The Catholic Spirit - March 17, 2016

Entering into Holy Week • Pages 14 – 17 March 17, 2016 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Drive for five

Sage Booker of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis makes a move on Elijah Colbeck of Fergus Falls on the way to helping the Islanders to a 79-65 victory and their fifth straight Class AAA boys state basketball championship March 12 at Target Center. “It’s been a great journey,” said DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson. “When you have that common goal and you all pull together at the same time, great things can happen. That’s what has happened over the course of these last five years. We’ve had a selflessness that’s just been incredible.” Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

ALSO inside

Father, forgive me

Health care pioneer

‘Medical miracle’

Priests say penitents are grateful for extended opportunities to receive the sacrament during 24 Hours for the Lord.

— Page 6

Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, CSJ, is honored with a 2016 National Women’s History

Kristen Soley, a wife and mother of seven, found consolation in God’s plan, even when it involved a grim cancer diagnosis.

— Pages 12-13

Month award.

— Page 8

2 • The Catholic Spirit

PAGE TWO

March 17, 2016 OVERHEARD

in PICTURES

“Love isn’t words, but works and service, a humble service performed in silence.”

Pope Francis during a special general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 12 for the Year of Mercy.

“Pornography does not make you a man. If anything, it takes away your manhood.”

Peter Kleponis, licensed clinical therapist and family therapist, during a March 7 talk in the Archdiocese of Miami. Kleponis believes it’s time for Church-based marriage preparation programs to address pornography addiction and to urge assistance for addicted individuals before proceeding with marriage.

NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit

Chrism Mass March 17 at Cathedral SEEKING REFUGE Migrants wade across a river near the Greece-Macedonia border, west of the village of Idomeni, Greece, March 14. Reuters reported that three migrants died as hundreds were crossing a river to enter Macedonia, which has closed its border. Some 12,000 migrants are camped in Idomeni on Greece’s border with Macedonia. CNS/Stoyan Nenov, Reuters

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ annual Chrism Mass will be 7 p.m. March 17 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, apostolic administrator, will preside. Traditionally celebrated on Holy Thursday to signify the institution of the priesthood at the Last Supper, the event brings together priests of the archdiocese to renew their promises. Archbishop Hebda also will bless the sacramental oils used throughout the archdiocese for baptism, confirmation and anointing of the sick.

Young women’s discernment retreat April 2 The archdiocesan Office of Vocations is hosting a retreat for women age 18-30 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 2 at Nativity of Mary in Bloomington.

Religious sisters will share their vocation stories and answer questions.

Lunch will be provided. Cost is a free-will donation. Register by March 25 by contacting the Office of Vocations at 651-962-6890 or patty.mcquillan@ stthomas.edu.

UST to host Sacred Arts Festival in April With the theme of “Contemplation,” the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul will host seven events featuring artists, authors and musicians as part of its Sacred Arts Festival, an annual series focusing on artistic traditions that explore humanity’s understanding of the divine. The series kicks off 3 p.m. April 3 with a solo organ concert from English virtuoso organist Clive Driskill-Smith. All events are free and open to the public, and will be on the university’s St. Paul campus. For more information, visit www.stthomas.edu/saf/schedule.

Junior high youth event April 9 in Lakeville FLYING HIGH Snowmobiler and Minnesota native Levi LaVallee performs a stunt in front of the Cathedral of St. Paul about a month before the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship commenced there in February. LaVallee filmed stunts throughout St. Paul. See the video at bit.ly/1u1zdye.

Courtesy Red Bull Content Pool/Ryan Taylor and Garth Milan

WHAT’S NEW on social media “Fish Daddy” is making his rounds reviewing fish fries at area Catholic parishes. Read his ratings at www.catholichotdish.com.

Parish community of St. Mary in Melrose ­— between St. Cloud and Alexandria along Interstate 94 in the Diocese of St. Cloud — comes together after March 11 church fire. www.facebook.com/thecatholicspirit.

The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 21 — No. 6 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love

MARIA C. WIERING, Editor

All Saints in Lakeville is hosting an event for middle school youth 6-9:30 p.m. April 9. The evening will feature Mass, praise and worship, food, eucharistic adoration and speakers. Cord Dorcey of NET Ministries will speak to young men, and former NET missionaries and religious sisters Mary Clare and Catherine Stroh will speak to young women. Cost is $5. The event is sponsored by Partnership for Youth. For more information, visit bit.ly/21e39Lf.

CORRECTION An article in the March 3 issue incorrectly identified a member of the fish fry committee at Corpus Christi in Roseville. The committee member is Eileen McGurran. The Catholic Spirit apologizes for the error.

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March 17, 2016

FROM THE BISHOP

The Catholic Spirit • 3

Learn how to live the paschal mysteries with Jesus

W

e are approaching the holiest time of our Church year in the celebration of Easter.

Through the celebration of the sacred Triduum we will be invited to enter with Jesus into the mystery of his death and resurrection. The liturgies of the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Good Friday commemoration of the Lord’s Passion and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday are the three holiest liturgies of the year. The whole Church is invited to make those three days a kind of sacred retreat where we prayerfully meditate in our hearts on all that the Lord Jesus did for our salvation.

FROM THE BISHOP Bishop Andrew Cozzens

These liturgies commemorate what we call the paschal mystery, which comes from the word Passover. Just as the Jewish people were saved from slavery in Egypt by the Passover, we are delivered from slavery to our sins and receive the gift today of new life, eternal life, through the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to end sin, and we receive the fruits of his death, without having to die, through baptism and the other sacraments, especially the Eucharist, where we eat and drink of the body and blood of our Passover lamb.

What could be more important to commemorate than this central mystery of our faith?

But the Easter Triduum does

even more. These three days of prayer are not just a way to remember what Jesus did a long time ago.

We are meant to learn how to live these mysteries with Jesus, or rather we are invited to learn how to let Jesus live his suffering, death and resurrection in us. Through baptism, Jesus has incorporated us into himself, and through the Eucharist he strengthens us to live as his body, and he wants to continue to redeem the world through us. He wants to love the world through us. He wants us to recognize, as St. Paul did, that in every suffering we endure and every act of mercy we perform, we are making his death and resurrection present, and he is once again saving the world in our lives. St. Paul makes this clear in 2 Cor 4:7-12: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.” St. Paul realizes that his struggles are not just his, but rather since Jesus is living in him, his struggles are also united to Jesus in some mysterious way, so that his daily dying and rising is actually “the life of Jesus manifested” in his body, and it is bringing life to the whole body of Christ.

will see the central truth of Christianity: that there is nothing so evil that it cannot be taken up by God and made into a potential good. The liturgies from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday want to teach you how to do this — how to learn to see your own life in light of Christ’s paschal mystery. This is so important because it frees us from self-absorption and allows us to experience the happiness of making a gift of our lives. Our sufferings, however small or great, tempt us to turn in to ourselves. When we learn to see our struggles, as St. Paul did, as Jesus living out his paschal mystery in me, it can bring meaning to our suffering, which allows us to turn struggle into love.

These three days of the sacred Triduum are meant to be a school for us to learn to live with Jesus in the suffering, death and resurrection of our own lives.

When I am perplexed, when I feel forsaken, when I feel crushed, this is not a time for despair. Rather, if I learn to bring these struggles to Jesus Christ, then I will see that he is living his paschal mystery in me. I

The paschal mystery is a way of life, a way that leads to the new life of Easter. Let us pray that this might be true for each of us and for our whole archdiocese, that in learning to unite our suffering with Christ we might learn the true love that Jesus shows us, and receive the gift of the new life this Easter.

St. Paul realizes that his struggles are not just his, but rather since Jesus is living in him, his struggles are also united to Jesus in some mysterious way.

Aprender cómo vivir los misterios pascuales con Jesús Nos aproximamos al momento más sagrado del año de la Iglesia en la celebración de la Pascua. A través de la celebración del Triduo sagrado se nos invitará a entrar con Jesús en el misterio de su muerte y resurrección. Las liturgias de la Misa del Jueves Santo de la Cena del Señor, del Viernes Santo con la conmemoración de la Pasión de Cristo y la Vigilia Pascual el Sábado Santo, son las tres liturgias más sagradas del año. Toda la Iglesia es invitada para hacer de esos tres días una especie de refugio sagrado donde meditamos en oración en nuestros corazones en todo lo que el Señor Jesús hizo por nuestra salvación.

Estas liturgias conmemoran lo que llamamos el misterio pascual, que proviene de la palabra Pascua. Al igual que los judíos fueron salvados de la esclavitud en Egipto por la Pascua, estamos libres de la esclavitud de nuestros pecados y recibimos hoy el regalo de una nueva vida, la vida eterna, a través del misterio pascual de Jesucristo. Él murió en la cruz para acabar con el pecado y nosotros recibimos los frutos de su muerte, sin tener que morir, a través del bautismo y de los demás sacramentos, especialmente la Eucaristía, donde comemos y bebemos del Cuerpo y de la Sangre del Cordero Pascual. ¿Qué podría ser más importante para conmemorar que este misterio central de nuestra fe?

Pero el Triduo Pascual hace aún más.

Estos tres días de oración no son sólo una forma de recordar lo que Jesús hizo hace mucho tiempo. Debemos aprender a vivir estos misterios con Jesús, o más bien, se nos invita a aprender a dejar que Jesús viva su sufrimiento, muerte y

San Pablo se da cuenta de que sus luchas no son sólo de él, sino que más bien desde que Jesús está viviendo en él, sus luchas también están unidas a Jesús de un modo misterioso. resurrección en nosotros. Por medio del bautismo, Jesús nos ha incorporado a sí mismo y por medio de la Eucaristía, nos fortalece para vivir como su cuerpo y Él quiere continuar redimiendo al mundo a través de nosotros. Él quiere amar al mundo a través de nosotros. Él quiere que reconozcamos, como lo hizo San Pablo, que en cada sufrimiento que soportamos y en cada acto de misericordia que realizamos, estamos haciendo presentes su muerte y resurrección y Él esta, una vez más, salvando al mundo en nuestras vidas. En la 2 carta a los Corintios 4: 7-12, San Pablo deja esto claro: “Nos acosan por todas partes, pero no estamos aplastados, nos encontramos en apuros, pero no desesperados; somos perseguidos, pero no estamos abandonados; nos derriban, pero no nos aniquilan. Por todas partes llevamos en el cuerpo la muerte de Jesús, para que la vida de Jesús se manifieste en nuestro cuerpo. Porqué nosotros mientras vivimos, estamos siempre expuestos a la muerte por causa de Jesús, para que también la vida de Jesús se manifieste en nuestra naturaleza mortal.

De modo que en nosotros actúa la muerte y en ustedes, en cambio, la vida.

“San Pablo se da cuenta de que sus luchas no son sólo de él, sino que más bien desde que Jesús está viviendo en él, sus

luchas también están unidas a Jesús de un modo misterioso, por lo que su morir y vivir de todos los días es en realidad “la vida de Jesús manifestada” en su cuerpo y que está trayendo vida a todo el cuerpo de Cristo.

Estos tres días del Triduo sagrado están destinados a ser para nosotros una escuela donde tenemos que aprender a vivir con Jesús en el sufrimiento, muerte y resurrección de nuestra propia vida.

Cuando estoy perplejo, cuando me siento abandonado, cuando me siento devastado, este no es un tiempo para la desesperación. Por el contrario, si aprendo a llevar estas luchas a Jesucristo, entonces voy a ver que él está viviendo su misterio pascual en mí. Voy a ver la verdad central del cristianismo: no hay nada tan malo que no pueda ser asumido

por Dios y convertido en algo potencialmente bueno. Las liturgias desde el Jueves Santo al Domingo de Pascua quieren enseñar cómo hacer esto - cómo aprender a ver tu propia vida a la luz del misterio pascual de Cristo. Esto es tan importante porque nos libera de la auto-absorción y nos permite experimentar la felicidad de hacer un regalo de nuestras vidas. Nuestros sufrimientos, por pequeños o grandes que sean, nos tientan a refugiarnos en nosotros mismos. Cuando aprendemos a ver nuestros problemas de la misma forma que San Pablo, como Jesús que vive su misterio pascual en mí, esto puede dar sentido a nuestro sufrimiento, lo que nos permite convertir nuestra lucha en amor.

El misterio pascual es una forma de vida, un camino que lleva a la vida nueva de la Pascua. Oremos para que esto pueda ser verdad para cada uno de nosotros y para toda nuestra Arquidiócesis, que en el aprendizaje de unir nuestro sufrimiento con Cristo podamos aprender el verdadero amor que Jesús nos muestra, y recibir el don de la vida nueva en esta Pascua.

OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bernard Hebda, has announced the following appointment in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective March 2, 2016 Deacon Gregg Sroder, appointed to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Saint Paul. This is in addition to his current assignment to the Church of Saint Michael in Saint Paul and the Church of Saint Matthew in Saint Paul.

4 • The Catholic Spirit

LOCAL

March 17, 2016

SLICE O’ LIFE

Going green From left, Ashley Andersen, Isabelle Mimick and Evie Kachmarzinski from Corda Mór Irish Dance perform March 12 at St. Patrick in Edina as part of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Some of the dancers are members of the parish, while Mimick belongs to Christ the King in Minneapolis.

Watch a video of the dancers in action at www.Facebook.com/ TheCatholicSpirit.

Dave Hrbacek/ The Catholic Spirit

Congratulations!

A special word of congratulations to

Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, CSJ 2016 National Women’s History Month Honoree You are very deserving of this recognition and award.

LOCAL

March 17, 2016 in BRIEF ST. PAUL

Little Sisters of the Poor receive support ahead of court hearing Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul are asking for prayers and attracting volunteers ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing of the religious order’s lawsuit March 23. The order encouraged people to join them in 12 hours of prayer March 15. Meanwhile, local supporters of Women Speak for Themselves, a national religious liberty organization led by Helen Alvaré, is participating in a national service day at the Little Sisters of the Poor’s Holy Family Residence March 23.

Volunteers are asked to register in advance at www.womenspeakforthemselves.com. The Little Sisters of the Poor are among religious organizations contesting the Affordable Care Act mandate requiring most employers to provide insurance coverage for artificial birth control, sterilization and abortifacients.

