The Catholic Spirit - May 13, 2021

MAY 13, 2021 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Queen of the

rosary

Annual procession opens Mary’s month of May

— Page 7

FEATURED FOCUS

SACRED SPACE Rural parish life 18 Statue saver 19 Notre Dame restoration 21

FIVE YEAR REFLECTION: ARCHBISHOP ON MINISTRY SINCE INSTALLATION — Pages 14-15 SOCIAL DISTANCING AT MASS TO END 5 | LAY LEADERSHIP 6 | FORMAL CATECHIST MINISTRY 9 COMMUNION DEBATE 11 | VATICAN ARTISANS 12 | GAMER SPIRITUALITY 25

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MAY 13, 2021

PAGETWO NEWS notes A special Pentecost Mass will mark the beginning of Year Three of the Archdiocesan Synod process, which will culminate in a Synod weekend in June 2022. Hosted by St. Bonaventure in Bloomington May 22, the 6 p.m. vigil Mass will be held outdoors. Attendees are asked to bring their own chair or blanket. Members of charismatic groups in the archdiocese, including Community of Christ the Redeemer, Emmanuel Community, People of Praise, St. Paul’s Outreach and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office, will be present. For more information, visit archspm.org/events.

Seven men plan to be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul 10 a.m. May 29. Deacons James Bernard of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, William Duffert of St. Stephen in Anoka, Brian Fischer of the Cathedral, Michael Reinhardt of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and Josh Salonek of St. Michael in St. Michael will be ordained priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Deacons Joseph Barron and David Hottinger, both Twin Cities natives, will be ordained for the religious community Pro Ecclesia Sancta. The Mass is open to the public and will be livestreamed from the Cathedral's Facebook page. For more information, visit archspm.org/events.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

AYD MIDDLE SCHOOL From left, Evelina Caldera, Cecelia Hoisington, Nell Gibbs and Grace Brazil of Divine Mercy in Faribault pray during praise and worship music at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville April 30 at Archdiocesan Youth Day for middle schoolers. Traditionally held for high school students, this was one of two events offered for the first time for boys and girls in middle school. It featured Mass with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, confession, eucharistic adoration, small groups and a keynote talk by Father Chad VanHoose, pastor of St. Jude of the Lake in Mahtomedi.

Pacem in Terris Hermitage Retreat Center near Isanti plans to build three additional hermitages to meet “unprecedented demand,” Tim Drake, its executive director, announced April 29. The center, which draws retreatants from across the archdiocese and region, is fundraising $125,000 for the project. “Since the fall of 2020, Pacem has had a continuous waiting list for its existing 16 hermitages, some weeks turning away as many as 17 guests,” a press release stated, noting that it has also received a “historic” number of guests already this year.

Father James Golka, vicar general of the Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska, was named bishop-elect for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colorado, as Pope Francis also accepted the resignation of 76-year-old Bishop Michael Sheridan April 30. Bishop-elect Golka, 54, is an alumnus of The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. More than 30 SPS alumni have been named bishops in the institution’s 127-year history.

Students from three Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are among 59 students from across the state who are eligible to compete in the annual National History Day virtual contest June 13-19. Nearly 1,000 students participated in the virtual State History Day competition May 2; 59 won first or second place to advance.

Under the 2021 theme “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding,” winners included second place in junior paper to Luke Marsalek of Carondelet Catholic School in Minneapolis for his “Operation Anthropoid: The Cost of Communication.” At Nativity of Our Lord School in St. Paul, a team of students won first place in junior group performance for their “Communication Misinterpreted,” and the school’s Kayden Greeley won second place in junior individual exhibit for her “Miscommunication in 1918.” At DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, second place in senior individual documentary went to Ava Krocheski-Meyer for “Mni Sota: The U.S.-Dakota War of 1862”; and first place for senior group documentary went to the school’s Augustine Langford and Liam Neary for “The Patient Comes First: The Mayo Clinic and its Unified Medical Record.”

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TRANSITIONAL DEACONS From left, Deacons Joseph Nguyen, Connor McGinnis and Michael Selenski receive a blessing from Bishop Andrew Cozzens right after being ordained transitional deacons during the ordination Mass May 8 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Four men were ordained at the Mass. The other ordinand was Deacon John Utecht. The men anticipate priesthood ordination next year.

A laicized priest, removed from public ministry in 2003 and dismissed from the clerical state in 2016 for substantiated child sexual abuse accusations, died April 29. Joseph Wajda was 74. Ordained in 1973 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Wajda served in eight parishes. He also was judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal from 1996 to 2002. Funeral services were pending.

in REMEMBRANCE Deacon Bisek served Brooklyn Center parish

As we approach the May 29 ordination of new priests ministering in the archdiocese, The Catholic Spirit asks, “What’s the single best piece of advice you can offer a new priest?”

Send responses of 200 words or less to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Readers Respond” in the subject line. Your reflection may be included in a future edition of The Catholic Spirit.

PRACTICING Catholic On the May 7 “Practicing Catholic” show, host Patrick Conley interviews Brian Ragatz, who describes the valuable contributions of school workers and their recognition at a virtual gala May 8. Other guests on the show are Mickey Nickelson, who reflects on her new role as president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, and Anne Fredrickson from Alpha Women’s Center, who shares about its mobile women’s clinic. Listen each week on Fridays at 9 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Find interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com, soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic or tinyurl.com/ practicingcatholic.

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

United in Faith, Hope and Love

Vol. 26 — No. 9 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor-in-Chief JOE RUFF, News Editor

Deacon Jerome Bisek, who ministered at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center from 1980 to 1998, died May 7. He was 85. A native of Starbuck, about two hours northwest of the Twin Cities, he was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1980, and focused on AIDs ministry in addition to parish duties. In 1965, he became director of the St. Alphonsus choir, a role he held for 17 years. Deacon Bisek, whose wife, Ellie, died in 2003, is survived by five children, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. His funeral Mass was scheduled for May 13 at St. Alphonsus.

ON THE COVER Knights of Columbus members from the St. Francis de Sales Council in St. Paul carry a statue of Mary during the annual Family Rosary Procession May 2 from the State Capitol to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Walking behind the Knights with a crown for Mary is Rose Dean of All Saints in Minneapolis. Cathedral Rector Father John Ubel crowned Mary at the Cathedral during Marian devotions that followed the procession.

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MAY 13, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEBISHOP ONLY JESUS | BISHOP ANDREW COZZENS

The power of a small faith-sharing group

T

his year, Pentecost will mark the beginning of the third and final year of our Archdiocesan Synod Process. We invite everyone to join us in invoking the Holy Spirit’s guidance for this third year at an outdoor Mass at St. Bonaventure in Bloomington at 6 p.m., Saturday, May 22. Since the beginning of the Synod process, I have been most excited about the step that will be happening this fall: Parish Consultation with Small Groups. I am excited about this not only because it is the moment when the most people can be involved in the Synod process, but also because I know the power of small groups. I believe that a small group is an essential part of a strong Christian life.

I have been a member of a faith-sharing small group for more than 30 years. I began in such a group before I entered seminary. I have been meeting with a small group of brothers to share faith, to share my struggles, to receive support, counsel and prayer at least once a month for all these years. I can honestly say it has been one of the most important tools for my spiritual growth. These friends have challenged me to be a better Christian and have supported me in moments of great difficulty. They have held me accountable to the high ideals of our Christian life and inspired me to do better.

They have taught me about true love, a love that has met me even in my weakness and sin, and helped me to trust in God’s mercy. I hope I have been able to do the same for them.

I have seen this not only in my own life, but also in the life of my sister, who is married with seven children and two grandchildren. She has always done a very similar thing since she was a young adult. Although she has moved around, wherever she has been, she has found other women, sometimes even a small group of couples, who have intentionally met together at least once a month (usually more) to study and share

El poder de un pequeño grupo de compartir de fe

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ste año, Pentecostés marcará el comienzo del tercer y último año de nuestro Proceso del Sínodo Arquidiocesano. Invitamos a todos a unirse a nosotros para invocar la guía del Espíritu Santo para este tercer año en una misa al aire libre en San Buenaventura en Bloomington a las 6 pm, el sábado 22 de mayo. Desde el comienzo del proceso del Sínodo, he estado muy emocionado por la paso en el proceso del Sínodo que se llevará a cabo este otoño: Consulta Parroquial con Grupos Pequeños. Estoy emocionado por esto no solo porque es el momento en que la mayoría de las personas pueden participar en el proceso del Sínodo, sino también porque conozco el poder de los grupos pequeños. Creo que un grupo pequeño es una parte esencial de una vida cristiana fuerte.

He sido miembro de un grupo pequeño de compartir de fe durante más de 30 años. Comencé en un grupo así antes de ingresar al seminario. Me he estado reuniendo con un pequeño grupo de hermanos para compartir la fe, compartir mis luchas, recibir apoyo, consejo y oración al menos una vez al mes durante todos estos años. Honestamente puedo decir que ha sido una de las herramientas más importantes para mi crecimiento espiritual. Estos amigos me

I believe that a small group is an essential part of a strong Christian life. iSTOCK PHOTO | INTPRO

their faith. These women help each other grow and support each other in the difficult work of raising a family in today’s world. They share difficulties and joys, challenges and blessings, all in an atmosphere of faith that helps them grow in deeper relationship with God. In fact, my sister has told me that she thinks faith-sharing groups are the best way to help evangelize.

When people are invited into groups to study the faith, where they feel welcomed and loved, it allows them to face the difficult things in their own life that need to change as they seek to follow Christ more fully.

These small groups of women, men or couples are, in my opinion, an essential tool for the Christian life.

If you think about it, Jesus himself started with a small group. He had a group of Twelve Apostles whom he was with all the time. They received their formation through watching Jesus and listening to him, but also through learning to love each other and share with each other as they lived together with Jesus. There were also some women who followed Jesus in this way (Lk 8:1-3). It seems to me that much of Jesus’ teaching requires us to be in close, committed relationships with other Christians. “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than

han desafiado a ser un mejor cristiano y me han apoyado en momentos de gran dificultad. Me han hecho responsable de los elevados ideales de nuestra vida cristiana y me han inspirado a hacerlo mejor. Me han enseñado sobre el amor verdadero, un amor que me ha conocido incluso en mi debilidad y pecado, y me ayudó a confiar en la misericordia de Dios. Espero haber podido hacer lo mismo por ellos.

Lo he visto no solo en mi propia vida, sino también en mi hermana, que está casada y tiene siete hijos y dos nietos. Ella siempre ha hecho algo muy similar desde que era una joven adulta.

Aunque se ha mudado, dondequiera que haya estado, ha encontrado otras mujeres, a veces incluso un pequeño grupo de parejas, que se han juntado intencionalmente al menos una vez al mes (generalmente más) para estudiar y compartir su fe. Estas mujeres se ayudan mutuamente a crecer y se apoyan mutuamente en el difícil trabajo de formar una familia en el mundo actual.

Comparten dificultades y alegrías, desafíos y bendiciones, todo en una atmósfera de fe que les ayuda a crecer en una relación más profunda con Dios.

De hecho, mi hermana me ha dicho que cree que los grupos de fe son la mejor manera de ayudar a evangelizar. Cuando las personas son invitadas a grupos para estudiar la fe donde se sienten bienvenidos y amados, les permite enfrentar las cosas difíciles en su propia vida que necesitan cambiar mientras

this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:1213). How can we lay down our life for our brothers and sisters if we don’t really know them? How can we support them if we don’t know their struggles? Jesus also says, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples: If you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).

Unless we are living in close, committed relationships with other Christian disciples, we will not be able to show that we have true love for each other. If we are living in close, committed relationships, we will witness to the world what the love of Jesus is really like: a love which truly knows the other, supports the other, challenges the other, forgives the other. A love which Jesus himself calls friendship. A love where we truly put the good of the other ahead of ourselves. This is what every human heart is longing for. This is what we must witness to in our Christian communities. I don’t see any other way to do this than forming intentional small groups for walking together in our life of faith.

There are many ways to do these kinds of small groups, and there is no one size that fits all. They should be intentional, meet at least monthly, involve the study and sharing of our Catholic faith, and be ordered toward deeper friendships. Many examples of this are already happening in our archdiocese.

As part of our Synod process, we want to give everyone a taste of this reality. It will only be a small taste for six weeks this fall when Archbishop Bernard Hebda is asking every parish to sponsor a Parish Consultation with Small Groups. Perhaps you have been in a small group for years and can do the consultation through that group. Perhaps you have never been in one, and this will be your first try. I hope this experience will allow us as a local Church to experience what I have experienced in my life: the power of a small faith-sharing group, a place where I can live the deep relationship that Christ has called us to live. I believe it is key to living our faith in today’s world.

buscan seguir a Cristo más plenamente.

Estos pequeños grupos de mujeres, hombres o parejas son, en mi opinión, una herramienta esencial para la vida cristiana.

Si lo piensas, Jesús mismo comenzó con un grupo pequeño. Tenía un grupo de Doce Apóstoles con quienes estaba todo el tiempo. Recibieron su formación observando a Jesús y escuchándolo, pero también aprendiendo a amarse y a compartir la convivencia con Jesús.

También hubo algunas mujeres que siguieron a Jesús de esta manera (Lc 8: 1-3).

Me parece que muchas de las enseñanzas de Jesús requieren que estemos en relaciones cercanas y comprometidas con otros cristianos. “Este es mi mandamiento: que se amen los unos a los otros como yo los amo. Nadie tiene mayor amor que este, dar la vida por los amigos ”(Jn 15, 12-13). ¿Cómo podemos dar nuestra vida por nuestros hermanos y hermanas si realmente no los conocemos? ¿Cómo podemos apoyarlos si no conocemos sus luchas? Jesús también dice: “Así sabrán todos que son mis discípulos: si se aman los unos a los otros” (Jn 13, 35).

A menos que vivamos en relaciones cercanas y comprometidas con otros discípulos cristianos, no seremos capaces de demostrar que nos amamos de verdad. Si vivimos en relaciones cercanas y comprometidas, seremos testigos del mundo de cómo es realmente el amor de Jesús: un amor que realmente conoce al otro, apoya al otro, desafía al otro, perdona al otro. Un amor que el mismo Jesús llama amistad. Un amor en el que

realmente anteponemos el bien del otro a nosotros mismos. Esto es lo que anhela todo corazón humano. Esto es de lo que debemos dar testimonio en nuestras comunidades cristianas. No veo otra forma de hacer esto que formar grupos pequeños intencionales para caminar juntos en nuestra vida de fe.

Hay muchas formas de hacer este tipo de grupos pequeños, y no existe una talla única que se adapte a todos. Deben ser intencionales, reunirse al menos una vez al mes, involucrar el estudio y el intercambio de nuestra fe católica y estar ordenados hacia amistades más profundas. Muchos ejemplos de esto ya están sucediendo en nuestra Arquidiócesis.

Como parte de nuestro proceso del Sínodo, queríamos darles a todos una muestra de esta realidad. Será solo una pequeña prueba durante seis semanas este otoño cuando el Arzobispo Hebda le esté pidiendo a cada parroquia que patrocine una Consulta Parroquial con Grupos Pequeños. Quizás haya estado en un grupo pequeño durante años y pueda realizar la consulta a través de ese grupo. Quizás nunca hayas estado en uno, y este será tu primer intento. Espero que esta experiencia nos permita, como Iglesia local, experimentar lo que he experimentado en mi vida: el poder de un pequeño grupo de compartir de fe, un lugar donde pueda vivir la relación profunda que Cristo nos ha llamado a vivir. Creo que es clave para vivir nuestra fe en el mundo de hoy.

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MAY 13, 2021

LOCAL

BA bouquets From left, sophomores Brooke Johnson and Karlie DeGrood of Bethlehem Academy in Faribault work on floral displays in the school greenhouse during a plant science class May 5. Students in the class created the arrangements to sell to school staff members for Mother’s Day, according to teacher Casi Story, who used the experience to help students gain exposure to floral design and to apply what they learned about flowers and plants throughout the school year. “Honestly, I was very impressed” with the bouquets done by the students, including the boys, said Story, who is the director of the school’s agriculture program, which this year used a greenhouse completed just before the start of the school year. “I felt like they were getting into it.”

SLICEof LIFE

DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CONGRATULATIONS,

Archbishop Hebda

Cultivate generosity at home.

Generosity is taught by example. Talk to your family about your giving — the why, when, and how. This will plant the seeds of generosity and introduce your children to the joy of philanthropy.

And your estate plan can enable your children to carry on your legacy of generosity.

Call 651.389.0300 or visit ccf-mn.org to learn more.

ON FIVE YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS. Your leadership inspires us.

Your commitment knows no bounds.

