June 21, 2018 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Walking with God
All the single Catholics National Catholic Singles Conference emphasizes self-giving, personal holiness. — Page 5
Switching focus Catholic Charities’ leaders explain organization’s decision to boost child protection efforts while stepping away from refugee resettlement. — Page 6
Youths share hopes for Church Vatican publishes document that will guide the Synod of Bishops on young people in October. — Page 8
Remembering RFK On 50th anniversary of Robert Kennedy’s assassination, historians recall his Catholic faith. — Pages 10-11
More than 500 people participated in the 14th Annual Northeast Eucharistic Procession in Minneapolis June 10. “It just shows a very respectful but prayerful kind of response to walk with Christ in the streets,” said Father Spencer Howe, parochial administrator of Holy Cross in Minneapolis. Participating in the procession were Holy Cross and five other Catholic parishes: All Saints, St. Boniface, St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church, Sts. Cyril and Methodius and St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church in Minneapolis. The procession included stops at each of the participating parishes.
Life and death at 101 Centenarian Sister of St. Joseph strove to “stay interested” up to her death June 16. — Page 12
Religious Freedom Week As U.S. Catholics observe Religious Freedom Week June 22-29, Jason Adkins reflects on doing “as we ought, not ... as we want.’” — Page 18
The Catholic Spirit is taking a summer break. Look for our next issue July 12.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Bishops condemn separation, detention of migrant children By Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service
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rom Denver to New York City, the country’s Catholic bishops have joined a chorus of organizations, institutions and high-profile individuals urging the Trump administration to stop separating children from their parents as they seek respite in the U.S. from dire conditions in their home countries, largely in Central America. None have been more outspoken, however, than the bishops with dioceses on or near the border between the U.S. and Mexico, where many migrants, adults as well as children, are being held in detention centers in geographic areas where many of the prelates come into contact with families affected. “Refugee children belong to their parents, not to the government or other institution. To steal children from their parents is a grave sin, immoral [and] evil,”
said San Antonio’s Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller June 14 via Twitter, the social media platform he has used daily to call attention to the situation. “Their lives have already been extremely difficult. Why do we [the U.S.] torture them even more, treating them as criminals?” he continued. In a June 5 interview with CBS News, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said: “If people don’t want to be separated from their children, they should not bring them with them,” meaning they shouldn’t bring them along when trying to cross the border, which many do as they seek asylum. The furor over the separation of children from a parent or parents had already started in late May, before Sessions used a Bible passage to justify the actions. Bishop Daniel Flores of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, said via Twitter May 31 that “separating immigrant parents and children as a supposed deterrent to
CNS
Casa Padre, an unaccompanied minor shelter, is seen in Brownsville, Texas, June 18. immigration is a cruel and reprehensible policy. Children are not instruments of deterrence, they are children. A government that thinks any means is suitable to achieve an end cannot secure justice for anyone.”
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2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
JUNE 21, 2018
PAGETWO
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People want the pope just to be the pope.
Natasa Govekar, director of the theological-pastoral department of the Secretariat for Communication, speaking to Catholic communications professionals June 12 at the Catholic Media Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin, about people’s reaction to Pope Francis on social media. Photos of the pope “with circus performers or wearing a silly hat do not do as well as photos of the pope praying,” she said.
NEWS notes DANCING SHOES Epiphany parishioners Mary Ann Banken, left, and George Lucas, pose June 9 as the prom queen and king at a senior prom for residents of Epiphany Pines and Epiphany Assisted Living in Coon Rapids. Members of Epiphany parish known as the Epiphany Senior Housing Angels hosted the first-time event, which drew about 70 residents and their families. Banken and Lucas were selected as the prom’s royalty via a drawing. Epiphany Pines and Epiphany Assisted Living are located on Epiphany parish’s campus.
70 The anniversary celebrated by the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul’s Monastery in Maplewood. The sisters are hosting a Founder’s Day anniversary celebration June 22, which includes a 1 p.m. Mass with Archbishop Bernard Hebda at Hill-Murray School and a reception following at the monastery. In 1948, 178 sisters left their first Midwest monastery in St. Joseph to establish a new monastery at 301 Summit Ave. in St. Paul. After outgrowing the space, they built a larger monastery adjacent to Hill-Murray School, followed by another monastery, also on the school’s campus, in 2009. Living their monastic heritage, the sisters have spearheaded a variety of ministries throughout the years, including the Benedictine Center, St. Therese senior care centers and the Maple Tree Childcare Center.
28 The age of Father Edward Sorin when he founded the University of Notre Dame in 1842.
COURTESY EPIPHANY ASSISTED LIVING
“Sorin: A Notre Dame Story,” a one-person play about the life of the Congregation of Holy Cross priest, will be performed 6:42 p.m. June 26 at the Providence Academy Performing Arts Center in Plymouth. The play commemorates the Indiana university’s 175th anniversary. It is directed by 2007 alumnus Patrick Vassel, the associate director of the Broadway hit “Hamilton.” “Sorin: A Notre Dame Story” is free and open to the public. For more information and tickets, visit sorinplay.nd.edu.
2003 The year Jesuit Father Henry Shea, 32, graduated from Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park before attending Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he first felt called to the priesthood. He was ordained for the Society of Jesus June 9 at Fordham University Church in New York City. “I hope to be a humble priest, but likewise, I hope to be available, celebrating the Eucharist and celebrating sacraments for people,” he said in a video talking about his vocation. “Just the thought of it gives me such joy, and I’m really, really excited and thrilled to be a priest.” Father Shea was a member of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata and Most Holy Trinity in St. Louis Park, the latter of which merged with Our Lady of Grace in Edina in 2012. He is ministering this summer at a parish in Richmond, Virginia, before beginning doctoral studies in theology and religion at the University of Oxford in England in the fall. Father Shea is the son of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Shea and Anne Simonett, who died in 1995. Hank Shea belongs to Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis with his wife, Chris, who became Father Shea’s stepmother in 1997.
50 The number of years that Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life has worked to defend the CNS | TONY GENTILE
NOTE FROM A NAVIGATOR A copy of a Christopher Columbus letter, stolen from the Vatican Library and returned by the United States, is seen displayed at the Vatican June 14. The rare eight-page document, estimated to be worth $1.2 million, had been secretly replaced with a forgery, while the true document eventually ended up in the hands of a U.S. collector from Atlanta. Callista Gingrich, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, and representatives of the Department of Homeland Security and its investigations division presented the original copy during a ceremony at the Vatican Library.
ONLINE exclusive If Pope Francis ever plans an apostolic trip to space, he’s all set after receiving a custom-made blue flight suit with patches of the Argentine flag, his papal coat of arms and a pair of angel wings with his crew name, Jorge M. Bergoglio. The outfit also came with add-on white mantle, or short cape, just so there would be no mistaking he was still the pope. The gifts were presented to the pope in Rome June 8 by five astronauts who had spoken to Pope Francis by satellite in October from the International Space Station. Among them was Mark Vande Hei from Falls Church, Virginia, an alumnus of BenildeSt. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park. Watch a video of their meeting at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 23 — No. 12 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor
right to life from conception to natural death. The organization was founded June 12, 1968, to oppose legalized abortion and has expanded its work over the years through its legislative efforts. Across the state, it has 200 chapters and more than 70,000 member families.
12 The number of awards The Catholic Spirit received from the Catholic Press Association June 15 at the Catholic Media Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They included an honorable mention for Newspaper of the Year among non-weekly newspapers with a circulation of 25,001 or more, and an honorable mention for Photographer of the Year for staff photographer Dave Hrbacek, as well as several first-place awards in other categories. Read more about the awards at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
CORRECTION In “Healthy and holy” in the June 7 edition, Deacon Andrew Zipp’s name was misspelled. The Catholic Spirit apologies for the error.
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
JUNE 21, 2018
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3
FROMTHEBISHOP ONLY JESUS | BISHOP ANDREW COZZENS
Justice for immigrants
I
f you have the chance to meet some of our local immigrant young adults and young people, the issues that are currently being debated in Washington take on a different tone. Just as a woman often changes her mind about an abortion when she sees an ultrasound and encounters the person in the womb, if we actually get to meet the people who are here in the U.S. legally now through DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) or TPS (Temporary Protective Status) you realize that many of these people are like our relatives who came here seeking a better life. They are trying to escape situations of poverty and violence and now live in a place where they can flourish. They, however, simply did not have the privilege I had in being born in such a place. I have gotten to know one 25-year-old woman who is a DACA recipient. After graduating from college, she now works full time as a program coordinator for the Boy Scouts of America. She volunteers most of her time as a catechist and young adult leader at one of our parishes. She speaks English without an accent, as she grew up in the United States after arriving at age 5. She has known no other home than the Twin Cities. In the rural Mexican village where she was born, her uncle was recently kidnapped by the cartels, which pose a constant danger there.
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Unfortunately, much of the current rhetoric and practice around immigration right now isn’t reverential of the dignity these people deserve.
iSTOCK | CLA78
Although they stole his vehicle, he escaped with his life. If she went home to her family in Mexico, her life would be in danger. Another 22-year-old DACA recipient I know is a seminarian for our archdiocese. He was 7 years old when he came to the U.S. from Guatemala. He grew up in one of our parishes in Minneapolis, where he discerned his vocation to the priesthood. We of course desperately need Spanish-speaking priests who can minister to our many Latino Catholics in this archdiocese and around the country, especially since more than half of all the Catholics in this country under age 18 are currently of Hispanic or Latino heritage. These DACA youths are currently
Justicia para los inmigrantes
S
i tienes la oportunidad de conocer a algunos de nuestros jóvenes y adultos inmigrantes locales, los temas que se están debatiendo en Washington adquieren un tono diferente. Así como una mujer a menudo cambia de opinión sobre un aborto cuando ve un ultrasonido y se encuentra con la persona en el útero, si realmente conocemos a las personas que están aquí legalmente en EE. UU. Ahora a través de DACA (Acción diferida para llegadas infantiles) o TPS (Estatus de Protección Temporal) te das cuenta de que muchas de estas personas son como nuestros parientes que vinieron aquí en busca de una vida mejor. Intentan escapar de situaciones de pobreza y violencia y vivir en un lugar donde puedan tener una vida mejor. Simplemente no tenían el privilegio que tuve al nacer en ese lugar. He conocido a una mujer de 25 años que tiene DACA. Después de graduarse de la universidad, ahora trabaja a tiempo completo como coordinadora del programa Boy Scouts of America. Ella es voluntaria la mayor parte de su tiempo como catequista y líder de jóvenes adultos en una de nuestras parroquias. Ella habla inglés sin acento ya que creció en los Estados Unidos desde que tenía 5 años. Ella no ha conocido otro hogar que las ciudades gemelas. En la aldea rural mexicana donde nació, su tío fue secuestrado recientemente por los cárteles, que representan un peligro constante allí, con gratitud, aunque robaron su vehículo, escapó con su vida. Si ella regresara a casa con su familia en México, su vida estaría en peligro. Otro receptor de DACA de 22 años que conozco es seminarista de nuestra Arquidiócesis.Tenía 7 años cuando llegó a los Estados Unidos desde Guatamela. Creció en una de nuestras parroquias en
making great contributions to our society. They did not choose to come here, and this is the only home they know. We will be impoverished if we do not welcome them on a path to citizenship. Unfortunately, much of the current rhetoric and practice around immigration right now isn’t reverential of the dignity these people deserve. We should not ignore the fact that many people come to our borders seeking asylum because their lives were often in danger at home. If we can provide lifesaving asylum, then we have a moral responsibility to do so. Additionally, we certainly don’t have to separate children from their parents as a punitive measure, an act which traumatizes
Minneapolis donde discernió su vocación al sacerdocio. Por supuesto, necesitamos desesperadamente sacerdotes de habla hispana que puedan ministrar a nuestros muchos católicos latinos en esta Arquidiócesis y en todo el país. Especialmente porque más de la mitad de todos los católicos en este país menores de 18 años son actualmente de origen hispano o latino. Estos jóvenes de DACA actualmente están haciendo grandes contribuciones a nuestra sociedad, no eligieron venir aquí, y ahora este es el único hogar que conocen. Seremos empobrecidos si no les damos la bienvenida en el camino hacia la ciudadanía. Desafortunadamente, gran parte de la retórica y práctica actual en torno a la inmigración en este momento no es reverente de la dignidad que estas personas merecen. No debemos ignorar el hecho de que muchas personas vienen a nuestras fronteras en busca de asilo porque si permanecen en sus hogares sus vidas a menudo están en peligro, si podemos proporcionar un asilo que salve vidas, entonces tenemos la responsabilidad moral de hacerlo. Además, ciertamente no tenemos que separar a los niños de sus padres como una medida punitiva, un acto que traumatiza a niños inocentes. Necesitamos controlar nuestras fronteras y tenemos que detener el problema de la inmigración ilegal, pero tenemos que hacerlo de una manera que reconozca el derecho a la vida y la dignidad de las personas involucradas. Si aún no lo has hecho, te animo a que conozcas a algunos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas inmigrantes. Para facilitar esto yo, Arzobispo Bernard Hebda y el Padre Joseph Williams, pastor de la parroquia St. Stephen en Minneapolis y Vicario para Ministerios Latinos en la arquidiócesis, visitará varias parroquias este verano y otoño y traerá con nosotros a algunos de nuestros jóvenes DACA locales. Queremos brindarles a los católicos la oportunidad de encontrarse y ver el maravilloso regalo que estos jóvenes llenos de fe tienen para nuestra arquidiócesis. Queremos que los católicos escuchen su testimonio, entiendan los sueños que
innocent children. We need to control our borders and we need to stop the problem of illegal immigration, but we need to do so in a way that recognizes the right to life and the dignity of the people involved. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to get to know some of our immigrant brothers and sisters. To facilitate this, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, myself and Father Joseph Williams, pastor of St. Stephen’s parish in Minneapolis and vicar for Latino ministries in the archdiocese, will be visiting several parishes this summer and fall accompanied by some of our local DACA youth. We want to give Catholics a chance to encounter each other and to see the wonderful gift these faith-filled young people are to our archdiocese. We want to let Catholics hear their testimony and understand the dreams they have and the gifts they bring, most especially their deep faith, so we can work together to find a just solution to the problem of immigration. I especially encourage you this week to contact your representative and express your desire to see a resolution for our DACA youth that provides a path to citizenship as the U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation. For more information and updates on what you can do to support our immigrants, follow the Minnesota Catholic Conference at facebook.com/ mncatholic or visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website on Justice for Immigrants, justiceforimmigrants.org.
