DELASALLE THEATER From left, seniors Joseph Ketter (playing Sir Drogo di Lotelo) and Edric Duffy (playing Count Falco di Olivia) of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis perform in a play, “The Duke of Agrigento,” Nov. 15 at the school. The play was written by sophomore MC Hulse and directed by senior Elisabeth Draper. Upcoming is “Twins of Athena” Nov. 22 and 23 at the DeLaSalle Florance Center.
FOOD DRIVE From left, teachers Maddison Haeger (second grade) and Nancy Annen (physical education) carry food from Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School in Medina to cars waiting to bring the food to Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners for distribution to the needy. The school’s annual Thanksgiving food drive, organized by sixth graders, provides essential items for Thanksgiving dinners, with different items assigned to each grade level. This year’s drive collected 1,725 pounds of food and nearly $1,000 in gift cards.
COURTESY LISA SHI
HOLY NAME OF JESUS
DEACON SHALLBETTER MINISTERED IN PARISHES, PRISONS
Deacon Clarence Shallbetter, who was ordained in 2001 and served at St. Olaf and Sts. Cyril and Methodius, both in Minneapolis, as well as in prison ministry, died Nov. 9. He was 86. A native of Minneapolis, Deacon Shallbetter served in the Navy Supply Corps until 1967. In 1969, he married Barbara Wojciak at St. Frances Cabrini in Minneapolis. In 2017, Deacon Shallbetter began serving as chaplain of the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center, where he remained until retiring from active ministry in 2022. In addition, Deacon Shallbetter worked in prison ministry with the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, with Greater Twin Cities Residents Encounter Christ (REC), a two-day retreat for jail or prison residents in Lino Lakes and Stillwater, and juvenile corrections in Red Wing. Deacon Shallbetter was preceded in death by his wife, his parents Clarence and Susanna Shallbetter and brother Joseph Shallbetter. He is survived by daughter Sarah Shallbetter and daughter Ann (Rivera) and Enrique, and a grandson, Benjamin. Deacon Shallbetter’s funeral Mass was Nov. 15 at Ascension in Minneapolis. Interment is at Gethsemane Cemetery in New Hope. –– Josh McGovern, The Catholic Spirit
This event will inspire a new generation and help them see that life at all stages is precious. Love is the answer; it transforms lives and changes hearts and minds, and that’s what Life Fest is all about. Together, we pray for a world in which abortion is unthinkable.
Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly in a Nov. 14 statement announcing the merger of pro-life events Life is VERY Good and Life Fest before the national March for Life in Washington Jan. 24. The two-day pro-life event will be held Jan. 23-24 at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, 20 miles southwest of the National Mall and the March for Life. The Knights and Sisters of Life have co-hosted Life Fest since 2022. The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, has been the host of Life is VERY Good since 2009. Joining forces, the new event will be called Life Fest.
Parishioners of St. Maron in Minneapolis are preparing for the church’s 25th anniversary. According to Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun, who leads the Maroniterite church, a celebratory banquet with a program will be held Dec. 7, open to all parishioners. Chorbishop Maroun said all donations from the ticketed event will go toward helping the poor in Lebanon.
Those who appreciate music might have stepped out for a “Music and Meditation for November” event at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Held Nov. 23 — the day after the feast of St. Cecilia, patroness of music and musicians — the event was set to include a talk by Father Joseph Johnson on selections from various Requiem Mass settings and relevant Scriptural texts. Discussion was to center on how the Catholic faith has inspired great musical masterpieces over the centuries, including from composers such as Mozart, Pergolesi, Brahms, Verdi and Faure.
A webinar series launched this month by the St. Paul-based Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) seeks to highlight the missions and ministries of local groups serving Catholic Latinos in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. After its first event Nov. 20 — hosted by Estela Villagran Manancero, director, and Beatriz Lopez, associate director of the archdiocesan Office of Latino Ministry — the “Connect with a Cause” series continues with two more sessions. The second will take place from noon-12:30 p.m. Jan. 23, with Jason Morrison, president of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, as the presenter. The third will take place from noon12:30 p.m. March 27, with Ginger Graham, executive director of Minneapolis-based Centro Guadalupano (the outreach ministry for St. Stephen-Holy Rosary), as the presenter. More information can be found online at ccf-mn org/events/connect
Retired Bishop Richard Pates presided at Mass with Father Jerome Fehn, a retired military chaplain, concelebrating Nov. 5 at the Minneapolis Home for Veterans. Arranged by the Marian Council of the Knights of Columbus, the Mass was held in honor of Veterans Day Nov. 11. Veterans and their families attended the Mass and the Minnesota Knights Chorus sang the hymns. The Knights have sponsored the weekly Masses for Veterans since 1993.
St. Genevieve in Centerville recently held an Appalachian Christmas Project that included 104 gift-filled shoe boxes and refurbished bicycles for children in four Kentucky parishes. Parish officials thanked those who donated and the Council of Catholic Women and Men’s Club for coordinating and working on the project. The shoe boxes were filled with a mixture of necessary items and something fun, with parish officials noting that children who might otherwise not receive any gifts at Christmas will be thrilled with the gifts.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Nov. 15 “Practicing Catholic” radio show included the conclusion of Jeff Reither’s story of faith through the loss of his two children, and an interview with Jenni Fuchs about her media business, Northern Lights Video. The program also included a discussion with Bishop Michael Izen on how to pray for souls in purgatory. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm org/ faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
ONLY JESUS | BISHOP MICHAEL IZEN
e are on the eve of one of my favorite weeks of the year –– Thanksgiving week.
My earliest memories of this holiday are about joyful anticipation. It would begin the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day. My brother and I would be watching football, probably the Vikings game, and at some point, the station would promote the NFL game that would be played on that Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. When I was a kid there were only two games on Thanksgiving and there weren’t games every Thursday like there are now. But even more significant for us as kids was the reminder that even though it was Sunday afternoon, it was Thanksgiving week! That meant a short school week and we would be on vacation come Wednesday afternoon. It brought a sense of joy and anticipation.
Sunday was only the beginning. Perhaps even more noteworthy were the emotions and family joy of the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. On this day, the family awaited the return home of our oldest sister (and later our two oldest sisters) from college. To mark this joyous reunion, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving was the first day my dad permitted a fire in the fireplace. So, after dinner, my brother and I would build the fire and wait for our sister(s).
Looking back, it is perhaps a little ironic that so
Estamos en vísperas de una de mis semanas favoritas del año: la semana de Acción de Gracias. Mis primeros recuerdos de esta festividad son de una alegre anticipación. Comenzaba el domingo anterior al Día de Acción de Gracias. Mi hermano y yo mirábamos fútbol, probablemente el partido de los Vikings, y en algún momento, la estación promocionaba el partido de la NFL que se jugaría ese jueves, el Día de Acción de Gracias. Cuando era niño, solo había dos partidos el Día de Acción de Gracias y no había partidos todos los jueves como ahora. Pero aún más significativo para nosotros, como niños, era el recordatorio de que, aunque era domingo por la tarde, ¡era la semana de Acción de Gracias! Eso significaba una semana escolar corta y que estaríamos de vacaciones el miércoles por la tarde. Traía una sensación de alegría y anticipación.
El domingo fue solo el comienzo. Quizás aún más notables fueron las emociones y la alegría familiar del martes anterior al Día de Acción de Gracias. Ese día, la familia esperaba el regreso a casa de nuestra hermana mayor (y luego de nuestras dos hermanas mayores) de la universidad. Para conmemorar esta alegre reunión, el martes anterior al Día de Acción de Gracias fue el primer día que mi padre permitió encender el fuego en la chimenea. Entonces, después de la cena, mi hermano y yo hacíamos el fuego y esperábamos a nuestra(s) hermana(s).
Al mirar atrás, resulta quizá un poco irónico que
much of my joy was tied up in anticipation. After all, Thanksgiving Day was the pinnacle of the week. When Thursday finally arrived, the whole family was reunited (older sisters and all) and we would all go to morning Mass, to give thanks. Then, when we got home, it was time to build another fire, turn on football, and wait for the feast. As a family we prayed before every meal, but the Thanksgiving meal was special. Dad, Mom and all of us kids would take turns speaking about the things for which we were thankful. The feast was about more than eating. It was about being thankful that we were blessed with such a loving God, a loving and healthy family, a warm home, and no shortage of food.
About 25 years ago, when I was just starting seminary, I came across a bookmark with a verse from Psalm 116:12: “How can I repay the Lord for all the great good done for me?” I kept that card on my desk my whole first year of seminary to remind me that, although I was still very much discerning my vocation and worried about the future, I had plenty to be thankful for regarding all the good the Lord had done in my life. I realized that part of the answer to that question –– How can I repay the Lord? –– was simply to pray in thanksgiving. I realized, perhaps for the first time, that my prayer should always begin, not with worrying about the future or looking for answers, but with giving thanks. Simply praying, “Thank you, Jesus” often throughout the day can help form a grateful heart in us. And every one of us
gran parte de mi alegría dependiera de la anticipación. Después de todo, el Día de Acción de Gracias era el momento cumbre de la semana. Cuando finalmente llegaba el jueves, toda la familia se reunía (hermanas mayores y todos) y todos íbamos a la misa de la mañana para dar gracias. Luego, cuando llegábamos a casa, era hora de encender otra fogata, poner el fútbol y esperar a que llegara el banquete. Como familia, rezábamos antes de cada comida, pero la comida de Acción de Gracias era especial. Papá, mamá y todos los niños nos turnábamos para hablar de las cosas por las que estábamos agradecidos. El banquete era algo más que comer. Se trataba de estar agradecidos por haber sido bendecidos con un Dios tan amoroso, una familia amorosa y saludable, un hogar cálido y que no nos faltara comida.
Hace unos 25 años, cuando estaba empezando el seminario, me encontré con un marcador con un versículo del Salmo 116:12: “¿Cómo podré pagar al Señor todo el bien que me ha hecho?”. Mantuve esa tarjeta en mi escritorio durante todo mi primer año de seminario para recordarme que, aunque todavía estaba discerniendo mucho sobre mi vocación y me preocupaba el futuro, tenía mucho por lo que estar agradecido con respecto a todo el bien que el Señor había hecho en mi vida. Me di cuenta de que parte de la respuesta a esa pregunta –– ¿Cómo puedo pagarle al Señor? –– era simplemente orar en agradecimiento. Me di cuenta, tal vez por primera vez, de que mi oración siempre debe comenzar, no con la preocupación por el futuro o la búsqueda de respuestas, sino con el agradecimiento. Simplemente orar “Gracias, Jesús” a menudo durante el día puede ayudar a formar un corazón agradecido en nosotros. Y cada uno de nosotros
needs to be able to answer that question: “How can I repay the Lord for all the great good done for me?” My suggestion is to pray to the Lord and thank him. The great English author, philosopher and Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton once said, “The worst moment for an atheist is when he is really thankful and has no one to thank.” Most every American will mark Thanksgiving Day with some kind of celebration and meal. I wonder what percentage of those celebrations will include a prayer. Chesterton’s quote is a reminder that giving thanks doesn’t make much sense if we don’t acknowledge God. Lots of people can profess powerful statements like, “I’m thankful for my family” or “I’m thankful for our home” or “I’m thankful for this food.” But to whom are we directing that gratitude? Hopefully you and I are thankful to God. He is the one who has blessed us in countless ways. May more and more people come to realize the role the Lord plays in their lives.
In the meantime, you and I can pray and give thanks. We can thank God for all the good he has done for us. We can also pray that more people might come to realize the good that God has done for them. I’ve always loved Thanksgiving. This is true for several reasons. First, I naturally associate the holiday with fond memories of my family. Second, Thanksgiving is on the eve of the season of Advent, which is my favorite liturgical season. And finally, I love Thanksgiving because, like so many folks, I need to be reminded that we have plenty for which to be thankful.
debe ser capaz de responder a esa pregunta: “¿Cómo puedo pagarle al Señor todo el bien que me ha hecho?” Mi sugerencia es orar al Señor y darle las gracias. El gran autor, filósofo y apologista cristiano inglés G.K. Chesterton dijo una vez: “El peor momento para un ateo es cuando está realmente agradecido y no tiene a nadie a quien agradecer”. Casi todos los estadounidenses celebran el Día de Acción de Gracias con algún tipo de celebración y comida. Me pregunto qué porcentaje de esas celebraciones incluirán una oración. La cita de Chesterton es un recordatorio de que dar gracias no tiene mucho sentido si no reconocemos a Dios. Muchas personas pueden profesar declaraciones poderosas como: “Estoy agradecido por mi familia” o “Estoy agradecido por nuestro hogar” o “Estoy agradecido por esta comida”. Pero ¿a quién dirigimos esa gratitud? Ojalá que tú y yo estemos agradecidos a Dios. Él es quien nos ha bendecido de innumerables maneras. Ojalá cada vez más personas se den cuenta del papel que desempeña el Señor en sus vidas. Mientras tanto, tú y yo podemos orar y dar gracias. Podemos agradecer a Dios por todo el bien que ha hecho por nosotros. También podemos orar para que más personas puedan llegar a darse cuenta del bien que Dios ha hecho por ellas. Siempre me ha encantado el Día de Acción de Gracias. Esto es cierto por varias razones. En primer lugar, naturalmente asocio la festividad con buenos recuerdos de mi familia. En segundo lugar, el Día de Acción de Gracias es la víspera de la temporada de Adviento, que es mi temporada litúrgica favorita. Y finalmente, me encanta el Día de Acción de Gracias porque, como tantas personas, necesito que me recuerden que tenemos muchas cosas por las que estar agradecidos.
Pope urges young people to be engaged in life, civic society
By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service
Pope Francis urged young people to embrace hope and play an active role in creating a brighter future while countering the pessimism so many of their peers seem to experience.