Thank you and God bless. crs.org | crsespanol.org ©2021 Catholic Relief Services. All rights reserved. 21MK-365236 Photo by Pip Cree for CRS

LOCAL

MAY 13, 2021

Walz eases COVID precautions, including indoor social distancing beginning May 28

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Pandemic-related social distancing restrictions at places of worship will end May 28, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. The change is part of Gov. Tim Walz’s plan to safely phase out Minnesota’s COVID-19 restrictions as vaccination rates rise and summer diminishes the risk of contracting the illness. Walz announced the changes and issued a related executive order May 6.

In March, Walz lifted a previous 50% capacity limit for worship spaces, but retained the requirement for 6-foot social distancing between households, GOV. TIM WALZ which, for many parishes, has meant continued capacity limits. As of May 28, social distancing requirements and group size limits will be eliminated at houses of worship, businesses and other public places. The executive order also lifted occupancy limits and social distancing requirements for outdoor spaces, effective May 7.

Walz’s May 6 executive order continues the face-covering mandate for public indoor spaces, but the governor said he expects it to end no later than July 1, when he anticipates the state to hit a 70% vaccination rate. Currently, about 60% of adults and youths over age 16 in Minnesota have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

‘Wearing a face covering is one of the simplest ways to prevent COVID-19 transmission, and our adherence to the face-covering mandate has saved lives,’ Walz’s executive order states. ‘However, as our vaccination rate steadily climbs, this Executive Order plans for an eventual end to the face-covering mandate along with remaining business restrictions at a time when it is prudent.’

In March 2020, after the novel coronavirus was first identified in the state, Walz ordered pandemic-related restrictions on businesses, schools and other places of public gathering, including houses of worship, effectively launching a statewide shutdown that began to ease in May 2020. Restrictions have loosened incrementally over the past year.

Still remaining for local Catholics, however, is the temporary dispensation of the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. Archbishop Hebda granted the dispensation in March 2020, shortly before suspending public worship in parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Public Masses resumed in a limited capacity in May 2020.

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

Catholic Charities preparing to sell St. Joseph’s Home campus

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Catholic Charities’ St. Joseph’s Home for Children in Minneapolis, which began closing some services last August, has found a buyer that will continue the campus’ 135-year legacy — serving children — but with a slightly different focus.

Hennepin Schools, a public charter elementary and middle school whose 400 students include Somali and Latino immigrant families, has signed a purchase agreement for the 12-acre property. Plans are to close the deal by the end of this summer, said Wendy Underwood, Catholic Charities’ vice president of social justice advocacy and engagement.

Hennepin Schools plans to combine its two campuses into one, and open on the new campus in the fall of 2022, Underwood said.

‘While it is bittersweet to say goodbye to a campus that has played such an important role in our history,’ Underwood said, ‘we are confident that Hennepin Schools will continue the campus’ important legacy in serving the community by nurturing and developing children to their full potential.’

St. Joseph’s grew out of Catholic Charities’ St. Joseph’s German Catholic Orphan Society in 1869. It was established at its present location in 1886. Care provided has evolved to meet society’s needs, and most recently has taken the form of a Hennepin County emergency shelter and the county’s central intake center for child protection placements. Over the last five years, Catholic Charities and Hennepin County have stressed trying to keep children in their homes, with relatives or in foster care, not institutional facilities. That led to St. Joseph’s closing its emergency shelter in August and ending its service as the intake center several months later.

After the purchase, Hennepin Schools will begin renovations on campus to meet its needs, Underwood said. But remaining

FILE PHOTO | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Catholic Charities’ St. Joseph’s Home for Children in Minneapolis is being sold to a public charter school. on the property through May 2022 will be Catholic Charities’ Hope Street, which includes a 28-bed emergency shelter for homeless young adults ages 18 to 21, and transitional housing for 12 males ages 16 to 21. Funded partly by Hennepin County as the county’s largest youth emergency services provider, Hope Street also offers crisis, mental health and chemical dependency counseling, medical care, living skills training and one-to-one and group educational and employment assistance.

‘It’s most important to us to have no disruption for the youth we are currently serving,’ Underwood said of Hope Street. Catholic Charities will decide what type of facility and services to provide through Hope Street after May, she said.

Exhibit’s focus: Veneration of more than 150 sacred relics

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit Relics of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary, all Twelve Apostles and the true cross of Christ, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Thomas Aquinas were just a few of more than 150 in a May exhibit for veneration at six parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Presented by Companions of the Cross Father Carlos Martins of Detroitbased Treasures of the Church, the exposition’s first stop was May 10 at Divine Mercy in Faribault. Each stop included a presentation and teaching on sacred relics to provide a catechetical and spiritual basis for the Walk with the Saints, Father Martins said.

‘The point of the teaching is nothing other than to present the basic Gospel message of Jesus Christ: that God is here right now and wants to be encountered,’ Father Martins said. ‘He touches us through the lives and the sacred remains of his saints. God never disappoints. He

COURTESY TREASURES OF THE CHURCH

A fragment of the veil of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of more than 150 relics to be venerated in six parishes in the archdiocese from May 10 to May 16. always ‘shows up.’’

Mara Mangan, director of faith formation at St. Dominic in Northfield, where the exposition was set for 6 p.m.

May 15, said she recommends the experience. ‘If you ever wondered about the meaning of the ‘communion of

saints,’ you'll experience its meaning at the exposition,’ she said.

Lisa Theus, a parishioner, said she plans to be there, and she’s experienced a similar relic display before. ‘I went to one about two years ago — the talk beforehand was a great explanation of what relics are and why Catholics venerate them,’ she said. ‘The exposition itself was a great way to spend time with the saints and learn more about these models of faith.’

Two other stops remain in the archdiocese: 6:30 p.m. May 14 at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center and 3:30 p.m. May 16 at St. Patrick in Oak Grove. The exhibit also was scheduled to be held May 11 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings and May 12 at Epiphany in Coon Rapids.

Father Martins said he attributes many physical and spiritual healings to exposition of the sacred relics. ‘It is a most beautiful thing to see a parish, school’ or other entity renewed after an exposition, he said.

CO N G R ATU L ATIO N S A RCHBI SHOP BER NA R D HEBDA Thank you for your five years of leadership of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis. On behalf of all of our Saint Therese communities, we are grateful for your dedicated ministry.

sainttherese.org

LOCAL

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

Panel explores role of laity in advancing mission of the Church

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit Asked during a panel discussion for his greatest hope for the role of laity in the revitalization and future of the Church, Father John Bauer, rector of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, said people need to recognize that no one person has the gifts, talents and abilities to be and do all the things that are part of parish life.

“So, my greatest hope is that laypeople won’t give up, that they’re going to stay in the Church,” he said, and be the kind of Church that they want it to be.

As a pastor, he has learned that he doesn’t have to have all the answers. “In fact, I need help discerning answers and setting priorities,” he said. “Parishioners, particularly members of parish leadership teams, really are essential to that.”

The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota sponsored the online discussion April 29 as part of its “Giving Insights” series on community challenges and opportunities, ministries and organizations, and ways Catholic philanthropy can impact them.

When CCF recently assessed the local Church’s most urgent needs, supporting parish vitality rose to the top.

The foundation recognizes that parishes need funding and lay leadership to build up youth, multicultural and lay ecclesial ministries, said CCF President Anne Cullen Miller. “We wanted to have a community conversation to inspire and entice the laity to engage in the Church by answering their baptismal call to revitalize parishes and to deepen their sense of co-responsibility in the mission of the Church,” she said.

Father Bauer was joined in the discussion by panelists Mary Kennedy, parish administrator at St. Olaf in Minneapolis, and Kim Smolik, a partner at Washington, D.C.-based Leadership Roundtable, an organization of laity, religious and clergy that promotes best practices and accountability in the Church, including greater use of expertise among the laity.

COURTESY CCF

“Giving Insights” Spiritual Forum on Lay Leadership panelists are featured in this advertisement for the event, presented online April 29 by the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota.

“Each one of us has the opportunity to connect our baptismal call to our individual gifts, our charisms,” said Alexia Kelley, the evening’s moderator and president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA).

Kennedy addressed the importance of stewardship as it relates to concepts like shared ministry, or “coresponsibility,” and how she has worked to expand lay leadership and stewardship. Parishioners can help figure out how to engage their gifts, she said.

“The parish environment, as the fabric of stewardship, should involve the entire parish,” she said. “The gifts shared in the ministries of the parish are opportunities for each of us to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the community, in the parish, in our families, our work relationships, the greater world.”

Smolik said co-responsibility helps instill pride in one’s home parish and place of worship, creating a virtuous cycle of increased involvement, attendance and community. “And when there’s belonging and pride in

a parish, it retains and attracts new members,” she said.

At that point, parishes can look not just inward but outward, said Smolik, a St. Paul native who holds a doctorate in education from the University of St. Thomas. “The model of co-responsibility reduces feelings of isolation and leadership loneliness among all leaders, but especially our pastors,” she said, adding that a co-responsible parish is naturally more transparent and accountable, core values for a healthy parish.

The way many parishes responded to the COVID-19 pandemic provides examples of parish leaders uniting toward a common goal, Kennedy said.

“I don’t know what we would have done without our lay leadership councils, our advisory board and our financial advisory board to call on them and say, ‘How are we going to get through this?’ ‘What are the next steps?’ ‘Let’s collaborate on how we can handle that.’

That proved to be incredibly helpful,” she said.

It also showed lay leaders that they had a voice, made a difference and had ownership, Kennedy said. A strong and understood mission helped, as did knowing that one person can’t be all things to all people, she said.

Kelley asked Father Bauer where he has seen areas of shared responsibility between himself and parishioners, and how that has impacted the Basilica community.

As he approaches the 42nd anniversary of his ordination, Father Bauer said he has seen an evolution in how leadership operates in parishes.

“When I was first ordained, particularly the parish council, they were what I call ‘order keepers,’” he said, making sure the lawn was mowed and rooms were cleaned. That’s good and important, he said, but he sees parish leadership today, especially parish council members, as keepers of the parish vision and mission.

“The question they always need to keep in front of them is, ‘Is this what we should be doing as a parish community? Is this what we should be involved in?’” he said. “Keep the big picture in mind.”

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MAY 13, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

Moral, practical reasons highlight driver’s license effort

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit When Kathy Quandt heard a young woman speak about temporarily losing protections against deportation as well as her driver’s license — and fearing separation from her U.S.-born daughter if she were pulled over for any reason by police — Quandt knew she had to do something to help.

“That seemed pretty sad to me, if that happened,” said Quandt, a member of Our Lady of the Lake in Mound, who was among participants April 15 at Catholics at the Capitol, the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s online advocacy day, as she reflected on speaker Alejandra Chavez-Rivas’ experience.

“I think it’s very important to take action on these things that are important moral issues,” she said.

Quandt, 59, decided to use information provided by the MCC to lead a Zoom meeting with several other Catholics at the Capitol attendees to discuss a bill with their local lawmaker that would let undocumented immigrants apply for a driver’s license without proof of citizenship. That bill is HF 1163, “Driver’s Licenses for All,” sponsored by House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley. And it is one of the MCC’s top priorities as the legislative session draws to an expected close May 17.

Ryan Hamilton, MCC’s government

relations associate, said he and others are “reaching out to as many senators as possible to explain our side of this,” which includes ensuring that undocumented immigrants have the right to earn a license by knowing the rules of the road while meeting basic needs such as going to work, school and shopping. Broader issues of immigration reform need to KATHY QUANDT be addressed by Congress, he said.

HF 1163 is now Article 4 in the House version of the transportation omnibus bill, and it is a priority for Democrats who control the House as the House and Senate versions are reconciled in committee, Hamilton said.

It is not necessarily a priority for Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, he said. At this stage in deliberations, he encourages Catholics to call their local lawmakers to persuade legislators in both chambers, particularly Senate Republicans, to back the driver’s license initiative, he said.

“Call, and try to have a conversation with your legislator,” Hamilton said.

“Especially if your legislator is a Senate Republican.”

The MCC represents the public policy interests of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, and “Driver’s Licenses

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Archbishop Bernard Hebda

on 5 years of leadership in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Since 1865, we have ministered with the people of your Archdiocese. We celebrate with you as we continue to preach and teach the Gospel in order to help build a holy and just Church and society. sinsinawa.org ArchBishop-Hebda.indd 1

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for All” has been a high priority for the state’s bishops. It was among bills highlighted at the Catholics at the Capitol event, and Archbishop Bernard Hebda testified on the bill in February before the Minnesota House Judiciary, Finance and Law Committee.

In February 2019, the archbishop joined immigrants, lawmakers, business and law enforcement representatives at a news conference at the State Capitol advocating for the legislation.

The archbishop said it was a “moral imperative” in the face of a broken, federal immigration system because undocumented immigrants already living, going to school and working in the United States need to take care of their families and feel secure.

Chavez-Rivas told The Catholic Spirit that since her experience in 2018 of losing and then regaining her protected status under DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, she has graduated from the University of St. Thomas with bachelor’s degrees in Catholic Studies and business, is a member of St. Henry in Monticello and works as a benefits analyst at a commercial insurance broker. Her daughter, Daniela, is 12 and a student at St. Agnes School in St. Paul.

She was determined to graduate from college, make a living and show her daughter what can be done, said Chavez-Rivas, 31.

“I wanted to set an example,” she said.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Father John Ubel, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul, places a floral crown on the statue of Mary May 2.

Honoring Mary The Catholic Spirit The 74th annual Family Rosary Procession in St. Paul stood out from its predecessors May 2: It honored Mary in the Church’s special Year of St. Joseph.

The procession from the State Capitol to the Cathedral of St. Paul was followed by Marian devotions with a homily from Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

With the phrase, “Go to Joseph,” taken from Scripture, people can be assured they will be drawn to his wife, the Virgin Mary, who will bring them to Jesus, the archbishop said.

The archbishop noted children with their families among the 550 people gathered. Passing on faith traditions helps ensure that the procession, initiated in 1947, will continue for years to come, he said.

LOCAL

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

Post-Chauvin verdict, Bishop Cozzens addresses justice and forgiveness

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit The April 20 murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin rekindled sorrow over the loss of George Floyd’s life and, for many, satisfaction that justice was served.

In a special, extended version of a “Practicing Catholic” that aired April 30 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM, Bishop Andrew Cozzens joined host Patrick Conley to reflect on the importance of listening during an emotional time and the role of forgiveness on the path to healing.

Asked how to sit with people as reactions play out, Bishop Cozzens, the auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said it’s important to truly listen to what people have to say and how they feel.

“We’re trying to help people explore where the truth is in this great struggle that we have experienced, especially a struggle over many years now for racial justice,” he said.

To get to the truth — that all people are sons and daughters of God — people also need to allow their emotions to flow, he said. It’s like healing a wound, he said: First, the wound is lanced to drain the pus, and then healing can begin.

“It’s the same thing with our emotional wounds,” he said.

As people sort through their emotions, it is important to distinguish between a thirst for justice, which is one of four cardinal virtues in the Church, and a desire for revenge, the bishop said.

“On a human level, it (justice)

simply means giving people and things what they’re due,” he said.

People are due respect, he said. People have a certain dignity and, even per the U.S. Constitution, an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

People feel an injustice has been done when someone is not given their due, Bishop Cozzens said.

“That is certainly what the jury decided in this case with George Floyd,” he said. “They decided he wasn’t given what he was due. He didn’t deserve to die this way.”

Revenge or vengeance is born out of anger, unlike justice, which is born out of truth and goodness, Bishop Cozzens said.

“We want to see in truth and goodness people get what they’re due, and they’re due respect and they’re due an opportunity in life,” he said.

Anger is wanting someone else to feel the pain that I feel, the bi shop said.

That can feel like justice, he said, but it’s not. It’s actually vengeance.

“Although, we do certainly punish people, and that can be part of justice,” he added.

Chauvin will experience punishment because of his actions in the course of arresting Floyd on May 25, 2020.

“And that can be part of justice,” Bishop Cozzens said. “But especially as Christians, we believe that vengeance belongs to the Lord — and not to us.”

When people want an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth out of vengeance, what they actually do is make justice much harder, Bishop Cozzens said.

“Justice only becomes possible

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Bishop Andrew Cozzens talks with men about to be ordained before priest ordination Mass May 30, 2020. when forgiveness is possible,” he said in the interview, which is archived at practicingcatholicshow.com.

Forgiveness is a tricky issue, the bishop said, because being wronged can be difficult to forgive.

“When I’ve been wronged, I tend to hold on to the debt myself. And so, I’m going to treat this person differently. ...

I want them to feel what I have felt,” he said.

To attain real healing, the bishop said, people need to understand what Jesus taught about forgiveness — whether or not they get it from Jesus — because it’s the only way to real healing.