Trinity Sober Homes to open third St. Paul residence in April Trinity Sober Homes is opening its third residence since 2013 for men battling alcohol and chemical addictions. Fifteen men are expected to begin residence March 27 at the new home, St. Raphael House. Founder Tim Murray, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Paul, collaborated with Father Martin Fleming, a retired priest who has helped other men with alcohol and substance abuse problems, to open the houses. “We continue to be the only sober house organization where spirituality is the No. 1 focus and priority,” Murray said.

MINNEAPOLIS

Former Catholic Rural Life head gets posthumous service award The late Brother David Andrews, who served 12 years as head of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, was posthumously given the National Farmers Union’s highest honor during its March 4-7 convention. Brother Andrews conceived of the “Eating Is a Moral Act” campaign of what is now Catholic Rural Life and based in St. Paul. “CRL continues to promote and explain the concept today to raise awareness about the importance of consumers knowing how their food is grown, where it comes from and how farm workers are treated,” said Jim Ennis, Catholic Rural Life’s executive director.

The Catholic Spirit • 5

Cavins leaves archdiocesan post to focus on broader evangelization initiatives

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit After joining the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis in March 2014 as its first director, Catholic speaker Jeff Cavins resigned that role in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis March 7, but plans to stay connected to initiatives he helped to launch.

Known outside the archdiocese for his role as founding host of the Eternal Word Television Network’s “Life on the Rock,” the author of The Great Adventure Bible Timeline and a Relevant Radio host, Cavins joined the archdiocese in the new position during what he called “a very difficult time,” in the midst of mounting allegations of clergy sexual abuse in the local Church.

Drawing from his personal ministries and previous role as director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, Cavins worked to form the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis and was instrumental in the 2014 Rediscover: conference as well as the launch of Women in the New Evangelization (WINE) and Catholic Watchmen, a men’s movement he rolled out with Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens at the annual Catholic men’s conference Feb. 27.

Balancing his responsibilities to the archdiocese with other ongoing work — including writing, leading Holy Land pilgrimages and supporting national evangelization efforts — proved difficult, and continuing as director would have been an “injustice” to the archdiocese, he said.

Cavins, 58, said he feels compelled to focus on writing — especially on discipleship — and other fledgling projects, including Gen2Rev, an initiative launched locally last year by several Catholics, including his wife, Emily, that aims to engage Catholic children in regularly reading the Bible. He also feels compelled to spend more time building on his previous work, including The Great Adventure materials.

“I’m really excited about taking this intentional discipleship idea and bringing it to a new level — that is, creating opportunities for people to really step into the role of a modern disciple and what that really looks like,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about this for 20 years, and I’ve just felt like now is the

Jeff Cavins delivers remarks after receiving Relevant Radio’s Christ Brings Hope Award April 23, 2015, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Bloomington. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit time. I really have to focus on this.”

A parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park, Cavins will continue to work as a consultant for the archdiocese through June. He expects his ongoing efforts to have a positive impact on the local Church, he said, and he plans to stay connected with archdiocesan initiatives, especially Catholic Watchmen, for which he hopes to continue to serve as a leader alongside Bishop Cozzens.

Catholic Watchmen and WINE will continue to grow, he said. “My heart is to continue on in working with the initiatives in the Twin Cities, and the reason for that is that this is my home,” he said.

Cavins will also continue to host The Rediscover: Hour on Fridays on the local Relevant Radio station, 1330 AM. Bishop Cozzens, who oversees the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, said the archdiocese plans to hire a new director in the summer and will meanwhile evaluate the office’s aims and resources, including improving support for catechists.

He praised Cavins’ contributions as director and “his entrepreneurial spirit,” and affirmed the archdiocese’s plans to continue to collaborate with him.

“Jeff’s an evangelist and he’s not going away,” Bishop Cozzens said.

6 • The Catholic Spirit

LOCAL

March 17, 2016

Priests: Penitents grateful for extended opportunities

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit To fuel up for his 4-5 a.m. shift during 24 Hours for the Lord at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Father Tom McDonough stopped at a gas station for coffee March 6, telling the people inside he’d be at the St. Paul church hearing confessions. While acknowledging he probably wouldn’t see them in the confession line, he said they were intrigued that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ co-cathedrals were opening their doors for a full day for people to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

As one of about 80 priests participating at the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, Father McDonough, who often assists at the Cathedral and other parishes, said he felt like he was part of something special during Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy, and he had a sense that penitents did, too, noting that many expressed their appreciation afterward.

“People were grateful,” Father McDonough said. “If priests are there, people will come.”

Father John Ubel, the Cathedral’s rector who was appointed a missionary of mercy by Pope Francis, also said many people thanked him for being there to hear their confessions.

“What came across to me is the old ‘Field of Dreams’: ‘Build it, and they will come,’ and I think it’s a message that when we’re generous with offering opportunities for mercy and forgiveness, people respond,” Father Ubel said. He estimated that 1,250 people came for the sacrament over the 24 hours.

Father Ubel, who was a confessor for about eight of the 24 hours, said confessors were busy at the Cathedral until midnight. For his 4 a.m. shift March 6, he considered but ultimately decided against bringing reading material. He wouldn’t have needed it anyway, due to the steady flow of people. Many of the priests who signed up for an hour ended up staying for two or three, he added, while others, including Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archdiocese’s

‘Easter Mysteries’ to have one-night showing at several Twin Cities cinemas Catholic News Service

A priest hears a confession at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis March 4 at the start of 24 Hours for the Lord. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit apostolic administrator, “jumped in” for an hour. Bishop Andrew Cozzens also participated.

“It’s the best kind of ‘tired’ that there is, knowing that you’re helping people in this way,” Father Ubel said. “I just thought it was a very successful initiative and endeavor.”

Father Ubel said Cathedral employees took shifts so that the event was staffed at all times. And parishioners provided “wonderful hospitality” with soup and sandwiches for priests in the sacristy, along with creating laminated cards with the priests’ names and the languages they spoke as a guide for penitents.

At the Basilica, Father Nathaniel Meyers, who helped coordinate the event, estimated that several hundred people came for confession. He said Father Joseph Williams brought a busload of his parishioners from St. Stephen in Minneapolis.

“It’s always a privilege to be able to hear confessions, and it certainly was nice to be able to go assist people outside of my own parish to be a part of the

larger mission of the Church through this particular sacrament,” said Father Meyers, who heard confessions at both the Basilica and Cathedral.

Father Ubel said he’d like to see 24 Hours for the Lord, or some version of it, offered every year. When Pope Francis announced the Year of Mercy, he asked that 24 Hours for the Lord be held in every diocese worldwide. While it has been held since 2014 in Rome, this is the first time the event has taken place in the United States. Father Meyers agreed with Father Ubel, suggesting such an event take place at the deanery level in order to reach more people.

“The idea of the event wasn’t really to have it be a one-and-done thing and then wait till next year,” said Father Meyers, pastor of St. Francis Xavier in Buffalo. “We offered it for these 24 hours as a reminder — to make sure that people understand that God’s love [and] God’s mercy is available in the sacrament whenever they need it . . . whether at our parish or a neighboring parish, but to know that the sacrament is always there for us.”

During Holy Week, a new musical theater depiction of the Easter story will hit the big screen at six Twin Cities movie theaters for a special one-night showing March 22.

According to a news release, “Easter Mysteries” is a Passion play for modern audiences and features veteran Broadway actors and singers from stage productions such as “Les Miserables,” “Mary Poppins” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Directed by Daniel Goldstein, “Easter Mysteries” was staged and filmed before a live audience, according to its co-producer, Denver-based Fathom Events.

The 7 p.m. showings will be at Carmike Cinemas in Apple Valley, Regal Cinemas in Eagan, AMC in Eden Prairie, Regal Cinemas in Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis Showplace ICON at The West End in St. Louis Park, and Marcus Theatres in Rosemount.

Tickets can be purchased at www.fathomevents.com/event/ easter-mysteries or at participating theater box offices.

The music, libretto and lyrics are by Tony Award-winning Broadway producer John O’Boyle with musical arrangements and music direction by Milton Granger.

Included with the film is an interfaith panel discussion with prominent Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders discussing the production and its ability to affect interfaith relations.

— The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report

TOUR of FRANCE in JUBILEE YEAR Celebrate the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy with a special 10-day pilgrimage through France with Fr. Mark Juettner, Pastor of the Church of St. George in Long Lake, MN, starting Sept. 16!

Highlights include Paris (Notre Dame, Louvre, Versailles), Beaches of Normandy, Lisieux (St. Therese), Nevers (St. Bernadette), Palace of the Popes in Avignon and Marseille. We’ll also visit the local Shrines of Miraculous Medal, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. John Vianney, and La Salette, along with museums, cathedrals & a winery. Limited spaces available and spots filling up fast!

For more information and to hold your spot, please visit www.stgeorgelonglake.org and click on 2016 Trip to France, or contact Fr. Juettner at: juet79@hotmail.com or 952-473-1247 x104.

Brochures available in print or online. There will be another meeting for prospective travelers on Thursday, March 31st at 6:30 p.m. in the parish community center.

Come and learn more information at this travel show with a powerpoint presentation about the trip when the Globus travel representative is once again present. This is also a good time to register!

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LOCAL

March 17, 2016

The Catholic Spirit • 7

‘Missionary discipleship’ focus of third Formation Day

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

Spring Formation Day

When local parish leaders gather at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie April 14 to hear from the authors of “Rebuilt: The Story of a Catholic Parish,” it will be the third time they’ve come together to explore the topics of discipleship and evangelization.

The 2016 Spring Formation Day is the last in a three-part series launched last year with the aim to “inform, inspire and equip” pastors, parish staff members, trustees and volunteers in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The day provides a foundation for discussion and collaboration within the archdiocese, as well as ongoing education for people who are involved in day-to-day ministry, organizers said.

“The idea was that the pastor and his staff would come, witness it and go back and do something with it,” said Deborah Savage, who teaches at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity and spoke at the first Formation Day in April 2015.

“What’s wonderful about that is that it enables and empowers those groups to take what they learned and do something with it without further instruction,” she said.

Also a member of the organizing committee, Savage kicked off the series with a lecture on the “work of the Church,” paving the road for November’s speakers: Sherry Weddell, author of “Forming Intentional Disciples” (Our Sunday Visitor, 2012), and Jeff Cavins, a speaker, author and, until recently, the archdiocese’s director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (see story on page 5).

About 200 people attended Savage’s talk, but more than 600 attended Weddell’s presentation — an attendance jump that the day’s organizers said hasn’t escaped their attention, especially since the event was held during business hours on a weekday.

“Rebuild My Church: Missionary Discipleship and the Parish” April 14, Pax Christi, Eden Prairie Day program: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Evening program: 6:30– 9:30 p.m.

Register: www.archspm.org/events/spring-formation-day-2016/ Organizers hope this year’s Formation Day, titled “Rebuild My Church: Missionary Discipleship and the Parish,” draws a similar crowd to hear Father Michael White and Tom Corcoran of Church of the Nativity in suburban Baltimore, Maryland, share the experience of reshaping their parish as they described in the book “Rebuilt” (Ave Maria Press, 2013).

Also speaking are Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Hosffman Ospino, assistant professor of Hispanic ministry and religious education at Boston College.

Ospino is an author of a recent Boston College report, “Catholic Schools in an Increasingly Hispanic Church” (see story on page 9).

The day’s schedule includes both a daytime and evening session; the evening session will be bilingual.

Evangelizing ministers In her presentation, Weddell emphasized the importance of parish leaders working as a team, and organizers hope the upcoming Formation Day attracts parish groups, including pastors.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator, sent a video invitation to the archdiocese’s pastors urging them to attend.

Savage emphasized that the Formation Day series was not intended to be three “events,” but a strategic

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approach for long-term formation of parish leadership.

“This is the only time that there’s been three events connected like this in the archdiocese that I’m aware of,” added Bill Casey, a member of the archdiocese’s parish services team. “This is huge as we work with the planning of this, and it’s a positive effort of outreach for everybody.”

Prior to the Formation Day series, a handful of parishes in the archdiocese were already examining the idea of discipleship, said Deacon Mickey Friesen, director of the Center for Mission in the archdiocese.

The first Formation Day focused on personal discipleship, the second on parish discipleship, and the third on “missionary discipleship,” or evangelization outreach beyond the parish.

“The idea of ‘discipleship’ . . . has become a way of talking, and we’ve had the benefit of papal teaching,” Deacon Friesen said.

He pointed to Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” where he discusses missionary discipleship.

“To think about a parish, its main reason for being is to call forth, to form and to send disciples. That’s a paradigm shift for us, but it’s one that’s catching fire here,” he added.

“We’re just realizing that the way we did parish [life] is different than what we seem to be called to now. This movement from an ‘if you build it, they will come’ mentality to ‘we need to lead people to Christ’ is a paradigm shift. I think we’re in the thick of it, and this is offering a way forward.”

The series has involved a unique collaboration of more than 10 organizing entities, including three archdiocesan offices, the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, the Center for Mission and several ministry organizations.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet thank you for living our charism: “Moving always toward profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction.”

We congratulate you on being named a National Women’s History Project Honoree, “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government,” an honor being conferred on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph.

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8 • The Catholic Spirit

LOCAL

March 17, 2016

Health care pioneer Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, state’s first female and non-physician commissioner of health, honored nationally

By Jessica Weinberger For The Catholic Spirit For Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, 92, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, there’s no such thing as a career plan.

“You have to take opportunities as they come along,” she said in her apartment at Carondelet Village in St. Paul. “Don’t decide what you want to do in your future and seal it in, because you never know what opportunities are going to come your way.”

Sister Mary Madonna’s openness to new opportunities — and God’s will — led her to convert to Catholicism in college and join the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet days before her 23rd birthday. She then began her extensive career in health care, later serving as president and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital (since sold to Fairview Health Services) and then as Minnesota’s first female, nonphysician commissioner of health.

For her lifelong commitment to public service, she was recently honored alongside 15 others with the 2016 National Women’s History Month award, “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.” She is the oldest living recipient to be honored and only the second woman religious since the project began in 1980.

