The Catholic Spirit - June 24, 2021

JUNE 24, 2021 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Faith of our fathers ARCHBISHOP HEBDA ON USCCB EUCHARIST DOCUMENT 3 | FRIAR FAREWELL 5 | SYNOD SMALL GROUP HOPES 6 SCOTUS FOSTER CARE DECISION 9 | NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL 14-15 | PRIESTS CELEBRATE JUBILEES 16-18

Congratulations Father O’Gara God Bless you on your Golden Jubilee!

St. Dominic Parish • Northfield, MN

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

PAGETWO Think about it: What is our vocation today, at our age?

To preserve our roots, to pass on the faith to the young and to care for the little ones. Never forget this.

Pope Francis, speaking especially to “grandfathers, grandmothers and elderly friends” in a message about the Catholic Church’s first celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The message was released at the Vatican June 22 in anticipation of the celebration July 25, the Sunday closest to the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents.

NEWS notes

SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO, REUTERS | CNS

VACCINES: REMOTE INDIA A health care worker administers a dose of the COVISHIELD vaccine to a shepherd during a COVID-19 vaccination drive near Lidderwat, India, June 10.

Combining service with learning and care for the environment was a big part of a recent Holy Family Catholic High School project in Victoria. Physics teacher Jim Tisel and social studies teacher Patrick Maus co-taught “Experiments in Solar Energy,” which included freshmen through juniors building two suitcases of portable solar power that will be shipped to a hospital in a refugee settlement in southwest Uganda. Each suitcase generates enough power to light three average-sized rooms. Working with California-based nonprofit We Care Solar’s “We Share Solar Solutionary Program,” the students learned about global energy access, the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and social entrepreneurship.

A stepping-stone pathway, with each stone representing a Hail Mary or Our Father to make a complete rosary, circles two trees in front of Presentation of Mary School in Maplewood.

Ashley’s Rosary Pathway honors the memory of middle school math teacher Ashley Way Soukup, who died at age 37 in May 2020 after a battle with cancer. Donations are being accepted to pay for the pathway and start a school scholarship in Ashley’s name. Linda Charnowski, school secretary and a close friend of Soukup, said her friend greeted students at the classroom door every day, many times with music playing in the background.

Center for Mission representatives have been awarding certificates and cash prizes in the annual essay contest held by the organization that promotes and coordinates global and local mission outreach efforts for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This year’s question — “How are you living out the Church’s mission to share God’s love during the COVID-19 pandemic?” — drew entries from students across the archdiocese in grades kindergarten through high school. Winners are: grades K-2, Amala Egbue, St. Vincent de Paul School, Brooklyn Park; grades 3-5, Gabriella Olson, Carondelet Catholic School, Minneapolis; grades 6-8, Gallagher Gorr, St. Wenceslaus School, New Prague; grades 9-12, Leila Ambrus, DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis.

WACKY WEDNESDAY Monica Houle (left) and Margaret Loch dress up for Wacky Wednesday June 16 at St. Agnes School in St. Paul during a kindergarten-to-third grade boys and girls basketball camp. The camp is one of several offered by St. Agnes during the summer for students at St. Agnes and other schools, with topics such as art, woodworking and Vacation Bible School.

Houle and Loch will be third graders this fall at St. Agnes.

The Catholic Spirit received 10 awards from the Catholic Media Association June 10 at its annual Catholic Media Conference, held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The awards included first place for best coverage of a disaster or crisis, first place for best reporting on senior citizens and second place for best reporting on celebration of a sacrament.

Find a list of the awards with links to the winning stories and photos at TheCatholicSpirit.com. In addition to The Catholic Spirit, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was also given an honorable mention for the best COVID pandemic outreach communications plan for its promotion of the COVID-19 Anointing Corps. And the Minnesota Catholic Conference won third place in the best podcast series category for “Bridge Builder: Catholic Faith and Politics — Catholics at the Capitol.” The CMA is the professional association for Catholic media and communicators in the United States and Canada.

COURTESY ST. AGNES SCHOOL

As summer travel — armchair or in-person — is underway, The Catholic Spirit asks: What pilgrimage experience made a difference in your life and why? Send responses of 200 words or less to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Readers Respond” in the subject line. Your reflection may be included in a future edition of The Catholic Spirit

PRACTICING Catholic On the June 18 “Practicing Catholic” show, host Patrick Conley interviews Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who discusses fatherhood in imitation of St. Joseph. The other two episodes feature Laura Elm, who seeks proper burial for deceased embryos from in vitro fertilization labs, and Tim Cahill and Nestor Arguello from Catholic Beer Club, who address ways to cultivate friendships as adults. Listen each week on Fridays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com, soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic or tinyurl.com/practicingcatholic.

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

United in Faith, Hope and Love

Vol. 26 — No. 12 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor

Mark calendars and get tickets now for the 26th annual Basilica Block Party music festival Sept. 10-11, spanning genres including soul, country, folk and indie music, on the grounds of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Proceeds go to the Basilica Landmark and its efforts to preserve and protect the historic church. In addition, 5% of all proceeds are designated for the St. Vincent de Paul outreach program serving people in need. More information and tickets are available at basilicablockparty.org.

ON THE COVER Ricky Revering, left, and Chi Anyanwu, both of St. Jerome in

Maplewood, carry an icon of St. Joseph as part of a June 19 eucharistic and rosary procession in St. Paul celebrating Catholic Father’s Day. One of more than a dozen similar gatherings across the country this month, the event began with Bishop Andrew Cozzens presiding at Mass at Maternity of Mary and ended with a picnic.

See story on page 7. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

The Catholic Spirit is taking a short summer break.

Look for the next issue July 15.

Materials credited to CNS copy­righted by Catholic News Service.

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JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

The Eucharist and sinners

I

am told that I have finally “arrived” on the St. Paul scene, albeit not in any way that I would have anticipated. My name was brought up in a recent conversation between Joe Soucheray and Patrick Reusse on their Monday Night Sports Talk. No, it was not because of my high school tennis forehand. Rather, it had to do with my weight. With what some might consider uncharacteristic restraint, Joe commented on my “stoutness,” speculating that my girth may have mercifully abbreviated a recent funeral in a church without air conditioning as St. Paul temperatures hovered around 100.

For most of my life, I’ve struggled with my weight.

Were it not for the sacramental seal, five decades of confessors could attest that it would be a rare confession when I didn’t recognize the sinfulness of my overeating or my failure to be more attentive to health. It’s never lost on me while I am celebrating the Eucharist that it’s painfully obvious to others that I’m a sinner. If there is any silver lining in my girth, it’s that it may serve as a reminder for me and those gathered for Mass that the Eucharist isn’t only for the perfect. As Pope Francis has said on more than one occasion, “the Eucharist is not the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners.”

How blessed we are that the Lord gives us not only the Eucharist but also the sacrament of reconciliation.

I love how confession gives us countless chances. I know that we should never presume God’s mercy, but the Church teaches that there is always the hope of forgiveness as long as we humbly confess our sins, have sincere sorrow for them, and truly desire to amend our lives.

For nearly 2,000 years, the Church has been offering guidance about the reception of the Eucharist by us sinners. Writing in the second century, St. Justin Martyr documented that the celebration of the Eucharist in his time was amazingly similar to our celebration of the Mass today (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1345). He also gave eloquent witness to the early Church’s understanding of the Real Presence, teaching that what we receive in holy Communion is truly the Lord’s body and blood and noting that the Eucharist would only be shared with those who were baptized,

Eucaristía y pecadores

M

e han dicho que finalmente he “llegado” a la escena de San Pablo, aunque no de la manera que hubiera anticipado. Mi nombre fue mencionado en una conversación reciente entre Joe Soucheray y Patrick Reusse en su charla deportiva del lunes por la noche. No, no fue por mi golpe de derecha de tenis de la escuela secundaria.

Más bien, tenía que ver con mi peso.

Con lo que algunos podrían considerar moderación inusual, Joe comentó sobre mi “robustez”, especulando que mi circunferencia pudo haber abreviado misericordiosamente un funeral reciente en una iglesia sin aire acondicionado cuando las temperaturas de St. Paul rondaban los 100 grados.

Durante la mayor parte de mi vida, he luchado con mi peso. Si no fuera por el sello sacramental, cinco décadas de confesores podrían dar fe de que sería una confesión rara cuando no reconociera la pecaminosidad de mi exceso de comida o mi falta de atención a la salud. Mientras celebro la

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Archbishop Bernard Hebda elevates the Eucharist during Mass Dec. 8 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. “living as Christ has enjoined,” and believing that “the things which we teach are true.”

Last week, the bishops of the United States, gathered as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), showed nearly unanimous support for a proposal presented by our very own Bishop Cozzens and the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis that he leads for a Eucharistic Revival. The bishops also, however, entered into a vigorous debate about the need to offer additional teaching on the Eucharist at this point in history and in the context of modern American life. While the bishops echoed St. Justin in their great love for the Eucharist and appreciation of its singular importance, it was also clear that there were, at times, differences of opinions with respect to the pastoral response called for by the unique circumstances of our day. (See story on page 10.)

It is precisely to address pastoral matters that episcopal conferences were mandated and strengthened in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. The Conference of Bishops is intended to be a permanent institution with which the bishops of a given country or territory can “jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of their territory in view of promoting that greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forums and programs of the apostolate which are fittingly adapted

Eucaristía, nunca se me escapa que es dolorosamente obvio para los demás que soy un pecador. Si hay algún lado positivo en mi circunferencia, es que puede servirme como un recordatorio para mí y para los reunidos para la Misa de que la Eucaristía no es solo para los perfectos. Como ha dicho el Papa Francisco en más de una ocasión, “la Eucaristía no es la recompensa de los santos, sino el pan de los pecadores”.

Cuán bendecidos somos de que el Señor nos dé no solo la Eucaristía sino también el sacramento de la reconciliación. Me encanta cómo la confesión nos brinda innumerables oportunidades. Sé que nunca debemos presumir de la misericordia de Dios, pero la Iglesia enseña que siempre existe la esperanza del perdón siempre que confesemos humildemente nuestros pecados, tengamos un pesar sincero por ellos y deseemos verdaderamente enmendar nuestras vidas.

Durante casi 2000 años, la Iglesia ha estado ofreciendo orientación sobre la recepción de la Eucaristía por parte de nosotros los pecadores. Escribiendo en el siglo II, San Justino Mártir documentó que la celebración de la Eucaristía en

to the circumstances of the time and place” (Canon 447 of the Code of Canon Law). Up to this point in its history, its fundamental purpose has not been to propose new teachings, but rather to practically assist individual bishops in exercising their role as pastors.

Given the breadth and diversity of the Church in the USA, it shouldn’t be surprising that there could be different senses of what precisely the pastoral needs might be, and how they might be best addressed.

Each episcopal conference has statutes that set out the procedures for how the bishops are to work together. For 13 years, I worked in the office at the Vatican that assisted episcopal conferences in writing or modifying those statutes, taking into consideration the particularities of each country or region. I may be biased, but I would consider the USCCB’s protocols to be among the very best for promoting collaboration. According to those protocols, the conference’s Committee on Doctrine, working with expert theological consultants, will now be tasked to produce a draft of a document reflective of the bishops’ discussions about the Eucharist last week. The topic is slated to be discussed further at the regional level this August, and then again by the USCCB’s Administrative Committee next September, to determine if the draft is ready to be submitted for consideration by the whole body of bishops next November. It would then be published only if it would be supported by more than two-thirds of the active bishops in our country. While some media have already speculated about the eventual content of the document, my experience would suggest that the content of the eventual document could be surprising, given the extensive process for development and refinement.

In light of the extensive media attention that the project is receiving, I would ask for your prayers for the bishops of our country and for all those involved in the drafting process. May this work be one that furthers the deep unity that is characteristic of Christ’s Church.

As we pray in one of the options for our Eucharistic Prayer: “Lord, renew your Church by the light of the Gospel. Strengthen the bond of unity between the faithful and the pastors of your people, together with Francis our Pope and the whole order of bishops, that in a world torn by strife, your people may shine forth as a prophetic sign of unity and concord.”

su tiempo era sorprendentemente similar a nuestra celebración de la Misa de hoy (ver el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica, n. 1345). También dio un testimonio elocuente de la comprensión de la Presencia Real por parte de la Iglesia primitiva, enseñando que lo que recibimos en la Sagrada Comunión es verdaderamente el cuerpo y la sangre del Señor y señalando que la Eucaristía solo se compartiría con aquellos que fueron bautizados, “viviendo como Cristo ordenado ”, y creyendo que“ las cosas que enseñamos son verdaderas ”.

La semana pasada, los obispos de los Estados Unidos, reunidos como la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB), mostraron un apoyo casi unánime a una propuesta presentada por nuestro propio obispo Cozzens y el Comité de Evangelización que él lidera para un avivamiento eucarístico. Sin embargo, los obispos también entraron en un vigoroso debate sobre la necesidad de ofrecer enseñanzas adicionales sobre la Eucaristía en este momento de la historia y en el contexto de la vida estadounidense moderna. Si bien los obispos se hicieron eco de San Justino en su gran amor por la Eucaristía

y en la apreciación de su singular importancia, también quedó claro que a veces hubo diferencias de opiniones con respecto a la respuesta pastoral exigida por las circunstancias únicas de nuestro día.

Precisamente para abordar los asuntos pastorales, las conferencias episcopales fueron encomendadas y fortalecidas a raíz del Concilio Vaticano II. La Conferencia Episcopal pretende ser una institución permanente con la que los obispos de un determinado país o territorio puedan “ejercer conjuntamente determinadas funciones pastorales en nombre de los fieles cristianos de su territorio con el fin de promover ese bien mayor que la Iglesia ofrece a la humanidad, especialmente a través de formas y programas de apostolado convenientemente adaptados a las circunstancias del tiempo y del lugar ”(can. 447 del Código de Derecho Canónico). Hasta este punto de su Lea una versión más larga de esta columna en español en TheCatholicSpirit.com.

Find a list of official priest appointments on page 8 of this issue.

4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

LOCAL

SLICEof LIFE ‘Fly Revival’

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Congratulations Monsignor Aloysius Callaghan!

Your dedicated service to Saint John Vianney College Seminary and The Saint Paul Seminary are a profound witness of joyful Catholic leadership.

More than 200 women, including Clare Bona (right, white veil) of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, sing and pray during eucharistic adoration at Blessed is She’s “Fly Revival” June 11 at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton. The Fly Revival was held over two evenings and included praise and worship, eucharistic adoration, confession and a talk by speaker Debbie Herbeck. “It was a wonderful experience,” said Bona, 29, who attended with her sister, Kathleen Kirsch, and two friends. “I really didn’t expect how simple it was going to be — in a good way. The talk was beautifully straightforward and so full of advice that was really practical and helpful. And, the adoration time was the star of the show — and Jesus should be the star of the show. So, it was just everything you needed and nothing you didn’t want. It was kind of perfect.” Blessed Is She is a Catholic women’s ministry dedicated to sisterhood and daily prayer. It’s based in Arizona, but its daily Scripture reflection contributors include many Minnesotans. There are five more revivals scheduled in other U.S. cities this summer.

JUNE 24, 2021

LOCAL

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

Bloomington parish thanks friars for 62 years of ministry, welcomes new community

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Two Conventual Franciscan friars celebrated the first Sunday Mass for the newly formed St. Bonaventure parish Feb. 8, 1959, at Cedarcrest Elementary School in Bloomington. Friars had arrived at the parish that January, fulfilling a promise to Archbishop William Brady and establishing a presence that has lasted more than six decades. Father Ambrose Finnegan served as the first pastor.

On June 8, nearly 400 people, including about 15 Conventual Franciscan friars, participated in the parish’s evening Mass celebrating the friars’ longtime ministry and legacy — and the parish's formal farewell.

After 62 years of continuous ministry at St. Bonaventure, the last Conventual Franciscan friar, Father Matthew Malek, a priest in residence, is leaving the parish June 30. Conventual Franciscan Father Edmund Goldbach, who served the parish for a combined 16 years (1982-1991, 2014-2021) died March 14.

Father James Chitteth, a member of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception (CFIC), will start his role as pastor of St. Bonaventure July 1. Two to four CFIC priests will live in the friary at the parish.

In October 1958, the Conventual Franciscans agreed to Archbishop Brady’s request for them to organize a new parish on 16 acres of land owned by the archdiocese. After the parish’s founding and its first liturgies humbly offered in the elementary school, the first Mass held on church property was celebrated June 19, 1960, in the parish’s social hall as parishioners planned for the building of a church. Seven years later, on Sept. 10, 1967, that church hosted its first Mass and received a solemn blessing.

The Conventual Franciscans are leaving St. Bonaventure because their order is declining in membership and vocations in the United States, Father Malek said. However, the order is growing in other parts of the world, he said.

The parish let their appreciation for the friars’ decades of ministry be known. It hosted a lunch June 8 attended by about 15 friars who formerly served St. Bonaventure, as well as about 25 former and current parish staff, and a few members from Our Lady of Consolation Province and the order’s Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center in Prior Lake. The Mass was held later that evening, with Archbishop Bernard Hebda presiding and Conventual Franciscan Father Wayne Hellman, minister provincial of the friars’ Our Lady of Consolation Province, concelebrating.

Father Malek has been ministering at St. Bonaventure part time, in addition to his practice as a clinical counselor. Conventual Franciscan Father Steve McMichael, an associate professor at the University of St. Thomas, also has been assisting at the parish.

Retired archdiocesan priest Father Bob Hart is serving half-time as parochial administrator through June 30.

Father Hart said the parish has been welcoming and people-focused, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deacon Jon DeLuney and Deacon Mickey Redfearn also minister at the parish.

Now, with the arrival of the CFIC priests, the parish is preparing to welcome a new community. CFIC was formally established in St. Paul in 2003, initially at St. Mary in downtown St. Paul, with two priests and three brothers. Father George Manjankal served as parochial administrator of St. Mary and first local superior of the community. Since then, at least eight CFIC priests have served in St. Paul along with seminarians in the order.

The CFIC congregation was founded in 1857 by Luigi Maria Monti in Rome to serve hospitals and, later, orphanages. Its members are present in more than 20 countries around the world, but its only other U.S. community is in Columbus, Ohio.

In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, its priests have served in several parishes and ministries, including prison chaplaincies. Its local priests include Father Benny Mekkatt, pastor of Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul; Father Jimmy Puttananickal, parochial administrator of St. Mary; and Father Antony Skaria, pastor of St. John Vianney in South St. Paul.

In the friars’ departure from St. Bonaventure, there is

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Father Matthew Malek, a Conventual Franciscan Friar at St. Bonaventure in Bloomington, talks with parishioners Agrita Majeres, center, and Marlys Corr after a Mass June 8 that celebrated the friars’ longtime ministry and legacy at the parish, and served as the formal farewell. an element of “when one door closes, another opens,” Father Malek said.

“We would love to have stayed here,” he said, “but at the same time, from my own personal sense, we also recognize that we go where we are needed. And in that sense, I personally have benefited from viewing it more as part of that process, as opposed to ‘it’s just a loss.’ I feel we made a marvelous contribution here.”