“We often meet people who are discouraged because they look at the future with skepticism
and pessimism,” he told a delegation from the Italian National Youth Council, an advisory body representing Italian young adults, urging them to “not lose the ability to dream.”
When a young person ceases to dream, he or she becomes “retired from life,” the pope said Nov. 16. “Please, young people, don’t retire from life, and don’t let hope be stolen from you! Never! Hope never disappoints!”
Young people, he said, are “called to be witnesses to the beauty and newness of life” — a beauty that “goes beyond appearances” and is rooted in a commitment to serving others.
“Your selfless service for truth and freedom, for justice and peace, for the family and politics is the most beautiful and most necessary contribution you can make to the institutions for building a new society,” he said.
From left, Maya Brown, owner of Today’s Candle, talks with Fulton, Corinne, Lucy and Addie Reinhardt during an event Nov. 17 at St. Mark in St. Paul called Makers Market. Sponsored by the St. Joseph Business Guild, the two-day event featured arts, crafts and food made by local business owners, some of whom are Catholic. A fourth child of Corinne’s, Eleanor, is not visible. The family belongs to St. Mark. The St. Joseph Business Guild, which regularly uses space at St. Mark, is a network of Catholic business owners that strives to build an “intentional, robust ‘Catholic economy’” in support of the Catholic parishes, schools and families in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, according to its website.
Our aging religious need your help. Like those pictured, more than 24,000 senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests have dedicated their lives to serving others through prayer and ministry. Today, their religious communities do not have enough retirement savings to care for them. Your support of the Retirement Fund for Religious helps provide care, medicine, and other necessities. Please give back to those who have given a lifetime.
Please donate at your local parish, December 7–8, or by mail at: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Attn: Retirement Fund for Religious 777 Forest Street St. Paul MN 55106-3857 Make check payable to Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis/RFR.
By Josh McGovern
The Catholic Spirit
Claiming Sunday, the Sabbath, as a time of leisure is the topic of a presentation that is being given on seven separate dates at local parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Pamela Patnode said the presentations — “In Defense of Leisure: Reclaiming the Lord’s Day (Year 2: The Mass)” — were organized by the archdiocese as a bridge between year two and year three of implementing Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s pastoral letter “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.” Year two focuses on the Mass and the Eucharist, and year three will focus on family, particularly parents as the primary educators of the faith to their children.
The series, which began Oct. 29, was organized by Laura Haraldson, the facilitator of implementation for the Office of Discipleship and Evangelization in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. While studying in The St. Paul Seminary’s Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, Haraldson heard Patnode’s workshop on the topic of leisure. Haraldson later reached out to Patnode to make the series an archdiocesan initiative.
“The primacy of the place family plays in our weekly schedules is at risk these days, but indeed it is foundational to the building up of our Church,” Haraldson said in an email about the effort.
Patnode, the former director of the Catholic School Leadership program at The St. Paul Seminary, is alternating the presentations with Michael Naughton, the director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Patnode will also offer three sessions in Spanish in the spring of 2025.
Patnode continues to teach at The St. Paul Seminary Catechetical Institute after she semi-retired as director of the seminary’s Catholic School Leadership program in July. Additionally, she hosts speaking tours, retreats and workshops around the archdiocese and around the country. Her home parish is Holy Name of Jesus in Medina.
Patnode defined leisure as, “(t)hose activities that are considered meaningful in themselves. These activities help us to become more fully human, and they help us to strengthen our relationship with God, with others and with creation.”
Such activities, Patnode said, can
See with New Eyes: A Byzantine Iconography Primer
Nov. 17 at 11 a.m.
Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis
Iconographer Nick Markell leads a presentation on Byzantine iconography in Teresa of Calcutta Hall. Hosted by the Basilica of St. Mary.
The event is open to anyone to attend and will be presented in English. For more information, visit archspm org/iconography-101-year-2-themass
Each 90-minute presentation includes time for questions. Adoration of the Eucharist is offered during Mass or at another point in the evening. Water, coffee and light refreshments will be available at each site.
All sessions are 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 13: St. Gregory the Great, North Branch, with Michael Naughton (above)
Feb. 20: St. Hubert, Chanhassen, with Pamela Patnode (right)
April 29: St. Stephen, Anoka, in Spanish, with Patnode
May 1: Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul, in Spanish, with Patnode.
May 15: St. Helena, Minneapolis, in Spanish, with Patnode.
include painting, woodworking, reading literature, spending time outdoors, listening to music and other activities that “allow us to step into our humanity” and be “co-creators with God.” These activities are meant to strengthen individuals in becoming more fully human.
“We’re spending most of our time in leisure in front of a screen, and I think there’s something unhealthy about that,” Naughton said. “The world is not as I imagine it or not in terms of the images I’m seeing on the screen, because what the screen is doing is that it’s often preventing me from encountering reality. It’s manipulating reality, and so that idea of defense of leisure has the capacity to help us receive reality.”
Naughton, who most recently presented at All Saints in Lakeville on Nov. 19, said the underlying thesis beneath the presentations is that “if we don’t get leisure right, we won’t get work right. Then the second element of that is, if we don’t get Sunday right, we won’t get Monday right.”
At the heart of leisure, Naughton said,
Jesus’ Pilgrimage to Us:
is the Lord’s Day. This is leisure for silence and leisure for meditation, he said. Naughton encourages fellow Catholics not to reduce the Lord’s Day to one hour of Mass. He attends Holy Spirit and the Cathedral of St. Paul, both in St. Paul.
“It’s an hour that should transform the whole day, but we have to try to live the Lord’s Day in a more holistic way,” Naughton said. “Sometimes people often see it (Sunday) as the last day of the week. But actually, in one sense, it’s the first day of the week. … It’s a way of recentering, and reclaiming, and reorienting the way we try to live our lives.”
During the first presentation of “In Defense of Leisure” at St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada on Oct. 29, Patnode witnessed families at different stages in life — such as a father and his teenage son, a pregnant mother and elderly parishioners — discussing how leisure could be incorporated into their families.
“The way you live the Lord’s Day, the way you live and practice leisure, looks different when you’re a young parent or
Holy Hours Around the Archdiocese
Held according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ newly revised rite for exposition, adoration and Benediction, the holy hours will be at a different parish each month. All Catholic faithful, including those in adoration ministries, are encouraged to communal prayer to bring more people to know and love the Lord in the Eucharist.
All sessions are 7-8 p.m.
Nov. 21: Sts. Joachim and Anne, Shakopee
Dec. 19: Our Lady of Grace, Edina Jan. 23: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings
a single person or a parent of teenagers or an empty nester,” Patnode said. “It’s so beautiful to see the conversations that the people are having. … It opens your eyes to the possibility that we could do things differently. It doesn’t take a lot. It’s not saying you have to revamp your whole schedule. It’s just pausing long enough to pray and discern, ‘How could we incorporate some leisure? And what does worship look like for our family or for me personally?’ … I felt like it was a very exciting evening and just really the beginning of a lot of great conversations.”
Haraldson, a mother of four, wrote, “I know parents are desperate for true ‘leisure’ in their lives — yet the opportunity to find time for it eludes us. Or does it? Throughout history, taking intentional time to pause, to rest and to focus in on the things that are most meaningful in life has been proven essential to living a holistic, balanced life. Leisure is a key to mental health, decreased anxiety and increased productivity. It is so beautiful to me that the Lord has always gifted us this gem of self-help and wellness, dating all the way back to biblical times.”
The idea of defending leisure, Patnode said, comes from a German Catholic philosopher named Josef Pieper, who said leisure, which includes worship, has to be defended.
“The timing of these talks is really beautiful because we’re coming off the real high energy that has been generated by the National Eucharistic Congress, just as our archdiocese is moving into year two (of implementing Archbishop Hebda’s pastoral letter),” said Patnode. “He (Pieper) said (leisure) is something that has to be defended in our culture today. Not only leisure, but even the Mass.”
Patnode explained that there is a lack of understanding of true worship, true prayer and leisure, especially in a “culture saturated with screens and all kinds of mindless entertainment and busyness.”
“These talks really are an opportunity not only to clarify and to provide some understanding on what worship is, what is the Third Commandment and why does it matter in our lives, what is leisure and why should I care?” Patnode said. “It’s also to provide that kind of information while serving as an invitation to live differently than what we see in the culture today. It’s an invitation to step out of the hustle and grind culture, the constant busyness, to step away from just mindless entertainment, binge watching, scrolling through social media, and it’s an invitation to enter into a richer, fuller life. That is a life of relationship, a life of worship, a life of leisure and a life of love and joy.”
Feb. 20: Divine Mercy, Faribault
March 27: St. John the Baptist, Dayton
April 24: St. Therese, Deephaven
May 22: St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony
June 19: St. Michael, Stillwater
The New and Eternal Covenant Speakers will highlight God’s desire for covenant and relationship with humanity to inspire the faithful to “enter the celebration of the liturgy with a more intentional sense of belonging to God’s plan for salvation” and to “rediscover God’s call to live out our baptismal priesthood as a holy and chosen people,” according to officials with the archdiocese. To register, visit
All sessions are 6-9 p.m.
Nov. 25: St. Rose of Lima, Roseville, with Father Ryan Glaser
Jan. 16: Mary, Mother of the Church, Burnsville, with Father Glaser
Feb. 5: Epiphany, Coon Rapids, with Father Glaser
March 20: St. Odilia, Shoreview, in Spanish, with Father Evan Koop and Marta Periera
May 15: Pax Christi, Eden Prairie, with Father Michael Joncas and Vicki Klima
June 11: Ascension, Minneapolis, in Spanish, with Father Koop and Periera
By Peter Jesserer Smith OSV News
On the first day of the public session of the U.S. bishops’ annual fall meeting in Baltimore, the importance of the Church’s mission in light of the just-concluded Synod on Synodality, the National Eucharistic Congress, and the recentlyconcluded U.S. election loomed large.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., shared with the bishops that Pope Francis’ new encyclical “Dilexit Nos” is a call to “return to the heart” of Jesus to understand the synod, National Eucharistic Revival and the upcoming Jubilee 2025 in Rome “as disciples and as bishops.”
“The deeper we go into his heart, the more strengthened we will be to proclaim the Good News together,” he said.
“Eucharistic Revival, a more synodal form of evangelization, a Jubilee Year of Hope: All of these experiences will produce fruit, provided that we return to the heart of Christ, that sacred place where human longing and divine love are united,” he said. “It is there, in the heart of Christ, where we rediscover in a personal way the ‘kerygma’ that we preach: Christ has become one of us, he has suffered and died to heal our wounds, he has risen, and he is alive with us now in the Spirit.”
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, opened his address meditating upon the witness of
We certainly do not encourage illegal immigration, but we will all have to stand before the throne of grace and hear the Lord ask us if we saw him in the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, stranger, or sick and responded to his needs.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
the faithful Jewish people recounted in the books of Maccabees.
He observed that the U.S. Church has many existing consultative structures for
a synodal Church, while acknowledging it has more work to do. With respect to the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, he noted it “continues now in its phase of
mission” to “help the faithful discover or deepen its meaning, and to prolong the positive effects of the first two years.”
Reflecting on the U.S. presidential election, he emphasized that the bishops “never backpedal or renounce the clear teaching of the Gospel” but “proclaim it in and out of season,” and that Christians generally speaking must be “catalysts for a more humane and worthy approach to daily life.”
“We must insist on the dignity of the human person from womb to tomb,” he said, emphasizing the Church’s commitments include seeing Christ in people in need, defending the poor, fighting the evil of racism, and caring for migrants while calling for immigration reform.
“We certainly do not encourage illegal immigration, but we will all have to stand before the throne of grace and hear the Lord ask us if we saw him in the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, stranger, or sick and responded to his needs,” he said.
The U.S. bishops heard an update on the National Eucharistic Revival, which included a two-minute video that dramatically recapped the National Eucharistic Congress.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston and board chair of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., told the bishops that participants provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about the congress and preceding four-route National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.
US BISHOPS CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis was elected treasurer of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Nov. 12, bringing valuable experience from his own archdiocese to the conference post.
The bishops chose Archbishop Hebda over Bishop David Malloy of Rockford, Illinois, in a 156-84 vote on the morning of the first public session
of the U.S. bishops’ fall assembly held in Baltimore Nov. 11-14. In the same vote, Archbishop Hebda also was chosen as chairman-elect of the Committee on Budget and Finance. He will serve as treasurer-elect and chairman-elect for the next year before taking office officially and beginning a three-year term at the end of the bishops’ November meeting in 2025. Archbishop Hebda will take over the conference’s treasurer post from Bishop James Checchio, who began
his term in November 2022 and will conclude in November 2025.
The USCCB treasurer is responsible for managing the funds of the conference, for “sound fiscal administration,” and also serves as vice chair of the Committee on Priorities and Plans.
This significant committee is made up of 15 bishops from every episcopal region in the U.S. and is responsible for identifying bishops willing to go on the ballot for chairmanship of
various USCCB committees among other tasks.
The bishops also elected that morning new chairmen for several committees, each of whom will serve for a year as a chairman-elect before assuming the role fully at the end of next November’s general assembly. The committees are Divine Worship; Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations; Domestic Justice and Human Development; Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; and Migration.
Meatless Fridays back? U.S. bishops discuss ways to celebrate 10 years of “Laudato Si’.” Methods of further incorporating “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on care of creation, into the life of the Church at the local and national level was a point of discussion for the U.S. bishops during their fall general assembly Nov. 13 and included the suggestion of returning to the Church’s longtime practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays. Archbishop Borys Gudziak, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Elias Zaidan, chair of the conference’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, spoke on the upcoming 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical, which is May 2025. The bishops spent some time in table discussions Nov. 13 talking about how their dioceses and the USCCB can mark the anniversary and “help Catholics care for our common home.” “News is filled with wars, political polarization and violence, threats to life and inequality just to name a few,” said Archbishop Gudziak, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. “It can be tempting to let care for creation become less prominent. The response I believe is found in ‘Laudato Si’’ itself: ‘Everything is connected.’” Archbishop Gudziak suggested that the document could be “integrated into our core mission of evangelization.”
