The Catholic Spirit - May 26, 2023

Come, Holy Spirit

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

More than 1,500 people from across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis gathered in Minneapolis May 20 for Mass, speakers, music, prayer, adoration of the Eucharist and personal testimonies as Archdiocesan Synod implementation took a big step forward.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Bishop Joseph Williams, priests and deacons, religious sisters and brothers, and lay women and men heard Mary Healy, a professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, share her talks on “The Holy Spirit in the Life of a Disciple” and “Clothed with Power from on High.”

The archbishop introduced Father Michael Becker, pastor

of Sts. Joachim and Anne in Shakopee, as the recently appointed vicar for charisms, charged with providing opportunities for the faithful to experience a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit and put into practice the gifts of the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ.

The event, labeled the Activated Disciple Seminar, was the capstone of seven weeks of formation in the School of Discipleship and a 40-Day Challenge to act on the promptings of the Holy Spirit and daily share Christ’s love.

Nearly 2,000 people in the archdiocese — many of whom attended the seminar — participated in the School of Discipleship, either in person at Our Lady of Grace in Edina or via livestream. They were chosen by pastors in each parish and formed into groups of about 12 called Synod Evangelization Teams. Now, those teams will help each pastor pick leaders to form parish-based small groups built around evangelization, service and understanding the Mass and Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. Small group

PLEASE TURN TO SEMINAR OVERVIEW ON PAGE 5

PAGETWO

Jason Adkins, executive director and general counsel of the Minnesota Catholic Conference

Adkins was commenting on legislation passed by the state House and Senate and signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, that initiates universal background checks for gun purchases, a red flag law allowing law enforcement to intervene when people are at risk of hurting themselves or others with firearms, and limits to “no-knock” warrants. The legislation also includes allocating $43 million for a four-year period to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to combat violent crime and $197.2 million for crime prevention, community engagement and juvenile justice initiatives. The Minnesota Legislature wrapped up its 2023 session May 22. Please turn to page 20 for the latest on the session from the Minnesota Catholic Conference. The Catholic Spirit will have comprehensive coverage of the session in its June 8 edition.

NEWS notes

FAITH, FAMILY AND BASEBALL Former Minnesota Twins infielder Al Newman shared his faith and love for baseball April 30 at St. Joseph in Waconia. Newman said his mother lived and shared her faith, and a Catholic education helped him learn to work hard and trust in the Lord. An infielder, Newman played on the Twins’ World Series winning teams of 1987 and 1991. The Waconia Knights of Columbus co-sponsored the event with the parish.

A noon Mass May 12 at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul kicked off the celebration and inauguration ceremony for the university’s 16th president, Robert Vischer, former dean of the university’s law school. A community lunch was held, followed by the inauguration ceremony and a late-afternoon, student-run celebration with music, food trucks and entertainment.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda will celebrate the 10:30 a.m. Mass at the St. John the Evangelist campus of St. Gabriel the Archangel in Hopkins May 28 to mark the last Mass at the site. St. John and St. Joseph merged in 2013 to become St. Gabriel parish. Maintaining two campuses in Hopkins became financially untenable. St. Gabriel is seeking a buyer for the St. John campus’ church and school.

Troy Bell, who graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield in 1999, is the new varsity boys basketball head coach, the school announced May 19. Bell is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,491 points and is the state’s fourth leading scorer. He went on to play for Boston College and became that school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,632 points. After college, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics and traded on draft night to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he played in six games in the 2003-2004 season. “Holy Angels holds a special place in my heart,” Bell said. “Together, I believe we can build something that we can all be very proud of.”

WISCONSIN

CEMETERY CRUCIFIX

RESTORED Norbertine

Father Jim Baraniak, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in De Pere, Wis., raises the host and chalice during an outdoor Mass at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Ashwaubenon, Wis., on Ascension Sunday, May 21. Behind him is a newly refurbished crucifixion monument, which was blessed and rededicated during Mass. The marble statue of Jesus on the cross was damaged in June 2021. Father Baraniak said, “We don’t know if it was an act of vandalism, just old age or if it was a lightning storm that struck the original corpus on this cross.”

PRACTICING Catholic

On the May 19 “Practicing Catholic” radio show, host Patrick Conley interviewed Father Francis Hoffman, “Father Rocky,” chairman and CEO of Relevant Radio, who gave an inside look at what makes a worldwide Catholic radio network tick. Also featured are Ann Marie Cosgrove and Christopher Santer, two Catholic artists who described the “Art-A-Whirl” May 19-21 in Minneapolis and how their faith plays into their work; and Lake City couple Paul and Sara Freid who talked about living their beliefs, including those that are core to the Catholic Worker Movement. Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingcatholicShow com or anchor fm/Practicing-catholic-Show with links to streaming platforms.

CLARIFICATION

ON THE COVER Tracy Plankers, left, and Julie McGinley, both of St. Patrick in Oak Grove, add their voices to the opening hymn of the May 20 Mass at the Activated Disciple Seminar in Minneapolis.

COURTESY WACONIA KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

OSV NEWS | SAM LUCERO

JOE RUFF | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

In our culture, people use violence to solve problems. That is a cultural and spiritual problem more than a political one, although good policies can make an impact, even at the margins.

Andrea Hinderaker is the program coordinator of St. Paul’s Homeless Assistance Response Team. Her last name was spelled Hinderacker at times in May 11 stories about meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

ONLY JESUS | FATHER CHARLES LACHOWITZER

The mystical body of Christ

Eighteen years ago this May, 4 million people — the largest public gathering in the history of the world — came together for the funeral of Pope St. John Paul II. Over 1 billion people watched it on television.

The Catholic Church gets a lot of attention in the world. Pope Francis is covered by global media. Yet we recognize with pain that not all the news about the Catholic Church is positive. Throughout the history of the Church, some individuals and leaders have harmed people and lived lives contrary to the Gospel. And even though we may not be the ones to blame for the sins of our history, we are all responsible to be a people of reconciliation, reform and healing.

There are other moments when the Catholic Church is part of different cultures and societies. In my lifetime, I can’t even count the number of movies about nuns, priests, bishops and popes. When it comes to horror movies about the devil, even Hollywood looks for a Catholic priest.

The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination; Christianity is the largest religion in the world. In the United States, the Catholic Church is the second largest provider of social services — second only to the government.

Whether professional athletes, movie stars or the leaders of nations, it is an amazing search on our “googlebingyahoo” machines to look at famous Catholics. Throughout the history of the Church, when it comes to art, music and architecture; hospitals and schools; food for the poor and housing for the homeless; no other religion in the world has had such a positive impact on civilization as the Catholic Church.

To be Catholic is to have as our spiritual leader the successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis. We know that the ministry of the apostles continues through the bishops as their successors.

To be Catholic is to know the real presence of Jesus Christ in the sacramental life we celebrate and to live our lives as joyful witnesses to the Gospel. In

El cuerpo místico de Cristo

Hace dieciocho años este mayo, en la reunión pública más grande en la historia del mundo, 4 millones personas se reunieron para el funeral del Papa San Juan Pablo II. Más de mil millones de personas lo vieron en televisión.

La Iglesia Católica recibe mucha atención en el mundo. El Papa Francisco está cubierto por global medios de comunicación. Sin embargo, reconocemos con dolor que no todas las noticias sobre la Iglesia Católica son positivas. A lo largo de la historia de la Iglesia, algunas personas y líderes han dañado a personas y vivieron vidas contrarias al Evangelio. Puede que no seamos culpables de los pecados de nuestra historia, pero todos somos responsables de ser un pueblo de reconciliación, reforma y sanación. Hay otros momentos en que la Iglesia Católica es parte de diferentes culturas y sociedades. En mi vida, ni siquiera puedo contar la cantidad de películas

the Gospel of Luke, we hear of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-32). So, too, do we still study the Scriptures, invite the Lord to stay with us in our homes and then recognize his real presence in the breaking of the bread. We are formed by the Scriptures in which is found the revealed truths of our Catholic tradition. Some of the prayers of the Mass were already a thousand years old when Jesus used them at the Last Supper.

To be Catholic is also to belong to a parish where we grow in our holiness and find our unity. In a world of separated religions and no religion, to be a Catholic means that all kinds of different people around the world are in the same Catholic Church, the same

sobre monjas, sacerdotes, obispos y papas. Cuando se trata de películas de terror sobre el diablo, incluso Hollywood busca un sacerdote católico.

La Iglesia Católica es la denominación cristiana más grande y la religión más grande del mundo. En los Estados Unidos, la Iglesia Católica es el segundo mayor proveedor de servicios sociales: sólo superado por el gobierno.

Ya sean atletas profesionales, estrellas de cine o líderes de naciones, es una búsqueda increíble en nuestras máquinas de “googlebingyahoo” para buscar católicos famosos. A lo largo de la historia de la Iglesia, cuando se trata de arte, música y arquitectura; hospitales y escuelas; comida para los pobres y vivienda para personas sin hogar; ninguna otra religión en el mundo ha tenido un impacto tan positivo en civilización como la Iglesia Católica.

Ser católico es tener como líder espiritual al sucesor de San Pedro, el Papa Francisco. Sabemos que el ministerio de los Apóstoles continúa a través de los obispos como sus sucesores.

Ser católico es conocer la presencia real de Jesucristo en la vida sacramental que celebramos y vivir nuestra vida como testigos gozosos del Evangelio.

parish and even in the same pew. The Catholic parish is that place where we are united as one family; where we give to God our gifts of gratitude, and through these first fruits, we provide for the needs of our Church and for the common good.

To be a Catholic means that we gather as a community of faith for Sunday Mass. We recognize in each other the presence of the risen Christ. We encounter this presence in the Word proclaimed and receive this real presence in holy Communion. To be a Catholic means that we go forth from here into the world to proclaim and protect the sacredness of all human life, the mandate of service and the stewardship of God’s creation.

En el Evangelio de Lucas, escuchamos de los dos discípulos en el camino de Emaús (Lc 24,13-32). Así también, ¿todavía estudiamos las Escrituras, invitamos que el Señor se quede con nosotros en nuestros hogares y luego reconozcamos su presencia real en el quebrantamiento de el pan. Estamos formados por las Escrituras en las que se encuentran las verdades reveladas de nuestro tradición católica. Algunas de las oraciones de la Misa tenían ya mil años cuando Jesús los usó en la Última Cena.

Ser católico es también pertenecer a una parroquia donde crecemos en nuestra santidad y encontramos nuestra unidad. En un mundo de religiones separadas y sin religión, ser católico significa que todo tipo de diferentes personas de todo el mundo están en la misma Iglesia Católica, en la misma parroquia e incluso en la mismo banco.

La parroquia católica es ese lugar donde estamos unidos como una sola familia; donde damos a Dios nuestros dones de gratitud y a través de estas primicias, proveemos para las necesidades de nuestros Iglesia y para el bien común.

Ser católico significa que nos reunimos como comunidad de fe para la misa dominical. Reconocemos en cada uno la presencia de Cristo

resucitado. Encontramos esta presencia en la Palabra proclamado y recibir esta presencia real en la sagrada Comunión. Ser católico significa que nosotros salir de aquí al mundo para proclamar y proteger el carácter sagrado de toda vida humana, el mandato de servicio y la mayordomía de la creación de Dios. Ser católico significa que creemos que el Evangelio de Jesucristo nos manda a cuidar de los pobres y mostrar compasión a todos los hijos de Dios, sin excepción. Porque como decimos en nuestro Credo, somos miembros de la Iglesia una, santa, católica y apostólica, que es el cuerpo de Cristo en la tierra.

Ser católico es ser miembro del cuerpo místico de Cristo: la Iglesia que es más grande que los que la lideran y una realidad mucho mayor que todos los que pertenecen a ella.

Recibimos los hermosos dones del amor de Dios, en abundancia desbordante, porque ser católico es saber que estos regalos todavía están destinados a todo el mundo. Mientras honramos a los graduados en este edición del Espíritu Católico, siempre es una buena idea, especialmente para nosotros los ancianos, dar alegría testimonio de lo que realmente significa ser católico hoy.

To be a Catholic means that we go forth from here into the world to proclaim and protect the sacredness of all human life, the mandate of service and the stewardship of God’s creation.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

SLICEof LIFE

(Future) joyful Catholic leaders

Archbishop Bernard Hebda, right, enjoys a light moment in the sacristy of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis May 13 with 11 men preparing to be ordained transitional deacons for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Among the ordinands are, from left, Michael Panka, Nicholas Vance, Ryan Sustacek, Francis Floeder, Sean Mulcare, Alexander Rasset, Philip Conklin (behind Rasset, partially visible) and Christopher Yanta. “We’re thrilled to send such a large class into its final year of seminary formation,” said Father Joseph Taphorn, rector of The St. Paul Seminary. “But it’s also just as important to note each of these men has discerned his call well, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and seminary leadership. God willing, these joyful Catholic leaders will ensure thriving parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for generations to come.” Not pictured are Brent Bowman, Derek Gilde and Hjalmar Blondal Gudjonsson. This year’s class is the largest since 2004, when 15 men were ordained transitional deacons.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

The power to proclaim: Speaker reflects on Holy Spirit in evangelization

By Rebecca Omastiak The Catholic Spirit

Mary Healy, who has a doctorate in Sacred Theology, wants the faithful to soak everyday encounters in the scent of the Holy Spirit and share the fragrance with those around them.

“It’s not first and foremost about words,” Healy said as she addressed over 1,500 people gathered in Minneapolis May 20 for the Activated Disciple Seminar. “It’s not first and foremost about having the right credentials, or the right catechetical or theological preparation. It’s first and foremost … about being filled with the Holy Spirit and before you even give some explanation of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will overflow and people around you will sense the fragrance of Christ, will sense the Holy Spirit.”

Healy was the keynote speaker for the seminar, which drew members of parish-based Synod Evangelization Teams from across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and included Mass, talks, testimony, prayer and adoration.

It was Healy’s sixth time participating in the seminar during the past three years. She said her preparation for her talks included prayer. “I asked the Lord, ‘What is your word? Give me the word on your heart, Lord.’”

She also reflected on Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s post-synodal pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses.” The letter outlines the Archdiocesan Synod implementation, and it is what brought SET members to the May 20 seminar. “I was so moved by the (pastoral) letter; it is so powerful,” Healy said.

Jeff Cavins — speaker, author and director emeritus of The St. Paul Seminary’s Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, which offers the Activated Disciple Seminar through its seven-week formation programs School of Discipleship and subsequent 40-Day Challenge — introduced Healy as a person “in love with Jesus … in love with the Holy Spirit.” A professor of sacred Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Healy is an international speaker on Scripture, evangelization, healing and the spiritual life. She is a general editor of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series and is author of two of its volumes.

Healy also is chair of the Theological Commission of Charismatic Renewal International Service in Rome, and a member of the Pentecostal-Catholic International Dialogue, serving the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed Healy as one of the first of three women to serve on the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Addressing the gathering during the first of her two keynote talks — “The Holy Spirit in the Life of

SEMINAR OVERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

leaders will be sought in each parish in the coming months and trained in September.

As described in Archbishop Hebda’s post-synodal pastoral letter released in November, “You Will Be My Witnesses,” as the love of Christ spreads, the 12 will grow to 72, and the 72 will multiply into still more activated disciples; those who are equipped with knowledge and inspired to share the faith.

Bishop Williams, who attended the School of Discipleship when he was pastor of St. Stephen and Holy Rosary parishes in Minneapolis, urged people to be bold in sharing Christ’s love and teaching and encouraging others to do the same.

“You can only be a disciple by doing discipleship. Right? You have to do it,” Bishop Williams said. “That’s why you have to practice the disciplines. That’s why you need a 40-Day Challenge. You have to put it into practice. Mary Healy mentioned that one word: boldness. And it’s wonderful to contemplate boldness here, but you can only be bold by doing boldness. And that’s what the archbishop is asking of all of you over the next four months. Can you imagine if an arena full of Catholics were in small group leadership formation this coming September? Can you imagine that? Not just preaching Jesus from the temple, but Jesus being

a Disciple” — Healy demonstrated the important movement of the Holy Spirit in the mission of Mary, the Apostles and the disciples. Two effects, she said, were “they can’t keep Christ to themselves” and their joy overflowed.