tienen y los obsequios que traen, especialmente su profunda fe, para que podamos trabajar juntos para encontrar una solución justa al problema de la inmigración. Lo invito especialmente esta semana a contactar a su representante y expresarle su deseo de ver una resolución para nuestros jóvenes de DACA que brinde un camino hacia la ciudadanía mientras la Cámara de Representantes está considerando legislar. Para obtener más información y mantenerse actualizado sobre lo que puede hacer para apoyar a nuestros inmigrantes, vaya a facebook.com/mncatholic o la página de USCCB sobre Justicia para los Inmigrantes: justiceforimmigrants.org.
OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective July 1, 2018 Reverend Ronald Kreul, O.P., appointed parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Rita in Cottage Grove. Father Kreul is a member of the Province of St. Albert the Great, Order of Preachers. Reverend Mark Wehmann, appointed parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Olaf. Father Wehmann is returning to full-time ministry after previously providing sacramental ministry to several parishes in the Archdiocese. Effective October 1, 2018 Reverend Eugene Theisen, appointed parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Wenceslaus in New Prague. Father Theisen is returning to the Archdiocese after serving as an active-duty military chaplain.
4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
JUNE 21, 2018
LOCAL
Consecrated to Christ
SLICEof LIFE DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Susan Spiegelberg of St. Agnes in St. Paul pledges to live a life of perpetual virginity to Archbishop Bernard Hebda June 8 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, becoming what is known in the Church as a consecrated virgin. Women who choose this vocation are consecrated to Christ under the authority of their bishop. They are not religious sisters, and they continue to work and live alone or with other consecrated virgins, and dedicate time to prayer. Spiegelberg, 42, who works at All Saints in Lakeville in early childhood ministry and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, described the vocation as “very spousal.” “I will be able to be the embodiment of the love of the Church for [Jesus] as our bridegroom,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed by his generosity in calling me to this. There’s not a doubt in my mind. I’m just ecstatic.” Spiegelberg wore a dress made from her mother’s wedding dress for the consecration Mass. There are 11 consecrated virgins in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
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LOCAL
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5
Singles encouraged to make gift of self at conference Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit International Catholic speaker Hudson Byblow kicked off his presentation at the National Catholic Singles Conference in Bloomington with a little Star Wars Jedi wit. He told the story of a woman who had been promised a Toyota at her job. Byblow showed on a big screen what she really got — a toy Yoda. “Because of her expectations, she was quite disappointed,” he said. Expectations like that can lead to seeking fulfillment in the wrong places, he added. Byblow shared a testimony of his struggles in the single life, including viewing pornography and experiencing same-sex attraction and gender identity questions. But eventually, he found purpose in Jesus Christ. Byblow, 37 and single, said he now sees his identity in making a gift of himself by being a spiritual father, in a lay sense, to others. “Pursuing the will of God, I realized, is not about what I want. It’s about what God desires of me and how I can best serve him at this present point in my life,” Byblow told the audience of 400 gathered June 9 in the ballroom of the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America hotel in Bloomington. He and several other speakers presented on the call to holiness for Catholics who are single June 8-9 during the 18th conference, which provides an opportunity for singles to engage in the faith together through presentations, prayer, the sacraments and fellowship. Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens presided at Masses, and adoration and confession were available throughout the weekend. Social activities preceded and followed the conference. “For me, it’s knowing that I’m going to be around just faith- and fun-filled people, and [I’m] going to come away inspired and edified,” said Theresa Grobecker, a parishioner of St. Joseph in Troy, New York, who has been to multiple Catholic singles conferences. “It’s a balance of fun, but yet being able to find opportunities of prayer and reflection.”
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DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
From left, Michael Cheng of South Pasadena, California; Milagros Betances and Alicia Castro of Norwalk, Connecticut; and Evelyn Pacheco of Tamarac, Florida, talk at the start of the National Catholic Singles Conference June 8 in Bloomington. Inspired by the theology of the body, a collection of papal audiences by St. John Paul II, the conference began in 2005 in Denver and various sites throughout the U.S. have hosted it since. It was held in Minnesota for the first time this year. Anastasia Northrop founded the National Catholic Singles Conference at the request of fellow Catholic single friends. “We need to know who we are as sons and daughters of God, and that’s really how we’re going to be able to live our singleness well,” she said. Jen Messing, the host site co-chair and a parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, said the conference is really about helping attendees become formed in the single life to make a gift of self in their current life stage. “It’s kind of a unique reality of this day and age having a large population of people that are not in their [vowed] vocations and … there is not a set
formula for how to work with single people,” said Messing, who runs a retreat ministry based on the theology of the body, Into the Deep. “It became kind of an opportunity to evangelize and form singles because a lot of things in the Church will often gear toward families or parenting or marriage or religious life.” Messing, who had attended multiple NCSC conferences before assuming her host role this year, said the appeal of potentially meeting another Catholic of the opposite sex offers initial appeal for attendees. However, she said it’s not a “meat market,” but rather a place for people to find deep, faith-filled friendships and grow in their faith. Salvatore Vermiglio, 51, who has attended the conference nine times, said initially, he did expect to find his future wife across the room at the gathering. “I’ve learned that you tamp down that expectation,” said Vermiglio, a parishioner of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. “The expectation that you do have is that you’re going to meet friends, you’re in contact with other fellow Catholics, and if things happen, it happens.” Once in a while, the connections lead to romantic relationships. Northrop said there have been 15 marriages between people who have met through the conference. NCSC has drawn more than 4,000 Catholics in 13 years. Byblow urged attendees to focus on how they can serve God in their state of life. He said he realized focusing on spiritual fatherhood will prepare him to be a stronger physical father, too, and that women are likewise called to spiritual motherhood. He emphasized that spiritual fatherhood or motherhood are not “second place” to marriage, nor do they mean marriage or another vowed vocation isn’t possible down the road. “Perhaps being where you are right now is not second place as long as holiness is your first pursuit,” Byblow said. “And just imagine how many more people might be touched by your love if you stepped into that role of spiritual fatherhood and motherhood a little more from right where we are right now, open to what God can author.”
LOCAL
6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
JUNE 21, 2018
Catholic Charities explains shift from refugees to children By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit Although Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis has resettled refugees since the 1970s, its program became massively unpredictable in the past two years, prompting leaders to announce their decision May 2 to shift the nonprofit’s focus to helping children in the Hennepin County child protection system. “Given what we saw on the horizon in terms of the number of people that were going to come through Catholic Charities’ refugee resettlement program, we didn’t think that we were going to hit the threshold that the [U.S.] State Department is looking for,” said Laurie Ohmann, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Catholic Charities. Meanwhile, she said, “the frequency of kids caught in cycles of abuse and neglect is something that the community is becoming more aware of, and we have been working with Hennepin County in this intake and shelter work since the ’70s.” Catholic Charities President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Marx said in a statement to The Catholic Spirit that the “difficult decision” to discontinue its refugee resettlement services arose from “restrictive federal policies limiting the number of refugees entering” the United States. “‘Welcoming the stranger’ is a key tenet of Catholic social teaching, and we will continue to support four partnering agencies that lead the work of welcoming new Americans to our community,” Marx said. Refugee resettlement has shrunk under President Donald Trump’s administration due to travel bans he’s ordered, Ohmann said. Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. had allowed a maximum of 110,000 refugees to enter the country in 2016, while Trump has only allowed a limit of 45,000 in 2018, according to the Pew Research Center. Conversely, Hennepin County has an overloaded child protection system. As Minnesota’s largest county, it has a population of more than 1.2 million, based on the 2010 census. From 2009 to 2017, the county saw an 87 percent
MATTHEW DAVIS | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ St. Joseph’s Home for Children Emergency Shelter in Minneapolis provides the emergency intake for Hennepin County child protection, which it has done for the past 40 years, and helps with the placement of children in alternative housing. spike in child protection reports. According to Hennepin County, child protection investigators pursued 8,300 of 21,800 reports in 2017 after its initial screening process. “That was nearly a 100 percent increase in the number of reports screened since 2009,” Ohmann said. Public awareness has grown because of Gov. Mark Dayton’s child protection task force and the media’s attention to children’s deaths in cases where they could have been prevented, Ohmann said. “My sense is that more people are saying, ‘I’m not sure if this fits the definition of abuse or neglect, but it doesn’t feel right to me, so I’m going to make a call,’” she said. “The system is having to take a look at a much larger number of reports and trying to determine whether there are actually findings of maltreatment.” Enter Catholic Charities’ St. Joseph’s Home for Children Emergency Center in Minneapolis. St. Joseph’s Home provides the emergency intake for Hennepin
County child protection, which it has done for the past 40 years, and helps with placing children in alternative housing. Its staff provides both medical and mental health assessments. Some children stay at St. Joseph’s Home, while others go to foster care or group homes. The home has 21 beds and could be expanded. “I think the challenge is trying to make sure that once you make a placement for a kid, you want it to stick and not have them end up in a place that doesn’t quite work for them, and then they get caught in a revolving door of the child protection system,” Ohmann said. In 2012, children stayed at St. Joseph’s Home an average of 17 days. In 2017, the length of stay was “inching above 40 days,” Ohmann said. Overall, 166 youths stayed at St. Joseph’s Home last year, and of them, 20 percent stayed 100 days or longer, she said. “There are certainly kids who are dealing with instances of neglect or instances of abuse and are with us for some time while the parents are being investigated for that,” Ohmann said. Of the 869 children who went through intake at St. Joseph’s Home last year, 81 percent were younger than 13, while the other 19 percent were between ages 13 and 17. Ohmann said some shelters specialize in helping younger children, while St. Joseph’s Home is equipped to work with adolescents. Catholic Charities wants to further explore how to help children of various ages. The staff is implementing a trauma-informed framework, ARC, to help children process emotional pain. ARC stands for attachment, regulation and competency. To aid the growing child protection needs, Catholic Charities will close its Residential Treatment program at St. Joseph’s Home Aug. 1. The program had been receiving children from outstate Minnesota, making it more difficult to work with the families, and it had been handling more serious cases involving psychiatric care. Catholic Charities offers social services, but not intensive psychiatric care. It will work with families and caseworkers to have the children placed elsewhere.
The Holy Spirit community congratulates you on 15 years in the priesthood!
Congratulations Father Jack!
We are so blessed to have had you as our Pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and School! May God continue to bless you as you Know, Love and Serve the Lord.