U.S. bishops approve a new “mission directive” to guide conference work. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted Nov. 13 to approve a new “mission directive” for 20252028, a new way that the conference is presenting its
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He noted that more than 200,000 people joined the pilgrimage; 65,000 joined the congress’s procession in Indianapolis; and over 50,000 from every U.S. state and 23 countries joined the congress itself, with hundreds of thousands participating digitally.
“You called for it,” he said. “Your support, your presence, your engagement made this powerful and the people felt it.”
Bishop Cozzens said the NEC is planning a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles next year and to also “assist regions and dioceses in forming their own congresses and to provide resources for formation.”
“The primary work of the NEC in the years ahead will be to support dioceses
strategic vision for the next four years. The theme of the prior 2021-2024 USCCB strategic plan was “Created Anew by the Body and Blood of Christ: Source of Our Healing and Hope,” and was the result of listening sessions with bishops, the National Advisory Council and USCCB staff, who had been asked to reflect on the Church’s challenges and opportunities during those years. For 2025-2028, the new directive is more of a mission statement than a theme, and was overwhelmingly approved by a vote of 225-7, with two abstentions. Shepherded by Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Priorities and Plans, the directive will guide the work of USCCB committees and staff rather than replace the work of each committee. “Submitting to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,” the directive says, in part, that it “will prioritize the work of the Conference to help equip bishops, clergy, religious, and the laity in evangelizing those who are religiously unaffiliated or disaffiliated from the Church, with special focus on young adults and the youth.”
Bishops hear an update on plans to implement the ministry of the lay catechist set forth by Pope Francis. Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, updated his fellow bishops Nov. 13 on his committee’s plans to implement the ministry of the lay catechist, a ministry set forward by Pope Francis in his May 2021 apostolic letter “Antiquum Ministerium.” Archbishop Thompson spoke to the bishops on the second daylong public session of the bishops’ Nov. 11-14 fall plenary assembly. In his apostolic
as they desire to continue the movement of Eucharistic renewal in our Church, which we all know is a generational movement, especially helping to form and send Eucharistic missionaries,” he said.
Bishop Stepan Sus of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, head of its pastoral and migration department, gave a presentation on the situation faced by Ukrainians as Russia’s war on Ukraine nears 1,000 days.
“Considering the world’s political changes, we hear different predictions about the possible end of the war in Ukraine,” he said. “It should be clear that every Russian occupation leads to the elimination of our Church as part of the community. All our churches in the occupied territories were closed, destroyed. Priests were imprisoned or expelled from their territories.”
He thanked the U.S. Church for its
letter, Pope Francis wrote that “the reception of a lay ministry such as that of Catechist will emphasize even more the missionary commitment proper to every baptized person, a commitment that must however be carried out in a fully ‘secular’ manner, avoiding any form of clericalization.” Archbishop Thompson said the committee will rework a draft document on the lay catechist approved during their June meeting into a “guide for the formation of those who lead others in evangelizing catechesis” in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine and its Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance. As his committee prepares this guide, Archbishop Thompson said the work will be informed by “the call for ongoing missionary conversion from the recent Synod on Synodality.”
U.S. bishops to consider creating a task force for synodal implementation. The U.S. bishops are considering the creation of a task force that would focus on the implementation of synodality within the USCCB. Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego proposed the task force, which was supported from the floor by Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and a subsequent voice vote of approval from the body of bishops. The job of discerning the task force was then given by the USCCB’s president, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, to the conference’s Committee on Priorities and Plans for further study.
solidarity with Ukraine, noting Catholic Relief Services, the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Near East Welfare Association and various Catholic Charities. He asked for their continued support as Ukrainians seek a “just peace that will forever turn over the tragic page of the war that took thousands of innocent lives.”
“As a Church we cannot change all realities of the world,” he said. “But we can be next to those people who suffer and wipe their tears.”
After his address, the bishops gave Bishop Sus the day’s only standing ovation.
The bishops also heard a video presentation on the 2023 National Black Catholic Congress, which highlighted the Church’s affirmation of the importance of Black Catholics and the gifts they bring to the wider Church.
“We have a long legacy of faithfulness
to our Church, and I thank you for all you’ve done to keep that fire burning,” Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell of Washington, president of the National Black Catholic Congress, told the bishops.
Bishop Campbell asked the bishops as fellow “missionary disciples” to do three things: encourage Black young people to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious and consecrated life; promote Black American Catholics with open causes for canonization known collectively as the “Holy Six” –– Venerable Mother Mary Lange; Venerable Father Augustus Tolton; Venerable Mother Henriette DeLille; Venerable Pierre Toussaint; Servant of God Julia Greeley; and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman; and to make use of the NBCC’s resources to develop a pastoral plan for Black Catholics in their individual dioceses.
By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit
From Dec. 7-8, the national Retirement Fund for Religious Annual Appeal will begin in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and be open for parish collections. Nicole Bettini, the archdiocese’s delegate for consecrated life, said that in the 2023 collection, 286 religious institutions in the United States received funds. The collection is supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Retirement Fund for Religious.
The collection, Bettini said, is an opportunity for the faithful to support and care for the archdiocese’s religious sisters, brothers and priests. The fund helps religious communities meet pressing financial needs and plan and make financial investments for the future to provide care for those retiring from active ministry. Most religious members work for little pay and lack 401(k) or pension plans, archdiocesan officials noted.
“You think of, especially in the history of our Church, the faithfulness of so many … (religious) serving and they weren’t making (a) salary that would assist their community to provide for their care,” Bettini said. “This office of retirement for religious helps (perform) assessments for communities, both in how to meet the pressing needs, but then also how to help communities prepare for the future and do a financial assessment. Through this fund, there’s some communities currently receiving in our diocese and other communities in our diocese who have received, where it’s been able to help them get to a place of long-term financial health to be able to care for their senior members.”
Bishop Kevin Kenney, who was recently ordained an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese, said the fund’s importance lies in religious brothers and sisters being taken care of in retirement.
“How does one plan for retirement, especially when they’ve made a vow of poverty?” Bishop Kenney said. “This is a way to support and honor them. Look at what the religious have done. They started hospitals and schools. In gratitude, we thank them.”
Bishop Kenney said religious priests, brothers and sisters have been part of his life for years, including about a dozen religious sisters teaching at his elementary school in Minneapolis, Annunciation Catholic School.
In 2023, the archdiocese collected $428,604 for the fund.
“When I look at that number of $428,604.41, this really is a testament of how much we love and are grateful for our consecrated religious,” Bettini said.
How does one plan for retirement, especially when they’ve made a vow of poverty? This is a way to support and honor them. Look at what the religious have done. They started hospitals and schools. In gratitude, we thank them.
Bishop Kevin Kenney
Three religious communities in the archdiocese benefited from the fund in 2023: the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation. Through the years, Bettini said, other religious communities have benefited from the fund and now are in improved financial situations, such as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
Most of the fund goes directly to religious communities.
“There may be some administrative costs, but primarily all the donations go back to our religious communities as it’s assessed what their needs are,”
Bettini said. “Our religious have given so faithfully and (are) part of the legacy of our universal Church. For their apostolate, they will beg for the needs of others … and so it’s on behalf of them that they should have this fund, that I as a delegate coordinated a plea, an ask, an invitation to our faithful, for that generosity to be shown to them. They’re really grateful for what they receive … but one might understand why they’re not as comfortable standing out front asking for these donations.”
Bettini said that in addition to collection weekend, donations can be earmarked for the fund and made to individuals’ parishes. The parish will send donations to the archdiocese, which sends it to the Retirement Fund for Religious.
Those who are not registered at a parish can send contributions to Retired Fund for Religious, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106. Donations can also be made online at tinyurl com/mmc7u5vy
Father Harrer was a missionary in Brazil, served at parishes and as hospital chaplain in archdiocese
By Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Ronald Harrer — a Minneapolis native who ministered as a missionary in Brazil, pastor and assistant priest of two parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and chaplain at Regions Hospital in St. Paul — died Nov. 6.
Father Harrer, 82, died at Dammert Care Center of the Benedictine Living Community at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois. His funeral Mass was Nov. 12 at the shrine’s chapel and burial was at St. Henry’s Oblate Cemetery in Belleville. Born in Minneapolis, Father Harrer
spent much of his childhood and youth in Orient, South Dakota. He professed his first vows in the Missionary Oblates in 1963 and was ordained a priest in 1970.
He began his ministry in Brazil as a seminarian in 1966 and served there for 14 years. Returning to the United States in 1980, Father Harrer served as the archivist of the Oblate’s Central Province and in parishes in Minnesota and South Dakota.
In the archdiocese, he was assistant priest of Assumption in Richfield from 1981 to 1997 and pastor of St. Albert in Albertville from 1997 to 2001. He was chaplain at Regions Hospital from 2001 to 2019 and was in residence at
St. Casimir in St. Paul from 2018 to 2021.
Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Cyprian Czop, pastor of St. Casimir, said Father Harrer was “a great, great community guy. ... He was a good soul, a good spirit in the house.”
Father Czop said a particularly poignant memory for him is concelebrating Masses with Father Harrer in a near-empty St. Casimir church in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Father Harrer’s memory began to deteriorate, and he had to move to the care center in Illinois, Father Czop said. “I regretted when he needed to go,” the pastor said.
Pope Francis calls for an investigation of possible genocide in Gaza. Pope Francis said the international community should investigate whether Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute genocide. “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide. It should be investigated carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” he said in a new book. An excerpt from the book, “Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims Toward a Better World,” written with the journalist Hernán Reyes Alcaide, was published Nov. 17 by Vatican News, the Italian newspaper La Stampa and the Spanish newspaper El País. Chicago priest selected to oversee an ecology center at the papal villa. Pope Francis has appointed a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago to serve as administrative management director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, which is based at the papal villa and farms at Castel Gandolfo. Father Manuel Dorantes, pastor of St. Mary of the Lake and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Chicago, will begin a four-year term at the center Dec. 1, the Vatican announced in early November. Pope Francis established the center in early 2023, saying he wanted “to make a tangible contribution to the development of ecological education by opening a new space for training and raising awareness,” according to the Vatican City governor’s office.
Pope Francis asks members of parishes and religious orders to help alleviate housing crisis. Pope Francis is asking members of parishes, Catholic institutions and religious congregations in Rome to celebrate the Holy Year 2025 by offering a home to someone who is without. “In view of the Jubilee, I am asking my diocese to give a tangible sign of attention to the housing problem so that, alongside the welcome given to all the pilgrims who will come, forms of protection are activated for those who do not have a home or are in danger of losing it,” Pope Francis said in a letter dated Nov. 8 and released by the Vatican press office a week later. Addressed specifically to “the superiors of religious orders, the legal representatives of church entities, pastors and the clergy,” the pope’s letter requested that any church body in Rome that owns real estate contribute to alleviating the city’s housing crisis. More than 2,400 anti-Christian hate crimes occurred in Europe in 2023, a report finds. With new reports of human rights organizations in Europe, it is clear that anti-Christian discrimination is a hot-button issue in the old continent, and on the rise. The Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe revealed widespread intolerance and discrimination against Christians in Europe in its Nov. 15 report, published in cooperation with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. OIDAC Europe identified 2,444 antiChristian hate crimes that were documented by police and civil society in 35 European countries in 2023, including 232 personal attacks on Christians, such as harassment, threats and physical violence. These figures include data requested from governments, which found 1,230 anti-Christian hate crimes recorded by 10 European governments in 2023, up from 1,029 recorded by governments in 2022. While only 10 European governments submitted data on anti-Christian hate crimes in 2023, civil society reported incidents from 26 European countries.
Selfishness is blocking progress on climate change, a cardinal says. Efforts to slow climate change and mitigate its impact, particularly on the poor, are being thwarted by selfishness, the Vatican secretary of state told world leaders at the COP29 climate conference. Representing
Pope Francis at the conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, Cardinal Pietro Parolin told the leaders that their Nov. 11-22 gathering was taking place at a time of “growing disillusionment with multilateral institutions and dangerous tendencies to build walls.” But, he said, “selfishness — individual, national and of power groups — feeds a climate of mistrust and division that does not respond to the needs of an interdependent world in which we should act and live as members of one family inhabiting the same interconnected global village.” Ignoring or denying the problem will not make the problem go away, the cardinal said. “Indifference is an accomplice to injustice.”
British Catholics react to Anglican archbishop’s shock resignation. Leading British Catholics have urged their Church to avoid involvement in the resignation of the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, who quit Nov. 12 after being implicated in a large-scale abuse cover-up. “This drama won’t make a vast difference to the many people who already view Christianity negatively — they’ll merely see it as confirming what they already thought,” said Timothy Guile, chairman
of the English Catholic History Association. “While it will hugely damage confidence across the Anglican Communion, it shouldn’t affect the Catholic Church, which should avoid becoming embroiled in any way.” The Catholic historian was reacting to the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby, the 105th archbishop of Canterbury, following report findings he was complicit in ignoring crimes by one of his church’s worst known abusers. Archbishop Welby, who was head of England’s official state church, said he had tendered his resignation to King Charles III after the independent review by safeguarding specialist Keith Makin, published Nov. 7, found he had failed to ensure the reporting of “prolific and abhorrent” physical and sexual abuse by lawyer John Smyth at church-run camps in Britain and southern Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. The 251-page document argued Archbishop Welby had held “personal and moral responsibility” to pursue the abuse claims “whatever the policies at play at the time required,” and had made “incorrect assertions” about his own awareness of the crimes when they were publicly exposed
If you’ve ever helped young children choose a birthday gift for a loved one, you’ve helped cultivate generosity and shared with them the joy of giving. It is no different when you invite your children to help you make charitable gifts. Coming together to make these decisions provides the opportunity to discuss your values and priorities, and how you share your blessings.