Father Malek will continue to work full-time at Clearwater Consulting and will celebrate parish Masses on weekends as needed.

During the five years he has been affiliated with St. Bonaventure, Father Malek said he has witnessed a resilient, strong parish that will continue to make a positive contribution to the archdiocese and neighborhood community.

“Because we were here for a long time, I think we were able to impart a sense of the charism of St. Francis,” through preaching and interacting with parishioners, Father Malek said.

Phyllis Genest, 89, has attended St. Bonaventure since the 1960s. She had moved to the area from Boston and found a stark difference in ministry.

At her parish in the Boston diocese, “the priest would do Mass and then exit a door … right over to the rectory,” she said. “When I came out here, I was really surprised how accessible the Franciscans were.”

Genest knew every friar who served the parish and recalled each one bringing a special gift. For example, the first pastor, Father Finnegan, was more “the priestly priest, the fatherly type,” she said. His successor, Father Ernest Waechter was “the social priest,” she said, and he started the parish fall festival.

“We’re all very sad that the Franciscans are leaving,” Genest said. “I would just say overall it was their sensitivity, their compassion and, namely, their accessibility. You knew you could go in and talk to them and you didn’t have to make an appointment unless it was something like a wedding.”

Parishioners Agrita Majeres and Marlys Corr echoed Genest’s sense of loss.

“I’ll miss the friars, all of them,” Majeres said.

“They’re all so lovely, every one of them.”

“I feel a real void, having been with them,” Corr added. “I did get to know them very well. … We just wish them the best. And, memories, you can’t lose those.”

FRANCISCANS’ INFLUENCE During his homily at a June 8 Mass at St. Bonaventure in Bloomington concelebrated with Conventual Franciscan Father Wayne Hellman, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said “there’s a Franciscan heart deep within me,” as he described the influence of Franciscans during his boyhood in Pittsburgh, where there was a friary in his community.

“The Franciscans there did the exotic missionary work in Papua New Guinea and other places,” he said. “All of the boys were always fascinated by these friars.”

The archbishop attended monthly get-togethers hosted by the Franciscans for boys between fourth and eighth grades, which included sports, snacks, information about St. Francis and sometimes, watching a movie with a moral message. When he finished eighth grade, he thought he might want to attend a high school seminary.

The archbishop later became a diocesan priest. But he told St. Bonaventure parishioners, “There is one part of me that will always be so grateful for what I learned from the friars when I was growing up.” He said whatever the Lord asked him to do, he would try to bring to it a Franciscan heart.

Archbishop Hebda said that people are formed by family and those traits last for generations. Similarly, for 62 years, the St. Bonaventure faith family has been formed by the Franciscans.

“In a way,” he said, “that leaves a lasting impression on you, so that no matter what happens, no matter where you go, people are going to be able to see that you were formed by Franciscans, that there’s something about you that’s different because of the generosity of these wonderful men and the way in which they live out their Christian vocation, the way in which they build up our Church.”

— Barb Umberger Conventual Franciscans will continue to operate Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center. Its staff includes Conventual Franciscan Brother Bob Roddy, its executive director; Conventual Franciscan Father Jim Kent; Father McMichael and Conventual Franciscan Father Jim Van Dorn.

To watch video from the June 8 parish event, visit saintbonaventure.org/farewell-to-the-friars.html.

LOCAL

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

Archbishop Hebda hopes fall’s parish small groups lead to ‘bold ideas’

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Archbishop Bernard Hebda expressed his gratitude June 10 for parish staff and other lay ecclesial ministers, especially for their support for the Prayer and Listening Events of 2019-2020 that launched the 2022 Synod process underway.

“There was a tangible spirit of excitement that surrounded those events,” he said, speaking at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, where about 100 parish staff members and clergy gathered in-person for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. About another 150 parish staff members and clergy virtually joined the event, “Reconnect and Journey Forward Together.”

In his presentation and a Q&A session that followed, Archbishop Hebda updated the lay ecclesial ministers on the Synod process and clarified questions and concerns.

He noted that Pope Francis recently asked dioceses around the world to engage in a Synod process this fall, which Archbishop Hebda finds affirming.

“We’ve been blessed that we’ve had a couple of years to prepare” through the 2022 Synod process, he said.

“I really get inspired personally by what he has said about the importance of us being a ‘listening Church,’ so we can hear and respond to the needs of our day, that’s rooted in prayer and guided by the Holy Spirit. … Through you, I have confidence that the Holy Spirit desires to speak to this local Church, to speak to and

through his people.”

Archbishop Hebda emphasized the importance of the Parish Consultation with Small Groups scheduled to happen at each parish this fall and the role of parish leaders and staff in their success. Over the course of six gatherings, Catholics will have the opportunity to explore and discuss the Synod’s three focus areas Archbishop Hebda identified last year: 1) Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, 2) Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’s love and respond to his call, and 3) Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.

The six, two-hour small groups will be held weekly between Sept. 19 and Nov. 14. Each parish will determine its own small group schedule within that timeframe. Participants will complete an individual feedback form through a trained scribe. The information will be provided anonymously to the parish and to Archbishop Hebda.

In January and February, pastors and parish representatives will meet to learn, pray and discuss the focus areas, informed by the ideas and information gathered through the parish small groups. In June 2022, approximately 500 delegates from around the archdiocese will gather to further dive into the topic areas, informed by the parish and deanery events, and make recommendations on the three topic areas to Archbishop Hebda. Based on that feedback, the archbishop anticipates issuing a pastoral letter in

November 2022, followed by a Pastoral Plan that will direct the work of the local Church for its immediate future.

“There are lots of ways that one could get to such a plan,” he said. “Some of those procedures might even be quicker, faster than what we’re doing. They might even seem more efficient than a Synod process. But in my own prayer and observation, I have come to realize that in the context of our archdiocese … in this point of our history, it is the best way to reach my ultimate goal of the process: to discern and establish clear pastoral priorities in a way that promotes greater unity and leads us to a more vigorous proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ in our Church.”

During the event, participants got a taste of what it will feel like to participate in the fall small groups.

They viewed a video prepared for the small groups and discussed its themes with others at their table or virtual break-out room.

Archbishop Hebda said he realizes that the Synod’s three focus areas might seem predictable, but he anticipates “proposals for concrete action will emerge.”

“I’m convinced that the potential abounds when we put our heads and hearts together and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us,” he said. “The place where we begin to find those bold ideas comes in our parish. The parish is where the rubber hits the road for our Church, and particularly in sessions in which all Catholics will have a voice in the discussion.”

Parishes, archdiocese using Disciple Maker Index to help share the Gospel

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Father Stan Mader, pastor of St. Joseph in Waconia, is using information gathered from a survey offered by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis last year as he seeks to share the Gospel more effectively with parishioners.

So are parish leaders in St. Paul, New Hope and across the archdiocese as they cull through their parishioners’ responses to the February 2020 Disciple Maker Index, a 75-question tool on the impact a parish has on personal faith growth and developing community. Pennsylvaniabased Catholic Leadership Institute created the survey and helped guide parishes through it. Survey questions included: How welcoming is your parish?

Do you volunteer in your community?

Is your parish teaching you how to share the story of Jesus?

Leaders of the 2022 Archdiocesan Synod are also examining the data, which includes 28,760 responses from people online and in paper form.

People from all FATHER 186 parishes in the STAN MADER archdiocese filled out the survey, with some parishes getting a few responses, others receiving more than 1,000, said Father Joseph Bambenek, assistant director of the Synod.

Those responses were added to more than 35,000 comments from more than 8,000 people as part of the Prayer and

Congratulations Fr. Paul Treacy on your 15th Anniversary of Ordination – with much gratitude for your dedication and service!

Assumption Parishioners

On Your Golden Jubilee

Congratulations to Fr. Cletus Basekela Ordination August 1, 1971

Celebrating with 9:30 a.m.

Mass and reception Aug. 1, 2021 Church of St. Jerome Maplewood, MN

Listening Events Archbishop Bernard Hebda held from 2019 to 2020 to help prepare for the Synod on the archdiocese’s pastoral needs.

One area for growth appears to be equipping people as effective evangelizers, Father Bambenek said.

That is one reason TIM HUBERTY each of the focus areas Archbishop Hebda has outlined for more discussion during the Synod have an evangelistic component, he said.

While parishes are encouraged to wait until after the Synod to implement major initiatives, the DMI results are providing some actionable items and many insights that are helping lay the groundwork for initiatives that will honor Synod objectives, parish leaders said.

“It’s certainly part of the discussion,” said Father Mader, citing his parish’s 200 responses helping to shape parish efforts to build connections with all ages, evaluate its sacramental training and enhance Sunday worship. “We predict we are not serving young married families as well as we might,” Father Mader told The Catholic Spirit. “We are assessing that with feedback data and the Synod small groups.”

In part because of the survey responses, youth faith formation at St. Joseph this fall could integrate more strongly with the Gospel each Sunday, relating the sacraments to ongoing life in the Church, Father Mader said. Community service required in confirmation classes might include students in those classes teaching a class or two of first-, second-, third- or fourth-grade children, to help the older children solidify what they have learned about the faith while evangelizing the younger groups, he said.

At Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, the assistant to clergy and sacramental coordinator, Tim Huberty, said the parish

received 1,200 survey responses. “We were aggressive. We provided hard copies in the church, pulpit announcements” and other avenues for participation, Huberty said.

The parish learned a great deal, he said, with the school rated highly, but the DEAN parish not as well in RADEMACHER some areas as leaders thought it might. “It was a really good measuring stick for us,” Huberty said.

With some neighboring parishes scoring higher on worship and outreach, Nativity knows items it can work on, he said.

The parish director at St. Joseph in New Hope, Dean Rademacher, said the parish hoped to receive at least 300 survey responses and 555 were submitted. “There are some things you realize,” Rademacher said of studying the responses. “We discovered our parishioners want more opportunities for growth,” such as small group retreats and Bible studies. “Some people might look at that and say, ‘You’re not providing everything.’ But faith is not an arrival point. And that knowledge will inform our actions after the Synod,” he said.

The data also helps point to needs the parish will try to meet, Rademacher said. While 66% of the 555 people responding said small groups help them grow spiritually, 34% said they did not appreciate small groups, he said.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic provided other lessons for the parish, Rademacher said. Going forward, more groups will provide hybrid models of faith formation, merging in-person learning with online learning. In that way, “Zoom is a blessing,” he said.

Father Mader praised the DMI survey as helpful to the archdiocese and to parishes.

“It’s one of the tools along the way as we try to really create disciples,” he said.

LOCAL

JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

Archdiocese’s improvement initiative includes new position: COO

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Bill Lentsch served employees and customers at Delta Air Lines for 13 years.

Before that, he worked 19 years as an airplane structural engineer and in other positions with Northwest Airlines. Now, he will put his business experience to work for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Archdiocesan officials were set to announce June 23 that Lentsch has been hired to a new position: chief operating officer, effective in October. As part of an operations improvement initiative announced in January titled Project Isaiah, Lentsch will work to strengthen the archdiocese’s leadership and service to parishes, schools and other Catholic entities.

“There is a mission here I am very well aligned with,” said Lentsch, who grew up as a member of St. Mark and now is a

member of Assumption, both in St. Paul. “I want to help make parishes and schools vibrant for my grandchildren.”

Lentsch, 57, and his wife, Kate, also 57, have four grown children and two grandchildren. Kate grew up at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, and both have lived in the Twin Cities all but a few years of their lives.

He will retire June 30 as executive vice BILL LENTSCH president and chief customer experience officer at Delta, which merged with Twin Cities-based Northwest in 2008.

But Lentsch plans to sew up a few projects key to Delta’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the airline industry hard, then spend time with his family before starting at the archdiocese.

For 13 years, Lentsch commuted nearly every week to Atlanta and back to St. Paul for the weekends. He was responsible for nearly 70% of Delta’s 75,000 employees, including airport personnel, flight attendants and reservation specialists. But the commute and more recent heavy workload brought by the pandemic were wearing on him and his family, and he wanted to spend more time close to home, Lentsch said. As he contemplated retirement, a search firm told him about the position in the archdiocese.

A member of the board of trustees for The St. Paul Seminary and St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, Lentsch said joining the archdiocese as COO is a “blessing and an opportunity.”

“It is an opportunity to pay it forward a little bit,” he said. “To take the business and leadership lessons I have learned in 32 years and do what I can to help the archdiocese.”

Archdiocese pays final $3 million in bankruptcy settlement for survivors

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced June 17 it has fulfilled its remaining $3 million obligation to clergy abuse survivors ahead of schedule in its $210 million bankruptcy settlement.

“With funds drawn from unexpected estate gifts, and at the advice of the Archdiocesan Finance Council and Corporate Board (lay leaders who advise me on the operations of the Archdiocese), the Archdiocese has decided to accelerate its payment schedule, underscoring a heartfelt desire to assist the survivors as promptly as possible by fulfilling our financial obligation ahead of schedule,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda said in a statement.

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2015 in the wake of mounting claims of clergy sexual abuse dating back as far as the 1940s. In May 2018, the archdiocese announced

it had reached a $210 million settlement with victim/survivors.

The $3 million is the balance left on a $5 million promissory note as part of the bankruptcy settlement, in which the archdiocese agreed to contribute $1 million to the abuse survivors’ trust each year for five years. In a Dec. 17 report on the archdiocese’s 2020 fiscal year, Archbishop Hebda noted two significant estate gifts: one for $1.1 million and the other for $8.5 million.

At that time, paying the $3 million balance to the abuse survivors trust was among recommendations from the AFC and Corporate Board for using the estate gifts, the archbishop said.

While the now-completed payment ends the archdiocese’s financial obligations under the bankruptcy agreement, archdiocesan leadership remains committed to vigorous abuse prevention and to programs supporting those harmed by abuse, the archbishop said. Additional funds from the unexpected estate gifts will also be

used to help the archdiocese build on progress already made in creating and sustaining safe environments and abuse prevention, he said.

“I offer my apology and express my deep regret to those who suffered abuse by clergy and others in the Church,” Archbishop Hebda said, “as well as to their families, and to the broader faith community that has been impacted so profoundly. Courageous survivors and their loved ones continue to generously share with me not only their deep wounds, but also their hopes for a better and safer tomorrow. I am most grateful for the opportunity to listen to their stories, celebrating with them those instances in which the Lord has helped to bring true healing to those injuries. I promise that under my watch this local Church will always remember those who have been harmed, and strive to honor their frequent request that we together work to make certain that what happened to them never happens to another.”

More than 200 fathers, families celebrate Catholic Father’s Day

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Gathered for faith, fraternity and family in the Year of St. Joseph, more than 200 Catholic fathers and their families celebrated Mass June 19 with Auxillary Bishop Andrew Cozzens.

After the Mass, Bishop Cozzens helped lead a 1.5-mile eucharistic and rosary procession through city streets to Lake Como before picnicking with the group back where they started: Maternity of Mary in St. Paul.

Organized by men’s group Catholic Watchmen in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Catholic Father’s Day event was one of more than a dozen across the country championed by Wisconsin-based Men of Christ and Texas-based Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance.

“What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than a Father’s Day procession led by an icon of St. Joseph,” said Matt Zolnick, 33, who with his wife, Elena, 34, and their children, Gloria, 3, and Victoria, 1, recently moved to St. Paul from New Jersey and joined Maternity of Mary.

“We thought we’d enjoy Catholic fellowship in our new spiritual home.”

A highlight of the procession on the sunny and mild summer day was men taking turns carrying a large Pilgrimage Icon of St. Joseph, Husband, Father and Worker, which is housed at St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church in Minneapolis. The icon was commissioned, drawn and designed by area carpenter Joshua LaFond and painted by Eric Menzhuber of the Twin Cities.

In his homily, Bishop Cozzens said he hopes the Catholic Father’s Day gathering will become an annual event. It is important to highlight men’s call to be sacrificial leaders of their families, with St. Joseph as a model, he said.

Fr. Cory Rohlfing, a former Nativity parishioner, and son of Bill & Julie Rohlfing, was ordained a deacon in November of 2000, and later was ordained to the Priesthood in May of 2001.

The Parish of St. Gabriel the Archangel in Hopkins extends our

He celebrated his 1st Mass at the Church of the Nativity.

to Fr. Paul Haverstock

Congratulations

Congratulations to Fr. Cory on his 20th Ordination Anniversary!

You remain in our prayers The Church of the Nativity, Cleveland, MN. http://www.maryschurches.com

Church of the Nativity

celebrating 5 years of priesthood.

Thank you for your ministry with us.

God’s Blessings as you continue to serve his people.

Cleveland, MN

Congratulations

Fr. John Mitchell

On the 25th anniversary of your ordination to the priesthood, with gratitude and appreciation for your service to our parish.

.

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

LOCAL

JUNE 24, 2021

Annunciation in Minneapolis offers one Sunday Mass using COVID precautions through summer

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Gov. Tim Walz ended pandemicrelated social distancing restrictions and group size limits at places of worship May 28. But on June 6, Annunciation in Minneapolis began offering one Mass each weekend with COVID-19-related restrictions still in place.

The church is sanitized before 8 a.m. Mass on Sunday, and everyone attending that Mass is required to wear a face mask. Families are asked to maintain 6 feet of space from other families.

Communal singing is fine at other Sunday Masses, but it won’t happen

at 8 a.m. To minimize parishioners’ contact with others, the priest brings the Eucharist to the congregation, instead of those attending Mass walking past others to receive Communion.

Annunciation’s pastor, Father William Deziel, had the idea for the special Mass, said Jimmy Dunn, the parish’s director of outreach and community life.

Once the governor lifted restrictions, “we were thinking that there’s going to be some people that are going to adapt to this slower,” Dunn said. “So, what can we do to accommodate them and those not ready for a large gathering?

So, our pastor got the idea and said, ‘Let’s just add a Mass and we’ll continue all the protocols.’”

Dunn said the special Mass is a way to encourage people to return to inperson worship if they have not been back to church since the pandemic began, or to minister to those who might be intimidated by a full gathering without masks. Caregivers or people with particular health concerns also might want to maintain strict COVID protocols, he said.

Dunn said the added Mass will also help people meet the Sunday Mass obligation when the dispensation granted by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, which began in March 2020, ends July 1. However, people who are especially vulnerable to the disease are among those excused from attending Mass even after the Sunday obligation

is reinstated, according to a June 3 statement from Minnesota’s Catholic bishops.

About 25 to 35 people have been attending the Mass, Dunn said.

“They’re highly motivated to come to a special Mass,” he said. “And what we’ve seen is that some of the parishioners that have been coming to the other Masses have moved to the 8 a.m. Mass because it’s either their choice, or their medical history is one where they feel safer at that Mass. And there are some people that we haven’t seen for 15, 16 months that are dipping their toe in and starting again.”

The special 8 a.m. Sunday Mass is expected to continue through the summer, Dunn said.

Reverend Joseph Gifford, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Peter Claver in Saint Paul. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of All Saints in Lakeville.

of the Church of Saint Gerard Majella on September 7, 2021.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Effective June 9, 2021 Reverend Nels Gjengdahl, assigned as sacramental minister for the parish cluster of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Medina and the Church of Saint Thomas in Corcoran. This is in addition to his current assignment as chaplain for Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria.