Real healing comes when a person lets go of the debt and says: “OK, I want you to receive justice,” he said. “That is, ‘I want you to come to understand the truth about your action, but not

because it will make me in my wound feel better, but because it’s true and good.’”

Evil is always evil, and Jesus acknowledges evil, the bishop said. But Jesus is willing to let go of the anger and hurt, and evil that has been done to him. He chooses to forgive in order that true justice might come, Bishop Cozzens said.

Instead of turning to violence, Bishop Cozzens advised the way of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “He was such a great example of this,” he said, going on to quote the civil rights icon, who was assassinated in 1968: “I will stand in the truth. I will walk for the truth, but I will also walk in forgiveness and love of Christ as we work for the truth.”

Bishop Cozzens referred to a recent interview by the Pillar news organization in which Archbishop Bernard Hebda said he feels strongly that the Holy Spirit is prompting the archdiocese to lead an effort to turn to the Lord as the one who unites everyone as sisters and brothers. Asked how to make that happen, Bishop Cozzens said people need the Holy Spirit. He also gave the example of restorative justice efforts in small groups, which seek ways to share, understand and bring healing to harms done from crime, abuse or other wrongs.

“There are many different perspectives on this,” the bishop said, “and we want to listen to them all so that we can understand the truth and be actual messengers of Christ’s healing.”

“Practicing Catholic” is produced by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Relevant Radio CathSpMM-Mar-June-2021.qxp_Layout 1 3/23/21 3:16 1330 AM.

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THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

NATION+WORLD Being a catechist is a vocation, pope says in establishing formal ministry

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Calling for formal recognition of “those lay men and women who feel called by virtue of their baptism to cooperate in the work of catechesis,” Pope Francis has instituted the “ministry of catechist.”

“The Spirit is calling men and women to set out and encounter all those who are waiting to discover the beauty, goodness and truth of the Christian faith,” the pope wrote in “Antiquum Ministerium” (Ancient Ministry), his document released at the Vatican May 11.

Pastors must support laypeople in answering the Spirit’s call and “enrich the life of the Christian community through the recognition of lay ministries capable of contributing to the transformation of society through the ‘penetration of Christian values into the social, political and economic sectors,’” the pope said, quoting what he had written about the vocation of laypeople in his 2013 document, “The Joy of the Gospel.”

Bishops’ conferences will need to determine the “process of formation and the normative criteria for admission to this ministry” and devise “the most appropriate forms for the service which these men and women will be called to exercise,” the pope said.

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, he said, “will soon publish the Rite of Institution of the lay ministry of catechist.” The congregation already is working on revised rites for the ministries of lector and acolyte, which Pope Francis opened to women in January.

While millions of lay men and women around the world already serve as catechists, readers and altar servers, formal institution into the ministries signifies that the service is stable, delegated by the bishop and publicly recognized by the Church.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical

Council for Promoting New Evangelization, noted how St. Paul VI wrote in 1975 about the importance of laypeople using their gifts for the growth of the entire Church. “It has taken almost 50 years for the Church to come to recognize that the service rendered by so many men and women through their catechetical commitment truly constitutes a distinctive ministry for the growth of the Christian community,” the archbishop told reporters at a news conference to present the pope’s document.

In his document, Pope Francis noted how teachers of the faith were present from the earliest days of the Christian community and were recognized as having a special gift of the Holy Spirit for carrying out their role within the community.

“At times,” he wrote, “the charisms that the Spirit constantly pours out on the baptized took on a visible and tangible form of immediate service to the Christian community, one recognized as an indispensable ‘diakonia’ for the community.”

In looking at the history of evangelization, the pope said, Catholics cannot overlook “the countless lay men and women who directly took part in the spread of the Gospel through catechetical instruction. Men and women of deep faith, authentic witnesses of holiness, who in some cases were also founders of churches and eventually died as martyrs.”

Still today, he said, “many competent and dedicated catechists are community leaders in various parts of the world and carry out a mission invaluable for the transmission and growth of the faith.”

Especially in communities without a resident priest, catechists are the leaders of the local Catholic community, evangelizing, convoking and guiding their fellow Catholics in prayer and works of charity. And, in missionary territories under the guidance of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, they

A Heartfelt

Thank You from the

C at e C h e t i C a l i n s t i t u t e

Archbishop Hebda, We Celebrate Five Years of your Leadership, Support, and Service.

already serve with a specific mandate from their bishop.

“The long line of blesseds, saints and martyrs who were catechists has significantly advanced the Church’s mission and deserves to be recognized, for it represents a rich resource not only for catechesis but also for the entire history of Christian spirituality,” the pope wrote.

The formal institution of catechists, he said, should be a sign and encouragement for all lay Catholics to recognize “even more the missionary commitment proper to every baptized person, a commitment that must however be carried out in a fully ‘secular' manner, avoiding any form of clericalization.”

Archbishop Fisichella said Pope Francis was insisting that lay “men and women are called to express their baptismal vocation in the best possible way, not as substitutes for priests or consecrated persons, but as authentic laymen and laywomen who, in the distinctive nature of their ministry, are able to experience the full extent of their baptismal vocation of witness and effective service in the community and the world.”

Laypeople who feel called to the ministry of catechists should be actively involved in the life of their Catholic communities and faithful to the Gospel and the teaching of the Church, he said. But they also must receive “suitable biblical, theological, pastoral and pedagogical formation to be competent communicators of the truth of the faith.”

“Catechists are called first to be expert in the pastoral service of transmitting the faith as it develops through its different stages from the initial proclamation” of the Gospel, preparation for receiving the sacraments and support in living a Christian life, the pope said.

Presenting the document to reporters, Archbishop Fisichella said catechesis “cannot be improvised.”

“Those who will be catechists must know that they speak in the name of the Church and transmit the faith of the Church,” he said.

Congratulations, Archbishop Hebda!

We’re grateful for your leadership of our Catholic community.

10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NATION+WORLD

MAY 13, 2021

COVID-19 pandemic takes toll on Indian Church leaders

By Anto Akkara Catholic News Service Amid thousands dying daily of COVID-19 in India, even in rural areas, the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on Church leaders.

Dozens of priests, scores of nuns and hundreds of laypeople have died during the second surge since mid-April.

Bishop Basil Bhuriya, 65, of Jhabua, became the first serving bishop to become a victim of COVID-19 when he died at St. Francis Hospital at Indore May 6. Retired Archbishop Antony Anandarayar of Pondicherry died of COVID-19 May 4.

“We lost a young bishop ordained only five years ago,” Archbishop Leo Cornelius of Bhopal, who heads the Madhya Pradesh Council of Catholic Bishops, told Catholic News Service May 7 while returning from Bishop Bhuriya’s funeral.

Bishop Bhuriya had been treated in different hospitals for more than three weeks and had tested negative for the virus, Archbishop Cornelius said, but he had a problem with oxygen levels and died of a heart attack due to the impact of COVID-19.

“We could not take his body to Jhabua (100 miles away) and so, he was buried at the (Divine Word) cemetery near Indore,” he added.

CNS PHOTO/DANISH SIDDIQUI, REUTERS

Pranav Mishra, 19, is helped by his relatives to place the body of his mother — Mamta Mishra, 45, who died after contracting COVID-19 — on a pyre for her cremation at a crematorium ground in New Delhi May 4.

“I have lost one of my young priests, two nuns and over three dozen Catholics,” Archbishop Cornelius said of the Bhopal Archdiocese, which has more than 15,000 Catholics. “Most of them died (because of) failure to get hospital admission on time and erratic oxygen supply in the hospitals.”

The first big headline with the deaths

D.C. shrine hosts global rosary May 17 to end COVID Catholic News Service The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will host a rosary May 17 at 11 a.m. (noon EDT) as part of Pope Francis’ call for a worldwide marathon of rosaries for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each day during May at noon local time, the rosary is prayed from a different Marian shrine around the world. Pope Francis began the rosary marathon May 1 at the Vatican and will conclude it there May 31. Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory will lead the recitation of the rosary CNS at the basilica.

“It is an honor for us to participate in this important initiative of the Holy Father as he invites the world to offer this great Marian prayer asking God, through the intercession of Our Lady, to bring an end to the pandemic,” said Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector.

Last month, the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization announced the worldwide rosary marathon during May, which is traditionally devoted to Mary.

in the Church came April 17, when five Jesuits died in different parts of Gujarat state. This was followed by the death of 14 priests due to COVID-19 in different parts of India April 19-23, Matters India reported.

Among the dead were former vicar generals and provincial superiors of different congregations and nuns

working in Catholic hospitals and other institutions.

On April 25, Msgr. Prasan Pradhan, vicar general of Bhubaneswar Archdiocese, died of COVID-19.

The Archdiocese of Thrissur was stunned when half a dozen retired priests died of COVID-19 May 1-2 weekend. All of them were infected at the archdiocesan convalescent home, situated in the compound of the archdiocesan medical college.

Redemptorist Father Mathew Abraham, director general of Catholic Health Association of India, told CNS, “Due to shortage of oxygen and ventilators, several of our hospitals are not able to treat COVID patients.”

“Some doctors and nurses are not willing to work (in) the COVID ward.

Hence sister-doctors and sister-nurses are working throughout the night and day,” said the priest, who had been hospitalized and has recovered from COVID-19.

Several state high courts have criticized federal and state governments for failing to provide adequate oxygen supply for hospital patients.

The government death toll passed 3,920 May 6. Media reports say the government death toll is underreported because it excludes counts from cremation grounds.

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MAY 13, 2021

NATION+WORLD

Cardinal Ladaria cautions U.S. bishops on politicians and Communion

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has urged the U.S. bishops to proceed with caution in their discussions about formulating a national policy “to address the situation of Catholics in public office who support legislation allowing abortion, euthanasia or other moral evils.”

Cardinal Luis Ladaria, congregation prefect, reiterated what he said he had told several groups of U.S. bishops during their 2019-2020 “ad limina” visits, namely that “the effective development of a policy in this area requires that dialogue occurs in two stages: first among the bishops themselves, and then between bishops and Catholic pro-choice politicians within their jurisdictions.”

In a letter to Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Ladaria also insisted: such a policy cannot usurp the authority of an individual bishop in his diocese on the matter; the policy would require near unanimity; and it would be “misleading” to present abortion and euthanasia as “the only grave matters of Catholic moral and social teaching that demand the fullest level of accountability on the part of Catholics.”

The letter, dated May 7 and obtained

by Catholic News Service in Rome, said it was in response to a letter from Archbishop Gomez informing the doctrinal congregation that the bishops were preparing to address the situation of Catholic politicians and “the worthiness to receive holy Communion.”

Cardinal Ladaria warned that without the unanimity of the bishops, a national policy, “given its possibly contentious nature,” could “become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States.”

The cardinal also suggested the discussion “would best be framed within the broad context of worthiness for the reception of holy Communion on the part of all the faithful, rather than only one category of Catholics, reflecting their obligation to conform their lives to the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ as they prepare to receive the sacrament.”

Given the importance of the issue, which goes beyond the boundaries of the United States, Cardinal Ladaria also said, “Every effort should be made to dialogue with other episcopal conferences as this policy is formulated in order both to learn from one another and to preserve unity in the universal church.”

The cardinal’s letter also mentioned a reference by Archbishop Gomez to a letter then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sent in 2004 to then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington about Catholic politicians and Communion. The letter, Cardinal Ladaria said, was in “the form of a private communication” to the bishops and should be read only in the context of the formal 2002, “Doctrinal note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life.”

When the U.S. bishops made their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican in 2004, Cardinal Ladaria said, “it was clear that there was a lack of agreement regarding the issue of Communion among the bishops.”

“At that time, the development of a national policy was not under consideration, and Cardinal Ratzinger offered general principles on the worthy reception of holy Communion in order to assist local ordinaries in the United States in their dealings with Catholic pro-choice politicians within their jurisdictions,” he said. “Cardinal Ratzinger’s communication,” he said, “should thus be discussed only within the context of the authoritative doctrinal note which provides the teaching of the magisterium on the theological foundation for any initiative regarding the question of worthy reception of holy Communion.”

The 2002 note said, “Those who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a ‘grave and clear obligation to oppose’ any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them.”

The 2002 note did not, however, mention reception of the Eucharist.

Cardinal Ratzinger’s 2004 letter, which was never published by the Vatican, said, “Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest — understood in the case of a Catholic politician as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws — his pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”

“When ‘these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible,’ and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the holy Eucharist, ‘the minister of holy Communion must refuse to distribute it,’” Cardinal Ratzinger wrote, quoting from a declaration of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts on the issue of Communion for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.

Writing to Archbishop Gomez, Cardinal Ladaria said the U.S. bishops need an “extensive and serene dialogue” among themselves and between individual bishops and Catholic politicians in their dioceses who do not support the fullness of the Church’s teaching to understand “the nature of their positions and their comprehension of Catholic teaching.”

Only after both dialogues, the cardinal said, the bishops’ conference “would face the difficult task of discerning the best way forward for the Church in the United States to witness to the grave moral responsibility of Catholic public officials to protect human life at all stages.”

“If it is then decided to formulate a national policy on worthiness for Communion, such a statement would need to express a true consensus of the bishops on the matter, while observing the prerequisite that any provisions of the conference in this area would respect the rights of individual ordinaries in their dioceses and the prerogatives of the Holy See,” the cardinal said, citing St. John Paul II’s 1998 document on bishops’ conferences, “Apostolos Suos.”

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11

Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center in Prior Lake MN thanks

Archbishop Bernard Hebda for five years of

leadership of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis ...find the missing peace

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MAY 2021

MICHAEL SELENSKI

All Saints in Lakeville extends our gratitude and congratulations upon your Ordination to the Order of the Transitional Diaconate for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

You bring honor to our parish and will remain in our prayers.

“His Master replied, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant.’” Matthew 25:23

The Cathedral of Saint Paul

Congratulates

Archbishop Bernard Hebda On Five Years of Selfless Service To the people of this Archdiocese Ad Multos Annos!

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NATION+WORLD

MAY 13, 2021

Vatican’s vanishing artisans: Traditional workshops struggle amid COVID-19

By Robert Duncan Catholic News Service The neighborhood of ivy-draped two-story buildings, cobblestoned streets and Marian shrines adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica is perhaps best-known today for serving gelato and pizza to tourists visiting the Vatican.

History, however, knows the “Borgo” — as the zone is called by locals — as a village of ecclesiastical artisans who produce and restore religious articles for the Vatican and wider Church.

With rising costs of rent in central Rome, abandonment of artisanal trades by younger people and the economic blow caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the tradition and ethos of the once vibrant neighborhood of craftsmen are disappearing.

“A lot of workshops will be lost,” said Ety Cicioni, a tailor who produces the uniforms of the Swiss Guard and has restored garments for the past three popes. “You will struggle to contain the costs of keeping a workshop in this area.”

The trend, he explained, seems inevitable: Younger people don’t want to take up the family business — which in some cases spans generations — and those who continue will gravitate toward “industrialized” production and higher profit margins.

Cicioni, whose shop “I Sarti del Borgo” (The Tailors of the Borgo) saw a 25% profit loss due to the pandemic, hopes that the revival of something like a medieval guild could help those in the traditional trades.

“I would like to try to unite and create a sort of hub where, with the excellence of craftsmanship, we can face these challenges together,” he said. “We can only do it if we unite, but at the moment it’s very hard.”

In February, the Italian news agency ANSA reported that COVID-19 had caused 20% of Rome’s artisanal businesses to close permanently. In response, the city is considering creating two “ad hoc” districts in the Rome neighborhoods of Testaccio and Tor di Nona to help

PAUL HARING | CNS

Claudio Savi of “Savi Gioielli” shows a commemorative coin in his workshop near the Vatican in Rome April 15. artisans get back on their feet.

Artisans who serve the Church do have an advantage when the economy comes to a halt, however.

“Working for the Church hasn’t stopped, because the Church continues its work, and priests continue to celebrate Mass. Bishops continue to be appointed,” said Piero Savi, a jeweler who, with his brother Claudio, has produced papal crosiers, cardinals’ rings and episcopal pectoral crosses.

“The only thing that has changed is that it’s more difficult, and the turnaround time is longer,” he said, since the sourcing of materials has been slowed down by the pandemic’s toll on the global supply chain.

“Savi Gioielli” (Savi Jewelry) has a large American clientele, in part due to the influence of Cardinal James Harvey, who served as prefect of the Papal Household under St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Many U.S. cardinals and bishops are pictured on the walls of

the workshop wearing regalia produced or restored by the brother jewelers.

In the nearby Prati neighborhood, Roberto Scura, who has restored books and manuscripts for a variety of ecclesiastical clients, including Rome’s Pontifical Urbanian University and the Knights of Malta, said customers are still reticent to enter shops, even though COVID-19-related restrictions are being relaxed.