The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF) helps families and individuals like you give through charitable funds to their favorite parishes, schools, ministries, and charities. In our work at CCF, we have the privilege of witnessing many families use these funds to connect more deeply, in a new way.
A young family came to CCF to open a donor advised fund. The parents wanted to include their four children — all under the age of eight — so they accompanied their parents to a meeting with CCF staff on the day the fund was established.
As everyone sat around a big conference table, the dad began by reading Matthew 25, “The Parable of the Talents.” The parents explained that all our gifts belong to God, and that we are the stewards of these gifts. They asked the children how their own gifts can be used to bless others. The older children even brought their piggy banks to contribute to the new fund.
Seeds have been planted in these four young lives to enrich their faith, connect them to the needs of others, and become caring and active members of our Catholic community. This is the joy of giving—and it’s never too late to start. Whether your children are 8, 18, or 48, you can inspire charitable hearts.
and investigated by police in 2017.
Oakland Diocese files Chapter 11 plan to give more than $160 million to settle abuse claims. The Diocese of Oakland filed a formal Chapter 11 reorganization plan Nov. 8 in an effort to settle some 345 claims of sexual abuse. If approved by the court, the move — which follows the decision by the diocese in May 2023 to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — would create a survivors’ trust totaling between “approximately $160 million and $198 million or more,” the diocese said in a Nov. 8 media release. In October, Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland had provided an update on the proceedings, noting in an Oct. 7 message that California’s 2019 lookback law, which opened a three-year window in the statute of limitations, had left the diocese unable to settle the claims while continuing its operations. The diocese’s 80 parishes, integrated within the diocesan corporate structure, would be part of the settlement — although their “services, regular programs, and charitable activities will continue uninterrupted,” said the diocese. — CNS and OSV News
6 REASONS TO GIVE AS A FAMILY
1 Encourage compassion and responsibility.
2 Teach empathy.
3 Practice gratitude and humility together.
4 Put gospel teachings into action.
5 Provide a sense of purpose and community.
6 Strengthen your family unit as you work together on a mission.
By Maria Wiering For The Catholic Spirit
Vincenzo Randazzo wasn’t 100 percent sure how this stop was going to work out. It was June, and he was on a bus with 20-some college students winding along the rugged hillsides between Rome and Naples, with hopes of touring a tower where St. Thomas Aquinas had famously been imprisoned by his brothers aiming to dissuade him from the Dominicans. Through a series of phone calls, Randazzo had contacted the castle’s caretaker and arranged to meet, but the short conversation left room for interpretation.
Randazzo was spending 10 days with students from Dominican-run Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, leading a pilgrimage of the life of St. Thomas Aquinas — an intellectual powerhouse who studied and taught in Cologne and Paris, yet who was born, was raised and died in Italy.
The hilltop route to the tower offered incredible views as the pilgrims entered the village of Monte San Giovanni Campano, making their way to rough stone walls of the castle ruins. Just seeing the exteriors connected to St. Thomas’ life felt significant, Randazzo said. Thankfully, as he had hoped, a short Italian man was standing outside the castle’s doors — with keys.
“He goes, ‘Yeah, I opened up for you. Here’s the keys. Lock it when you’re done,’” Randazzo recalled. He was told to leave the keys at the nearby restaurant.
For hours, the students and their Dominican chaplains had the place to themselves to explore, pray and reflect in the castle’s restored rooms where 19-year-old Thomas was held for nearly a year. He had secretly joined the fledgling Dominicans, but his family had prepared him to join the Benedictines for greater power and prestige. He resisted. His brothers, hoping to break his will and inflict shame, sent a prostitute into his rooms to tempt him. The saint chased her away with a firebrand.
The young Thomas ultimately escaped the castle, reunited with the Dominicans, and went on to become one of the most pivotal theologians in the history of the Catholic Church. Among his greatest contributions is the “Summa Theologica,” which remains a bedrock text for understanding God and the relationship between faith and reason.
And, thanks to Randazzo’s gumption, a group of college students had gathered in St. Thomas’ castle room, now a chapel adorned with images of the story, as a Dominican friar preached about the beauty of chastity. His words had greater gravity and relatability, Randazzo said, when spoken in the very place that Thomas was tested and proved faithful.
This is what Randazzo loves about this work, and it highlights his unique approach to pilgrimages.
“Because of my devotion to saints like
RIGHT Vincenzo Randazzo, a University of St. Thomas graduate who leads Catholic pilgrimages in Italy, pauses while standing behind the ancient Basilica of San Saba in Rome Oct. 6.
BELOW Randazzo explores the excavations of a fourth-century church that has been exposed under the 17-century Basilica of San Crisogono in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood Oct. 2.
Aquinas, I know the stories well and can bring people to places others might overlook, creating experiences that are meaningful and rare,” he said.
And he’s willing to go on an adventure to make something exceptional happen.
“He’s not just a brain on a stick, who wrote this dense book that people are telling me is very important,” Randazzo said of St. Thomas. “Now, this is a man who’s doing everything he can possibly do to effectively proclaim Christ’s revelation. That’s what he’s trying to do, and he’s doing it with his entire being, and so therefore I ought to emulate him. And that’s the importance of the saints, right?”
“It’s the Incarnation, it’s the — the stuff,” he added, gesticulating over a table with pasta and wine on a recent, warm October day near his home in Rome’s San Saba neighborhood.
Since 2021, Randazzo, 35, has been running a pilgrimage company based in Rome where he’s lived for the past three years.
With a father born to Sicilian immigrants, Randazzo inherited an affection for Italian culture during his upbringing in Michigan. But it wasn’t until he was a junior at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul also studying at St. John Vianney College Seminary that Randazzo first stepped foot in Italy for a Catholic Studies semester abroad. Randazzo spent the adjoining summer reconnecting with extended family in Sicily, and it felt like home.
After discerning he was not called to priesthood and graduating from St. Thomas, Randazzo — a native English speaker who is fluent in Italian as well as Spanish (owing to his mother, a Lebanese emigrant raised in Venezuela) — worked in Latino ministry at St. Stephen parish in Minneapolis and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office for Evangelization, now the Office of Discipleship and Evangelization.
As part of that work, he organized two major pilgrimages for young adults: the first to World Youth Day in Panama in 2019, and the second to his beloved Rome in January 2020 to accompany Archbishop Bernard Hebda and the bishops of nearby dioceses for their “ad limina” visit with Pope Francis.
The pilgrimage was great, but Randazzo had been itching to return to Rome long-term. In 2021, he made the leap with a new job. When it proved an ill fit, he drew on his entrepreneurial spirit and decided to organize pilgrimages in Italy — but his way. Randazzo brings Catholic groups to the main attractions such as the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica and Rome’s other major basilicas, but what he really loves — and feels he does well — is connecting pilgrims with a saint and letting that saint’s life direct them to places few others bother to go.
Like Monte San Giovanni. Hardly anyone goes there, he said, although the site is now part of an “Aquinas in Italy” package he offers on his website (vincenzoinrome com).
But under-visited places are just as common in Rome, where hundreds of saints have lived or made their own pilgrimages.
The Italian mystic and doctor of the Church St. Catherine of Siena, for example, lived in Rome in the years before she died at age 33, and regularly walked from a convent near Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (where her body now lies) to St. Peter’s Basilica. Five centuries later, a teenage St. Thérèse of Lisieux — another future doctor of the Church — also visited Rome, where she toured the Colosseum and implored Pope Leo XIII to allow her to enter the convent. By walking the same streets as St. Catherine and St. Thérèse and the scores of saints between them, “we’re becoming Catholic through space and time,” Randazzo said.
While working at St. Stephen, Randazzo recalled Bishop Joseph Williams, then an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, telling him, “You’re often asked to walk a mile with someone — just a mile.”
Randazzo took those words to heart.
“I love that, because of course that’s from Scripture,” he said, noting that the words especially resonate with leading pilgrims. “You don’t need to carry someone all the way in the end, but go a certain distance with them and sort of help them along. And that’s where I see myself and that’s sort of coming together, and it’s coming together in a very potent way.”
In his pilgrimage work, the facets of his life seem to harmonize: growing up
Vincenzo Randazzo, who coordinates Catholic pilgrimage tours in Rome and elsewhere in Italy, advises pilgrims to design their days as a meal — the kind with multiple courses. “Have a kind of like main course of the day. Alright, have a dessert,” he said, indicating that there should be a central focus for the day and planned time to relax. “Don’t overextend it. … Have yourself in a state of mind that you are outside of the norm, outside of your ordinary life, so that God can work on your heart.”
On a practical level, he suggests pilgrims to Rome download a taxi app such as itTaxi or Freenow. Uber is available, but it’s more expensive. Without the app, don’t expect to be able to easily hail a taxi from the street, but use a taxi stand instead, he said.
While pilgrimage requires many of the same things as travel — like taxi skills — it’s different, Randazzo stresses. Essentially, pilgrimage is penance, he said. “A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy site to venerate God, ultimately. … The items and saints and things we venerate lead us to God.” It’s also the experience of the Catholic life, he said. “This life is a pilgrimage; we are heading home, which is where our true home is, in heaven. So, it’s a way to see it more practically in your own life, to remind yourself.”
When on pilgrimage, the places visited, like the seasons of the Church’s liturgical year, “remind us of these great moments in our faith: the joy of the Resurrection, the suffering of the Crucifixion, and everything after and before and in between,” Randazzo said.
So, when in Rome, “Walk into every church you see and walk in as a pilgrim — you know, show the tourists around that this is a holy place,” he said. “Go for the holy water. Genuflect. Do a little lap, slowly, prayerfully. Kneel at the side altars. Kneel at the main altar. Talk with God. Offer things to God. You’ll see all sorts of people from all over the world, from all different sorts of situations. Be a pilgrim.”
— Maria Wiering
Catholic in an immigrant family; discovering in high school a talent for public speaking that prompted him to try seminary; the intellectual, personal and spiritual formation he received though seminary and Catholic Studies; his outgoing personality and natural interest in others and their stories; and a palpable desire to evangelize. Add to that his ever-expanding awe for the Catholic Church and his love for Jesus Christ, which he said is deepened by being in the Eternal City.
“The thing here is the Incarnation,” he emphasized. In Rome, more so than anywhere else Randazzo has visited, “you’re in touch with the stuff, the flesh of the faith … the grittiness, that smell when you go into a catacomb, it starts hitting all of your senses.”
Randazzo is a tour coordinator, meaning he organizes tour logistics and connects his pilgrims with tour guides certified by the Italian government. He thinks of his job as hospitality. “I’m hosting,” he said. “I’m attentive to everyone’s needs.”
As Rome prepares for a crush of visitors for the 2025 Jubilee Year by refreshing its major monuments, Randazzo suggests Catholics traveling to the Eternal City adopt a pilgrim’s posture. Pilgrims don’t make their journeys to seek comfort, he said. And Rome can be uncomfortable — it’s crowded and hot in the summer, and theft is on the rise, he said.
PLEASE TURN TO PILGRIM HOST ON PAGE 19
With the Holy Year 2025 beginning on Christmas Eve, the Vatican’s 2024 Christmas stamps feature the Jubilee message of hope and a prayer for peace.
Both Christmas stamps, which went on sale Nov. 4, feature the logo of the Holy Year.
The 1.25-euro stamp features “the Christmas angel bearing a scroll that reads ‘Glory to God’ and ‘Peace on Earth,’” excerpts from the hymn Luke 2:14 says was sung by the angels announcing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, said a note from the Vatican philatelic office.
“It is the invocation that in recent years rises heartfelt from so many parts of the world crushed by violence and war,” said the note, released Oct. 30.
The second stamp, with a value of 1.30 euros, shows the Baby Jesus in the
CNS | VATICAN PHILATELIC OFFICE
manger with his hand raised in blessing. A scroll above his head has the Latin title of Pope Francis’ bull of indiction, formally proclaiming the Holy Year: “Spes Non Confundit,” which means “Hope does not disappoint.”
By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service
Two days after opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to inaugurate the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis will travel to a Rome prison to open a Holy Door as a “tangible sign of the message of hope” for people in prisons around the world, the Vatican announced. The pope will go Dec. 26 to Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome, “a symbol of all the prisons dispersed throughout the world,” to deliver a message of hope to prisoners, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for new evangelization and the chief organizer of the Holy Year 2025, announced at a news conference Oct. 28. Pope Francis will open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 24. He will then open the Holy Doors at the major basilicas of St. John Lateran Dec. 29, St. Mary Major Jan. 1 and St. Paul Outside the Walls Jan. 5.
In his “bull of indiction,” titled “Spes Non Confundit” (“Hope Does Not Disappoint”), the document formally proclaiming the Holy Year 2025 and its theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” Pope Francis wrote that during the Holy Year, he will have close to his heart “prisoners who, deprived of their freedom, feel daily the harshness of detention and its restrictions, lack of affection and, in more than a few cases, lack of respect for their persons.”
In the document, the pope also called on governments to “undertake
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
While bishops around the world are asked to designate their cathedrals or other significant churches as special places of pilgrimage and prayer for the Holy Year 2025, the Vatican is not asking them to dedicate and open a “Holy Door” at those churches.
The Dicastery for Evangelization, which is coordinating the celebration of the Jubilee, issued a note Aug. 1 praising “the pastoral and devotional motivations” of bishops who wanted to designate a local Holy Door but saying the only holy doors will be at the basilicas of St. Peter at the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome and at a prison.
CNS | JUSTIN MCLELLAN
“Luce” (Italian for “Light”), the official mascot for the Holy Year 2025, is presented during a news conference at the Vatican Oct. 28, 2024.
initiatives aimed at restoring hope” for incarcerated persons during the Holy Year, such as expanding forms of amnesty and social reintegration programs.