Reverend Andrew Jaspers, assigned as chaplain for North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale. This is a transfer from his current assignment as sacramental minister at the Church of Saint Stephen in Minneapolis.

Effective July 1, 2021 Reverend James Adams, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Francis de Sales in Saint Paul. Father Adams has been serving as parochial administrator of the same parish.

Reverend Robert Altier, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of the Holy Trinity in South Saint Paul. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Raphael in Crystal.

Reverend Joseph Barron, PES, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Mark in Saint Paul. Father Barron is a priest of Pro Ecclesia Sancta.

Reverend Mathai Chacko Chitteth (James), CFIC, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Bonaventure in Bloomington. Father Chitteth is a priest of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception.

Reverend Joseph Connelly, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of the Guardian Angels in Oakdale. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint John Neumann in Eagan.

Reverend Dennis Dempsey, assigned as pastor of the Church of the Risen Savior in Burnsville. Father Dempsey is returning from ministry at the Archdiocesan Mission in Parroquia Jesucristo Resucitado, Puerto Ordaz, Estado Bolivar, Venezuela.

Reverend Bryce Evans, assigned as priest-in-solidum of the Church of Saint Mary in Saint Paul. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis.

Father Evans will continue in his role as chaplain for the University of Saint Thomas Catholic Studies program.

Reverend Nicholas Froehle, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Michael in Farmington. Father Froehle has been serving as parochial administrator of the same parish.

Reverend John Gallas, assigned as sacramental minister of the Church of Saint Agnes in Saint Paul.

This is in addition to his assignment at The Saint Paul Seminary.

Reverend Michael Goodavish, assigned as pastor of the Church of Corpus Christi in Roseville. Father Goodavish has been serving as parochial administrator of the same parish.

Reverend Byron Hagan, assigned as priest-in-solidum of the Church of Saint Mary in Saint Paul and as chaplain for Regions Hospital. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial administrator of the Church of the Holy Cross in Minneapolis.

Reverend Nicholas Hagen, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Raphael in Crystal.

This is a transfer from his current assignments as parochial vicar of the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord in Saint Paul and as chaplain to Visitation School in Mendota Heights.

Reverend Paul Haverstock, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Gabriel the Archangel in Hopkins. Father Haverstock has been serving as parochial administrator of the same parish.

Reverend David Hottinger, PES, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Mark in Saint Paul. Father Hottinger is a priest of Pro Ecclesia Sancta.

Reverend Peter Hughes, assigned as pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Watertown.

This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Boniface in Saint Bonifacius, and a transfer from his assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Mary of Czestochowa in Delano. Father Hughes succeeds Reverend James Devorak, a priest of the Diocese of New Ulm, who is completing his assignment as pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Reverend John Klockeman, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Bartholomew in Wayzata. This is a transfer from his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Gerard Majella in Brooklyn Park.

Reverend Michael Krenik, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Minneapolis. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Olaf in Minneapolis.

Reverend Thomas Margevicius, assigned as sacramental minister of the Church of Saint Dominic in Northfield. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar for the Church of the Risen Savior in Burnsville. This is in addition to his current assignment as Director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Reverend Thomas McCabe, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Goodhue. Father McCabe has been serving as parochial vicar of the same parish. This is also a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar at the Church of Saint Paul in Zumbrota, the Church of Saint Michael in Pine Island, and the Church of Saint Joseph in Red Wing.

Reverend James McConville, JCL, assigned as Adjutant Judicial Vicar for the Metropolitan Tribunal. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Agnes in Saint Paul.

Reverend Timothy Norris, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Stephen and the Church of the Holy Rosary in Minneapolis and as chaplain to Hennepin County Medical Center. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of St. Dominic in Northfield, the Church of the Annunciation in Hazelwood, the Church of Divine Mercy in Faribault, and the Church of Saint Michael in Kenyon.

Reverend John Powers, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Andrew in Elysian and the Church of the Holy Trinity in Waterville. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Nicholas in New Market and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Lonsdale.

Reverend Jimmy Puttananickal, CFIC, assigned as chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. This is a transfer from his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Mary in Saint Paul and as chaplain for Regions Hospital in Saint Paul.

Reverend Michael Rudolph, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Nicholas in New Market. This is a transfer from his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Raphael in Crystal.

Reverend Ronald Kreul, OP, assigned as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove. Father Kreul is a priest of the Dominican Friars, Province of Saint Albert the Great.

Reverend Erich Rutten, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Odilia in Shoreview. This is a transfer from his current assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Peter Claver in Saint Paul.

Reverend Paul Kubista, assigned as pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Delano. This is a transfer from his current assignment as sacramental minister of the Church of Saint Joseph in Miesville.

Reverend Brandon Theisen, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Joseph in Red Wing. This is a transfer from his current assignment as parochial vicar of the Church of the Divine Mercy in Faribault.

Very Reverend Charles Lachowitzer, assigned as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Gerard Majella in Brooklyn Park. This is in addition to his current assignment as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese. Father Lachowitzer becomes pastor

Reverend Anthony VanderLoop, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Carver. This is in addition to his current assignment as pastor of the Church of the Guardian Angels in Chaska.

Priests’ assignment titles circulate around the local Church in the summer months as many clergy change assignments. Each title has a unique designation, based on canon law, reflecting the role for a priest in a parish or institution such as a school or hospital. Here’s a quick look at what each of the titles means.

Pastor: Under the bishop’s authority, the priest has responsibility for the pastoral care and governance of a particular parish — the sacraments, administration and teaching. The assignment is considered stable and long term, usually for six years or more.

Parochial administrator: A priest temporarily placed in a parish to fulfill the role of a pastor for the sacraments, administration and teaching.

The bishop determines the scope and length of the assignment. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, some parochial administrators move on to become pastor at the same parish, while others simply care for a parish until the pastor returns or another is appointed. Locally, parochial administrators report to a supervisory pastor, a priest with experience as a pastor who can offer guidance for the parochial administrator in serving the parish.

Parochial vicar: Under the authority of the pastor or parochial administrator, the parochial vicar assists in the pastoral care of the parish.

Some parishes informally call parochial vicars “associate pastors.”

Sacramental minister: A priest who helps out with the sacraments at a parish. He doesn’t need to live at the parish and typically has a full-time assignment elsewhere, such as to a school or hospital.

Chaplain: A priest assigned to provide regular pastoral care for a school, hospital or other non-parish entity, or specific Catholic groups, such as those who worship in a particular language.

Rector: A priest in charge of an institution, oftentimes a cathedral, basilica or seminary. If the cathedral or basilica has a parish, then the rector could also serve in a dual role as pastor of the parish community.

Priest in solidum: A priest who is appointed as part of a group of priests who together share in the pastoral care for a parish.

— The Catholic Spirit

JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

NATION+WORLD Ruling seen as victory for children, foster parents and religious liberty

By Matthew Gambino Catholic News Service As a consequence of the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling June 17 in Fulton v. Philadelphia, faith-based and other agencies across the country may not be forced by a government agency to violate their deeply held beliefs against placing children in households led by same-sex or cohabitating adults.

Seen as a victory for religious freedom in the United States, the court ruled the city of Philadelphia acted improperly and violated the Church’s First Amendment rights when it ceased referring foster children to Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia three years ago because of the agency’s practice of not placing children in same-sex households.

Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez said the ruling was a victory for at-risk children, and he noted the contributions of “foster parents who give of themselves freely.”

He also said the work of Catholic social ministry would continue beyond that of foster care as it has in the archdiocese through “pioneering programs” for more than 200 years.

“The Catholic Church in Philadelphia is steadfast

in its commitment to continue serving the temporal and spiritual needs of all — now and for the long term,” Archbishop Pérez said. “We have partnered successfully with city government to serve the people of Philadelphia many times, and we look forward to continuing a fruitful partnership in the future.”

Because of the court’s ruling, the archdiocese can continue serving people in need, and it protects “our enshrined right to religious freedom and celebrates the rich diversity of religious beliefs in the United States,” he said. CSS traditionally had chosen not to refer at-risk foster children identified by the city of Philadelphia to same-sex households, and instead passed the referrals to another approved agency, which could place children in such homes. The practice of deferring the city’s placements if the households were deemed contrary to Catholic teaching on marriage had been standard practice between CSS and Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services for decades.

But in 2018, that department, after calling on the public to open more homes to meet an acute need for loving homes for children, ceased all referrals to CSS, effectively shutting it out of foster care.

CSS and three women caregivers, supported by legal counsel the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, sued the city over that decision. They lost in a U.S. District

Court ruling that year, as well as a federal appeals court ruling one year later. The agency then appealed to the high court. Soon after the 9-0 ruling was announced, Archbishop Pérez in a conference call with media called the court’s decision “a profound one that rings loudly in Philadelphia and reverberates throughout the country.”

The work of CSS to place at-risk children in foster homes ceased three years ago, and will not resume immediately with the city because of a 90-day “cooling off” period following the Supreme Court’s ruling, according to James Amato, secretary for the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s Catholic Human Services.

Catholic Charities USA welcomed the ruling to protect the Philadelphia Catholic agency’s “ability to serve people in need in a manner consistent with the Church’s faith and values.”

“In their history, Catholic Charities agencies have enjoyed a cooperative partnership with government to work for the common good,” said a statement issued by the national network of Catholic Charities agencies.

“Such cooperation has been predicated on valuing diverse perspectives and mutual respect. Hopefully, we will continue to work together to serve all people with dignity and respect.”

Supreme Court upholds health care law’s individual mandate

By Carol Zimmerman Catholic News Service In a 7-2 decision June 17, the Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act, saying the states that sued over the law did not have the legal right to do so.

In the case, California v. Texas, the plaintiffs — 18 Republican states and two individuals — argued that the law’s individual mandate requiring nearly all Americans to have insurance was unconstitutional. They further argued that because a 2017 amendment to the 2010 law nullified the penalty for not having even minimal health insurance, the entire law must be struck down.

Striking down the law would have

TS

T& S

left 20 million Americans uninsured, according to estimates from the Urban Institute.

Writing for the majority, Justice Stephen Breyer said the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring a lawsuit against the mandate because they could not show an injury stemming from its enforcement. He was joined in the ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Dissenting were Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch.

“The Catholic Health Association of the United States welcomes today’s decision by the Supreme Court protecting the Affordable Care Act,”

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even if its individual mandate, requiring each person to buy health insurance, was invalidated. Roberts pointed out that the move by Congress in 2017 to drop the penalty for not buying health insurance did not indicate its intent to do away with the entire health care law.

Since 2010, the Catholic Church has had a complicated relationship with the health care law. Catholic hospitals have emphasized that the poor and vulnerable must have access to health care. Church leaders also have objected to the law’s contraceptive mandate, requiring that employee health insurance plans provide contraceptive coverage.

— Julie Asher contributed to this report.

Congratulations Fr. Stephen O’Gara

• Wills • Powers of Attorney • Guardianships • Trusts • Health Care Directives • Conservatorships • Probate John E. Trojack Attorney at Law

said Mercy Sister Mary Haddad, CHA’s CEO and president. She said that as the organization’s members continue to review the decision and its implications, they were assured the ruling gave “a needed source of stability for individuals and families who rely on the protections and coverage” in the health care law.

When the court heard oral arguments over the ACA’s fate last November, it was the third time it had done so since the health law was signed 10 years ago. This third go-round the justices indicated that they were willing to leave the bulk of the law intact even if they found one part of it to be unconstitutional.

Roberts and Kavanaugh stressed that they didn’t see how it was necessary to strike down the entire health care law

and thank you for 50 years of dedication to the Church!

From the grateful parishioners at Assumption Church

Cheers to 60 Years Fr. Ken Ludescher Ordination February 19, 1961

as you prepare for retirement after 49 years of priesthood.

We are so grateful for all you have done for our parish!

God Bless You!

Church of St. Jerome Maplewood, MN

More news and commentary at thecatholicspirit.com.

NATION+WORLD

10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

Eucharist at crux of U.S. bishops’ Spring General Assembly Catholic News Service The Eucharist was a major focus of the U.S bishops’ June 16-18 virtual spring assembly.

On June 17, they heard a full presentation on a proposal to draft a document on the “meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church,” followed by a lengthy discussion and vote. And by a wide margin, announced June 18, the bishops gave the green light for the drafting process to proceed.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine will draft the document and present it for discussion when the bishops reconvene in person in November. The action to move forward passed 168 to 55. There were six abstentions.

For more than two hours, 43 bishops expressed differing views about drafting such a document. Some stressed the document was necessary to provide clarity about the significance of the Eucharist, while others questioned its timing and if it could be perceived as fracturing the unity of a Church already faced with numerous challenges.

Although the bishops reached no consensus during the discussion, most of those who spoke during the comments session welcomed the idea of strengthening teaching about the Eucharist.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, chairman of the doctrine committee, presented a proposed outline to the bishops in a prerecorded

message.

He said this was developed in light of the decline in Catholics’ belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist as well as the long absences from regular Mass attendance, which may have led to people placing less significance on the Eucharist in their lives. (See related Q&A below.)

The Communion document also was a key point of discussion in the news conferences June 16 and 17.

Bishop Rhoades stressed June 17 that creating national norms in regards to Catholics who publicly dissent from Church teaching but present themselves for Communion was never the intent behind a proposal to write a new statement on the Eucharist. He said it would be aimed at providing guidance for bishops.

“We have taught in years past about Catholics in political life, the importance of adherence to Church teaching in the document on worthiness to receive holy Communion, back in 2006,” Bishop Rhoades said. “But with this new strategic plan that’s going to be focused on the Eucharist, this three-year plan, we have to teach this again, on different levels.”

The bishop was referring to a multi-year National Eucharistic Revival initiative that is part of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2021-2024 strategic plan. The revival has been in the planning stages for more than a year. It is meant to place added emphasis on the Eucharist at all levels of the Church in the United States beginning next summer and culminating in a large-scale national event in 2024. (See story on page 14.)

On the first day of the bishops’ virtual spring assembly, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio, and Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, USCCB president, gave addresses stressing the need for unity as the Church emerges from the pandemic year.

Some of Archbishop Pierre’s remarks June 16 seemed to predict the difficulty the bishops could face in debating approval of the drafting of the Communion document.

“At the heart of dialogue is the communication of one’s own personal life to others,” he said, adding the goal of such dialogue “should be unity and not merely doctrinal and juridical unity.”

Archbishop Gomez said the events of the past year will likely shape the vision of the Church “for years to come.” That’s why unity is important, he added. He also noted that unity doesn’t mean bishops will never disagree, because even the apostles disagreed, “but never about the truth of the Gospel.”

During their virtual assembly, the U.S. bishops also discussed their efforts on immigration, Native American/Alaskan Native ministry, catechesis and pastoral frameworks for youth and young people and marriage and family ministries. They also voted to approve three sets of translations from the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, and gave their go-ahead to two dioceses to continue their efforts to make their case for a priest and a brother to be considered for sainthood.

Bishop Rhoades: There’s a great need to better understand Eucharist’s centrality

By Gretchen R. Crowe Catholic News Service In the months leading up to the U.S. bishops’ spring general assembly held June 16-18, headlines in both secular and Catholic media focused primarily on one issue: the potential of a document on eucharistic consistency and what that would mean in the political sphere. Since the bishops’ vote to move forward with drafting the statement, media attention has become even more acute — and confusing.

In an interview with Gretchen R. Crowe of Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic newsweekly based in Huntington, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort WayneSouth Bend, Indiana, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine and who also is chair of the OSV board of directors, explained why the bishops voted to write a teaching document on the mystery of the Eucharist and what it means for all U.S. Catholics. Catholic News Service staff contributed to the exchange with the final two questions.

Q Can you explain why a document

on the Eucharist, including a section on eucharistic consistency, is so important in our current time and culture?

A As the bishops discussed at our

meeting, there is a great need for a eucharistic revival in the Church, a deeper understanding of the eucharistic mystery and its centrality in our life. The doctrine committee has been entrusted with the task of preparing this document.

The outline we presented to the body of bishops uses the outline followed

by Pope Benedict XVI in his apostolic exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” (“The Sacrament of Charity”): the Eucharist as a mystery to be believed, a mystery to be celebrated and a mystery to be lived. Within the section on the Eucharist as a mystery to be lived, the topic of eucharistic consistency arises. We are called to live what we receive, to live in a way that is consistent with the self-

giving love of Jesus that is made present in the eucharistic sacrifice. This is related to our call to be missionary disciples. In our current time and culture, there is a temptation to privatize our faith or to separate our celebration and reception of holy Communion from our responsibility to live in communion with the Church and to live lives that are consistent with the deep meaning of the Eucharist, the sacrament of charity.

BISHOP

Q Now that the

KEVIN RHOADES

drafting of the document has been approved, what will the process be as it moves forward?

A The doctrine committee will soon be

getting to work writing a draft of the document. As was recommended by several of my brother bishops, we will be receiving input from regional meetings of bishops throughout the country.

I am looking forward to their ideas and contributions. We will then share the eventual draft with several other committees of the USCCB to receive their suggestions and observations. We will also send the draft document to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as we always do in preparing doctrinal statements. I think this wide consultation will be very helpful. Most importantly, throughout this process, I am especially praying to the Holy Spirit for an outpouring of his gifts of wisdom and counsel as we prepare the text. I have also asked many of the faithful to pray for us in these coming months.

Q Some media outlets have reported

that, with the vote to proceed with the drafting of the document, the bishops have defied the Vatican. Is that what happened?

A No. I am disappointed in that

erroneous interpretation. As bishops, we are committed to teaching in communion with the pope. As I mentioned, we will be in consultation with the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during this process since this will be a teaching document on the Eucharist. I am grateful for the letter Archbishop (José ) Gomez received from Cardinal (Luis) Ladaria emphasizing dialogue and unity among the bishops. We are preparing a doctrinal reflection and not drawing up national norms, since such would be beyond the competency of our committee.

Q Some commentators have said that

it was “unprecedented” for the body of bishops to push forward on an issue when so many bishops are opposed to it. In the end, though, 75% of the bishops voted to move forward with the drafting — not exactly a narrow majority. In your experience as a member of the conference for almost 20 years, is this decision to proceed with the drafting of the document after such a margin unprecedented?

A I really don’t remember, since

the conference has prepared many documents and statements the past two decades. I am hopeful that, come November, there will be an even larger number of bishops who will support the document that we will have prepared.

Q Several bishops asked, or

recommended, that the third part of the statement’s outline — the part that includes the section on eucharistic consistency — be removed, but you disagreed with that approach, saying, “I don’t think we should ignore what is the actual discipline of the Church.”

What is that discipline, and what is it meant to do?

A First of all, I don’t think we can

present the full teaching on the Eucharist without including the section on the Eucharist as a mystery to be lived, and,

within that section, the call to eucharistic consistency. This is related to the Church’s discipline which goes back to the New Testament. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor 11:27-29). The Church’s tradition throughout the ages has included discipline about reception of holy Communion. That discipline is expressed today in Canons 915 and 916 of the Code of Canon Law and Canons 711 and 712 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. In our document, we hope to present a clear understanding of why the Church has these laws, explaining the profound teaching that is the basis for these canons. Canon 915 regards those who are not to be admitted to holy Communion. Canon 916 regards the necessity of being in a state of grace to receive holy Communion. The Church’s laws are ordered to the salvation of souls. And these disciplinary laws have a medicinal, rather than punitive, purpose.