The examples of biblical figures receiving the Holy Spirit are models for modern Catholics, Healy said.

“When we pray for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and we are giving our unqualified yes to Jesus, and we are inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives … Christ will be present within us in a deeper way … and we will be newly empowered and impelled to share him with others,” she said.

After the talk, Erica Skeate, 22, of St. Patrick in Oak Grove, said the giving of an “unqualified yes” was a message that struck her.

“I have a newfound love for the Magnificat, Mary’s yes and the fiat,” Skeate said. Mary’s example encouraged her to foster “that desire to say yes to God more so that others can know him.”

Healy said it’s important to remember that “Every one of us has a particular anointing of the Holy Spirit that is exactly tailored to the place where the Lord has placed you — your parish, your family, your workplace, your circle of acquaintances … Because you have a mission to bring the presence of the kingdom to places where it is not yet.”

That mission is bringing light to darkness and confusion; truth to deception; healing to physical, emotional and spiritual brokenness. Doing this, Healy said, requires more than goodwill, catechetical training, teamwork or good planning; “You need the anointing of the same Spirit who anointed him (Jesus).”

Healy encouraged the crowd to stay submerged in the Holy Spirit. She said a tendency can be to say,

preached from house to house without tiring. That was the vision of the early Church. That’s the vision of our archbishop.”

In his homily May 20, Archbishop Hebda asked for prayers that the Lord’s work would continue to bear fruit in the archdiocese. “There is a need to go forth and to preach and to teach and to baptize,” the archbishop said. “It’s the way in which our Church grows.”

And the Lord’s desire is that everyone evangelize, “not because of our gifts, but because of his mercy, for the way in which God invites each of us to be part of his plan,” the archbishop said.

Healy spoke of Mary as the first disciple of Jesus, for she “was the first to hear the good news of the Gospel and to share it.” The Apostles followed, as well as St. Paul, who in essence proclaimed, “the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power,” Healy said. That power is manifested in the ability to heal the sick, drive out demons, cleanse lepers and raise the dead, and that power remains today, she said.

Invited to share their experiences in the School of Discipleship and through the 40-Day Challenge, more than a few described feeling the Holy Spirit’s presence as they helped and prayed for people in need.

Barbara Pena of St. Ambrose in Woodbury stood up and said, “This has been to me one of the greatest invitations for love, trust and relationship.” With a big

“been there, done that” having already received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, “but there’s always more.”

Referencing an ancient document from before Christ’s time — a recipe for making pickles that uses the word baptize — Healy asked the crowd, smiling, “Do you want to taste like the Holy Spirit? So, you have to be plunged into him and stay there and get pickled in the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit introduces an intimacy with God the Father and an experience of love outpoured; the Holy Spirit also reveals the lordship of Jesus, Healy said as she opened her second talk during the Activated Disciple Seminar — “Clothed with Power from on High.”

“When you know, in the core of your being, that Jesus truly is lord over all things, then you can’t be dominated by anything else anymore,” Healy said. In fact, Healy said, St. Paul’s biblical texts highlight what happens to the Apostles when the Holy Spirit arrives: “fear leaves, anxiety goes out the window; there’s a holy boldness that comes upon them.”

Healy said the Apostles are like new wineskins filled with the wine of the Holy Spirit and they go out from the Upper Room to proclaim the Gospel, witnessing conversion but also facing opposition and persecution along the way. She said this should prompt Catholics to reflect on the cost of missionary discipleship.

“Sometimes it can be the highest possible cost. … We can make that decision today: I am in, no matter what the cost.”

Healy said a person need not be a priest, a scholar, a saint or even an adult for God to work miracles through him or her.

“Just come to him with a simple faith and prayers of a child and be willing to boldly proclaim the good news and to step out in faith that God will stand by it with his power and see what the Lord will do.”

Amee Heigl, 30, of St. Patrick in Oak Grove, said she is eager for the Lord to work in her life. “I’m just so excited about this fresh outpouring of the Spirit to just do the work that God has set before me and us (gathered at the event).”

Healy said her hope for those attending the seminar would be that “every heart is set on fire,” that it marks “a new season for everyone here.”

“As I’ve seen what the archbishop has been leading all of you into,” Healy said to the crowd, “I really believe that you are on the cusp of maybe the most fruitful era of missionary dynamism that this archdiocese has ever seen.”

Closing her second talk with a prayer, Healy invited all present “to write him (Jesus) a blank check. To say, like Mary ... ‘Here I am, Lord. I’m ready. Whatever you say, even if it’s totally new, outside the box. Here I am.’”

smile she proclaimed she feels not only like an activated disciple, but an “ignited disciple.”

Jim Cahill of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul described being alert to his surroundings as looking for “tickles” of inspiration from the Holy Spirit, and as a result recently praying for people in a restaurant, in a liquor store and in a men’s group. Prayers in the liquor store were for a man’s girlfriend who was dying of cancer. Cahill and the man remained in the busy checkout line while they prayed, “but you’re not aware of that, I mean, you’re just there in the moment,” Cahill said.

Later in the parking lot, the man rolled down his truck window and the two talked some more, Cahill said. “I said, ‘How about the sacraments?’” for his girlfriend, and the man replied they would probably “take care of that.”

“So, I just prayed again,” Cahill said, “and he looked up and he was crying. And he said, ‘thank you for bringing the faith back to me,’ because it had been 21 years.”

Before the seminar began, Viviana Sotro, Latino ministry coordinator at Guardian Angels in Chaska, said that the School of Discipleship inspired her to evangelize more than sporadically.

“I was doing things here and there,” Sotro said. “Now, I feel like, it is ‘blast off!’ This experience is not for me, but for the Church, to bring people to Christ.”

JOE RUFF | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Mary Healy addresses more than 1,500 people at the Activated Disciple Seminar.

Eagan parishioners welcome Ukrainians

St. Thomas Becket members host

Ukrainian adults and children

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

Launched in February 2022, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has brought physical destruction and turmoil. As of April 2023, Ukraine’s government reports more than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, while more than 8,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 13,000 injured. More than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been abducted.

Men left their homes to fight for their homeland, creating family, financial and emotional upheaval. Many women and children chose to stay in Ukraine; others sought refuge outside their country.

Several months after the invasion began, a parishioner of St. Thomas Becket in Eagan contacted a staff member and asked how the parish could support Ukrainian refugees. The request was forwarded to the Spirit of Justice, the parish’s social justice committee. Members started meeting about what parishioners could do to help.

The parish has always had an “all are welcome” philosophy and “a strong social justice contingent,” said Mary Fox, a parishioner since about 1990. “We all felt, like everyone else, helpless, just frustrated. What can we possibly do?”

Spirit of Justice members learned of an organization called Alight, formerly called the American Refugee Committee. After the war began, Alight helped Ukrainians at border crossings and transit centers, then broadened its services to more than 1 million Ukrainians through projects, partnerships and financial support.

An Alight representative, Steph Koehne, met with about 60 parishioners last October and explained its private sponsorship program, including details on how it could help bring refugees to the U.S. for up to two years. They could work when they arrived, with no need to first wait for a green card. A second informational meeting took place in November.

Once people from the parish decided to work with Alight, which fits with the parish mission statement and values, the organization sent private sponsorship guide Ana Nikolaieva to be a resource for each of three sponsor groups. Nikolaieva and other Alight team members answered questions and provided information and resources about the process as well as school and work requirements. The organization also supported each of the groups.

Alight helped parishioners match with Ukrainian refugees, who can place a profile on a special website to facilitate the best match, Fox said. Fox lives close to Eagan High School, so she sought a family with a student who could walk to the middle school or high school. Fox and her husband “volunteered their home” to host a family, she said. They

UKRAINIANS’ STORIES

Mary Fox and her husband, parishioners of St. Thomas Becket in Eagan, opened their home to Tetiana Solovei and her two schoolage children. By coincidence, Solovei’s cousin, Maryna Topchii, and her two children were resettled a few miles away.

Through an interpreter, Solovei said she came to the U.S. from Kyiv with her children because “almost the whole winter,” they had no light, no electricity, no heat. “And it was hard with money … especially during the winter, and every work you have back in Ukraine is low income,” she said. She said it became difficult to cover expenses for the children or even electricity.

Solovei said that the children’s education in Ukraine was “hard” because with every air raid siren, the children needed to go to the basement, stopping classes. Solovei’s husband stayed behind to serve in territorial defense.

When Solovei learned her cousin arrived in the U.S., “they decided it’s a good thing and they can come here and start a new life.”

took in Tetiana Solovei and her two school-age children.

Background checks are run on host families so refugee families know they will arrive in “a safe environment,” Nikolaieva said. Host families attend special information sessions that go over common questions they might field — such as any need for Social Security numbers or translation resources.

Sometimes a session addresses “the nuts and bolts,” Nikolaieva said, and other times “we have really fun discussions” that relate to Ukrainian culture.

Alight, which responds to humanitarian disasters and crises throughout the world, saw the program to resettle Ukrainians in the U.S. as an opportunity to empower and encourage Americans who want to do something, Nikolaieva said. Staff members held information sessions where they knew there was fertile ground for people who want to help and make a difference, she said.

“And the Catholic community, honestly, in these parishes are such powerful places of finding people whose hearts are big and (there is a) desire to help,” Nikolaieva said. “So, it made the perfect match.”

The first Ukrainian family hosted by a St. Thomas Becket family arrived in January. Parish families have hosted 15 adults and children so far, with a 16th, an adult woman, arriving in mid-July.

Fox’s group has about 20 members, including a leader to keep people organized and other individuals who contribute important knowledge, she said. One person “has taken over the health care piece,” because the refugees receive health care services when they arrive, she said. “We had a finance committee,” Fox said, “a housing committee, information on benefits like SNAP, … a welcome and orientation team, (a) housing and basic necessities (team), an education

and language team.” One priority was finding opportunities for the Ukrainians to learn English.

“Well, it turns out in Eagan, through District 196, you can learn English for free,” Fox said. The Ukrainian moms in her group attend classes to learn English from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, she said. Another group member helps with the work authorization process, she said.

“It’s been really cool to see this group of people come together and get this figured out,” Fox said. “The end result has been just this phenomenal group of people through our church who are very involved in social justice and have come together and done an amazing job.”

Through an interpreter, Oksana Kopernyk recalled going for a walk with her children in western Ukraine, which was considered safer than other parts of the country, when air raid sirens started. And Kopernyk and her two children were in an unfamiliar city. “They just started to cry because they didn’t know where to hide and what to make (of it), so that’s when (we) decided to move out of Ukraine to Ireland.”

She and her children first moved to Dublin, then Cork, while her husband stayed in Ukraine. While in Ireland, Kopernyk learned about Alight and “this amazing sponsor group” at St. Thomas Becket, with one group led by parishioners Pierce and Teri Vatterott. After nine months of being separated, Kopernyk, her husband and their children moved to Minnesota.

Kopernyk said when they moved to Minnesota, “they couldn’t even imagine to meet these amazing people here and that they are hosting them like a family.” A retired plastic surgeon donated a house for them to live in near St. Joseph in West St. Paul. “The priests have come over and that community now has reached out to be supportive as well,” Pierce Vatterott said.

Kopernyk said every family member who decides to leave Ukraine is first thinking about their children. “They just want them to have a safe childhood, and they also care about their psychological, mental health. And they are not supposed to live through all these terrible things,” she said.

Kopernyk said she hopes her children will have a good childhood and have a chance to have a normal life here, to just be children.

WANT TO SPONSOR?

Individuals and groups interested in learning how to host a Ukrainian individual or family can contact the Minneapolis office of Alight. Visit its website at wearealight org and its more detailed page about welcoming or sponsoring at wearealight org/be-a-welcomer-sponsor-aukrainian-family

BARB UMBERGER | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Oksana and Maxim Kopernyk and their son Milan, visit St. Thomas Becket in Eagan. A group of parishioners welcomed the family and others from war-torn Ukraine.

BARB UMBERGER | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Maryna Topchii prepares after-school snacks for her two children and the two children of her cousin, Tetiana Solovei. The two Ukrainian cousins were placed with families of St. Thomas Becket parishioners who live only a few miles apart. Topchii and her children were visiting Solovei and her children in the Eagan home of parishioner Mary Fox.

Father Goman remembered for his ministry, sense of humor

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

“He is, without a doubt, the best priest I’ve ever known,” Father John Malone said of Father Ralph Goman, who died May 11 at age 85.

Father Malone, pastor emeritus of Assumption in St. Paul, was three years behind Father Goman at The St. Paul Seminary, also in St. Paul, graduating in 1967. But he served with Father Goman for about two years at his first assignment, Incarnation in Minneapolis. “Those were the old days, with a pastor and four assistants,” Father Malone said. “Ralph was third assistant, and I was fourth assistant.”

Father Malone was scheduled to deliver the homily at Father Goman’s 10 a.m. May 25 funeral Mass at St. Gabriel’s, at the St. John the Evangelist campus in Hopkins. Archbishop Bernard Hebda was scheduled to be the chief concelebrant with Father Malone.

The Mass was to be livestreamed from the parish website, stgabrielhopkins org, under the “Worship” tab, at “Watch today’s Mass.”

Father Goman served 12 years as pastor of St. John the Evangelist, from 1996 to 2008. After learning about Father Goman’s death, Father Malone asked 10 former grade school and high school students who attended Incarnation when Father Goman served there. Eight were to be pallbearers at his funeral; two weren’t able to make it.

These 10 were so attached to Father Goman that, until recently, they’d meet every year for a retreat, Father Malone said. “He is a guy that you were just attracted to because he’s such an example of peace and innocence.”

Father Goman died at his residence at The Glenn Hopkins in Hopkins. He continued his ministry in retirement by assisting at parishes and where he lived.

Father Goman was born with a rare

clotting disorder that limited some of his physical abilities, but not his effectiveness as a pastor or his sense of humor, said 94-year-old Virginia Vonhof, a 73-year parishioner of St. Gabriel at the St. John the Evangelist site. St. John and St. Joseph, also in Hopkins, merged in 2013 to create St. Gabriel parish.

Father Goman needed permission to be ordained because of his health, and his life was not easy, Father Malone said. He went through college and major seminary wondering if he’d ever get ordained. But he was committed to doing everything, and he was ordained — short of stature, huge of impact, Father Malone said. Father Goman’s challenges never held him back from being a very good priest, he said.

The two priests stayed good friends over the years. Father Malone said his friend brought out the best in other people. “To see him do what he could and do it so well made the ablebodied think ‘if he can do it, I should be able to do more.’” Because of his own issues, he was able to be “such an encouragement to other people,” Father Malone said.

Vonhof recalled a lector telling her years ago that Father Goman placed letters spelling the word “joy” behind the ambo.

“That meant when he … gave a sermon that he was to remember to bring joy,” she said. “Wherever you see joy, the Holy Spirit is involved.”

“He was so much fun,” and had an affection for appearing in plays, Vonhof said. “If all else failed, he could have been a thespian,” she said.

“He could have been on the stage.”

Every year, Father Goman surprised attendees of St. John the Evangelist’s St. Nick’s party, which included a skit. One year, he called Vonhof ahead of the party and said, “I know you love to paint. Do you have a tam and a smock?” She loaned him her red velvet tam, a round “poofy” hat that is associated with painters.

The skit focused on the 12 days of

Christmas. When the focus moved to the three French hens, he appeared wearing the tam, Vonhof said. “It brought down the house.”

When local schools consolidated, the elementary students put on “a terrific play,” she said, “and he always had a part in it.”

“The kids loved him,” Vonhof said. “There’s their pastor in the play” and an element of surprise of what role he was playing — not just a surprise to the audience but to the student-actors in the performance, she said.

Vonhof saved a letter she sent

to the editor of Sun Newspapers in January 2004 about Father Goman. In part, it read, “Over the years ‘with the grace of God’ he has dignified his limitations. He has parlayed his perceptive gifts of charity, cheerfulness, communication, courage and creativity into an admirable pastoral model. Intensely motivated to be the best priest possible, he dispenses joy and compassion as well as humor and direction into every assignment.”