Archbishop Fisichella announced that the Vatican had signed an agreement with Italy’s minister of justice and the government commissioner for Rome to implement reintegration programs for incarcerated individuals by involving their participation in activities during
In Catholic tradition, the Holy Door represents the passage to salvation — the path to a new and eternal life, which was opened to humanity by Jesus.
The tradition goes back more than 600 years. Pope Martin V, in 1423, opened the Holy Door in the Basilica of St. John Lateran — the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome — for the first time for a jubilee. Later, Pope Alexander VI had Holy Doors opened at the four main basilicas in Rome for the Holy Year of 1500.
The doors are formally closed at the end of a Holy Year and then bricked up by masons.
Starting in the 16th century, the ceremony to open the door in St. Peter’s Basilica included the pope reciting verses from the Psalms and striking
the Jubilee Year.
The archbishop also outlined the schedule of cultural offerings leading up to the Jubilee Year, during which the city of Rome estimates that 30 million people will visit the Italian capital.
The Vatican organized a concert of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Rome Nov. 3; three art exhibitions in November and December, including a display of rare Christian icons from the collection of the Vatican Museums; and a concert from the Sistine Chapel Choir two days before the opening of the Holy Door.
Archbishop Fisichella also unveiled the official mascot of the Holy Year 2025: “Luce” (Italian for light), a cartoon pilgrim dressed in a yellow raincoat, mud-stained boots, wearing a missionary cross and holding a pilgrim’s staff. Luce’s eyes feature the shape of scallop shells, a traditional symbol of pilgrimage and hope.
The mascot, he said, was inspired by the Church’s desire “to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth.”
“Luce” will also serve as the mascot of the Holy See’s pavilion at Expo 2025, which will take place in Osaka, Japan, from April to October 2025. The Holy See pavilion — which will be hosted inside of Italy’s national pavilion — will have the theme “Beauty brings hope,” and display the 17th-century painting “The Entombment of Christ” by Caravaggio — the only one of his works housed in the Vatican Museums.
the wall covering the Holy Door with a silver hammer three times.
The designation of a Holy Door in every diocese and at many shrines around the world was an innovation Pope Francis made for the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy from Dec. 8, 2015, to Nov. 20, 2016. In its note Aug. 1, the Dicastery for Evangelization pointed out that the pope did not make such a request of bishops for the Holy Year 2025.
Instead, Pope Francis asked bishops to celebrate the solemn opening of the jubilee on Sunday, Dec. 29, and suggested that “a pilgrimage that sets out from a church chosen for the ‘collectio’ and then proceeds to the cathedral can serve to symbolize the journey of hope that, illumined by the word of God, unites all the faithful.”
By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
Claire Bischoff was first inspired to become a religion teacher as a student at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul. Now, three decades later, she’s teaching religion there. The 47-year-old mom of three belongs to Lumen Christi in St. Paul. This season, she’s finding ways to slow down and soak up Advent.
Q Tell me about your experience in religion class as a Cretin-Derham student.
A I came into high school thinking that religion was reading a textbook and memorizing the right answers for a test and reciting the prayers you’ve been taught. Then my ninth-grade religion teacher, Mr. Gleich, took us for a day of service at a halfway house, where we sat and listened to residents tell their stories and then worked the kitchen line ladling out soup. It was the first time I came into contact with people whose life stories were so different from my own. To link that to religion –– something we do on Sunday morning but also take out into the world to help the people who are most marginalized –– made a huge difference for me. You have to bring something of yourself when you do that, in a way that rote prayers and memorized answers don’t require.
Then in my sophomore year of school, I had Mr. Watkins, who was very much an intellectual, and I learned that religion could invite deep thinking and deep questions and good conversations. To know that could be part of religion also opened it up for me. I could enter into these conversations that have been going on for centuries: “Who is this Jesus guy?”
Q Faith and reason.
A It’s simple, but it means a lot. And looking at all the denominations in Christianity, they don’t all do that. That’s something I’ve always appreciated about the Catholic tradition: There is that invitation to the intellectual. To me, (Pope) Francis’ “Laudato Si’” is a beautiful example. We’re going to pay attention to what the environmental scientists say and what the social scientists say and we’re going to do the theological studies and then we’re going to put all that together. Then we’re getting faithful and well-reasoned answers to a really huge problem. I teach that to my students as often as I can squeeze “Laudato Si”’ into my class. It’s a great way for them to see how we can approach it. So many people have that question: Can we listen to science and also believe in God? Some of my students are not aware that the Catholic Church’s answer is yes.
Q It’s great you invite in the teens who come to the reason side more naturally than the faith side.
A Creating that space is so important. I ask my students: Did you know there’s more than one way to read the Bible? And there’s more than one way to pray. There are more ways for people to connect with religion. It’s what my religion teachers did for me. I was given different ways to connect to religion –– ways that fit for me –– which is why I’m still connected to the Church.
Q You’ve also been deeply influenced by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, whose mission is to love God and neighbor without distinction. How do you live that out?
A I really try to see God in each of my students and get to know them. Hopefully my students feel comfortable sharing whatever they want to share. They don’t have to share answers that they think match my own opinions. I try to keep that close to the vest. I take pride in the fact that I have students who come from all across the political and religious spectrum who come to me to talk about things.
Q It could be tempting to judge or classify your students as a kind of shortcut. It takes more time
and work to really get to know each one.
A It does. Mostly what it takes is emotional energy. One of the freedoms of being in my 40s has been a real clarity on my top priorities: my kids and my students. I don’t have energy for other things on top of that –– or if I do other things, I won’t have the energy to give to these primary groups of people I feel responsible for. Part of being able to create that space for my kids and my students is saying no to the things that don’t serve that. So, I’m not on any boards, and I’m not part of any clubs. I really direct my energy toward those two groups. That is the wisdom that comes with age.
Q Yes, and lacking ego, feeling secure enough to decline invitations that are flattering or roles that bring some status.
A You’re right. If you would’ve told me as a graduate student that I’d be teaching high school and not doing any writing, I would’ve said, “What?!” Back then, I was still on that advancement mode. For the most part, I’ve been able to let that go.
When I see people who were graduate colleagues who published a new book or are a named professor chair at Yale, there’s a little bit of me that thinks, “Ooh, I’m not doing that.” But then I walk into the classroom, and it’s like, “Yup, this is who I’m supposed to be with.” And when I go home, having a comfort and clarity. These are the people I’m called to be with right now. And this is a season of life. I may be able to do other things at another time. I don’t have to keep climbing this ladder if it’s not serving me and the needs of the world and what God’s calling me to do.
Q As a parent of teens and a teacher of students, what’s your perspective: Is it harder to be a teen now?
A I definitely think it’s harder. It feels like the stress has been ratcheted up. And I’m saying this as someone who was class valedictorian, a three-sport varsity athlete, I wrote for the school paper. I was very busy. But it feels like the stakes are much higher now. A student might ask to start a club because it’s going to look good on a college application. There are way more AP (advanced placement) classes offered now and a real push to take the highest level. Financially, they know how expensive college is going to be, so there’s an incentive to knock out a couple of college credits.
Q Yes, and urgency and competitiveness creep in earlier. It’s evident in the professionalization of youth sports.
A Right. And then there’s the technology. When students have phones, they’re never doing one thing at a time. I will always remember a sermon given by the former pastor at Lumen Christi. He said something that connects all forms of spirituality –– across the globe and across the centuries –– is trying to help us be more present in the present. Phones make it harder for young people to get any practice at that. On social media, there’s the comparison game. With Snap Map (a feature on the Snapchat app), everybody knows where everybody is. They’re being asked to navigate all this as their bodies and souls and brains are still developing.
Q Cretin implemented a stricter cellphone policy this school year, requiring that students lock their phones in a Yondr pouch all day –– even during lunch.
A I know for the students it’s hard, but we’ve seen really positive results. I see a lot more conversation with students during our middle-of-the-day break, which is a split between lunch and time in homeroom. They’re having to be creative. Frequently I have students playing hangman on my board. I have a couple students come and use the seasonal color sheets I set out with markers and colored pencils. We’ve had better interactions in class because there’s one less distraction.
I’m not anti-technology. But students having their phones with them all the time, to me, is one of the biggest challenges to their spirituality. When I feel most myself and most connected to God, my phone is usually not on.
Q What do you do for fun?
A My friend and I are three weeks into an adult hiphop class, and it’s the silliest and funniest. I’ve also been dabbling in watercolor and having so much fun. The older I get, the more I notice that what’s fun for me –– both dance and painting –– (is when) you really are present in the moment. The things that are fun are also spiritual practices. The playing and creativity and being open to what’s going to happen –– it’s life-giving. It helps me stoke the joy and the love.
Q How do you observe Advent?
A We’re very much an Advent-wreath-on-the-dinnertable sort of family –– to have that pause in the day to light the candles and pray before our meal. Part of
Be on the lookout for hope, pope
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
Christians should make a practice each night of identifying signs of hope, even small ones, that came their way during the day, Pope Francis wrote.
Living the virtue of Christian hope means “knowing how to discern, everywhere, evidence of hope, the breaking through of the possible into the impossible, of grace where it would seem that sin has eroded all trust,” the pope said in the introduction to the book, “Hope Is a Light in the Night.”
In preparation for the Holy Year 2025, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the Vatican publishing house, prepared collections of Pope Francis’ writing and preaching about Christian virtues with new introductions from the pope.
Nov. 6, Vatican News published the English-language translations of the pope’s prefaces for the collection on hope and for one on faith, titled “Faith Is a Journey.”
For the theme of the Holy Year, which he will open Dec. 24, Pope Francis chose “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Reflecting on Christian hope, he wrote in the new book, is especially important “in times like the ones we are living, in which the Third World War being fought ‘piecemeal’ that is unfolding before our eyes can lead us to assume attitudes of gloomy
discouragement and ill-concealed cynicism.”
Christian hope is not optimism, he wrote. Rather, it is “waiting for something that has already been given to us: salvation in God’s eternal and infinite love.”
God’s love and promise of salvation “gives flavor to our lives” and is “the hinge on which the world remains standing, despite all the wickedness and nefariousness caused by our sins as men and women.”
“To hope, then, is to welcome this gift that God offers us every day,” Pope Francis wrote. “To hope is to savor the wonder of being loved, sought, desired by a God who has not shut Himself away in His impenetrable heavens but has made Himself flesh and blood, history and days, to share our lot.”
But hope also is a gift that requires a response of letting oneself “be molded” by God’s love and sharing it with others, he wrote.
In encouraging people to go on the daily hunt for hope, the pope said the signs can be simple: “a smile from someone you didn’t expect, an act of gratuitousness observed at school, a kind act encountered in the workplace, a gesture of help, even a small one.”
“Let us train ourselves to recognize hope,” he said. “We will then be able to marvel at how much good exists in the world. And our hearts will light up with hope. We will then be able to be beacons of the future for those around us.”
The pope’s introduction to the book on faith as a journey ties in closely with the practice of making a pilgrimage — especially one on foot — during the
Holy Year.
“Walking is good for us: it connects us with what is happening around us, helps us discover the sounds, smells, and noises of the reality that surrounds us — in other words, it brings us closer to the lives of others,” he said.
A Holy Year pilgrimage also is a reminder that “faith is a pilgrimage and that we are pilgrims on this earth,” the pope wrote. “We are not tourists or wanderers; we do not move
aimlessly, existentially speaking. We are pilgrims,” who take risks, put in effort and have a goal.
Reaching God is the goal “that continuously calls us to move forward because He is always greater than the idea we have of Him,” the pope wrote. “But it is precisely this walking toward God that gives us the exhilarating certainty that He awaits us to give us His consolation and His grace.”
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SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER JAMES PETERSON
Within our American culture we rightfully bristle at the idea of a sovereign authority who would be completely in charge of our lives.
We have seen throughout history and around the world various despots and dictators who have abused the power entrusted to them and who didn’t rule their people with care and concern. This resonates with the famous quote, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” While this can certainly be the case with purely human authority, this is not the case with God.
As we approach the final weekend of Ordinary Time, we can ponder the virtues of an ideal leader who shatters the proverbial mold and is “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29). As we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we can prayerfully consider the objective and subjective dimensions of God’s reign. At the objective level, Jesus has authority over every power and principality and time and space and created things, both visible and invisible.
Subjectively, we have a daily decision to let Jesus be the king of our lives. He is kind and merciful and wise and has plans for our “welfare and not for woe” (Jer 29:11). The laws and commandments and decrees that have been revealed are not intended to be burdensome but are meant to help us live our best lives in terms of freedom and
ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ
What is the sin that ‘cannot be forgiven’?
Editor’s note: This will be the last “Ask Father Mike column,” as the Diocese of Duluth restructures its offices and suspends production of the Northern Cross, the official newspaper of the Duluth diocese.
Q I heard that Jesus said there is a sin that cannot be forgiven. What is this sin? Why can’t God forgive it?
A Thank you for this question. If there is anything that could inspire fear in the heart of a believer, it is the idea that we could do something that God couldn’t handle. Or the notion that a person could sin against God in such a way that he would not be able, nor willing, to forgive them. Is that what Jesus meant when he said, “I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (Mt 12:31)?
The first thing that we need to be reminded of is the fact that there is no sin so bad that God would be unable to handle it. This is critical for us to understand: God is infinite. God’s mercy is infinite. God’s love for humanity (and more to the point, his love for you personally) is infinite. There is no end to it. God does not struggle to forgive us. The power of Christ’s life, death and resurrection has the power to redeem the entire world. When Jesus became one of us through the Incarnation, God united his divinity with humanity. When he offered himself to the Father on the cross, his trusting obedience conquered everything that has the power to conquer us: sin, death and suffering. Because of this, we know that there are absolutely no sins that God is not willing to forgive. Stay with that truth for a moment: there is no sin that God does not want to forgive. He demonstrated in Christ that he wants all of us to be reconciled with him, no matter how much we may have rejected him and no matter what we have done. There is no sin that disqualifies us from God’s love.
