day
the wife of the owner of a pub in Woodbury invited the group to warm up and share a meal. She is a board member of Woodbury Options for Women, a pregnancy resource center, he said.
“During our three-plus years of group prayer at this increasingly busy intersection, we encountered numerous signs of affirmation, and occasionally negative reactions from passers-by,” Prior said in an email. “Most drivers honked their vehicle horn and shouted positive messages of support. On many occasions, supporters stopped by sharing their personal stories of abortion or adoption. Some gifted our group (with) cupcakes and lemonade, and others offered donations of cash for our causes.”
Noreen Phillips, also of Transfiguration and co-founder of the group with Stoffel, said adoption was a message they wanted to share with the public. “We feel the whole picture (presented by) people who are pro-abortion is wrong,” she said.
The one rule about the weather for the gatherings in Woodbury was not to be out on the sidewalk if there was lightning, an event that has never happened, said Phillips, 80. “There were windchills of 30 below zero,” she said. “We’d stay out there for an hour, sometimes longer if we got to laughing and hadn’t said the St. Michael prayer and the Divine Mercy chaplet. ... I definitely developed lifelong friendships.”
Phillips said the group was grateful when the
Woodbury facility closed, but those who gathered also knew abortion would continue and their efforts would continue.
Phillips’ Thursdays are full right now, however, as she assists at pregnancy resource center Birthright of St. Paul. “Women can come in for a pregnancy test. We talk to them about their plans” and offer other services, she said.
When women choose life for their babies, “we’re grateful to them,” Phillips said. “When they are pregnant and ready to take on those challenges, we let them know it is an incredible gift to us and to the world.”
Stoffel said he hopes the group that continues to meet on a sidewalk in Little Canada adds a presence of love and caring in Minnesota, which has some of the most unrestricted pro-abortion laws in the country.
“Nowhere in my life am I in a place of standing or stature,” Stoffel said. “But with the hundreds of thousands of cars that passed by in our three years in Woodbury, we were keeping it in front of people’s minds.
“Maybe they thought, ‘Who are these crazy people in the middle of winter holding up signs?’ That makes me happy –– that maybe we’re having a little influence in that. It’s better than nothing. It’s (abortion) not a settled issue. We’re keeping it in front of people’s minds.”