Father Goman, who grew up in south Minneapolis, graduated from DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis and the former Nazareth Hall minor seminary before entering The St. Paul Seminary, followed by ordination in 1964.

Father Goman served as assistant pastor of Incarnation in Minneapolis from 1964 to 1968 and for a month at St. Luke in St. Paul in 1968. He also served as chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis from 1968 to 1974. He was on the faculty of St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul from 1974 to 1983 before returning to parish ministry — as assistant pastor of St. Timothy in Blaine from 1983 to 1984, pastor of Assumption in Richfield from 1984 to 1994 and parochial vicar of St. Olaf in Minneapolis from 1994 to 1996.

Father Goman served as a spiritual director at The St. Paul Seminary from 1995 to 1996, followed by his time as pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Hopkins from 1996 to 2008 and canonical moderator of Most Holy Trinity in St. Louis Park from 2007 until his retirement June 15, 2008.

Preceded in death by his parents, brother and sister-in-law, Father Goman is survived by a nephew and his wife, and their two children, as well as many cousins, other relatives and close friends.

Interment will be in Assumption Cemetery in Richfield. Memorials are preferred to DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, or St. Gabriel.

FATHER RALPH GOMAN

That meant when he … gave a sermon that he was to remember to bring joy. Wherever you see joy, the Holy Spirit is involved.

Virginia Vonhof

Benedictine Sisters in Maplewood celebrate 75 years of prayer, hospitality, ministry

By Debbie Musser For The Catholic Spirit

It’s 11:30 a.m. on a cool spring morning as the 20 Benedictine sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery in Maplewood gather in the chapel to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

They pray the words of the Psalms, listen to sacred Scripture, hold silence, and sing God’s praise — one of three times each day the sisters come together for prayer.

Community prayer is at the center of monastic life at St. Paul’s Monastery, where the sisters of St. Benedict are preparing to celebrate the monastery’s 75th anniversary beginning in June.

“The majority of our sisters are retired from ministry external to the monastery; their active ministry is daily prayer for the needs of the world and providing hospitality and welcome to retreatants and guests of the monastery,” said Travis Salisbury, 45, director of mission advancement and an oblate of the sisters since 2015. Through the decades in the Twin Cities, the Benedictine sisters have been involved in teaching, health care and elder care.

“Constant community prayer — that’s what nourishes us each day,” said Sister Lucia Schwickerath, 84. “And our beautiful chapel is a bright space with its flowing wood ceiling and semicircular walls, like the embracing arms of God.”

A music and liturgy minister for 40 years, Sister Lucia, who took her final vows in 1964, also worked as a formation director, is a former prioress at the monastery (2009 to 2014), and most recently served at St. Therese in Woodbury. She appreciates the core values at the heart of the mission of the religious sisters: community, prayer, hospitality, silence, stewardship, generativity and social responsibility.

The Benedictine value of hospitality is alive through The Benedictine Center, a vibrant retreat and guest house ministry that opened in 1983, which reflects the sisters’ commitment to a lifetime of learning about Christian discipleship and care of self through rest and renewal.

“We present talks on the Trinity, the life of the Church, and topics relevant to today — the Benedictines are known for meeting the needs of the time, and changing with the times,” said Sister Lucia. “When visitors come to the center, we encourage them to pray and share meals with us.”

The monastery grounds, adjacent to wooded wetlands, are home to many birds and wild animals, offering a prayerful and peaceful connection with creation. The grounds include a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, a full-size labyrinth marked with a stone and grass path, a life-size bronze statue of St. Benedict, a courtyard with a butterfly garden and a Blessed Mother statue, and a cemetery, which is home to 200 deceased sisters.

‘Responding to needs of the time’

Sister Catherine Nehotte, 62, the monastery’s current prioress, joined St. Paul’s Monastery in 1985 as a postulant. She has witnessed the sisters’ response to community needs, including M.O.M.S. (Ministry of Mothers Sharing) which was created in 1986 for mothers of young children who were seeking ways to strengthen the faith, in their families and in their

faith communities. Responding to a shortage of quality childcare in the area, the sisters established Maple Tree Childcare Center in 1991 in a renovated laundry building on the property.

“Also responding to the needs of the time, in 2006 we sold our monastery building (at 2675 Larpenteur Ave. in Maplewood) to Tubman, a (Minneapolisbased) organization which provides safety, hope and

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

St. Paul’s Monastery 75th Anniversary Celebration

Saturday, June 24, noon-3 p.m. 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood

Benedictine Festival on the monastery grounds featuring food trucks, ice cream, donuts, bingo, a raffle and music.

OTHER ANNIVERSARY ACTIVITIES

uPriory Preserve Pilgrimage: Saturday, July 8, 8-11 a.m.

u40th Anniversary Celebration of The Benedictine Center: Tuesday, Aug. 15, 5-7:30 p.m.

uBlessing of the Animals: Sunday, Oct. 1, 1 p.m.

u16th Christmas at the Monastery Celebration with online silent auction: Dec. 2-9

uClosing 75th Year Festival: Saturday, June 22, 2024 More information can be found at stpaulsmonastery.org

healing for those who have experienced trauma, and sold land to CommonBond Communities to build affordable and senior housing — two organizations that serve the needs of women, children and families,” Sister Catherine said.

In 2009, the sisters moved to their current, smaller monastery at 2675 Benet Road, adjacent to the former PLEASE TURN TO BENEDICTINE SISTERS ON NEXT PAGE

PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

From left, Benedictine Sisters Mary White, Louise Inhofer, Virginia Matter and Marie Fujan stand in front of a statue of St. Benedict on their monastery grounds in Maplewood.

BENEDICTINE SISTERS

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

ANNIVERSARY BOOK

Walking Monastery Way: Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of St. Paul’s Monastery

The book is available through Amazon at tinyurl com/mw4j577j or by visiting the monastery.

VISIT THE MONASTERY

St. Paul’s Monastery grounds in Maplewood are open to guests, and the Benedictine sisters welcome all to join them at prayer in the chapel.

Call ahead to arrange a visit: 651-777-8181.

monastery. In addition to the chapel, The Benedictine Center and private space for the sisters, the building features a conference room, a dining room, an art gallery with rotating exhibits, an extensive library, a porch overlooking the grounds and a health care center for the sisters.

The St. Paul’s Monastery community includes four Benedictine associates — single, Catholic women who make an annual commitment to engage in the ministries of the monastery. In addition, 170 oblates, lay men and women of various Christian faiths who associate themselves with a Benedictine monastery, have made a commitment to St. Paul’s Monastery.

“The oblates exemplify the Benedictine model of peace through a balance of prayer and ministry,” Sister Catherine said. “Our values speak to so many people, even in this day, and the oblates bring those values out into the world in a way we cannot do.”

As the sisters celebrate their 75th anniversary, they’re also looking ahead to the future.

“We’re aware of the fact that we continue to grow smaller in numbers, but our oblates continue to grow with the addition of 11 on this upcoming Pentecost, May 28,” Sister Catherine said. “The Benedictine values will continue beyond the last vowed member.”

The sisters have also entered a period of discernment through discussions with leadership at Hill-Murray School (founded in 1971 by merging all-girls Archbishop Murray Memorial High School and Catholic all-boys Hill High School) about how to finalize the relationship between the school and the monastery in perpetuity.

“We’ve always had a strong connection with our neighbor Hill-

Murray,” Sister Catherine said. “At one point, we even had sisters living over there in small rooms.”

As the sisters respond to the needs of the time, Sister Catherine notes the opportunities with Hill-Murray. Sister Linda Soler, for example, is in campus ministry at the school, serving as chaplain for several sports teams, including the varsity football team.

Eucharistic Miracles of the World

“How might this become a spiritual center for the entire campus? There’s such a need for peace, with all the challenges that youth are facing in life today,” Sister Catherine said.

“We’re taking time to listen to God’s will, and we have the expertise of Hill-Murray people and the sisters discerning with so much good energy,” she said.

ABOVE Benedictine Sister Jacqueline Leiter joins other sisters in prayer in the chapel.

LEFT From left, Benedictine Sisters Mary White and Virginia Matter talk in the grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima.

PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Constant community prayer — that’s what nourishes us each day.

Sister Lucia Schwickerath

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage connects Catholics across US to 2024 Congress

By Maria Wiering OSV News

Mike Wavra thinks of the 2024 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage as “an opportunity to walk with the Lord.”

He and his wife, Cindi, both 65-year-old retirees, plan to join the pilgrimage at its northern launch point in Minnesota in May 2024, and then walk for about a week, before rejoining the pilgrims seven weeks later in Indianapolis for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress.

The Wavras, members of St. Bernard in Thief River Falls in the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, are among thousands of Catholics from across the United States anticipated to participate in next year’s pilgrimage to the Congress, part of the U.S. bishops’ three-year National Eucharistic Revival that began in 2021. The pilgrimage has four routes, beginning in the north, south, east and west of the country. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, which is overseeing the revival.

Pilgrims traveling in the “eucharistic caravans” will begin their journeys with Pentecost weekend celebrations May 17-18, 2024, leaving May 19. They will converge on Indianapolis July 16, 2024, the day before the five-day Congress opens. The pilgrimage is an opportunity for prayer and evangelization, and a way to engage Catholics unable to attend the Congress, said Tim Glemkowski, the National Eucharistic Congress’ executive director.

“What the pilgrimage does is it builds us in prayerful anticipation for what God is going to do at the Congress,” he told OSV News May 5. “It’s two months of us pilgrimaging, fasting, praying, interceding, asking the Lord to renew his Church, his bride, in those five days. … They’re not two different things. It’s one pilgrimage: five days of which happen in a stadium in Indianapolis, and two months of which happen across our country on the way there.”

Weekend stops in major cities will include special liturgies, eucharistic adoration, processions and service opportunities, Glemkowski said.

The northern “Marian Route” that the Wavras plan to take begins in northern Minnesota at Lake Itasca, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The route follows the river to St. Paul and Minneapolis, its first weekend stop. Then the route heads south to Rochester, Minnesota, and then east through La Crosse and Green Bay, Wisconsin. It continues through Milwaukee, Chicago and Notre Dame, Indiana, before arriving in Indianapolis.

The “Juan Diego Route” begins more than 1,600 miles south of Lake Itasca in Brownsville, Texas, at the U.S.-Mexico border. It will follow Texas’ eastern border through Corpus Christi and Houston, and continue

through New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; Atlanta; Nashville, Tennessee; and Louisville, Kentucky.

The “Seton Route” — named for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first U.S.-born saint — begins in New Haven, Connecticut, and continues through New York; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Washington; Pittsburgh; and Steubenville, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The “Junipero Serra Route” begins in San Francisco — with hope of walking over the Golden Gate Bridge — and continues through Reno, Nevada; Salt Lake City; Denver; North Platte and Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri; and St. Louis.

At more than 2,200 miles long, the Junipero Serra Route is the longest and most rigorous route. Pilgrims will use transport to cross sections of their route, but some of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains are expected to be crossed on foot. In an interview with Bishop Cozzens for a February episode of the popular podcast “Catholic Stuff You Should Know,” co-host Father John Nepil said he wanted to walk with the Eucharist and fellow priests in the Rockies over the highest elevation the pilgrimage routes will reach. There is the physical challenge, and “there’s always

been a close connection for me between thinking of the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith, and the ways we reflect on the eucharistic high points as a place of transcendence, and then the way it connects to the mountains,” Father Nepil, a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver and vice rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, told OSV News May 8.

Modern Catholic Pilgrim, a pilgrimage nonprofit with offices in Minnesota and California, is organizing the national pilgrimage. The routes include important Catholic sites in the United States, such the 18thcentury ministry of St. Junipero Serra in what is now California, the Philadelphia tombs of St. John Neumann and St. Katharine Drexel, and in Wisconsin, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, the only approved Marian apparition in the United States.

Each pilgrimage is expected to have 12 “perpetual pilgrims,” young adults, including two seminarians, committed to traveling the entire route, from their launch points to Indianapolis. Each route also will include priest chaplains who will carry the Eucharist, usually in a monstrance specially designed for the pilgrimage.

Holy Year 2025 website to go live; registration opens in the fall

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

The Vatican office in charge of coordinating plans for the Holy Year 2025 announced they are launching a new website and releasing an app to help people register and to guide them along their pilgrimage in Rome.

By registering online at iubilaeum2025.va or on the jubilee app, people will receive a free digital “pilgrim’s card,” which will be needed to participate in jubilee events, especially gaining access to the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, said Msgr. Graham Bell, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section that is coordinating the Holy Year.

The jubilee website is available in nine languages, he said at a news conference at the Vatican May 9. People can begin registering online starting in September, he said, “by clicking on the ‘participate’ button.” After registering, people will be able to access a personal page on the site’s “pilgrim’s zone,” which will also go live in September.

Registrants will receive a digital “pilgrim’s card,” which is a personal QR code needed to access jubilee events and better facilitate the pilgrimage to the Holy

Door, the monsignor said. There also will be an option to purchase a “service card” for a nominal fee to receive special discounts for transportation, lodging, food and museums during the pilgrimage.

The jubilee website and app will give news and information on the Holy Door of St. Peter’s and the other basilicas as well as offer the possibility of organizing one’s own pilgrimage within the city, Msgr. Bell said.

“Rome has always been a cultural attraction and our aim is that the pilgrim may also become a tourist, just as the tourist may be fascinated by the pilgrim experience,” said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the section.

Starting in September, he said, they will open an exhibition “with works by the great Spanish Renaissance artist, El Greco.”

The pieces “have never left Spain and are being made available for this very occasion,” he said. The exhibit will be held in the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone facing onto Piazza Navona and will feature El Greco’s three masterpieces: “The Baptism of Christ,” “Christ Carrying the Cross” and “Christ Blessing.”

Archbishop Fisichella said Pope Francis has asked

Catholics worldwide to prepare for the next jubilee year by spending 2023 studying the documents of the Second Vatican Council, especially its four constitutions, which focused on: the liturgy; the church as the people of God; Scripture; and the role of the church in the modern world.

“In order to help local churches in their catechetical, human and especially Christian formation paths, and to give younger people the opportunity to know and rediscover the central contents of the council,” he said, the dicastery published a series of 35 small volumes titled, “Council Notebooks,” in December.

The “notebooks” have already been translated into Spanish in one hardcover volume titled, “Cuadernos del Concilio,” he said, and they are now being translated into English by ATC Publishers-India.

Since the pope wants 2024 to be dedicated to prayer in preparation for the jubilee, the dicastery will publish an in-depth series called “Notes on Prayer” to promote “the centrality of prayer, personal and communal,” the archbishop said.

“We are studying the possibility of a ‘school of prayer’ with pathways that would cover the vast world of prayer,” he added.

OSV NEWS ILLUSTRATION | COURTESY NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

This map shows the four routes of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to the National Eucharistic Congress in 2024.