“Clients are not really going out as much; they are a bit tense, and so they don’t often come bringing work,” Scura said. “I hope that, slowly, everything will start again and that it goes well.”

According to the artisans interviewed by Catholic News Service, even if the pandemic were to disappear in a miraculous instant, the traditional trades face an uphill struggle to stay profitable.

Due to the advance of computerized methods in jewel production, for example, the essence of craftsmanship is under attack, Savi said.

Before, “the workshop was the domain of the craftsman, and he was its master,” he said. Now, the major software companies “have made the craftsman a user of electronic programs, so he is no longer the master, the master is elsewhere.”

“You work or you don’t work according to the will of these new masters,” Savi said.

On top of that, Savi explained, is the challenge of getting the smartphone generation, accustomed to social media influencer-level success, patient and interested enough to learn a traditional skill.

Despite the challenges, the artisans praised the personal — even spiritual — rewards of working with one’s hands. “The work engrosses you,” Scura said.

Cicioni said the fact that garments he sews will be donned by those representing the Church adds another positive dimension to his labors.

“There is something more, let’s say, a value beyond the human value; there’s a faith value when doing these things,” Cicioni said.

“May the many reminders of the Lord’s loving closeness even in challenging times inspire us to treat each other with unfailing respect, to work non-violently for the common good and to be instruments of reconciliation.”

-Archbishop Bernard Hebda

University of St. Thomas and the St. Thomas Racial Justice Initiative thank Archbishop Hebda for leading us toward racial healing.

MAY 13, 2021

NATION+WORLD

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

Honoring five years of leadership.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda

CNS | ANN WANG, REUTERS

‘HAIL MARY’ FOR PEACE Protesters in Taipei, Taiwan, flash a three-finger salute and hold placards during a march to protest against Myanmar’s military coup May 2. With an ongoing military crackdown and political upheaval in Myanmar, Pope Francis called for prayers for peace and reconciliation in the country. After reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer with visitors in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 2, the pope said, “We have entered the month of May in which popular piety expresses devotion to the Virgin Mary in many ways.” The pope said that in addition to the global marathon praying for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, the Church in Myanmar was leading an initiative inviting everyone “to pray for peace with a ‘Hail Mary’ for Myanmar in our daily rosary. Each of us turns to our mother when we are in need or in difficulty; this month, we ask our mother of heaven to speak to the hearts of all leaders in Myanmar so that they may find the courage to walk the path of encounter, reconciliation and peace.” Pope Francis also was planning to celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica May 16, the feast of the Ascension, with Catholics from Myanmar living in Rome, the Vatican announced May 3.

HEADLINES u Bishops urge Catholics to sign petition against Hyde Amendment’s repeal.

Diocesan Respect Life coordinators and the Pro-Life Secretariat of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are encouraging Catholics to speak out against the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, legislation which bans federal Medicaid funding of abortions. The Hyde Amendment, which first became law in 1976, prohibits use of federal Medicaid dollars for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the woman would be endangered. Named for former Representative Henry Hyde, an Illinois Republican, the amendment is renewed every year as part of the appropriations bill for what is now the Department of Health and Human Services.

It was excluded, however, in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act that was signed into law March 11 by President Joe Biden. As the amendment faces an uncertain future, the USCCB’s Pro-Life Secretariat is encouraging Catholics to sign the petition asking members of Congress to oppose the Hyde Amendment’s repeal at notaxpayerabortion.com. u As Israeli-Palestinian violence escalates, Christian leaders voice concern. Christian leaders in the Holy Land expressed deep concern over growing Israeli-Palestinian violence, as the two sides clashed in Jerusalem and Israel launched airstrikes into Gaza, responding to rocket attacks. The latest round of confrontation began early May 10, as Israelis prepared to celebrate Jerusalem Day, commemorating what Israel views as the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem, and Palestinians see as the start of the Israeli occupation. Police say they were forced to respond when Palestinians attacked a police post, hurling rocks, fireworks and other objects at police from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a Muslim holy site. The site also is considered holy

by Jews, who call it the Temple Mount after the two Jewish Biblical temples that stood there. Later in the day, Palestinian militants in Gaza launched hundreds of rockets into Israel, killing two people and wounding at least 10. In response, Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza, sent troops to the border

and called up military reservists. The Gaza Health Ministry said May 11 at least 26 Palestinians — including a woman and nine children — had been killed in the strikes. It said more than 120 people were wounded. u Biden raises refugee cap, but with caveat.

President Joe Biden announced May 3 he was raising the historically low refugee cap of 15,000 left by the Trump administration, but“ he also warned that his administration may not be able to meet the new number of refugees it is seeking to resettle in what remains of the fiscal year: 62,500. In a statement, the president said that while the previous cap set by former President Donald Trump did not reflect the country’s values “as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees,” it may be difficult for his administration to meet the new goal.

Bishop Mario Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, said May 4 that he welcomed the news, which comes during a particularly difficult time for people on the move, with more than 26 million refugees worldwide and more than 47 million people who are internally displaced. u Pope: Put health before profits by making vaccine more available. Pope Francis called for a global fight against the virus of “closed nationalism” and lack of concern for the poor by supporting “the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights” that prevent the widespread manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines. Describing himself as an “old man who does not dance or sing like you, but who believes, like you, that injustice and evil are not invincible,” the pope sent a message to the “Vax Live” concert, which was taped May 2 in California with an audience of fully vaccinated health care and essential workers. The concert to promote “vaccine equity” and raise money for vaccines for poor countries for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund was broadcast globally May 8. In his message, Pope Francis urged the world not to forget the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people who have endured and continue to endure the heaviest toll of suffering and death because of the coronavirus pandemic.

— Catholic News Service

Livestream Mass mary.org Mass Schedule Updates

Sundays 9:30am, 11:30am, 4:30pm Weekdays 7:00am & Noon Co-Cathedral of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Archbishop Hebda!

Saint John Vianney College Seminary and The Saint Paul Seminary

More news and commentary at

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14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

The past five years Archbishop Hebda reflects on the challenges since his installation and hopes for the future May 13 marks five years since Archbishop Bernard Hebda was installed archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. During that time, he’s worked to resolve the archdiocese’s bankruptcy and improve safe environment practices, restore trust in the Church and bolster Catholic education, while leading the Church amid a pandemic, racial tensions and changing demographics. Meanwhile, he’s aimed to be present both to his Catholic flock and members of the wider community. There’s no typical day in his schedule, he said, though it often begins with Mass — sometimes as part of a visit to a local parish or religious community, or in the chapel of his St. Paul home: a rectory in Frogtown, where he lives with a small community of Mexican sisters. A Pittsburgh native who spent years studying and working in Rome, he feels at home in the Twin Cities, he said. And, like any true Minnesotan, he seeks personal restoration via the state’s lakes. “If I need a break, just to drive around White Bear Lake or even closer, like Lake Gervais, that restores the soul,” he said. The Catholic Spirit recently sat down with him for a conversation reflecting on the past five years. The following excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.

Interview by Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit A lot has happened in the five years since your installation, and the six years since you arrived in our archdiocese. When you look back, does it feel like forever or like it’s gone quickly?

Oh, it’s gone in a blink of an eye. But I realize that in some ways with last year (and the COVID-19 pandemic) we might have lost a year; some of it seems to have evaporated. I was speaking to somebody and said, “I was just at your parish.” He said, “Bishop, that was really 15 months ago.” And I was just amazed by that because it seems like this last year in particular has gone by so quickly. I’m amazed how quickly the past five years have passed. I’m amazed at how deeply I feel rooted in this archdiocese. In some ways, after five years, I should be. But it really does seem to me like I’ve been here, just in terms of relationships, much longer than that. And I feel very much at home.

Your arrival in June 2015 as the apostolic administrator of the archdiocese was under a cloud of uncertainty. The archdiocese was in bankruptcy, the claims of clergy sexual abuse were still mounting. Your predecessor and an auxiliary bishop had just resigned.

Trust in the local Church was very weak. When you reflect back on that time, what sticks out?

My heart was really moved by the needs of the Church, and I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to have been a person in the pew and have had all those things take place. And not just the immediate events, but more broadly, over the previous 10 years, the things that had been experienced here. Christ has great love for his Church, and even in the midst of that suffering, he has a plan here and wants to bring joy. He wants to bring this Church to the point where she is able to proclaim the Easter message with credibility.

I knew that the Lord had a plan, and it was just a question of how it is that we together would be able to discern that for moving forward, and in a deliberate way. That also

reflected the need for some patience. We’re still working on many of those issues that I saw as most significant when I got here. In terms of restoring trust, I think we’ve made some progress. But I also realize that anytime something happens, we can take a step backward, too.

The thing that’s always going to be important to my time as bishop here is restoring that trust, really working on transparency. These were issues that came out when we did listening sessions when I was the administrator. They continue to be the dominant themes for us. I was really impressed by the commitment of our lay faithful to bringing about change in the archdiocese. I’ve never seen that in any of the other dioceses where I’ve served to the same degree. Certainly, that was the case with the bankruptcy, certainly that is the case with the Synod, certainly that has been the case with the Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education.

The archdiocese’s bankruptcy was resolved at the end of 2018, but it took almost four years. Were there times you felt like it was never going to end?

I had certainly hoped that we were going to be out of bankruptcy much sooner than what we were. The Lord had his plan there. The courts had their plans. I hope that we were able, by our slow and deliberate work, to build a stronger foundation for moving forward. It nonetheless took a lot longer than expected. Were there those times when I thought, “When is this ever going to end”? Yes. At the staff meeting you held the day you announced that a settlement agreement had been reached, you shared the news and then paused, overwhelmed with emotion for a moment. It struck me how burdensome this had been for you and many leaders in our Church.

At the same time, you aimed to keep victim-survivors at the forefront.

That was the aim. That’s where the slower process ended up really assisting us, because we were able to come to a good resolution for those who had been hurt. Even though there was great frustration with the slowness of that resolution, we eventually got to a good place.

Helping victim-survivors is still a major concern for us. I’m proud of the work our Archdiocesan Catholic Center staff does and our parish pastors and staffs do in trying to bring healing into our Church.

What does that look like now?

Tim O’Malley and his office do a wonderful job in terms of helping to create and preserve safe environments. We’re always grateful to get advice for how we can improve what we’re doing, and the whole audit process gives us that opportunity. I’ve been really blessed we’ve been able to hire Paula Kaempffer. Her outreach to the survivor community is really phenomenal. I’m really grateful that Paula is there to be that ongoing presence for so many of our survivors who want to know the Church is still interested.

She brings a unique perspective to that and a great set of gifts.

But we have a lot of work to do in that area as well. Initially, we had some higher hopes of doing some more things that would promote healing. Some advice that we got — to move slowly — from our survivors’ community helped us to readjust our priorities there. Then COVID has changed that somewhat as well. Online programs have been extremely well received.

People ask me where there have been blessings amid COVID. That’s one of the things that I point to, because one of the things we’ve learned

PHOTOS BY DAVE H

Archbishop Bernard Hebda greets children gathered for the annual Family Rosary Proces a young girl designated to carry a crown for Mary. is that in some ways, virtual participation is easier for someone who’s experienced some trauma. There’s a higher level of anonymity, there’s a little more control in terms of what level of participation. So that’s been a real blessing.

For a while, you had your door open every Friday for survivors to come and talk to you. Do you still talk one-on-one with survivors from time to time?

I do. And it’s not just Fridays, but anytime.

When we know of someone who would like to speak, we always find a time for them.

How does that affect you, at your heart, to hear these stories, and to know that when survivors talk to you as archbishop, you’re representing something greater than yourself to them?

There’s a real sorrow for what’s happened in the past. But at the same time, there’s always that glimmer of hope that in some small way, we might be able to bring some healing into the life of someone that’s been hurt in that way. I’ve been incredibly gratified by the survivors that I’ve spoken with. People are coming in with a really broad perspective but also a desire to really help the Church do better in this area.

So now, the bankruptcy is resolved, work is being done to help survivors, the archdiocese is stronger financially, and the safe environment team is providing guidance to other dioceses and institutions around the country. Where do you see other areas and opportunities for improvement in the local Church?

I think the Synod is really going to help us identify those areas where we’re going to need to move forward. And, we as an archdiocese and staff have really made a commitment over the past six months to a year to improve the way we’re able to serve our parishes and schools, and really refine our own philosophy about why it is that we’re here — to serve others, to offer leadership in some areas, but really also to offer support. That’s going to be a major effort for us to see how we can be more supportive of our priests and lay ecclesial ministers. It’s in our parishes that most people have their primary experience of the Church. We want to make sure that we’re doing all we can to help our pastors and parish staffs to form those welcoming communities with good liturgies, with social outreach, with an attentiveness to the needs of the members, as well as the community that really attracts people and sustains them as they live out their faith.

With the Synod process, y want the whole local Church It’s not just a collecting of ide discernment through prayer. surprised you?

The first thing that was the response and the leve was phenomenal when y (that came to the Prayer a That’s a lot of people! Mo the experience to be posit while, someone would sa efficient way to get inform we had the opportunity t together, to reflect on Scri that’s the way in which th to us and through our bro certainly something that taking forward with us in for the parish consultatio consultations. We’ve been intensely these days prep groups in the parish cons see through all of that an and sensitivity to how the leading us in areas that w

You’ve identified three foc you speak to what you hope years from now?

We shouldn’t be surpri should bring together a b that have similar hopes. the people of this archdio confirmation in each of t that are in my heart, and same for others, too. I ce going to be a Church tha parishes that have a sens terms of the evangelical o might not know Christ o from the Church, but als we’re able to respond to t broader community, not community. I get excited parishes that are enabled the kind of pastors and la who share a vision and w those goals. The Synod F with youth and young ad think most of our diocese would be considering on a much broader question challenging for us. At the

HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

ssion May 5, 2019, including

you’ve been clear that you h to listen to the Holy Spirit. eas, but a collective How has the Holy Spirit

s surprising for me was el of participation, which you think of 8,000 people and Listening Events). ost of the people found tive. Every once in a ay, “This isn’t the most mation.” Yet, I think as to come together, to pray ripture, we realized that he Lord is able to speak others and sisters. That’s we’re planning on n a major way as we head ons and the deanery n working pretty paring for the fall small sultation process. But I n attentiveness to prayer he Holy Spirit might be we had not foreseen.

cus areas for the Synod. Can for our Church five or 10

ised that the Holy Spirit bishop and a Church As I’ve been listening to ocese, I found those areas for things d I hope I’m doing the ertainly hope that we are at is dynamic with se of outreach — both in outreach to those who or have drifted away so the way in which the real needs in the t just the Catholic d when I think about d to do that and to have ay ecclesial ministers who are passionate about Focus Area that deals dults, that’s something I es in the United States ne way or another. So, it’s n, and it’s certainly e Prayer and Listening

MAY 13, 2021 • 15

Events, that is probably what we heard most often: People are concerned about the faith not being passed down, or their children not being as active in the Church as they have. We’re blessed here with some great efforts: our Catholic schools, NET Ministries, St. Paul’s Outreach. And they can be resources.

With COVID, Catholic schools reopened when many public schools didn’t. How did you see schools step up in a challenging situation? How did it set them apart from other schools?

Two key parts: One is that parents are primary educators, and we want to be of assistance to parents. So that reality is going to shape everything else that we do. Seeing how we can use the insights of parents into what’s best for their kids and how we can coordinate and collaborate with them really influences every aspect of our schools. We have teachers who have really imbibed that philosophy, too, so they’re willing to go the extra mile. They’ve really gone above and beyond what would be expected of them in the course of this past year.

They’ve been extraordinary, but it’s all because of their desire to collaborate closely with parents as first educators.

The second part has to do with the dignity that we ascribe to every human life. When we see our young people and know our desire to see them not only grow in the faith, but also to develop the gifts that the Lord has given to them, we know that that has to be a priority.

When I look at these past five years, one of the efforts that’s been most extensive has been the Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education.

I’m excited about the enrollment growth that we’ve seen in our schools this year. That certainly is related to COVID, but that is also a manifestation of the work that’s been done on the Roadmap.

Your administrative responsibilities are time consuming, but you’ve made a point to spend time at parishes, too.

I love it. That’s been one of the things that’s been hard for me with COVID — some of those opportunities have been reduced. For me, Lenten fish fries are huge — not because I like fish, it’s penitential for me — but for that opportunity just to sit with some members of our parish faithful that I’ve never met before and to hear them speak about their life. Or to go to a parish festival and see the way different parishes celebrate. For example, I’ve been to festivals at our Vietnamese parishes, and the family focus has been great.