Q Many bishops said within the

context of the meeting that a pastoral problem has emerged from the fact that the United States now has a Catholic president who is pushing a strong pro-abortion agenda, as well as advocating for many other social issues that are contrary to the Catholic Church’s social doctrine — all while still receiving holy Communion. Is it fair to say that this document is a necessary pastoral tool in response to this reality?

A This document will be addressed

to all Catholics. All of us are called to continual conversion and to eucharistic consistency. We are all called to go CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

NATION+WORLD

JUNE 24, 2021 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE forth from Mass to glorify the Lord by our lives, to bear witness to Christ in our words and actions. We are called to bear witness to the Gospel of life and to respect and defend the life and dignity of every human person, including the child in the womb. The Catechism (of the Catholic Church) teaches that the Eucharist educates us in love and commits us to the poor. Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have all written beautifully about the social implications of the Eucharist. I hope that our document will highlight this. It is important that we understand that, as Pope Benedict wrote, “worship pleasing to God can never be a purely private matter, without consequences for our relationship with others: It demands a public witness to our faith.”

Q It has become a popular argument

Eucharist.” How would you respond to that?

A I believe that the Church’s teaching on

eucharistic consistency honors the Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament and helps us to understand that the Eucharist is a mystery to be lived. The Eucharist is an amazing gift from the Lord that we are called to receive humbly and gratefully and that the Lord has given to us as nourishment for our souls. The notion of eucharistic consistency reminds us that we must be properly disposed to receive the Eucharist. This includes ecclesial communion and assent to the deposit of faith contained in Scripture and tradition, which the apostles entrusted to the Church. Eucharistic consistency involves our communion with the mystical body of Christ, the Church, which the eucharistic body of Christ builds.

Q What else would you like to add

that might help bring clarity to the proceedings?

in recent months that a document that includes teaching on eucharistic CathSpMM-Mar-June-2021.qxp_Layout consistency may “weaponize the1 3/23/21 3:16 A We are striving to write a document

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11

that will contribute to a real eucharistic revival in the Church in our nation by highlighting the truth about the amazing gift Jesus gave us on the night before he died, the importance of beauty and reverence in our celebration of this great mystery, and the wonderful graces we receive in the Eucharist to grow in our Christian lives. Though there are some disagreements among us bishops, I pray that, with our common faith in this great sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord, we will be united as shepherds and teachers and help our people to grow as faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Q You mentioned in your comments

that this is not solely a matter of abortion. Critics have asked if you also would include Catholic leaders who support the death penalty or who have approved executions in the course of their duties?

A In a document addressed to all

Catholics, it will cover the broad range of Catholic social teaching. All of us as Catholics will be able to find ourselves in this teaching.

Q Many bishops have expressed

concern about the impact of this debate on the unity of the conference and the Church. To what extent will this be a concern of the drafters of the document, and what guidance will you give them in this regard as they are drafting it?

A What we saw last week was a

passionate dialogue about how much the Eucharist means to my brother bishops. The love for the Eucharist and the gratitude that we all feel and want to share in meeting the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in holy Communion are powerfully unifying realities for the entire body of Christ. Important discussions about the details of conference process still won’t distract from the bond we share in Christ. As the dialogue and consultation continue in the weeks ahead, we will embark on them prayerfully and together. I hope we can serve as a model for a society that needs to address difficult issues with greater civility.

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12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT LEFT PAGE

JUNE 24, 2021

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Crisis in Mozambique Leads Catholics There to Establish Outreaches to Help Orphans The Association Cross Mozambique (ACM), a ministry to orphans and founded by Doroteia Balane and a group of other dedicated Catholic women, has become a lifeline to boys and girls victimized by poverty and the blight of the African AIDS crisis. (See story opposite page.)

From the time ACM first began ministering to the thousands of orphans and vulnerable children who live in the Maputo and Namaacha areas, its goal has always been ambitious. Rather than simply ensuring those boys and girls survive day by day, the Catholic ministry has worked to ensure each child is treated with unconditional compassion and is given the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

“What ACM does is incredible. They have become a lifeline to orphans and vulnerable children age 6 to 17 — kids who are at an extremely vulnerable point in their lives — and they have given those children a real chance at a better future,” explained James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a major international Catholic ministry helping ACM with its programs. “When our ministry decided to make helping Africa’s AIDS orphans a priority, we sought out programs like this one and have been doing everything we can to support them. That is the best way to address the AIDS orphan crisis in Mozambique — by empowering the local leaders already doing great things in the country.”

Doroteia, the founder of ACM, certainly lives up to Cavnar’s positive impression of her. She has made incredible sacrifices to help the orphans in Mozambique and continues to look for new ways to reach those children in greatest need.

“I am so happy because I am doing a job I like, looking after people who are suffering and helping the children who need a mother,” she said. “Always I am

asking for God to give me a long life in order to use me to help people in need.”

To lift up destitute children and restore their hope, Doroteia and ACM take a holistic approach. Not only do they meet each child’s physical needs by supplying food, educational opportunities and preventive health care, but they also bless them spiritually through Bible study and prayer.

ACM starts its process by identifying those orphans and vulnerable children with the greatest needs. It then determines what services will best help each of them to prosper and grow. Once these boys and girls are enrolled in the program, a volunteer also makes weekly home visits to ensure the material and spiritual requirements of the children are being met.

In situations where the orphaned child is living with an overwhelmed extended family member or a sick parent, Doroteia and her team provide assistance and spiritual support to the entire family. By strengthening these families, Doroteia believes she can best fulfill the calling God has given her: to love others with the same compassion Christ has shown her.

“In addition to mobilizing Catholics in America to help Doroteia serve orphans, Cross Catholic Outreach wants to assist ACM with a special program it has developed to educate girls — a particularly vulnerable group in the country,” Cavnar said.

That particular project provides special boarding homes for at-risk girls who are struggling with a wide range of life issues.

“Sadly, Mozambique’s orphan problem is complicated by gender inequity. When these children are taken in by extended family members, the boys are frequently sent to school, while girls are left to do domestic work at home. As a result, more than half of Mozambique’s young girls can’t read or

As it developed its outreaches to help orphans and vulnerable children in Mozambique, ACM discovered a special need among girls. Many were not being educated properly. write,” he explained.

The Association Cross Mozambique solves this problem by providing at-risk girls in Maputo — the most populous city in Mozambique — with a quality Catholic education. These girls are given the opportunity to attend St. Joseph Institute, a Catholic boarding school run by the Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters in Inhambane on Mozambique’s southern coast.

“While living at the institute’s boarding facilities, the girls can learn and mature in a safe environment.

And in addition to receiving a quality education, they are also blessed with nutritious meals, practical job skill training, mentoring from the sisters and spiritual formation,” Cavnar explained.

“As the girls grow up and eventually move out on their own, they will be equipped to get good jobs and raise families who love and serve the Lord.”

Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach food programs and other outreaches to the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01710, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 200907168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner or write Monthly Mission Partner on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Cross Catholic Outreach Endorsed by More Than 100 Bishops, Archbishops Cross Catholic Outreach’s range of relief work to help the poor overseas continues to be recognized by a growing number of Catholic leaders in the U.S. and abroad.

“We’ve received more than 100 endorsements from bishops and archbishops,” explained James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach.

“They’re moved by the fact that we’ve launched outreaches in almost 40 countries and have undertaken a variety of projects — everything from feeding the hungry and housing the homeless to supplying

safe water and supporting educational opportunities for the poorest of the poor.

The bishops have also been impressed

by Cross Catholic Outreach’s direct and meaningful responses to emergency situations, most recently by providing food, medicines and other resources to partners in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala impacted by natural disasters.”

Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, supports this mission. He writes, “What a joy it is to be part of the Lord’s redemptive work and to manifest

his mercy on earth by caring for our neighbors in need.”

In addition to praising CCO’s accomplishments, many of the bishops and archbishops are encouraged that pontifical canonical status was conferred on the charity in September 2015, granting it approval as an official Catholic organization. This allows CCO to participate in the mission of the Church and to give a concrete witness to Gospel charity, in collaboration with the Holy Father.

“Your work with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is a strong endorsement of your partnership with the work of the Universal Church,” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco said. “By providing hope to the faithful overseas by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, delivering medical relief to the sick and shelter to the homeless, and through self-help projects, you are embodying the papal encyclical Deus Caritas Est.

RIGHT PAGE JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Catholic Woman’s Dedication to Africa’s Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Inspires Support From Sympathetic American Benefactors Don’t be surprised if Doroteia Balane is remembered as a mother to hundreds of children, or that the many boys and girls she has nurtured through the years eventually become important leaders in the country she calls home.

That is because Doroteia has dedicated her life to serving as a caregiver of orphans. The kids she has helped — no longer a lost generation with little hope of survival — are now children of promise, finally able to achieve their God-given potential.

To appreciate just how significant Doroteia’s sacrifices and mission are, you first need to understand why Mozambique is a country of orphans.

With that knowledge, it is possible to see how a Catholic woman like her has come to play such a critical role in addressing one of the world’s greatest tragedies.

Since its independence from Portugal in 1975, Mozambique has been battered by civil war and famine, but its greatest challenge came when the HIV/AIDS pandemic of the 1980s began to devastate the country’s adult population, producing a tragic increase in orphans and street children that persists to this day. Were you to visit Mozambique in the past 10 to 15 years, you would have noticed a dramatic sign of this blight — a gap between the elderly and children; the absence of a significant adult population.

“I hadn’t been aware of how extreme the problem was until I visited the country myself. What I saw there were children left to survive on their own. I found a young girl of 11 or 12 taking shelter in a patchwork shack, trying to play the role of mother to her younger siblings. It was heartbreaking,” said James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a respected Catholic ministry working to help orphaned children in Africa. “I was shocked by what I saw, and when I returned from that trip to Mozambique, I decided that caring for orphaned and vulnerable children would be a priority for Cross Catholic Outreach.”

Traditionally, orphans in Mozambique and other African countries are taken in by neighbors or extended family members — typically grandmothers or aunts — and that approach has worked for many children from past generations. In modern times, however, the sheer number of lives lost to AIDS has stretched those caregivers beyond their limit. There are now too many orphans and too few caregivers to properly address the country’s needs.

To address this problem, Doroteia founded a Catholic mission called Association Cross Mozambique and

ABOVE: Seeing an urgent need, Doroteia Balane stepped forward, founding a Catholic mission to help orphans in need.

BELOW: A little boy collects a food package Doroteia’s ministry provides to families sheltering orphans in their homes. helped transform hundreds of lives.

“That is why local Church missions run by Catholic women like Doroteia are so important in Mozambique right now — and why we should be doing everything we can to support them,” Cavnar said. “They know these communities intimately and have developed wise plans to help. All they lack are resources. That is what limits the scope of their work. When we come alongside them, empowering them and supporting them financially, we can increase their impact in the community and make a huge difference in hundreds of children’s lives.”

Right now, supplying food to Doroteia’s programs and supporting

she now has a full staff dedicated to serving children in need. Her mission also distributes food and has developed a special program to educate young girls who are often given fewer opportunities than boys. As someone who has grown up in Mozambique and worked among orphans for years, she is extremely effective in her mission and has already

her efforts with young orphaned girls (see story on opposite page) are two of Cross Catholic Outreach’s priorities, and they are encouraging American Catholics to help them fund these important initiatives.

“When Doroteia Balane saw an extreme need in Mozambique, she didn’t turn away from it, expecting someone else to address the problem.

She stepped into the challenge and found solutions, sacrificing her own time and resources to help these children,” Cavnar said. “Now it is our turn to step forward and get involved, and we can do that by empowering her with the funding and resources she needs for her mission.”

How to Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postage-paid brochure inserted in this newspaper or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept.

AC01710, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making a regular monthly donation to this cause.

If you identify an aid project, 100% of the donation will be restricted to be used for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.

14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

National Eucharistic Revival to begin next year Movement includes 2024 national event ‘to light a fire’

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

C

atholics can expect added emphasis on the Eucharist at all levels of the Church in the United States beginning next summer, culminating in a large-scale national event in 2024.

Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, detailed a three-year “National Eucharistic Revival” initiative and announced plans for a National Eucharistic Congress in his June 18 committee update at the U.S. bishops’ Spring General Assembly.

Called a “Eucharistic Revival: My Flesh for the Life of the World,” the initiative aims to “renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the holy Eucharist,” Bishop Cozzens said.

The revival is part of the U.S. bishops’ three-year strategic plan approved in November. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops discussed the Revival in regional meetings in November, Bishop Cozzens said, noting that while some bishops expressed reservations about a national event, “many called it a providential moment for us.”

Bishop Cozzens described the Revival as “a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist — and sent out in mission for the life of the world.”

“We hope at the end of these three years, we will have formed and sent more than 100,000 missionaries who are ready to share the love of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist with our world,” he said.

The Revival is designed to impact every level of the Church, from the home and parish to the national stage. It is scheduled to begin next summer with a yearlong Diocesan Revival focused on “forming and engaging renewal movements and apostolates to provide events in every diocese,” Bishop Cozzens said. That year will include a national corps of eucharistic preachers available to speak at diocesan and regional events, formation events for priests and diocesan leaders, and online training to form lay “eucharistic missionaries” for parish revival.

“Dioceses could have Corpus Christi celebrations, days of adoration and reconciliation, as well as days of eucharistic evangelization and service,” Bishop Cozzens said in his presentation.

The second year would involve parishes and include small groups and training of eucharistic missionaries, which Bishop Cozzens described as “parish lay leaders who could help to organize and carry out the revival at the parish level, sent forth to evangelize and serve those in need.”

The third year will include the national event, followed by efforts to “animate and strengthen those missionaries who return to their diocese and parishes” and the sending of those missionaries “out to the margins to invite people into our eucharistic communities,” Bishop Cozzens said.

to begin with us,” he said.

Bishop Cozzens’ video presentation fo the bishops was pre-recorded for the General Assembly, which was held virtua due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The details for a National Eucharistic Revival come amid the bishops’ discussion about drafting a formal statement on the role of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. The proposed document has draw controversy and disagreement among the bishops because of a section that would address “eucharistic consistency” and reception of the Eucharist by Catholics wh have taken public stances against Church teachings. (See related story on page 10.)

The bishops voted June 17 to move forward with the drafting of the document, which is expected to be reviewed and discussed at the bishops’ Fall General Assembly in Baltimore in November. During the bishops’ discussion about the proposed document, several connected it to the DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT National Eucharistic Revival as a Bishop Andrew Cozzens carries the Eucharist in a monstrance during a procession June 19 at an event complementary project. Some dioceses, called Catholic Father’s Day. After Mass at Maternity of Mary in St. Paul, the 1.5-mile procession made a such as the Archdiocese of Baltimore, are trip from the church to Lake Como and back. (See story on page 7.) already preparing their own Eucharistfocused efforts in the next year.

In a 33-minute live discussion of the uEmbrace and learn from the various rich Discussion of a National Eucharistic National Eucharistic Revival following Revival began under Bishop Robert Barron, intercultural eucharistic traditions.

Bishop Cozzens’ update, bishops shared an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, who was “This is not simply about good teaching, their enthusiasm about the plan but asked chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic but about encountering the living person of about more strongly connecting the Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Jesus Christ,” Bishop Cozzens said. “We Eucharist to the proclamation of the Word Catechesis from 2017-2020. It was prompted want to provide transformational of God, well-celebrated liturgies and the in part by a 2019 Pew Research study that experiences that allow that true encounter.” sacrament of penance; adding regional found 69% of Catholics don’t believe the He emphasized that a plan for the Revival events to the Revival timeline; and about Church’s teaching that Jesus is truly present has been developed in consultation with in the Eucharist. diocesan and parish leaders, theologians and the Revival’s potential relationship to the synod process Pope Francis has requested evangelistic leaders.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the dioceses worldwide.

“I can tell you that the proposal for a Revival’s planning, but it also deepened the Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said th National Eucharistic Revival has been met need for it, Bishop Cozzens said, as its the connection between the Eucharist and with incredible enthusiasm at every level,” impact on Catholics’ post-pandemic Mass Catholic charity should not be he said. attendance is still unclear. Additionally, “underestimated” in the Revival. Bishop The Revival’s national event is key to Church leaders “are aware of the need to the Oscar Cantú of San José stressed the making the Revival a national movement, religiously unaffiliated and to prevent importance of drawing leaders from Bishop Cozzens said. further disaffiliation,” he said. different cultures within the U.S. Church.

“With this national event, it becomes a Meanwhile, he said, the Church has a Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha pilgrimage that we are making together and 200-year history of rekindling Catholics’ it creates the sense that the whole country is affirmed the plan and emphasized the love for the gift of the Eucharist through Revival’s need for evangelization, includin a part of this revival,” he said.

Eucharistic Congresses, including two among Catholics who are active in the Bishop Cozzens said the Revival process International Eucharistic Congresses held in Church but have never experienced a would imitate the V Encuentro process, an the United States, in Chicago in 1926 and personal encounter with Jesus Christ. He initiative that took place from 2015-2018 in Philadelphia in 1976. National Eucharistic also asked whether the bishops’ methods the U.S. Catholic Church on ministry to Congresses were also held frequently the Revival might be enhanced by more Latino and Hispanic Catholics, by aiming to throughout the United States in the first research about why some Catholics don’t reach Catholics on all levels of the Church. part of the 20th century, and some dioceses believe in the Real Presence, what approac However, “leaders from the around the continue to hold local congresses. would be most effective in reaching those country have encouraged us to think of this “Right now, the Church in the United Catholics, and how to measure the Reviva event as more than just an opportunity to States needs the healing and the unity that impact. train and form leaders.

We did that well at can flow from rekindling our love for the Bishop Barron asked if the Revival could the National Convocation (in Orlando in Eucharist,” Bishop Cozzens said. “We need 2017) and certainly the Encuentro,” he said. begin sooner than 2022. “I’m so to rekindle the love of our people so they enthusiastic about it, I’d like to see it get “Rather, they’ve encouraged us to think of a can become missionaries and reach out to kicked off as soon as possible,” he said. larger, more missionary event that would be the margins as we are called to do by Bishop Cozzens said his committee cou more like a Eucharistic Congress, more like ‘Fratelli Tutti’,” Pope Francis’ 2020 make some resources available this year, a the World Meeting of Families or World encyclical. said dioceses don’t need to wait until the Youth Day. This kind of event could start a The plan for the Revival includes five Revival formally starts next summer to missionary fire across our country when pillars: move forward with efforts to renew 100,000 people come together to encounter uFoster encounters with Jesus through eucharistic devotion and understanding.

Christ in the Eucharist and be sent out on kerygmatic proclamation and experiences of mission.”

“The way I’ve been thinking about this eucharistic devotion. we’re lighting a fire rather than starting a The Committee on Evangelization and program,” he said. “If dioceses are ready to Catechesis will seek approval for a plan for uContemplate and proclaim the doctrine the national event at the bishops’ November go this year with a eucharistic revival, and of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist they feel the need, please go, and we’ll co meeting. Bishop Cozzens asked his fellow through the truth of the Church’s teaching, in behind you with all kinds of support.” bishops to renew their own love for the beauty of the Church’s worship and After receiving the feedback, Bishop Eucharist, such as through daily Holy Hours. goodness of a life of service.