HEADLINES

uPope asks Cardinal Zuppi to lead peace mission for Ukraine. Pope Francis has asked Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna to lead a mission “to help ease tensions in the conflict in Ukraine,” the Vatican press office said. The appointment of the cardinal, who is president of the Italian bishops’ conference and a longtime member of the Sant’Egidio Community, was confirmed May 20 by Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. While Bruni said “the timing of such a mission and its modalities are currently being studied,” he said Pope Francis has never lost hope that some kind of dialogue could “initiate paths of peace.” By referring to Cardinal Zuppi’s task as a “mission,” Bruni appeared to affirm that it was the same peace mission Pope Francis was referring to April 30 when he told reporters returning to Rome with him from Budapest, Hungary, that he had a plan underway.

uNebraska senators pass bill protecting children from abortion, gender-altering procedures. Nebraska lawmakers passed a measure May 19 prohibiting abortion at 12 weeks gestation and banning gender-altering surgeries for minors. The Let Them Grow Act, LB574, overcame a continued filibuster effort by abortion rights and transgender ideology advocates and was sent to the desk of Gov. Jim Pillen, who was expected to sign it. The act marks the first restriction on abortion in Nebraska since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer and the most significant step to protect the unborn in the state since 2010, when lawmakers outlawed abortion at 20 weeks. It also represents the first state effort to govern gender-altering procedures for children.

uNew report says Germany’s Catholic Church faces major decline in membership, revenue Germany’s Catholic Church will be forced to give up a third of its properties in the face of dwindling membership and revenue, according to a new report, with many buildings facing demolition unless converted to other uses. “It’s a fact that church attendance has strongly reduced, with a significant and steady decline in priestly vocations and church membership, and an increasing loss of financial income,” said Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the German bishops’ conference. “However, the closures have not only affected parish churches — the abandonment of monasteries, as well as of church and charitable institutions, also has led to empty religious houses, pilgrimage centers and chapels,” he told OSV News. The lay Catholic was reacting to the early May report in Germany’s Kirche & Recht review, which warned that 40,000 rectories, community centers and places of worship would have to be abandoned by 2060. Catholics make up around 26% of Germany’s 84 million inhabitants, although church attendance has dropped sharply since 2019, with only 4.3% of Catholics currently coming to Mass, according to a May 4 Katholisch.de report.

uCaritas elects new president, stressing local connections in aid. Caritas Internationalis, the global Catholic charity network, elected Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo to be its new president following a Vaticanmandated overhaul of its leadership. After a transition period, which began after Pope Francis removed Caritas’ president and suspended other top leadership positions in November 2022, some 400 delegates representing national and local Caritas organizations elected Archbishop Kikuchi May 13, and were expected to elect a new secretary-general and fill other leadership positions. As a former Caritas volunteer and now its president, Archbishop Kikuchi said that Caritas “does not only include those who are in

the top administration levels of the top officers. From the grassroots, all the volunteers, they are all Caritas,” he said. That grassroots connection allows Caritas organizations to be more than just a source of physical aid to people in need, Tetiana Stanwnychy told Catholic News Service May 12. Sean Callahan, president of Caritas North America and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, told CNS that by partnering with local churches, Caritas can be on the ground to directly address issues such as migration rather than just deal with its consequences.

uGaza Strip Catholic priest brings comfort to traumatized community, with special focus on young people. Most of the Gaza population is made up of youth, and most of them have never been involved in violent acts. But they pay the price of trauma from violence between Israel and Palestine over the years. Father Gabriel Romanelli, who serves Gaza Holy Family Parish, is on a mission to change that. “In the parish, we are always busy providing them with activities and events so life can be as normal as possible,” said Father Romanelli, who is originally from Argentina. “We have games and events and bingo and horseback riding. We take them to the beach.” “We know from experience the one thing (we want to do) is to (reduce) the trauma,” said Father Romanelli in a phone conversation with OSV News a few hours before a ceasefire. “The people are tired. They want peace.” After the death in prison on May 2 of prominent hungerstriking Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, a leader in the Islamic Jihad militant group, the group launched a barrage of missiles into southern Israel. On May 9, Israel retaliated with an early morning airstrike into Gaza, killing three senior Islamic Jihad militants and 10 civilians, including their wives and some children, and neighbors. A ceasefire was called for at 10 p.m. May 13.

uUK bishop denounces new IVF method resulting in first baby born with DNA of three people. An English Catholic bishop has denounced the first reported births of “three-parent” babies in the U.K. as “deeply concerning.” Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster said the creation of babies by mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT) was unethical because the process involved the destruction of two embryos to create a single new life. His remarks came after The Guardian newspaper reported May 9 that “first U.K. baby with DNA from three people” was born after the new in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure. “It shows a further step in the technical manipulation of new life with the loss of human life as part of the technique,” said Bishop Sherrington, lead prelate for life issues of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. “The technique depends on the destruction of two human lives who had inherent dignity and rights and must be protected from their creation as persons in order to create a third embryo and life,” he said in a May 11 statement published on the bishops’ conference website. uPope appeals for cease-fire, international assistance in Sudan. Pope Francis has appealed for a cease-fire in Sudan and for the international community to help promote dialogue. “It is sad, but, a month after the outbreak of violence in Sudan, the situation continues to be serious,” he said after reciting the midday “Regina Coeli” prayer with about 25,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square May 21. The pope has been expressing his concern about Sudan after the midday prayer for weeks; fighting between forces loyal to two different generals has led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more since April 15. Several humanitarian cease-fire agreements have been reached by the two sides engaged

in the power struggle, but the fighting has continued. Pope Francis said May 21, “While encouraging the partial agreements reached so far, I renew my heartfelt appeal for the laying down of weapons, and I ask the international community to spare no effort to make dialogue prevail and to alleviate the suffering of the people.”

u AI topic draws record number of participants to media ethics conference at Pontifical University in Krakow. For 17 years, the media ethics conference at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, Poland, has gathered media researchers from all over the country. This year it attracted a record number of academics. The main topic was the ethics of using AI in the media space. “The theme is gaining momentum,” Father Michal Drozdz, dean of the university’s social sciences department, told OSV News. “We see more and more that this is an issue of human ethical security,” he said. What is at stake, Father Drozdz said, is a threat of the objectification of man and empowerment of machines. On May 16, the chief executive of the California start-up OpenAI, Sam Altman, urged government to regulate the increasingly powerful technology in testimony before members of a Senate subcommittee. Many participants agreed that regulation is one challenge; the other is education of society. “We can’t stop technology, but we have to educate,” Natalia Hatalaska — author of “The Age of Paradoxes. Is Technology Going to Save Us?” — said at the panel closing the conference. “When we build a hotel, it’s clear and regulated where the plugs are going to be located.” But all the regulations are useless, she argued, if “I don’t teach my child that putting his fingers inside a plug or using a hair dryer in the bathtub is dangerous.”

Identical twins rooted

By Christina

On June 5, 670 seniors from Edina High School will file into the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis to receive their diplomas. Halfway through the line-up, a pair of identical twins will cross the stage — young women with honeycolored hair and soft smiles whose lives have been defined by their faith and friendship.

“I’ll be excited!” said Alanna Halloran, 18, while hanging out at her parish, Our Lady of Grace in Edina, after school on a recent Friday afternoon.

“I’ll tear up,” said Lizzie Halloran, grinning broadly. Two minutes younger, she often mirrors her twin’s expression and completes her sentences. “I’m very emotional.”

Being in sync with each other has long been their trademark.

“We’ll be singing the same song at the same time,” Alanna said.

“And the same verse!” Lizzie added.

The twins, who attended Our Lady of Grace Catholic School, often read from the same prayer devotional. It’s become a regular occurrence that one twin will pick up her phone to call the other right as she receives a call from her sister.

“Being a twin gives you a best friend for life, a partner-incrime,” Lizzie said.

People realize they’re not talking to a couple kids whose lives have been served on a silver platter. These two young ladies have suffered. It’s self-evident. But it’s not a ‘woe is me.’ It’s an invitation to say, ‘Hey, I’ll engage you in a conversation. We all have suffering in our lives.’

That gives them an in on how to share the Gospel

— not only God’s love but the truth of the Church and the beauty of the Church’s teaching.

Father Kevin Finnegan

“An instant tutor, a counselor—” Alanna chimed in.

“—A chess partner!” Lizzie said.

That close bond, along with their deep Catholic faith, has anchored them through a wave of trials and triumphs they never could have imagined. Today, it helps explain what makes the two such remarkable high school graduates.

They’ve been defying the odds since their birth, making it nearly full-term — 38 weeks — and clocking in at 7 and a half pounds each.

The twins’ mother, Danette, recalled the nurse — who was accustomed to much smaller twins — shouting, “Weigh them! Weigh them!”

The girls grew up at OLG — tagging along when their parents Mike and Danette volunteered, helping at Mass as altar servers, teaching faith formation and making presentations at parent information night.

“They’re a shining light of how to grow in faith,” said Father Kevin Finnegan, pastor of OLG. “They dive into things with complete faith in God’s providence.”

That complete faith was evident early in

life. At age 12, the twins were diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis type 2. While it doesn’t shorten life expectancy, NF2 comes with considerable challenges. It causes tumors to form along nerve tissue and can result in complete hearing loss.

The twins immediately saw their diagnosis through a spiritual lens. They had just heard the Gospel account of Peter walking on water by trusting in Jesus. They referenced it and took to comforting their parents. They could weather this storm by reaching for Jesus’ outstretched hand.

“Their parents said, ‘We’re supposed to be the ones consoling our daughters,’ and they’re saying, ‘Mom and Dad, it’s not that bad,’” Father Finnegan recalled. “That comes from a place of faith.”

Danette agreed. “I often joke that there’s a lot of reverse parenting in our home because Lizzie and Alanna have an uncanny ability to remind us of God’s love and our Blessed Mother’s influence when we need it most,” she said.

That ability left a powerful impression on Sister Julieta Del Carpio, OLG’s confirmation coordinator and middle school youth minister. “What stands out to me is their sensitivity toward things of God. There’s a surrender to that supernatural vision,” she said of the twins. “It’s not only about what’s going on in my life now, in a worldly or human way, but it’s about God’s plan in my life.”

Mike credits their faith community. “As Father Kevin likes to say, ‘We lead with yes,’” he said. “That’s a really giving, open, loving approach to life.”

Paving the way

Looking back, the twins see how God was readying them for NF2.

“I think God set us up to be in a really good place to mentally accept the diagnosis,” Lizzie said. “OLG prepared us to know we’re not just living for this world — and life will not be perfect. And a diagnosis is a blessing because it’s a way to make your life difficult, which you can offer up.”

“It’s like St. Peter saying, I am grateful for adversity, which produces endurance, and endurance builds character and leads to eternal life,” Alanna added. “It really helps to know that bearing an illness on earth will have fruit in heaven — so it’s like you’re honored to have this.”

Lizzie agreed. “I see how unique our opportunity is,” she said.

Living with the unknowns of a degenerative disease — punctuated by regular hearing tests — has forced the twins to focus on the present and fix their eyes on God.

“Life on earth is so short compared to heaven,” Lizzie said.

From the onset, the twins trusted that God would use their disorder for some good.

“They believed they would do something great for God with this diagnosis and that their world would become bigger with new experiences that could help others grow closer to Christ,” Danette said.

Since the diagnosis, they’ve endured many health challenges, including two brain surgeries for Alanna and a spine surgery for Lizzie. But that belief, time and again, has held true.

“100 percent,” Alanna said.

The blessings include friendships with doctors and nurses who now feel like family. Mike and Danette have made every effort to build fun into NF2-related appointments, bonding the family of four. They bought each girl a horse — a longtime passion that helps with their balance, which can be thwarted by the genetic disorder.

It’s become an opportunity for evangelization, Father Finnegan said. “People realize they’re not talking to a couple kids whose lives have been served on a silver platter. These two young ladies have suffered. It’s self-evident. But it’s not a ‘woe is me.’ It’s an invitation to say, ‘Hey, I’ll engage you in a conversation. We all have suffering in our lives.’ That gives them an in on how to share the Gospel — not only God’s love but the truth of the Church and the beauty of the Church’s teaching.”

Mike and Danette recognize how NF2 has given the twins a new perspective, producing an empathy for others that’s off the charts.

It draws in their peers, who confide in the twins and seek their counsel, Sister Julieta said. “If someone is struggling and shared something with me, I could see they were also talking to the twins. They wouldn’t go to just any friend, but to them, because they knew they are close to God so they would have something wise to say. Their peers see them as a reference, as someone to look up to.”

Meanwhile, the twins are constantly offering each other encouragement, sensing when the other may be spiritually dry.

“Having a twin really helps me grow in my

faith,” Alanna

“Whenever lukewarm, which behind,” Lizzie appropriate Bible post—”

“—Or just talk,” Faith is a powerful of adolescence, “Teenagers aren’t fully developed,” a lot of pressure faith lets you a million majors going to become you to be.”

Earlier this day and receiving condition of her when a classmate religion.

“I stepped out some Hail Marys,” cortex isn’t fully been really helpful emotions.”

Their maturity in social justice refreshing youthful to laugh, swapping amusing memes

Transitioning

The transition year at Our Lady ninth grade, their Edina High School,

Alanna, left, and Lizzie Halloran stand in front of Edina High School, which they chose to attend so that they could follow the Gospel calling to be a light in the world. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

rooted in faith and friendship

Alanna said.

one of us gets a little which is normal, or even falls

Lizzie said, “we send each other an Bible verse or an Instagram talk,” Alanna added. powerful antidote to the stresses adolescence, the twins say. are angsty, and their brains developed,” Alanna said. “There’s pressure on yourself, but having a accept the struggles. There are majors and options, but you’re become the person that God wants spring, Lizzie was having a bad receiving regular updates on the her grandparents in hospice classmate in English class disparaged out of the classroom and prayed Marys,” she said. “My frontal fully developed. But faith has helpful for me in regulating maturity — including a keen interest justice issues — is matched by a youthful spirit. The girls are quick swapping jokes and tracking memes and TikTok trends.

Transitioning to high school

transition from eighth grade, their final Lady of Grace Catholic School, to their first year of public school at School, was dramatic.

“It’s like going from this super long, amazing Catholic retreat to the real world,” Alanna said.

But they didn’t see that as a bad thing, she explained.

“You get to use everything you’ve learned and go fight the good fight!” added Alanna.

Sister Julieta said she wasn’t surprised by their perspective. “When they ask for spiritual advice, their questions are always about how to please God more and how to go deeper in their prayer life. They’re aware that God is using them as instrument(s).”

They welcomed the chance to meet people from many different faith traditions.

The girls have exercised great courage, seizing opportunities to defend the Catholic Church when it is presented unfairly in classroom discussion. They’ve learned how to discuss Church teachings on thorny social issues with clarity and humility.

They’ve had their work cut out for them.

“It’s frustrating because our generation has open minds about everything but religion,” Lizzie said.

“Some people are aggressively against religion,” Alanna added.

When they overheard an art teacher talking about “getting out of” the Catholic faith, they responded sensitively. “I feel for people who are at that point,” Alanna said.

“You know something happened to them.”

A gentle witness

The twins lead with kindness, focusing on genuine connections rather than heavyhanded evangelization. They invite

classmates to tag along to Mass. They even brought an atheist friend to eucharistic adoration, where she had a beautiful experience.

They don’t view this friend as a project. Rather, they see her many gifts.

“She’s one of the kindest, most humble and virtuous people I know,” Alanna said.

Their approach — equal parts conviction and compassion — has borne great fruit. They’ve had many exciting conversations with classmates who reconsidered their views of Catholicism. One friend who used to be staunchly opposed to organized religion started posting positive messages about Christianity on Instagram.

“Lizzie and Alanna have encouraged me to grow in my faith, as they always remind me that a relationship with God is joyous and rewarding,” said Natalie Mosakowski, 16, a member of OLG and a sophomore at Edina High School. “They integrate faith into every aspect of their lives, and their pure joy makes me want to dedicate myself deeper to God, too.”

Serving others is their way of being, Mosakowski explained. “They’re always listening to others, supporting their friends and radiating love. I’ve never met more compassionate, generous people.”

The twins understand the power of compassion.

“When I hear from someone who feels ostracized by the Church, I get so much joy in saying, ‘No, Jesus loves you! Jesus loves you even more because of what you’ve been through!’” Alanna said. “That really is a powerful moment. Jesus came to the world to help those who are hurting.”

“That’s why I love our faith so much,” Lizzie added. “It gives meaning to every hardship.”

“Redemptive suffering!” Alanna said, pointing at her twin and referencing a middle-school religion lesson that has stayed with them.

“That’s our life motto,” Lizzie said, nodding.

It’s tied to gratitude, a sense of wonder that their teachers and classmates pick up

on. “They absolutely loved what they were learning about in AP Biology,” said Stephen Sanger, who taught the twins last year. “They clearly enjoy learning for learning’s sake. They thanked me just about every day as they left class, which is not typical high school behavior.”

They leave their mark in humble ways.

“Early last year, I noticed Post-it notes started to appear around the room with inspirational quotes and messages of gratitude,” Sanger said. “They were meant to be random pick-me-ups to whomever noticed and read them. It took me a while to figure out the source of these positive messages, but when I did, it made total sense: It was Alanna.”

Even her twin benefits. “I’ll be in the bathroom and see, ‘Oh, Alanna was in this stall,’” Lizzie said, referencing notes her twin leaves behind.