You’ve had a lot of serious matters to pray about — including in the past year the COVID-19 pandemic and temporarily suspending public Mass, the 20-month “Vos estis” investigation of Bishop Michael Hoeppner which led to his recent resignation, as well as the Twin Cities’ turmoil following George Floyd’s death and efforts to address painful racial divisions that have come to the forefront. Can you give a glimpse into your spiritual life and how it has evolved over these past five years?

My goal has always been to allow the Lord to shape my prayer. I was grateful for when I was in seminary to have a superb Jesuit spiritual director who was wonderful at helping me pray with Scripture. The sensitivity has to always be where the Lord is drawing us to pray and how to pray. For our priests and certainly for a bishop, it’s being attentive to what’s going on in his parish or diocese, and allowing that to really shape the prayer, whether it be the grief or the anxiety that people are experiencing over racism, or the emotion people were feeling at the time of our presidential election. It’s bringing that all to prayer, while at the same time recognizing that I don’t have responsibility for all of that, but it has certainly shaped my prayer and made it all seem more urgent. The beautiful thing is seeing how the Lord continues to meet needs in a way I couldn’t even imagine.

2015 Archbishop Bernard Hebda arrives in the archdiocese June 15 as its apostolic administrator, a temporary leader, following the resignation of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Bishop Lee Piché. Prior to his arrival, the archdiocese had declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January in response to mounting claims of clergy sexual abuse, and on June 5, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office had filed criminal and civil charges against the archdiocese for its handling of a particular clergy sexual abuse case. • In the fall, Archbishop Hebda holds 10 listening sessions around the archdiocese to hear Catholics share their observations of the local Church’s strengths and weaknesses. • Ramsey County’s civil charges are settled in December with an agreement between the archdiocese and the county outlining steps the archdiocese must take to improve safe environment protocols.

2016 In March, on Holy Thursday, Pope Francis appoints Archbishop Hebda to become the ninth archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. u In May, Archbishop Hebda is installed at the Cathedral of St. Paul. • In July, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office drops its criminal charges against the archdiocese.

2018 The archdiocese and attorneys representing victim-survivors in its bankruptcy announce a joint plan in May for reorganization that includes $210 million for 442 victim-survivors. In September, the plan is confirmed in U.S. bankruptcy court and the bankruptcy is resolved by the end of December 2018.

2019 The Office for the Mission of Catholic Education in January announces the Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education, which brings together experts from across the U.S. to improve the health of Catholic schools in the archdiocese. • In June, Archbishop Hebda opens a process leading to the first Archdiocesan Synod since the 1930s. The pre-Synod process is organized to take place over two years, but it is extended to three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • In August, the Congregation for Bishops authorizes Archbishop Hebda to oversee a preliminary investigation into an allegation that Bishop Michael Hoeppner of Crookston had mishandled an allegation of clergy sexual abuse. The investigation led to Bishop Hoeppner’s resignation in April 2021. It was the first known to be commissioned under protocols Pope Francis outlined in “Vos estis lux mundi,” a legislative document the pope personally issued in May 2019 in response to the abuse scandal caused by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. p In the fall and winter, Archbishop Hebda attends 29 pre-Synod Prayer and Listening Events across the archdiocese to help him discern the Synod’s focus areas.

2020 Archbishop Hebda and the state’s other bishops travel to Rome in January for an Ad Limina visit with Pope Francis. A group of young adult pilgrims mostly from the archdiocese accompany the archbishop and Bishop Andrew Cozzens. • In March, the COVID-19 pandemic arrives in Minnesota. In mid-March, Archbishop Hebda suspends Catholics’ obligation to attend Sunday Mass and then, a few days later, suspends all public Masses in the archdiocese to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

That suspension lasts until early May, when parishes in the archdiocese begin to incrementally allow people back inside churches for Mass, beginning with 10 people. When Gov. Tim Walz’s administration fails to give places of worship the same capacity flexibility as other sectors, Archbishop Hebda leads efforts among the state’s bishops to resume worship at larger capacities. The suspension of the Sunday Mass obligation continues. • In August, the archbishop announces three focus areas for the 2022 Synod: 1) Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization; 2) Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call; and 3) Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young. Parish-based small groups are planned for fall 2021 for Catholics to discuss how the Church can address them. p In October, the archbishop announces plans to consecrate the archdiocese to St. Joseph and hold a special year of St. Joseph locally beginning Dec. 8. Coincidentally, Pope Francis declared a Year of St. Joseph Dec. 8 for the universal Church as well.

2021 Archbishop Hebda announces the Archdiocesan Catholic Center will undergo an internal process to evaluate how it can best serve the local Church and implement improved practices. Called Project Isaiah, the process is expected to take up to a year.

— The Catholic Spirit

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16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

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Teresa Camacho, one of Cross Catholic Outreach’s international project officers, meets with workers operating a well-drilling rig to discuss the project’s challenges.

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EXAMPLE OF HOW THE CLEAN WATER PROJECT WORKS

Pump and water tank with filtration and chlorination system

Water at home

Water pipes

Drilled well reaching as deep as 300 feet, compared to much shallower hand-dug wells

by the way U.S. Catholics have risen to the challenge and generously sponsored the work,” he said. “I think there are three things that appeal to them. First, they understand the importance of water. It is necessary for life. Second, they rightly want to support Churchbased efforts to serve the poor because the Gospel calls all of us to that course of action. Third, they have safe water at their own fingertips, and they’re grateful to God for that blessing. This is their chance to bless others with that benefit in the Lord’s name.”

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

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

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In addition to praising CCO’s accomplishments, many of the bishops and archbishops are encouraged that pontifical canonical status was conferred on the charity in September 2015, granting it approval as an official Catholic organization.

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MAY 13, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

FAITH+CULTURE

Of bricks and mortar Spiritual and material foundation stay strong at St. Patrick in Cedar Lake

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

E

very time Father Michael Miller processes into the sanctuary of St. Patrick in Cedar Lake at the start of Mass, he pauses to tap his ring on the base where the tabernacle sits.

That simple gesture is packed with meaning.

Mainly, it’s a tribute to his father, Carlton Miller, who died Feb. 6, 2020. The ring Carlton had worn since he received it in 1980 for a milestone achievement at work was passed down to his son, who proudly wears it on his left hand to honor a family and faith legacy that led to his priesthood ordination in 1996.

The ring tap ritual is also an acknowledgment of Father Miller’s homecoming in 2015, when he requested and was granted the assignment of being pastor of this parish and of neighboring St. Catherine in Spring Lake.

The farm where Father Miller grew up, and which he purchased in 2014, is only 10 miles south of St. Patrick — or, he said, “9 miles as the crow flies.”

The stone tabernacle base is the final piece of a church renovation project that was done in 2006.

Parishioners did all the work. Dan Cervenka, who grew up and still lives on his family farm only about a mile from the church, did much of the interior masonry work. A year ago, he crafted the tabernacle base. On the side of the base is a plaque bearing Carlton Miller’s name. Father Miller used memorial donations from his father’s funeral to pay for the materials used in the tabernacle base.

Up until the day of Carlton’s funeral, Father Miller had no intention of receiving his father’s ring. Years earlier, an older priest had advised him never to wear a ring — they were mostly reserved for bishops. But, Father Miller changed his mind not long before his father’s casket closed, and took possession of this prized heirloom.

“It was my mother’s idea, actually,” said Father Miller, 55. “This was the ring given him back in 1980 when he started selling Pioneer seed. It fits me just right.”

The color was right, too. Green represents Father Miller’s birthstone color (his birthday is May 19); the color of John Deere tractors, which his family has used for decades in farming; and, of course, the color associated with his parish’s Irish namesake.

Homecoming The fit and color of the ring are symbolic of the way his vocation and life have come full circle.

“I call it not only living the dream, but I’m living in the Resurrection now,” he said of being a pastor near where he grew up. After being away from a community he thought he would never leave, he now can talk about “the joy of being home.”

“To be the shepherd here has been just the greatest,” said Father Miller, who as a child attended St. Wenceslaus in New Prague and St. Wenceslaus School, which, at 6 miles from the family farm, were slightly closer than St. Patrick.

“These are two of the smallest parishes in the diocese (St. Patrick has 195 families, St. Catherine has 64). Some might think, ‘Well, you’re kind of being punished or something.’ But, it’s just the opposite. … I had said so many times that my dream was to retire on the farm and take care of a couple of parishes nearby.”

Father Miller is not the only one who thinks he is the right choice to lead these two parishes. Cervenka, who was just a year ahead of him at New Prague High School, said he was “ecstatic” when word spread in 2015 that Father Miller had been named the new pastor.

Within a few years, that would mean a continuation of Cervenka’s passion for helping create beautiful and meaningful worship space.

ABOVE Father Michael Miller and Dan Cervenka stand inside the church of St. Patrick in Cedar Lake. Cervenka did the stone work visible in the background, and Father Miller, pastor, worked with Cervenka to build a new tabernacle base so the tabernacle could be moved to the center of the sanctuary. RIGHT The tabernacle base (front) matches the stone of the wall behind it, both installed

by Cervenka.

PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

At a previous parish, Father Miller had orchestrated moving the tabernacle from one side of the sanctuary to behind the altar. He wanted to do the same thing at St. Patrick, with the idea that the tabernacle would rest at the feet of a statue of the Irish saint.

Having done most of the interior masonry in the 2006 renovation, Cervenka was the logical person for the job, with the crucial task of finding matching stone for the tabernacle base. He “made a few calls” and came up with something that Father Miller said cannot be distinguished from the stone Cervenka used in the wall behind the tabernacle base in 2006.

Cervenka then set to work for three weeks in February 2020, crafting the new tabernacle base. In this way, he carried out his own family legacy, which began when his father, Dan Cervenka Sr., taught him the trade right after he graduated from high school in 1982.

“After high school got out, my dad says, ‘What are you going to do?’” Cervenka recalled. “And, I said, ‘I don’t know.’ And, he goes, ‘Get in the truck. We’ve got work to do.’”

Nearly four decades later, he’s still at it. He got married in 1988. His wife, Debra, graduated in the same class as Father Miller. A few years into marriage, he rediscovered his Catholic faith, which he had abandoned in high school in favor of a party lifestyle.

All it took was a decision one day to switch radio stations during a period of spiritual restlessness and questioning in the 1990s. After listening to rock and roll for years, he turned the dial and landed on a Christian radio station. He noticed the difference immediately.

“The songs were praise and worship songs,” he said.

“I started listening, and I thought, ‘This is it. This is what I was missing — not the station, but it was God, it was the Lord Jesus. That’s what I’ve been missing, that’s what I’ve been overlooking. This is the purpose of my existence.’ I mean, it all just made sense (on) that one day.”

Good work It was the beginning of what he calls “a new way of living.” His rekindled faith has driven him ever since, and filled him with passion for turning raw stone into beautiful living spaces for people’s homes, and beautiful worship spaces for God’s home. His name is engraved on the tabernacle base underneath Carlton Miller’s.

And, his handiwork is spread throughout the inside of the church, made possible by learning a trade he initially found distasteful.

“God opened my eyes to the value of hard work and to the dignity of a trade and doing something well, even if it’s messy and dirty, in the heat of the day and (with)

the bugs and the gnats and the mud and the snow and whatever else comes along with it,” he said. “You know, you do your best, and we’re all created equal.”

This approach to work life and the spiritual life is one that is known — and shared — by his pastor, who speaks the language of those who use their hands to work with the dirt and all that comes from it, including crops and even stone from local quarries that was used to build St. Patrick church in 1874.

Father Miller knows intimately what the rural lifestyle is like, having grown up doing farm chores on his family’s 230-acre dairy farm. During childhood, he envisioned being a farmer all his life. It took some steady pitchforks of faith over many growing seasons to prod him toward the priesthood. “I grew up safe and sound here,” he said. “I was going to farm.”

After graduating from high school, he went to the University of Minnesota and got a two-year degree, then came home and farmed with his father for three years.

That’s when he “started to feel this call to be a priest.”

He answered, going to The St. Paul Seminary for his priestly formation after graduating from the University of St. Thomas. After ordination, he served at parishes across the archdiocese, including St. Joseph (now St. Maximilian Kolbe) in Delano and St. Michael in Stillwater. After six years at the latter, he decided it was time for a change.

In early 2015, he bought the remaining 114 acres of the family farm, where a neighbor now plants crops.

Just months after that, he learned that there was an opening for a pastor at St. Patrick and St. Catherine.

He made a request to go there, which was granted by Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

Going back home to his roots “was exactly where I needed to go,” he said. “It was my time.”

He is happy to come home every day to his family farm, which, he said, locals still call the “Miller farm.”

He combines Benedictine and Dominican spirituality, which involves work, prayer, contemplation and passing along what he learns and hears God saying while inhabiting this serene landscape.

And, with spring planting underway, he is sure to offer many prayers for rain.

MAY 13, 2021

FAITH+CULTURE

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

Art of restoring statues is passed on through several generations

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

T

he job of greeting parishioners in one of St. Joseph in West St. Paul’s main halls has been especially hard on a beloved St. Joseph statue.

When the 4-foot plaster statue’s outstretched hand broke earlier this year from too much handling, the parish called a statue restorer who, along with her mother before her, has brought new life to local churches’ statues for decades.

However, it wasn’t their first call about the statue, which the West St. Paul parish has owned since the 1940s.

“That poor little hand sticks out,” explained Marguerite DeNardo Sandbeck, 93, who restored the statue years ago and now helps her daughter, Lisa Parkos, 55, owner of DeNardo Statuary Restoration.

“It’s kind of tempting” for parishioners to touch it, she said.

It was Parkos’ turn this year to fix the statue’s hand and re-apply gold leaf to his robe. Since then, St. Joseph has been behind a Lucite panel for protection, said Father Michael Creagan, pastor.

“I see a number of people pausing before that alcove with the St. Joseph statue for a moment of prayer,” he said.

“This is one of the great benefits of these beautiful images, as it helps us in our prayer.”

For almost 100 years, Sandbeck and Parkos’ family has created or restored religious statues such as St. Joseph.

Sandbeck’s father — Parkos’ grandfather — was an Italian immigrant who came

to St. Paul in the 1920s where he cast statues and restored churches for St. Paul Statuary Co. A parishioner of St. Matthew in St. Paul, Sandbeck learned statue painting and restoration from her brother, who started DeNardo Studios on St. Paul’s West Side. When her husband died in 1975, she began painting and restoring statues through DeNardo Studios to support herself and her seven children.

“It was hard times, but then again I think the Lord was watching over me,” Sandbeck said. “I really enjoyed what I did.”

When traveling for projects, Sandbeck brought her youngest child, then 9-yearold Parkos.

“Lisa started (in restoration) because I lost my husband early, and she was at a loss, too. So, I kept her pretty much with me, and while she was there, I’d keep her busy by teaching her anything,” Sandbeck said.

After college, Parkos, who is Catholic, continued learning her mother’s techniques and eventually changed the company name to DeNardo Statuary and Restoration.

“I was lucky enough with the family background, where I could get handson from my relatives and especially my mother and her father, who actually did churches in Italy,” Parkos said. “That was my formal training, which is pretty much priceless. It’s so hard to find people to teach you this.”

From her home in Birchwood, Wisconsin, Parkos works mostly with

Catholic churches. Clients include the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and the Cathedral of St. Paul and St. Louis King of France, both in St. Paul.

She is skilled with gold leaf, and also casts plaster repair parts. The longerlasting, oil-based paints Parkos prefers are becoming harder to find with introduction of more environmentally friendly, water-based materials.

Now working at her St. Paul kitchen table rather than a workshop, Sandbeck still loves the work, helping Parkos select colors and repair smaller items.

Working on religious images brings them to life and increases faith, Parkos said. “A lot of times I’ll be working and talking to them at the same time, like they’re actually listening,” she said.

Sacred images help Catholics focus on Christ and the saints, Father Creagan said. “Entering a church with beautiful images helps us to set aside the distractions of the world and calm our hearts so we can be more attentive to the Lord.”

Parkos noted that she doesn’t have anyone to carry on the work after her.

“It’s not something you can just learn overnight,” she said. While Sandbeck said her father would be pleased at Parkos’ work, she is concerned that no one in the next generation seems interested in learning it.

“I think the world needs to kneel down in front of Mary and (Christ’s) Sacred Heart and look up and feel the presence of God,” Sandbeck said, noting that if the work didn’t continue, “I would feel very bad.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

A St. Joseph statue at St. Joseph in West St. Paul was recently restored by an artist who traces her expertise through several generations.

20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

FAITH+CULTURE

MAY 13, 2021

Finding God in street people and stories

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit Greg Eaton, a retired marketing professional and father of two from Apple Valley, has learned to live the Gospel. He serves the homeless through Friends of Dorothy Day and helps lead spiritual retreats for the incarcerated through Twin Cities Prison Ministry. The experiences have been profound, said Eaton, a member of St. Thomas Becket in Eagan.