Not only that, but since God is infinite, his sacrifice for us is also infinite. No matter how bad a sin might be, that sin is still finite: there is a limit to it. But God’s love and power are without limit. There is no sin that God cannot handle. There is no sin that God will not or cannot forgive.
So, what is Jesus talking about when he says that “blasphemy against
authenticity. Sadly, our human weaknesses and the lure of sin can prevent us from seeing God’s laws as such. Because of wounds and heartaches, we can even at times doubt the goodness of the Lord. A powerful remedy and healing balm for these challenges is to meditate upon the passion of Jesus Christ.
After being betrayed by one of his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane (a parallel to the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) Jesus was brought before the religious leaders of the day. He was mocked, spat upon and unjustly attacked. He was then taken to Pontius Pilate, the representative of Roman authority. Within their interactions and conversations, Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven and said, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (Jn 18:37). We believe that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. He willingly entered his passion, suffering persecution and death — “even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8).
In place of a throne made of gold, the king of kings was bound to the wood of the cross. Instead of a crown of precious jewels, Jesus was given a crown of thorns. Rather than having a royal raiment of extravagant clothing, his clothes were removed. Meditating upon this self-sacrificial love of Jesus enables us to unite our own pains and burdens to him and participate in redemptive suffering by carrying our own cross. As our archdiocesan patron St. Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Rom 6:8). May the grace of Jesus present in sacred Scripture and in the Eucharist strengthen us so that we would forever acclaim him as our crucified and resurrected king!
Father Peterson is pastor of St. Odilia in Shoreview.
the (Holy) Spirit will not be forgiven”? What does that mean? What is that particular sin?
The ancient Catholic understanding of this teaching is this: There is no one sin against the Holy Spirit. It could actually be anything. It does not depend on the tragedy or awfulness of the sin. A sin against the Holy Spirit is any sin that we do not allow God to forgive.
That’s it. Simply put: God is willing and able to forgive absolutely any sin we are guilty of. He loves you, and he has taken all the sins of the world upon himself to such a degree that all of them can be forgiven — except for the sin that we will not give God permission to forgive. If we were to harden our heart to the Lord in such a way that we refuse to allow his love to enter our heart, then God will not force his way in. I always like to describe sin in these terms. Sin is not merely breaking a rule, and sin is not “making a mistake.” Sin is when we say to God with our actions, “God, I know what you want. I don’t care. I want what I want.” We use our free will to place ourselves outside of God’s reach. Not that God cannot reach us, but he will not violate our free will. If we refuse to come into his mercy, he will not force us. If we refuse to allow him to forgive us, he will not override our refusal.
This is one of the reasons pride is the deadliest of all the sins. If a person were to fall into any kind of sin (even repeated and deadly sins) but continued to choose humility and hope, they will always be forgiven by the Lord. But if a person lacks humility and hope, then even a small sin could be enough to keep them from mercy. In his book, “The Screwtape Letters,” author C.S. Lewis taught about the spiritual life from the perspective of a senior demon/tempter instructing a junior demon on how to lead a soul to hell. When it comes to the severity of sin, he said, it is like this: “Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick.”
If I grasp onto my sin, no matter what it is, rather than entrust my sins and my heart to the Lord, the end result is the same: I die saying, “God, I know what you want (to forgive me), but I want what I want (to hold myself to a higher standard than even you are holding me to).” This is why pride and despair need to be conquered by humility and hope.
If you want to avoid this sin against the Holy Spirit, my invitation is to consistently ask God to soften your heart. We can have a hard heart in three ways: we can harden our heart to God, to others and to ourselves. We harden our heart to God when we persist in our sin and do not allow the Source of truth to tell us right from wrong. We harden our hearts to others when we choose to give in to resentment and unforgiveness. And we harden our hearts to ourselves when we do not allow God to extend his grace to us.
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.
Sunday, Nov. 24
Solemnity of our Lord Jesus, King of the Universe Dn 7:13-14 Rv 1:5-8 Jn 18:33b-37
Monday, Nov. 25 Rv 14:1-3, 4b-5 Lk 21:1-4
Tuesday, Nov. 26 Rv 14:14-19 Lk 21:5-11
Wednesday, Nov. 27 Rv 15:1-4 Lk 21:12-19
Thursday, Nov. 28
Thanksgiving Day Sir 50:22-24 1 Cor 1:3-9 Lk 17:11-19
Friday, Nov. 29 Rv 20:1-4, 11–21:2 Lk 21:29-33
Saturday, Nov. 30 St. Andrew, Apostle Rom 10:9-18 Mt 4:18-22
Sunday, Dec. 1 First Sunday of Advent Jer 33:14-16 1 Thes 3:12–4:2 Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
Monday, Dec. 2 Is 2:1-5 Mt 8:5-11
Tuesday, Dec. 3 St. Francis Xavier, priest Is 11:1-10 Lk 10:21-24
Wednesday, Dec. 4 Is 25:6-10a Mt 15:29-37
Thursday, Dec. 5 Is 26:1-6 Mt 7:21, 24-27
Friday, Dec. 6 Is 29:17-24 Mt 9:27-31
Saturday, Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Is 30:19-21, 23-26 Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
Sunday, Dec. 8 Second Sunday of Advent Bar 5:1-9 Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 Lk 3:1-6
ST. AMBROSE (337-397) The son of a Roman official in Gaul, Ambrose was practicing law in Rome when the emperor appointed him governor of the province whose capital was Milan. When that church see became vacant, Ambrose was chosen bishop by acclamation. A catechumen like many of his people, Ambrose was baptized, ordained and consecrated bishop on the same day, Dec. 7, 374. He battled paganism and the Arian heresy, publicly challenged rulers in the Western and Eastern empires, championed hymns as a form of praise, wrote theological treatises and was beloved by his people for his generosity and accessibility. He also baptized St. Augustine of Hippo. One of the four doctors of the Latin Church, Ambrose is the patron of bees, stonemasons and catechumens. His feast day is Dec. 7. –– OSV News
LIZ KELLY STANCHINA
I have a lot of hope. I’m full to the brim with it. This is a gift God has given to me. I have no idea why. I don’t even remember asking for it. But here I am, a one-time full-throated negativity announcer, a misery-monger, who now falls asleep at night with a smile on her face. I’m a woman with a chronic, progressive illness who has to sleep half of every day away, once divorced, a woman who lost her breasts and hair and strength to cancer, a woman who — despite many serious trials and failings, and one with a long legacy of sin — is bursting with hope.
My heavenly Father has given this to me. I have not earned it. I have not conjured it. It is a pure gift — and I want to share it with everyone I meet.
As I write, I’m reflecting in adoration on Jesus in
“Who do you say that I am?” It’s the question Jesus posed to the men closest to him, the one Peter answered with an unequivocal confession of faith in him as the messiah and son of God. The entirety of our Catholic faith rests on Peter’s response and, for 2,000 years, the Church has proclaimed the divinity of Jesus Christ and his eternal kingdom.
But it is not enough for the Church to answer this question as a whole. “Who do you say that I am?” is directed to every Christian soul. It is the one question on life’s final exam each one of us will be required to answer.
The quality of our discipleship is largely a consequence of the response we give — not only in our words, but by how we live. That’s because Jesus is every Catholic’s most significant other. Our relationship to him is the single most important relationship we have because it defines and shapes all the rest of our relationships.
Life is a pilgrimage toward holiness, and saints are made, not born. As we grow in our faith, who Jesus is becomes increasingly central to who we are. That transformation is invariably reflected in how we live. And as our answer to Christ’s question develops and deepens, a pattern of growth in the Christian spiritual life emerges and the path from muse and motivator to mentor and master becomes clear.
the Blessed Sacrament. I have brought you and your heart and hopes with me. It is Advent 2023 and the sanctuary is dressed in purple; the smell of incense fills the air; the candles burn, offering their tender, holy light, and the Lord is big and so beautiful in the glimmering, golden monstrance before me, seated high and mighty on a white marble altar. And he is reaching down into my little hand, into my pen, and I sense him saying to me how very much he loves you and this same hope that brims over in me he wants to give to you, too. A thrill of hope, an Advent hope that longs for his coming. I’m confident of that. And of this, too: hope in him, hope in his goodness, hope in the knowledge that he knows you perfectly, loves you completely, every hair on your head — or falling off your head as the case may be. And he has such plans for you, for your flourishing — despite hardship, despite illness, despite failure, sin, limitation or loss. Flourishing. You. That is absolutely the plan.
And this: You were created for hope and to be a bearer of hope for the world.
The Advent season is meant to refresh us in hope of the second coming and to stir our desire for heaven. Until then, we remain pilgrims, “people on the way,” and the fuel we use to move forward is hope. As a theological virtue, hope orders our heart
For nearly all of us, Jesus begins as a sort of muse, a source of inspiration for our creativity and our choices. We find power for our life’s work in the Gospel accounts of his life, death and resurrection. We are drawn by Christ’s goodness, intrigued by his truth, and elevated by the beauty of his grace. But we remain committed to our own self-will.
Those who move forward in faith adopt Jesus as a source of motivation. As a motivator, Christ brings out the best in us. He affirms all that is godly and good in us. He becomes a driving force behind our deeds and provides initiative, guidance and direction to our lives. He gives us the motivation we need to embrace change and growth. But we maintain authority over our lives according to our own priorities and preferences.
Serious disciples make Jesus their mentor. The decision to place ourselves under Christ’s direction, to learn from him, to exchange our own work and agendas for his mission and his will is the secret to growth in the spiritual life. This is what has the power to move us from consumer Catholicism to intentional missionary discipleship. But it does not put an end to self-will.
Our evangelization efforts are focused on making more of these kinds of disciples. And there is little doubt that increasing the very small percentage of Catholics actively engaged in a mentoring relationship with Jesus Christ would transform both the Church and the world. But while that may be enough for us, it is not enough for God. God’s plan for us is nothing short of sanctity. He wants to make
toward “the desire of the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises” (CCC, 1817). The Church reminds us that, “The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man ... it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity” (CCC, 1818).
Let’s make it a point to spend some time reflecting on this gorgeous idea: a desire for happiness has been placed in our hearts. Buoyed by this hope, we can become effective witnesses to Christ in the world that needs him so much. Let’s allow the Lord to give us a new infusion of hope this Advent, overflowing, running down, spilling over. And then let’s share that with the world around us.
Holy Spirit, stir afresh our hearts with true hope, give us a fresh infilling that our lives would illuminate the truth of Christ and draw the world nearer to him who is our hope.
Stanchina is the community leader for Women’s Formation at the Word on Fire Institute, and the author of “A Thrill of Hope,” the 2024 Advent devotional from women’s ministry Blessed is She, from which this article has been excerpted. Visit her website at LizK.org
every one of us — without exception — a saint. So, what’s the difference between a serious disciple and a saint? The Grand Canyon between seeing Jesus as a mentor and serving him as a master. Saints surrender everything to Jesus. They let go of all other attachments because they know they cannot serve both God and something else. They do not seek to serve God in the way they desire to serve him, but in the way he wants to be served. They accept everything from his hand as gift and commit to making a total and sincere gift of themselves to him and to all they encounter.
Saints are satisfied only by God himself; nothing less than God or other than him will do. And for those who are holy, God alone is enough. Nothing else is wanted, needed or required.
Regardless of where we are in the pilgrimage of faith, we can make progress simply by taking the next step in front of us. The heart that is inspired can become obedient. The soul that is trained by Christ can surrender itself entirely into God’s hands. Jesus Christ calls everyone to holiness, and he opens the pathway to sanctity when he asks us, “Who do you say that I am?”
Wolfe is a Catholic convert, freelance writer and editor, musician, speaker, lover of pets, wife and mom of eight grown children, loving life in New Orleans. This is OSV News’ bimonthly “Called to Holiness” column.
Editor’s note: Please watch for Laura Kelly Fanucci’s column “Faith at Home” in the Dec. 19 edition of The Catholic Spirit
In my last few columns, I have been taking stock of some of the societal shifts that have landed us in our current situation. I described that situation recently as the outsourcing of production from within local communities to the external systems that manage our lives for us, both keeping us fragmented and assuring their indispensability.
I’ve promised to show how the Gospel offers an alternative to this subhuman predicament — and I want to assure the reader that this is where future columns are headed. We’re describing the bad news now so that we can see how the Church is — very practically — the hope for the world today. We live under a totalizing way of life that the popes have called “technocracy” — the regime of technology. By this, we don’t have any conspiracy theories in mind; just that technology takes the lead in decisions that shape our world from top to bottom. As we’ll see, the Church stands to this regime as a total alternative way of life. This is very good news.
But before we get to this good news, we have to spend a little more time appreciating how much we need it.
I’ve written before about how everything in our
CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD
Be grateful. That was the penance of a recent confession given me by the priest, my confessor. Surely, I should be able to deliver on that penance immediately. All of us can be grateful for the extraordinary and ordinary things we value — faith, family, friends and health to name a few.
Those are all the details I’ll share, except that my wife and I try to experience the sacrament of confession monthly — around the first Saturday. And as empty nesters, we find it admirable when we see a mom and dad together with their kids lined up waiting for their turn in the confessional booth. The Catholic Watchmen movement includes going to confession monthly as one of its seven disciplines — and taking our families with us. After all, confession is a sacrament of healing. It includes conversion, penance, confession, forgiveness and reconciliation. Just a few paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1423, 1424) can elaborate on elements of the sacrament known popularly as
society tends to become quantified to be able to manage it. Efficiency for the sake of profitability — which I call “Taylorism” after the factory management pioneer Frederick Taylor — is today perhaps our highest value. So, we turn as much as we can of the world into statistics, for the sake of maximizing effectiveness. In the process, more of the world becomes quantified, labeled, and so made into a thing — walks with friends become “steps,” and dinner becomes a certain number of calories.