Uncharted territory Sister Mary Madonna’s career began at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, where she worked in the new field of medical social work. After earning a master’s degree in hospital administration, she transitioned to administrative roles at St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis and was appointed president and CEO in 1962.

The stress of managing the operations of the entire hospital made her wonder if she could last eight years in the role like her predecessor.

“I spent a lot of time in chapel, I’ll tell you that,” she said with a chuckle.

Twenty years later, Sister Mary Madonna resigned, closing one chapter in hopes of using her skills and passion for health care in a new capacity.

It was only one year later when she began that new chapter in the public sector as Minnesota’s first woman and non-physician commissioner of health.

Appointed directly by Gov. Rudy Perpich, Sister Mary Madonna didn’t anticipate the negative reaction to her appointment.

While accepting of Sister Mary Madonna as a female and religious sister, the medical community was not convinced that a non-physician could serve in the highly visible role. They wrote a letter to the governor chiding him for not taking into account their counsel, but Perpich stood firm in his decision, and Sister Mary

Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, 92, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, is one of 16 to receive the 2016 National Women’s History Month award “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.”

Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit Madonna turned her attention to the many challenges before her.

For instance, at the start of her eight-year term, there were only four known cases of AIDS in Minnesota, and officials nationwide were working to understand the impact of the relatively unknown disease. Simultaneously, Sister Mary Madonna was tackling tobacco usage in the state and helped pass landmark legislation outlawing smoking in public places and on public property. She spent one week testifying directly against the tobacco industry, and her efforts started a national movement.

“I grew to really appreciate legislators and how hard they work and the difficulties they have with so many propositions being presented to them, most of which are good,” Sister Mary Madonna said.

Health care outreach When her term ended in 1991, Sister Mary Madonna’s career of service was far from over. She invited Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet from across the Twin Cities to meet to discuss health care needs in the community. She expected 30 sisters to attend, but was greeted by more than 100. Together, they focused on one of the largest under-served populations — individuals and families without insurance who don’t qualify for public health programs.

“There is this group in between,” she explained.

“The minute you have any kind of a health problem, you can sink right into poverty and lose everything.”

Using her network, Sister Mary Madonna formed a group of more than 300 volunteer physicians, nurses and support personnel to establish St. Mary’s Health Clinics (SMHC). The first clinic opened in January 1992, and, using spaces donated by churches, schools and community centers, clinics began providing free medical care, outreach and education to low-income,

uninsured families and individuals not eligible for government programs.

When Sister Mary Madonna retired in 2000, SMHC operated 11 clinics throughout the Twin Cities, and the nonprofit continues to serve this “in-between group,” believing that health care is a basic human right. The nonprofit has provided more than 105,000 patient visits through nearly 16,000 donated volunteer hours since its founding.

‘Good ol’ sister’ Following her retirement, Sister Mary Madonna served as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ delegate for religious, working for three years in the part-time role before retiring once again before her 90th birthday.

Now, Sister Mary Madonna has shifted focus to her own health needs. She has undergone two knee replacements and is recovering from a fall last July.

Due to her recovery, she will not attend the Women’s History Project award ceremony in Washington, D.C., March 19, but the organization plans to send a delegate to personally deliver the award in April.

With a full career behind her marked by spiritdriven opportunities, Sister Mary Madonna pauses to consider her biggest accomplishment. Her work establishing SMHC rises to the top, she said, noting the far-reaching impact on individuals who were falling through the cracks.

After decades as a pioneer in health care, Sister Mary Madonna doesn’t hesitate when reflecting on the legacy she wants to leave behind.

“That I was a good sister of St. Joseph, a good ol’ sister of St. Joseph,” she said.

For more information about the National Women’s History Project, visit www.nwhp.org.

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TheCatholicSpirit.com and

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March 17, 2016

U.S. & WORLD

The Catholic Spirit • 9

Report shows U.S. Catholic schools not doing enough for Latinos

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Catholic schools in the United States are falling short in serving the growing number of Latino Catholics, according to a report released March 7.

The Boston College report, “Catholic Schools in an Increasingly Hispanic Church,” looks at the disparity between the number of school-age children who are Hispanic — 12.4 million — and the number of these students enrolled in Catholic schools — 296,203 or 2.3 percent. Of the total 12.4 million Hispanic students, about 8 million are Catholic.

“The numbers are without a doubt sobering,” the report says, pointing out that even with stronger efforts by Catholic leaders and school communities to recruit Hispanic students, “the total enrollment of Hispanic children in Catholic schools remains almost stagnant.”

The report also notes that the growing number of Latino Catholic school-age children in the U.S., especially in the past two decades, has “coincided with considerable challenges to the Catholic school educational system and a decline in its resources.” It points out that 50 years ago, there were more than 13,000 Catholic elementary schools, compared to 6,568 in 2015.

The 56-page report conducted by researchers from Boston College’s Roche Center for Catholic Education

and its School of Theology and Ministry, unpacks findings from the college’s 2014 study, “National Study of Catholic Parishes with Hispanic Ministry,” conducted with the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. It also includes survey results from principals at 656 Catholic schools out of the 1,488 identified as serving Hispanic families in the United States.

The survey findings indicate a fair amount of work needs to be done, but also that “there is no magic bullet.” The report emphasizes the need for a “renewed approach” that will “engage as many voices and perspectives as possible” when looking at finances, personnel, curriculum, enrollment, facilities or governance of Catholic schools.

The disparities amount to missed opportunities in mission and ministry for Catholic schools and the Church, according to the researchers.

“The response to the growing Hispanic presence in the Church in the United States, particularly Hispanic children and youth,” the report says, “must be the result of a concerted, collaborative effort among all its units — no exception. If we fail to do this, the entire Church body suffers.”

The report credits many schools for increased efforts to be welcoming to Hispanic students and families, but it also notes that “unknowingly, some Catholic schools exhibit what has been described as a ‘chilly

Mother Teresa to be canonized Sept. 4

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Pope Francis will declare Blessed Teresa of Kolkata a saint at the Vatican Sept. 4.

The date was announced March 15 during an “ordinary public consistory,” a meeting of the pope, cardinals and promoters of sainthood causes that formally ends the sainthood process.

Mother Teresa was widely known as a living saint as she ministered to the sick and the dying in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the world. Although some people criticized her for not also challenging the injustices that kept so many people so poor and abandoned, her simple service touched the hearts of millions of people of all faiths.

Born to an ethnic Albanian family in Skopje, in what is now part of Macedonia, she went to India in 1929 as a Sister of Loreto and became an Indian citizen in 1947.

She founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. Shortly after she died in 1997, St. John Paul II waived the usual five-year waiting period and allowed the opening of the process to declare her sainthood. She was beatified in 2003.

After her beatification, Missionary of Charity Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the postulator of her sainthood cause, published a book of her letters, “Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light.” The letters illustrated how, for decades, she experienced what is described as a “dark night of the soul” in Christian spirituality; she felt that God had abandoned her. While the letters shocked some people, others saw them as proof of her steadfast faith in God, which was not based on feelings or signs that he was with her.

The date chosen for her canonization is the eve of the 19th anniversary of her death and the date previously established at the Vatican for the conclusion of the Year of Mercy pilgrimage of people like her who are engaged in works of mercy.

climate’ when hosting Hispanic families.”

In part, this could be from not fully embracing Latino culture. The schools surveyed revealed that 21 percent used Spanish and English for prominent signs and about 35 percent had students say school prayers in Spanish and English.

A majority of the responding schools reported providing need-based financial aid to approximately half of their Hispanic students. For one in five of these students, that assistance covers at least 50 percent of their tuition.

But the study also showed that a lack of family finances or school revenues “has not deterred healthy Hispanic enrollments in many schools. Rather, low Hispanic enrollment might be more related to school cultures attached to embedded practices of exclusivity, coupled with the absence of strong stewardship practices.”

The report used the word ‘Hispanic’ throughout, pointing out in the notes that it is a “stylistic preference, keeping with official use by government agencies, Church documents and traditional pastoral practice.”

In September, the Boston College researchers will hold the first National Summit on Catholic Schools and Hispanic Families to examine challenges raised by the research and develop strategies for Catholic schools to engage a demographic seen as critical to the Church.

Catholics urged to sign petition calling for U.S. declaration of genocide Catholic News Service The archbishop who serves as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked U.S. Catholics to sign a pledge calling for an end to the slaughter of Christians and members of other religious minority groups in the Middle East.

The following day, the House in a bipartisan 393-0 vote approved a nonbinding resolution that condemns as genocide the atrocities being carried out by Islamic State militants against Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities in the areas it occupies in Iraq and Syria.

Secretary of State John Kerry must decide by mid-March whether to make a formal declaration of genocide. After the House vote, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, said that as the Obama administration “waffles on this issue and doubles-down on its failed strategy” to defeat the Islamic State, “the American people are speaking loudly and clearly on this issue.”

“The very future of the ancient Christian presence in the Middle East is at stake,” Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, said in his March 14 statement.

Archbishop Kurtz urged Catholics to sign a petition that has been online since late February at www.stopthechristiangenocide.org. The effort is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and In Defense of Christians.

In a statement released after the House vote, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson called the overwhelming support for the genocide resolution “historic and welcome. . . . It is a testament to the truth.”

10 • The Catholic Spirit

U.S. & WORLD

Pope: Sisters killed in Yemen ‘martyrs of charity’

Preacher to Curia: Christians wounded by clerical greed, pedophilia

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service The four Missionaries of Charity murdered March 4 in Yemen “are the martyrs of today,” Pope Francis said. “They gave their blood for the Church.”

After reciting the Angelus with thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square March 6, Pope Francis publicly offered his condolences to the Missionaries of Charity and prayed that Blessed Teresa of Kolkata would “accompany to paradise these daughters of hers, martyrs of charity, and that she would intercede for peace and a sacred respect for human life.”

The four Missionaries of Charity and 12 other people were killed by uniformed gunmen, who entered the home the sisters operate for the elderly and disabled in Aden.

The superior of the Missionaries of Charity at the home survived by hiding, according to the Vatican’s Fides news agency. Father Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian Salesian priest who had been living at the home since Holy Family parish in Aden was sacked and burned in September, was missing after the attack.

Although the sisters would not make news headlines, Pope Francis said, the martyred sisters “gave their blood for the Church.”

The sisters and others killed “are victims of the attack by those who killed them, but also [victims] of indifference, this globalization of indifference that just doesn’t care,” the pope said.

Yemen has been experiencing a political crisis since 2011 and is often described as being in a state of civil war with members of the Shiite and Sunni Muslim communities vying for power; in the midst of the tensions, terrorist groups have been operating

March 17, 2016

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

Survivors of a gun attack are seen in the dining hall March 4 in Aden, Yemen. CNS/Stringer, Reuters in the country, including groups believed to be associated with the so-called Islamic State and alQaida.

Although most Christians have fled the country, a handful of Salesian priests and about 20 Missionaries of Charity chose to stay and continue their ministry.

In a condolence message released March 5 by the Vatican, Pope Francis described the Aden murders as an “act of senseless and diabolical violence.”

In a statement released March 8, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Administrative Committee said that, through their sacrifice, the “martyrs of charity” were “transformed into signs of Christ’s victory over sin, violence and death.” They echoed the remarks of Pope Francis and invited people to join in solidarity with people “who see their lives threatened by evil, indifference, hatred and terrorism.”

The bishops also urged the U.S. State Department to issue a declaration that genocide is occurring against Christians, Yezedis and other religious minorities in the Middle East (see story on page 9).

The sexual abuse of minors and greed by members of the clergy have left Christians wounded, a Servite priest told the pope and Vatican officials during their Lenten retreat.

“Pedophilia and the attachment to money are the two behaviors of the clergy that have most wounded and angered the Christian people,” Servite Father Ermes Ronchi said during the retreat March 9.

The Church, he said, is capable of being transparent like Christ, who “never allowed himself to be bought and never entered the palaces of the powerful as anything other than a prisoner.”

Father Ronchi, a member of Rome’s Pontifical “Marianum” theological faculty, was chosen by Pope Francis to lead the March 6-11 retreat for the Roman Curia at the Pauline Fathers’ retreat center in Ariccia, 20 miles southeast of Rome.

In his morning meditation March 9, the Italian theologian reflected on a question asked by Jesus prior to miraculously feeding thousands: “How many loaves do you have?”

This question, he said, “is asked to all of his disciples, even today: How much money do you have? How many houses? How many jewels do you possess, perhaps in the form of a cross or a ring?”

The Servite priest told the members of the Roman Curia that the Church must not be afraid of transparency or “of clarity on its own loaves and fishes, on its own goods.”

“It is instead the smokescreens that are raised and evasive answers behind which we shield ourselves that erode trust and credibility,” Father Ronchi said.

Congratulations to

Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, CSJ on your honor from the National Women’s History Project.

We greatly appreciate your dedicated service and contribution to our Church and community.

United in Faith, Hope and Love

CONGRATULATIONS SISTER MARY MADONNA ASHTON for being named a

2016 WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH HONOREE. Your legacy inspires us every day.

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U.S. & WORLD

March 17, 2016

The Catholic Spirit • 11

4 million immigrants in the country illegally and enable some immigrants to legally work in the United States. Immigration guidelines that defer the deportation of millions of people provide “substantial humanitarian benefits” and should be permitted to stand, said the brief filed by the U.S. bishops and 24 other faith-based organizations.

in BRIEF WASHINGTON

Students’ invitation to Planned Parenthood CEO draws criticism The Archdiocese of Washington has criticized a Georgetown University student group’s invitation to the president of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, to speak on campus. In a statement, the archdiocese said the issue is not about free speech because “lacking in this choice by the student group is any reflection of what should be an environment of morality, ethics and human decency that one expects on a campus that asserts its Jesuit and Catholic history and identity.” Georgetown University officials defended the students’ invitation, saying in a statement that the issue is a matter of “sustaining a forum for the free exchange of ideas . . . even when those ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable to some.” Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, is scheduled to speak at Georgetown in April. She was invited to speak by the school’s student-run Lecture Fund.