Q What compelled you to serve the homeless through Dorothy Day?

A I’ve always thought of the Eucharist

as not just Sunday Mass. It’s Eucharisttype living, where we bring our whole lives to the table when we celebrate the Eucharist as a community, the good and the bad. I felt called to live the Gospel, not by writing a check but by spending something which is near and dear to all of us: our time.

like: This is meant to be. This has been here the whole time, it’s why we were created, to share all of life. It’s a feeling of completeness, that we’d been completed doing what we were created to do.

Q Then you started volunteering by

spending the night with homeless men at the old Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul, a former mortuary that was then being used, by day, as the Catholic Charities offices. You checked them in, served food, set up mats and sanitized. And most of all, you focused on relationship-building through oneon-one conversations.

Q You opened the door for him — figuratively and literally!

A It felt good. But more importantly, it’s

Q Tell me about the things they carry.

A One night, Gary Smith realized it was

A The biggest part of the evening was

to not be Martha, who was too busy to sit down with Jesus. It was to sit down and ask, “How was your day?” They were frozen (in the winter). The coffee was a God-send. These people had little dignity during the day. They would hide out at the library or down by the trains.

Q Prior to that, you’d done meaningful Q How did you dignify them? service through JustFaith Ministries.

A I learned to ask a question and be A It made my faith feel more seamless and genuine. That’s why we were put here, to be in solidarity with each other.

There was one man — a recluse who lived on Goodrich Avenue, behind the Cathedral (of St. Paul) — and he could not get out the back of his house. The sapling trees had grown within inches of the back door, so we spent the afternoon cutting them. The first time he went through that door, he cried.

him. He was a leader on the street for good, a Vietnam vet. He treated people with dignity and knew how to diffuse arguments. He was dying of kidney failure, and he was sleeping on the floor and spending two hours a day on the bus to get to the VA for treatment. We got him into an apartment with a bed and set up a driving ministry for his dialysis.

The memorial service was powerful. His friends from the street came and the president of Catholic Charities and an Air Force colonel in full uniform.

quiet and listen. We tend to be fixers.

But that’s not the point. I wasn’t there to fix. I used to say, “I can imagine” or “I can’t imagine that.” I quit saying that.

The most I would say is, “I’m here and I’m walking beside you.” And I wouldn’t relate their story back to me. I would say, “Boy, that’s gotta be tough.” When you say that, they just keeping going.

They open. Sometimes they’d talk till midnight. To give them the ability to open to you, to themselves, is huge.

Q How did you stay engaged when it

got late and stories became repetitive?

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

A I sensed that this was very important

to them, and they weren’t being approached this way very often — if at all. Some of the greatest conversations were around faith. One man was reciting the original Torah from memory. These guys knew Scripture like nobody else.

One guy came with a big stack of books.

He was doing a detailed comparison of the three Abrahamic religions of the world. An hour later, I felt like I’d been at a course at St. Thomas. These guys are walking around the streets of St. Paul.

And the love stories! Just because you’re homeless doesn’t mean you don’t still love someone. Life does not stop.

Q You planned the funeral for one homeless friend.

A The first time I saw Gary Smith on

the street — he was a Black man of very large stature — I didn’t want to walk past him. But then I got to know

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his friend Tim’s birthday. We spread the word, and one by one the men went up to Tim to wish him happy birthday, and one of the guys rigged up a little card.

When we gave Tim that card, he cried.

He said, “I haven’t been wished a happy birthday from anybody in years!” I saw that card in his backpack a month later.

Another man, Silas, offered me his last tub of ramen noodles on a night we ran out of food. He knew I hadn’t eaten. He microwaved it for me and served it to me. I protested, but he said, “Greg, just say thank you.” So, for once I shut my mouth and I just said, “Thank you, Silas,” and I left it at that.

Q Now Higher Ground is welcoming homeless people through its Pay For Stay program, which helps them transition to housing.

A That’s the goal. You’ll hear, “I think I

got a place!” We voted at our last (Friends of Dorothy Day) board meeting to start funding some of these people to help them move to their own place. The details of homelessness are complex. You get an interview, but you can’t get to the interview because you don’t have a car.

You get an apartment, but how do you get your furniture to the apartment?

Q Tell me about the REC retreats for the incarcerated — Residents Encounter Christ.

A There’s so much darkness in their

lives. Any little touch with faith while in prison can be life-changing. At the last retreat at the Stillwater prison before COVID, we were joined by an inmate from Uganda. He had no faith tradition.

He was in prison for murder. He was full of shame, and he’d just been put on suicide watch. But right before the Eucharist on the last night, he said he felt good. Archbishop Hebda came to celebrate Mass, and then he stayed afterwards to listen to every inmate’s story. The inmate from Uganda is starting to write a book about his experience.

Q You must have such hope, to see redemption up close.

A You got it! One guy on retreat had

been in prison for 19 years and was about to get out. He said, “My father walked away from me, and my mother never loved me. This weekend is the first time that I felt loved.” I’m a terrible pray-er, but I do open to God in stories. The way I know God is through people.

Learn more about Eaton’s ministries at friendsofdorothyday.org and tcprisonministry.com.

MAY 13, 2021

FAITH+CULTURE

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 21

Sponsor a gargoyle: New fundraiser launched for Notre Dame in Paris

By Deirdre C. Mays Catholic News Service

A

novel fundraising approach to restore one of the most iconic monuments in the world, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, enables donors to have a piece of history.

On April 15, Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris unveiled an interactive website — restorenotredame.org — that allows people to donate by adopting or sponsoring pieces of precious art and artifacts that were damaged in a 2019 fire. Donors can engage with the objects of their choosing and select which they’d like to help restore, such as a painting or statue. Funds can also go toward the cathedral’s restoration as a whole if the person prefers.

The organization was established in 2017 to help cover the cost of repairing damage caused by time, pollution and the use of inferior stone used in construction of the 12th-century Gothic landmark. The cathedral had not had any major repairs since the mid-1800s, so the group launched an international campaign to raise the $135 million needed for those essential renovations — augmented by a $45 million budget from the French government.

On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out in the attic and completely consumed the timber roof and spire. The burning debris and melted lead from the roof fell on top of a stone vault below. Most sections of the cathedral remained intact due to the rib vaulting, and most of the precious art

IAN LANGSDON, POOL VIA REUTERS | CNS

Workers are pictured near a stained-glass window under the vaults at the reconstruction site at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris April 15. Two years after a fire destroyed much of the church’s wooden structure, a fundraising group is urging people to sponsor a statue or gargoyle to help with reconstruction. and religious relics were saved, including what is believed to be Jesus’ crown of thorns and a piece of the cross from his crucifixion, the Tunic of St. Louis and the 14th-century Virgin of the Pillar statue.

After the fire, the mission of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris had an even greater scope — rebuilding from ashes. Since the fire, more than $1 billion from more than 150 countries has been pledged to rebuild the cathedral, said

Michel Picaud, president of Friends of Notre-Dame.

Picaud said the item people feel most sentimental about is probably the Virgin of the Pillar, which “attracts the attention of believers because it is the Virgin Mary in all her beauty and significance.”

The May paintings are one of the top features of the restoration effort. They are a series of paintings commissioned in the 17th- and early 18th-century by the

goldsmith’s guild of Paris to offer to the cathedral in the month of May. They are approximately 3 by 4 meters high and depict scenes from the Gospels. Smaller models of the paintings also were created.

The fundraising process has helped reveal the location of some of those that were not in the cathedral collection.

The massive project is currently in the safety phase, which should last until the summer of 2022, Picaud said. It includes protecting the vaults from rain with a tarp; lead decontamination; fortifying the north, south and west gables, particularly to protect the three large rose windows; fortifying the most damaged pillars of the nave; reinforcing the flying buttresses; wrapping and protecting the gargoyles and other sculptural elements of the north and south towers; and removing burned and melted scaffolding that had previously surrounded the spire.

Notre-Dame Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the most recognizable and beloved monuments in the world. More than 12 million people visited every year before the fire. As a result, the outpouring of support has been at a global level and from people of all belief systems — from the envelope Picaud received that contained a $10 bill from a woman in the U.S. Midwest to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York launching its own fundraising effort.

Restoration and rebuilding probably will continue for the next 10 years, Picaud said, and will cost more than $1 billion to complete.

22 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER MICHAEL JONCAS

Joy of the Ascension Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a great push in some Catholic worshiping communities to “make the liturgy relevant.”

Usually that meant the homilist was supposed to address an issue of burning concern to civic life, such as the war in Vietnam or concern for civil rights. Musicians, in turn, were asked to import into the liturgy songs from the surrounding aural culture, such as “Prepare Ye” from “Godspell” as a chant for Advent, or the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ “O Happy Day” as an anthem for Easter. It is in this context that I remember hearing both “Up, Up and Away” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane” sung during the liturgy for the Ascension of the Lord. Fortunately, neither song became permanently associated with this solemnity, since the mystery it celebrates is much more profound than levitation by balloon or aircraft.

Both the first reading from Acts and the Gospel reading from the longer ending of Mark’s Gospel vividly narrate the close of the period in which disciples experienced the risen Christ through their sensate experience, i.e., seeing him act in his transformed body and hearing him speak.

The Acts of the Apostles reading deals with two topics. Acts 1:1-4 provides a prologue to that entire book, much as Luke 1:1-4 serves as the prologue to that Gospel. Both are addressed to a certain “Theophilus,” who may have been a particular person learning about Jesus and the movement he started, or (more likely, since the Greek name means “God-lover”) as a general name for all readers, especially those who have been evangelized. Acts 1:5-11 then follows, with an account of the Ascension clearly connected to a similar narrative at the end of the Gospel of Luke (24:50-52). In both accounts, Jesus promises that “what the Father has promised” / “power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” will be bestowed upon his disciples.

They are then commissioned to be his “witnesses” in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (notice the progression which serves as a general outline for the entire book of Acts). The two narratives of the actual Ascension are slightly different: The Acts reading emphasizes Jesus’ blessing of his disciples, in the context of which he “withdraws from them” and is “carried up into heaven”; the Lucan account instead emphasizes the disciples’

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

The gift of confirmation

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Most Holy Trinity and the gift of the sacrament of confirmation. The characteristics of the Holy Spirit describe the nature of the gifts that are bestowed upon the person who is confirmed.

The Holy Spirit is the abiding and continuing presence of God, a co-equal partner with the Father and the Son, the giver of life, the sanctifier, the one who makes holy, helper and supporter, the inspiration for sacred Scripture and the voice of the prophets.

The Holy Spirit keeps Jesus alive in our consciousness, reminds us of all that he said and did, strengthens our faith and belief, and enables us to give testimony about him and witness for him.

The Holy Spirit is love, both the bond of love between God and us, between one person and another, and between the members of a group such as a family, a church community or an organization. The Holy Spirit fosters and enables unity and togetherness, patience and kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness and self-control.

The Holy Spirit informs the conscience. The Holy Spirit discerns right from wrong, raises awareness of sin, calls for conversion, leads to remorse, and brings pardon and forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, the Paraclete, the one who stands with us when we face trials and tribulations, our true friend and a

activity of watching the Christ, in the context of which he “was lifted up,” and a “cloud takes him out of their sight.” Both narratives agree, however, that from this point on, encountering Jesus the Risen One will have a different quality than the sensate experience.

Mark’s account of the Ascension occurs in what scholars call the “longer ending” of the Gospel. (Without going into too much detail, some scholars presume that the original Gospel of Mark ended at 16:8, partially because some manuscript witnesses conclude the Gospel there, and partially because the style of 16:9-20 is so different from the rest of the Gospel that those verses cannot have been part of the original Gospel. Other scholars hold that the original ending of the Gospel, a continuation of 16:8, has been lost, perhaps as a leaf of the manuscript was detached from the end of the Gospel. What is clear is that various manuscripts provide text to make up for this loss. Like the accounts we have noted above, in the Markan version of this narrative, Jesus commissions “the Eleven” to “proclaim the good news to the whole creation” and he is subsequently “taken up into heaven.” Unlike those accounts, the Markan version emphasizes the signs that will accompany evangelizing believers and that Jesus ultimately “sat down at the right hand of God,” an image probably derived from Psalm 110:1 where YHWH enthrones Israel’s king.

Here the focus is not so much on the end of the period of sensate experience of the risen Lord, but that the Lord continues to work with the Eleven, confirming the good news they preach with the signs that accompany that proclamation.

The Ephesians reading is taken from the beginning of the letter, where the sacred author (the apostle Paul or one of his early followers) offers the expected thanksgiving, in this case a prayer for the recipients of the letter, that they may possess the spirit of wisdom and revelation to recognize Jesus for who he truly is — the exalted Christ of God. Without narrating the Ascension, the sacred author emphasizes the results of Jesus’ exaltation “seated … at (God’s) right hand”: that he has dominion over all things (not just his “enemies” as in Psalm 110:1) and most especially over the Church, the body, of which he is the head.

The Church shows great wisdom in inviting the worshiping assembly to respond to the mystery of the exaltation of Jesus Christ, not with pop songs about flying through the air, but with cries of joy that God has manifested his power and authority over all creation in the life, deeds, death and destiny of Jesus. As the antiphon of the Responsorial Psalm articulates for us: “God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.” Alleluia!

Father Joncas, a composer, is an artist in residence at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

faithful companion when we are alone, our protector when opposed, the provider of the words of defense when accused, our reassurance when we are worried, our hope when the situation seems bleak, and our guardian when others malign us, lie about us or betray us.

The Holy Spirit dwells within every person, and thus the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit invites and urges each person to glorify God in his or her body, to be pure and blameless, to please God in every thought, word and deed.

The Holy Spirit teaches everything. The Holy Spirit is truth, the source of truth, the revealer of truth, counselor and guide, and the moral compass for decisions and choices.

The Holy Spirit is knowledge. The Holy Spirit is enlightenment and insight for the mind, inspiration and creativity for the thinker, understanding and wisdom for the learner, and clarity for the problem solver.

The Holy Spirit is power and strength, drive and determination, energy and stamina for the believer, the laborer, the weary and the weak.

The Holy Spirit is courage for the fearful, consolation for the grieving, comfort for the hurting, healing for the wounded, relief for the burdened, calm for the worried, peace for the troubled, encouragement for the dejected, hope for the disheartened, joy for the sorrowful and direction for the wandering.

The Holy Spirit is the source of grace, helps a person pray and give adoration to God, and be closely connected to God. The Holy Spirit gives a new birth as well as meaning and purpose to life.

Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata. This column is the last of 16 in a series on the sacrament of confirmation.

KNOW the SAINTS ST. PASCAL BAYLON (1540-1592) Born to a Spanish shepherd family, Paschal was said to have taught himself to read while tending sheep. At age 21 he joined an austere group of Franciscans, devoting himself to prayer and charity. He was sent on a dangerous mission to French Franciscans, and a shoulder wound he received caused him pain for the rest of his life. Long hours of prayer on his knees before the Eucharist earned this lay brother the honor of being patron of Catholic eucharistic congresses. His emblem in art is a monstrance. St. Pascal Baylon on St. Paul’s East Side is named for this saint. His feast day is May 17.

— Catholic News Service

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, May 16 Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11 Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 Mark 16:15-20 Monday, May 17 Acts 19:1-8 Jn 16:29-33 Tuesday, May 18 Acts 20:17-27 Jn 17:1-11a Wednesday, May 19 Acts 20:28-38 Jn 17:11b-19 Thursday, May 20 Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Jn 17:20-26 Friday, May 21 Acts 25:13b-21 Jn 21:15-19 Saturday, May 22 Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 Jn 21:20-25 Sunday, May 23 Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-11 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 Jn 20:19-23 Monday, May 24 Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of the Church Gn 3:9-15, 20 Jn 19:25-34 Tuesday, May 25 Sir 35:1-12 Mk 10:28-31 Wednesday, May 26 St. Philip Neri, priest Sir 36:1, 4-5a, 10-17 Mk 10:32-45 Thursday, May 27 Sir 42:15-25 Mk 10:46-52 Friday, May 28 Sir 44:1, 9-13 Mk 11:11-26 Saturday, May 29 Sir 51:12cd-20 Mk 11:27-33 Sunday, May 30 Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Dt 4:32-34, 39-40 Rom 8:14-17 Mt 28:16-20

FOCUSONFAITH

MAY 13, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 23

ECHOES OF CATHOLIC MINNESOTA | REBA LUIKEN

Railroad magnate, archbishop create The St. Paul Seminary

On Sept. 6, 1894, Catholics both wealthy and working class gathered to celebrate the opening of the Archdiocese of St. Paul’s new major seminary on the bluffs above the Mississippi River.