As more of the world is made into things, the result is that more of it is available to be bought and sold. We increasingly turn our world into commodities. Even the statistics that help sell commodities — such as how many times you look at a product on Amazon — are themselves sold as commodities, so that ever more of our world has a price tag on it, even our desires. I mentioned in an earlier column that today’s web-based, digital society is not a move away from Taylorism; it’s in fact Taylorism beyond Taylor’s wildest dreams. Society has progressively become one large metaphorical factory, and we are constantly inventing new ways to make productivity as high as can possibly be.
Most of us don’t work in factories anymore, but we still spend our days trying to make something more effective. It’s how most of us earn our living — and so the effectiveness mentality can’t help but soak down deep into our consciousness, even when we’re not at work. Taylorism deeply shapes how we think, what we do, how we live, and who we are. We all are running little factories in our heads most of the time. At this point it’s worth reflecting on some of the
confession, penance or reconciliation. (Certainly, we can dig deeper if we read the entire chapter.)
There are many reasons for gratitude when it comes to making a good confession. Whatever the sin, Jesus forgives the person who sincerely repents. Subsequently, our Lord heals the wounds of sin to help the penitent soul move forward. The priest, in persona Christi, is there to help sacramentally. “Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion” (CCC, 1422). Conversion can make us ever grateful as life moves on.
Throughout this month of holy and secular days — All Saints Day, All Souls’ Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day celebrations — we have honored and will continue to honor and memorialize many people and things for which we are grateful.
With Thanksgiving Day gatherings before us, for example, that entire week can offer opportunities to bridge the gap evident in some relationships. There might be issues or matters big or small that have hindered or divided relationships among family, friends, colleagues at work, and even fellow parishioners. God’s love wills the good of the other and we are to emulate that love — especially with those in our sphere of influence. In these relationships it may mean reconciliation inside and outside of the confessional booth. We know our own situations best and it certainly should not lead to compromising our Catholic faith.
toll this has on us.
For one thing, it blinds us to the beauty and mystery in the world. Who would want a world without the intangible glory of fall leaves, my children’s wry smiles, or, on the other hand, the paradoxical attractiveness of Christ’s cross? But when effectiveness is all that matters, we tend to only recognize things we can measure as real. Taylorism trains us to turn quality into quantity, and can leave us with an inhuman, mechanical world.
It also transforms relationships. In our drive to “thing-ify” in order to manage, we inevitably begin to do this to people. As we live Taylorism, our friends and neighbors get treated as objects we use to accomplish some goal, rather than as the unique images of God that they are. I subsume my friends into my own projects.
Finally, we disciples of Taylor are always in a rush. Nothing ever goes fast enough; we’re always trying to get a little more done. We are always trying to fit one more thing into our day. So, we’re always harried, and we don’t ever feel like we can rest. No wonder we have an epidemic of clinical anxiety. We treat our world like a factory we are always trying to optimize, and it’s taking a massive toll on our psychological well-being. In the next columns we’ll see that this effectiveness mentality doesn’t just shape the world around us. We are increasingly applying it to ourselves as well, so that we make our very lives into commodities that become the stock and trade of those external systems that have come to manage our lives for us.
Miller is the director of the Center for Catholic Social Thought at Assumption in St. Paul.
If our interior lives are lived by God’s merciful love, we are ready to respond to the Lord’s call: Scripture tells us to “Go; first be reconciled to your brother” (Mt 5:24). It may very well lead to something to be grateful for (and a check in the box for relational evangelization).
November’s celebrations and holidays provide a segue to a new liturgical year come Dec. 1 — Advent. Our “mini-Lent” as it is sometimes called — in anticipation and gratitude as we prepare to celebrate “God with us” (Mt 1:23).
Being grateful is basic and natural to (Catholic) Watchmen when it comes to living the disciplines of a Catholic man. Convicted to spiritual leadership like St. Joseph, we pray, read Scripture, get to Mass regularly; show what works of mercy look like even when they are time-consuming; admit when we’re wrong or sorry to our family, friends and work colleagues; and take to confession what needs to be forgiven.
Finally, our anchor discipline — for the love and strength of our spiritual brotherhood — demands that we meet with other men regularly to ensure our faith practices are on the straight and narrow path. These meetings raise the bar of accountability as spiritual leaders who follow the way of Christ. This kind of living flows inside and outside of our home and spreads to parish and community life. We can help transform a culture and restore it as a gift back to God, while always being grateful for his love.
Deacon Bird ministers to St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville and assists with the archdiocesan Catholic Watchmen movement.
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
A Christian faith that does not disturb the powers that be and cannot generate a serious commitment to charity becomes an innocuous devotion, Pope Francis said.
“Christian hope, fulfilled in Jesus and realized in his kingdom, needs us and our commitment, needs our faith expressed in works of charity, needs Christians who do not look the other way,” the pope said Nov. 17, celebrating Mass for the World
Day of the Poor in St. Peter’s Basilica.
“We are the ones that must make his grace shine forth through lives steeped in compassion and charity that become signs of the Lord’s presence, always close to the suffering of the poor in order to heal their wounds and transform their fate,” he said.
Making an appeal to the entire Catholic Church, all world governments and international organizations, the pope said, “Please, let us not forget the poor.”
“While one part of the world is condemned to live in the slums of history, while inequalities grow
and the economy punishes the weakest, while society devotes itself to the idolatry of money and consumption, it so happens that the poor and marginalized have no choice but to continue to wait,” he said.
The pope joined some 1,300 people invited to the Vatican audience hall to share lunch. The Italian Red Cross sponsored the meal, and its marching band provided entertainment. The Vincentian Fathers provided each of the pope’s guests with a backpack containing food and hygiene items to take home.
By Joe Ruff
The Catholic Spirit
in the archdiocese, which was helping to handle the collections.
out to those displaced by the natural disaster, Deacon Friesen wrote.
As Hurricane Milton threatened Florida’s stormbattered Gulf Coast and cleanup continued in Florida and five other states after late September’s Hurricane Helene, Archbishop Bernard Hebda urged parishes to conduct special Sunday collections for hurricane relief. Parishes are encouraged to take emergency collections on or near the weekend of Oct. 12-13, said Deacon Mickey Friesen, the director of the Center for Mission
By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit
“This crisis offers us an opportunity to stand in solidarity of prayer and give what we can to bring relief to those suffering from this crisis,” Deacon Friesen said in a letter to priests of the archdiocese. “The funds collected in this special appeal for Hurricane Relief will be sent to Catholic Charities USA, the U.S. Catholic relief agency, to provide immediate disaster relief with necessities such as water, food and shelter,” as well as pastoral and social needs of the Church as it reaches
In his homily during Father Robert Valit’s funeral Mass Sept. 27 at St. Michael in Stillwater, Father Michael Skluzacek told a story about their friendship.
Election Day has passed, and leaders have been chosen at every level of government. So, what happens next? This is when the real work begins.
Advent, Father Skluzacek said, was Father Valit’s favorite liturgical season. Every year, Father Skluzacek could count on a call from Father Valit with an invite to Handel’s Messiah, a concert at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
“He loved the season that prepares to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the word made flesh,” Father Skluzacek said. “The season that waits in joyful hope for the coming of the kingdom of God. … ‘Waving in joyful expectation for the full revelation of the glory of God’ might rightly be the theme of Robert Valit’s life. He lived every day of his life in joyful
Responsible citizenship does not end at the voting booth. In fact, the U.S. bishops remind us that responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation, in their document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” Our faith calls us to engage in public life year-round, advocating for policies that promote human dignity, justice and the common good. Our representative republic thrives on active engagement, especially at the local level. Decisions on issues such as education, housing and public safety are frequently made by city councils, school boards and county officials. Many of the
BISCHOFF Q&A CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 leaning into that feeling of Advent –– of waiting and preparing –– may be easier living in Minnesota, when it’s dark so early and you feel like putting on your pajamas at 6 p.m. and cuddling up on the couch to read a book or watch a movie. I work hard not to overschedule our December. You don’t have to do it all. There was one year when we went to see the lights at the (Minnesota Landscape) Arboretum. To get in our warm clothes and walk around a beautiful space and see the lights felt like Advent to me.
Q You’ve said your favorite prayer is from the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich: “All will be well.”
in all copies of this issue. Support • Information • Encouragement Offering life-affirming support, information and encouragement to families facing an adverse diagnosis of a child P.O. Box 2225 • Maple Grove, MN 55311 763-772-3868 www.prenatalpartnersforlife.org
A She didn’t write “All will be well” from her castle eating bonbons. She would’ve lived through the black plague in her village where maybe 25 percent of the population died. She lived through hardship, and through her prayer life, still had it revealed to her: “All will be well.”
I find that really powerful. It’s a theological statement: I might not see it, I might not even understand it, and on many days, I’m railing against it, but at my core, I deeply believe God will work for good in whatever situation we find ourselves in. It might not be in our lifetimes. It might not happen in ways we see and understand.
Knowing some of the challenges I’ve had in my own life, I’ve experienced that. I’ve come out the other side. That is the core of my theological belief. I don’t think it’s optimism; it’s faith. It’s a way of looking at the world that very clearly sees the suffering and the pain and the hatred and sin and then it goes to that next place and says, “And God is going to work in that for good.” That is faith at the end of the day.
expectation of the glory of God.”
“When we traveled (overseas) and he encountered a beggar, he wouldn’t think twice,” Father Skluzacek explained. “He would reach into his pocket and give the beggar 10 euros. I saw that happen so many times. He readily would give to others whatever he had, and he always had enough. God will not be outdone in generosity.”
big moral and cultural issues, such as religious liberty and bioethical matters related to the protection of human life at all stages, are decided in the state legislatures. These local bodies of government can have as much, if not more, impact on daily life than national politics do.
Father Robert “Bob” Valit, who had served the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 1978, died Sept. 21 at the age of 96 at the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul. Father Valit retired in 2001, wrapping up an eight-year tenure at Our Lady of Grace in Edina. During his retirement, he served St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater for 17 years.
It is essential, therefore, for Catholics to practice faithful citizenship at the local level, where our influence can be profound and immediate.
Prior to Our Lady of Grace, Father Valit served as parochial administrator (1989), then pastor (1989-1993) of St. Peter in Forest Lake. He served as
The key to this ongoing engagement is relationships with elected officials. Yet many citizens do not know who represents them at the state or local level. If we cannot name our elected officials, how can we trust them to make laws that will positively influence society? Thus, it is vital to be in relationship with our lawmakers
As parishes were to complete their collections, staff members were asked to send one check made payable to Center for Mission, with Hurricane Relief Appeal in the memo line, Deacon Friesen said.
As the Church responded to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, emergency
so we can ensure our values will be represented.
Most elected officials genuinely want to hear from their constituents. Simple actions, such as signing up for legislators’ newsletters, following local officials on social media, and sending legislators a message, can create channels of communication to help start building those relationships. Even better than engaging electronically is meeting with our elected officials in person. Invite them to coffee with you, or with you and a group of friends. You can watch a video on how to advocate with elected officials online at mncatholic org/howtoadvocate
pastor of St. John the Baptist in Dayton (1983-1989); associate pastor of Our Lady of Grace (1983); associate pastor of St. Luke in St. Paul (1982-1983); and pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada (1980-1982). Father Valit served as associate pastor of St. Columba in St. Paul (1978-1980) and St. Margaret Mary in Minneapolis
A great way to begin establishing connections with elected officials is through the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s Catholic Advocacy
Network (CAN). CAN members can easily join their voice with other Catholics to connect with lawmakers on important issues through emails, phone calls or video messages. Making the Catholic voice heard on important issues is a tremendous support for the work of the bishops at the state Capitol. You can sign up for CAN online at mncatholic org/join
PLEASE TURN TO HURRICANE RELIEF ON PAGE 19
Beyond advocacy, prayer is also fundamental to our mission. The Minnesota Catholic Conference invites all Catholics to participate in “Adoration at the Capitol.” Held each first Friday from January through May, this initiative provides an opportunity to bring Christ to the heart of state governance and to pray for our leaders. By praying together, we bring our hopes and intentions before God and seek the grace to persevere in our civic duties. RSVP to First Friday Adoration at the Capitol in 2025 online at mncatholic org/events
(1975-1978), as well as chaplain at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale (1975-1978). He served as associate pastor of St. Anne in Minneapolis from 1974 to 1975.
“He sincerely believed that the most important and joyous experiences of his life were celebrating the Eucharist with the people of God,” Father Skluzacek said. “The Eucharist was the center of Father Valit’s life. It was the most important thing he did every day. He relished the opportunity to preside at Eucharist and to preach and as you know, he was a great preacher, an excellent homilist. He believed Jesus’ words that the Eucharist is the promise of eternal life. His entrance into the eternal glorious kingdom of heaven. That’s why he celebrated it with such care, such beauty. That’s why he loved exquisite vestments, beautiful music, quality sacred vessels. But most of all he loved the people of God.”
Faithful citizenship is gradual, patient work, built brick by brick. As Alexis de Tocqueville observed, engagement in local politics is a “school of democracy.” When Catholics engage locally, we lay the groundwork for a more just and compassionate society. This commitment — to advocate, build relationships and pray — empowers us to serve the common good, renewing our communities from the ground up. Inside the Capitol is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.
EEvery day while driving us to school, my mom would have us recite the Morning Offering. At the time, I didn’t know it was the Morning Offering, I just thought my mom had a real knack for coming up with good prayers. It wasn’t until much later, during a silent retreat at Demontreville (Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Elmo), that I realized there was much more depth and tradition to this morning prayer ritual. In many ways, this was a snapshot of my larger faith journey. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school for my elementary education. I got all my sacraments and never missed a Sunday Mass. My parents taught me well the actions of the Church, and for the most part, I followed them well. It was a ritual, my duty as a Catholic to complete these actions. Unfortunately, while my actions were seemingly close to God, my heart was in a different place. Just as my younger self might have been daydreaming during the Morning Offering, I would go to Mass but be mentally and spiritually absent. My public actions were aligned with God, but my inner heart was set on myself. I largely continued in this way until the habitual framework for my spiritual life — the direction and supervision of my parents — was taken away. This happened when I left for college.