USCCB, other faith groups file brief in high court immigration case The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and several other Catholic organizations joined in filing friend of the court briefs March 8 urging the Supreme Court to support the Obama administration’s actions that would temporarily protect from deportation more than

OSWIECIM, Poland

Auschwitz sets up tour dates just for World Youth Day pilgrims The Auschwitz memorial and museum is setting aside days exclusively for World Youth Day pilgrims who want to tour the former Nazi death camp. The museum has set aside July 20-28 and Aug. 1-3 for participants in World Youth Day, which runs July 26-31 in Krakow, about one-and-a-half hours away. World Youth Day officials set aside 300,000 spots and asked participants to register for the dates. In early March, they said about 57,000 spots remained.

SOUTH BEND, Ind.

Notre Dame to honor Biden and Boehner with 2016 Laetare Medal The University of Notre Dame will present its 2016 Laetare Medal to two public servants known for “their leadership, civility and dedication to our nation,” the university’s president announced. Vice President Joe Biden and former Speaker of the House John Boehner — two Catholic officials from opposing political parties — will be this year’s

recipients of the medal. They will be honored in May during Notre Dame’s commencement ceremony. “We live in a toxic political environment where poisonous invective and partisan gamesmanship pass for political leadership,” said Holy Cross Father John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president. “Public confidence in government is at historic lows, and cynicism is high. It is a good time to remind ourselves what lives dedicated to genuine public service in politics look like. We find it in the lives of Vice President Biden and Speaker Boehner,” the priest said.

VATICAN CITY

Pope approves new financial regulations for sainthood causes In an effort to ensure greater financial transparency and accountability, Pope Francis approved new regulations governing the financial contributions given for sainthood causes, the Vatican announced.

The new “norms on the administration of goods of the causes of beatification and canonization” states that because of the complexity of the sainthood process, the causes incur substantial costs, including for diocesan-level investigations, work carried out by the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes and the beatification or canonization ceremonies themselves.

The norms, approved by Pope Francis March 4 and released by the Vatican March 10, were released several months after leaked documents allegedly written by a commission studying the financial activity of Vatican offices concluded there was “insufficient oversight of the cash-flow for canonizations.”

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12 • The Catholic Spirit

Calm in the

storm Homeschooling mom of seven goes from grim diagnosis to ‘joyful bliss’

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

K

risten Soley calls her experience a “medical miracle.”

Four months ago, she stared down a diagnosis of advanced cancer. And, that came only months after a bone marrow transplant to treat another serious health condition.

Saddled with cancer growing throughout her body and seven young children to mother, she did the only thing that made sense.

She turned to God. Today, as she nears Holy Week, she gratefully has her own resurrection story to also celebrate Easter Sunday: The cancer is gone.

Gratitude, however, was not on her mind in the days before Thanksgiving 2015. That’s when she received the dreaded diagnosis.

Just five months after a bone marrow transplant successfully cured her of Aplastic anemia — a rare condition in which the body stops producing enough new blood cells — a follow-up visit revealed something worse: Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder, a form of cancer that strikes transplant patients.

“Weeks before, they had found a spot on my lungs, and they thought it might be cancer, so they did some investigating,” said Soley, 44, a member of St. Mary in Waverly. “The spots they had seen on my lungs had moved to my lymph nodes, to my neck, to my gut, and the ones on my lungs had grown. . . . Our hearts sank because it [cancer] was everywhere. In my family history, lung cancer was terminal. The five [relatives] who had lung cancer died.”

With children ranging in age from 3 to 13, Soley was in the thick of parenting, especially with her daily home-schooling routine.

But, thoughts quickly turned from planning the next lesson to figuring out how to survive.

Enter hope.

Soley admits that she and Nathan, her husband of nearly 16 years, “wept, and hugged and prayed” the night they received the grim diagnosis. Then, they quickly got on to the business of trusting God, clinging to hope and beginning treatment.

Though the cancer had spread and grown, Soley was informed that this particular type responds well to treatment. The very night of her diagnosis, she was put on a drug called Rituxan, which her doctor said had worked for others.

Consolation in God’s plan She was hopeful, but not simply because of the drug’s effectiveness. She had received encouraging words of the Lord’s care from others, including complete strangers. She also had the consolation that God could use her in a powerful way even if she ended up dying.

Kristen and Nathan “both agreed that God’s will is better, and oftentimes it takes tragic loss to draw souls to God and hit their

“Trust in God is all you need.

It may not be easy, but it’s simple.

It’s so simple.”

Kristen Soley knees,” she said. “So many great saints’ parents died when they were young, and the Lord uses that kind of suffering to make them strong and draw them closer to him. So, I knew that if that was God’s will, it was going to be fine, it was going to be perfect because that was his plan.”

They felt a sense of peace that night that melted the anguish away, even though Nathan confessed that he did not want to become a widower.

Just days before Christmas 2015, the Soleys got the news they hoped for but didn’t expect: The follow-up PET scan came back negative for cancer. Her doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester sat down and read the test results to her.

“He reviewed it and he said, ‘It’s clear. All of it is gone,’” she recalled. “And, we just sat there. I know my face turned red. Our eyes welled up and we just praised God: ‘Thank you, Lord.’ It was quite honestly what we would call a miracle because in my family history, that’s not the way things go.

“We were just in joyful bliss and humble gratitude to God’s generosity through a lot of people who were praying for us,” she added.

Now, more than two months later, Soley is in a position to reflect on the tumultuous period in their lives and how God worked in

the midst of uncertainty, fear and suf “So many times, I’ve been knockin Her first trip to the emergency room her blood platelet levels dropped so l internal bleeding and death. Then, at her platelets dropped to zero.

Beauty in midst of fear

Through it all, Kristen and Nathan call to put their lives in God’s hands.

“Trust in God is all you need,” she it’s simple. It’s so simple.”

What made it simple for Kristen we she experienced from those who help husband and including family, friend these folks “representations of the ha “When Nathan and I were in the h coming here staying overnight with o diapers, restocking our refrigerator, h educating our children while we were some friends set up a Go Fund Me ac to help pay for our doctor bills — som

March 17, 2016 • 13

LEFT Kristen Soley of St. Mary in Waverly says she experienced a “medical miracle.” She was diagnosed with advanced cancer in November 2015, but now is cancer free. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit ABOVE The Soley family includes, from left, Andrew, Elizabeth, Mary Frances, Kristen, Thomas, William, Nathan, Patrick and Charlie. Courtesy Tina Fisher Photography BELOW After getting her hair cut by family members, Kristen Soley cuts her husband Nathan’s hair. Courtesy Tina Fisher Photography

ffering. ng on death’s door,” Soley said. in January 2015 came when low that doctors said she risked t one point not long after that,

never wavered in their simple

. said. “It may not be easy, but

ere the many examples of love ped her, starting with her ds and even strangers. She calls ands and feet of Christ.” hospital, we had friends our children, changing helping clean the house, e gone,” she said. “We had ccount. People just sent money me people we didn’t even

know from other states.”

But, one of the more touching examples of love was Nathan’s.

When her hair started to fall out in March 2015, she realized she might lose it all.

“I was really sad,” she said. “Then, I just prayed about it. And, God . . . allowed me to just give that fear to him and say, ‘It’s not what people see that makes you beautiful. It’s him dwelling in us that makes us beautiful.’”

When she talked to a staff member at the Mayo Clinic about her fears, she was encouraged to be proactive about the hair loss and “make it a family affair.” Meaning, have the kids cut her hair before she loses it, so they can feel a part of it.

Nathan took it one step further. After scheduling the day and inviting a friend and photographer to document the event, Nathan made a bold move that touched Kristen deeply.

“My amazing husband volunteered to go bald with me that day,” she said. “I got to shave his head after he shaved mine. We did it with the kids. And so, God took something that was a fear of mine and he made it beautiful, and he took all the fear away.”

Nathan’s kind act, plus his support and comfort, strengthened their bond.

“I’m so madly in love with my husband as it is, but the level of trust and hope and faith and courage he showed the night [of the diagnosis] was overwhelming,” she said. “I fell more madly in love with him than I could have imagined [was] possible.”

Through these experiences, she also learned about suffering and the place it has in the life of a Catholic.

“Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says, ‘Suffering unleashes a tidal wave of compassion,’” she said. “And, we saw it. We felt so much compassion and we felt so much peace and grace through the prayers that held our family through this time of uncertainty. It was unbelievable.

“I always look at suffering as an opportunity because I believe that it helps strengthen you. One of the things the Lord has said to me in prayer is [that] trials strengthen your spiritual muscles. You have to break down the muscle fiber in order to build it up. Trials do that for our spirit, for our soul.”

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14 • The Catholic Spirit

HOLY WEEK

T

he liturgies of the Triduum — the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday — are unique in the liturgical year. Nowhere else will a priest wash feet, lead extended prayers of the faithful or begin Mass with a fire.

Father Thomas Margevicius, an instructor of liturgical theology and homiletics at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, compares the Triduum to special moments marked in a marriage. The Church wants Catholics always to celebrate the liturgy well and with attention, he said, but, like a couple’s anniversary, Holy Week presents an opportunity for a deeper display of one’s devotion.

As a primer on the pinnacle of the Church’s year, The Catholic Spirit asked Father Margevicius to walk us through the rituals, sacramentals and traditions of Holy Week and the Triduum, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter.

Diving deep into

Holy Week The meaning and history behind Palm Sunday and Triduum liturgies

By Maria Wiering • The Catholic Spirit

Palm Sunday Also known as “Passion Sunday,” Palm Sunday is often remembered for palms, but the palms actually have a minor role, Father Margevicius said. One’s focus is better turned to the symbolism of the color red and the Gospel reading.

Red. During Lent, clergy have worn purple vestments, but on this final Lenten Sunday, expect to see red. Used elsewhere in the liturgical calendar, the color symbolizes martyrdom. On Palm Sunday and Good Friday, it points to Jesus’ Passion and the blood he shed in his crucifixion and death.

Extended Gospel reading. The Palm Sunday Mass is marked by a long Gospel reading — the entire passion narrative from Matthew, Mark or Luke, depending on the year’s cycle of readings. (This year it’s Luke, and includes about two chapters.)

Father Margevicius compares Holy Week to a marathon, and Palm Sunday is the starting line. “We’re entering into the most solemn time of the year,” he said.

“The reading of the full Passion is like the beginning of the race — you shoot the gun and now, all of a sudden, there’s a lot of great energy right at the beginning. You know you’ve got a race to run yet, but it starts with such a focus with the red and the long Passion reading precisely so that we are aware of the passion of Jesus that will be enacted throughout the week’s liturgies.”

Holy Thursday Lent officially ends Holy Thursday afternoon with the midday prayer, before the evening’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper. However, the Triduum is still a solemn time.

“Lent gives us the opportunity to examine our lives to see how well we are living the Gospel,” Father Margevicius said. “In the end, all of us will fall short of that, and [it] make[s] us more aware than ever before of how much we need Jesus Christ. The Triduum liturgies focus intensely on Jesus’ suffering . . . death and resurrection. Lent should have [woken] us up to the need for Jesus. Lent is not ultimately about self-perfection; it’s about how much we need God. The whole climax toward which Lent is pushing is not self-centered, but Jesus centered, and that’s [why] the Triduum’s liturgy focuses on Jesus so intensely.”

The Holy Thursday Mass gives the faithful a lot to unpack, Father Margevicius said. It’s a commemoration of the Last Supper, which includes the institution of the Eucharist and the institution of the priesthood. Priests bathe people’s feet. The Mass ends with the stripping of the altar and eucharistic exposition, with a procession and adoration.

The washing of feet. Service is the focus of the footwashing rite — Jesus’ service for others, and his command for Christians to serve others.

Altar stripping. The altar has a dual significance as a place of sacrifice and the place for the ritual meal, Father Margevicius said. The altar cloth is removed at the end of the liturgy as a sign that the Eucharist will not be celebrated until the Easter Vigil. “Because you’re not offering the sacrifice and you’re not gathering at the ritual table, then there’s no need to set the table, as it were, for the meal and the sacrifice,” he said.

Eucharistic adoration. In Church history, the whole period of Lent — and the Triduum — began primarily as preparation for catechumens who were going to receive the sacraments for the first time at Easter, Father Margevicius said. Part of that preparation was the

Finding silence in Holy Week Jayne Windnagel, director of liturgy and music at St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater, advises Catholics not to add, but to subtract from their obligations during Holy Week.

“I would enter into silence. I would try to eliminate as much activity as possible to prepare ourselves for the great feast,” she said.

She also suggested Catholics read and reflect on parts of the liturgy that are unique to the Triduum and Holy Week, such as the Easter Vigil’s Exsultet or the Easter Sequence, or the liturgies’ readings.

For her, not knowing the readings “is like when you go to a concert and don’t know the music.

What we labor to understand will just help us become very present,” she said.

Windnagel takes to heart Mother Teresa’s words that in silence is where prayer begins.

— Maria Wiering Church’s invitation to spend the night of Holy Thursday in prayer as part of three days of fasting. He added that the Church still encourages those who are able to enter into the three days after the Lord’s Supper with as much fasting as they are able to do.

Good Friday Good Friday’s liturgy is not a Mass; however, it does include a Communion service, meaning that the Eucharist is offered to the faithful, but was consecrated at a different liturgy.

Asked why Mass is not celebrated on Good Friday, Father Margevicius said the question includes an assumption — that there should be Mass every day. Daily Mass wasn’t a normal practice in the Church until the Patristic era and early Middle Ages, he said, and the Good Friday liturgy retains some of the oldest traditions in the Catholic liturgical year.

Lent also developed before the Church was practicing daily Mass, and when daily Mass became a regular practice, it was not initially offered during Lent because of the season’s penitential nature.

The Passion from John. Each year, the Good Friday liturgy includes a two-chapter reading from the Gospel of John. “It’s interesting that the Church early on would have chosen John for Good Friday,” Father Margevicius said. “It . . . has the same structure as the other Passion accounts of Jesus, but John has a distinctly different portrait of Jesus. It’s in the Gospel of John that Jesus is not the pawn of political machinations. In John, Jesus stands up and says, ‘I’m who you’re looking for.’” John’s Gospel puts Jesus in charge, he added. The point of Good Friday is not to feel sorry for Jesus. The point is Jesus’ victory, even as Christians mourn his death, he said.