LOCAL
JUNE 21, 2018
in REMEMBRANCE Father Roach remembered for love of sports, family farm Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Jerry Roach will miss the Saturday morning phone calls he got for more than two decades from his brother, Father Francis Roach, who died June 14 at age 89. When Father Roach retired from active ministry in 1997, he moved to Faribault but stayed connected to his family. His younger brother, Jerry, lives on a 120-acre farm near Prior Lake, and looked forward to the weekly conversations that centered on updates on the community and professional sports. “He’d call me on schedule every Saturday morning. ... You could expect his call at 10 or 10:30,” Jerry, 83, recalled. “The first thing he’d say was, ‘What’s the news today?’” Talk often would turn to the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. It evoked memories of when the two of them would go to games at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington while Father Roach was assigned nearby. He often got tickets during his time at Nativity of Mary, 1959-1965. Other assignments
were as an assistant pastor at St. John (1956-1959) and St. Andrew (19651969), both in St. Paul, and St. Austin in Minneapolis (1969-1971). He was pastor of St. John Vianney in South St. Paul (1971-1984) and St. Joseph in Rosemount (19841997). The games and sports talk were a FATHER ROACH continuation of a relationship that developed on the family farm. It was there that Francis had his first thoughts about the priesthood. He studied at Nazareth Hall and the St. Paul Seminary, both in St. Paul, and was ordained a priest June 2, 1956. The brothers were cousins of Archbishop John Roach, who led the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 1975 to 1995, and who died in 2003. A visitation will be held 3-7 p.m. June 22 at St. Michael in Prior Lake. The funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. June 23, with visitation from 8:30-9:45 a.m. Interment will be in St. Michael Cemetery in Prior Lake.
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7
Congratulations Fr. Jack Long
on 40 years of Holy Priesthood and your retirement! We offer prayers of gratitude for your service to the Church.
God bless you now and always!
St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, Anoka
Congratulations, Fr. Lenny Andrie
on the 5th Anniversary of your ordination to the Priesthood. May God continue to bless you as you shepherd His people.
Deephaven
Congratulations
Msgr. Moudry’s ministry focused on pastoral care By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Moya McGinn Matthews met Msgr. Richard Moudry in the 1980s when he was pastor at Christ the King in Minneapolis. She will always remember that encounter with the priest, who died June 17 at age 92. She was looking for a Mass to attend on a holy day, and she “had heard good things about Father Moudry,” she recalled in an email to The Catholic Spirit. What she remembers most is his greeting after Mass. He approached her, introduced himself and asked her name. His hospitality struck her. A few years later, in 1989, he hired her as the director of liturgy and music at the parish. She respected and appreciated his leadership and pastoral approach in priestly ministry. “He was an excellent leader and wonderful pastor in every sense of the word,” said Matthews, who continues in her role at the parish. “He was compassionate, responsive and sensitive . E .. LE AT ILAB L S OO VA T T E A NEY NO PAC OUR S J ILL LL ST ON A
with pastoral situations and concerns. He treated parishioners with respect and treated his lay staff like respected colleagues. That’s not just good pastoral practice, it’s also great business practice. Working for and with him was a joy and privilege.” Msgr. Moudry attended Nazareth Hall and the St. Paul MSGR. MOUDRY Seminary, both in St. Paul, and was ordained June 3, 1950. He was named a monsignor in 1973. His only parish assignment was as pastor of Christ the King from 1970-1992. Other roles were at Nazareth Hall, including as a faculty member (1950-1957), vice chancellor (1957-1963), chancellor (1963-65) and, finally, rector (19651970). He retired from active ministry in 1993. His funeral Mass was to be held June 21. Interment is in Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul.
ENGLAND-SCOTLAND • 12-Day PILGRIMAGE
WITH FR. ROBERT FITZPATRICK (Fr. Fitz), Spiritual Director Pastor St. Rose of Lima and Corpus Christi – Roseville, MN September 10-21, 2018
ST. RITA’S IN ITALY • 12-Day PILGRIMAGE
COME JOIN FR. RICK BANKER AND DEACON STEVE AND DEBBIE KOOP St. Rita’s Parish – Cottage Grove, MN October 14-25, 2018 EWTN TELEVISION NETWORK & SHRINE OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT Irondale, Alabama & Hanceville, Alabama • NEW DATE Oct. 9-12, 2018 • 4 days-3 nights, $850 + Airfare from Minneapolis GUADALUPE – Mexico City • October 3-12, 2018 CRUISE TO CANADA & NEW ENGLAND STATES • 7 DAY PILGRIMAGE FR. THOMAS THOMPSON, Spiritual Director • Superior Diocese of Wisconsin October 20-27, 2018 Call for brochure or details on these pilgrimages.
JeriCo Christian Journeys • 19091 Island View Drive • Mora, MN 55051 Call Colleen at 1-877-453-7426 E-mail: Colleen@jericochristianjourneys.com
1-877-453-7426
Father Timothy Cloutier
On the 35th Anniversary of the Ordination
Father Joseph Fink
to the Holy Priesthood
The Churches of The Maternity of the Blessed Virgin and Holy Childhood
God Bless You!
International Catholic Evangelist, Visionary and Mystic,
ALAN AMES,
is coming to Minnesota! Don’t miss a life changing evening. Alan moves under a powerful anointing, with gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially the Gift of Healing. Alan shares his story of conversion and deep conviction about the Catholic faith with the message of life and hope. He is a dynamic speaker who emphasizes the importance of prayer and the healing power of the Sacraments. Many have reported physical, spiritual and emotional cures that have occurred at these healing services to people of many faiths. Join Alan at the following locations: Church of the Resurrection, Rochester, Tuesday, June 26. The evening begins with the Rosary at 5:30 p.m., Fr. Shauemza will celebrate Mass at 6:00 p.m., followed by Alan’s testimony, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, healing service and reconciliation. Church of Saint Paul, Ham Lake, Wednesday June 27 with the Rosary at 6:30 p.m., Fr. Jim Livingston will celebrate Mass at 7:00 p.m. followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Alan’s testimony and the Healing Service with Alan Ames and Fr. Jim. Reconciliation will be available as well.
A free will offering will be taken. For more information visit Alan’s website at www.alanames.org
CatholicHotdish.com
8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
JUNE 21, 2018
NATION+WORLD
Synod working document: Young Catholics need Church that listens
Pope: Aborting children with birth defects is like Nazi eugenics program
By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
Young Catholics are looking for a Church that listens to their concerns, accompanies them in discerning their vocations and helps them confront the challenges they face, said a working document for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on young people. The synod’s “instrumentum laboris” (working document), published by the Vatican June 19, stated that young people “want to see a Church that shares their situations of life in the light of Gospel rather than by preaching.” Quoting a pre-synod gathering of young people who met at the Vatican March 19-25, the working document said young Catholics “want an authentic Church. With this, we would like to express, particularly to the Church hierarchy, our request for a transparent, welcoming, honest, attractive, communicative, accessible, joyful and interactive community.” The working document is based mainly on comments solicited in a questionnaire last June from national bishops’ conferences around the world as well as the final document of the pre-synod gathering. An estimated 305 young adults participated in the weeklong presynod meeting, which allowed practicing Catholics and others to provide input for Pope Francis and the world’s bishops, who will meet at the synod in October to discuss “young people, faith and vocational discernment.” Some 15,000 young people also participated in the presynod process through Facebook groups online. The meeting, the working document said, “highlighted the potential that younger generations represent” as well as their “hopes and desires.”
CNS | PAUL HARING
“Young people are great seekers of meaning, and everything that is in harmony with their search to give value to their lives arouses their attention and motivates their commitment,” it said. Presenting the “instrumentum laboris” to journalists June 19, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the synod’s secretary-general, said the goal is that young Catholics may find “the beauty of life, beginning from the happy relationship with the God of the covenant and of love” in a world that often robs them of their “affections, bonds and prospective of life.” “The synod dedicated to young people gives us the opportunity to rediscover the hope of a good life, the dream of a pastoral renewal, the desire for community and passion for education,” he said. Divided into three parts, the working document outlines the Church’s need to listen to young people, to help guide them in the faith and in discerning their vocational calling, and to identify pastoral and missionary paths to be able to accompany them. The responses collected by bishops’ conferences around the world cited a need for ways to help young men and women confront the challenges
BISHOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 But the outrage began in earnest after the June 14 speech to law enforcement officers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when Sessions said the practice of separating families is consistent with the teachings of the Bible because “persons who violate the law of our nation are subject to prosecution. I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order.” The following day, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said during CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time with Chris Cuomo” that while he appreciated Sessions quoting the Bible, the quote he used was not the best. “For one, St. Paul always says we should obey the law of the government if that law is in conformity with the Lord’s law, all right? No pun intended but God’s law trumps man’s law, all right?” he said. “And St. Paul himself who gave the quote that the attorney general used, he wouldn’t obey Roman law when it said it was mandatory to worship the emperor,” the cardinal continued. “He wouldn’t obey that law. I don’t think we should obey a law that goes against what God intends that you would take a baby, a child, from their mom. I mean, that’s just unjust. That’s unbiblical.
Pope Francis prepares to take a photo with young people at a pre-synod gathering of youth delegates in Rome March 19. The Vatican has released the working document for the October Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment.
of cultural changes that sometimes disregard traditions and spirituality. The working document also states that while the Church highlights the importance of the body, affection and sexuality, many young Catholic men and women “do not follow the directions of the sexual morality of the Church.” “Although no bishops’ conferences offer solutions or indications, many [conferences] believe the issue of sexuality should be discussed more openly and without judgment,” it said. Young people attending the presynod meeting said issues such as contraception, abortion, homosexuality, cohabitation and marriage are often debated both by young Catholics and non-Catholics. The working document also highlighted the need to reaffirm Church teaching on the body and sexuality at a time when biomedical advancements have pushed a more “technocratic approach to the body,” citing examples such as egg donation and surrogacy. Church leaders, it said, must “speak in practical terms about controversial subjects such as homosexuality and gender issues, which young people are already freely discussing without taboo.”
‘WOMEN CRY OUT’ VIGIL A group of women faith leaders, including religious sisters, rallied June 19 outside the headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington to pray and protest family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border. Read the story at TheCatholicSpirit.com. That’s un-American. There could be no Bible passage that would justify that.” After Sessions’ Bible quote, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, also used the Bible to make a point and compared Christ’s time as a refugee in the Holy Land to the migrants. In a June 15 statement, he compared the distance from his diocese to other localities in Guatemala and Mexico, saying that “if Jesus of Nazareth returned, as at that time, from Galilee to Judea, ... we dare say he would not get as far as Sacred Heart Church downtown [in El Paso] before being detained.” He urged Christians to think about the families fleeing and seeking asylum in the U.S., what they’re going through and said that what’s at stake “is the
Pope Francis denounced the practice of administering prenatal tests to determine birth defects that often lead to abortions, comparing it to the Nazi-era eugenics program that determined what lives were worth keeping. Children are God’s greatest gift and should be welcomed “as they come, as God sends them, as God allows, even if at times they are sick,” the pope said June 16 during a meeting with members of Italian family associations. “I have heard that it is fashionable — or at least common — to do certain examinations in the first months of pregnancy to see if baby is not well or has some kind of problem. The first proposal in that case is, ‘Should we get rid of [the baby]?’ The killing of children. And to have a more tranquil life, an innocent is done away with,” he said departing from his prepared speech. The pope recalled, as a boy, being taught in school about the Spartans, who “when a boy or girl was born with malformations, they would take them to the top of the mountain and throw them over to protect the ‘purity of the race.’” Despite the atrocious nature of that practice, he continued, the practice of eugenics continues today “because the protocol of many doctors — many, not all — is to ask, ‘Is something wrong [with the child]?’” The term “eugenics” was coined in the 1880s by Francis Galton, a half-cousin of Charles Darwin, and the concept centered on the belief that the human race needed to be protected from those deemed “unfit” or “feeble-minded.” Most notably, the idea rose to prominence in Nazi Germany with the passing of the Eugenic Sterilization Law in 1933, which ordered doctors to sterilize anyone suspected of suffering from hereditary disease. The policy is believed to have been the precursor to the Nazi’s “Final Solution,” resulting in the genocide of an estimated 6 million European Jews. “I say it with pain. In the last century, the whole world was scandalized by what the Nazis did to protect the purity of the race. Today, we do the same, only with white gloves,” the pope said. Pope Francis also highlighted the importance of marriage preparation to strengthen couples and the need for a “catechumenate for marriage, just as there is a catechumenate for baptism.”
fundamental question of being Christian today, of being a person of faith today in our country and on the continent that is suffering an hour of Christ’s passion.” Bishop Seitz announced a public prayerful procession “in solidarity with our sisters and brothers who continue to migrate to our border” planned for the evening of July 20 in El Paso but did not release other details. The U.S. bishops also are talking about the possibility of a delegation of prelates going to the detention centers where many children are being held. In mid-June, The Associated Press said this year “nearly 2,000 children have been separated from their families at the U.S. border over a six-week period during a crackdown on illegal entries,” according to documents from the Department of Homeland Security, which operates Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Two prelates from Colorado, Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila and Denver Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez, repeated other bishops in a June 18 statement, saying that while borders must be protected, the policy of separating families is “immoral” and urged that it be terminated immediately. Those being detained are in need of protection, they added. “These children and their parents are often fleeing violence, and our country should not add to the inhumanity of their situation,” they said.