I was an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota. Like so many other young Catholics, this provided me an opportunity to live my life as I saw fit, to go my own way. Fortunately, God had other plans for me. I got connected with the St. Lawrence (Catholic Church and Newman Center) on campus, and it was here that my heart began to open to God. I discovered a community of people who genuinely cared for each other and the Lord. People who welcomed me in, even with my faults. People who were different. The four years I
If you suspect abuse of a minor, your first call should be to law enforcement.
You are also encouraged to contact the archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Program at 651-291-4475.
For confidential, compassionate assistance from an independent and professional local care provider, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, contact Canvas Health at 651-291-4497.
spent at college were among my most transformational, and that transformation had nothing to do with midterms or interviews. As I reflect now upon why I am Catholic, I see a combination of exterior actions and my interior heart. I see how my spiritual deepening at St. Lawrence was really a fulfillment of the catechesis of my parents. God has been at work in my life, slowly transforming my actions and my heart. I am Catholic because that is where God has called me to be.
Johnson, 25, attends Mass at St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis with his wife, Meghan, and their 11-month-old daughter, Magdalene. In his free time, Johnson said, he enjoys “chasing my daughter around, reading, and if I’m feeling motivated, woodworking.” The next issue of The Catholic Spirit will feature a “Why I Am Catholic” essay by Meghan.
“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.”
Holiday Boutique and Pie Sale — Nov. 23: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. George, 133 N. Brown Road, Long Lake. Holiday shopping with local vendors, homemade pies, cookies and baked goods. Shop the General Store for unique items. Caramel rolls and lunch will be available. Raffle: $2/ticket. KC Breakfast to follow on Nov. 24 from 10-11 a.m. Stgeorgelonglake org
Holiday Sale to Support Quilters for a Cause — Nov. 23: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at St. Jerome, 380 E. Roselawn Ave., St. Paul. Kitchen items, table runners, pillowcases, baby items and much more for sale. Blankets made by Quilters for a Cause are donated to charities in the Maplewood area. Proceeds of the sale will be used to further charitable work.
Turkey Bingo — Nov. 23: 6-9:45 p.m. at Presentation of Mary, 1725 Kennard St., Maplewood. Doors open for food at 6 p.m., Turkey Bingo starts at 7 p.m. $0.50 per card per game. Cash prizes for bingo and 10 turkey door prizes awarded as well. Bring a copy of this notice for a free game. preSentationofmary org
Sausage Supper — Nov. 24: noon-6 p.m. at St. Mary, 8433 239th St. E., Hampton. Dinner includes pork sausage, German potato salad, sauerkraut, cold potato salad, glazed carrots, bun and dessert. Price: kids (9 and under): $5; older kids and adults (10 and older): $16; free for adults 90 and older. Raffle, crafts and meat raffles. StmaryS-newtrier Com
Turkey Bingo — Nov. 24: 4 p.m. at St. John School, 2621 McMenemy St., St. Paul. Bingo games, drawings for gift certificates and door prizes. Concessions open at 4 p.m., the first game starts at 5 p.m. Play to support the St. John’s Men’s Club and to win turkeys, cash and other prizes.
StmaryS-newtrier Com
Community Thanksgiving Dinner — Nov. 28: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Michael, 16311 Duluth Ave. SE, Prior Lake. Experience fellowship, community and a free Thanksgiving meal. Lower level of church in Archangels Hall. No reservation necessary. StmiChael-pl org
5th Annual Christkindlmarket Festival — Nov. 30: noon8 p.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul, 150 Railway St. E., Loretto. 4 p.m. Mass. Old World Authentic Advent/Christmas festival featuring live music, local artisans and vendors, Bavarian Grill, Cafe Vienna, kids’ games, silent auction and more. Food options include pork sandwiches, bratwurst, frankfurters and potato pancakes at the grill, specialty coffees and cakes at the café, beer, warm spiced wine and cookies at the Snack Shack, and baked goods at the Country Store. No entrance fee; there will be baskets set up for donations of non-perishable food for the Holiday Train/local food shelf. 763-420-4643, SSpap org/ChriStkindlmarkt
Christ Child Luncheon — Dec. 6: 10:45 a.m. at St. Ignatius, 35 Birch St. E., Annandale. Enjoy a luncheon
in a Christmas setting, purchase raffle tickets and shop for sweets. Proceeds go to four pro-life organizations. Tickets are available at the door. Prices: adults: $12; kids (6-12): $10; kids (5 and under): free. StignatiuSmn Com
St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Bazaar — Dec. 7: 9
a.m.-5 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Join us for a day of fun with over 85 crafters, Slice of Heaven Bakery, soup and sandwich lunch, coffee at Java Joe’s and a raffle. Saintvdp org/ChriStmaS-bazaar
Advent Retreats in Daily Living — Nov. 25–Dec. 23: Weekly for five weeks at St. Thomas More, St. Ignatius Hall, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Advent retreats offer daily prayer material and weekly faith sharing in facilitated small groups based on Ignatian spirituality. Retreat opportunities are in person and via Zoom at a variety of times and days. Register via ignatianSpiritualityCenter org
Advent Homily Series — Nov. 30: 5 p.m. at St. Bartholomew, 630 Wayzata Blvd. E., Wayzata. In September, St. Bartholomew of Wayzata began the first of four series of homilies. In Advent the second series will begin with a theme of Encountering God in Prayer. The homilies are recorded and posted on the parish website. St-bartS org/homilySerieS
Advent Day Away for Men and Women — Dec. 4: 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Take time to be with the Lord, grow closer to him during this sacred season, preparing for the wonder of the holy season of Christ’s birth. Meditations and liturgies are optional. Come spend quiet time with the Lord. Lunch included; register online. kingShouSe Com/eventS/
Advent Days of Prayer: “Waiting for the Light” — Dec. 4, 11, and 18: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (all days), at 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Dec. 4: “Awake and Waiting.” Dec. 11: “Trusting the Light that Shines Within.” Dec. 18: “Winter Solstice and the Light of Christ.” Each day includes a conference talk, confession, guided prayer, lunch provided by the retreat center, Stations of the Cross and Mass. Free time for prayer. tinyurl Com/y7rrdv2h
Men’s Weekend Retreat — Dec. 6-8: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6-1 p.m. Dec. 8, at the Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Theme: Finding God in Difficult Times. In addition to the four conference talks, this men’s retreat includes classic retreat elements such as unhurried confession, guided prayer, spiritual direction, Mass and generous unscheduled periods. tinyurl Com/2p9uy5a5
Retrouvaille marriage help — Dec. 6-8: at Best Western Dakota Ridge Hotel, 3450 Washington Drive, Eagan. Retrouvaille is a lifeline for troubled marriages. Couples learn the tools to rediscover each other and heal their marriage. 100% confidential. helpourmarriage org
Resurrection: double-marble crypt Level C no. 112; Our Lady of Peace patio. Market: $32,570. Ask: $22,500. 651-738-0538
Resurrection Cemetery: Double-depth companion crypt in Our Lady of Solace Mausoleum. Value: $32,570. Sale Price: $28,995. 1-402-871-6446 soster5@aol.com
Calvary Cemetery: Eight grave sites in historic Section 21, Block 3, Lot 1. Price $2,000 each or $14,000 for all. Call or text 541-520-9749 or email dougher@efn.org.
Resurrection: 3 flat stone lots; Value: $2250/ea. Price $1700/ea.; $4500 for all. 612-669-6548
Resurrection: Single Lot Sec 60. Market: $2250, Price: $1900. dnorsten@gmail.com
CHRISTMAS TREE LOT
The annual St. Pascal’s Men’s Club Christmas tree lot is back, and entering their 55th year. We are serving the best selection of premium quality Christmas trees at very reasonable prices (Fraser, Cannan, Balsam firs, Scotch and White pines). We
Life Compass: A Workshop Retreat for Catholic Men — Dec. 7: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Maternity of Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. Join Brett Powell, leadership coach for business executives and pastoral leaders, for a day of teaching, fellowship and reflection on living an integrated, purposeful life at home and at work. Cost: $139 for registration. buildmylifeCompaSS Com/minneSota
Little Sisters of the Poor Christmas Boutique — Nov. 23-24: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 23, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 24, at Little Sisters of the Poor, 330 Exchange St. S., St. Paul. Features the Little Sisters’ famous ham dinner, Christmas Shoppe, handmade jewelry, crafts, raffles, jewelry shop, bake sale, silent auction, handmade hats and scarves, winery, French Market bean soup, and an appearance by Santa. littleS SterSofthepoorStpaul org/
Small Business Saturday Catholic Sale — Nov. 30: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Leaflet Missal Co., 976 W. Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul. Visit Leaflet Missal on Small Business Saturday for a Catholic Goods Clearance Sale. Over 1,000 items at huge discounts: statues, Advent items, books and more. Also, meet author Dale Ahlquist for a book signing from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and try some monk-made coffee. tinyurl Com/yCy3uyaC
Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victims-survivors. Victimsurvivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
Catholics, he said, can experience difficulties in their journeys, in the Eternal City and even in the people responsible for the Church itself, and still “really fall in love.”
Randazzo shared the example of being at Scala Sancta, the “holy steps” outside of the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The steps are believed to be the steps Jesus climbed in Jerusalem to Pontius Pilate, brought to Rome by St. Helena. Many people who ascend those steps do so on their knees, slowly.
“When you go to Scala Sancta it is crowded. There’s a lot of people, and you think to yourself, ‘Do these people even understand why they’re here or what this is all about?’” he asked.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Providence Academy, a premier private PK-12 Catholic school in Plymouth, is currently looking for a part-time custodian. Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Duties include but not limited to routine cleaning, emptying trash, vacuuming, setting up chairs, tables, etc. for events and other duties as requested by supervisor. Must be able to lift 20 pounds consistently and work in a reasonably fast paced environment as part of a team. Starting pay rate $17.00 per hour – flexible with time off. Please send resume
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of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor 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 Thursdays. Visit arChSpm org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@arChSpm org or 651-291-4429.
“But,” he continued, drawing on an analogy from Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” “if you can kind of go through that hell, you end up climbing Mount Purgatory, and you end up in Paradise, and you be the pilgrim there. … You be the example. You be the person there who slips their hand under the wood that’s covering the steps, and you touch the steps where our Lord climbed.” He said that he sees a two-fold effect in hosting American pilgrims in Rome. “You’re getting Americans in touch with Catholicism over space and time,” he said. “But the opposite, the inverse is happening, too. You’re getting the Italians in touch with something they’ve lost … because Italians and Europeans see Americans and their fidelity, or pilgrims more generally, and they see how devoted they are. And it sort of reminds them.”
to john.wagner@providenceacademy.org.
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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
Aimed at reaching out to people unable to go to Rome for the Holy Year and helping the millions who are expected to visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican teamed up with Microsoft and other experts to create a “digital twin” of the church for an immersive and more meaningful experience.
St. Peter’s Basilica will launch a new website to feature the virtual views, streaming services of religious celebrations and podcasts of prayerful meditations as well as an app Dec. 1, that will help visitors with suggested itineraries, audio guides and real-time updates about the lines to the Holy Door and other sites.
Also, in January, young students around the world will be able to explore the basilica on Microsoft’s game-based learning platform, Minecraft Education.
The multiple projects use AI technology to help people weave together the historical, artistic and spiritual meanings connected with the world’s largest church, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the basilica, told reporters at a Vatican news conference Nov. 11.
The “digital ecosystem,” he said, will accompany visitors and help them have a more spiritual experience.
The cardinal said the idea to create the new services emerged when he and Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, were admiring Michelangelo’s La Pieta statue together in the basilica in 2022 and decided it would be important to share the meaning of these ancient and important works of art in a way that is “understandable and accessible” to more people.
Smith said it also flowed from the fact the tech giant has been working closely with Vatican officials since 2018 starting with the “Rome Call for AI Ethics,” a commitment by global organizations to follow key ethical principles in today’s emerging technologies.
The tech company’s “AI for Good” lab uses AI to model and create digital representations of any physical body, be it a factory, a building or an entire city. And “Microsoft had done similar work elsewhere in Europe,” Smith said, by creating a 3D-holographic form of France’s Mont-SaintMichel.
Working with Iconem, a French startup specializing in the digitization of important cultural sites in 3D, experts used cameras, laser scanners
and two drones for one month in 2023 to capture almost half a million high-resolution images of St. Peter’s Basilica, Smith said. They collected 20 petabytes of data; almost 5 million DVDs would be needed to record all that data, he said. To comprehend what 5 million DVDs
Pope Francis shakes hands with Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, at the Vatican Nov. 11. Smith was with a delegation of representatives from the Fabbrica di San Pietro, Microsoft and other organizations involved in creating a new digital platform using AI software to create a “digital twin” of St. Peter’s Basilica.
look like, he said they would tower 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) high if stacked one on top of another.
Sophisticated AI technology was used to piece all those photos together, he said. The tech is so new that it was not available even two and a half years ago “when we started talking about this project.”
The result is viewers can explore the basilica from top to bottom, getting closeup looks even of St. Peter’s tomb below, and workers at the basilica can identify previously unseen cracks, missing tiles or other potential repairs needing attention, Smith said.
Two new immersive exhibits will also be offered at the basilica. One is on the roof of the basilica in which high-resolution images of the basilica are cast on the cement dome of the cupola and the other is along the windowed corridor looking over the interior of the basilica showing a series of images about the history of the church, which will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of its consecration in 1626 after construction began in 1506.
The exhibit also features testimonies written in pencil on the walls by basilica workers from the past who would launch themselves from the upper floors by rope in order to rappel down to do cleaning and restoration work on the mosaics and frescos below.