Complex prayers of the faithful. Good Friday’s prayers of the faithful are longer than a typical Sunday’s intentions, and include a period of kneeling. The structure is ancient — and once the norm for every Mass — but it fell out of use in the Church. The Second Vatican Council reinstated it on Good Friday.

Veneration of the cross. The practice of venerating the crucifix dates to the early Church, Father Margevicius

March 17, 2016 said. In the time that the New Testament was still being compiled, the cross transitioned, he said, “from being a symbol and tool of shame” to “a symbol of hope and victory over death.”

“Kissing the cross [and] embracing the cross [are] all acceptable ways to show we accept the meaning of what this is all about,” he said.

Easter Vigil Celebrated after sunset on Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil starts in darkness — one of the many primal symbols packed into the longest liturgy of the year (see story on page 17).

“Images like darkness and fire and water, these are all playing in very strongly,” Father Margevicius said. “The idea is that what you see here ritually is a visual expression of what’s happening theologically. What’s happening theologically is that Jesus Christ is remaking creation. . . . So we’re going to use symbols that remind us of the first creation.”

Darkness. The Vigil is intended to begin when it is truly dark, with no trace of twilight, and historically lasted deep into the night or until the dawn. It begins in darkness that is pierced with the “light of Christ” from a fire ignited near the entrance of the church. The liturgy includes seven readings with Psalms in between, plus an epistle and the Gospel. Many parishes abbreviate the liturgy and use only a selection of the readings.

Taken together, however, the readings and psalms walk the congregation through salvation history. “Jesus didn’t emerge in a vacuum,” Father Margevicius said. “Before God started his covenant with Abraham, God was working with Noah and the patriarchs all the way back to Adam and Eve. . . . [Jesus] is the one who fulfills all of human history.”

Exsultet. Before the lighting of the pascal candle, the deacon or priest sings the exsultet, a special hymn of praise unique to the Easter Vigil. It contains the stanzas, “Oh truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the death of Christ. Oh happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a redeemer.”

The paradox can be traced as early as St. Augustine in the fifth century. “The idea behind that ‘Oh happy fault, oh necessary sin of Adam’ . . . is that we would not have had access to the grace of Jesus Christ had not Jesus come to repair what Adam destroyed with sin,” Father Margevicius said. Although Adam and Eve had perfect communion with God in the garden, he said, they did not have the fullness of grace. Christ’s redemption gave Christians access to grace that made them part of God’s family, elevating them beyond friends.

Baptism. The Easter Vigil is also when many parishes welcome catechumens — or unbaptized men and women who have been in formation to become Catholic — into the Church. It’s a natural time for people who have gone through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults to join the Church because “the life of Jesus Christ is accessible to them only because of the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Father Margevicius said.

Easter Sunday Easter Sunday’s liturgy feels much more like a regular Mass. The beginning, however, includes the sprinkling rite, where the priest blesses everyone in the church with holy water. Drawing again on the marriage analogy, Father Margevicius compared the sprinkling rite, and the renewal of baptismal promises that replaces the creed, with spouses renewing their vows: something that helps them appreciate one another in a fresh way.

Also unique is the praying of the Easter sequence, an ancient poem describing the resurrection sung after the second reading and before the “alleluia” preceding the Gospel reading. Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday’s “Alleluia” is also the first one Catholics have heard since the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

With all the vivid ritual and imagery, there can be a lot to contemplate during Holy Week, and Father Margevicius urges Catholics to indulge that impulse.

“You don’t have to be a historian or Bible scholar to benefit from meditating on these truths,” he said. “Any person reflecting on this can come up with insights [and] inspirations from the Holy Spirit that are just as meaningful as persons who may have studied it more professionally. Don’t fall into the trap of ‘I don’t know what it means, and therefore it doesn’t mean anything.’

Pray about it, and it will mean something to you, and go with it.”

March 17, 2016

HOLY WEEK

The Catholic Spirit • 15

Donated art centerpiece in Pax Christi’s cross exhibit

By Bridget Ryder For The Catholic Spirit Crosses come in many different shapes and sizes. At Pax Christi in Eden Prairie, there are at least 40 different crosses, many of them gathered into an exhibit intended to help parishioners pray during Lent.

The parish’s annual Lenten practice has a special centerpiece this year — “Christ and the Cross II,” a painting by the late Malcolm Myers, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota and an internationally renown artist. Myers died in 2002.

“We hope [the exhibit] gives [people] an opportunity for some quiet time and to reflect on something spiritual,” said Cari Stein, a parishioner and member of the art committee.

The crosses are part of a collection the parish started in 2001 from a memorial gift. Normally, they hang in specific rooms throughout the building. But each year during Lent, they are gathered in the Martin Luther King Jr. Room to help parishioners meditate and reflect.

“Each one has a different story and was specifically selected for the room it was chosen for,” Stein explained.

Crosses from the preschool rooms have bright colors and clear images, while the cross for the Sojourner Truth Room symbolizes her faith and struggle for freedom with a rose encircled with barbed wire. A unique cross shows Jesus reaching down with one arm to offer a dove. Over the years, more crosses, many the artwork of parishioners, have been given to the church.

A wooden “Mercy Cross” made by Sister Mary Ann Osborne, a School Sister of Notre Dame, and designed with input from high school students from the parish, also is part of the exhibit and will be added to the

“Christ and the Cross II,” a painting by the late Malcolm Myers that was donated to Pax Christi in Eden Prairie, is part of the parish’s Lenten cross exhibit through March 27.

Courtesy Pax Christi parish’s collection.

At the opening of the cross room in early March, the Malcolm Myers Estate donated “Christ and the Cross II.” The artist had been a Guggenheim Fellow and worked with artist Diego Rivera in Mexico. His works hang in the National Gallery of Art in Washington,

D.C., and other museums. Best known for his colorful depictions of jazz musicians, he did a series of four paintings of Jesus with the cross near the end his career.

“Christ and the Cross II” has Christ as the central figure facing the viewer directly. Christ, head bent, holds the cross above his shoulders while life moves on behind him. A pair of ducks, a favorite motif of Myers, scurry away on the right. “Christ and the Cross II” has never been displayed before, nor have any of the others in the series.

According to Myers’ wife, Marilyn Myers, the paintings were inspired by an old picture she had received. Likely one of the Stations of the Cross from an old church, it stated “Christ is laden with the cross” at the bottom. Myers had it repaired for his wife and then began to paint his own versions.

“He said he thought these pictures would be some of his strongest works,” Marilyn said.

Sister Mary Ann’s Mercy Cross, a processional cross, was debuted and blessed at a Lenten prayer service March 11. The cross is destined for the youth formation room and to be used at youth liturgies. Six youth from the parish met with Sister Mary Ann at her Mankato studio to discuss the design. In the piece, Christ is holding out his arms and is surrounded by the symbols of love, baptism and new life — represented by fire, water and leaves. The words “God is here” and “mercy” are carved into the back so that they can be seen during a procession.

Providentially, Sister Mary Ann said, she started working on the piece Dec. 8, the opening day of the Year of Mercy.

The exhibit runs through March 27 at the parish, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie.

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16 • The Catholic Spirit

HOLY WEEK

March 17, 2016

Pope’s Via Crucis meditations will look at crosses humanity bears today

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service By reflecting on the Passion of Christ, the author of the Way of the Cross meditations for Pope Francis’ Good Friday service said he will focus on the suffering unfolding in the world today and how “the martyrs of the 21st century are undoubtedly the apostles of today.”

Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia-Citta della Pieve told Vatican Radio that his reflections on the traditional 14 stations will blend in “references to the present day, which unfortunately is not lacking in crosses” people are forced to bear.

“Therefore, I sought to interpret the sorrow through the lens of God’s great love for humanity because otherwise sorrow doesn’t make sense,” he said Feb. 26.

“What strikes us the most is that Jesus took on the cross because he wanted to — he could have avoided it,” but he wanted to take on the sorrows of humanity, the cardinal said.

He said the theme of the family will be highlighted, especially for the fourth station when Jesus meets his mother.

“Alongside the tragedy of Mary,” he said, will be reflected “the tragedy in our families, the situation of our families and young people,” the problem of employment and a lack of meaning in life.

He said he will also look at the economic insecurity many people face, the plight of those forced to flee their homes because of war and poverty, and the persecution of today’s Christians.

The sorrows afflicting both humanity and the Church will receive attention, he said, and how both “need purification and reconciliation.”

“I sought to interpret the sorrow through the lens of God’s great love for humanity because otherwise sorrow doesn’t make sense.”

Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, the author of the Way of the Cross meditations for Pope Francis’ Good Friday service

Everything will be looked at in view of Easter and Christ’s resurrection — “the great message of hope that we continue to bring.”

Pope Francis asked the 73-year-old cardinal to write the meditations for his Good Friday service March 25 at Rome’s Colosseum.

The pope had met the cardinal in 2013, a month after his election, when the bishops of Umbria made their “ad limina” visits to Rome to report on the status of their dioceses. The two also spent a lot of time together later that year in Assisi, the Umbrian hometown of St. Francis.

Pope Francis gave him the red hat in 2014, making him the first cardinal from Perugia in 160 years; the last Archbishop of Perugia to wear a red hat was Cardinal Gioacchino Pecci, who became Pope Leo XIII in 1878.

Cardinal Bassetti serves as president for the Umbria region in the Italian bishops’ conference.

Jesus meets his mother in this depiction of the fourth station of the Way of the Cross by American artist Virgil Cantini. CNS file photo/Bob Roller

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HOLY WEEK

March 17, 2016

The Catholic Spirit • 17

By Daniel Muhall Catholic News Service

Unpacking the E Easter Vigil

A primer on the longest liturgy of the year

CNS

aster is the greatest feast in the life of the Church.

On this day the faithful celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and our hope in our own salvation. While every Mass on Easter is special in its own way, the Easter Vigil is the pinnacle of the Church’s liturgical life.

The website for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops provides directions for the celebration of the Easter Vigil taken from the Roman Missal. The rubrics (instructions) for celebrating the vigil call it the “greatest and most noble of all solemnities, and it is to be unique in every single church.”

This means that each parish is to celebrate only one Easter Vigil to which all of its members are invited, regardless of language or cultural group.

The word “vigil” means to stay awake and watchful.

During the Easter Vigil the Church stands watch, waiting for the resurrection of the Lord. As the Roman Missal puts it, this is “the turning point of the triduum, the Passover of the new covenant, which marks Christ’s passage from death to life.”

The rubrics call for the vigil to take place after nightfall on Holy Saturday and end just before dawn on Easter Sunday.

In some parishes the vigil lasts throughout the entire night, but in most the vigil will last two or three hours.

There is more than enough richness in this liturgy to fill whatever time is dedicated to it.

• The vigil begins with the lighting of the Easter fire.

The rubrics call for a “blazing fire” so that people can experience its warmth and light overcoming the cold and darkness of night. Smaller fires are permissible as circumstances dictate, but a larger fire is clearly desired.

After the fire is started and blessed, the paschal candle is prepared. On lighting the candle from the fire the

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priest prays for all to hear, “May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.”

The priest then carries the lit candle into the totally dark worship space, leading the faithful, who now all hold unlit candles. Three times during the procession the words “Light of Christ” are sung loudly.

• The Easter proclamation (the Exsultet) is then sung.

The words of this proclamation call on all of creation to give joyful praise to God for the salvation offered to us all through the resurrection of the Lord.

This ancient hymn recounts briefly the story of salvation history: the sin of Adam, the feast of Passover, crossing the Red Sea, the coming of the Messiah. On this night wickedness is dispelled, faults are washed away, innocence is restored and people who mourn are filled with joy.

As the worship space is filled with light from all of the candles, the prayer is sung asking that this light “may persevere undimmed, to overcome the darkness of this night.”

•The vigil now proceeds with the Liturgy of the Word.

Unlike the usual Sunday liturgy, seven passages from the Old Testament are provided to flesh out the salvation history presented in the Exsultet.

Following each of the readings is a responsorial psalm, time for meditation and a prayer led by the priest celebrant. This is followed by a reading from the New Testament and the proclamation of the Resurrection narrative from the Gospels.

The Roman Missal notes that all nine of the readings “must be read whenever it can be done, so that the character of a vigil that takes place over some duration of time can be observed,” although the number of Old Testament readings may be reduced to three for “grave pastoral circumstances.” The vigil concludes with the rite of baptism for those entering the Church and then the celebration of the Eucharist.

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Holy Week at the Cathedral of Saint Paul

Holy Thursday, March 24 Sung Morning Prayer (Lauds) at 7:30 a.m.

Confessions from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 p.m.

Adoration until Sung Night Prayer (Compline) at 10:00 p.m.

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, March 25 Sung Morning Prayer (Lauds) at 7:30 a.m.

Confessions from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

Stations of the Cross at 12:00 p.m.

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 3:00 p.m. (Solemn) Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 7:00 p.m. (Simple) Holy Saturday, March 26 Sung Morning Prayer (Lauds) at 8:00 a.m.

Confessions from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

Blessing of Easter Foods at 11:30 a.m.

Easter Vigil, March 26 Mass at 8:00 p.m.

Easter Sunday, March 27 Masses at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. (Solemn), 12:00 Noon, & 5:00 p.m.

18 • The Catholic Spirit

FOCUS ON FAITH

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES

Deacon Adam Tokashiki

Suffering an opportunity to unite ourselves to God Many people today consider suffering something to be avoided at all costs. For those without faith, suffering is a mystery, a meaningless misfortune that randomly affects some people. But experience shows us that suffering is a basic human experience, one that affects every single human being to various degrees.

In the March 20 Gospel reading, we hear the Passion narrative, indeed a narrative of intense suffering. The idea of

carrying our cross, of penance, of suffering with Jesus and being crucified with him, as St. Paul suggests, is not very appealing. St. John Paul II taught us about the redemptive value of suffering, which was redeemed by Jesus who suffered for us on the cross. Suffering need not only be an evil to be avoided at all costs. Instead, it is an opportunity to unite ourselves to God. St. John Paul II said in his apostolic letter “Salvifici Doloris,” “Suffering is, in itself, an

March 17, 2016

experience of evil. But Christ has made suffering the firmest basis of the definitive good, namely the good of eternal salvation.” Suffering, when united to love, leads to salvation.

However, we might think, “But Christ already died for me; I don’t need to suffer or die!” We have to remember that we were not baptized into the resurrection of the Lord, but as St. Paul tells us in Romans 6, we were baptized into his death. And by virtue of our baptism we became members of Christ. We die to ourselves in baptism so that he would continue living, dying and rising in us.

Salvation is not an isolated event that happened 2,000 years ago; rather, it is an ongoing event in and through his Church. When St. Paul said, “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me,” he really meant it.

Jesus gave himself completely on the cross. Our own cross is a loving invitation from Jesus to meet him where he was most vulnerable, most loving,

Sunday, March 20

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Readings • Isaiah 50:4-7 • Philippians 2:6-11 • Luke 22:14–23:56 most passionate (to the point of thirsting for us!). Suffering, when united to love, is no longer meaningless.

This Holy Week, let us embrace the cross, encountering the one who thirsts for us, suffering, dying and rising in him.

We are the people of the paschal mystery.

Deacon Tokashiki is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity for the religious community Pro Ecclesia Sancta, which serves St. Mark in St. Paul. His teaching parish and home parish is St. Mark.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, March 20 Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Luke 19:28–40 Isaiah 50:4-7 Philippians 2:6-11 Luke 22:14–23:56 Monday, March 21 Isaiah 42:1-7 John 12:1-11

Tuesday, March 22 Isaiah 49:1-6 John 13:21-33, 36-38 Wednesday, March 23 Isaiah 50:4-9a Matthew 26:14-25 Thursday, March 24 Holy Thursday Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15

Friday, March 25 Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion Isaiah 52:13—53:12 Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1—19:42

Sunday, March 27 Easter Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-9

Saturday, March 26 Holy Saturday Genesis 1:1–2:2 Genesis 22:1-18 Exodus 14:15–15:1 Isaiah 54:5-14 Isaiah 55:1-11 Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28 Romans 6:3–11 Luke 24:1-12

Monday, March 28 Acts 2:14, 22-33 Matthew 28:8-15

SEEKING ANSWERS

Father Kenneth Doyle

Fasting during Lent; status of last rites Q. On the two obligatory days of

fasting, I do fast, but I sometimes wait until just after midnight and then satisfy my hunger with an amount of food not in keeping with the notion of fasting. While I believe I am meeting the letter of my obligation, I am not sure that I am honoring its spirit. What sort of guidance would you offer?

A. The Catholic Church, it seems to me, is rather modest in the dietary discipline it asks from believers. As you note, there are only two days of fasting on the Church’s calendar: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On those days, Catholics are to limit themselves to only one full (and meatless) meal.

Some food can be taken at the other regular meal times, but that food (combined) should not equal a full meal.

Liquids are permitted at any time, but no solid food should be taken between meals.

The discipline of fasting governs only those between the ages of 18 and 59, and it does not apply to anyone for whom it might create a health risk — for example, the sick or the frail, pregnant or nursing women — or even to guests at a meal who cannot fast without offending the host.

We fast, of course, to unite ourselves to Christ and to the burdens he endured on our behalf. Logically, then, this fasting should result in some sacrifice on our part. In your case, I believe that you are being faithful to the letter and the spirit of the law (assuming that after midnight you are not being gluttonous). The fact that you do struggle later in the day means that it does cost you something — not to mention the fact that you need to stay up so late to satisfy your hunger!

Q. A few years ago, we lost a son who was 50 years old. We had called his parish priest to administer last rites. When the priest arrived at the

Tuesday, March 29 Acts 2:36-41 John 20:11-18

Wednesday, March 30 Acts 3:1-10 Luke 24:13-35

Saturday, April 2 Acts 4:13-21 Mark 16:9-15

Thursday, March 31 Acts 3:11-26 Luke 24:35-48

Sunday, April 3 Divine Mercy Sunday Acts 5:12-16 Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 John 20:19-31

Friday, April 1 Acts 4:1-12 John 21:1-14

hospital, our son had already passed.

When we asked about the last rites, he told us that they don’t do the last rites anymore. Did I miss something, or am I misinformed?

A. The last rites have not been

eliminated. What many Catholics do not understand, though, is that the “last rites” encompass several sacraments, including penance (confession of sins), viaticum (holy Communion given as food for the journey to eternal life) and the anointing of the sick. Ideally, those sacraments should be administered when the recipient is aware and able to benefit most.

What the priest was probably trying to explain was that, like all the sacraments, anointing is given only to the living. The word “sacrament” means “sign,” a sign of Christ’s presence. But after death, the person is already meeting Christ face to face.

As Canon No. 1005 in the Code of Canon Law indicates, though, the sacrament of anointing may still be administered if there is doubt as to whether death has occurred.

If the person has already died, the priest instead chooses from the prayers for the deceased in his ritual book (“Pastoral Care of the Sick”).

What is particularly troublesome to parish priests is that families often wait until the last minute before calling a priest. This is due, in part, to the fact that the sacrament of anointing of the sick

used to be called “extreme unction.” But the clear teaching of the Church is that someone does not have to be “in extremis” (i.e., in imminent danger of dying).

Canon No. 1004 provides that “the anointing of the sick can be administered to a member of the faithful who, having reached the use of reason, begins to be in danger due to sickness or old age.” The ritual itself designates as proper recipients, “a sick person . . . before surgery, whenever the surgery is necessitated by a dangerous illness,” as well as “elderly people . . . if they are weak, though not dangerously ill.”

What many forget is that the first purpose of anointing is to bring about healing, physically and spiritually. (See Jas 5:14-15.)

If, instead, it be the will of God that the person soon die, the prayer of anointing asks that the person be relieved of suffering and feel the power and peace of God. The sacrament should be administered when it can do the most good, so the rule of thumb is: Call the priest sooner rather than later.

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

THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY

March 17, 2016

The Catholic Spirit • 19

LENT

Elizabeth Kelly

The terrible invitation to unleash love It may be one of the most well-known verses in all of lamentation: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Contemporary scholarship says this line refers to the first line of Psalm 21, and by doing so recalls not just one line, but the entire psalm. And like so many of the psalms that begin with lament, it ends with a joyful and confident recollection of the father’s faithfulness.

So, Christ is not questioning the father’s love, but acknowledging it.

1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

2. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest.

And then the tone shifts dramatically: 3. Yet you are holy . . .

4. In you our fathers trusted . . .

5. To you they cried out and were delivered; In you they trusted and were not disappointed.

Amen, we say, and thanks be to God! But let’s not skip over the reality of Christ’s lamentation; it is an equally important part of his prayer. Because Jesus can pray, “Why have you forsaken

me?”, I know that I can, too. We see in Christ’s prayer the model for our own — to cry from the heart, or as the Catechism says, to engage “our whole being to give all power to our supplication.” Clearly, we do not want to abuse this prayer, but we needn’t fear it.

It can be an extremely potent prayer, filled with the power of radical service because of the secret it remembers deep down: God is trustworthy.

We serve in many ways in our suffering, especially if we ask God to come in and give it meaning, to make it redemptive. Even the sick can live lives of total self-giving. By accepting in love and gratitude their circumstances, by allowing those in charge of their care to be sanctified through their care-taking work, the sick and the vulnerable become extraordinary vehicles to redemption.

We see this modeled in so many of the saints. Consider the public and prolonged suffering of Pope John Paul II with Parkinson’s, what Catholic author George Weigel has so appropriately named “his last encyclical.” Decades before the onset of Parkinson’s, Pope John Paul II would make this very point in “Salvifici Doloris”: suffering unleashes

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN

Jeff Cavins

Stepping up to the challenge to become Watchmen The Catholic Watchmen movement was formally launched at the archdiocesan men’s conference Feb. 27.

More than 1,600 men stood up and pledged that they would work hard to provide, protect and lead in their families and parishes. It truly was a moving moment to see that many men stand in solidarity and conviction concerning their Catholic faith.

Many times men came up to me at the conference and said, “Just being here and seeing all the men who are like-minded is life changing in itself.

Looking at the sea of men tells us that we are not alone, and we are supported in our pursuit of holiness and responsibility.”

Nearly 20 parishes have already organized a local Catholic Watchmen group and established a point man to work with the archdiocese. In September, parish Watchmen groups will begin to meet and start learning some of the fundamental disciplines of walking as disciples of Christ. Daily prayer,

Scripture reading, monthly confession and a renewed attention to Mass are just some of the ways these men are willing to learn more about and embrace the faith.

In addition, the “Midnight Watch” was introduced at the conference. The Midnight Watch is when men in the movement gather at midnight to pray for their families. They are intentional about praying for their spouses and children. For some, this is the first time they have gone deep in prayer for loved ones. The response we are hearing is so encouraging.

The men of Divine Mercy in Faribault are on fire for their faith after the men’s conference. The Friday night following the conference, 25 men gathered for a Midnight Watch adoration hour. Many other men are hearing about the Catholic Watchmen from the men who attended the conference and are asking how to join the Catholic Watchmen movement. We asked Justin Stroh, Divine Mercy’s point man, how he accounts for this enthusiasm. He said

Whatever you are suffering, is it possible that Jesus is inviting you to keep him company in his suffering, in this most intimate space of all?

istock love; it is an opportunity for love to be unleashed in the world. There can be no greater service than this.

Whatever you are suffering, is it possible that Jesus is inviting you to keep him company in his suffering, in this most intimate space of all? After all, we do not invite our enemies to our sickbed; no, we invite our friends, those who will bring consolation, those we trust the most.

Is it possible, that in your suffering, God is not abandoning you, but rather

inviting you, entrusting you to know him more intimately that his love might be more radically unleashed on a world darkened by sin? Could there be a more precious or more powerful gift?

Kelly is an award-winning speaker and the author of five books, including “Reasons I Love Being Catholic.” She is trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian exercises and leads retreats with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith.

The Catholic Watchmen movement is simple, clear and unifying. Simply put, it is the bishop and local pastors gathering men together to learn and live the faith in a life-changing way. three important components have “captured the men and stirred them to act.” They are: 1. The Catholic Watchmen initiative comes from the heart of Bishop Andrew Cozzens. The men sense this and have responded to his call by coming together.

2. The initiative is pastor-led at their parish. The pastor and associate pastor are calling men, who are personally invested following the lead of their pastor.

3. They established a communication network. The group uses Flocknote to communicate to the men of their parish, and this has aided in the rapid spread of the Catholic Watchmen enthusiasm in Faribault.

Mike Casanova, the grand knight of the Chanhassen Council of the Knights of Columbus, reported that they brought a busload of Catholic men to the men’s conference. As a follow-up to the conference, he would like to introduce fellow Knights to the movement and engage in the seven disciplines of the Catholic Watchmen.

On their return from the conference, they adopted the song, “They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love” and substituted the word “Christians” with “Watchmen.”

Personally, I am very excited and optimistic about the potential for this movement of men. While I have recently stepped down as an employee of the archdiocese, I remain active in leading this movement and hope to see it grow to amazing numbers of men.

The Catholic Watchmen movement is simple, clear and unifying. Simply put, it is the bishop and local pastors gathering men together to learn and live the faith in a life-changing way. I think this could very well be a new chapter for men in our archdiocese.

For more information about the Catholic Watchmen movement and a powerful new video, visit www.thecatholicwatchmen.com.

Cavins is former director of evangelization and catechesis for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

20 • The Catholic Spirit

THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY

EVERYDAY MERCIES

Alyssa Bormes

The best part You know how you sometimes buy a $100 raffle ticket for a chance to win a trip to the Holy Land, and then regret the purchase because for that kind of money, you ought to be walking away with groceries in your hands? But then you realize the money is going for a good cause — the parish — so then you forgive yourself, and then you forget about it, but then you win?

You mean you haven’t had this happen? I thought everyone had.

What happens when you win the trip? You go on it!

What happens when you return? You have to answer, “What was your favorite part?”

Part of the best parts weren’t. There was the day we were going to the well

where Jesus met the Samaritan woman.

Our bus turned back at the checkpoint.

We were so close; there was a sense of the lay of the land, the barrenness.

John 4:4 states, “He had to pass through Samaria.” It’s a favorite verse of mine; it tells something of the place — Jesus wouldn’t be welcomed there, but he went. There, he changed the life of one woman, who in turn brought others to him. I loved making it almost to that well.

We were at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The Mass for the day goes with the place. Instead of the usual daily Mass readings, our Gospel was that of Lazarus being raised. However, the story of Martha and Mary, and Mary choosing the better part, is one of

FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA

Jason Adkins

Minnesota’s budget: Finding the right ‘measure’ One of the main debates at the State Capitol this year centers on what to do with a projected $900 million budget surplus, the result of anticipated revenues for this current budget biennium exceeding planned government expenditures.

Should lawmakers create a supplemental budget with new expenditures, or put the revenue back in the economy through tax cuts? Or should they assume that, because of inflationary increases in existing program expenditures and the potential for an economic downturn, the safest course of action is to not gamble with new spending or tax relief?

Data is necessary, but not enough In an effort to advance their favored budgetary strategies or justify particular spending or tax proposals, lawmakers toss around a variety of numbers and metrics.

For instance, one measure cited frequently in Minnesota budget debates is the price of government. It uses the total revenue collected by state and local governments, including school districts, and measures it relative to “Minnesota Personal Income” (MPI), which is a measure of aggregate personal income.

The price of government in Minnesota has remained relatively stable since 1999, hovering between 14.5 and 16 percent of MPI, with

projected decreases in the price of government services through fiscal year 2019.

Spending has stayed consistent with increases in household income, which indicates economic growth, and which in turn means more demand for infrastructure and government services.

Therefore, it is claimed, spending is not out of control and there continues to be room for prudent investments that improve the quality of life in our state.

This metric is helpful, but critics of the price of government highlight its limitations, and that it is merely one metric among many. For example, because it includes non-cash income in its calculation of MPI, the price of government does not accurately reflect how much state and local governments actually consume from the pocketbooks of Minnesotans.

Furthermore, the price of government metric does nothing to tell us if our rate of government spending is the “right price,” because hitting a target figure will not necessarily ensure that the $16 billion (almost 60 percent) increase in state and local government spending since 2004 is contributing to a better Minnesota.

Ultimately, empirical data, while helpful, is incapable of fully resolving the more fundamental questions related to budgeting. This is because budgets are moral documents that reflect a community’s ethical priorities; they require a different measure.

March 17, 2016

Go all-in for these last days of Lent: Get to confession one more time, fully enter the Triduum and then receive the Eucharist as if for the first time. my favorite Gospels as well. Although we didn’t hear that one, we were in the place where it happened, and it was good.

As mentioned, the Mass goes with the place. At the place of the Annunciation, the Gospel and all the Mass parts had to do with the Annunciation. It was the same at the place of the Visitation, and, of course, the same at the Nativity. In Bethlehem it is Christmas everyday. In the middle of Lent, we had Christmas Mass.

Even though every day is Christmas in Bethlehem, it was Lent all around us.

Something about celebrating midnight Mass in the middle of Lent, knowing what the baby will have to suffer as man, and that he willingly embraced the cross to do so, and all for love of us, is everything this Year of Mercy is about. In that tiny chapel in

Bethlehem, mercy was there. Mercy was all that you could breathe.

Only a few days later, we went to the Holy Sepulcher where we touched the stone of Calvary, and the stone where the body was prepared. Then we went to the empty tomb. Touching the stone where Jesus lay in the tomb was breathtaking. Christmas, Lent and Easter collided in awe.

If you haven’t yet won your ticket to the Holy Land, don’t worry — the Church has you covered. Go all-in for these last days of Lent: Get to confession one more time, fully enter the Triduum and then receive the Eucharist as if for the first time. He is there. And that is the best part.

The human face of the budget

coincidentally, the Greek root of “economy” is “oikos,” meaning household.)

Responsible household budgeting focuses on the greatest needs: the wellbeing of children and the elderly, housing, education, food and health care. If there is additional money left over, then we can consider additional spending on “quality of life” amenities.

But until basic needs are met in the home, other opportunities will have to wait.

By this measure, even our fair state has a long way to go in getting its budget priorities right. Hopefully, Catholics will continue to constructively remind lawmakers and others about the right “measure” of budgetary decisions.

Catholics know that the ultimate budget “metric” is how well our state’s economy and its expenditures promote the human dignity of every person, created in the image and likeness of God — particularly the poor and vulnerable. (See Mt 25.) This is the ethical standard to which our lawmakers’ budgetary decisions — and all other policies, for that matter — must measure up.

That’s not to say that all expenditures must be aimed at the poor and vulnerable. Nor is it to give license to imprudent spending that uses money our state doesn’t have.

But it is to say that we should employ a measure of justice and a heart of solidarity, and manage our state budget in the common-sense manner we would a household budget. (Not

Bormes, a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, is the author of the book “The Catechism of Hockey.”

Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

Stand up for life and dignity Resources for the legislative session The 2016 legislative session is underway in Minnesota and is scheduled to adjourn no later than May 23. Many important issues will be discussed and debated — including commercial surrogacy, family economic security and parental choice in education — with serious implications for human dignity and the common good in our state.

Faithful citizenship is a task of Christian discipleship. The Minnesota Catholic Conference wants to equip Catholics across the state to stand up for life and dignity during this legislative session. We have developed resources to help you: • Understand the legislative process.

• Learn the bishops’ policy positions.

• Keep up-to-date on legislative developments.

• Take simple, concrete actions that will have a meaningful impact on important legislation.

To access these resources, visit www.mncc.org/2016LegislativeResources/

CALENDAR

March 17, 2016 Dining out Spaghetti dinner — March 19: 4–7 p.m. at St. Bernard’s parish center, 147 W. Geranium Ave., St. Paul.

DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated date of publication.

Boy Scout Troop 288 pancake breakfast — March 20: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Michael Church/Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, 335 Hurley St. E., West St. Paul. 651-457-2334.

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief no­ tices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release.

Music “Light in Deepest Night” Palm Sunday concert — March 20: 2:15 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. www.mary.org.

“The King of Love” musical rendition of the Passion narrative —March 21: 7 p.m. at St. John Neumann, 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan.

Reboot Live! with Chris Stefanick — March 30: 7–9:30 p.m. at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1725 Kennard St., Maplewood. www.presentationofmary.org.

CALENDAR submissions

Knights of Columbus brunch — March 20: 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids.

“Living the Faith in a Secular Society” presentation

by Jason Adkins (Minnesota Catholic Conference) and dinner — April 7: 6–7:30 p.m. at St. Stephen, 525 Jackson St., Anoka. RSVP with Kevin Setterholm, 763-757-9786 or ksetterholm@q.com.

Salad luncheon with speaker Nancy Jo Sullivan — April 16: 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. at St. Patrick, 3535 72nd St. E., Inver Grove Heights. 651-453-0770 or sswillenbring@ comcast.net.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event • Full street address of event • Description of event • Contact information in case of questions

“Love One Another: The Call to True Discipleship” with Father Michael Byron — April 19: 7–8 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood.

651-777-7251 or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

ONLINE: www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit • 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul MN 55102

Conferences, seminars, workshops

Parish events

A note to readers

ALPHA: dinner, videos and discussion about life, faith and God — Mondays through May 9: 6:30–8:30 p.m. at St. Michael Church, 611 Third St., Stillwater. www. stmichaelstillwater.org.

As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Catholic Spirit no longer accepts calendar submissions via email.

Please submit events using the form at www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions

“Reflections at the Foot of the Cross,” prayerful, dramatic presentation based on the writings of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich — March 18: 7 p.m. at Nativity of Mary, 9900 Lyndale Ave. S., Bloomington. www.heavenhelpusplayers.com.

St. Boniface Christian Mother’s Guild Easter boutique — March 19: 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at St. Boniface, 629 Second St. NE, Minneapolis. 612-788-4389.

Vatican International Exhibition Eucharistic Miracles of the World — March 19-21: 8:30 a.m.–8 p.m. (closes at 3 p.m. Monday) at Epiphany Church (gymnasium), 11001 Hanson Blvd. NW, Coon Rapids. www.epiphanymn.org.

“Building Bridges: Confronting Islamophobia” — April 3: 1–2:30 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. 612-317-3477 or www.mary.org.

Women’s Palm Sunday weekend retreat — March 18-20: 7:30 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Sunday at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. www.franciscanretreats.net.

Prayer and worship

Men’s Holy Week retreat — March 23-26: 8 p.m.

Wednesday to 12:45 p.m. Saturday at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. 763-682-1394.

Mary, Mother of the Church Stations of the Cross — March 18: 7–8 p.m. at 3333 Cliff Road E., Burnsville. www.mmotc.org.

Taize prayer — March 18: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 651-777-7251 or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Bingo and ham raffle — March 20: 12:30–3:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. 763-788-9062 or www.iccsonline.org.

Mass for people with special needs — March 19: 9 a.m. at St. Edward, 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S., Bloomington.

952-835-7101 or visit www.stedwardschurch.org.

Living Stations of the Cross — March 25: 7 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament, 2119 Stillwater Ave. E., St. Paul. ww.servantsofthecrossmn.com.

Passion Sunday Vespers followed by supper — March 20: 5 p.m. at St. Mary, 261 Eighth St. E., St. Paul.

Living Stations of the Cross — March 25: 3 p.m. at St. Jude of the Lake, 700 Mahtomedi Ave., Mahtomedi. www.servantsofthecrossmn.com.

Triduum/Easter schedule at the Basilica of St. Mary — March 20-27: Visit www.mary.org for a full schedule of Holy Week services at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis.

Living Stations of the Cross — March 25: noon at St. Peter, 2600 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul. www.servantsofthecrossmn.com.

Holy Week Taize prayer — March 22: 5:30 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. www.mary.org.

Eucharistic Miracles of the World Exhibit — March 31-April 3: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. at St. Timothy Church, 8 Oak Ave. N., Maple Lake. www.churchofsttimothy.org.

Divine Mercy Sunday devotion — April 3: 3 p.m. at St. John the Baptist, 680 Mill St., Excelsior. 952-474-5834.

Mary Mother of the Church Bible study with Father J. Michael Joncas — March 31 and April 1: 7 p.m.

March 31 and 9:30 a.m. April 1 at 3333 Cliff Rd E., Burnsville.

Annual spring craft sale — April 2: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1725 Kennard St., Maplewood. www.presentationofmary.org.

The Catholic Spirit • 21

Men’s Holy Week retreat — March 24-25: 7:30 p.m.

Thursday to 1 p.m. Friday at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. www.franciscanretreats.net.

Hermitage retreat — April 1-3: 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 651-777-7251 or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

“Creative Light for your Spiritual Journey” — April 22-24: 6 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Sunday at Villa Maria Retreat and Conference Center, 29847 County 2 Blvd., Frontenac.

651-345-4582 or www.villamariaretreats.org.

A Guided Journey Through the Triduum with Sister Carol Rennie — March 24-26: 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 651-777-7251 or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Re-marriage/Blended Family Seminar — April 2: 9 a.m.–noon at the Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis. Nancy at nkeller@mary.org or www.mary.org.

“Growing through Loss” — Thursdays: April 7-May 12: 6:45–9 p.m. at St. Joseph of the Lakes, 171 Elm St., Lino Lakes. 763-755-5335 or www.growingthroughloss.org.

“Good Zeal and Beginnings: The Rule of St. Benedict” — April 17: 1–3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 651-777-7251 or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Earth Day Retreat and Symposium — April 23: 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. at Pax Christi, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie. 952-941-3150 or www.paxchristi.com/earthday.

Youth NET retreat for youth grades 8-12 — April 1: 4:30–9:30 p.m. at St. Nicholas, 51 Church St., Elko New Market. www.stncc.net/net-retreat.

Schools

Other events

Art exhibit by Hill-Murray High School students — Through March 28: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. at the Benedictine Center, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 952-829-1386 or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Pro-Life Across America Culture of Life Banquet — April 13: 6–8:45 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, 835 Second Ave. NW, New Brighton. www.prolifeacrossamerica.org.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic School kindergarten round-up — April 5: 6:30 p.m. at 2072 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville. 651-646-3832 or www.mysaintrose.net.

Virtuous Leadership gala dinner with Alexandre Havard Keynote — April 16: 5–8 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. www.umary.edu/virtue.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic School middle school (grades 6-8) information night — April 5: 7 p.m. at 2072 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville. 651-646-3832 or www. mysaintrose.net.

Life is Wonderful Fun Run/Walk and 5K Race to support Abria Pregnancy Resources — May 7: 7 a.m. check-in, 9 a.m. start at Raspberry Island, St. Paul. www.supporters.abria.org.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic School pre-kindergarten information night — April 7: 6:30 p.m. at 2072 Hamline Ave. N., Roseville. 651-646-3832 or www.mysaintrose.net.

Speakers

Dementia support group — Second Tuesday of each month: 7–9 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. 651-777-7251 or www.stpaulsmonastery.org.

Immaculate Conception of Marysburg — 4:30–7:30

St. Albert the Great — 4:30–7:30 p.m. at 2836 33rd

St. Nicholas — 6:30–7:30 p.m. at 51 Church St.,

Knights of Columbus No. 4967 — 4–7 p.m. at

St. Jerome — 5–7 p.m. at 384 Roselawn Ave. E.,

Healing Mass with Father Jim Livingston — April 12: 7 p.m. at Immaculate Conception, 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. 763-788-9062 or www.iccsonline.org.

Retreats Consoling the Heart of Jesus Retreat — March 20: 1:15–3 p.m. at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road E., Burnsville. 952-890-0045 or www.mmotc.org.

FISH fries & LENTEN dinners March 18 Cathedral Knights of Columbus — 5–6:45 p.m. at

239 Selby Ave., St. Paul, Hayden Hall.

Faithful Shepherd Knights of Columbus — 5–7 p.m.

at 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan.

Guardian Angels (Chaska) Knights of Columbus — 4:30–7:30 p.m., First Street and Cedar Avenue,

Chaska.

Guardian Angels (Oakdale) — 4:30–7 p.m. at 8260

Fourth St. N., Oakdale. www.guardian-angels.org.

Holy Cross — 5–7 p.m. in the parish’s Kolbe Center,

1630 Fourth St. NE, Minneapolis. www.ourholycross. org.

Holy Family Maronite Lebanese dinner — 4:30–

7 p.m. at 1960 Lexington Ave. S., Mendota Heights.

Immaculate Conception — 4:30–6:30 p.m. at 4030

Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. www.iccsonline.org.

p.m. at 27528 Patrick St., Madison Lake. www.maryschurches.com.

St. Peter Catholic School cafeteria, 2620 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul.

Our Lady of Guadalupe enchilada dinner — 11:30

a.m.–6:30 p.m. at 401 Concord St., St. Paul.

651-228-0506 or www.olgspchurch.com.

Ave. S., Minneapolis. www.saintalbertthegreat.org/ fish-dinners.

Maplewood. www.stjerome-church.org.

St. John the Baptist — 5–8 p.m. at 14383 Forest

Blvd. N., Hugo. www.stgens.org.

St. Matthew — 4:30–7:30 p.m. at 507 Hall Ave.,

St. Paul.

Looking for a good parish fish fry?

“Fish Daddy” reviews the area’s best at www.CatholicHotdish.com.

Elko New Market. www.stncc.net.

St. Stephen — 5:30–7 p.m. at 525 Jackson St.,

Anoka. www.ststephenchurch.org.

St. Timothy Knights of Columbus — 5–7 p.m. at 707

89th Ave. NE, Blaine. www.kc5141.org.

March 25 (Good Friday) Bloomington Knights of Columbus — 4:30–8:30 p.m.

at 1114 American Blvd. W., Bloomington. 952-8881492.

Our Lady of Guadalupe enchilada dinner — 11:30

a.m.–6:30 p.m. at 401 Concord St., St. Paul.

651-228-0506 or www.olgspchurch.com.

St. Matthew — 4:30–7:30 p.m. at 507 Hall Ave.,

St. Paul.

22 • The Catholic Spirit

March 17, 2016

OBITUARIES

Father Colon, 65 years a priest

Father Mahon, Edina ‘shepherd’

Deacon Wittman, rights champion

Paul Kammen was a sixth-grader when he knocked on the rectory door at Our Lady of Victory in north Minneapolis and asked Father Vincent Colon if he could be an altar server.

“He took the time to invite me to do that, and the next Saturday he trained me to be a server,” said now Father Paul Kammen, pastor of St. Joseph in Rosemount.

Father Colon, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for more than 65 years, died Feb. 28 at the age of 90.

Father Kammen said Father Colon was warm, personable, Father Vincent down-to-earth and cared about his COLON parishioners. “He saw his priesthood as a true vocation, not a job, and gave me more of a respect for the liturgy.”

Ordained June 8, 1950, Father Colon served as an associate pastor at St. Peter, Richfield; Holy Cross, Minneapolis; and St. Mary, Shakopee.

He filled a vacancy at St. Timothy, Maple Lake, before serving as pastor of St. Genevieve, Centerville; St. Peter, Forest Lake; Immaculate Conception, Columbia Heights; and Holy Spirit, St. Paul, before his final pastorate at Our Lady of Victory.

Even after retiring in 1993, he was administrator of Sts. Peter and Paul, Loretto, then for another 20 years he assisted at St. Joseph in Rosemount, presiding at weekend liturgies, celebrating home Masses and helping as needed.

“Parishioners here really bonded with him,” Father Kammen said.

A funeral Mass was celebrated March 7 at St. Joseph in Rosemount.

Father Ambrose Mahon was an icon at St. Patrick in Edina, having served there for more than a quarter century.

The longtime pastor, who died Feb. 17 at the age of 88, was remembered by a former associate pastor, who said Father Mahon’s gift was being a “shepherd” to his flock.

“He spent 28 years at St. Patrick,” Father John Bauer said, “and baptized, married and buried thousands of people during his years there. People knew they could come to him at any time, Father Ambrose and he would respond with kindness, compassion and care.”

MAHON Born Jan. 29, 1928, and raised on a farm near Watertown, Father Mahon was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Feb. 23, 1958.

After serving as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Grace in Edina and Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, in 1970 he was appointed parochial administrator at the other parish in Edina, St. Patrick, where he served until retirement.

He was named the parish’s pastor in 1976 and served as an assistant from 1994 to 1996 before becoming pastor again from 1996 to 1998, when he retired.

“I was blessed to have worked with him for six years,” Father Bauer said. “He was a priestly colleague, a mentor and a friend.

“He was also one of the most pastoral priests I’ve ever met,” Father Bauer added.

A funeral Mass was celebrated March 8 at St. Patrick in Edina.

Deacon Wayne Wittman, a passionate advocate for working people and a tireless supporter of peace and human rights on a global scale, died Feb. 24. He was 86.

Born in Humboldt, Iowa, Sept. 11, 1929, he served as a member of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps during the Korean War, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in counseling psychology, then worked for the State of Minnesota for 26 years as a rehabilitation counselor.

Ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Deacon Wayne Minneapolis in 1984, he served his home parish, Sacred Heart on WITTMAN St. Paul’s east side.

Deacon Wittman served on the St. Paul School Board, chaired the citizen review board for the St. Paul Police Department, and was a member of the archdiocesan Deacon Council.

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson called Deacon Wittman “the conscience of the labor movement” in the Twin Cities.

He was a founding member of the local chapter of Veterans for Peace, protested the training of Latin American soldiers in torture at the School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and frequently traveled to Nicaragua to act as an election observer. In 2014, the Veterans for Peace national organization honored him with its lifetime achievement award.

Deacon Wittman is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joan, five children and 10 grandchildren.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 29 at Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel in St. Paul.

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W

hen Mark Elliott’s youngest son, Austin, began having questions about the family’s religious background, it started a domino effect that culminated in three generations of Elliotts joining the Church.

Mark Elliott, 54, who does road service for a trucking firm, went through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults alongside Austin, then 16, and Trevor, 17, at St. Bonaventure in Bloomington.

In 2013, the teens were baptized, and Mark, who had been baptized as an infant, was welcomed into full communion in the Church.

“It absolutely changed my life,” Elliott said. “At work people tell me they can see the change.”

The next year, the boys’ grandfather, Merle Elliott, went through the process, too, with his wife, Dorothy, who was raised Catholic but wanted a refresher course.

“We drifted away [from the Church],” Merle said, but the RCIA brought him back. The process renewed his faith and answered lingering questions, such as the difference between the Catholic and Protestant Bibles.

Since being baptized two years ago, the 78-year-old retired business owner has become an altar server and eucharistic minister. He enjoys morning prayer and going to daily Mass with Dorothy, he said.

“I have a stronger feeling of Christ, a better sense of God,” Elliott said. “My heart is lifted up.”

‘I like what I see’ The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, instituted in 1972, is the two-step process by which people first learn about the Gospel and basic information about the Church, and receive an invitation to conversion.

In the second step, learning the teachings and practices of the faith continues as people journey through formation in the life of the Church.

RCIA leaders said the process offers an almost unlimited number of intriguing conversion stories.

Deacon Jack Nicklay relayed the experience of one woman moved by Pope John Paul II’s funeral.

“When Pope John Paul II died, a woman walked in off the street and said she’d been watching the funeral on TV,” he said. “She said, ‘I’m so overwhelmed. I want to join the Catholic Church.’ ” Many of the more than 600 people who will enter or join in full communion with the Church in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis at the Easter Vigil will be those who are engaged to be married to Catholics. Other catechumens and candidates include parents who began seeking to join the Church when their children were baptized or making their first Communion.

Mickey Redfearn said that’s usually the case at St. Bonaventure, where he leads the RCIA. “I have a catechumen this year who was never baptized, not engaged to be married,” Redfearn explained. “He started going to Mass with a friend in high school, and now as an adult wants to become Catholic. That’s more of the exception.”

Pastoral care administrator at St. Rita in Cottage Grove, Deacon Nicklay said a reason people often give for becoming candidates or catechumens is something along the lines of “I like what I see.”

A process, not a program After 16 years of coordinating the rite, first at St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove and now at St. William in Fridley, Jennifer Hovland feels she has a good sense of the process and what makes it successful.

Emphasis on process — it’s not a “program,” she said.

“The RCIA is the process of forming people in the life of the Church,” Hovland said, and she finds that formation happens best “when it is integrated with what’s happening in the parish whenever possible.”

For that to happen, the parish recruits four to six

FAITH & CULTURE

Joining the Church What RCIA means for the whole community

By Bob Zyskowski • The Catholic Spirit

“In a time when it seems like religion is falling by the wayside, it’s so important to have people like this wanting to be part of the Church.”

Deacon Jack Nicklay

parishioners to serve on the RCIA team.

“The team is critical,” Hovland said. “These are people who have been through the RCIA themselves, and they offer a new and different perspective, above and beyond what someone might get from their sponsor. They’re a face people know [when they come to Mass and parish events], and they’re going to introduce them to others in the parish.”

Members of the team might lead a break-out group, give a presentation on baptism or lead prayer, Hovland said.

“I don’t have experience in everything,” she explained, so tapping the experience of others enriches the formation process.

“That’s why we’re the Body of Christ,” Hovland added.

The importance of ‘why?’

Deacon Nicklay has found over the years that when people begin the Rite of Christian Initiation process they often are a bit reticent to speak up in a group of mostly strangers.

“They don’t know what they don’t know, so they are afraid to ask,” he said.

However, in the more than a decade that he’s been facilitating the RCIA at St. Rita, he can tell when someone in the group is fired up about learning more about the faith.

“Somehow the Holy Spirit plants one of those people in our classes every year,” he said. “They think out loud, and boy, that gets the discussion going.

They want to know why. Why are we doing that?

Why does the Church teach that?”

The structure St. Rita uses now in preparing people to enter the Church or join in full communion with the Church is the result of people asking why, he said.

Scripture plays a prominent role in the Monday night classes. Deacon Nicklay and retired Deacon Dick Pashby team up to teach and lead discussions using a

The Catholic Spirit • 23

PowerPoint presentation they’ve developed over the years.

“We discuss Church teaching and how it effects daily life, the everyday things people care about,” Deacon Nicklay said.

They don’t shy away from topics such as death and dying, artificial birth control, divorce and annulment, and clergy sexual abuse.

“You have to address what’s going on in the Church,” he said. “You have to address that before you can go on.”

Parishes typically begin the inquiry portion of the RCIA in the fall, aiming for culmination at the Easter Vigil.

The number of participants varies each year at every parish. Sessions usually are held weekly or everyother-week, but the RCIA coordinators are used to adjusting to people’s schedules.

At St. Bonaventure, RCIA is a year-round process, and people can start anytime. The process is also flexible.

“A week ago a man who is an immigrant from Togo came in,” said Redfearn in early February. “He wanted to be confirmed and have his marriage blessed.

Because he worked nights, he and his sponsor and I will meet during the day.”

There is no way to guarantee that, once brought into the Church, converts will continue to regularly practice the faith.

“It’s true that you might not see much of some people who go through RCIA,” Redfearn said, “but more often I see the other side of that — they are the ones involved in the parish.”

He pointed to Mark Elliott, who not only volunteers driving the parish bus to pick up handicapped people and senior citizens to take them to and from weekend liturgies and takes various parish groups to events, but has taken over the maintenance and repairs of the parish bus, too, and has continued to participate in the RCIA process every year because he wants to continue to grow in his faith.

‘Vital to the parish’ RCIA leaders see how their parishes benefit from the process.

“I tell RCIA people they are vital to the parish,” Redfearn said.

“Witnessing someone plunge into the waters of baptism and come out, it moves people. I can see it in their faces,” he said. “The RCIA gives people the sense that our faith is vibrant and vital, and these people want to join.”

At St. William, Hovland calls the rite a gift to the parish.

“These people who are at the start of this incredible journey in faith are going to keep the Church alive,” she said.

During RCIA sessions, “they’re on fire,” she said.

“They’re newborn, they’re neophytes. Every question is engaging to them.”

“Working with people in the RCIA is probably the most enriching and feeding part of my faith experience,” she added. “It’s one of the things that energizes me. It’s pretty hard to get discouraged or dragged down when all of these people are on the way up.”

At St. Rita, Deacon Nicklay feels much the same, calling the RCIA “a blessing that has strengthened my faith and my understanding of the Church.”

“In a time when it seems like religion is falling by the wayside,” he said, “it’s so important to have people like this wanting to be part of the Church.”

He added: “When you hear their stories, you find out how important it is for them to join the Church; that’s fulfilling.”

24 • The Catholic Spirit

THE LAST WORD

March 17, 2016

Easter Rising

Insurrection marked beginning of modern Irish Republic

LEFT Brian Kiernan, 11, attends a Sinn Fein rally with members of the Finglas 1916 Commemoration group in Dublin Jan. 31. Ireland’s political system emerged from the rubble of the anti-British 1916 Easter Rising, which is marking its centenary this year. RIGHT The damaged Dublin General Post Office is seen in a photograph taken after the Easter Uprising of 1916. The six-day insurrection divided Ireland for a century. CNS

100th anniversary of the event that left 500 dead, thousands injured

By Susan Gately Catholic News Service Easter Monday 1916 was a sunny day. Patrick Pearse, a young poet and teacher, stood in front of the General Post Office on O’Connell Street in Dublin and, to the astonishment of passers-by, began to read: “Irishmen and Irishwomen: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom.”

Around the city, copies of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic were posted on buildings, declaring Ireland a sovereign state, guaranteeing fundamental rights and declaring a provisional government, pending elections by all the people, men and women.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, as it was known. The six-day insurrection by Irish rebels against British rule has divided Ireland for a century; some see the rebels as martyrs, others as leaders of a treacherous revolt.

“What happened developed out of a huge ferment that included the Gaelic language revival, the explosion of what’s sometimes called Anglo-Irish literature, along with both a strong nationalist party under (John) Redmond and, of course, a secret wing, the Irish Republican Brotherhood that wanted independence by violence,” said Irish Father Brendan Purcell, adjunct professor of philosophy at the

“People will say hard things of us now, but later on they will praise us.”

Patrick Pearse

University of Notre Dame Australia.

“Many of the 1916 leaders were personally devout Catholics — ­ maybe (nationalist leader) Joseph Plunkett was a mystic, too, so they linked their insurrection to Easter as if it were a religious event, too.”

“Unfortunately, the independence that resulted didn’t really include a religious development in itself,” said Father Purcell, although he noted Irish Catholicism was strong at the time.

The Rising began April 24, 1916, when diverse republican groups, acting together, seized a number of prominent buildings in Dublin, raised the green, white and orange flag over the post office and holed up. For six days 1,600 rebels fought off a 20,000-strong British army. On April 29, Pearse called a surrender “to prevent the further slaughter of Dublin citizens.”

The insurrection left around 500 dead, mostly civilians, and thousands injured. Approximately 1,500 Irish men were interned in Wales, while the 16 rebel leaders were imprisoned and executed. Dublin’s

city center lay in ruins.

“People will say hard things of us now, but later on they will praise us,” Pearse wrote on his execution day. His words proved prophetic. The executions galvanized public opinion. In the 1918 British Parliament elections, nationalists won 70 percent of the Irish seats. After those elections came a wider armed campaign against British rule, the War of Independence, which ended with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. The Treaty split the nationalist movement and led to a civil war and the partition of Ireland.

Former Irish Prime Minister John Bruton said the Rising was not a “just war” because, in time, Britain would have delivered home rule for 26 counties and many lives would have been saved. “Living for Ireland is better than dying for Ireland,” he said in his 2015 book, “Faith in Politics.”

However, the rebel leaders and others were convinced they did right. It was “a sacrifice which God asked of me,” Pearse wrote.

The primate of all Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, has urged people to redouble “efforts to find safe spaces where we can hear one another’s stories and pain, and bolster friendship, justice and peace.”

During the Rising, the Capuchins turned their Father Matthew Hall into a shelter for children and allowed the women volunteers to minister to fighters.

The Capuchins also went out into the streets to minister to the wounded.

“Catholics should care about the Rising,” said Capuchin Father Bryan Shortall. “I learned about this at the fireside with my siblings. We need to pay tribute to this history.”