Now others have started leaving uplifting Post-it messages around the school, a custom that will continue when the twins begin studies at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities this fall. They plan to live in the same dorm but not as roommates.

They don’t want to simply make a living but make a difference. Lizzie wants to become a lawyer. She envisions channeling her passion for social justice as a human rights attorney. Alanna dreams of becoming a doctor and working on a cure for NF2.

Learning about the lives of the saints makes their big dreams feel feasible. The twins light up when they talk about Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro, a 20th century Italian Catholic who had, in essence, NF2 but valiantly pursued a medical career, learning to lip read to make it through school when she lost her hearing.

These are the stories they’ll be carrying with them on graduation day, a lifetime of trials and triumphs packed into 18 remarkable years.

“They’re ready,” said Father Finnegan. “They’re ready and willing to serve and to give praise to God.”

Christina Capecchi • For The Catholic Spirit

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Lizzie, left, and Alanna enjoy an afternoon of riding their horses May 8 at a stable in Lake Elmo.

To honor graduating high school seniors in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, The Catholic Spirit asked school officials at three Catholic high schools — Cristo Rey Jesuit in Minneapolis, St. Agnes in St. Paul and Unity Catholic in Burnsville — to suggest students who might share their faith journey. The three students credit their Catholic education with deepening their faith and express a commitment to living out its principles. The Catholic Spirit congratulates all 2023 high school graduates!

Congrats Grads

Giselle Verdugo Acosta Cristo Rey Jesuit Growing through service for others

iselle Verdugo Acosta’s favorite classes at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis have been history and “all of my government classes,” she said. “I really enjoy learning about the mistakes of the past and, also, the successes and how it kind of has laid the foundation for the society that we live in today,” she said.

Verdugo Acosta’s AP U.S. history teacher spurred her interest. The teacher covered “both sides of our history,” whether that be positive or negative, Verdugo Acosta said.

It’s no surprise that Verdugo Acosta, 17, will major in political science when she attends Yale University in Connecticut this fall. She then plans to attend law school to become an immigration lawyer.

She said an end-of-year “multi-genre project” for an English class last year, involving interviews and a research paper, also supported her plans. “It allowed for me to advocate for what I’m passionate about and in a creative manner,” she said. Her topic pertained to “immigration and health care, and the lack of resources given to people who are in my community,” she said. Verdugo Acosta’s mother is from Mexico and her father from Ecuador; the family now lives in Minneapolis and attends Incarnation.

Verdugo Acosta said Cristo Rey not only provides students with the same end goal of all other schools, “which is to graduate as a better student, but it does that while allowing you to grow as an individual through service for others.”

Vice president of the school’s National Honor Society, she said its members chose two service projects this year: building and painting benches for the school campus, and making cards for hospitalized children.

She also is a member of the school’s “Ignite Team,” which she described as a service-oriented group of about 18 seniors that leads retreats for students in younger grades. Some retreats involve activities such as “packing food or serving children.” “Others are focused more on personal, spiritual reflection and growth,” part of caring for the whole person — mind, body and spirit, she said.

Verdugo Acosta was awarded a four-year QuestBridge scholarship, which will cover tuition, books, room and board at Yale, and other costs.

Joseph Draganowski St. Agnes School

oseph Draganowski, a lifelong parishioner of St. Agnes in St. Paul, and an altar server for six or seven years, said some of his favorite things from his four years of high school at St. Agnes are the “many great friendships” he has made. Homeschooled through eighth grade, he said he now has “so many friends, I probably know half to two-thirds of the people in the upper school.”

As “a very faith-filled community,” Draganowski said St. Agnes has “greatly helped form me in my faith.” He said he “got more into” his faith sophomore year, encouraged by “all the wonderful, faithful young people who are at the school that … encourage each other, and you see your good friends … doing it. It’s a lot of really wonderful peer pressure,” Draganowski said.

In addition to school Masses and prayer before classes, “a hefty contingent of students” pray in the chapel during lunch every day and before school, he said. That’s in addition to “all the theological conversations at just random times” that show the presence of faith among the St. Agnes students inside and outside of classrooms, Draganowski said.

Draganowski’s favorite class this year is called “The Great Conversation,” with credits in history and literature, but it “is mainly philosophical,” he said. It combines “a lot of reading,” mostly outside class, with 90 minutes of discussion with “a great group of people,” he said. Much of the content has pertained to Greek philosophy, he said, and “seeing how it makes so much sense with Christian theology.”

Draganowski, 18, had planned to study biology or medicine in college, followed by medical school. But he enjoyed the class so much that he will be majoring in theology and biology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he said “it seems like I want to go to med school.”

Draganowski ran cross country all four years at St. Agnes and three years in track, sang in the choir all four years and participated in the school’s spring musicals. He’s also in a group that performs “more liturgical or sacred music.”

Georgia Blando Unity Catholic Joining others in faith-filled lives

eorgia Blando was homeschooled in kindergarten through eighth grade, but then enrolled in the first freshman class at Unity Catholic High School in Burnsville. “I really wanted to go to a Catholic school,” Blando said, where she could be open, and learn, about her faith. She wanted to “find friends who agreed with me and who wanted to live a faith-filled life like I did,” she said. “And I definitely found that at Unity.”

Blando, 18, a parishioner of St. Peter in Mendota, said it’s also been fun to be part of a class that’s “like a leader all four years because we started as just the freshmen, so we’ve always been the oldest at school,” and be able to “help set the tone” for the school.

Students attend Mass every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, she said, followed by adoration. Students can participate in Mass as lectors or altar servers, or in a chant ensemble that sings at Mass, as Blando does.

The curriculum is non-traditional on Wednesdays, focusing on “skills and virtues and faith that will help you throughout your life,” Blando said, including sessions on music, personal finance and personal interests.

But faith is part of “pretty much all of our classes,” she said. Every class starts with prayer and almost all incorporate faith somehow, she said. “Even if it’s not theology or going to Mass, we’re always talking about God, which is what I think you should get at a Catholic school,” she said.

“In English (class), often when we discuss books, our teacher will … find a way to bring it back to God or ask if we can see a connection to faith in it,” Blando said. It’s a little harder to do so in math class, she said, but the class always prays at the beginning of class. And the math teacher “loves St. Patrick, so he’s like our patron saint of math at the school,” Blando said with a laugh.

Interested in becoming a child psychologist, Blando will attend the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to study psychology. She also wants to explore a path to teaching, perhaps through mission trips to other countries where she could teach English or other subjects.

— Stories by Barb Umberger, photos by Dave Hrbacek

‘Really wonderful peer pressure’

Seeing with new eyes: a sweepstakes win guided by God

By Christina Capecchi

For The Catholic Spirit

For years, Sarah Hansen dreamt of getting surgery to improve her severe vision impairment. Whenever a Facebook ad popped up advertising a sweepstakes to win free Lasik surgery, the 33-year-old mom entered. This spring she received an email saying she had won a free surgery through a radio station’s contest. “I was in shock!” said Hansen, a communications specialist at St. Odilia in Shoreview. She underwent Lasik surgery on March 16. Now she’s seeing the world through new eyes — and through the lens of faith.

Q What did you make of that incredible gift?

A I was ecstatic. I don’t win a lot of things, but you get what God has meant to give you.

Q Did you see his hand in it?

A One hundred percent! The Sunday Gospel for the week of my surgery was when Jesus heals the blind man. And I work at St. Odilia (in Shoreview), who is the patron saint of the blind. Then I found out my doctor who performed the surgery — Mark Lobanoff — is a parishioner here. How cool! I think God led me here, and everything is connected.

Q What was it like to suddenly see clearly without glasses?

A Everything looks so much better. I was so excited to take a shower and be able to actually see! Waking up in the morning and seeing clearly (is) shocking. We live by Rice Creek Park, where they have tons of trails, and now I can see details there — lines and flowers that I never saw before. It’s so pretty.

The biggest thing was actually at Mass. That first Sunday back at Mass, I noticed how unique our cross is. There are so many details and grooves on it with different pieces of wood. I whispered to my husband, “Oh my gosh! I didn’t realize how cool the cross is!”

Q The impact is wide-reaching.

A It’s changed everything. My job is pretty detail-oriented, and it’s so much easier now. I do a lot of photography, and my pictures are coming out so much better now. Yesterday I was able

to visit our preschool 2-year-olds who were in the Mary room of our chapel, adoring her, and I was able to take their pictures and capture how they see things. At our Easter Vigil, I got the most beautiful pictures. The church was packed, and to see everybody worshipping with candles in the dark was powerful.

Q As a photographer, your eyes are others’ eyes. You’re capturing images for other people to see.

A Yes. I want to be able to show God’s work and the beauty that he’s made. It’s everywhere, and we can find it outside, we can find it in the church, we can find it at our choir concerts and when the kids put on a little show for Sarah’s Table, our monthly luncheon for senior citizens.

Q Do you feel like you’re right where God wants you to be?

A I really do. I had worked a lot of different jobs and wasn’t satisfied with any. It was a struggle. I wanted to do more with my life, and I asked God to point me in the right direction. I stayed home when my daughter Madi was born, and then, with her preparing to start kindergarten, I learned about this job. My first day at St. O’s was her first day as a kindergartner. It’s so cool — I can go down and visit her at lunch or see her in the hallway. And my job is to make stuff! I’m in my own little world half the time creating.

I am so much happier! I feel at peace. Q I bet Madi loves visiting your cubicle.

A Her favorite thing to do is go under my desk. It’s a large U-shaped desk and the whole thing is open underneath, so I put a little bean bag chair under there for her. She comes over after school, throws her stuff off, pulls a snack out of

my drawer and then crawls under my desk to draw. It’s her little fort. Nobody can see when she’s down there.

Q What do you think she’s learning from being a student at St. O’s and seeing you there as an employee?

A She can integrate her faith into every part of her life. If she’s having a hard time with something, she’ll say, “Mom, can we pray?” It’s so great.

I love listening to Madi sing. It’s so cute to hear what she’s learned at school. She loves the VBS music. We listen to that CD in the car all year-round!

At night, I play the Latin hymn “Tantum Ergo” on the Hallow app — the piano instrumental. She falls asleep to it. It’s so peaceful. “Ahh! This is how we’re going to end our day.”

We love to go on walks. She calls them nature hunts. We look for something new, we pick up leaves, we talk about the animals or how many cracks are in the road or why things happen. She comes up with the most amazing questions.

Q Do you think many people have lost their sense of wonder?

A I do. And I think I had, honestly. I went through the whole faith formation process. We learn so much as kids and then it fizzles. You lose that sense of wonder because there aren’t places for you to learn. But I’m learning so much working here. And listening to Father Mike Schmitz’s podcast “The Catechism in a Year” has been huge for me. If I’m doing laundry, I’ll listen to a bunch of them.

Q Do you consider wonder a spiritual gift?

A I do! My heart is filled with gratitude. This has changed my view of how we’re all connected. I’ve thought about it a lot. Sometimes when you’re in the thick of it, you don’t see it, but looking back on it, you can recognize how God guided you. I had persistence. I kept on going, kept on trusting in God.

I know he’s here and I know he hears me, and he’s going to do what’s best for me. It’s his plan. I just have to trust it and keep on going, and then everything falls into place.

God has a plan for all of us. It might feel really hard at times, but in the end, we can see how everything is pulled together.

Deacon Brent Bowman

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

List of Catholic-run Native boarding schools is ‘significant step toward truth-telling’

By Rebecca Omastiak The Catholic Spirit

Alist of Native American boarding schools affiliated with the Catholic Church — including such schools in Minnesota — is available this month through a new website.

The database of roughly 87 Catholicrun Native boarding schools in the United States, and the information about them, was compiled by archivists, historians, Catholics and tribal members as research into the schools and their generational impact continues.

Recent research included a U.S. Department of the Interior report released last year, which indicated Native boarding schools, many of them operated by various religious orders, sought a process of forcibly assimilating Indigenous children to a European and Christian way of life, suppressing language and culture in the process.

The introduction to the list of Native boarding schools affiliated with the Catholic Church notes that to be included a school had to meet five criteria: that it “was operated by a Catholic entity, such as a diocese, a parish or a congregation of men or women religious;” it “provided on-site housing or overnight lodging at some point in its existence;” it “provided formal academic or vocational training or instruction;” it “was established before 1978 (when the Indian Child Welfare Act was passed);” and it “was established specifically for the education of Native children, or received federal funding to bring children from reservations even if established originally for white students.”

The list includes eight Minnesota schools. They were among 21 total Native boarding schools in Minnesota, according to a DOI report appendix. The schools were among more than 400 overseen across the country by the U.S.

Congratulations!

government between 1819 and 1969, with many sites operated by Christian churches and related organizations.

Of the Catholic-run Native boarding schools in Minnesota, none were situated within the current boundaries of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; however, three were situated within the historical diocese boundaries: Academy of the Holy Child, formerly in Avoca, part of the WinonaRochester diocese; Convent of Our Lady of the Lake, formerly in Graceville, part of the New Ulm diocese; and St. Paul’s Industrial School, formerly in Clontarf, part of the New Ulm diocese.

Allison Spies — who has been archives program manager for the archdiocesan Office of Archives and Records Management since 2019 — said her first encounters with records of the Native American experience began when she was a genealogy research volunteer for the archdiocese.

“I remember at that time being both deeply moved by what was in those records and questioning why they were here versus somewhere else with broader access or in the hands of tribal nations,” Spies said.

Hjalmar B. Gudjonsson

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.

CONTINUED EFFORTS

This summer, the Minneapolis-based organization Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition expects to launch an online tool to help Native Americans search for information on relatives who attended Native boarding schools.

According to the NABS website, the National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive “is essential to understanding this history and its consequences on Tribal Nations.” NIBSDA makes records more accessible to survivors and their descendants.

“Through cultivating historical insights, NIBSDA supports community-led healing initiatives throughout American Indian and Alaska Native Nations and towards restored Indigenous cultural sovereignty,” the website states.

Information about NABS can be found online at boardingschoolhealing org

TEKAKWITHA CONFERENCE

that this is about transparency, this is about facilitating connections between people and records that are meaningful to them.”

According to the list, the majority of those affected in Minnesota were from the Dakota and Ojibwe tribal nations.

In a statement regarding the list’s release, Jaime Arsenault — tribal historic preservation officer for the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe — said it is “a significant step toward truth-telling. Before there can be truth-telling, there must first be truth-finding. Basic information, such as how many Catholic-run Native American boarding schools operated in the United States and where they were located is critical information that must be known for the truth-telling and the reconciliatory process to take place.”

Arsenault went on to state, “This list has the potential to open lines of communication between Catholic archives and Tribal Nations.”

The theme of this year’s Tekakwitha Conference — named for St. Kateri Tekakwitha, a 17th-century convert known as the “Lily of the Mohawks” who was canonized in 2012 — is “Gathering for Healing through Living Waters” and there will be an emphasis on the Native American boarding school era. The conference will be held July 19-23 in Bloomington. More information can be found online at tekconf org

updating the list annually, but Spies said the group anticipates more frequent updates, particularly as more research into the history of Native boarding schools comes to light — locally, nationally and internationally.

“Families and communities of boarding school survivors and their descendants deserve prioritized access to information regarding their own histories,” compilers stated in their introduction. “The Catholic Church also has an obligation to understand the scope of its own role in this history.”

Spies began conducting more research when she assumed her role with the Office of Archives and Records Management. Through professional networks, Spies and other archivists, historians, Catholics and tribal members began considering how to grant more streamlined public access to records information. Doing so, Spies said, has presented its challenges.

“The complexity of this history is a constant challenge and figuring out how to share basic information when nothing about it is basic, that’s a challenge; and it’s challenging because this information isn’t neutral.”

“Being able to handle this information with care, being sensitive to what it means really had to be running through everything we did,” Spies said. “Making sure that the objective was always kept in mind —

Maka Black Elk — executive director for truth and healing at Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, who was part of the effort to compile the list — said, “While there are more steps for the Catholic Church to take to move toward truth, healing and reconciliation, this list is a powerful step forward.”

The online list is searchable by state, school and key terms. The website for the list also includes explanations of criteria for the list and how to interpret it, information about those who compiled the list, a glossary of terms used, and links to additional resources.