“As I’ve been praying about this event and Cozzens thanked the bishops and asked uEmpower grassroots creativity by them to pray for the Revival. sensing the Holy Spirit wants this event, I partnering with movements, apostolates, believe that this Revival is a spiritual “I really believe this is a movement of th educational institutions and parishes. movement. It’s a movement of love and Holy Spirit and pray that the Holy Spirit w uReach the smallest unit: parish small unity that’s needed in our country today, do work in our country that will bring gre groups and families. but for this revival to be a success, it needs renewal,” he said.

JUNE 24, 2021 • 15

Brooklyn Center man recalls 1941 National Eucharistic Congress

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By Debbie Musser For The Catholic Spirit

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ighty years ago, Paul Ditter boarded a school bus with his fellow classmates at Holy Name of Jesus School in Medina, heading to a special destination: the Pontifical Mass for Children at the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress.

Held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds grandstand in St. Paul, the event drew 14,000 upper grade school students from Catholic schools throughout the Twin Cities and suburbs.

“It was June 25, 1941; I was 13 years old at the time and had just graduated from Holy Name with my eighth-grade classmates,” said Ditter, 93, now a parishioner of St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center.

“The school bus dropped us off at Como Park, and from there we had to walk in procession to the grandstand,” he said. “There were loudspeakers overhead and we were singing and praying as we went along, the boys in white shirts and dark pants and the

girls in white dresses with veils on their heads. It rained lightly when we walked and we got a little wet, but we made it.”

The Pontifical Mass for Children was one of a number of events comprising the Eucharistic Congress, a four-day meeting of clergy, religious and laity from across the U.S., celebrating the sacrament of the holy Eucharist. Public adorations and Masses, processions and meetings took place June 23-26, 1941, drawing 475,000 people to various locations throughout the Twin Cities, including the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, the municipal auditoriums of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the armory at the then-College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, the former Corpus Christi parish building in Falcon Heights and the State Fairgrounds.

The altar of exposition at the State Fairgrounds grandstand, with the Blessed Sacrament enshrined in a magnificent silver monstrance, made a big impact on Ditter.

“I recall seeing the eucharistic altar and how beautiful it was, the very large stage and a pipe organ; they had erected a building which housed the organ inside, and you could see the vertical louvers open and shut,” Ditter said.

The official history and record of the Eucharistic Congress refers to a twoweek “school” held in August 1940 for teachers of music in the archdiocesan Catholic schools to acquaint them with the music “which they were expected

to drill their pupils in the approaching school year.” The culmination was the combined chorus of 14,000 children at the Pontifical Mass for Children led by Father Francis Missia.

“We had been preparing to sing at the Eucharistic Congress children’s Mass since the beginning of my eighth-grade year,” he said. “We each received the Gregorian hymn book — 153 pages of songs — all in Latin, of course. I still have my well-worn book, even though the cover is gone.”

Ditter, the youngest of nine children, grew up on a small farm close to Holy Name church and school. He started playing Holy Name’s old pump organ while in grade school.

“Since we lived so close to the church, my brothers and I served at daily Mass since most of the time we’d be going anyway,” Ditter said. “My brothers John, Joe and I also had the task of ringing the Holy Name angelus church bell at noon and 6 p.m. We had to go way up in the bell tower, open a trap door and climb a ladder. We’d get the bell going, and then we’d run to see if we could get home before it stopped.”

He noted that the pastor at the time, Father Hyacinth Cismowski, gave each of the boys a pocket watch “to make sure we showed up on time to ring the bell.”

Ditter, who had a long career as a structural engineer, worked for a steel fabricating company and served as project manager for some large

buildings, including the 57-story Wells Fargo Center in downtown Minneapolis, formerly known as Norwest Center. He and his wife raised three daughters and two sons; he volunteered as a parish organist at St. Alphonsus from 1969 to 2004 and also sang for funerals in the parish’s Resurrection Choir.

The fall after he attended the Eucharistic Congress in June 1941, Ditter headed off to Wayzata High School. A few months later, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. entered World War II. “My four years of high school were the same four years of WWII,” he said.

“Four of my brothers were in the service, and I lost my brother Anthony in the war. My whole family was much into the Catholic faith, and it had an impact on me even if I wasn’t totally aware of it at the time.”

“That Eucharistic Congress was something really special, with so many people and churches participating,” Ditter said. “It would be good to see something like that happen again today.”

INSET Paul Ditter holds a photo of his eighth-grade class at Holy Name of Jesus School in Medina taken in 1941. Ditter, bottom row at left, and all of his classmates attended the National Eucharistic Congress that year in June. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

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16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

FAITH+CULTURE

10

50

25 Father Mark Underdahl

Father Tony O’Neill

Father Thomas Sieg

Serving ‘hidden saints’

Living in gratitude

Values listening, learning

“I

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love being a priest and I love being a pastor,” said Father Tony O’Neill of his first 10 years as a priest.

Highlights of his ministry revolve around service to the people of God, said Father O’Neill, 57, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“So many holy people in the parishes are ‘kind of hidden saints,’” he said. “There are just some beautiful souls in all of our parishes.”

One example: Parishioners where he served for seven years, Our Lady of the Lake in Mound, recognized the 50th anniversary of the church building in part by conducting a “33 days to morning glory” retreat to prepare for a special consecration to Mary. They invited Bishop Andrew Cozzens to help lead the dedication. The dedication to Our Lady and having all parishioners dedicate themselves was “a beautiful, beautiful moment,” Father O’Neill said.

In addition to a brief service at Immaculate Conception in Watertown, Father O’Neill’s first assignment, in 2011, was as assistant priest at St. John Neumann in Eagan. He returned there last July as pastor.

A huge part of his being a pastor is a connection with schools, Father O’Neill said. He is canonical administrator for Faithful Shepherd School in Eagan, and previously served as chaplain at Visitation School in Mendota Heights.

Before he joined Our Lady of the Lake, its school was about to close, but a group of parishioners rallied, “saved the school” and entered a rebuilding process — rebuilding a sense of ownership and community, Father O’Neill said.

“I’ll always be grateful for that experience of rebuilding and seeing people’s commitment to Catholic education,” he said.

Memorable moments since his ordination have included baptizing a woman weeks before she turned 100. But some of the most profound interactions he has had have been around loss, Father O’Neill said.

“Just to be able to step in there, not as myself, but as Christ to these people and as a representative of the Church, the sacraments of the Church bring a lot of healing to people.”

He recalled being asked to anoint a man who had been away from the Church for 40 years and was dying and unable to speak. “I was saying the prayers and he was just gazing into my face, and I got done with the prayers and he died,” Father O’Neill said. “It was just a beautiful moment where God showed up and the man (who) had been gone from the Church for all those years was received back right before he went to meet the Lord.”

Ten years after his ordination, Father O’Neill said his advice to seminarians and young priests would be that “our job is to love the people and serve the people,” and bring the people to what now-retired Pope Benedict XVI described as an authentic encounter with Christ. “And also to realize, it doesn’t rely on you; it relies on the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God. And I’d also tell them to get ready to work,” he said with a laugh.

ather Mark Underdahl said he believes that his vocation to the priesthood was borne out of his experience at his home parish, St. Gabriel the Archangel in Hopkins, and the example of his pastors as he grew up. “But in many regards, it was through the love and support of our family and friends,” he said. “And that certainly continues today.”

As he marks 25 years as a priest, Father Underdahl especially credited his grandmothers, both now deceased, but his maternal grandmother in particular, describing her as like angel wings on his shoulder.

Father Underdahl needed those wings March 20, 2019, when he had a disabling stroke at 51, at the parish where he serves as pastor, St. Francis of Assisi in Lake St. Croix Beach. He had symptoms while at one end of the building, tried to get back to his residence but made it as far as the chapel, where he sat down in front of the Blessed Sacrament and called for help.

With hospitalization and therapy, he was away from the parish for three months. He remains grateful for his care teams, his family and his parish family. “I thank God every day for my assignment,” he said. In addition to help provided by parish staff and parishioners, the parish layout is accessible for people who use a walker or cane, which he does.

“I am so grateful for their assistance,” Father Underdahl said. “It’s very humbling for me to receive that.” He has right side weakness and needs help with things like putting on vestments and carrying items.

“The whole experience was just a profound experience of life and love,” he said. Many people have prayed for his recovery, and as a minister accustomed to visiting people in hospital rooms, he has become more aware of things that patients might be feeling or experiencing.

He suggests to new priests that they get to know their parishioners and not be afraid of difficult situations or experiences. “Even though I’m not as active as I used to be, I’m a very hands-on, active kind of priest,” he said. “The sacraments become so much more meaningful when you know (someone’s) story or know part of their lives, or even when you know their name. So, I try to get to know as many of the people as I can.”

Because of COVID-related restrictions earlier this year at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, where St. Francis of Assisi parishioners are normally confirmed, Father Underdahl was able to confirm his parish’s six entrants to full communion with the Church this year on Pentecost Sunday, May 23, at their parish. He also served as co-catechist, teaching the classes since last September. He said it was valuable for those entering the Church — all six were freshmen in high school — to see their pastor as “a real person.”

He said confirmation was a beautiful, awe-inspiring and “very personal” experience. “We just felt the Holy Spirit alive,” he said. “I’m getting tears in my eyes just talking about it, because it was such a powerful experience to know the kids and their struggles and their joys, and to see them filled with the Holy Spirit that day, to see them transformed.”

ather Thomas Sieg, 75, grew up in south Minneapolis and was one of seven men ordained in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1971. Yet he and Father Jerry Keiser were the only ones ordained on May 22. That year, he said, the preference was for ordinations to take place in parishes instead of the traditional location, the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

The seven ordinands met with Coadjutor Archbishop Leo Byrne at the chancery to discuss the change and state their preference for ordination location. Father Sieg and Father Keiser desired the Cathedral, and the other five their home parishes.

Archbishop Byrne said he would grant the request from the two ordinands, but Father Sieg remembers saying that “we’d be like peas in a boxcar.” He believed “two ordinations in that great big cathedral would be ridiculous. We should all do it the same.”

So, Fathers Sieg and Keiser picked the first available dates for ordination outside of the Cathedral of St. Paul.

But instead of being ordained at his parish, St. Peter in Richfield, Father Sieg asked if his ordination could take place at the newly remodeled chapel at the Academy of Holy Angels, also in Richfield. So that’s where he was ordained. Father Keiser was ordained at his home parish, then-Visitation in Minneapolis.

Because the two priests were ordained before the other five, they were able to concelebrate the ordinations of some of their classmates.

Now retired, Father Sieg served as both a parish priest and as an instructor in sacramental theology and homiletics at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. He said he learned something everywhere he served.

For one, he has learned the value of listening, whether as teacher, preacher or pastor. “Somebody told me that early on,” he said, “and I just came to value it more and more.”

“The longer I live, I have got to be a good listener,” he said. “A good preacher is important, too, but I’ve got to be a good listener.”

Asked what he’d say to new priests, Father Sieg suggested that they should never hesitate to ask others if they are unsure about something. “If there’s something you’re wondering about, you’re not sure how to deal with it, don’t hesitate to ask,” he said. “It would be foolish to be living with or even to know a priest who’s had more experience, who you admire or respect, and not ask for help, ask for ideas.”

When Father Sieg joined Risen Savior in Burnsville as pastor in 1988, the church was undergoing a major renovation of the worship area. With plans made before he arrived, he figured he wouldn’t need to make any decisions.

“Well, I discovered when you’re building something, there are always decisions that have to be made,” he said. “Something will have to be added, something will have to be subtracted and you’re going to run out of money. You can’t have all the windows you thought you were going to have.”

Father Sieg said he’s also learned how important it is to listen before acting, to try to get to know the people before making a lot of decisions for a parish. “Try to appreciate what the former pastors have done and not just criticize what the former pastor said because you’re going to be the former pastor pretty soon.”

FAITH+CULTURE

JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17

Congratulations, jubilarians!

The Catholic Spirit is honored to celebrate the priests who are marking 10, 25, 50 and 60 years of priestly ministry this year. In addition to the jubilarians featured on page 16, the following men are observing these significant anniversaries of their ordination to the priesthood. Congratulations to all of the archdiocesan priests — including those not listed below — celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.

Anoka (2011-2013), St. Michael in St. Michael (2013-2015), Ave Maria Academy in Maple Grove (2014-2015), St. Maximilian Kolbe in Delano (2015-2019) and Our Lady of the Lake in Mound (2019).

25 YEARS

10 YEARS

1996 ORDINATION

2011 ORDINATION

Father Kevin Finnegan, 59, has served as pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Edina since 2014 and as canonical administrator at St. John Paul II Catholic School in Minneapolis since 2015. He has also ministered at St. Edward in Bloomington(1996-1999), then-Immaculate Conception (1999-2000) and Divine Mercy in Faribault (2000-2014), St. Patrick in Shieldsville (2004-2012), St. Canice in Kilkenny (2004-2007) and St. Michael in Kenyon (2005-2014).

Father Cole Kracke, 46, has served as pastoral minister at St. Michael in Farmington since 2020. He has also ministered at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings (2011-2015), St. Mathias in Hampton (20152020), St. Mary in New Trier (20152020), and St. John the Baptist in Vermillion (2015-2020).

Father Jonathan Kelly, 48, has served as rector at St. John Vianney College Seminary since June 1. He has also ministered at All Saints in Lakeville (2011-2014), served as formator at the seminary (2014-2021) and ministered at Corpus Christi (2018-2020) and St. Rose of Lima (2018-2021) in Roseville.

Father Nathan LaLiberte, 36, has served as pastor of Nativity of Mary Church and School in Bloomington since 2019. He has also ministered at St. Stephen in

Father John Mitchell, 54, has served as pastor of St. Pascal Baylon in St. Paul since 2018, and as canonical administrator of St. Pascal Regional Catholic School since 2019. He has also ministered at St. John Neumann in Eagan (1996-2000), St. John the Baptist in Jordan (2000-2005), St. Pius X in White Bear Lake (2005-2012, 2017), Immaculate Conception in Columbia Heights (2012-2018), St. Bridget in Minneapolis (2016-2017) and Sacred Heart in St. Paul (2019-2020).

Father Michael Miller, 56, has served as pastor of St. Catherine in Spring Lake and St. Patrick in Cedar Lake since 2015. He has also ministered at St. Joseph in West St. Paul (1996-2001), then-St. Joseph and then-St. Peter in Delano (2001-2008), St. Mary and St. Michael (2008-2015) and St. Croix Catholic School (2008-2015) in Stillwater.

Father Thomas Wilson, 57, has served as pastor of All Saints in Lakeville since 2008. He has also ministered at Epiphany in Coon Rapids (1996-2001), then-St. John in St. Paul (2005-2008) and St. Michael in Farmington (20142015). He also served as chaplain for the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services (20002002) and as director of the vocations office (2001-2008).

50 YEARS

1971 ORDINATION Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, 74, is serving as parochial vicar for St. Ignatius in Annandale and St. Timothy in Maple Lake through July 31, and will become formation director at St. John Vianney College Seminary Aug. 1. He has also served as rector and vice president of The St. Paul Seminary (2005-2018), chaplain at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center (2006-2016), rector emeritus at The St. Paul Seminary (2018-2019), minister to clergy at the chancery Parish and CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

On the 41st Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood the members of the Church of St. Joseph, Red Wing

Faithful in life. Faithful in legacy.

Congratulate

You live a faith-filled life. You participate in the sacraments.

You pray and read scripture. You share generously of your time and talents. And your parish is at the center of it all.

Fr. Thomas Michael Kommers

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We also pray that God would bless Fr. Thomas and give him health and happiness as he enters into retirement.

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18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Clergy Service’s office (2018-2019), vicar of the Retired Clergy Office (2018-2019), occasional ministry at St. Timothy in Maple Lake (2018-2019) and formation advisor at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome and at St. John Vianney College Seminary (2019-2020). Msgr.

Callaghan is a priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Father Balufu (Cletus) Basekela, 75, retired in 2019 after serving as parochial administrator at St. Jerome in Maplewood from 2007-2019. He also ministered at St. Mark in St. Paul (2000-2001) and Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville (2001-2007).

Father George Grafsky, 76, retired in 2015 after serving as pastor of St. Anne in Le Seuer from 20032015. He also ministered at St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada (1971-1972), Maternity of Mary in St. Paul (1972-1975), the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul (1975-1977), St. Pascal Baylon in St. Paul (19771981), St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada (1981), St. Michael in Kenyon (1981-1985), St. Michael in Pine Island (1981-1985), St. Catherine in Spring Lake (1985-1992), St. Patrick in Cedar Lake (1985-1992), Most Holy Redeemer in Montgomery (1992-2003), the Knights of Columbus (chaplain, 1993-2003) and St. Patrick in Shieldsville (1995-1997).

Father James Notebaart, 76, retired in 2010 after serving as pastor of Gichitwaa Kateri in Minneapolis (2008-2010), where he also served in 2016-2017, and as director of the Indian Ministry Office (1989-2010).

He also ministered at St. Michael in Stillwater (1971-1973), Nativity of Mary in Bloomington (19731974), served as assistant director of the archdiocesan worship center (1974-1975), and ministered at St. Peter in North St. Paul (1974), St. Rose of Lima in Roseville (1974-1975), Our Lady of Grace in Edina (1975), as an instructor at St. Dominic Major Seminary in Zambia (1986-1989), as director of the Worship Center at the chancery (1975-1986) and served Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Minneapolis (1984-1986).

FAITH+CULTURE

JUNE 24, 2021

Father William Stolzman, 83, retired in 2008 after serving as canonical administrator at thenSt. Mary in Shakopee (2007-2008).

He also ministered at then-St. Mark in Shakopee (1988-1993), and at Immaculate Conception in Columbia Heights (1993-1994).

Father Stephen O’Gara, 76, retired in 2014 after serving as assistant priest, co-pastor and pastor of Assumption in St. Paul (2005-2014).

He also ministered at St. Olaf in Minneapolis (1971-1973), St. Thomas the Apostle in Minneapolis (1973-1979, 19882005), St. Dominic in Northfield (1979-1988), Annunciation in Hazelwood (19801988), Christ the King School and St. Thomas School (2002-2005). He also served as parochial administrator at Assumption in 2017 after retirement.

Father Jerome Keiser, 75, retired in 2015. He ministered at St. Rose of Lima in Roseville (1971-1974), served an assignment outside the archdiocese (1982-1987) and ministered at St. Mark in St. Paul (1987-2001) and at St. Francis of Assisi in Lake St. Croix Beach (2001-2015).

60 YEARS

1961 ORDINATION Father Robert Valit, 93, retired in 2001 after serving as associate pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Edina (1993-2001). He also ministered at then-St. Anne in Minneapolis (19741975), North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale (1975-1978), St. Margaret Mary in Golden Valley (1975-1978), St. Columba in St. Paul (1978-1980), St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada (1980-1982), then-St. Luke in St. Paul (1982-1983), St. John the Baptist in Dayton (1983-1989) and St. Peter in Forest Lake (1989-1993).