NATION+WORLD
JUNE 21, 2018
uAMA delegates OK continued review of assisted suicide policy. The American Medical Association House of Delegates voted 314-243 not to affirm the report of the organization’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs to maintain the AMA’s long-held opposition to assisted suicide. In a late June 11 vote during a meeting in Chicago, the House of Delegates voted to send the council’s report back to committee for further review. In a joint statement June 12, the Catholic Medical Association and the National Catholic Bioethics Center announced disappointment in the House of Delegates decision. The two organizations noted that the vote was narrow, with 56 percent of delegates voting not to accept the report.
HEADLINES
CNS
uPapal trip to Geneva marks ‘new spring’ in ecumenism. While Pope Francis will celebrate Mass for the nation’s Catholics and meet with Vatican diplomatic staff working at U.N. agencies there, the June 21 trip’s major focus is highlighting the Catholic Church’s commitment to seeking Christian unity and recognizing the unique contribution of the World Council of Churches. u600 Catholic institutions declare support for Paris climate agreement. Made public on the third anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home” June 18, the declaration serves as a moral call to action on the environment and urges President Donald Trump to return the United States to the Paris climate change agreement. Minnesota signatories include the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth; St. Scholastica Monastery, Duluth; Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of New Ulm; St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph; the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul; Catholic Rural Life, St. Paul; St. Thomas More, St. Paul; Franciscan Brothers of Peace, St. Paul; Jesuit Novitiate of Alberto Hurtado, St. Paul; Benedictine Health System, Shoreview; and Catholic Charities of Winona. Trump announced June 1, 2017, that the U.S. would withdraw from the agreement, which had been signed by every nation. The U.S. is the only country not party to the agreement. uNearly 500 British priests sign statement in support of ‘Humanae Vitae.’ They said the prophetic warnings contained within “Humanae Vitae,” (Of Human Life) published by Blessed Pope Paul VI July 25, 1968, have proved to be accurate. “We propose discovering anew the message of ‘Humanae Vitae,’ not only in fidelity to the Gospel, but as a key to the healing and true development of our society,” they said in the statement sent to the London-based Catholic Herald magazine June 14, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the encyclical’s publication. uTrenton bishop decries mass shooting that took place during arts festival. No motive “can justify these ongoing, seemingly relentless acts of gun violence plaguing our cities,” Bishop David O’Connell of Trenton said after a mass shooting took place in the early morning hours of June 17 during a 24-hour festival called “Art All Night Trenton 2018.” Police confirmed that 22 people had suffered gunshot wounds. Of that number, a 13-year-old boy and three other people were hospitalized and remained in critical condition June 18. uArgentina moves closer to legal abortion; bishops pledge social action. The country’s lower house of congress voted 129-123 June 14 to approve the initiative, which decriminalizes abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. The initiative now goes to the country’s senate.
CNS
uNew York court again rules archbishop’s remains may be moved to Peoria. The Diocese of Peoria has reacted with “great joy” to a June 8 decision by a New York court in favor of Joan Sheen Cunningham’s petition to have the remains of her uncle, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, moved from New York City to Peoria. The trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, where Archbishop Sheen’s body was interred, announced June 15 that they will seek an appeal of the court’s decision. In a statement, they said they have a responsibility to respect Archbishop Sheen’s request in his will to be buried in New York. “We believe that this most recent decision once again fails to consider those wishes and instead relies on the speculation and conjecture of others,” they said. A cause for Archbishop Sheen’s canonization is underway. uWorld Meeting of Families to feature Father James Martin as keynoter. On June 11, the date the Vatican released Pope Francis’ schedule for attendance at the World Meeting of Families, Irish church officials confirmed that U.S. Jesuit Father James Martin, who has written about the need for dialogue between the LGBT community and the Catholic Church, will be a keynote speaker at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in August. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, president of the World Meeting of Families 2018, said Father Martin’s book, “Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity,” had the support of three U.S. cardinals, including Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life. uCatholic scientists find camaraderie when discussing faith, research. More than 100 professional and student scientists gathered in Washington to explore “The Human Mind and Physicalism” June 8-10 with nearly a dozen presenters incorporating scientific findings in physics, ecology, free will and the human mind with philosophical perspectives during a conference hosted by the fast-growing Society of Catholic Scientists.
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9
uPope advances sainthood cause for Mexican mother, Argentine martyrs. On June 8, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Concepcion Cabrera Arias, thus paving the way for her beatification. The mother of nine founded the “Works of the Cross,” which includes a religious order for women, one for men and apostolates for laypeople. The pope also recognized the martyrdom of Argentine Bishop Enrique Angel Angelelli Carletti of La Rioja, Fathers Carlos Murias and Gabriel Longueville, and a layman, Wenceslao Pedernera.
uPope accepts resignations of three Chilean bishops in wake of scandal. After an in-depth Vatican-led investigation into clerical sexual abuse and cover-ups, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of 61-year-old Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno, Chile, and two other Chilean bishops June 11. The two other bishops, who had reached the customary retirement age of 75, were Archbishop Cristian Caro Cordero of Puerto Montt and Bishop Gonzalo Duarte Garcia de Cortazar of Valparaiso. All the Chilean bishops offered their resignations to the pope in response to their handling of the clergy sex abuse crisis. The announcement came as Pope Francis was sending his Vatican team back to Chile to promote healing.
uVatican criminal court indicts monsignor on child porn charges. A Vatican court indicted Msgr. Carlo Alberto Capella, a former staff member at the Vatican nunciature in Washington, and ordered him to stand trial beginning June 22 on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography. Vatican City State’s criminal court issued the indictment June 9, the Vatican press office announced. Msgr. Capella has been held in a jail cell in the Vatican police barracks since April 9. Msgr. Capella is accused of having and exchanging with others “a large quantity” of child pornography; the quantity is such that the charges are considered “aggravated” by the Vatican City court. The 50-year-old Italian monsignor had been working in Washington just over a year when he was recalled to the Vatican after the U.S. State Department notified the Holy See Aug. 21 of his possible violation of laws relating to child pornography images.
uPope met with brother of Chilean priest found guilty of abuse. Oscar Karadima, the brother of Chilean Father Fernando Karadima, revealed that he was among the group of priests and laypeople who met with Pope Francis June 2 and spoke to him about the suffering his family endured following the revelation that his brother was found guilty of sexual abuse. uEast European church leaders concerned by same-sex marriage ruling. Catholic leaders in central Europe vowed to uphold Church teachings on marriage after Europe’s highest court ruled same-sex married couples should have residence rights in all countries. The European Court of Justice upheld June 5 the right of a Romanian gay man to have his American marriage partner living with him. – Catholic News Service
Read the stories at TheCatholicSpirit.com.
The Parishioners and Staff of the Church of The Holy Cross proudly
Congratulate Father Stanislaw Poszwa on his 35th anniversary of ordination. God’s blessings on you and thank you for all you do in the service of God.
invites you to the installation of our fifth pastor
Fr. Michael Byron on Sunday, July 15, 11:00am. All are Welcome!
The Church of Saint Louis King of France and the Marist Fathers
congratulate
Father Ronald G. DesRosiers, S.M. on the 55th year of his Priestly Ordination. May God Shower him with abundant blessings. Ad multos annos.
10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Remembering
Bobby
Robert Kennedy’s Catholicism was part of his personal life and politics
R
By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service
ecollections and tributes to Robert F. Kennedy on the 50th anniversary of his assassination June 5 have mainly highlighted his charisma and determined advocacy for social and racial justice. But underlying these tributes to the former attorney general, U.S. senator, Democratic presidential candidate and father of 11, also is an unmistakable connection to his Catholic faith. Inevitable references to Kennedy’s faith come up when mentioning his Irish Catholic family or his funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, but there also Robert was the are plenty of anecdotes Kennedy who took his in biographies that he was Catholicism most seriously. mentioning an altar server or wore a He attended Mass regularly, St. Christopher medal. And then there are his speeches, which often and prayed with his echo Catholic social family before meals teaching without coming right out and and bed. saying it. A Newsweek tribute to Jerald Podair Kennedy describes one of his speeches as “typically peppered with erudition and an almost ecclesiastic, Catholic compassion.” That particular speech asked what reason people have for existing “unless we’ve made some other contribution to somebody else to improve their own lives?” Historians and biographers alike have not shied away from Kennedy’s Catholicism, often saying he was the most Catholic of the Kennedy brothers and that he wasn’t afraid to express his faith.
“
‘In the pew nearly every day’ Larry Tye, author of “Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon” in 2016, said Kennedy’s faith helped him as he grieved the 1963 assassination of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, noting that he kept a missal beside him in the car and thumbed through it to prayers he found consoling. And instead of just attending Sunday Mass,
Tye said, Kennedy was “in the pew nearly every day. His faith helped him internalize the assassination in a way that, over time, freed his spirit.” Peter Edelman, a Georgetown University law professor who was a legislative aide to Kennedy from 1964 until his death, can attest to this. He described Kennedy as “assiduous in his practice of his Catholicism” and said his “values and work were certainly based significantly in his faith.” When asked to explain this more, he told Catholic News Service that when he and Kennedy were in New York City, Kennedy often stopped for a few minutes to go into a church to pray while Edelman said he stayed outside because he is Jewish. “Robert was the Kennedy who took his Catholicism most seriously. He attended Mass regularly, and prayed with his family before meals and bed,” said Jerald Podair, a history and American studies professor at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Podair, who is currently writing a book about the politics of the 1960s and its links to the rise of President Donald Trump, said Kennedy always wore a St. Christopher medal too, but he said his Catholicism was not limited to his personal life but also showed up in his politics. As he put it in an email to CNS, Kennedy viewed his faith “as a summons to heal the world, making it a more equal and just place. An example was his strong support for Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers movement, one that itself was steeped in Catholic liturgy and morals.” Podair said Kennedy was drawn to the farmworkers’ cause — when few other mainstream politicians were — “largely because of its links to Catholicism.” He noted that when Kennedy sat with Chavez as he took Communion at an outdoor Mass after the end of his March 1968 hunger strike, it was a public expression of Kennedy’s firmly believed Catholic view that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. The historian also said it was no coincidence that when Kennedy lay dying on the floor of the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel after he was shot, a rosary was placed on him by the Mexican-American busboy who had just
Brothers John, Robert and Edward Kennedy are pictured in Hyannis P after midnight June 5, 1968. shaken his hand. “It meant that he would die as he had lived,” Podair said.
‘His legacy and work are timeless’ That hotel is long gone, but today in its place is a school and memorial bearing Kennedy’s words, which read in part: “Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, it sends out a tiny ripple of hope.” The book, “Robert Kennedy: His Life,” written by Evan Thomas in 2002, described Kennedy as “a romantic Catholic who believed that it was possible to create the kingdom of heaven on earth,” and notes that although Kennedy at times may have lost the certainty of his faith, he never lost the hope.
He also when he serve tha no altar s
The ba and cross were part their chil 16- to no
In a 20 Kennedy seventh c died, said — especia out-loud
Kerry K F. Kenned Rights in influence
JUNE 21, 2018 • 11
The Church of St. Helena in Minneapolis
Congratulates
Father Richard Villano On the 60th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Holy Priesthood and a heartfelt Thank You for 40 faithful years as Pastor of St. Helena’s
CNS | COURTESY JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY AND MUSEUM VIA REUTERS
Port, Mass., in this photograph taken in July 1960. Robert F. Kennedy died from an assassin’s bullet shortly
o said Kennedy was an altar server was growing up and who would even at role as an adult if he saw there was server at Mass.
asics of Catholicism — prayers, Mass ses or saint statues in the house — t of Kennedy’s life with Ethel and ldren as well, ranging in age from ot-yet-born when he died.
008 interview with the Boston Globe, y’s daughter Kerry Kennedy, the child, who was 8 when her father d faith was central to her upbringing ally prayers before and after meals, an Bible reading and Sunday Mass.
Kennedy, who established the Robert dy Memorial Center for Human n New York, said her faith was ed by both of her parents, noting that
her father thought about being a priest and her mother considered being a nun. In a June 6 tweet the day of a 50th anniversary memorial service for her father at Arlington National Cemetery, Kerry Kennedy said: “I miss my father every day, but I am strengthened to know the causes he believed in are still championed by brave activists today. His legacy and work are timeless.” That service, which included numerous tributes and people quoting Kennedy’s own words, began fittingly with an opening invocation by a priest echoing the hope Kennedy so often expressed. “We are gathered here in a spirit not of mourning, but of hope,” said Jesuit Father Matt Malone, editor of America magazine. He also added: “Bobby Kennedy still lives in millions of hearts that seek a newer world.”
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C
12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
JUNE 21, 2018
ACTIVELIVING
With books and news, 101-year-old nun aimed to stay ‘interested’ By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
G
etting enough sleep is important at age 101, but on a Monday this spring, Sister Marguerite Turgeon stayed up till 11 p.m. It had been a full day: 9:30 a.m. Mass, lunch with her fellow Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the “Dr. Phil” talk show at 3 p.m., finishing a book on the making of the U.S. Constitution, fielding phone calls, visiting with a friend and tuning in to MSNBC for extended coverage of the revelation of the day: that Michael Cohen’s “mystery client” is Sean Hannity. “I was riveted,” Sister Turgeon said. “There’s so much going on.” Staying engaged in matters large and small had been a key to aging well for the Minneapolis native then living at Carondelet Village in St. Paul, a retirement community comprising many women religious. She credited good genes, pointing to her French heritage, and eschewed conventional anti-aging elixirs like wrinkle cream, a fact belied by her un-creased skin. A niece once bought her Oil of Olay cream, but after applying it a few times, Sister Turgeon said it felt wasteful to use up the entire jar. Also, she pointed out, religious life is free of worries about finance and childrearing that age parents. She was humble as she reflected on her longevity, sitting in the corner of her one-bedroom apartment dressed in a royal blue sweatshirt, a color as vibrant as her state — not diluted or diminished. Sister Turgeon died June 16. In April, she spoke with The Catholic Spirit about being a centenarian. Only five years ago she began taking pills other than Tylenol — around the same time she stopped practicing yoga. She did not need a hearing aid or wheelchair, just a walker to make her way around, and she could read
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Sister of St. Joseph Marguerite Turgeon, 101, stands June 6 next to a miniature Victorian house she assembled that is on display at Carondelet Village in St. Paul where she lived. standard-size print with her trifocals, a fact she took full advantage of, regularly borrowing from the community library. “It keeps you interested,” she said. A focus on being interested versus interesting, in many ways, defined Sister Turgeon, whose 85 years of religious life were founded on faith and shaped around service. She was the ninth of 15 children born to Edward, a mechanic, and Melvina, a homemaker. They prayed the rosary together every night before bed and were taught by Sisters of St. Joseph at Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis. Sister Turgeon remembered bringing flowers to their Mary shrine and experiencing the peaceful quiet of the chapel — a welcome contrast to her bustling home life, where siblings shared beds and silence was scarce. In fourth grade, when a nun asked how many of the students planned to enter religious life, Sister Turgeon raised her hand. “I thought I had committed
myself,” she said, chuckling. Just as surely as Catholicism seemed to be the only religion back then, so, too, did the CSJs loom large as the obvious order. She never dreamed of marriage or motherhood, and she didn’t feel a pang of sacrifice when she joined the convent in 1933. Instead, she was struck by little perks: “When I entered, we each had our own little cubicle. It was such a delight to be all by myself.” She immediately recognized the power of communal living, she said. “I felt a strong bond of community with the sisters all along.” Religious life was a choice she did not make in isolation. Two of her sisters also joined the Sisters of St. Joseph and a brother became a Marist priest. Over the decades, religious life presented one adventure after another. “I did things I never would’ve thought of doing because I was a sister and I had the community beside me,” Sister Turgeon said. That included nine years of
teaching, two decades in hospital administration and then, beginning in her 50s after she took a two-year course, occupational therapy — a professional highlight. Working as the activity director at a retirement center and bringing fun to others’ lives felt deeply fulfilling. It tapped into her artistic talent, prodding her to assemble a 3-foot miniature Victorian house gifted to the retirement center. She taught ceramics, empowering the seniors to help make intricate furnishings to adorn every square inch — sinks, rugs, clocks, beds. The dollhouse is now perched in the front lobby of Carondelet Village, greeting visitors. Sister Turgeon enjoyed an array of creative pursuits. She made quilts, painted in watercolor and sewed more than 70 dolls, including dozens of Raggedy Ann dolls and originals she named Cuties. She delighted in the labor, threading curly yarn hair and painting cheerful faces to surprise her nieces and great nieces. The way Sister Turgeon combined attention to detail with big-picture thinking — tracking news about the country and the Church as she continually brushed up on their histories — astounded her fellow CSJs. “I just want to be like her,” said Sister Kevin Bopp, 78. “I have learned from Sister Marguerite how to live day by day, to take things as they come.” That was crucial at 101. Her 102nd birthday would have been Aug. 5, and Sister Turgeon couldn’t help but imagine the day she’d be reunited with her parents and 14 siblings, all of whom have died. “I know for sure that I’m going to die,” she said. “Every day I feel that it’s coming. I’m at peace with it because I’ll meet with my family again. It’s hard to envision heaven. I keep thinking, ‘What is it going to be like?’ It’s going to be a great adventure.”
ACTIVELIVING
JUNE 21, 2018
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13
Fred Rogers’ ministry was on TV to children, says documentarian By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service
F
red Rogers was ordained for the Presbyterian Church, but instead of a clerical collar, he ministered wearing a red cardigan sweater. The much-loved children’s television figure, who died 15 years ago in 2003, is the subject of a new documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” one of the hallmark lines he used in making nearly 900 episodes of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The movie opened June 8. Rogers’ religious faith was inextricably bound up with what he did on his show, which aired new installments for 45 years on PBS, according to “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” producer Nicholas Ma. “Did it ever! He was someone who woke up every morning reading the Bible in Hebrew or Greek. The Bible was his constant companion,” Ma said. “He was ordained in the ministry of television.” Ma noted the Fred Rogers Archives are housed at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Greensburg, which adjoins the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where Rogers filmed “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Ma said Rogers and Benedictine Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, whose order oversees the college, were great friends. “What is so powerful about Fred Rogers as a person was his way to be intimate and unifying,” Ma said. “He wanted to make sure that every child who talked to him felt they had a personal relationship with him.” Rogers’ message “is not an easy one: to encourage children to be the best that is within them,” Ma added. “It was a truth about him that was selfevident.” In 2015, the documentary’s director, Morgan Neville, directed and produced a documentary on Yo-Yo Ma, Nicholas Ma’s father. At one point in an interview, Neville asked the cellist how he coped with
CNS | JIM JUDKIS, FOCUS FEATURES
Fred Rogers, the much-loved children’s television figure, who died in 2003, is pictured in a photograph from the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. the demands of stardom and being a public figure. The reply: “Oh, Mister Rogers taught me” — hardly the kind of answer Neville had expected. However, Neville kept that response in his back pocket and approached Nicholas Ma about making a documentary on Fred Rogers. The younger Ma’s reply:
Three authors explore varied facets of aging, but one disappoints By Rachelle Linner Catholic News Service u “Vesper Time: The Spiritual Practice of Growing Older” by Frank J. Cunningham. Orbis Books (Maryknoll, New York, 2017). 138 pp., $18. u “Aging Starts in Your Mind: You’re Only as Old as You Feel” by Notker Wolf with Leo G. Linder. Paraclete Press (Brewster, Massachusetts, 2017). 205 pp., $17.99. u “Ageless Soul: The Lifelong Journey Toward Meaning and Joy” by Thomas Moore. St. Martin’s Press (New York, 2017). 286 pp., $26.99. These three books are like the parable of the blind men and the elephant — each person touched a different part of the animal and so ended up describing it in ways the others found incomprehensible. Aging, of course, has as many facets as that elephant, so it is not surprising that authors with varied experiences would write about this time of life with different emphases. Of the books under consideration, Frank Cunningham’s wonderful “Vesper Time” is perhaps the most accessible. Cunningham, the retired publisher of Ave Maria Press, has an engaging prose style; it is easy to tell he has spent a lifetime crafting words into sentences. Rather than suggesting ways that spirituality can assist an older person in the transitions required of aging, he proposes aging itself is a spiritual practice. “As a spiritual practice, aging is about living into our memories, about seeking
their meaning, about accepting and being kind to them.” In five thematic chapters he offers meditations on memory, intimacy, diminishment, gratitude and acceptance. Cunningham describes the experience of aging and faith, remembering the counsels of his youth: “When all else fails, when the soul seems barren, just praise God, thank God and ask for God’s blessing.” Although Cunningham claims he is “piously impaired,” it is impossible to read this book without seeing how deeply his lifelong Catholicism has formed him into the man he is. “My desire to be a spiritual person is largely a triumph of hope over experience. So I look for God’s presence in creation and relationships.” Benedictine Abbot Notker Wolf was, until 2016, the abbot primate of the Benedictine order, and among the gifts of his “Aging Starts in Your Mind” is its portrait of monastic life. As an older monastic, Abbot Wolf has meaningful work, a strong vocational identity, affection and respect from, and companionship with, religious confreres of all ages. Psychotherapist, teacher and writer Thomas Moore (best known for his 1992 book “Care of the Soul”) brings his attention to aging in “Ageless Soul.” The book covers a broad range of topics, including sex and spirituality, melancholy and mentoring, loneliness and living with dying. Unfortunately, the book alternates between an unpleasant didactic tone and short, trite sentences. It fails to impress.
“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” In a June 2 interview with Catholic News Service to promote the movie, Ma — who frequently began his answers with “Oh, my gosh!” — said he and his sister had spent many an hour watching “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” while their mother was making dinner. “It was the one place she felt she could leave us be by ourselves safely,” Ma said. There were times, though, Ma remembered, when their father would walk past the TV, stop and soak in Fred Rogers’ lesson that day. When Ma told his mother he was setting out to make a documentary on Rogers, “She just laughed,” he said. Rogers was a star in his day. Even though the Nielsen ratings did not take public TV into account since it was not commercially sponsored, one estimate put Rogers’ viewership at his peak in 1985 at 8 percent of all U.S. households. Even in death, Rogers carries some urgency. A YouTube video of a 1969 congressional hearing in which Rogers makes the case of public funding of public TV has received more than 2 million views since it was posted three years ago — and the video has been making the rounds on Facebook in recent weeks. Tom Hanks is set to begin filming later this year as Fred Rogers in the biopic “You Are My Friend,” due on screens in fall 2019, which Ma said he is looking forward to seeing. Meanwhile, Fred Rogers Productions carries on its namesake’s work in producing new children’s programming, among them, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” and “Peg + Cat.” “What was so cool, on the 50th anniversary of Fred’s show, PBS ran back-to-back ‘Mister Rogers’ and ‘Daniel Tiger’ episodes on the same subject. One of them was when a pet goldfish died,” Ma said. “It was very touching, seeing that, and also very special.”
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ACTIVELIVING
14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Pope Francis talks with children participating in the “Children’s Train” audience at the Vatican June 9. Children from poor suburbs outside Milan arrived on a train that stopped at the Vatican. Also pictured is Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
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CNS | PAUL HARING
Pope shares his childhood memories with Italian children By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
P
RECOGNIZE A JUBILARIAN The Catholic Spirit congratulates women and men religious who have served in the archdiocese and are celebrating milestone jubilees. To submit a jubilarian for our July 12 issue, email his or her full name, religious order and milestone to thecatholicspirit@archspm.org with JUBILEE in the subject line by Monday, June 25.
ope Francis told Italian schoolchildren that he grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, “the most beautiful city in the world,” and that besides playing soccer, he loved to fly kites as a child. “We would make them with cane and paper, light paper. We made them ourselves,” the pope told about 500 children from schools in the poorer neighborhoods of Rome and of Milan. In the kite championship, he added, there were prizes for “the prettiest one and for the one that went highest.” With the children seated around him in the atrium of the Vatican audience hall, Pope Francis answered their questions about his childhood, his school, his vocation and the standard question children ask him, “How did you feel when you were chosen pope?” Meeting the pope was the culmination of the “Children’s Train” initiative of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Italian state railroad. Pope Francis urged the children always to remember their first school and first teacher. “Can a tree whose roots have been removed produce flowers?” the pope asked. The children shouted, “No.” People, too, have roots, he said. There
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are “spiritual roots, home, family and school. That is why I say don’t forget your schools because they are roots of your culture.” “Do you remember what your teachers were like?” Anna Greta asked the 81-year-old pope. He said one of his favorite teachers was named Estela; he was in her class both for first and third grade. “She was great. She taught us how to write and read,” the pope said. Even years later, he said, he remembered her with gratitude because she continued to help him learn. “Already as a teenager, then as a priest, I would phone her,” he said. “Then, as a bishop, I helped her when she was sick. She died when she was 94 years old.” A boy named Malak asked the pope how he came to understand “that you were to live the life that you lived?” “I understood in pieces,” the pope answered. First, he decided to study chemistry and he worked as a chemist in a lab for four years, “and I liked this. But at a certain point, I understood that it did not fulfill me very much and I thought I should do something for others,” like maybe be a doctor. But then, he said, one year on “the first day of spring in Argentina, Sept. 21,” because it’s in the southern hemisphere, “I felt in my heart that I should become a priest. Bam. In a flash.”
JUNE 21, 2018
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15
FAITH+CULTURE
Big book of numbers Vatican volume tracks Church statistics By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
P
ope Francis called for a special Synod of Bishops to focus on the Amazon region not primarily because of the rainforest’s key role in the ecological health of the planet, but mostly because he sees pastoral needs there that require special attention. In fact, while globally there are 3,130 Catholics for every Catholic priest, in South America the average priest serves 7,203 Catholics, according to Vatican statistics. The Amazon rainforest covers more than 2.1 million square miles in South America and includes territory in Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Suriname, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Guyana and French Guiana. The Catholics-to-priest ratios in Venezuela (9,829-to1), Peru (8,427-to-1), Bolivia (8,038-to-1) and Brazil (7,976-to-1) are even higher than the continental average. In the United States and Canada, by comparison, the Vatican estimates that there are 1,916 Catholics for every priest. The Amazon synod will be at the Vatican in October 2019; the preparatory document for the gathering was released by the Vatican June 8. The Catholics-to-priest ratio is just one table in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, which is published annually by the Central Statistics Office, a department of the Vatican Secretariat of State. With more than 500 pages of figures and charts, the yearbook tracks everything from Catholic population to the outcome of requests for the declaration of the nullity of a marriage. The figures are the result of information requested annually from every diocese and Church jurisdiction. Collecting and compiling the figures takes more than a year. The volume with statistics valid as of Dec. 31, 2016, was published this spring. Worldwide, there are more than 1.29 billion baptized Catholics, according to the volume, and that
means the Catholic population is holding steady at about 17.7 percent of the global population. In addition, it estimated that another 4.9 million Catholics live in Church jurisdictions with which the Vatican has no “regular exchange of information.” Most of those 146 dioceses, prelatures and prefectures are in mainland China. Thirty years earlier, the 1986 yearbook estimated there were as many as 15 million uncounted Catholics living in 214 jurisdictions that did not or could not report to the Vatican. The figure included Catholics in China and in most of what was then the Soviet Union. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2016, the world’s 1.29 billion Catholics were served by: 5,353 bishops; 281,831 diocesan priests; 133,138 religious order priests; 46,312 permanent deacons; 52,625 religious brothers; 659,445 religious sisters; 345,743 lay missionaries; and close to 3.1 million catechists. Globally, the number of bishops, diocesan priests and permanent deacons all were higher than a year earlier. The number of religious order priests and brothers, religious sisters, lay missionaries and catechists all declined. The increases and decreases, though, are not consistent across every continent. For example, the number of diocesan priests in Africa and Asia rose significantly over the course of 2016. Numbers were up slightly in Latin America and Oceania, but dropped slightly in North America and Europe. According to the yearbook, only North America and Europe had fewer diocesan priests in 2016 than in 2005. The Statistical Yearbook of the Church also tracks the number of baptisms and Catholic marriages in the world. In 2016, more than 16.2 million people were baptized and more than 2.4 million were married in a Catholic ceremony. The yearbook for 1986 had reported more than 17.8 million baptisms and more than 4 million Catholic weddings. To get an idea of how Catholics are practicing their faith, the Vatican also looks at the rate of marriages and the rate of baptisms of children for every 1,000 Catholics. The rates “enable us to note the differences between one country and another and, when examined over
Congratulations
CATHOLICS
AS A PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION
AFRICA
19%
AMERICAS
64%
ASIA
3%
EUROPE
40%
OCEANIA
26%
SOURCE: Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2016
CNS | TCS
successive periods, to follow the evolution of the ratio,” the yearbook stated. It cautioned, however, that the “general downward trend in the relative number of baptisms” does not always indicate a declining practice of faith, but closely follows the trend of a lower birthrate in many countries. Globally in 2016, there were 10.2 baptisms of children under the age of 7 for every 1,000 Catholics. The rate in the United States was 9.6, while in Canada it was 5.3. Argentina held the record for South America with 12 child baptisms for every 1,000 Catholics. The Pacific islands of Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Cook Islands and Nauru ranged from 23.5 baptisms per 1,000 to 41.6. The struggling Christians of the Middle East had a rate of 4.9, in Africa it was 13.7 and Europe registered 6.6.
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16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
JUNE 21, 2018
FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER TOM WILSON
Going viral with God’s message
A diet of locusts and wild honey. A wardrobe of a hair shirt. The willingness to publicly challenge social power and influence in order to communicate God’s plan for marriage. A message of a change of heart to all who would listen. Any of these attributes or actions would garner a lot of attention on social media today. The attention might be negative or even hateful, but I can only imagine the person behind these bold eccentricities would go viral for at least a while. What we have here, of course, is John the Baptist, a character that fills our liturgical life more than anyone other than Mary, Joseph and Jesus himself. In the readings for June 24, we embrace the liturgical rarity of setting aside the Sunday in Ordinary Time readings to celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. Jesus and Mary are the only others in our Church life whose births we celebrate. St. John the Baptist is clearly someone the Church wants us to know well. In encountering John the Baptist, we get an example of someone who could be a patron saint for our renewed attention to evangelization in the Church. It starts with a plan from God. John’s conception and birth are both welcomed surprises. People know immediately that he is destined to do mighty works. He becomes that last prophet and is the precursor to Jesus’ coming
and his message. In honoring his call from God, John fulfills God’s plan to make Jesus known. His approach is both bold and dangerous. He had to know that challenging Herod’s unlawful and ungodly marriage would be risky. It appears not to have fazed him. He understood the need to have a prepared heart to receive the Messiah, so he counseled his own disciples and others to make straight the paths in their hearts for the presence of Jesus. To be able to welcome Jesus, our hearts need to be prepared and changed. Very few of us can do that on our own, so we need a messenger to be that encourager, challenger and conduit. John did that for his community at great cost, but with great confidence. Once we have heeded the message to make straight our own hearts, we can be, and are called to be, that messenger and conduit for others. Announcing the truth of Jesus Christ brings freedom, but it is also risky. Very few powerful people want to be told there is something in their life or behavior that violates God’s plan. Comfortable people don’t find it easy to change. Even people humble enough to know they need to change might find the message intimidating. There is no guarantee that the message will be well-received. Despite that risk, helping others to prepare for Christ is both a gift and a call. Jesus wants to be known and loved, and he wants us to be an instrument for that to happen. John the Baptist is a heroic example of what we are called to. There is no doubt that he would be a viral social media phenomenon today. My guess is he wouldn’t care about being a short-term celebrity and even disliked as long as the message was proclaimed. We might not be called to the eccentricities of locusts and a hair shirt, but we are called to be the messengers of the truth of Jesus Christ. Father Wilson was ordained for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1996 and is pastor of All Saints in Lakeville.
Sunday, June 24 Nativity of St. John the Baptist Is 49:1-6 Acts 13:22-26 Lk 1:57-66, 80 Monday, June 25 2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18 Mt 7:1-5 Tuesday, June 26 2 Kgs 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36 Mt 7:6, 12-14 Wednesday, June 27 2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3 Mt 7:15-20 Thursday, June 28 St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr 2 Kgs 24:8-17 Mt 7:21-29 Friday, June 29 Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles Acts 12:1-11 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18 Mt 16:13-19 Saturday, June 30 Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 Mt 8:5-17 Sunday, July 1 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15 Mk 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43 Monday, July 2 Am 2:6-10, 13-16 Mt 8:18-22
FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN
The Eucharist and the forgiveness of sins
One of the greatest blessings and least known facts about the Eucharist is that, in the reception of holy Communion, a person’s venial sins are forgiven. The Eucharist is one of four sacraments that imparts the forgiveness of sins. The waters of baptism wash away all prior sins. Both sacraments of healing — reconciliation and anointing — also grant forgiveness. The sacrament of reconciliation grants the absolution of both mortal and venial sins, and it offers God’s pardon and peace. And the instruction to the sacrament of anointing says, “If they have committed any sins, their sins will be forgiven them” (see Jas 5:15). When we attend Mass, even if we have not committed a mortal sin, we still have blemishes on our souls, the venial sins that we have committed. Some of these sins may be smaller, others may be larger, but they offend God and alienate us from his son Jesus and the body of Christ, the Church. A person with venial sins is still in the state of grace, and he or she is not only eligible to receive holy Communion, but also is encouraged to receive holy Communion. Then, when we receive the Eucharist, “Holy Communion separates us from sin ... the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1393). When Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist, he wipes away our venial sins (see No. 1394). Jesus made the Eucharist-forgiveness connection at the Last Supper when he took a cup of wine and said, “This is my blood … which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28). The first generation of Christians considered the gift of forgiveness in the Eucharist to be a foundational belief: “by his blood … [we have] the forgiveness of sins previously committed” (Rom 3:25); “the blood of … Jesus cleanses us of all sins” (1 Jn 1:7); and, “Jesus Christ … has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rv 1:5). The teaching that sins are forgiven in the reception of the Eucharist is reaffirmed in other writings and the words of the liturgy. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) referred to the Eucharist in a homily on the feast of Corpus Christi saying, “No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away.” Preface I of the Most Holy Eucharist in the Roman Missal
DAILY Scriptures
Tuesday, July 3 St. Thomas, apostle Eph 2:19-22 Jn 20:24-29 Wednesday, July 4 Am 5:14-15, 21-24 Mt 8:28-34 Thursday, July 5 Am 7:10-17 Mt 9:1-8
“
When we receive the Eucharist, Jesus extends to us his love, compassion, mercy, healing grace, pardon and peace. He offers us a new beginning, strengthens us in the battle against future sin, and nourishes us to live a virtuous and holy life. i STOCK | WIDEONET
says, “As we drink his blood that was poured out for us, we are washed clean.” It is important to make a distinction when it comes to the forgiveness granted through the reception of the Eucharist: venial sins are forgiven, but mortal sins are not. The Catechism states, “The Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins — that is proper to the sacrament of reconciliation” (No. 1395). St. Paul explained the danger of receiving holy Communion when a person is separated from God and neighbor: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor 11:27). A person with a mortal sin is not in the state of grace, and the path to holy Communion is to approach the sacrament of reconciliation first, receive sacramental absolution, be restored to the state of grace, reestablish full communion with the Church, and then receive holy Communion. When we receive the Eucharist, Jesus extends to us his love, compassion, mercy, healing grace, pardon and peace. He offers us a new beginning, strengthens us in the battle against future sin, and nourishes us to live a virtuous and holy life. Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata. Read more of his writing at catholichotdish.com.
Friday, July 6 Am 8:4-6, 9-12 Mt 9:9-13 Saturday, July 7 Am 9:11-15 Mt 9:14-17 Sunday, July 8 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Ez 2:2-5 2 Cor 12:7-10 Mk 6:1-6 Monday, July 9 Hos 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22 Mt 9:18-26 Tuesday, July 10 Hos 8:4-7, 11-13 Mt 9:32-38 Wednesday, July 11 St. Benedict, abbot Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 Mt 10:1-7 Thursday, July 12 Hos 11:1-4, 8e-9 Mt 10:7-15 Friday, July 13 Hos 14:2-10 Mt 10:16-23 Saturday, July 14 Is 6:1-8 Mt 10:24-33 Sunday, July 15 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Am 7:12-15 Eph 1:3-14 or 1:3-10 Mk 6:7-13
JUNE 21, 2018
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17
COMMENTARY YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY
More than a few good men
If a good man is hard to find, maybe you’re not looking in the right places. Case in point: A few years ago, my brother married a lovely woman who was widowed when her husband was killed in a car crash — a crash that two of her young girls survived. My brother is now in the process of adopting the girls along with an older sister. Last month, while my brother and sister-in-law went out for the evening, I baby-sat my new nieces and their newborn sister. We had a wonderful evening getting to know one another better, and after endless games of Crazy Eights and the girls’ impromptu performance of “Amazing Grace,” they went to bed without the least fuss. But a few minutes later, I heard footsteps coming through the kitchen — they reappeared in their jammies. “Would you bless us?” they asked. My brother always blesses them before bed, and they didn’t want to go to sleep without it. He uses the prayer of Aaron: “May God bless you and keep you, let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May God look upon you kindly and give you peace.” I didn’t remember it off of the top of my head, so I suggested they bless one another, and I would witness. I watched as these two precious souls offered a benediction, making the sign of the cross on her sister’s forehead as she did so, first one and then the other, followed by a big hug. And back to bed they went, with their father’s blessing. Case in point No. 2: There’s a parish near work where I often attend daily Mass in the late afternoon. Arriving early one day, I sat in my car to return phone calls and while there, the most precious scene unfolded before me. A colleague and friend of mine, father to seven, approached the playground adjacent to the church with his happy, rambunctious brood in tow. As they passed by the front entrance to the
CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | BRAD PARENT
Sweat and blood in the spiritual life
As a culture, we are fascinated by sports. Hundreds of millions of people tune in to watch the Super Bowl, World Cup, Olympics and other sporting events. Even among those who aren’t athletically inclined, names like LeBron James, Tom Brady and Usain Bolt are as much pop culture icons as they are athletes, and the allure of watching them compete is undeniable. Additionally, sports have long been viewed as a unifying and welcome distraction from the trials of life. Earl Warren, former chief justice of the Supreme Court, famously said, “I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man’s failures.” While on its surface this seems to be a ringing endorsement for athletics, it does beg a further question: What exactly are these athletes accomplishing? Isn’t it, after all, “only a game”? Is there any real value to these pursuits beyond serving as a temporary distraction from what can at times seem to be a depressing world? I believe that to answer this question we need to ask another: What is it about sports that is so intriguing? As a Christian as well as an athlete, I have become convinced that sports reflect certain truths about the
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If a good man is hard to find, maybe you’re not looking in the right places.
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church, my friend and each of his young children paused to genuflect and make the sign of the cross — the boys dutifully removing their caps as they did so. Then off to the playground they went, following their father’s blessing. I know, the cultural moment is all about hashtags and “me too,” and bringing into the light too many terrible abuses kept in the dark. Every day it seems, the news uncovers some long-hidden, grotesque offense by someone unexpected. A senator from my home state resigned this winter under a cloud of photographed impropriety. And this archdiocese recently announced it had reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit involving decades of child abuse committed by priests. And good. These things are all important and necessary and ultimately, I hope, healing — as far as they go. I was relieved myself when, years ago, police went to arrest a man who had assaulted me and found that he had institutionalized himself. I get it. By all
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As a Christian as well as an athlete, I have become convinced that sports reflect certain truths about the purpose for which we were created in a very real and tangible way, and the lessons we learn while “playing” can go a long way in helping us to grow in the spiritual life. purpose for which we were created in a very real and tangible way, and the lessons we learn while “playing” can go a long way in helping us to grow in the spiritual life. The Olympic motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius” which is Latin for “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” But I think just as important as what it does say is what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t say “Faster, Higher, Stronger than those who you’re competing against”; just “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” I will be the first to admit that I have lost sight of this truth more than a few times. It is easy to measure yourself by looking at those around you, but an athlete’s true competition isn’t against his opponent, or even the clock, but rather himself. For this reason, I would argue that we don’t really turn on the Olympics to watch athletes compete against each other. Rather, we want to see them push themselves, to be the best version of themselves and to achieve something beyond what even they thought was possible. Furthermore, we are captivated in a
means, bring it into the light. Name your abuse and your abuser. But don’t stop there. I wonder if the greater opportunity here is to be reminded of millennia-old Church teachings on the dignity of the human person and what it means to flourish as a man or woman, to remember the price the Church has happily paid to continue to teach about the value of all life and the proper ordering of human sexuality, and the importance of a radical and real forgiveness to be offered to all who will sincerely ask for it. That’s where lasting healing and restoration truly lives. Heavenly Father, let me celebrate goodness and blessing, virtue and innocence, and the genius of a good man when it approaches and kneels before my very eyes. Kelly is the author of six books, including the awardwinning “Jesus Approaches” (Loyola Press, 2017) and the Jesus Approaches Study Supplement. She is a parishioner of St. Michael in Stillwater.
particular way by team events, in which the athletes sacrifice for something bigger than just themselves: their teammates. But even in individual events, the Olympian never really competes alone. Despite what might appear to be the weight of the world on his shoulders, he is urged on by his countrymen, and it is clear that his sacrifice of sweat and blood is for something bigger than himself. The same is true in the spiritual life. It is easy to compare ourselves to those around us. But as Christians we are told to “… be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect,” not “try to be a little better than your neighbor.” We are called to be the best version of ourselves, doing everything within our power to grow in holiness. The true measure of holiness is not relative to others, but whether we strive for holiness every day. And just like the Olympian, we cannot do this on our own. We have teammates: our family, friends and community, for whom we are called to sacrifice. We also have countrymen, although instead of being united by a flag or geography, we are united to them as co-heirs of the kingdom of God. Some of these countrymen are still here on earth with us, but others are the saints in heaven interceding for us and urging us toward salvation. And if we allow these cheers to change our lives, our reward will be far greater than gold. Parent is an actuary and lives with his wife, Susanna, in St. Paul, where they are parishioners of St. Mark. Learn about the archdiocese’s Catholic Watchmen initiative at rediscover.archspm.org/the-catholic-watchmen or facebook.com/thecatholicwatchmen.
COMMENTARY
18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA | JASON ADKINS
Religious liberty and constructive freedom
Almost 40 years ago, in June 1979, Pope John Paul II traveled to his homeland of Poland, and within nine days ignited a human rights revolution that continues to shape the Church and the world today. Against an atheist humanism that dictated that man is no more than matter and that his life has no cosmic significance, Pope John Paul II reminded his fellow Poles of their great dignity as made in the image and likeness of God. The lessons from those “Nine Days in June” continue to be relevant as the Church in the United States observes Religious Freedom Week from June 22-29 against the backdrop of a renewed atheist humanism that imposes its own creed, has its own rituals and demands conformity — all in the name of freedom, of course.
Atheist humanism today The communism that John Paul II fought against, and the prevailing form of liberalism today about which he warned us, are both variants of atheist humanism — the project of fostering individual liberation (autonomy) and mastery over nature to relieve pain and suffering. Though communism seems to be undergoing a rehabilitation in the West, especially among the young, it is liberalism that poses the bigger threat to religious liberty and constructive freedom. The liberal project of fostering individual autonomy and overcoming the limitations of nature (illness, pain, death, etc.) through scientific mastery are undoubtedly
JUNE 21, 2018
the highest cultural and political values today. Our culture promotes creative self-expression (particularly in the realm of gender and sexuality), consumerism, convenience, and every form of physical and psychological therapy in order to improve one’s life and ease pain. This false humanism is perpetrated through legal means behind the veil of neutrality and pluralism, giving it an air of irreproachability. Yet it is anything but neutral. It is an imposition of a new orthodoxy, namely, that man lives by bread alone — or, in today’s terms, by the newest food fad, sex, on-demand entertainment and technology that allows you to swipe right or add a filter to create your own reality. In this view, matter is all that matters, and it is yours to shape as you will. You can supposedly make your own happiness — your own truth.
agencies cannot operate according to their convictions about marriage, Christian ministries are sometimes forbidden to serve the homeless or immigrants, and pregnancy resource centers must refer people for abortions. These coercive forces of atheist humanism must be confronted — confronted with the truth about God and man, along with a better proposal to foster the flourishing of all persons (Catholics and non-Catholics alike) that is consistent with their dignity and spiritual destiny. Though liberty in all its forms is important, religious freedom is at the cornerstone today of the Church’s proposal for the good of society (aka Catholic social doctrine), as it provides the space for constructive freedom.
Constructive freedom
Atheist humanism is not ‘neutral’
The Church and her members propose a deeper freedom not attainable on Amazon.com. Like Pope John Paul II in Poland, the Church today proposes constructive freedom, which is the ability to respond to God’s call consistent with one’s conscience formed by moral truth. The Church promotes political, religious and economic liberty so that people can live the constructive freedom to which they are called by God. Atheist humanism, based as it is on a false understanding of human fulfillment, cannot tolerate alternative accounts that reveal true liberation. Therefore, it suppresses alternatives, particularly that which is proposed by the Catholic Church. The Church reminds all persons of their dignity as sons and daughters of God, and of the higher calling to constructive freedom that goes along with that dignity. Those who do not embrace atheist humanism’s worldview, however, are publicly shamed, trolled, and even forced to choose between the truth and their livelihoods. Hence, religious sisters are forced to provide contraception to employees, Christian adoption
If we take secular, liberal regimes and their defenders at their word — that they prize pluralism, social peace, justice and the common good — then they should be continually exhorted and reminded of the cornerstone importance of religious liberty. Religious liberty is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. It is the freedom to do as we ought, not to do as we want — a freedom that fosters the common good. If secular states are what they claim to be, then they should protect and promote constructive freedom in the name of pluralism and the common good, not use secularity as a mask of neutrality to impose atheist humanism. Otherwise, as Pope John Paul II noted, politics and democracy devolve into “thinly disguised totalitarianism.” Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference. He currently serves as a lay consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Religious Liberty. For local Religious Freedom Week events, visit mncatholic.org/religious-freedom-week.
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JUNE 21, 2018
THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19
CALENDAR FEATURED EVENTS “Humanae Vitae” talk with Bishop Andrew Cozzens for young adults — June 28: 7:15–8:30 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, in the St. Joseph Chapel (ground level). For more information, contact Ben Caduff, coordinator of young adult ministry, at 612-317-3435 or bcaduff@mary.org.
A Night in New Orleans North — July 7: 6–11 p.m. at The Gathering Place, 680 Mill St., Excelsior. Register at stjohns-excelsior.org.
Music Summer Concert Series-Rivers of Delight — June 22: 7–8:30 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. guardian-angels.org.
Ongoing groups
Quo Vadis camp for young men (ages 14-17) — July 8-11 at St. John Vianney College Seminary, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Led by Father David Blume, the archdiocese’s director of vocations, and archdiocesan seminarians, the camp is an opportunity for young men in the archdiocese to question where they are going and learn how to listen to God’s call. For more information and to register, visit 10000vocations.org/quo-vadis.
West Suburban Grief Coalition weekly meeting — Thursdays through Aug. 30 at St. Therese, 18323 Minnetonka Blvd., Deephaven. 952-473-4422 or westsuburbangriefmn.org.
Quo Vadis camp for young women (ages 14-17): July 15-18 at St. John Vianney College Seminary, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Led by the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, the camp is an opportunity for young women in the archdiocese to question where they are going and learn how to listen to God’s call. For more information and to register, visit 10000vocations.org/quo-vadis.
Holy Name of Jesus annual rummage sale — June 21-23: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. June 21; 9 a.m.–6 p.m. June 22; and 8 a.m.–noon June 23 at 155 County Road 24, Medina. hnoj.org.
Dining out Knights of Columbus benefit breakfast — June 24: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at 1910 S. Greeley St., Stillwater.
Parish events St. Joseph garage sale — June 21-23: 9 a.m.– 7 p.m. June 21; and 9 a.m.–3 p.m. June 22 and 23 at 13900 Biscayne Ave. W., Rosemount. stjosephcommunity.org/garagesale.
Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 651-777-7251 or stpaulsmonastery.org.
First Friday Day of Prayer — July 1: 8 a.m.– 4:45 p.m. at St. Richard, 7540 Penn Ave. S. Richfield. strichards.com/first-fridays. Taize Prayer — First Friday of each month: 7:30 p.m. at St. Richard, 7540 Penn Ave. S., Richfield. strichards.com/first-fridays. Taize Prayer — Third Friday of each month: 7 p.m. at The Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s
DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date.
Retreats Silent retreat — June 21-24 at Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. 952-447-2182 or franciscanretreats.net/register.
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.
Directed retreat — June 22-29 at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. benedictinecenter.org.
ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication:
Conferences/workshops
uTime and date of event
Order Franciscans Secular (OFS) — Third Sunday of each month: 1 p.m. at Catholic Charities, 1200 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis. 952-922-5523.
uFull street address of event uDescription of event u Contact information in case of questions ONLINE: thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106
Singles Sunday Spirits walking group for 50-plus Catholic singles — ongoing Sundays: The group usually meets in St. Paul on Sunday afternoons. Kay at 651-426-3103 or Al at 651-439-1203.
Young adults
Prayer/worship
CALENDAR submissions
Friday Night at the Friary — Third Friday of each month: 7–9 p.m. at Franciscan Brothers of Peace, 1289 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. Men ages 18-35 are invited for prayer and fellowship. facebook.com/queenofpeacefriary. Theology on Tap — Wednesdays through July 18 (except July 4): 6:30–8:30 p.m. at O’Gara’s Bar and Grill, 164 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul. facebook.com/ groups/joincya/about.
Other events 70th Anniversary-St Paul’s Monastery with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda — June 22: 1–4 p.m. at 2625 Larpenteur Ave. E., Maplewood. 651-777-8181 or tinyurl.com/sisters70th. St. John Paul II relic with Mass celebrated by Bishop Andrew Cozzens — June 29 and 30: 6–10 p.m. at St. Peter, 2600 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul. churchofstpeternsp.org. Knights of Columbus bingo — Wednesdays: 6–9 p.m. at Solanus Casey Council Hall, 1910 S. Greeley St., Stillwater.
Marketplace • Message Center Classified Ads Email: classifiedads@archspm.org • Phone: 651-290-1631 • Fax: 651-291-4460 Next issue: 7-12-18 • Deadline: 3 p.m. 7-5-18 • Rates: $8 per line (35-40 characters per line) • Add a photo/logo for $25 CATHOLIC URNS FOR SALE
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ANTIQUES TOP CASH PAID For Older Furniture Rugs • Pictures • Bookcases • Pottery Beer Items • Toys & Misc. (651) 227-2469
ATTORNEYS Edward F. Gross • Wills, Trusts, Probate, Estate Planning, Real Estate. Office at 35E & Roselawn Ave., St. Paul (651) 631-0616
CATHOLIC COACHING/TRAINING Live with passion and purpose: in your work, ministry, marriage, and all of life. Redivive Coaching equipping the Catholic community. Call Rick Erisman at (651) 410-7051 or email: rickerisman@redivivecoaching.com.
CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE Resurrection Cemetery Mausoleum 1 crypt for 2. Value $14,700 Price $12,000 (651) 226-3083 St. Peter’s, Mendota Columbarium (2 adj.); Value: $1300/ea. Price: $1100/ea. ( 612) 655-0628
Made of all Black Walnut with Crucifix and picture of Mary. $350. Very Catholic and Christian. We must pray and respect our deceased. Call Don Dolan (612) 868-3019.
CEILING TEXTURE Michaels Painting. Popcorn Removal & Knock Down Texture: TextureCeilings.com (763) 757-3187.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Household Manager: The Stillwater Catholic Worker Community is seeking an energetic, compassionate woman to manage and live at Our Lady Queen of Peace House, a home for women and their children in transition. Room and board included with this volunteer position. Details available at STMICHAEL STILLWATER.ORG or by calling Kim (651) 270-1981.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Following the lead of the Holy Spirit, the parishes serving the communities of Champion, Humboldt and New Franken have committed themselves to making a new, lasting commitment to missionary discipleship. In doing so, these parishes have created a role to help lead us in reaching every soul in our mission field with the love of Jesus Christ - a role as a Coordinator of Missionary Discipleship.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (cont.)
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
PAINTING
This individual will have demonstrated, with at least 3 to 5 years of ministry experience, the ability to engage communities through new and innovative methods of outreach while helping long-standing parishioners deepen their own relationship with Jesus and ability to grow as a community of disciples.
St. Paul’s Catholic Newman Center on the NDSU campus in Fargo, ND is accepting applications for a FT Development Director. Please visit sagencytalent.com/ opportunities/#/jobs/55 for information and to apply through our talent partner, Sagency. Apply immediately; position open until filled.
For painting & all related services. View our website: PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM or call (651) 699-6140.
He or she will have the astute ability to work with a variety of individuals, meeting them wherever they are in their walk of faith, helping them to move through the thresholds of discipleship and become living witnesses of the Gospel. He or she will be able to positively engage those with little or no connection to our parishes or any other organized religion in our mission field. He or she will empower individuals and families to prayerfully cooperate with the Holy Spirit in growing their homes into vibrant households of discipleship. The individual in this role is called to work directly alongside the pastor to evaluate, build and grow parish efforts to become actively engaged missionary disciples. Skill sets involved in this work include, but are not limited to: relationship-building, developing and coordinating missionary discipleship initiatives with parish staff and councils, assessing and meeting mission field needs, developing mission strategies and plans, coordinating staff discipleship efforts, and maintaining one’s own vibrant life of faith in relationship with Jesus Christ which leads to an outward-reaching Christian witness. If you believe that you are called to this leadership role in our parishes, please send your resume and references to: job.opportunities@stthomashumboldt.com St. Joseph, St. Kilian & St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes Champion, New Franken & Humboldt, Wisconsin PCA’s Wanted: MCIL seeks PCAs to assist independent consumers in their homes. If interested, email dspstaffing@mcil-mn.org / call 651-788-8424.
GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS CD of the Month Club Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins and more! $5/month includes shipping. Subscribe online at http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia. org/cdclub Please Enter Code: 1195
HANDYMAN WE DO 1,162 THINGS AROUND THE HOME! Catholic Owned Handyman Business: We will fix/repair and remodel almost anything around the home. Serving entire Metro. Call today. Mention this ad and receive 10% off labor. Handyman Matters (651) 784-3777, (952) 946-0088. www.HandymanMatters.com.
HARDWOOD FLOORS
Sweeney’s Hardwood Floors
IT’S SPRING! Spruce up your home with new or refurbished hardwood floors: 10% off labor. Sweeney (651) 485-8187.
KITCHEN DESIGN SERVICES Call Melissa (952) 922-2825 KOHLER Signature Store, Edina by First Supply. kohlersignaturestoreedina.com
Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates. Call Ed (651) 224-3660. Michaels Painting. Texture and Repair. MichaelsPaintingllc.coM. (763) 757-3187. Dennis Heigl Painting Interior/Exterior Serving Mpls. & suburbs. Free Estimates. (612) 819-2438.
PRAYERS NOTICE: Prayers must be submitted in advance. Payment of $8 per line must be received before publication.
RELIGIOUS ITEMS FOR SALE Redeeming Love shirts, religious items. Call for brochure: Kaye (651) 330-9744
VACATION/FAMILY GETAWAY Knotty Pines Resort, Park Rapids, MN. 1, 2 & 3 bdrm cabins starting at $565/week. www.knottyPinesresort.coM (800) 392-2410. Mention this ad for a discount!
WANTED TO BUY Estate & Downsizing: I buy Van Loads and Bicycles. Steve (651) 778-0571.
WEBSITE HELP NEEDED Web designer needed for Catholic website design. Contact Connie: (651) 776-0363.
To advertise in the classifieds, email classifiedads@archspm.org.
20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
JUNE 21, 2018
THELASTWORD
With Mary, a winning strategy for marriage Teams of Our Lady movement offers couples support, path to growth By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit
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teve and Nicole Pattee of All Saints in Lakeville spend a lot of time in transit, including driving their two teenage daughters to swim meets and flying around the country for work. What helps the couple stop and take time for their marriage is an international lay movement called Teams of Our Lady, where they learn with other couples to grow in their relationship with God and live their sacramental call more intentionally through prayer, study and fellowship. “As your kids get older, you sort of get focused on taking them places and doing things with them, and sometimes you can forget about working on your own relationship,” said Nicole, 44. “So, it makes us think about that on a regular basis. We pray together now more than we did before.” The Pattees and the other five married couples on their team are among a growing number of couples from local parishes who join together in following a pattern of prayer and life as members of the 80-year-old movement. Many have small children, but some members are of the older “sandwich” generation, caring
for both children and aging parents. Teams of Our Lady leaders say the movement stands out among Catholic marriage programs because it is ongoing. Members witness to Christian marriage as they imitate the “yes” that their patroness, the Blessed Mother, gave to God at the Annunciation. Teams of Our Lady was founded in 1938 in Paris, France, by Father Henri Caffarel after a couple in his parish requested a way to support and develop holiness within the sacrament of marriage. Today about 11,000 teams meet worldwide, including 838 in the U.S. Teams have met in Rochester for more than 40 years, and several also met in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis 30 years ago but no longer meet, according to Steve and Glynis Sturm, both 69, movement leaders from Stewartville in the Diocese of WinonaRochester. They’ve been members of a team for 43 years. More recently, the movement has again expanded in the archdiocese, according to Cathy Miller, 55, a parishioner of St. Joseph in West St. Paul. Miller and her husband, Tom, 56, serve as the archdiocesan Teams of Our Lady leader couple. In 2012 young couples at St. Joseph, inspired by teams in California, formed a new team at the parish with the Sturms’ help. There are 15 teams in or near the archdiocese, including seven at St. Joseph, Tom Miller said.
Ultimately, Teams of Our Lady seek to deepen marital sacramental graces and grow in holiness, said Mary Kay Bungert, 56, director of mission and marriage preparation at All Saints in Lakeville, and a Teams of Our Lady member with her husband, Lyle. Teams first formed at All Saints in 2016 and now four are based there. Members aren’t required to belong to the hosting parish or be Catholic, Bungert said. “It really is about … a renewed sense of relationship with God in the couple and a renewed sense of commitment to the sacrament as a couple,” said Bungert, an All Saints parishioner. “You can’t live out a mission if you don’t know what you’ve been called to.” Teams of Our Lady members commit to meeting monthly in groups of five to seven couples led by a mentor couple where they share, pray and support each other. They also read Scripture regularly; pray as individuals, as a couple and as a family; and strive for personal improvement. Teams make an annual retreat together or as individual couples. When possible, a priest, deacon or religious sister joins the team as chaplain, Cathy Miller said. All Saints Pastor Father Tom Wilson learned about Teams of Our Lady while visiting a California parish five years ago. He serves as a team chaplain and appreciates that the movement strengthens marriages through a shared spiritual life between husband and wife,
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and other couples. “It’s important to talk about the human challenges of relationships, but there’s also a spiritual base that Teams of Our Lady addresses very directly and I think very effectively,” he said. Teams of Our Lady isn’t a Marian movement, but as a mother, “Mary loves and cares for us,” Tom Miller said. Cathy Miller added, “She has the heart of a mother for marriage.” The growth couples experience on Teams of Our Lady prepares them to bring the gifts and charisms of marriage into the world, Bungert said. It “isn’t just felt between us, but it changes the way we work in the world, the way we parent, the way we buy groceries,” she said. “We bring the sacramental nature of our marriage to all the areas of our life.”
Summer Sizzle Celebration! Highlands of St. Paul invites you to join us for some good old fashioned summertime fun!
In the good old summertime, in the good old summertime. Strolling through the shady lanes with your baby mine. You hold her hand, and she holds yours, and that’s a very good sign. That she’s your tootsie-wootsie, in the good old summertime.
SENIOR LIVING ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE
1925 Norfolk Avenue St. Paul, MN 55116 651-699-4038 HighlandsStPaul.com
Come join us and enjoy: LIVE musical performance from Beachcomber Bob – he will be playing your favorite summertime tunes Pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, fruit salad, Bahama Mama beverages, and cupcakes Tours AND a Door Prize! Tuesday, June 26 | 4 - 6 p.m. 1925 Norfolk Avenue, St. Paul RSVP to 651-699-4038 Please park in the visitor lot located at the corner of Norfolk Avenue and Prior Avenue.
Highlands of St. Paul Senior Living is managed by Ebenezer. Ebenezer has been serving older adults since 1917.
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