Although it was not quite finished, The St. Paul Seminary represented the culmination of a vision of two men: Archbishop John Ireland and James J. Hill. Their financial contributions also combined to make it a reality.

Hill surprised the St. Paul community in 1890 when he announced that he would provide half a million dollars to fund a diocesan Catholic seminary. Although Hill was already a well-known railroad magnate and millionaire, he was Methodist. His wife, Mary, and their 10 children, however, were Catholic, and the Hill family became dedicated donors to the local Church. Archbishop Ireland contributed the scenic 40-acre site for the seminary and paid for an extension of the streetcar line to campus.

Hill was far more than a donor for the project. He attended to the minutest of architectural and financial details. Despite being extraordinarily busy managing business projects, Hill provided regular feedback on architectural plans, chose building materials, and even selected the door locks and knobs for campus buildings.

Knowing that Ireland lacked financial acumen, Hill oversaw all contracts and approved all expenses.

He was precise, much to the frustration of the architect, but that is not to say that he was cheap. When Ireland suggested that it might be excessive for the seminarians to have two-room dormitories, Hill replied that they would have two rooms or none. He insisted that they have one room for sleep and one for study.

Meanwhile, Ireland was attentive to the organization of the seminary. Of Hill’s $500,000 contribution, $260,000 was spent on building and furnishing the seminary, but the remainder was to be an endowment for professorial chairs.

WHY DO CATHOLICS DO THAT? FATHER JOHN PAUL ERICKSON

Christ’s death and resurrection Q In the “Apostles’ Creed,” after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, the Creed says, “He descended into hell.” Why would he have done that? What was the purpose of Jesus visiting hell?

A Great question! The phrase is rather

mysterious, isn’t it? In the deepest of senses, the phrase communicates a great mystery and will not be fully understood until heaven. Still, what is very important to remember is that the “hell” that the Apostles’ Creed references is not the hell of the damned, but what has also been called “Abraham’s Bosom,” a place of waiting designated for the souls of the just who had died before the coming of the Messiah. Jesus did not only die for those who came after him. He also died to save all those who had served YAHWEH faithfully before his arrival, but who could not yet access the vision of God because of the fall of our first parents.

The Catholic Spirit asked our readers for their favorite Catholic historical sites in Minnesota.

COURTESY THE ST. PAUL SEMINARY

This 1895 photo shows an open house at the original seminary administration building.

Ireland insisted that the seminary be staffed by diocesan priests rather than a religious order, that science be included in the curriculum, and that it be a place to prepare men for service in a democratic America, all opinions that were forged during his own seminary education in France. Ireland also believed that Midwestern priests needed regular exercise to be healthy and hearty, so he insisted on separate campus buildings that would require regular trips outdoors on the way to dinner, prayer and class. Most American seminaries at that time were contained in a single building.

The result was a beautiful red brick campus with buildings that were described as simple, solid and impressive. Inside, the buildings had fireproof partitions, steam heat, gas lights, and hot and cold running water. Outside, observers couldn’t help but make comparisons to a railroad. The administration building was called a depot. The dormitories were boxcars, and the tall smokestack of the gymnasium and heating plant was a steam engine. It seemed natural to refer to it as the Hill Seminary, both because of its funding and architecture.

Today, The St. Paul Seminary complex, which occupies a small part of the southern section of the University of St. Thomas’ campus in St. Paul, is very different, at least in form, from the seminary that opened in 1894. Some of the original buildings remain nearby, however, as undergraduate dormitories and administrative buildings for St. Thomas.

Luiken is a historian with a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and a lifelong Catholic in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

There is a very powerful religious icon of Christ breaking through the barrier between earth and the realm of the dead, and of Christ extending his hand to Adam and Eve to bring them into God’s presence. This is at least part of the mystery proclaimed by the phrase “He descended into hell.” Upon his death, Christ first proclaimed his saving death and resurrection to Moses, Noah, David, Sarah, Miriam and all the other faithful of the Jewish people, known and unknown, who had waited for his coming. And after descending into the mysterious realm of the dead, called within the Creed “hell,” Christ brings them all with him into the presence of God. Alleluia!

Q What is the spiritual significance of viewing relics?

A Relics remind us of the reality of the saints — they were

real people, made of flesh and bone. When we venerate relics, we first of all remember that God chooses to work through such frail stuff to make his presence known. We venerate the relic of a saint to honor God who has done, and continues to do, great things for his people, through his people. Relics aren’t magic, and they don’t have any power in and of themselves. They are holy because they bear the “fragrance” of God’s action. And they are reminders and inspirations to us to be relics of God’s presence ourselves.

Father Erickson is pastor of Transfiguration in Oakdale. Send your questions to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Why Do Catholics Do That?” in the subject line.

Nostaligic for the 90s? We can take you there.

Our digital archives go back to 1990 Search them via the “Archives” button at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

My favorite Catholic historic site in Minnesota is the site of the first Catholic mission/church established in Minnesota in 1727 by two Jesuit priests somewhere near Sand Point in Frontenac. It was built within the walls of the French furtrading post, Fort Beauharnois, by Father Guignas and Father Gonor, and has been missing for almost 300 years. The fort was built on the hillside overlooking the Mississippi River near Sand Point in Lake Pepin. It was flooded out in the spring of 1728 and rebuilt on higher ground near the original fort. Some historians believe it is located on a hillside in Frontenac State Park somewhere near the historical marker on Highway 61 one mile south of Frontenac Station. I and many historians believe it may be located on the campus of the former Catholic girls’ school, Villa Maria Academy, which has now been closed and sold to a St. Paul developer, who is renovating the school and convent into a luxury hotel/resort.

George Pett Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minnetonka Assumption Chapel in Cold Spring is a little chapel that represents a big miracle.

From 1873 to 1877 the Rocky Mountain Locusts plagued Minnesota. People tried everything to destroy them. Nothing worked until they tried God’s formula found in 2 Chronicles 7:13-1: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” People did just that. Gov. Pillsbury declared a statewide day of prayer and fasting for April 26, 1877. Two days later a snowstorm hit, destroying grasshoppers and their eggs.

Some pockets of grasshoppers remained.

Parishioners of Sacred Heart in Freeport prayed, and on the feast of the Sacred Heart, in June 1877, the grasshoppers lifted and flew east. Father Winters asked his parishioners to pray for Mary’s intercession.

They built the Assumption Chapel in Cold Spring in her honor. By the time the second Mass was said, Sept. 8, 1877, the grasshoppers suddenly and staggeringly went extinct!

Pat Wittkop St. Pius X, White Bear Lake “Readers Respond” is a new feature in The Catholic Spirit. Respond to our next question: What’s the single best piece of advice you can offer a new priest? in 200 words or less to CatholicSpirit@archspm.org with “Readers Respond” in the subject line.

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24 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

COMMENTARY TWENTY SOMETHING | CHRISTINA CAPECCHI

Grad advice from a curious Catholic

George Corrigan never met a person who didn’t fascinate him.

The delivery guy. The plumber. The barista. He wanted to know their names and their life stories, which came tumbling out when he flashed his megawatt smile and asked his earnest questions.

His love of humanity flowed from his love of God, culminating each day at noon Mass. “Going to Mass every day was a binding element for the many parts of him,” said his daughter, Kelly Corrigan, who called him “Greenie.”

You could count on Greenie to sing his heart out — whether or not he knew the words. He delighted in serving as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion. And the sign of peace set his heart aflutter. “I think that can be a worldview,” Kelly said.

That worldview now feels antiquated, dating way back to the pre-COVID days, when hugs and

SIMPLE HOLINESS | KATE SOUCHERAY

Obedience to God’s will

As Catholics, we have a beautiful intercessor, the Virgin Mary, to whom we pray for protection and guidance.

During the month of May, one of the two months in which Mary is particularly honored, we ask that her gentle, loving voice help us know the way we are to go in life.

Much like the stewards to whom Mary spoke at the wedding at Cana in John’s Gospel, she simply instructs us: “Do whatever he tells you.” Mary always directs us back to Jesus. However, our hearts might not be open and receptive to what God is telling us, because we are afraid that he might ask us to do something we do not want to do.

In our Catholic faith, this is referred to as obedience to God’s will. Most of us are much more comfortable following our own will, rather than the will of God, perhaps because we do not know how to discern his will over our own. The gift of our free will was intended to help us consciously and freely turn toward him. Father Richard P. McBrien, a professor of theology at Notre Dame, explains that “obedience … is the radical and uncalculated surrender of one’s life to God

handshakes could be given freely and 6 feet of distance readily shattered.

Social distancing would have been unfathomable to Greenie, a Villanova, Pennsylvania, native who worked as an ad man and a high school lacrosse coach.

Every kid on the team was “a great guy” or “one of the all-time greats,” his son George said in an interview. “(Greenie) would give every person he met his best.

If someone wanted to talk with him for an hour, he’d give them one hour. Because people knew that he cared on such a real level and he was always rooting for you — this was the magic he brought to every one of his relationships.”

It was evident on Feb. 28, 2015, when more than 700 people showed up at Greenie’s funeral Mass at the Villanova University main chapel. At 84 he had died after a battle with bladder cancer.

Now the philosophy that brought Greenie so many friends is encapsulated in a children’s book and ready for the graduate in your life.

Kelly, a well-established and best-selling memoir writer, decided to switch gears and pay tribute to her dad in a different format. The result: “Hello World!” a bright picture book published last month by Penguin Random House’s new imprint, Flamingo Books.

Writing for children provided a creative challenge for the 53-year-old California mom of two. She tested an early draft by reading it to her friend’s classroom of 5-year-olds. They gobbled up the zany parts and

inspired Kelly to “be weirder.”

“I was leaving a lot on the table,” she said. “It gave me permission to be more myself.”

Kelly added to the alliteration with quirky new bits, like an old lady who reveals: “I dreamt I was playing the banjo on a balance beam made of bacon!”

This revelation, and many others, spring forth because the protagonist makes like Greenie and asks questions. “There’s more to everyone than you think,” Kelly writes. “So how will you know? You’ll ask!”

She provides conversation-starters: “What do you know? And how do you know it?” “What do you want?

And why do you want it?” It’s a twist on “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Dr. Seuss’ perennial graduation gift.

Greenie’s version is “Oh, the People You’ll Know!”

Those connections are what make life meaningful, Kelly said. It’s an approach that is inherently Catholic, honoring the dignity and worth of each person, and is also urgently needed, enabling us to overcome the sharp societal divisions that mark our times.

“Greenie had a deep trust that the world was fundamentally a good place, and I think that trust was continually reinforced by going to daily Mass,” Kelly said. “If you do something every day that’s orienting you toward the greater good and toward humility, you can’t help but feel a certain security in the world and a certain optimism.”

the Father who raises up and liberates.” Additionally, Pope Francis states that obedience to God's will brings wisdom, joy and hope. Whoever follows Jesus, the pope states, follows the way of obedience to the Father through lowering, emptying and humbling themselves like Jesus.

We might ask how we can learn to listen to God’s voice in our heads and our hearts, to humble ourselves so we can understand his will for us. Brother Lawrence, the 17th-century Carmelite friar, taught the process of discerning God’s will through his 16 letters, which have been compiled into a book titled “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Brother Lawrence teaches “to become truly spiritual, the heart must be empty of all other things, since God desires to be its only Master.” Brother Lawrence states that when we keep ourselves at rest with God at the depth and center of our souls, we will fear nothing.

Obedience to God’s will is a practice we must be open to, allowing God’s grace to mold and shape our will, so that we have a deep desire to do the right and good thing through forming and following our conscience.

The documents of the Second Vatican Council provided more direction for the laity than any previous Church council, explaining that we are to take an active role in our faith and in forming our conscience. Developing our conscience is a process, which occurs through reading Scripture, following wise counsel and prayer.

This requires that we take time to step back from our busy lives to hear God’s voice and follow him faithfully.

When Jesus told the stewards to fill the empty wine jugs with water, what must they have thought? Mary told them, “Do whatever he tells you.” She trusted that

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Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.

u Spend time in prayer this week and ask God to speak clearly to you, giving you grace to open your heart and mind to his will for your life. u Practice being obedient to God’s will for you. Align your life and your choices with the directives you hear in prayer and trust him. Spend time forming your conscience to follow him faithfully.

Jesus would respond positively to her unspoken request.

If we desire to have a more well-connected relationship with God, we must nurture that relationship through our obedience to his will. We may not fully understand what God is asking of us in the moment. But if we turn to the Scriptures, we see many examples of obedience in the face of uncertainty. He is asking for our obedience, and like Mary, who was obedient throughout her life, we too, will find life in the Spirit when we are obedient to whatever he tells us to do.

Obedience to God’s will is freely chosen. And our commitment is renewed each day as we align our will with his will. Just like the Virgin Mary and the stewards at the wedding, we may not understand aspects of God’s workings, but we are called to obedience, not omniscience.

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. She holds a master’s degree in theology from The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul and a doctorate in educational leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Congratulations!

Dear Archbishop Hebda, We take this occasion of your fifth anniversary of service to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to thank you for your courageous and gracious leadership, sensitivity to issues of justice, respect for human dignity and compassion toward all people.

We share your commitment to Gospel values and appreciate your support of our ministries.

Sincerely,

Address City

State

Zip

o Please mail information regarding pre-need funeral arrangements. o Please have a funeral director call me with information regarding prearrangements. My phone number is

MOVIE REVIEWS •

TheCatholicSpirit.com

MAY 13, 2021

ALREADY/NOT YET | JONATHAN LIEDL

Practicing computer game religion I say this with no irony at all: Computer games were one of the most important educational resources I had when growing up, especially historical strategy games.

For instance, the historical campaigns of “Age of Empires II” taught me much of what I know about great medieval figures, from Frederick Barbarossa to Saladin. And I could probably trace my knowledge of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes and the other Wonders of the World back to all those hours I spent building my empire in “Civilization.”

These games familiarized me with the vast and varied cultures of the world, gave me a grasp of history’s most important moments and trends, and helped shed some light on the fascinating interconnections of militaristic, economic and cultural concerns within a society.

But there is one important aspect of human culture and civilization that these games, admittedly, did not get right.

And that’s religion.

Don’t get me wrong: Religious elements play an important role in each of the titles I’ve mentioned. In “Age” for instance, monks are one of the most feared units in the game, capable of converting enemy units to their side. Likewise, in “Civ,” religious buildings like temples and cathedrals are some of the most important in the game, as they keep your citizens content (and productive!).

So, it’s not that religion is absent from these computer games. Instead, it’s fundamentally distorted.

Because while you can do things like build the Sistine Chapel in “Civilization” or research block printing, illumination and even faith at your “Age of Empires” monastery, the reasons you’d do these things are fundamentally non-religious; they have nothing actually to do with God. Instead, religion is repurposed as an aid to other ends: in the short term, keeping your economy humming along, countering your enemies and expanding your empire, and in the long run, outplaying your opponents to victory.

It’d be a lot to expect a computer game to get religion right. But in failing to do so, a different vision of reality, the human person and life’s purpose is being subtly communicated. Rather than the beating heartbeat of a civilization, these games present religion as merely a cultural appendage. It’s a useful tool, but contains no intrinsic truth or value in and of itself.

I think it’d certainly be worthwhile to consider how this presentation of the dynamic between religion and

INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC

Bishops meet with state leaders In these final days before the regular session of the Minnesota Legislature ends May 17, Catholic laity continue advocating to uphold life, dignity and the common good. Not only are people in the pews speaking out, so are our shepherds.

Legislative negotiations often come down to the wire, but the bishops of Minnesota do not wait around. All year, Minnesota Catholic Conference staff help facilitate contacts between individual bishops and legislators, and each spring, all the bishops meet together with state leaders to share their policy concerns. On April 14, Minnesota’s bishops and diocesan administrators met with Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and legislative leaders, including Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka.

These conversations are a good lesson in faithful

COMMENTARY

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 25

civilization falls short, by comparing it to alternative accounts, such as Christopher Dawson’s “Progress and Religion,” Josef Pieper’s “Leisure: The Basis of Culture,” and even Pope Benedict XVI’s reflections on the indelible Christian character of European civilization.

But in this column, I’d like to ask something quite simple and practical: To what extent do we practice “computer game religion” in our own lives?

Computer game religion, akin to moral therapeutic deism and the prosperity gospel, makes a big deal of religious practices and identity. But underneath it all is the same type of instrumentalized logic regarding religion we see in “Age of Empires” and “Civilization.”