Father John Siebenaler, 86, retired in 1997 after serving as parochial administrator (1989-1990) and pastor (1990-1997) of St. John the Baptist in Dayton. He also ministered at St. Mary’s Hospital (1961), Christ the King in Minneapolis (19611962), St. Charles Borromeo in Minneapolis (1962-1963), St. Olaf in Minneapolis (1963-1968), Corpus Christi in Roseville (1968-1970), St. Augustine in South St. Paul (1970-1974), thenSt. Thomas in St. Thomas (1974-1977), St. Nicholas in New Market (1977-1989) and HealthEast St. Joseph Hospital in St. Paul (1988).

Father Kenneth Ludescher, 89, retired in 2004 after serving as pastor of St. Jerome in Maplewood from 1976-1995 and 1996-2004. He served at St. Jerome in other roles from 1970-1976, and also served on the faculty of (1961-1970) and as “vicar econome” (1966-1970) at the thenCollege of St. Catherine in St. Paul.

Father Roger Hessian, 86, retired in 2005 after serving as pastor of St. Pius V in Cannon Falls from 1992-2005.

He also ministered at St. Rose of Lima in Roseville (1961-1966), Christian Family Movement (1964-1966), Annunciation in Minneapolis (19661968), then-Immaculate Heart of Mary in St. Paul (1968-1970), St. John Vianney in South St. Paul (1970), St. Rita in Cottage Grove (1971-1972), Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese (1972-1975), St. Peter in North St. Paul (1975-1977), then-St. Leo in St. Paul (19771981) and St. Joseph in Red Wing (1981-1992).

Father William Whittier, 86, retired in 1999 after serving as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake from 1997-1999. He also ministered at Maternity of Mary in St. Paul (1961-1965), St. Matthew in St. Paul (1965-1971), St. Pius X in White Bear Lake (1971-1978), St. Edward in Bloomington (1979-1982), St. Bridget of Sweden in Lindstrom (1982-1994), was assigned outside the archdiocese from 1994-1996, and served Immaculate Conception in Columbia Heights (1996-1997).

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FAITH+CULTURE

JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

Travelin’ man Illinois Catholic comes to St. Michael on his ‘52 Masses’ tour

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

I

t’s doubtful anyone matched Daniel Markham’s driving distance for the 6 p.m. Sunday Mass June 13 at St. Michael in St. Michael.

He came all the way from Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, on a journey that began two days earlier, winding through Wichita, Kansas, and heading north through Iowa to the Twin Cities — all because of a phone conversation with the parish business administrator at St. Michael, Dave Ferry.

Five years ago, Markham decided he wanted to attend Mass in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

After several years of waiting, dreaming and planning, he got going the weekend of June 5 and 6 when he visited two states on the East Coast, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

After coming back to his home in Tinley Park, he went to Wichita for a Mass June 12 and hopped in his car the next morning to drive to St. Michael.

The day after Mass there, he went even farther north to visit Extreme Faith Camp near Pine River, about two hours north of the Twin Cities. The summercamp ministry was founded 20 years ago

by John O’Sullivan, youth director at St. Michael.

Markham’s taste of Minnesota will be highlighted in a book he plans to write after finishing all 52 visits, with the last one taking place in July 2022. The book will be called “52 Masses,” and will recount his visits not just to parishes but to ministries and organizations that intrigue him. He said he hopes to finish the book, which will be published by

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Daniel Markham prays during Mass at St. Michael in St. Michael June 13.

Peregrino Press in Green Bay, Wisconsin, by the end of 2022.

In the case of St. Michael, Markham said he was lured by the parish’s vibrant youth ministry, both O’Sullivan’s regular outreach plus the camps that take place every summer. Recently, Extreme Faith Camp announced it was joining with Damascus Catholic Mission Campus in Ohio to become Catholic Youth Summer Camp.

St. Michael was one of several dozen parishes in Minnesota to respond to queries Markham sent in 2018 and 2019. He had looked up websites and contact information for parishes in each state, then sent emails asking for more information. A parish staff member at St. Michael read the email and directed him to Ferry, who talked about youth ministry at St. Michael.

“I actually got a lot of really nice responses from Minnesota,” said Markham, 54, who belongs to St. Gerald in Oak Lawn with his wife, Kem. “One of the strongest responses of any state was from here. It was really neat.”

Currently, he has nearly half of his visits planned. He will finalize the rest between trips. His job as an editor of a trade magazine in the steel industry allows enough flexibility to accommodate his ambitious travel itinerary. In some cases, business and Mass trips coincide. Most of the time, he will go to one or two states per trip, but one trip will involve going to four or five parishes over a span of two and a half weeks. Total mileage for all 52 visits will be about 25,000, he said.

Markham is particularly looking forward to visiting a ministry in rural

Tennessee, which he is still trying to schedule. “They have a mobile health clinic because these rural communities have no health care services,” he said.

“So, St. Mary’s mobile health clinic goes every week out into the rural areas — usually connected with churches — and they provide a host of services.”

In addition to watching and documenting the ministry in action, which is based in Knoxville and called St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, Markham hopes to roll up his sleeves and help.

“When I go there, I want to volunteer and help them, not just observe,” he said. “Wherever possible, I want to actually participate as much as I can.”

Most of the time, Markham will drive to his destination — in his wife’s 2014 Subaru — but will take a plane when necessary. In one instance, he not only will fly to the state, but keep on flying while there. That is causing more than a little apprehension.

“I’m going to Alaska and I’m going to fly with a priest who’s a pilot, to serve the communities you can’t reach by vehicle,” he said. “I’m absolutely terrified of the idea of flying around in a little plane with the priest who’s a pilot. But, when he invited me, I knew I couldn’t say no.”

One of the last trips will be to the Blackfoot Reservation in Montana, where he will attend a powwow that closes with a Mass. He will attend another outdoor Mass at Yellowstone National Park, which features regular Masses on weekends.

These events are part of the diversity in the U.S. Catholic Church that he wants to feature in his book.

“There are so many wonderful things that take place on a daily basis in our Church,” he said. “That’s what I want to get across (in the book). That’s ultimately why I’m doing it.”

On the personal side, “I want to come home a much better Catholic in every way possible.”

Congratulates and thanks our pastor

Father Mark Underdahl

on his 25th Anniversary of Ordination “Come celebrate with us in the beautiful St. Croix Valley” http://www.stfrancislscbmn.org

MOVIE REVIEWS TheCatholicSpirit.com

“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Matthew 25:23

FAITH+CULTURE

20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

Bringing home babies: How Sen. Julia Coleman is fueled by faith

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

A Humor! My husband and I make

At 29, Julia Coleman is the youngest Minnesota state senator in office, serving District 47. She’s also the mother to three boys under age 2. Her Catholic faith sustains her. The Chanhassen resident attends nearby St. Hubert as well as the Cathedral of St. Paul, where she and her husband, Jacob, were married.

Last month their twins were born at 33 weeks. After 27 days in the NICU of Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, James and Charles were brought home, joining big brother Adam, who is 20 months.

Q Tell me about Jacob, who is a

everything lighthearted when it can be.

firefighter.

A I have learned a lot from his service.

When people are running away from a situation, he’s the one running toward it.

That’s how I want to be as a state senator.

Q And what have you learned from your father-in-law, former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman?

A He’s seen how unfairly conservatives

are treated by the media and has shown me how to utilize your own media to get your voice out there.

Q You had a legislative special session

today and then brought Charles home!

How are you feeling?

A It’s a mixed bag. We had to be so

strong to get through all the scary parts.

We didn’t know if the boys were going to make it more than a few minutes or hours upon their birth. The doctor has since told me that there were times she looked at their scans and didn’t think they’d ever make it home. I’m so grateful, and I’m going to remember that when I’m up at 2 and 4 this morning.

Q How were you able to keep engaged as a senator during such an intense time? Wasn’t your brain fried?

A A couple nurses said, “You seem like

you were made to have these twins.”

My husband and I thrive on being busy — perpetual motion. It creates a great balance. I can spend a lot of time at home with my children and volunteer within the community, and then half the year, I’m a Minnesota state senator. I get to be fulfilled in many different ways.

Q Is it true your husband distracted you during the C-section by talking policy?

A Yes! We were talking about

redistricting and if we thought it was going through the Legislature or to the state Supreme Court.

Q During your NICU time, was it hard to admit when you needed a break?

A I’d like to say I’m self-aware enough

for a break, but my husband and I told each other when the other person appeared to need a break. The best thing was to do nothing! Clear your mind.

Meditation, prayer, talking to God. You cannot pour from an empty cup.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

State Sen. Julia Coleman with her husband, Jacob, and their three children: Adam, left, and twins Charles and James.

Q How did your NICU experience change you as a senator?

A When I first became a senator, I was a

little nervous. Will I be good enough for my constituents? There’s a confidence you gain from going through this.

There’s a perspective you gain, having children stare death in the eye, and to be granted a miracle. Your connection to your faith is stronger. You trust everything will work out. I feel more capable. Once you’ve faced the scariest situation you can face — losing a child — not much else looks scary.

Q What might that look like in action?

A I think about the world I want my children to inherit, and I want to fight like the mama bear I am to bring that about. That means being willing to go against cultural norms and speak for the values I want them to inherit.

Q Did some of the nurses seem like angels?

A Absolutely! There are nurses that,

I feel, are sent to that room at that moment in your life for a reason. It’s meant to be. Now my husband and I want to improve the lives of other NICU parents and raise money for their children. We want to make that a passion project.

Q How do you manage the scrutiny of public life?

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A There were women on Instagram telling

me I was relinquishing my role as a mother by working outside the home. But there are great writings even by Pope John Paul II that disagree with that. When you know you’re at a point in your life when you’re feeling called to be where you are, when you feel that you’re on the right path, the criticism rolls off your back.

Q What do you make of the criticism?

A When you’re in the public eye and you’re constantly receiving criticism, it can be easy to do one of two things: either take it all personally and get upset or ignore it all. But there is constructive criticism out there, which is why it’s important to pause and consider if it’s true.

Q Can you recall a constructive one?

A When my first son was born, I was

so excited to be a mom that I shared everything — not only on my private page but on my campaign page as well.

Someone said, “We want to hear less about your baby and more about your policies!” At first, I was a little offended, and then I said, “You’re right! You want to hear my ideas. Here they are.”

Q The last few years have been a

whirlwind! You haven’t been married three years yet, you’re now a senator and a mom of three. How do you process it all?

Q What’s your go-to prayer?

A When I’m up in the middle of the

night, it’s the Hail Mary — especially that “full of grace” line. That’s what I’m trying to be. In times of real struggle, my husband and I turn to the Infant Jesus of Prague novena. It has helped us focus on putting our faith in God and surrendering, saying, “I trust in you” and then shutting off the worry. Prayer is an essential part of motherhood. It’s the first thing I do, before turning to the baby tricks and tips. First you turn to prayer.

Q Was one of those novenas prayed during your worrisome pregnancy with the twins?

A Yes. At one point, doctors told us we

could increase James’ chance of survival if we killed Charles. Jacob and I both insistently said: “That’s not on the table.”

We were never going to choose between our kids. We’re incredibly pro-life. That’s when you lean on your faith and you trust that God has a bigger plan.

Q You’ve accomplished so much and

you’re not yet 30! What’s next for you?

A Writing a book someday! There was

a point in my life when I was living in a three-season porch all year round. I remember falling asleep curling up next to a space heater. I could see my breath.

Pulling myself out of that situation and rediscovering my faith is something I would love to share. Many people lose their faith because of bad times, and I would like to help them find their faith because of bad times.

JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 21

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER NELS GJENGDAHL

‘Just have faith’

In our Catholic faith, we are frequently drawn to thinking about life and death. Our entire faith is centered around the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even in our church buildings, a visual centerpiece is the crucifix. We know all of this through faith.

However, when we are confronted with death on a personal level, it can easily impact us down to the very core of who we are.

And we see this occur in our Gospel today. Jairus, the synagogue official, receives the most terrible news of his life: “Your daughter has died.” He is entering into pain, anguish and emptiness. Even the people who brought him this terrible news indicate that any hope is truly gone when they ask, “Why trouble the teacher any longer?”

Death seems to have had the final say in the matter.

To everyone involved, it appears that the final chapter is written and the book is closed.

But Jesus responds with a curious statement: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ

Catholics and ‘cancel culture’

Q I have noticed something

happening in our society that people have called “cancel culture.”

How are we supposed to respond to this as Christians?

A This is quite the timely (and

potentially volatile) question! Over the course of the past few years, the prevalence and power of social media has given rise to this reality.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, “cancel culture” refers to a kind of “boycotting or shunning of an individual or group who is deemed to have acted or spoken in a questionable or controversial manner.”

(Thank you for the definition, Wikipedia.)

This kind of response to unwanted speech or behavior is nothing new. All cultures throughout the world have had a standard of behavior that gets reinforced through the way people respond to each other. In fact, there have been many societies that are identified as “honorbased” or “shame-based” cultures. In many of these cases, there is a clear delineation between what kinds of actions are acceptable and which are not. To violate cultural norms is to risk being ostracized (or “canceled”).

In that small statement, Jesus teaches this man how to conquer the deepest fear that he has ever experienced. Notice, Jesus does not only simply say, “Do not be afraid.” For if Jesus stopped there, then Jesus would be telling Jarius to use his own power to overcome his fear. But Jesus says to him, “Just have faith.”

In this way, Jesus is teaching him how to respond to fear and how to cast out the fear — through faith in him. And with the power as the Son of God, Jesus raises his daughter from the dead.

This call from Jesus to conquer fear with true faith is not only for Jarius, but is for all of us today. We live in a time when fear seems to be readily available. As the events of the past year-and-a-half unfolded, there were many opportunities for fear, and many remain. It is tempting to give in to fear, and to even say that it is reasonable for us to fear. We are tempted to be like the onlookers who said to Jarius, “Why trouble the teacher any longer?”

It is precisely into these real fears in our lives that Jesus is saying these same words: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Jesus is still alive and still working in our lives. While our five senses may tell us that there is reason to fear, we must be called back to the realities of our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ, who has conquered all things, even death itself.

Back in 2018, Don Briel, the founder and director of

Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, gave a deathbed interview to Maria Wiering of The Catholic Spirit. In his interview, he was asked about his encounter with one of his nurses, who was surprised at how he handled his diagnosis. The nurse even inquired how a theologian approaches death.

Briel responded, “Again I’m struck by the fact that I think so many people are fearful. John Paul II said the 20th century will be remembered not so much for its bloodiness, which was catastrophic, but for fear. And I think so many people are fearful of death largely because they don’t have any sense that there is anything other than the immediacy of the material world. And for me, as for any Christian, of course, our confidence is not in this world but the world into which we are invited in Christ, and the great hope that gives us in the face of the prospect of death.”

Briel knew the immediacy of Jesus Christ, so that even when all hope appeared to be lost, he heard Jesus speaking to him: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

This Sunday, and every day of our lives, let us acknowledge that we are tempted to fear, but let us not give in to that fear, but respond as Jesus calls us to by having faith in him, for Jesus has conquered all things, even death itself.

Not only that, but an argument can be made for the value of being able to make people experience consequences for bad behavior when the systems that are set up for those consequences fail to bring about justice.

So, if this is nothing new, then is it nothing big? If this is common in many cultures, are those who are concerned about cancel culture making a fuss over nothing?

While canceling might not be novel to our culture, I do not believe that our current society is well-equipped to deal with this question, for at least two reasons: We lack truth and grace.

Relativism and subjectivism are a part of our societal landscape. The affirmation that there is no real right and no real wrong is one of the beliefs that has been broadly accepted by our culture. I remember hearing a priest once say something along the lines of, “We live in a culture that claims that there is no such thing as right and wrong, yet everyone is desperately afraid of being judged.” That has been my experience. When there is no real sense of right and wrong, all we are left with is utility and preference. “Does it work?” or “Do I like it?” are all we are left with.

With no objective standard, there are no external guiding principles for behaviors. And with no guiding principles, there is no limit to what can be a “cancelable offense” except a person’s own willingness (or unwillingness) to tolerate an opinion or behavior they don’t like.

Without objective truth, the only two options this kind of culture has are to either tolerate and celebrate

all behavior or to condemn behaviors that we dislike.

Even more, cancel culture doesn’t merely condemn behaviors, it condemns people.

And this is possibly the heart of what is wrong with cancellations. They do not stop at pointing out evil (or even merely unpopular) ideas and behaviors. They target people. As Catholic Christians, we do condemn certain ideas or behaviors as wrong or evil. We do hold up certain behaviors as good and virtuous. But we are prohibited from condemning individuals.

Further, when we Christians encounter our own (or another’s) failings, we have recourse. We can acknowledge our sins and ask for forgiveness. There is a remedy to our brokenness and failure, and it is called mercy — it is called “grace.” But a world without God cannot offer what it does not have. And our world has chosen to fashion itself as a world without God, which has led to a world without grace.

In the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes the situation of a member of the Church who was living in a romantic relationship with his father’s wife. Paul was shocked that his fellow Christians knew about this and tolerated this scandalous behavior.

What the man and woman were doing was clearly wrong, yet no one in the community was doing or saying anything about it. Because of this, St. Paul instructed the local Church to treat the man “as an unbeliever” so that he would realize his sin, repent of his choice, and be reconciled with the Church. This is the first description of something like

Sunday, July 4 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Ez 2:2-5 2 Cor 12:7-10 Mk 6:1-6

Monday, July 12 Ex 1:8-14, 22 Mt 10:34–11:1

Friday, July 16 Ex 11:10–12:14 Mt 12:1-8

Tuesday, July 13 Ex 2:1-15a Mt 11:20-24

Saturday, July 17 Ex 12:37-42 Mt 12:14-21

Wednesday, July 14 St. Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin Ex 3:1-6, 9-12 Mt 11:25-27

Sunday, July 18 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jer 23:1-6 Eph 2:13-18 Mk 6:30-34

Father Gjengdahl is chaplain of Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria.

PLEASE TURN TO ASK FATHER MIKE ON PAGE 27

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, June 27 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, June 28 St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr Gn 18:16-33 Mt 8:18-22 Tuesday, June 29 Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles Acts 12:1-11 2 Tm 4:6-8, 14-18 Mt 16: 13-19

Wednesday, June 30 Gn 21:5, 8-20a Mt 8:28-34 Thursday, July 1 Gn 22:1b-19 Mt 9:1-8 Friday, July 2 Gn 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67 Mt 9:9-13 Saturday, July 3 St. Thomas, apostle Eph 2:19-22 Jn 20:24-29

Monday, July 5 Gn 28:10-22a Mt 9:18-26 Tuesday, July 6 Gn 32:23-33 Mt 9:32-38 Wednesday, July 7 Gn 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a Mt 10:1-7

Thursday, July 8 Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5 Mt 10:7-15 Friday, July 9 Gn 46:1-7, 28-30 Mt 10:16-23 Saturday, July 10 Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a Mt 10:24-33 Sunday, July 11 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Am 7:12-15 Eph 1:3-14 or 1:3-10 Mk 6:7-13

Thursday, July 15 St. Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the church Ex 3:13-20 Mt 11:28-30

22 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

FOCUSONFAITH

CUPPA JOE | KELLY WAHLQUIST

Joseph, virginal father of Jesus When asked to speak on the virginity of St. Joseph, I tried to convince Deacon Dan Gannon to switch talks. Deacon Gannon’s talk “Wonder 9: Patron of a Happy Death” (Nov. 2) will be at the Carondelet Center, which the Sisters of St. Joseph own, and I worked as a nursing supervisor at the retirement home of the sisters for years. I have been with many sisters as they experienced a happy death. But, alas, Deacon Gannon did not want to give up a happy death for virginity.

Contemplating this fourth wonder, I realized that I had never given much thought to the concept that St. Joseph remained a virgin all his life. So, I ventured on a prayerfilled quest to know the man, St. Joseph, better.

Though precious little information about St. Joseph is found in Scripture, we do know he was just, faithful, righteous and obedient. We know he made a living as a carpenter. We know he guarded the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and we know he loved and protected his family.

St. Joseph’s first vocation was that of a spouse, then it became spouse and father. But first, he was the most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Scripture tells us that Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb at the time our Lady was already betrothed to St. Joseph, which means he was present in Mary’s life before the Annunciation. I don't think I had given that concept much thought either.

St. Joseph was there before the Annunciation, throughout the pregnancy and at the Nativity. He was the man nearest to Christ at the moment of his birth.

St. Joseph’s arms received and welcomed God Incarnate into the world! It’s not a stretch to believe, then, that God would make the man who was to receive his Son at the Nativity a pure man, much like he made the woman who received his son at the Annunciation a pure woman.

Yet, throughout the ages, the struggle to understand how St. Joseph could control his passions and remain chaste while married to a beautiful woman led to him being portrayed as an elderly man. Depicting St. Joseph as an old grandfatherly man made it easier to accept that he was a virgin, reasoning that an old grandfatherly man would be less tempted and less of a temptation.

However, in his book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father,” Father Don Calloway, along with many saints, scholars and theologians, proposes that St. Joseph was a young man — stating “it would take a strong, loving, youthful, and virginal man to make such a tremendous sacrifice of his mind, body, senses, and heart in order to espouse a woman so pure and lovely.”

Indeed, he was no random Joe! St. Joseph, just like Mary, was fashioned for God’s holy purpose from the beginning; for, this earthly father would have an influence on Jesus. From St. Joseph, Jesus would have learned to read, pray and understand the Hebrew Scriptures. He would have also learned his father’s trade — no doubt, learning what it means to work hard and live a humble and virtuous life.

But also from St. Joseph, Jesus would copy mannerisms, share little idiosyncrasies, maybe laugh at the same silly things. Who knows? Perhaps at the wedding in Cana, Jesus told a corny joke and then looked at his mother smiling and said, “Remember when Dad used to say that?”

JUNE 24, 2021

“Cuppa Joe” is a series of 10 talks by 10 theologians on the 10 wonders of St. Joseph, taking place at 10 locations in our archdiocese entrusted to the patronage of our spiritual father.

These talks premiere the first Tuesday of the month, March through December, at 4 p.m. — just in time for your afternoon coffee. The next presentation, “Just and Reverent Man” by Father Kevin Zilverberg, will be posted July 6. It was recorded at St. Joseph in New Hope.

— The Catholic Spirit

God knew what he was doing when he made the man who would raise his only begotten Son a pure man. And as the great Josephology scholar Father Francis Filas said, “God in His providence gave the Saint special graces to make him fit for so unique a calling, and Joseph obeyed these inspirations in an equally special way.” Nothing is impossible with God! Wahlquist is director of the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul. She also is founder of WINE: Women In the New Evangelization. Wahlquist adapted this essay from her June presentation for “Cuppa Joe,” a 10-part series on the spiritual wonders of St. Joseph. It was recorded at St. Joseph in Red Wing.

Mixing pot of European immigrants founded St. Joseph, Red Wing Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in a monthly series on 10 places in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis with connections to St. Joseph.

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit In the 1850s, the founding families of St. Joseph in Red Wing — many of them German immigrants still mastering English — welcomed into their homes a priest with a French accent who came monthly on horseback to say Mass.

Language must not have been that much of an issue, because Father Felix Tissot, who served missionary Catholic communities in Goodhue and Wabasha counties of southeast Minnesota, charged the 15 families, German and Irish, in 1862 with building a church.

In 1865, Bishop Thomas Grace dedicated their first modest wooden church, located in what is now the archdiocese’s southeast corner, naming Father Christian Knauf as the first resident pastor. The parish’s boundaries extended north to Miesville, southwest to Goodhue and southeast into the limits of Lake City. St. Joseph became the patron, probably because the saint was especially significant to Germans, said Father Thomas Kommers, current pastor.

The immigrant congregation, later joined by Polish and other Slavic immigrants, was determined that their parish would be American.

“It’s quite remarkable,” Father Kommers said. “They wanted to honor their background and where they came from and keep up some of their

traditions, but most of all they wanted to be American Catholics.”

Frederick and Anna Busch and their eight children were among the parish’s early German families. From their family came Bishop Joseph Busch, who served as bishop in Lead, South Dakota, and St. Cloud, Minnesota, as well as a monsignor, a religious sister and perhaps more vocations. After Frederick’s 1908 death, Anna donated to the parish some of the land on which the current church stands, according to parish historian Jeff Grosso, a parishioner since 1981.

Land for the parish’s Calvary Cemetery was sold to the parish in 1868 by Vital Bouiere, a member of the Dakota tribe.

As the parish grew, the 100-seat wooden church became too small. In 1877, Father John Stariha as pastor oversaw the building of a cruciform-shaped church of buffcolored stone with room for 400. The old church’s materials were used for an addition to the school the parish had built in 1873.

In July 1890, tragedy hit when the Sea Wing, a ship carrying about 215 passengers, overturned in Lake Pepin during a thunderstorm, and 98 drowned, including eight St. Joseph parishioners, Grosso said.

The ship was returning from an excursion in Lake City. The incident is still considered one of the worst maritime disasters of the upper Mississippi River.

By 1960, parish leaders anticipated Red Wing’s growth, and under Father H. Derham Ryan, planned for several new buildings, including a new church.

The church was built during the

COURTESY ST. JOSEPH, RED WING

St. Joseph in Red Wing’s first church (circled), was a white, wood-framed structure dedicated in 1865. It seated 100 people and served as the parish home until a larger, stone church was built in 1877.

Second Vatican Council and its first Mass was celebrated in 1965, the year the council closed. Its design anticipated council changes. The 16-sided cylindrical structure is fan-shaped with seating that curves around the sanctuary. It was one of the first of its kind in the archdiocese, said Father Kommers, who is retiring after 18 years as pastor at the end of June.

A modern statue of St. Joseph is mounted on a church wall. Another statue of St. Joseph was removed from the stone church before it was demolished. The parish no longer has that statue and leaders don’t know if it still exists. The parish is restoring a large painting of St. Joseph with the child Jesus from the 1890s.

Though parish leaders had planned for continued growth, the city didn’t expand as expected. In 2014 the parish school

closed permanently, Father Kommers said. St. Joseph now serves around 1,000 households, 200 of them Latino, the parish’s most recent immigrants, he said.

The parish typically honors St. Joseph at Mass on his feast days.

Father Kommers said he appreciates St. Joseph’s role as a humble worker.

“Maybe some of that is apocryphal, but still, it’s something very nice and I think genuinely kind of good about the notion that it is humbling for all of us,” he said.

St. Joseph is also inspirational as a father, Grosso said.

“For me, he’s the ultimate father figure,” he said. “When you’re a parent you think about the things that St. Joseph had to do. … He’s an example of what perseverance and fatherhood should be like.”

JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 23

COMMENTARY INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC

School choice front and center Catholics are back at the State Capitol in St. Paul making their voices heard in person now that the doors of “the people’s house” have reopened to the public. A 15-month closure amid the pandemic shifted most legislative business and public advocacy online.

When the doors reopened June 10, Minnesota Catholic Conference staff joined parents and others asking Gov. Tim Walz to sign school choice legislation. The rally was led by Exodus Minnesota, an organization started by five Black mothers who believe expanding school choice is essential to ensuring all students can access quality education.

They are advocating for creation of education savings accounts that would allocate funds to the child instead of to school systems, enabling parents to decide how their education dollars are spent.

After Walz refused to meet with them following an invitation they hand-delivered to his residence, the Exodus moms marched from their press conference and joined the governor at his press conference.

Although he refused again to listen to their concerns, the presence of school choice supporters has become an enduring image of this month’s special session, and a reminder to lawmakers that the school choice movement is not going away.

Not only are citizen advocates and lobbyists back inside the Capitol, but lawmakers have also returned to the chambers for a special session. The special session, called by Walz to extend his COVID-19 peacetime emergency powers by 30 days, is expected to continue until the Legislature passes the state’s $52 billion biennial budget.

It is expected that public officials will come to an agreement by the July 1 deadline, but that other than COVID relief, very few items on each party’s wish list will get accomplished because the Legislature is divided on partisan lines.

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD

Who is standing in the breach?

Long before the Catholic Watchmen movement, Christians were called to battle — to defend the faith of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church — spiritually and physically.

Indeed, no less of a need do we have today for spiritual fathers to “stand in the breach” (Ez 22:30) to teach, guard and lead their families in a secularized world. What does it look like to stand in the breach for those at home for whom you love and care?

Making a stand for your loved ones against enemies who want to divide your family deliberately or subtly — with distorted truths — requires great spiritual and mental strength. Engaging the mind, body, heart and soul to ferret out the things of the world that are meant to be good certainly takes prayer, hard work, and an enduring patience with people to try to make best of the good — especially when it comes to family.

Nevertheless, we are called as spiritual leaders to stand in the breach to help deal with and discern the passions, possessions, honors and other things that enter the home life.

Not only do Watchmen take on this “standing in the breach” responsibility for the sake of the family, but also for the sake of what gets outside of it.

School choice advocates at a June 10 Gov. Tim Walz press conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul.

COURTESY MINNESOTA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE STAFF

Senate Republicans are focused on lowering or keeping taxes flat, and Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and House Democrats are focused on boosting public school spending.

In the meantime, MCC staff continue to advocate for several issues to be included in the final budget.

Among those are: nonconforming drivers’ licenses and identification cards for immigrants, education savings accounts for students, nonpublic school aid, payday-lending reform, earned sick and safe time, driver’s license suspension reform, emergency services and shelter program funding, a strong safety net for the state’s poorest families, and an expansion of a medical assistance program to include at least six months of coverage for postpartum women.

“Inside the Capitol” is a monthly update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff while the State Legislature is not in session. For more MCC resources, join the Catholic Advocacy Network at mncatholic.org.

Relationships, the Mass, processions, prayer vigils and sharing meals together are ways we form spiritual leaders, spiritual fathers and, ultimately, more Catholic Watchmen to stand in the breach.

iSTOCK PHOTO | KRURAPHOTO

Society needs to flourish, and the family functioning rightly ordered with an unwavering faith ignites the opportunity to transform the world.

In “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis wrote, “The family is the fundamental cell of society where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another.” Hence, to discuss differences where the truth is sorted out of the rabble requires spiritual leaders — family leaders who weigh heavily upon supernatural and human virtues.

The Catholic Watchmen movement was mobilized five years ago, and its primary purpose is to get men to gather and help keep each other accountable as spiritual leaders, so that they can obtain and live a faith-filled life of virtue that starts at home with their own families, and in turn, they and their families

Tell Sens. Klobuchar and Smith to oppose the Equality Act As Catholics, we believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. The Equality Act, which the U.S. Senate is expected to take up soon, in many ways does the opposite and needs to be opposed. Instead of respecting differences in beliefs about marriage and sexuality, the Equality Act would discriminate against people of faith.

Learn more and send your message to Sens. Klobuchar and Smith at mncatholic.org/actioncenter.

can help lead and witness the Christian life to others.

Watchmen know that if they are not standing against potential adversities to faith and the moral life of their families, many adversaries or the one adversary — the world, the flesh and the devil — may enter the breach.

Our vocation as Catholic Watchmen is to emulate St. Joseph’s spiritual fatherhood, ensuring in our sphere of influence — family, parish life, workplace, community activities — others are encouraged by our example. That includes embracing, teaching and modeling the seven disciplines of spiritual fatherhood, including daily prayer, Sunday Mass and monthly confession, especially in a culture where the family is under attack. This is especially important in our circle of trust — where others recognize the trust that Watchmen have in God and how we rely on the powerful intercession of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph — the terror of demons and the pillar of families.

Trust is how relationships initiate, develop and grow in bringing other men to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Relationships, the Mass, processions, prayer vigils and sharing meals together are ways we form spiritual leaders, spiritual fathers and, ultimately, more Catholic Watchmen to stand in the breach.

Priest, celibate, religious, married or single — all men are called to embrace spiritual fatherhood. If you are responsible in helping and caring for another, you are a spiritual father helping Jesus set the world on fire! You are standing in the breach.

Deacon Bird ministers at St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville, and assists the archdiocese’s Catholic Watchmen movement. Learn about the Catholic Watchmen at archspm.org/faith-communities/men.

COMMENTARY

24 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY

He anointed me that day with the kind of affirmation and exhortation only a father can bestow, and it has shaped my life for the better in countless ways.

What dads do

I am the sixth of seven children, the fifth girl. When my mom was at the hospital delivering me, my brother, Joe, an only boy among four girls, was anxiously standing by the phone awaiting the news of my arrival and so hoping for a little brother. A boy was expected; the name “Michael” selected. It was looking to fall Joe’s way.

Alas, the phone rang, Joe picked it up, and before anyone else could respond, he clunked it back into the receiver with great 6-year-old dismay and said — and I quote — “Another dumb girl!” Thus, my welcome into the universe.

That story has been told repeatedly in my family with great affection, because, of course, I was anything but another dumb girl. I have my father to thank for much of my understanding that, despite my brother’s initial proclamation, not only wasn’t I dumb, I might just be something special, something to celebrate.

For example, when contemplating graduate school, I was swaying dramatically back and forth between pursuing a life of writing or a life in law. My father had been a judge for nearly 20 years and an attorney for another 20 years before that. Two of my siblings practice law and most of my siblings married lawyers or someone serving in a legislature. The law was

FAITH AT HOME | LAURA KELLY FANUCCI

Seven surprising places to find God this summer

School is done and summer has begun. But between registering kids for sports and mapping family road trips, I've had to catch myself.

Where could we seek and find God in this new season, too?

Here are seven places you might delight to encounter God with your family this summer. u By the water If you spend time near a lake, river or ocean, let your thoughts wander from the waves to the God who once walked on them.

Take a moment to pray to Jesus who lived near the shore: “Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them” (Mk 2:13). u Eating outside When we think of Jesus eating, we often picture the Last Supper in the upper room. But remember he ate outside, too: miraculous meals when he fed thousands or ordinary afternoons when he stopped to

iSTOCK PHOTO | EVGENYATAMANENKO

something I had admired and appreciated my whole life.

As I talked with my dad about this decision, I was filled with anxiety about making the right choice.

What if I chose poorly? Would my life be ruined?

He listened and after a thoughtful pause, he said, “Of my children, I think you would make a very good lawyer. You love to reason and to make an argument and you would be very good at that.” He paused again and I thought he was finished, but then he added: “But when you write, I don’t even know where that comes from.” His voice was sincere, reverent, a little pleased. “It seems to me,” he went on, “that that is something very special.”

eat with his friends. Sound familiar for the rest stops and road trips of your youth?

Christ even cooked for his friends the morning after his resurrection, a reminder that every picnic or campfire meal can lead us to prayer: “Jesus said to them, ‘Come, have breakfast’” (Jn 21:12). u Under the night sky As a child, I listened to my grandfather tell ancient tales of the constellations around a bonfire. Our faith is full of star stories, too: the creation of the heavens in Genesis, God’s promise to Abraham of countless descendants, and the new star that pointed the Magi to Bethlehem.

How could campfire conversations invite your children or grandchildren to wonder like the skygazing psalmist, “When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you set in place” (Ps 8:4)? u Among the flowers As a mom of five boys, I have been given dandelion bouquets for years now. Each proud fistful reminds me to stop and see the beauty — even in the weeds — that God has planted around us.

Summer brings full bloom to many landscapes, offering the sight and scent of creation’s bounty in ways that inspire our prayer and praise: “Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them” (Mt 6:28-29). u On vacation Jesus and his followers were often on the move

JUNE 24, 2021 I have often thought of that moment and wondered if it wouldn’t have been easier for my father to encourage me in law, something he knew so well and had mastered himself. Instead, he gave me permission, not only to be who I was and to pursue the unique gifts I’d been given, but perhaps even more important, to be different from him, to choose a life that would be vastly unlike his. He anointed me that day with the kind of affirmation and exhortation only a father can bestow, and it has shaped my life for the better in countless ways.

I read somewhere not long ago that scientists have figured out a way to fertilize a woman’s egg with a little help from chemicals using only matter from the bodies of women — sperm is no long necessary.

Men are obsolete — or so the article quipped — for life to continue. Leaving the medical ethics of such an experiment aside, let me speak directly to fathers everywhere: You will never, ever be obsolete. Your children will always need you to speak your blessing and affirmation over them, to help give their hopes and dreams life. And in this way, you are in the image and likeness of God the Father. What could be more necessary, more sacred?

Father of all creation, thank you for the gift of my father’s life and the infinite ways he has given me life and blessing. I pray that all fathers would know the great sanctity of their fatherhood and the inexhaustible ways that they bestow life and priceless benediction.

Kelly is the award-winning author of nine books, including the just released “Love Like A Saint: Cultivating Virtue with Holy Women.” Visit her website at lizk.org.

during his ministry. While their travels were far from a summer vacation, any chance we get to see or stay somewhere different can open our eyes to new ways of knowing God. As you pack for a family reunion or weekend with friends, carry the spirit of the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “Then they said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?’”

(Lk 24:32). u Gathering together After long months of isolation or separation, many are rejoicing in reconnecting with loved ones.

As we set extra places at the table, spread picnic blankets at the park or double the recipes for favorite summer treats, we can offer prayers of thanksgiving: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). u In rest Remember as you work and play this summer that rest is holy, too: “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation” (Gn 2:3).

Let yourself take a nap, read a spiritual book or curl up for a cuddle with your youngest family member.

What space can you make for Sabbath in each week of this fleeting season?

Fanucci is a writer, speaker, and author of several books including “Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting.” She is a parishioner at St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove. Her work can be found at laurakellyfanucci.com.

Congratulations Fr. Nathan LaLiberte

Congratulates and thanks our retired pastor

On the 10th Anniversary of your Ordination!

on his 25th Anniversary of Ordination

Parishioners and Staff of Nativity of Mary

Father Jerry Keiser

“Come celebrate with us in the beautiful St. Croix Valley” http://www.stfrancislscbmn.org

COMMENTARY

JUNE 24, 2021

THE LOCAL CHURCH | AMY CROWTHER

Great uncle, great priest

Father Roger Hessian, my great-uncle, celebrated his 60th anniversary of ordination into the priesthood in February. This remarkable milestone has prompted me to reflect on what a blessing he has been to our family. Growing up, I never thought much about having a priest in the family, but with age and perspective, I have come to realize what a unique gift it has been. It brings God out of the four walls of the church and into the familiar settings of family life. The relationship “Father Roge” has with God is evident in the joy and peace he carries with him through life. His mere presence in our family during times of happiness and sadness brings us blessings, not to mention the very important blessings he has bestowed on us through his official duties as a priest.

His close relationship with God brings us all a little closer to God. Our family has an annual tradition of summer vacations to the north woods. We have a big family, and we rent a large lakeside cabin to house everyone.

Aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents, greataunts, great-uncles and great-great-uncles all come together for a week to relax and play. It’s loud, it’s busy, it’s boisterous. And right there in the mix of it all is Father Roge. Most of the week is bustling with activity as we enjoy the lake. Feet thunder down the dock as kids run and splash into the water. Squeals and shrieks accompany the natural sounds of bugs buzzing and leaves rustling. Uncle Tom’s pontoon boat runs like a ferry, taking rounds of people tubing, swimming or sunset cruising. Days often close with spirited songs and stories around a bonfire.

And amongst all that energy rests Uncle Roge.

Reading peacefully in the shade, riding along on a sunset cruise or laughing with us around the fire — his stories reaching back the farthest in time and

his laugh ringing out the loudest. He is a physical presence of joy and love, a physical reminder of the Holy Spirit there with us.

All week, we boat and swim and play, but when Sunday comes, for a bit of time we come together to pray. Father Roge leads us as we pray for those who are no longer with us in body but are with us in spirit.

We thank God for our family. We gather around a long dining table and quiet ourselves as Father Roge adorns himself with a Guatemalan stole (a souvenir from a service trip visiting my sister when she worked as a volunteer), prepares the chalice and paten (a gift from my late grandparents on his ordination), selects family-favorite hymns for Uncle Bob to sing, and passes out readings for my cousins to read. He brings the Mass to us, he brings the Word of God to us, he brings the Holy Spirit to us, right to the center of our family.

Father Roge connects us to the Holy Spirit outside those summer vacations as well. He has presided over family weddings for my parents and many aunts and uncles, as well as my own wedding and the weddings of my siblings and cousins. He has welcomed new babies into the Church through baptisms and honored our loved ones as they have passed from this world onto the next at funerals. It gives me great pride to think of those remarkable moments when God is connecting with us so directly and using Father Roge as his conduit.

I am thankful for the blessing that Father Roge has been to our family, and know he has blessed so many others outside our family as well. Through his dedication to his vocation, he has reflected the Holy Spirit to so many, proclaimed the Word of God to so many, and taught the love of Jesus to so many. He has brought God into the lives of so many and helped me to recognize the presence of God in my own life.

Thinking back on the memories of the vacations of years past the images of Father Roge serve as a reminder that God was there, too, always is and always will be. He rests quietly in the shade; He joins us out on the water; He pulls up an Adirondack by the fire. Whenever we gather together in love as family, God is there.

Crowther, 38, is a member of St. Therese in Deephaven with her husband, John, and their three

Gabriel & Alma Corona Owner of Los Padres Sts. Joachim and Anne, Shakopee

Co n

t i o a l n u s t a r g to The Catholic Spirit’s

honorees

2021 Leading with Faith

Daniel Delmore Gearty-Delmore Funeral Chapels, Inc. Owner and Funeral Director St. Bartholomew, Wayzata Dr. James Koller James Koller Family Dental Owner and Dentist St. Peter, North St. Paul Paul Kuhrmeyer Innovo Automation Owner Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 25

LETTER Christians exempt?

Years ago, a young passenger in my car and friend of my son threw some trash out the window. I stopped the car, demanding to know why he did that, and to pick it up. He said, “It’s okay, I’m Christian, I can break the law and still go to heaven.” I was stunned.

That moment came back to me recently, as I tried to understand why many Christian conservatives do not feel they have to respect the law and mask up, or help out fellow human beings by getting the vaccine, which even the pope has done (“Important part, he said, is to do it for the community,” said Ms. Lenartz in the last issue) (Editor’s note: Letter from Esther Lenartz, St. John Neumann, Eagan, June 10 issue of The Catholic Spirit). They are used to being saved, I guess, in spite of their lack of love and respect for their neighbors, the law, or anything else they find inconvenient to their lifestyles. Leave that (and medical facts) to the heathens.

It is no wonder people are leaving faith communities in droves. Dirty streets, spreading a fatal disease, spreading false rumors, what difference does it make? As long as I’m saved.

Elizabeth Rosenwinkel St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis Share your perspective by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@archspm.org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.

Read more letters from our readers at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

children. Crowther’s extended family has gathered annually at a lake resort for the last 40 years. This year, about 40 relatives will gather June 26-July 3 at a lake near Hayward, Wisconsin.

Tim Milner J. I. T. Powder Coating Company Owner and President Assumption, St. Paul Sheila Oliver Senior Vice President and General Manager of KCPQ Q13 Seattle, Washington; formerly of KMSP – Fox 9 Local News Our Lady of Grace, Edina Stephanie Waite Medtronic Executive Assistant and Sales Project Manager St. John the Baptist, New Brighton

Join The Catholic Spirit in celebrating our Leading with Faith honorees at 1 p.m. on Aug. 11 with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, followed by an ice cream social.

The event is free but registration is required at archspm.org/leadingfaithmass.

26 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

Why I am Catholic Patricia Ray

I

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

am Catholic because I chose to become Catholic.

When I was in fifth grade and 11 years old, my neighbor and playmate thought I should go to her

to others when in a restaurant, when having people in my home or when discussing politics. I have surrounded

school. She went to a Catholic grade school, but I very

myself with good friends, who just happen to be Catholic!

much refused her invitation and told her, “I would never

They have helped me over the years. They have answered

be Catholic if I had to wear long white stockings!” I never

my questions. They have prayed for me.

forgot that conversation.

Life continued, I got older, graduated from high school. I married, I became a widow, and I moved to Monticello. But

“

Being Catholic means I am not afraid to show my faith

something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me, and

I can finally say I am Catholic — even though I don’t wear long white stockings.

Thank you, God, for leading me to this path and walking with me.

I didn’t know what it really was.

I went to Mass with my friend, and

… something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me, and I didn’t know what it really was.

in the bulletin was a notice that Sister Diana would be holding a six-week information session for anyone who was interested in learning about the Catholic Church. So, I called and asked to be a part of the learning process.

About two thirds of the way through

Ray, 90, a member of St. Henry in Monticello, is a widow whose husband, Gordon, died in 1983. She loves to travel, having been to Europe and visited eight countries, including Germany, Ireland and Scotland. She has visited Canada and the American South, Southwest and West. Easter 1990 she entered the Church. She has been a lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion and a member of the parish council and parish liturgy committee.

the session I knew I wanted more.

In a few weeks I, along with five or six others, became a part of the RCIA group for the next 18 months. I came from the mainline Lutheran Church, so there were many familiar things.

“Why I am Catholic” is a new ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic?

Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholicSpirit@ archspm.org with “Why I am Catholic” in the subject line.

JUNE 24, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 27

CALENDAR SPEAKERS +CONVERSATION Reclaiming Power and Creating Safe Places — June 28: 6:30–8 p.m. Zoom gathering for all victim/survivors and others.

Join Dr. David Pooler for a presentation defining power and examining how it can be used for healing, inclusion and safety in faith communities. By acknowledging ways power has been used to injure and exploit, participants can examine the contrast and learn to create healing and safety for themselves and others. Register at kaempfferp@archspm.org or call 651-291-4479 for more information.

Catholic United Financial Leadership Conference — Aug 7-8 at The University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., Anderson Student Center, St. Paul. Faith, finances and fellowship. Open to all Catholics, includes keynote speakers, meals, Masses, social events and daily activities. Free. catholicunited.org/triennial-conference.

PARISH EVENTS Rural Life Sunday — June 27: 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick/Shieldsville, 7525 Dodd Rd., Faribault. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will celebrate Mass outdoors in the church parking lot. Attendees can remain in their vehicles or bring lawn chairs.

Refreshments and a to-go-snack will be served after Mass. Restrooms (outdoor and indoor) are available, and church grounds are handicap accessible. If inclement weather, Mass will be in the church. Livestreamed via YouTube.

38th Annual Parish Festival — July 17: 2–11 p.m. at St. Mary of Czestochowa, 1867 95th St. SE, Delano. Meal catered by Divine Swine. Also: Country Store with Poppyseed Kuchen, raffles, silent auction, bean bag tournament and the band Hitchville live from 7–11 p.m. stmaryfestival.org

PRAYER+RETREATS Help for Struggling Marriages —

Aug. 6-8 at Dakota Ridge Best Western Hotel, 3450 Washington Dr., Eagan. Retrouvaille offers couples tools to rediscover each other and heal their marriage. 100% confidential. helpourmarriage.org Silent retreat — Aug. 12-15 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane Prior Lake. Peace, guided prayer, Holy Hours, reconciliation, open time and spiritual direction. Men/women. Call 952-447-2182 or register at franciscanretreats. net/register.

OTHER EVENTS Benedictine Festival July 10: 1–4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2657 Benet Road, St. Paul. Outdoor family and community event with food and fun, socially distanced activities. Individual pricing for food, games, raffle. stpaulsmonastery.org/benedictine-festival Feast of St. Benedict Livestream Mass with Archbishop Hebda — July 11: 11 a.m.

Celebrate the Feast of St. Benedict virtually with the Sisters of St. Benedict of St. Paul’s Monastery. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will preside at Mass livestreamed on monastery Facebook page. stpaulsmonastery.org/benedictine-festival Celebrate the life of Deacon Thomas Paul Langlois Sr. — July 17: 1–4 p.m. at Richard Walton Park, 1584 Hadley, Oakdale.

Gather with favorite memories and stories to remember an amazing man, dad, grandfather, papa, uncle, deacon and friend. paulmbb@outlook.com. 651-788-5955.

Leading with Faith Awards Mass and Celebration — Aug. 11: 1 p.m. at Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda will preside at Mass and present the 2021 awards as The Catholic Spirit celebrates executives, owners and other leaders of secular businesses who lead with their Catholic faith. Ice cream social to follow. Free, registration required at archspm.org/leadingfaithmass. Contact Annie Smaron at smarona@archspm.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Archbishop Bernard Hebda has asked all parishes in the archdiocese to host Synod Small Groups this fall for Catholics to learn, pray and share ideas on three focus areas ahead of the 2022 Archdiocesan Synod.

Focus areas are: Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, and forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young. Small groups will meet for six, 2-hour sessions between midSeptember and mid-November. Watch for communications from your parish about how to participate in a small group there, and the specific dates and times they’ll meet. Learn more about the Archdiocesan Synod process at archspm.org/synod.

CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the next issue date.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief no­tices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions ONLINE: TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendarsubmissions

ASK FATHER MIKE CONTINTUED FROM PAGE 21 “excommunication” in the life of the Church.

We need to pay attention to at least two aspects of this action. First, Paul instructed the community to “treat him as an unbeliever.” This didn’t mean preventing the man from going about his work or slandering him in the larger community. It simply meant that he was not to participate in the life of the community. For example, he would not be free to receive holy Communion since he was in a state of sin. This “cancellation” was limited in scope to this particular community.

Second, it is misleading to even call this situation “cancellation.” The man was not merely being punished; he was being taught. The goal of treating him this way was so that he would turn from an evil action and return to the community. The early Christian community could do this because it was appealing to an objective standard (and not merely their own preference) and were offering a mercy that could fully restore the man to grace.

This isn’t totally foreign to us. Most of us have experienced this in how we were raised. At some point, I imagine that we have heard the words, “You can come back to the dinner table when you are ready to sit still and behave.” This is necessary for socialization and for teaching children how to behave on a basic level. Parents make it clear that there is an objective standard and offer the opportunity for participation in the life of the family without restriction once the child has returned. The man in First Corinthians (and children in their families) are not being “canceled.” They are being corrected.

We all give off subtle “corrections” to the people around us. And we all receive countless such corrections. Every time we pleasantly acknowledge someone who smiles at us, we are affirming a particular behavior. Every time we roll our eyes in annoyance, we are expressing displeasure.

But this is “correction,” not “cancellation.” And there is a difference. As Christians, we can offer correction based on an objective standard that transcends mere preference or utility. And we must continue to extend the offer of grace and restoration to all who are willing to accept it.

Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

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28 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

JUNE 24, 2021

THELASTWORD Pandemic’s end may be in sight, but many parishes continue Mass livestreaming

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

Y

ouTube, Facebook, parish websites — all now offer livestream Masses from parishes across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. But before COVID-19 hit Minnesota in March 2020, most of those parishes had never livestreamed a single Sunday Mass.

With in-person Masses suspended for two months to help prevent spread of the virus, parishes suddenly scrambled to gather or purchase cameras, computers, soundboards, expertise and volunteers. They were anxious to continue offering the sacrament of the Eucharist to their parishioners — at least remotely.

Now, as the pandemic wanes thanks to vaccines, pastors, parish staff and parishioners prepare for the July 1 end of a 15-month suspension of the requirement to attend Sunday Mass. Parishes are weighing the costs and benefits of continuing to livestream their daily or weekly Masses.

Questions include whether livestreaming makes staying home and away from in-person Mass too easy, whether the monetary investment is “paying off” in terms of reaching people and evangelizing, and how best to invite people back to in-person Mass while offering an online alternative.

After an initial investment for software and other needs, it cost Holy Name of Jesus in Medina about $500 a week to hire someone and devote the necessary staff time to record, produce and share Sunday Mass via Facebook, YouTube and the parish website. The cost and a desire to emphasize in-person Mass has prompted the parish to offer its last online Mass the weekend of June 27, said Michelle Hudlow, director of information technology and communications.

“The Eucharist is just too important, and people are better connected to God and each other when they are in the building together,” Hudlow said. “Our focus is really on connecting with people.”

Connections and evangelization At the same time, connecting people and evangelization are two reasons some parishes plan to continue offering Mass online.

“We have discovered some real and ongoing needs,” said Father Tom Wilson, pastor of All Saints in Lakeville, which increased its online presence when the pandemic hit by expanding its video uploads from only the homily to the entire Sunday Mass. The parish also purchased several more cameras.

“People who are homebound or confined to care centers, even without the pandemic, for them, it is a way to stay connected to their parish, and not just a regional or national broadcast,” Father Wilson said.

The parish also offers the Mass with an interpreter for the deaf on the second weekend of each month, and many people in the deaf community have learned of it and participate online, he said.

Livestreaming weddings and funerals during the pandemic also has been helpful, Father Wilson said.

Still, the parish is considering its options going forward, as it weighs licensing requirements and other factors in offering the Mass online, he said.

St. Jerome in Maplewood has offered the Saturday vigil Mass live via YouTube since March 2020, and that will continue, said Mary Beth Hess, music director and the effort’s chief organizer, who learned how to livestream on the fly. Hess also livestreams daily Mass, a project she undertook on her own just to learn the ropes, which she’s grown to love. It’s been particularly helpful to seniors, the sick and disabled, she said.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Mary Beth Hess works on livestreaming Mass at St. Jerome in Maplewood June 15.

“They could view Mass on TV, or other churches that were streaming Mass,” she said of those participating.

“But they were so thankful to be able to see their dear St. Jerome church. To see Father Victor (Valencia, the pastor), the crucifix in front of the church, the statues, the red carpeting … all of these things gave them comfort.”

The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis plans to continue livestreaming the Mass, which began with the pandemic and will be expanded from the main church to include daily Mass in a smaller chapel downstairs, said Mae Desaire, director of marketing and communications.

“We have found it a great outreach and growth tool” with people who are homebound, in nursing homes, former parishioners, and others around the country and even the world able to participate via livestream, she said.

Johan von Parys, the Basilica’s director of liturgy and the sacred arts, said the sacraments need to be celebrated in person, and now with the pandemic waning, attendance at in-person Mass is growing and encouraged, even while livestreaming will continue to be offered.

“It was with great pain (during the pandemic) that I embraced the fact that the only way to reach people was by livestream,” he said.

But Christ is present in several ways at the Mass, including in the Scriptures, and that has been a consolation, he said.

“We could at least listen to the Word of God proclaimed,” he said. “I know that Christ is present in the Word.”

Some people turn to the online Mass because they are ill or they’ve moved away, von Parys said. “For those who can’t join us, there is at least this,” he said.

Livestreaming also has been an avenue for evangelization, he said, particularly for people who are curious about the Church but uncomfortable with an in-person visit, or have fallen away from attending Mass but are contemplating a return. That has been the case with some members of his own family in Belgium, all of whom grew up attending Catholic schools, he said.

“I have taken great delight in seeing my siblings on the livestream,” he said. “‘Oh, I noticed you came to church with us,’” he might say to one. “So, it opens up a conversation.”

As the pandemic hit, Our Lady of Peace in Minneapolis began recording its Saturday evening Mass and posting it at 7 a.m. each Sunday on YouTube.

James Pike, the parish’s office manager, said the practice will continue as a tool for evangelization. “A couple of people have watched, not been parishioners before, but have started to attend Mass in person,” Pike said. “One person was registered at another parish but had stopped attending there.”

A PERSONAL TAKE Mary Beth Hess, music director at St. Jerome in Maplewood, said livestreaming daily Mass during the pandemic changed her life. To read more about the impact of the livestream Mass on those it was intended to serve, and on Hess herself, go to TheCatholicSpirit.com.

Too easy?

Some people have expressed concern about making it too easy to stay home by livestreaming Mass, and many parishes have discussed that possibility. But none interviewed actually know that to have happened, and parish representatives believe that generally, people who participate in livestream Mass either have no other option or they are curious about the faith or a parish community.

“People taking time to watch online innately know that Mass is intended to be celebrated in person,” Pike said. “We’ve seen a lot of people come back” to inperson Mass, he said.

Father Wilson said he has heard those misgivings expressed, but has yet to see it himself.

“I haven’t seen any evidence of people staying home and just eating breakfast,” he said. “I know people worry about that, but so far, I have not experienced that directly.”

If people don’t realize that Mass needs to be celebrated in person, von Parys said, then the Church has failed in its teaching of the faith.

“We need to have beautiful, dignified celebrations of the Eucharist, and we need good catechism,” he said.

Every parish in the archdiocese also is making efforts to bring people back to in-person Mass and other ministries that were suspended, upended or coursecorrected in the midst of the pandemic. Picnics and Father’s Day gatherings, outdoor ministry fairs, prayer opportunities and water games are among the offerings to help strengthen community.

Julie Craven, director of communications and strategic initiatives at Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis, said she remembers well when she and her colleagues struggled and assisted one another to institute livestream options during the pandemic.

With livestreaming Masses set to continue at Our Lady of Lourdes, the parish also is inviting people back to in-person events with a June 13-July 4 Healing Tent on parish property, she said. Various ministries will share what they do, and each of the three weeks will have special prayers centering on racial justice, healing for survivors of sexual violence and the nation’s political polarization.

“Let’s take a step back to get people to reconnect, see what a parish family looks like,” she said.