Spies said this work — which had been ongoing for two years prior to the website’s launch — is far from complete. “This is not a comprehensive list and being information professionals, we (the list compilers) are committed to making it more accurate and more complete, if possible,” she said.

The group has already committed to

As federal research was released, Church leaders issued statements of apology. Pope Francis made a penitential pilgrimage to Canada in July 2022, formally apologizing for the suffering and trauma many endured.

Locally, Archbishop Bernard Hebda formally apologized for “the role that our Church played as part of the U.S. government’s systemic separation of families, often leading to the intergenerational trauma experienced by so many of our sisters and brothers.

“There are women and men in our Archdiocese and across our state who personally experienced the boarding school system. They are with us now. Their stories must be told and we must listen to them. We must also listen to the voices of the children and grandchildren whose ancestors endured such pain and death,” Archbishop Hebda stated.

The list of schools and available information can be accessed online at ctah archivistsacwr org

REBECCA OMASTIAK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

A photo shows the opening page of an online list of roughly 87 Native American boarding schools affiliated with the Catholic Church.

‘Practicing Catholic’ host’s journey to Catholic Church included theological studies

By Susanna Parent For The Catholic Spirit

Little did Patrick Conley know that, while studying to be an Anglican priest and working his first broadcasting position with BBC Radio in Oxford, he would end up being the host for two different Relevant Radio shows. The first being “Practicing Catholic,” produced by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Relevant Radio, and, as of March 13, a Relevant Radio national show, “The Inner Life.”

Conley, 52, and his wife, Kendra, 46, are members of St. Bernard-St. Hedwig parish near their home in Thorp, Wisconsin, Kendra’s hometown. They are actively involved; Patrick is the director of religious education for the parish and a religion teacher at the parish’s Thorp Catholic School where Kendra is principal. Patrick often works from a sound studio he set up in his home.

Patrick grew up in the Wisconsin Dells but moved to Minnesota while obtaining a physics degree from the University of Minnesota. He graduated in 1994.

After marrying, the Conleys moved to England, where Patrick began studying at the Anglican seminary Wycliffe Hall, which is affiliated with the University of Oxford.

“After three years there studying, I thought I was preparing for ministry in the Anglican community,” Patrick said. “Turns out, that’s where God really put the screws (to) me, in terms of really, honestly considering the Catholic Church.”

The moment Patrick realized he was not going to be an Anglican minister, he was angry. “I was letting the Lord have it, yelling at him from the tiny kitchen in our tiny flat in Oxford. Finally, when I shut up and just silently sobbed, I heard his voice. It wasn’t an audible voice, but I knew what he was saying to me. He asked me two questions. He said, ‘If I’m not the one who’s leading you into the Catholic Church, why would you even think about doing it?’ and ‘If I am the one who’s leading you into the Catholic Church, why don’t you trust that I’ll take care of you?’ Thanks be to God; he’s come through so much. I have never applied for a job in the Church;

they’ve always just come to me. That’s not anything to do with me, it’s all the goodness of God.”

After Patrick earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from the University of Oxford, he and Kendra moved back to Minnesota, where Patrick began doctoral-level theological studies. He left the program in the spring of 2013 for full-time ministry as director of faith formation at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The Cathedral is where he and Kendra — who, with Patrick, had been Episcopalian — entered full communion with the Catholic Church in 2010. “I felt that God had prepared me for more of a pastoral role than an academic one,” Patrick said.

Conley said he never expected that his position with BBC radio, which he volunteered for as part of his seminary formation, would be such helpful

preparation for his work in radio today. Conley hadn’t planned to work in broadcasting. Yet when he started working at the Cathedral, he was asked to start recording ads for Relevant Radio.

Just a few years later, in October 2016, Conley was asked by the archdiocese to be the host of “The Rediscover: Hour,” now “Practicing Catholic,” which highlights current events and the faith lives of people in the local Church and beyond. He didn’t seek these positions, but was offered them, Conley said.

In addition to his radio and parish work, Conley serves as a traveling presenter with the Catherine of Siena Institute, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which coordinates Called and Gifted workshops in the archdiocese. And he is in his second year of formation for the permanent

Paul Sadek, technical producer of “Practicing Catholic” and network producer of Illinois-based Relevant Radio, said he was thrilled to have Conley join the network. “I’ve always been impressed not only with his on-air presence, but with his knowledge of Scripture and the Church, and his deep faith.”

In February 2023, executives at Relevant Radio asked Conley to host “The Inner Life,” an hour-long, weekday program that launched in 2006 and is dedicated to spiritual direction. It airs at 11 a.m. Central Time on Relevant Radio stations in all 50 states and 15 countries.

Conley said a favorite thing for him about Catholic radio is that people can anonymously hear more about the faith, on their own schedule, without feeling pressured. When he was director of faith formation at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Conley said he heard from many people seeking full communion with the Church that listening to Relevant Radio was one reason they were converting to Catholicism.

When it came time to find a new host for “The Inner Life,” Father Francis Hoffman,“Father Rocky,” CEO and chairman of Relevant Radio, said he had Conley in mind. “Patrick came to our attention through his work with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His intelligence, wit, formation and zeal for the Catholic faith have prepared him to be an excellent host of this program,” Father Hoffman said.

“Although I’m not the ‘answer man’ on “The Inner Life,” but rather, the conversation facilitator,” Conley said, “I am grateful for the theological knowledge I’ve gained through my studies to help the conversation remain pertinent, consistent with Catholic teaching, and practically applicable.”

Topics have included family prayer, charity to the poor and living the Resurrection. Guests are invited from all around the country. Each show features a priest or religious sister. Regulars include Father Joseph Johnson, pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, and Father Tom Wilson, pastor of All Saints in Lakeville.

“We’re all about inspiring and encouraging people in their walk of faith, just to go a little bit deeper into their life with Jesus,” Conley said.

COURTESY KENDRA CONLEY

Patrick Conley does some of his radio work from his home studio in Thorp, Wisconsin.

Despite disability, young man directs film — in Lourdes, France

By Paulina Guzik OSV News

Kamil Cierniak lived with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a terminal illness, for 26 years. He was fragile, he spoke with a delicate, weak voice and operated his electric wheelchair with one finger. But one thing was unbeatable in his life — his faith. It was this faith that brought him to the Sanctuary of Lourdes, France, in May 2015. The young Polish student directed a documentary on other disabled people traveling to Lourdes for an annual May pilgrimage with the Order of Malta.

Kamil was born Aug. 28, 1993. “He was a tiny and very calm baby. We thought this is just his character,” Krystyna Cierniak, Kamil’s mother, told OSV News. She learned that her child was ill when he was 8 months old.

“I never took his disease as a cross. You can’t expect that everything will be great in your life, because that would be like hoping that someone else would get sick,” she said. “This would be unacceptable for a Christian.”

Krystyna did everything she could to make her son’s life as normal as possible. “He was exceptionally smart,” she said, so when the time came for him to go to college, she did not hesitate.

“He was planning to study remotely but then he saw a disabled student living in the dormitory with her mom,” she said, “and his face just lit with a smile — ‘Mom, we can do the same!’”

Given that Kamil’s older brothers were adults, Krystyna moved to the university’s dormitory with her youngest. She spent eight years living in a small dormitory room with her son, who first studied political science at the Jagiellonian University, then cognitive studies in the field of psychology, and finally philosophy at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, Poland.

Kamil’s passion was editorial journalism. He published a blog, sharing thoughts filled with humor about the life of a disabled student. Once he described applying for a job as a flight attendant. “There is one problem,” he wrote in a job application. “I am disabled. But thanks to this, if — God forbid — something bad starts to happen during the flight, I will be a model of calm and selfcontrol.”

He remembers fondly one flight of his own — one to Lourdes, France, to visit the beloved Marian shrine.

In April 2015, the Pontifical University of John Paul II approached Kamil to become a director of a documentary on the pilgrimage of the disabled to Lourdes.

Every year at the beginning of May, the month traditionally devoted to Mary, national associations of the Order of Malta travel to Lourdes with disabled pilgrims to the place where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous — a place that has become known for the medical miracles that sometimes result from an encounter with its waters.

Kamil and his cameraman friend, Jakub Stoszek, took on the challenge of

My son had an amazing relationship with God. And he felt praying in Lourdes was an exceptional spiritual experience for him.

Krystyna Cierniak

producing a 30-minute documentary. As usual, Kamil traveled with his mom.

“Without the help of the Maltesers, and the support of the university, this trip would never be possible,” Krystyna told OSV News. “It had a huge impact on Kamil. I knew it, and I saw how poignant it was for him to be in this sacred place.”

Kamil’s wheelchair was too big to fit into the plane, so the airline delivered it the day after his arrival. That meant that for his first day in Lourdes, Kamil was in a hospital bed.

“Thanks to the Knights of Malta, on my hospital bed I was able to go and visit the Grotto, where the apparitions of the Virgin Mary happened. It was very meaningful to me, especially that a month before I would never think I would ever see this place on my own,” he wrote on his blog upon his return.

He continued: “On that same bed

I was wheeled to Mass to the chapel of our hospital-hotel. At the end of Mass, during announcements, I was introduced as a participant of a journalistic team. Those present at Mass must have been really surprised that a reporter is actually lying on the hospital bed.”

“Well, someone needs to be the innovative one,” he quipped.

“The pilgrimage to Lourdes was for him a spiritual strengthening — a place to charge his batteries. My son had

an amazing relationship with God. And he felt praying in Lourdes was an exceptional spiritual experience for him,” Krystyna said.

Kamil interviewed multiple dames and knights of the Order of Malta and the sick while producing the documentary. He told a story of the first international pilgrimage organized by the Order of Malta in 1958 (the centenary of Mary’s apparitions to Bernadette), during which women were dressed in old-fashioned nurse uniforms and men wore traditional national uniforms similar to those worn by the military. All of the participants take care of big groups of sick people that accompany them, making Lourdes a colorful mosaic of people united in prayer and service to others.

“During the international pilgrimage of the Order of Malta, Lourdes is really, really impressive,” Kamil wrote on his blog.

With his usual touch of a sense of humor, he concluded his blog post about Lourdes: “In a way, I was blessed with a miracle, as I returned to Poland without my wheelchair. Unfortunately, two days later, it made it home by bus.”

The documentary produced by Kamil was aired by Polish Television, a national public channel, during the Church’s Year of Mercy in 2016.

“Kamil never complained,” his mother told OSV News. In November 2019, his father was diagnosed with brain cancer and died only a few weeks later. “It was devastating for Kamil; only a month after his dad passed away, on Christmas Eve, his condition gravely deteriorated,” she said.

Kamil spent the last three months of his life in a hospital bed, intubated and unable to breathe on his own.

“He was still cheering the hospital staff,” Krystyna told OSV News. “The ward would be full of laughter of his friends taking night shifts with him so I can sleep.”

“He would be writing with his eyes on a screen asking the nurses whether they are OK and whether they are not too tired. He always cared about others more than he cared about himself,” Krystyna remembered.

“One of the last messages he wrote to me was: ‘Mommy, put your head on the pillow and rest.’”

“One day he asked me, ‘Mom, can you please go to the store to pick up some sweets for doctors and nurses?’ It was a very brief errand and when I came back, a nurse rushed from his room and told me that my son had died,” Krystyna recalled.

“I could not believe it,” she said, “but later I learned from the doctor that kids rarely let their parents see their children’s death.”

Kamil died on April 18, 2020, the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday.

“I know Kamil is now with God, as I feel his presence with me all the time,” Krystyna said.

“He had a strength of faith that we all learned from him.”

PAULINA GUZIK | OSV NEWS

Kamil Cierniak lived with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a terminal illness, for 26 years. Despite the disease, he studied in multiple departments of Krakow’s universities in Poland. In 2015 Kamil was asked to become a director of the documentary on the international pilgrimage of the Order of Malta to Lourdes sanctuary. He is pictured with his camera on a hill overlooking Lourdes Sanctuary on May 4, 2015 in Lourdes. Cierniak died April 18, 2020.

FOCUSONFAITH

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER MICHAEL JOHNSON

Unity in the Holy Spirit

“The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words ... Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.’ … Then the LORD said: ‘If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says’” (Gn 11, read at the vigil Mass of Pentecost).

This passage from the Book of Genesis regarding the Tower of Babel stands in contrast to what happened at Pentecost when the people “in amazement … asked, ‘Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God’” (Acts 2, read on the day of Pentecost).

The themes of languages, unity and disunity connect these two passages. The people of Babel in their pride sought to do their own will by disregarding God’s plan for humanity. They chose to follow the spirit of the world, which resulted in chaos, confusion and disunity. In contrast, the Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed God’s great deeds. The Holy Spirit, working in the Apostles, brought unity to the crowd of diverse people gathered outside their door. The effect of the sin of Babel is healed at Pentecost.

ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ

Why do I still feel badly about my sins after I’ve confessed?

Q I’ve been to confession, and I know that God has forgiven my sins. But I still feel badly about them. What should I do?

A Thank you so much for reaching out and for asking this question. In fact, while we know that Jesus forgives our sins in the sacrament of reconciliation, I will often talk with people who experience what you described. There are times when we just can’t seem to let our sins go.

To begin to address what is happening in these moments, I think that it is important to note what we are really talking about when we discuss God’s mercy extended to us in the sacrament of confession. We know that God does not brush aside our sins or dismiss them when he forgives. Quite the opposite. God takes sin incredibly seriously. God takes sin so seriously that he made forgiveness possible by taking on human nature, living on this earth, suffering in his body, dying, descending into the abode of the dead, and rising from the dead to be able to forgive our sins. Remember, God is merciful. But God is also just. And justice demands that the consequences of sin are carried out. Jesus took the weight of the sins of the world upon himself at the crucifixion and allowed the evil that you and I have chosen to overwhelm

KNOW the SAINTS

The spirit of the ruler of this world, the devil, sows disunity. In contrast, the Holy Spirit brings about unity; unity brought about not by ignoring our differences in a false irenicism, but a true unity. The unity brought about by the Holy Spirit does not diminish one’s individuality but unites that unique individuality with another’s in the bond of love. The unity brought about by the Holy Spirit is the unity that is found in the Trinity.

In our baptism, and strengthened in confirmation, we receive the Holy Spirit. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is constantly seeking to draw us deeper into the mystery of God’s love — to unify us with God. A consequence of this unity with God is that we become more united to our brothers and sisters in a true and authentic way.

So how do we know that we are following the Holy Spirit and not the spirit of this world? We judge the fruits that are born from the choices we make. St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians (5:2225) exhorts us to live in the Spirit and when we do, the fruits of the spirit become manifest: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” In contrast, the fruits of the spirit of this world are “immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy.”

To make the right choices for our families, to make the right choices as a parish, Church, community, state, we need a clear guide. That guide is the Holy Spirit residing within us. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” If we do this, if we seek this, then we will find ourselves surrounded by the fruits of the Spirit’s presence. Imagine how different our families would be, this Church would be, this world would be if we gave free reign to the Holy Spirit — allowing these fruits to spring up everywhere a Christian finds himself or herself present. Imagine how united this divided world could be.

Come, Holy Spirit, come. Renew the face of the earth.

DAILY Scriptures

Sunday, May 28 Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-11 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 Jn 20:19-23

Monday, May 29 Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of the Church Gn 3:9-15, 20 Jn 19:25-34

Tuesday, May 30 Sir 35:1-12 Mk 10:28-31

Wednesday, May 31 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Zep 3:14-18a Lk 1:39-56

Thursday, June 1 St. Justin, martyr Sir 42:15-25 Mk 10:46-52

Friday, June 2 Sir 44:1, 9-13 Mk 11:11-26

Saturday, June 3 St. Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs Sir 51:12cd-20 Mk 11:27-33

Sunday, June 4

him to the point of death. Scripture states, “The wages of sin is death.” This means that the consequence of sin is death; death is the result of sin, the price of sin. Jesus paid that price. In a free decision of pure love for us, he embraced the cross so that you and I could know freedom, life and mercy. Furthermore, Jesus made it possible for us to experience this freedom, life and mercy when he breathed on his Apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit … those whose sins you forgive are forgiven. Those whose sins you hold bound are held bound.”

Jesus gave the Apostles (and their successors, the bishops and priests) the power to forgive sins because God wanted us to know this mercy for ourselves. He gave this incredible sacrament so that you would know that his sacrifice was not merely for “the world” but was for you. So, why would we go to confession and still feel badly? I think that there are at least three sources of these feelings.

The first is when we become aware that our sins have consequences in other people’s lives. Our choice has affected another person in a negative way. Because of this, a person could go to confession and truly know that they have been forgiven but feel tortured by the reality that God’s forgiveness does not miraculously undo what that person’s decision caused to happen. Because I gossiped, someone now has a bad reputation, and I can’t undo that. Because I acted out in anger, another person is now physically or emotionally wounded. Because I stole, someone now has less. Of course, the list of the consequences of our choices could go on forever. But the fact remains that my decisions may have injured someone else’s life. It is possible that our decisions have ended someone else’s life.

What does a person do then? There are consequences that someone else is enduring. This is one of the places where the Church’s teaching on restitution could come into play. The Church teaches us that, if I am truly repentant of my sins, I ought to do all I can to make up for my sins according to my ability. This is not at all believing that we are “earning” forgiveness.

PLEASE TURN TO ASK FATHER MIKE ON PAGE 21

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9 2 Cor 13:11-13 Jn 3:16-18

Monday, June 5 St. Boniface, bishop and martyr Tb 1:3; 2:1a-8 Mk 12:1-12

Tuesday, June 6 Tb 2:9-14 Mk 12:13-17

Wednesday, June 7 Tb 3:1-11a, 16-17a Mk 12:18-27

Thursday, June 8

Tb 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a Mk 12:28-34

Friday, June 9 Tb 11:5-17 Mk 12:35-37

Saturday, June 10

Tb 12:1, 5-15, 20 Mk 12:38-44

Sunday, June 11

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a

1 Cor 10:16-17

Jn 6:51-58

ST. AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY (?-605) Augustine was prior of a monastery in Rome until 596, when Pope St. Gregory the Great sent him and 30 other monks to evangelize England. They landed in Kent and gained permission to preach because the king’s wife had been a Christian before her marriage. Augustine’s preaching won over King Ethelbert, who became a Christian and gave the monks a house and church in Canterbury. Augustine built England’s first cathedral there; from this see, missionaries and bishops were sent around England. He is known as “the apostle of England.” His feast day is May 27. — OSV News

Father Johnson is judicial vicar in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of the Metropolitan Tribunal.

COMMENTARY

for the first United for Life pro-life advocacy day, met with legislators, testified in committee hearings, offered innumerable prayers during First Friday Adoration, and sent 7,361 messages, phone calls, tweets and videos through our Catholic Advocacy Network along with hundreds of postcards urging legislators to protect women and their unborn children.

The Legislature has left in place the parental notification requirements for minors seeking an abortion, though the statute is currently struck down through a Ramsey County court case. Fortunately, a group called Mothers Offering Maternal Support (MOMS) is working to challenge that decision.

Spiritual warfare in America

The April 27, Catholic Spirit

legislators to put families first, many of our poorest families across the state will now benefit from a nationleading Child Tax Credit. More work is needed to make more families eligible, but this per-child refundable tax credit is expected to reduce childhood poverty in Minnesota by 20-30%.

Minnesotans who fall on hard times are also now better protected from debt traps by a 36% interest rate cap on payday loans. Additionally, families and individuals, especially those working in low-wage jobs, now have access to earned sick and safe time, thus enabling them to receive one hour of paid time off for every 30 hours worked to care for a sick family member or themselves.

Finally, after a decade of advocating for immigrant families, starting this fall they can apply for a driver’s license and no longer need to fear separation through deportation for simply driving their kids to school, the grocery store, the doctor or Mass. Our migrant brothers and sisters can also now buy into Minnesota Care, allowing them access to health insurance instead of avoiding necessary care or only making use of costly emergency rooms.

Although there still is much work to be done to defend life, dignity and the common good, the victories won this session have come from many years of ensuring good seeds have healthy soil in which to grow.

Despite great adversity, pro-lifers should remain undeterred by the Minnesota Legislature and a swipe of a governor’s pen. Hundreds of advocates showed up

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD

The first saints to whom I go

More than 5,300 pilgrims traveled with the same mind and spirit May 6 on the 10th annual Walk to Mary in eastern Wisconsin. Keeping company with another couple much of the way, my wife and I traversed the 21-mile stretch from the National Shrine of St. Joseph in De Pere, Wisconsin, to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, named after the small, rural town of Champion, Wisconsin. Pilgrims carried with them the intentions of thousands in the form of prayers and petitions of their own and of others to the only Church-approved Marian apparition site within the United States. The litany of St. Joseph got us on our way, and there were breaks every seven miles to nourish the body and spirit (and maybe nurture a blister forming). Holy Mass concluded the day.

For centuries, Catholics have dedicated the entire month of May to the Blessed Mother, so it is not a coincidence that a statue representing her presence would lead this procession from shrine to shrine —

There is much more tilling to do because the Legislature has gone forward with repealing the remaining commonsense health and safety requirements around abortion, left minimal care requirements for infants who survive an abortion, defunded and repealed the Positive Alternatives to Abortion Grant Program that helps pregnancy resource centers care for women in need, and, among other things, expanded taxpayer funding to include elective abortions.

We must also continue sowing truth about the human person’s integrity as created male or female. This need is most evident with the disturbing passage of bills that promote a false reality of the human person, remove access to the psychological sciences, and impose gender ideology upon vulnerable children, even taking them away from parents who would otherwise protect them from the lasting harms of unnatural hormones and mutilative procedures.

When it comes to industries preying on people, we must till the soil to make it even harder for the recreational marijuana industry to grow despite its now legal status. To keep the most dangerous weeds at bay, we must continue our advocacy for safeguards such as potency caps, childproof packaging and more, to the newly forming Cannabis Advisory Council and the Office of Cannabis Management.

With much good accomplished, and so much light needed to dispel the darkness, it is our job as faithful citizens to keep tilling through prayers and building relationships with legislators. So, this summer, set up a coffee meeting with your legislators. Invite others to join you and to join the Catholic Advocacy Network at mncatholic.org/join. Because if we truly want to reap a bountiful harvest, we need more laborers.

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

helping her children act with one accord. Prompting her powerful intercession along the path of pilgrims, one could hear, and participate in, rosaries, chants of the Regina Caeli, memorares and other tributes to enhance private devotions. Or one could simply talk to others and if moved by the Spirit, offer or enlist prayer intentions of fellow pilgrims. Because the Blessed Mother centers and leads us — as she did the first Apostles — closer to and deeper in love with Jesus.

As we draw nearer to Pentecost we continue to be enriched with readings of the Acts of the Apostles. “All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and his brethren” (Acts 1:14). Just prior to his ascension to the Father, Jesus promised his disciples they would soon receive the Holy Spirit as their advocate. To fulfill the Scriptures, Matthias was chosen to replace Judas, through prayers with one accord, to bring the apostleship back to the original 12. “His office let another take.” (Acts 1:20). With one accord, the early Church began at Pentecost — 3,000 were baptized. The power of the Holy Spirit was at work in them to convert and transform the world as they knew it.

Peter Kreeft, a renowned Catholic philosopher and theologian from Boston College, quipped in one of his commentaries (Food for the Soul, 2022) about the Acts of the Apostles: “any church or individual without the Holy Spirit experiences a power shortage.” The early disciples of Jesus had no lack of the power of the Spirit in them. Reading throughout Acts, one can sense their zeal about all that was being done by them with one

Commentary pages include “When most Hispanics were Catholic” and an observation that most U.S.-born Hispanic children will not grow up in Catholic households. Soberingly, this trend is now pertinent for many U.S.-born children of Catholic family descendance. Many of us Catholics sense that our country’s JudeoChristian underpinnings are under attack by militant, secular-progressive factions. Call this a form of spiritual warfare underwritten by big money sources and the media (mainstream and social). Conceptually, some countermeasures could relate to a “Faith, Family and Flag” theme and include both tactical and strategic measures … the tactical being short term and the strategic commencing now and ongoing. As to potential strategic measures, I believe that Catholic schools are second to none for Catholicism evangelism and that the market demand for private (and Catholic) school education will continue to increase with a declining public school system. Might our archdiocesan leaders now have an extraordinary opportunity to envision a strategic expansion of our parish school system? And might not many archdiocesan parishioners recognize this strategic moment, and both prayerfully and financially support it?

Gene Delaune

St. John the Baptist, New Brighton

Share your perspective by emailing thecatholicSpirit@archSpm org Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit. Read more letters from our readers at thecatholicSpirit com

accord. Many people with unclean spirits, paralyzed, and sick with other physical and mental afflictions were cured. Even the dead were raised! Post-Pentecost, they experienced the joy and supernatural help of the Holy Spirit.

That is how the apostles operated; with no power shortage when it came to their faith, hope, deeds and activities, and of course, their prayer lives. They worked diligently, with such a deep love for Jesus that they gave of themselves completely. And many would give up their lives for the sake of saving the souls of others by doing their part in spreading and sharing the good news. Jesus told his disciples that God the Father would give them “another Advocate to be with you always.” (Jn 14:16). Always is here and now, the present moment, of being in the grace of God as true believers. That same Holy Spirit that Jesus promised his disciples would be with them until the end of the age can ignite and burn within our hearts to lead others — perhaps starting on the home front — to obtain joy and happiness in a deep love for the Lord. After all, before the grandiose conversions, baptisms and transformative activities at Pentecost — it was pretty much about small groups. Come, Holy Spirit!

Deacon Bird ministers to St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville and assists with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Catholic Watchmen movement. See heroicmen com for tools to enrich parish apostolates for ministry to men. For Watchmen start-up materials or any other questions regarding ministry to men, contact Deacon Bird at gordonbird@rocketmail com

The great transformer

A young man comes to me for spiritual direction. He is exceptionally bright, a recent university graduate now applying to medical school. His MCAT score was nearly perfect — a rare feat. He feels called to neurosurgery.

But he struggles in prayer and in his relationships in general. Gradually, he explains that he has a rather intense personality, a trait he loathes in himself. This intensity, he says, seems to drive people away from him, leaving him lonely and feeling like a freak. As he tells me this, his face is wracked with a sharp pain that speaks of self-hatred. He wants to crush this attribute within himself. “How do I get rid of this?” he asks.

But here in this season of National Eucharistic Revival, what this young man’s wounded heart calls to my mind is not annihilation, but transformation. This is the precise work of the holy Eucharist. When we receive the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus does not annihilate us, he transforms us.

Father Wilfrid Stinissen’s book, “Bread that is Broken,” captures the idea this way: “The transformation of bread and wine in the Eucharist teaches us that transformation is something fundamental in our lives. Everything can be transformed. It is enough to ‘offer’ it, to lay it on the paten. ... God is the great transformer. But he transforms only what we give him. Bread that is not presented remains ordinary bread. Much in our life remains as it was, much stagnates, because it is not offered up.”

As an example, he offers the trickiness of having a vivid temper. In and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with having a temper, especially if it is poured into

CATHOLIC OR NOTHING | COLIN MILLER

Liturgy and the works of mercy

Peter Maurin — co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement along with the more widely known Dorothy Day — used to say that the Church’s mission should be to announce, not to denounce. I’ll introduce Maurin and Day, and the Catholic Worker generally, in more detail in subsequent columns. To introduce the topic, this column addresses this “announcement,” and how Maurin saw it relating to serving the poor and oppressed.

As usual, Maurin broke things down into very simple terms. What was the Catholic Worker in the business of announcing? Christ. How do we announce him? By being his body, the Church. How can we be the Church? By doing what the Church does. What is that? Participating in the Mass, the prayers, and the works of mercy.

We can take these each in turn. Christ comes to us weekly and daily in the Eucharist. The Eucharist, you might say, has tentacles, and it reaches out to touch our whole lives. It wants to devour all that we have and are and bring it into conformity with Christ. To paraphrase St. Augustine, the Eucharist is the one food that consumes the one who eats it. The Christian life, then, is always working out the logic of the Mass — of living the entailments of the Eucharist. This is how Christ devours us.

There are two primary confessions that we make over and over again in the liturgy: the Lord’s worthiness to

the passion to fight injustice, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves — like the poor, the elderly, the marginalized, or the unborn. But a temper can be misused, of course. Misapplied, it can become destructive and evil.

“For it to become good again,” writes Father Stinissen, “it does not need to be annihilated. It is enough to rectify the direction; instead of downward, it should be upwards; instead of destructive, it should be constructive. … When a stream is contained within the riverbed and flows toward the sea, it is a blessing and spreads fruitfulness. But when it flows over its banks and loses the right direction, it causes damage … The important thing is that everything finds its right place. … A great deal would happen in our lives if every time we celebrated the Eucharist, we would place on the paten something of our own, something that we know is directed wrongly and therefore blocks us.”

I imagine that excelling at so delicate an art as neurosurgery requires a little intensity — and the focus and drive that come with it — which will serve my young friend and his future patients well indeed. It needs only to find its right place. It needs not annihilation but the transforming power of the Lord.

Let’s not be too quick to beg the Lord to annihilate some attribute we find troublesome. Rather, let’s take the bold step to place it on the paten and allow the Lord to transform it. As we celebrate the Eucharistic Revival, refreshing our understanding of the priesthood, the holy Mass, and all that Jesus accomplished on the cross, let’s consider what we might need to place on the paten, so that the Lord of all creation would — like the bread, like the wine — transform us to his glory.

Heavenly Father, great transformer, I place myself on the paten of your grace. Order my loves, my passions, my strengths and my weaknesses according to your eternal plans. Amen.

Kelly Stanchina is the award-winning author of 12 books, including “Jesus Approaches,” “Love Like A Saint,” and “A Place Called Golgotha.” She travels the country speaking and leading retreats. Find her schedule at lizk org

be praised and adored, and our unworthiness to do so. The confession of praise is constant: “Glory to God,” “Holy! Holy! Holy!” “Thanks be to God.” But equally constant is, “Lord, have mercy,” “I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.” I dare to say that each word of the liturgy could fall under one of these confessions. And these two confessions are exactly what we try to extend throughout our lives.

So, the first tentacles of the Eucharist are our daily prayers, such as the Liturgy of the Hours or the rosary. Morning and evening prayer, for instance, sanctify the rest of the day with exactly the Mass’ twofold logic: “Hallowed be thy name … forgive us our trespasses.”

And this is where we come to Maurin’s vision for the Catholic Worker, and its connection to the Mass. Maurin said that the Church should be about “building a new society within the shell of the old,” by the “daily practice of the works of mercy” — feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and so forth. In light of the twofold affirmation of the Mass, the works of mercy are an essential part of Christianity precisely because in the Mass we participate in the supreme work of mercy — the passion and resurrection of Christ. So, if we don’t practice the works of mercy, we fail to show that we take seriously what we do at Mass. Giving to those who beg, giving our bed to the homeless, eating with the hungry, forgiving wrongs, praying for enemies — all these Christ did first for us and does for us at each liturgy. Christians welcome especially those who might seem unworthy, precisely because in the Eucharist we are welcomed though unworthy. The works of mercy, then, are not part of an optional outreach or a social program. They are part of the liturgy. It’s part of how we announce Christ to the world.

Miller is director of pastoral care and outreach at Assumption in St. Paul. He has a Ph.D. in theology from Duke University, and lives with his family at the Maurin House Catholic Worker in Columbia Heights. You can reach him at colin miller1@protonmail com

ASK FATHER MIKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Jesus is the only one who can pay the price for my sins. But the doctrine on restitution asserts that we are obliged to do what we can to restore what was taken, lost or damaged. For example, if I were to steal money from my parents, I ought to go to confession to receive the forgiveness of the Lord. But I should also seek to give back what I took. If I have damaged someone’s reputation, I ought to try to heal that damage. If I have lied, I ought to do what I can to clarify the truth. It might be that you are still feeling badly about your sins because you have not yet sought to restore what your choices damaged. This could be your conscience moving you to the next step.

Now, there are many times when we are not able to restore what was wounded. There are many times when the damage has been done and there is no going back. Consider the case of the person who has ended someone’s life in a drunk driving accident, or someone who has made a series of choices that means they can no longer be in contact with their children. In those cases, we do what we can to make it up to the others involved. But then we have to be willing to pray for them and entrust them to God. It might be that all I can do for the rest of my life is offer up penances and sacrifices for their healing. If that is what I can do, then that is what I should do.

The second kind of reason one might have been forgiven but still feels badly is shame. Maybe the sin has come to light and “now someone else knows.” I think that many of us have had this experience. I know that God has extended his mercy to me, but what is really bothering me is that there is someone out there (or a few “someones” out there) who know this about me. There are people who know what I’m capable of. We may be grateful to the God who has met us in our need and forgiven our sins — but when we think of the fact that “someone else knows,” we have this pain in our gut.

This is good. If this is the case, we can identify the source of our feeling badly. And the source is merely pride. I had wanted people to think that I am better than I actually am. But now they know that I have the capacity to choose evil, and it bothers me. This is a good thing, because pride is the deadliest sin out there. And if I am a slave to pride, no matter how much God offers his mercy to me, I will shrink back from entering into its fullness and joy, because I am more concerned with what other people think of me than I am with God’s love for me. It is not pleasant. But Jesus’ death did not just conquer the guilt of our sins, but also conquered the pride that undergirds all of our sins.

The last reason why a person may still feel badly after having been forgiven is because they are so saddened by the fact that they have grieved the Lord’s heart. We even pray this in the Act of Contrition, “… and I am sorry for my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and fear the pains of Hell, but most of all because they have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all of my love.” There are those whose hearts are broken when they consider the cost of forgiveness.

For them (and for all of us), we need to remember this: Jesus Christ came to save sinners. This was the motive behind his coming to earth. God wants us to experience his love. God wants us to be healed. The reason Christ embraced his cross was so that you and I could be set free. Because of this, we have a certain confidence. We are confident that, when we go to confession, we are making this decision, “God, I will not let what you did on the cross go to waste on me.”

You’ve placed your sins at the foot of the cross in the sacrament of reconciliation. You do not need to pick them up and take them with you when you leave.

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

am Catholic because that is what I know. It has been part of my fabric since birth and has only strengthened as my life has matured.

When I go to church, it feels like home. No matter where I have attended a Catholic Mass, I know I am in a place where the community of people share many of my same values. I have attended different religious services along the way and that connection with God is not the same. That is most likely because they are missing the sacraments. I am still learning the power of the sacraments, but to not have that in my faith life would be very missed.

Another big reason I love being Catholic is the pageantry of our services, the smell of a Catholic church, the traditions, the incense, the dedication to Mary, the saints, the holy water, the liturgical seasons of ordinary time, Advent, and my most favorite, Lent and the Triduum — it just wraps it all up in a nice package

Deacon Philip Conklin

Your parish family rejoices and thanks God for your vocation to the holy order of deacons.

By Ryan Vaske

for me. With my belief that heaven is the destination, and the Catholic faith is my vehicle, I am the driver with the free will to choose the route and God is the gas that powers the vehicle. I need all three of them to work in unison to be really effective.

To sum up my reflection, my Catholic faith is my safe place. I can’t imagine my life without it.

Vaske, 50, belongs to St. Ambrose in Woodbury with his wife, Shannon, and daughters Emma and Maybel, who attend Hill-Murray School in Maplewood. He enjoys working in his yard, boating and working out. He owns a consulting company that assists organizations with marketing technology and associated business operations.

“Why I am Catholic” is an 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 subject line “Why I am Catholic.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CALENDAR

PARISH EVENTS

Rummage Sale — May 24-25 at St. George, 133 N. Brown Road, Long Lake. Host: CCW of St. George. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. May 24; 9 a.m.–noon May 25 (Bag Day). Household items, home decor, books, music, DVDs, jewelry, linens, children's clothing to age 12, games, puzzles and more. Additional and updated information at Stgeorgelonglake org

A Heart Aflame — May 30: 4–9 p.m. at St. Mary, 267 8th St. E., St. Paul. Worship, fellowship and reflection. 4 p.m. Holy Hour; 5:30 p.m. Solemn Mass; 6:30 p.m. reception and dinner. Presentation by Father Bryce Evans: Neri, Newman, and the Evangelization of Culture in a Secular Age. 8:45 p.m. Compline. StmaryStpaul org/nerifeaSt

Rummage Sale — June 1-3 at St. Bridget, 3810

Emerson Ave. N., Minneapolis. 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. June 1; 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. June 2; 8–11 a.m. June 3 is Bag Day, $5/bag. StbridgetnorthSide Com

Minnesota author to visit parish book club — June 12: 6:30 p.m. at St. Pascal, 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. Presenter: Staci Lola Drouillard, a descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabe, lives and works in her hometown of Grand Marais. 6:30 p.m. fellowship; 7–8 p.m. Drouillard to lead book discussion in Brioschi Hall. RSVP at StpaSCalS org/pariSh-newS website and use the SignUp Genius link. StpaSCalS org/pariSh-newS

53rd Annual Chicken Cookout — June 18: 10:30 a.m. –3 p.m. at St. Nicholas, 51 Church St., Elko New Market. 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Masses. Tickets: $16 for adults; $9 for those under 11 and over 65. Takeout available. Shuttles, Charlie Sticha Band, games, baked goods, burgers, hot dogs and refreshments. Ticket raffle drawing at 3 p.m. StnCC net

WORSHIP+RETREATS

Help for Struggling Couples — June 2-4 at Best Western Dakota Ridge Hotel, 3450 Washington Drive, Eagan. Retrouvaille Marriage Help, a lifeline for troubled marriages. Learn the tools to rediscover each other and heal. 100% confidential. helpourmarriage org

Special Mass for People with Memory Loss — June 8: 1:30–3 p.m. at St. Odilia, 3495 Victoria St. N., Shoreview. For those with memory loss and their caregivers. Hospitality will follow the Mass with community resource information available. Enter through Door 11 on the southeast side of the building. Information at 651-484-6681. Stodilia org

18th Annual Northeast Eucharistic Procession — June 11: 3–5 p.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave., Minneapolis. Join us as we take Jesus to the streets and venerate his eucharistic presence. Begin at Holy Cross church and conclude at All Saints parish with Benediction.

Reception to follow at St. Maron church. Shuttle service provided. ourholyCroSS org

Women's Mid-Week Retreat — June 13-15 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Women have been a vital part of this retreat center from its inception. Four conference talks. franCiSCanretreatS net/womenS-midweek-CatholiC-retreatjune-13-15-2023

Silent Retreat (Open to women and men) — June 22-25 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Relax and focus on the Lord. Refrain from talking except with confessors.

franC SCanretreatS net/Silent-CatholiC-retreat-men-womenjune-22-25-2023

Ignatian men's silent retreat — Thursday-Sunday most weeks at Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House, 8243 Demontreville Trail N., Lake Elmo. Freewill donation. demontrevilleretreat Com

CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS

Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference and Curriculum Fair — June 2-3 at St. Paul College

235 Marshall Ave., St. Paul. Pam Barnhill, host of the popular “Your Morning Baske” podcast, is the keynote speaker. Find inspiration and encouragement through speakers, vendors and networking with other homeschool parents. Registration: $25. Details at mnConferenCe org or by email at info@mnConferenCe org

“The Next Chapter” Program (Information Sessions) — June 21 (in-person) OR June 27 (via Zoom): 7–8 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. In-person session will be held in the Iverson Center for Faith, which is attached to the Chapel of St. Thomas on Cleveland Ave. N. The University of St. Thomas invites recent retirees to find out more about “The Next Chapter” program. This is a six-month guided journey using principles of Ignatian spirituality for discerning what God may be calling you to do next. A new cohort starts in September. RSVP at formS offiCe Com/r/ kg7gXru9lt neXtChapterprogram org/about

OTHER EVENTS

The Wall That Heals — May 26-29: 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at St. Thomas Academy, 949 Mendota Heights Road, Mendota Heights. TWTH is a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that travels across the country. The exhibit honors the more than 3 million Americans who served in the armed forces in Vietnam. Volunteers needed. A great way to honor veterans on Memorial Day. CadetS Com/wallthathealS

Prenatal Partners for Life, 16th annual benefit dinner — June 8: 5–8:30 p.m. at the St. Paul Hotel, 350 N. Market St., St. Paul. Music of local talent Luke Spehar. Master of ceremonies is Matt Birk. Prenatal

Partners for Life offers hope and support for families facing an adverse diagnosis of their child. PPFL has helped parents and children in all 50 states and 51 countries. prenatalpartnerSforlife org

Vatican International Exhibition: The Eucharistic Miracles of the World — June 16-18: 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m. at St. Peter, 1405 Highway 13, Mendota. Designed and created by Blessed Carlo Acutis. More than 150 eucharistic miracles from around the world and through the history of the Church. Each miracle is described on a 2-foot by 3-foot panel displayed in an art gallery setting. StpeterSmendota org

Basilica Music and Arts Immersion Camp — June 26-30: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at Basilica of St. Mary, 88 N. 17th St. Minneapolis. A choral and arts music enrichment camp for singers entering grades 4-8. Campers will also work with local artists and visit local arts organizations. Tuition: $100. Scholarships available ($75). mary org/muSiCCamp

ONGOING GROUPS

Bridge Club — Last Saturdays: 7–8:30 p.m. year-round at St. Joseph, 13015 Rockford Road, Plymouth. From veteran players to new, all are invited. Simply show up. Tables, treats and tallies are provided. Contact Mike or Janet Malinowski at 952-525-8708 or StjoSephpariSh Com/book-and-Card-ClubS

Calix Society — First and third Sundays: 9–10:30 a.m. First Sunday via Zoom, Third Sunday in person with potluck breakfast hosted by Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. In Assembly Hall, lower level. Calix is a group of men, women, family and friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholics with alcohol or other addictions. Zoom meeting link, call Jim at 612-383-8232 or Steve at 612-327-4370.

Career Transition Group — Third Thursdays: 7:30–8:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Wayzata. Hosts speakers on topics geared toward helping people look for a job, change careers or enhance job skills. Networking and opportunities for resume review.

hnoj org/Career-tranSition-group

Caregivers Support Group — Third Thursdays: 6:30 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. For anyone juggling the challenges of life, health, career and caring for an aging parent, grandparent or spouse.

tinyurl Com/yCXXCtXX

Healing Hope grief support — Second and Fourth Thursdays: 6 p.m. at St. Timothy, 707 89th Ave. NE, Blaine. Facilitated by Bob Bartlett, licensed therapist. No fees or registration. ChurChofSttimothy Com

Job transitions and networking group — Tuesdays: 7–8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph the Worker, 7180 Hemlock Lane, Maple Grove. Network, share ideas and learn about

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:

uTime and date of event

uFull street address of event

uDescription of event

uContact information in case of questions

TheCatholiCSpirit Com/CalendarSubmiSSionS

searching for a job. Faith-based meeting every Tuesday. Email Bob at bob Sjtw@gmail Com or visit Sjtw net/job-tranSition-networking-group

Natural Family Planning (NFP) — Learn Churchapproved ways to achieve or postpone pregnancy while embracing the beauty of God’s gift of sexuality. Find a class at arChSpm org/family or call 651-291-4489.

Order Franciscans Secular (OFS) — Third Sundays: 2–4 p.m. at St. Leonard of Port Maurice, 3949 Clinton Ave. S., Minneapolis. Learn more about lay Catholic men and women striving to observe the Gospel of Jesus Christ by following St. Francis’ example. 651-724-1348

Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30–8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victimssurvivors. Victims-survivors support group for those abused by clergy as adults — First Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — Second Mondays. Victims-survivors support group —Third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — Third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — Fourth Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — Second Thursday. Visit arChSpm org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for Restorative Justice and Abuse Prevention, kaempfferp@arChSpm org or 651-291-4429.

GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS

CD of the Month Club Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins and more! $5/month includes shipping. Subscribe online at www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/cdclub

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612-789-4217

Resurrection Cemetery: 2 side-by-side non-monument plots overlooking the lake. Value: $4160 for both. Sale: $4000 for both. Contact: 323-491-4087.

HANDYMAN

WE DO 1,162 THINGS AROUND THE HOME!

Catholic Owned Handyman Business: We will fix/ repair and remodel almost anything around the home. Serving entire Metro. Call today. Mention this ad and receive 10% off labor. ACE Handyman Services 952-946-0088.

MUSIC SCHOOL

St. Joseph’s School of Music: Summer Music Camp for ages 8-15; registration now open. Weekly lessons and classes too - all instruments, all levels, all ages. Excellence in music education since 1970. stjomusic.org; 651-690-4364

HARDWOOD FLOORS

Sweeney’s Hardwood Floors Spring’s Here! Spruce up your home with new or refurbished hardwood floors. 15% off refinishing. Sweeney (651) 485-8187

PAINTING

For painting & all related services. View our website: PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND.COM or call (651) 699-6140.

Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates. Call Ed (651) 224-3660. Michaels Painting. Texture and Repair. MichaelsPaintingllc coM. (763) 757-3187

PRAYERS

NOTICE: Prayers must be submitted in advance. Payment of $8 per line must be received before publication

RELIGIOUS ITEMS FOR SALE

www.Holyart.com

Over 50k Religious Items & Church Goods.

Newman Center Mass honors 33 Catholic seniors at University of Minnesota

By Joe Ruff

It took 45 minutes to seat all the graduates at the Gopher football team’s Huntington Bank Stadium, Tallarini said. The April 30 Mass with Father Jake Anderson, pastor and director of the St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis, included 33 seniors, their close friends and family.

“With commencement at the university, you could tell they were just checking the box off,” said Tallarini, 22, who received bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and classics. The Mass, on the other hand, “was lovely. … At the very end, Father Jake said a blessing over us. I thought, ‘Wow, I know most of these people and I feel celebrated.’”

The graduation Mass has been celebrated for more than 10 years at the

church and Newman Center. About 400 people attended this year’s Mass.

In his homily, Father Anderson reflected on the Gospel of John, where Jesus proclaims, “All who came (before me) are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Noting the many doors people open or pass through every day to bedrooms, bathrooms, cars, refrigerators and microwaves, Father Anderson suggested that the reason people open or go through doors is to find more life: food for sustenance, travel to visit friends or

attend church.

To be one with Christ requires going through him, like a gate, and remaining with him — seeking and finding life in the Lord, Father Anderson said.

“Jesus is the door to the life for which you are seeking,” he said. “This gets into our graduating seniors. A great reason we are so proud of you is that you have entered the door many times. … A lot of us are so moved because you have a well-worn path to Christ, each of you individually and as a body, as students.”

Rachel Holmes, who serves students at the Newman Center as a member of St. Paul’s Outreach college and university ministry, said the Mass was beautiful. “It was like commissioning them (graduates) into the world,” she said. “It was hopeful and joyful.”

Tallarini said she has been with the Newman Center since her first year in college. The last two years, she has joined small groups of women

who discuss living the faith. She also attends daily Mass and adoration of the Eucharist, and joins others at large gatherings at the Newman Center. She has been living with other Catholic women in a house near the Newman Center. On a large campus like the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, being part of the Newman Center has helped her find and keep meaningful relationships, Tallarini said.

“It (is) a hub for a like-minded community of people with the same values” and a variety of interests, Tallarini said. “And being able to go to the sacraments, especially daily Mass and daily adoration, it was an oasis compared to campus, in many ways.”

Tallarini said she will start work at the end of June at an insurance company in Golden Valley. She doesn’t plan to return to the Newman Center on a regular basis, but she will stay in touch with friends she met there.

The Mass was a great send-off as she leaves the university, Tallarini said. Leaders at the Newman Center seemed to be saying, “Yes, you’ve benefited; now it’s time to go out” and glorify the Lord, she said.

The Catholic Spirit

Amelia Tallarini, wearing a cap and gown at a University of Minnesota commencement ceremony May 13 meant a lot less than a Mass two weeks earlier that honored her and other faith-filled graduates involved with the Twin Cities’ campus Newman Center.

AMELIA TALLARINI

Seniors with Father Jake Anderson at the April 30 graduation Mass at St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center serving the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota.

COURTESY KATE RILLO