A practitioner might make daily Mass or intercessory prayer a top priority, but not much differently than a “Civ” player might prioritize researching monotheism so he has access to important city improvements. Or, one might wear Catholic paraphernalia and be a staple of the parish social scene, but with a mindset similar to an “Age” gamer who chooses to be the Aztecs because the relics they capture generate gold at a faster rate.

In both cases, religion plays an important role, but only insofar as it helps me achieve “my” goals and win “my” game. Computer game religion reduces prayer to a self-help practice, the Church to a social organization, Christianity to a tribe in the culture wars and God to a grand giver-of-favors. I, not he, am the center of the story.

My preferences and desires, not his will or laws, provide the ultimate and overarching framework for my life.

It strikes me that the Gospel readings we’ve heard so far in May provide quite a counter to computer game religion. Taken from John 15, we hear Christ tell his disciples to “ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.”

However, the logic is completely reversed from the selfcenteredness and exploitation of computer game religion.

The conditions Christ establishes for intercessory prayer simply don’t allow for him to be instrumentalized. Before petitioning the Father, Christ insists that one must remain in him — through his grace, we must adopt the posture of total dependence and humble obedience to the Father, of which the Son himself is the perfect embodiment.

In doing so, our desires will be fundamentally transformed. God will grant what we ask, not because he has been reduced to an in-game feature we exercise control over with the click of a mouse. Instead, the Father gives us whatever we ask of him to the extent that our desires and petitions become subordinate to his will, by remaining in Christ, the True Vine that connects us to the Vine Grower.

This kind of practice of our faith might not help us beat “Civ” on deity difficulty. But it is the only way to practice religion truly, and to achieve the ultimate victory: not the attainment of our meager and limited goals, which cease to exist when the game is over, but union with the loving God who has created and redeemed us, and is drawing us into life-giving intimacy, both now and forever.

Liedl lives and writes in the Twin Cities.

citizenship. The bishops always thank leaders for their willingness to step forward and make significant sacrifices to serve all Minnesotans, and they invite public officials to share their priorities and find areas of common ground upon which they can build the common good.

This year, the bishops focused on stopping the legalization of assisted suicide by promoting better care for the sick and vulnerable populations, the creation of provisional driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, creating more educational options for low-income families, expanding existing nonpublic pupil aid programs, and their opposition to the creation of a recreational marijuana industry.

They also highlighted the shared goal of protecting people from COVID-19 while also respecting the ability of people of faith to gather for worship.

This year’s conversations were constructive. Even when there were points of disagreement, there was civil dialogue and a recognition that these are difficult issues with a myriad of considerations. One legislative leader noted that even on matters of significant disagreement, he respected the Church’s position because he saw a consistency of principle. And that is an important point for lawmakers and laity to

LETTERS

Examination of conscience I wholeheartedly agree with Mary Ellen Halverson that we need to pray for Mr. Chauvin — and for the conversion of all perpetrators of violence. Let’s be careful about mixing metaphors, though. What Mr. Chauvin received is justice through our legal system. The whole point of the trial was that a knee on the neck is not justice, regardless of any suspected petty crime. Mr. Floyd was one of generations of Black Americans who have been denied access to our justice system by our lynching mentality. Both the active perpetrators and those of us who have silently benefited from this system need to undergo a major examination of conscience.

Mr. Chauvin is not a victim here, and while his life absolutely matters as a beloved child of God, his life is not at risk.

Nicole Adams Blume St. Cecilia, St. Paul

COVID and caring I think the Catholic Church should speak out on the importance and responsibility and caring for our fellow citizens to get vaccinated for COVID, if we can, to finally stop this epidemic.

Those who are just not caring, think it won’t make a difference or think it’s somehow against nature or religion (fetal tissue, which it is not, or anti-Bidenism?) could use a nudge in that direction! Do they understand it will endanger the vulnerable and enable variants to develop?

Shirley Schoenbauer St. Wenceslaus, New Prague

Where are the bishops?

Since 2006, the Catholic majority on the U.S. Supreme Court has endorsed the death penalty (at one point, Scalia wrote the deciding opinion). Now joined by two more Catholics (Kavanaugh and Coney-Barret), it is still legal in this country to put people to death, quite likely some innocent. With a majority on the Supreme Court, even with help from the liberals who favor abolishing the death penalty, those LETTERS CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

remember: Sometimes a specific policy goal of the Church might align more with one party or political program than another. But the Church’s advocacy is principled, not partisan, thereby allowing Catholics to work collaboratively across the political spectrum.

More important, the policy advocacy of our bishops is an expression of their pastoral care for all people in the community, especially the poor and vulnerable.

After all, they are shepherds of all the souls in their diocese, not just Catholics, and are entrusted to work for their well-being. Advocating for good policies offers a credible witness to the Gospel and serves as a type of pre-evangelization for the time when people reach that existential moment when they consider following Christ. Through the work of principled advocacy, Catholics help others come to know the Church as a home for people to know, love and serve the Lord.

To help people know Christ Jesus and obtain their salvation: That is the fundamental “why” behind the Church’s participation in the public square.

“Inside the Capitol” is an update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff during the legislative session.

Make your voice heard before the end of session. Go to mncatholic.org/actioncenter to contact lawmakers today.

26 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

Why I am Catholic DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

I

was born and raised as a Catholic. In my family, my mom was the strongest in the faith and taught it to my siblings and me. It was her idea and reinforcement that we attended a Catholic youth group every Saturday evening and Bible study every Sunday morning. She drove me and my siblings, as well as our cousins, to church, which was over 30 minutes away. She waited at church until the activities were over to drive us home. I can honestly say that my mother has been my anchor in my faith and is the living embodiment of a practicing Catholic. Through her life, I see that God is loving, merciful and good. She is a constant reminder to me to pray and My mom’s determination, to trust in God. No one has ever asked me why I unwavering faith and trust am Catholic before and now that I in God has continued am being asked, I am not sure if I can adequately answer this question, to inspire me because I know an encounter and as I am still journeying. Part of the reason why I am Catholic is of a conversion of heart is course my mom but also because possible. of my dad’s conversion. He became Catholic in order to marry my mom, but besides going to Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, he was not active in his faith. But slowly, I saw him go to daily Mass with us, participate in our evening family prayers and go to adoration. What I didn’t know was that my mom was praying for him in hopes that he would become closer to God and be an example for us all throughout their marriage. My mom’s determination, unwavering faith and trust in God has continued to inspire me because I know an encounter and a conversion of heart is possible.

As I entered college, I continued to grow in my faith

“

and have taken multiple theology classes about the existence of God and who God really is. Part of me became confused. These discussions we’d have in class trying to come to an understanding were difficult, and they challenged my faith like never before. There were many instances where I felt like I failed to defend the faith, and even though what my peers were saying sounded logical, I couldn’t bring myself to believe what they were saying.

It did not sound like truth, and I want to seek that truth, knowing the true joy it can bring to one’s life, given the witnesses of my parents and other Catholics. These classes may have challenged my faith but nonetheless, I choose to believe in God and remain a practicing Catholic because I know there is much to learn.

As a young adult in the present day, like many of my peers, the Bible verse “God I believe, help my unbelief” has been a source of comfort as I contemplate and actively seek the grace to know and defend my faith. But most important, I seek to establish a personal relationship with Jesus so that, like my mom, I can someday witness to others joyfully and confidently in a God that loves me abundantly without hesitation or question.

A parishioner at St. Anne-St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis and a finance major at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Lam also is a youth leader for the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement. She likes to play board games with her siblings and watch “Golden Girls” and “The Great British Bake Off.” “Why I am Catholic” is a new ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic?

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

MAY 13, 2021

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 27

CALENDAR PRAYER+RETREATS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Upper Room Women’s Retreat — May 22: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has asked all parishes in the archdiocese to host Synod Small Groups this fall for Catholics to learn, pray and share ideas on three focus areas ahead of the 2022 Archdiocesan Synod. Focus areas are: Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, and forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young. Small groups will meet for six, 2-hour sessions between mid-September and mid-November. Watch for communications from your parish about how to participate in a small group there, and the specific dates and times they’ll meet.

Learn more about the Archdiocesan Synod process at archspm.org/synod.

St. Henry, 1001 E. Seventh St., Monticello. Led by Gina Bauer. For women who have been confirmed. $30. Register online by May 14 to reserve your spot and box lunch. Please call with any dietary requirements. 763-295-2402. sthenrycatholic.info

SPEAKERS+CONVERSATION “A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota” — Through July 22. St. Joseph, New Hope, hosts virtual discussions on 16 essays in the book “A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota.” Discussions are 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Wednesdays or 7–7:45 p.m. Thursdays via Zoom. $15 suggested donation. stjosephparish.com/cst

Heart-to-Heart Book Study for Victim-Survivors — Starting May 19, first and third Wednesdays of the month:

6:30–8 p.m. Discuss “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead” by Brene Brown. Free. Register at kaempfferp@archspm.org.

Encountering “Fratelli Tutti” Series — May 25: 7–8:30 p.m.

online. Lynette Graham, chair of the pastoral council and education committee at St. Peter Claver in St. Paul, presents in the final event in this five-part series. Online presentations and discussions related to “Fratelli Tutti.” Register at centerformission.org/whats-new to receive the link.

FORMATION Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level I Adult Formation — May 15: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at St. Michael, 611 S. Third St.,

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

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

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

LETTERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 five, now six Catholics still endorse the death penalty, some in the final hours personally signing off on someone’s life, making us, the American people, murderers, killing men and women alike. Where is the outcry from the bishops? Why have those justices been allowed to receive Communion all these years? Why have we all been allowed to receive Communion, after murdering our fellow human beings?

Elizabeth Rosenwinkel St. Albert the Great, Minneapolis

‘No’ to Biden

Stillwater. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based religious formation program rooted in Scripture and the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The method encourages fuller participation in the Mass and assists the child with a personal relationship with Christ, the Good Shepherd. cgsusa.org

There should be NO Biden Catholic support! Please allow me, as a faith-based, Catholic, adoptive parent to cast the first and only stone of importance at our current “POTUS,” Joe Biden! He espouses abortion and should/ would be excommunicated if it were not for the almighty dollar. He surely is not concerned for family life, our planet, or humanity for his support of past and present murders of 60+ million unborn babies in the U.S. alone.

PARISH EVENTS Children’s clothing and toy sale — May 15-16 at St. Joseph the Worker, 7180 Hemlock Lane N., Maple Grove. 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

May 15; 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. May 16. Children’s clothing, toys, shoes, baby stuff, high chairs, strollers, books and lots more. Credit cards accepted. All items 50% off Sunday. sjtw.net/childrens-sale

Lynn Murray Holy Trinity, South St. Paul

Fried chicken drive-thru — May 16: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at

I was very surprised, as well as very disappointed, with The Catholic Spirit, having printed the “Biden Support” letter in your April 15 issue. He hardly honors his faith (as mentioned) by being the most ardent supporter of abortionon-demand who has ever occupied the White House. Had the Archdiocese of the Washington D.C. area and concerned employees of the Vatican been doing their jobs, he and others in D.C. would have been excommunicated many years ago. He is the perfect example of a “cafeteria-style Catholic,” taking and choosing only what they want to adhere to with our faith. If The Catholic Spirit continues to promote and publish such political trash, please discontinue cluttering my mailbox with it!

Cafeteria Catholics

Epiphany, 11001 Hanson Blvd. NW, Coon Rapids. Drive-thru or walk-up, choose between the big ($14) or li'l chicken ($6), pay and be on your way. Or stay, find some grass and have a picnic. Menu on website. epiphanymn.org

“Strings, Scraped and Banged” — May 28: 6:30–7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Peace, 5426 12th Ave S., Minneapolis. “Strings, Scraped and Banged” brings back the music with an eclectic program from the concert hall to Tin Pan Alley and from the sanctuary to the jazz club. An hour-long, free concert either inperson or online. RSVP is required. olpmn.org/events

OTHER EVENTS “LOLEK” — May 14-16; 18: 7:30–8:30 p.m. at Open Window Theatre, 5300 S. Robert Trail, Inver Grove Heights. This highlyacclaimed, three-person drama by Jeremy Stanbary brings to life the captivating true story of Karol Wojtyla (later Pope St. John Paul II) and his heroic resistance to the Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II. Available in-person or virtually. openwindowtheatre.org/lolek-play

Conrad Haak St. Joseph, West St. Paul Share your perspective by emailing TheCatholicSpirit@ Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit. archcspm.org.

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28 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

MAY 13, 2021

THELASTWORD

Guatemala native remembered for music ministry, heart for youth On visit to homeland, Holy Rosary staff member contracted and died of COVID-19

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

A

bout 50 people gathered at Holy Rosary in Minneapolis after learning their friend and the parish’s music minister, César Cruz, died after being stricken by COVID-19 while visiting family in Guatemala.

“I can see in their faces a huge sorrow,” said Juan Cuzco, the parish’s director of religious education, recalling that first day May 4 of a novena for Cruz — a Latin American tradition of praying a rosary for nine days “for the rest of his soul.”

Cruz, 48, diagnosed with and treated for COVID-19 while in Guatemala, died in a hospital there May 3. He had served as a volunteer in music and youth ministry, and as an employee in several parishes at various times in the archdiocese. He flew to Guatemala to be with family members during Holy Week — relatives he hadn’t seen in several years.

Tammy Krause Cruz said she met her future husband when she was in her mid-20s visiting Guatemala as a lay Claretian missionary, and César was an accounting student. “He was a musician and I was in charge of finding music for the Masses,” she said. “I would enlist his help with several different groups.” Their paths also crossed when she translated letters there for a Christian foundation.

One thing Krause Cruz loved about her husband was his outgoing nature. “He could command a crowd,” she said. “A lot of it was he was a musician, but a lot of it was because of his personality and he could tell jokes.”

The couple married in Guatemala and moved to the United States when Tammy was expecting their first child, Ellie, now 23. They also have two sons, Marco, 18, and Lucas, 17.

“He left his family, he left his friends,” Krause Cruz said of her husband’s decision to live in the U.S. “He left his career because being an accountant in Guatemala is totally different than in the United States.” Her husband’s initial work in Minnesota ranged from painting houses to working at Spanish immersion schools.

Cruz worked with a youth group at Holy Rosary and encouraged members to stay in the Church, Cuzco said. Cruz was charismatic and had many gifts. “He would tell us to see our challenges with others’ eyes” to understand the other person’s point of view, he said.

Cuzco said Cruz was humble, open to suggestions about his music without taking offense, and “always available.” One of the busiest people Cuzco knew, Cruz always agreed to help with something else.

COURTESY HOLY ROSARY

ABOVE César Cruz at a location familiar to him: next to Holy Rosary’s pipe organ in the choir loft. RIGHT Cruz with students.

Cuzco said Cruz played music at one weekday Mass and three on the weekend. He could play 10 instruments, he said. “He was very gifted. He had great joy to be a child of God.” Anne Attea, pastoral associate at Ascension in Minneapolis, has known Cruz since 1998, when he volunteered there with music and later was hired to work in music ministry and coordinate faith formation. He was the musician at that time for Ascension’s 11:30 a.m. Spanish Mass, she said.

“When I was the director of Latino ministry for the archdiocese, I worked with him in those early years, and always appreciated his really just joyful presence, his love for the music,” Attea said. “He’s accompanied ... many, many, special events over the years.

“He was just a wonderful person who was always seeking to bring out the best in people,” Attea added.

“From folks I know at Holy Rosary, he was always willing to go that extra mile for the kids in his group.

He was someone who was including kids who others thought might be a problem. And there never was a problem that seemed too daunting for him.”

Attea said Cruz not only served in youth ministry, but he prepared young people to continue to be involved in the Church. “And he would incorporate them in peer ministry,” she said. “He always wished to put his gifts at the service of the community. He had a great love for music, for ministry, for people.”

Krause Cruz said her husband served a number of parishes in the archdiocese and “they were so wonderful to him.”

“He helped the parishes,” she said, “but as an immigrant to this country trying to feel like he belongs, there were so many people on the way that just grabbed his little heart and communicated with him and made him feel special. And that helped on the home front, too, because he felt needed.”

Ginger Graham, parish administrator at Holy Rosary and executive director for its outreach center, Centro Guadalupano, said Cruz worked for the parish for 10 years, but was part of the community and performing music for more than 20 years. In addition to music, he served in worship and faith programs, she said.

“He had a tremendous impact on our youth in particular,” Graham said, “just in our families in general, leading faith programs, leading music programs and helping them build love and faith in the community.”

A funeral Mass for Cruz was scheduled for May 12 at Holy Rosary.

SAIN T T H OM AS ACADEMY

With gratitude, the Society of Jesus celebrates and congratulates

Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda for your five years of leadership as Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and for your continued service to the Church.

Congratulations to Archbishop Hebda on five years of service with the Archdiocese!

Be assured of our continued prayers for you and your ministry.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP!