The Catholic Spirit - November 23, 2023

November 23, 2023 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

TheCatholicSpirit.com

Advent

hope iSTOCKPHOTO | LAYRITTEN

A PARISH IN RAMSEY 5 | SOCIAL TEACHING SEMINAR IN SPANISH 6 | MOMS AND ABORTION CASE 7 U.S. BISHOPS’ MEETING 8 | THANKSGIVING OUTREACH 10-11 | ST. ANDREW NOVENA 13

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

PAGETWO in REMEMBRANCE Father Huard remembered as a ‘spiritual father’

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

COURTESY OPTIONS FOR WOMEN, CORNERSTONE

50TH ULTRASOUND IN MINNESOTA Bishop Michael Izen, second from left, poses in front of an ultrasound machine with members of the Knights of Columbus, Father Brian Park, pastor of St. Michael in St. Michael, and Patty Washatka, executive director of Options for Women, Cornerstone Pregnancy Medical Clinic and Resources Center in St. Michael. Father Park also is spiritual director of Cornerstone. On the left is Dan DeCrans, state deputy of the Knights, and far right is Ray Lopez, Knights’ regional growth director.

The ultrasound machine is the 50th in Minnesota donated by the Knights and the second provided to Cornerstone. The gift also marks the 10th anniversary of the pregnancy resource center’s operations. In the last decade, the center has helped more than 500 families and celebrated the births of more than 150 babies. The Knight’s council in Monticello and several councils from Wright and western Hennepin County worked to raise 50 percent of the money for the ultrasound; the Knight’s Supreme Council matched the amount.

Father Jeffrey Huard, a spiritual director and former director of spiritual formation at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, died Nov. 17. He was 68.

“We are sad to have lost our brother, colleague, teacher, mentor and friend, but are equally grateful for all he did for the seminary and surrounding community the past 14 years,” said Father Joseph Taphorn, seminary rector, in a news release. “He served as a spiritual father for hundreds of seminarians and priests and was a faithful shepherd to many souls throughout his years of ministry.

“I recall fondly his often-quoted verse from our patron St. Paul, ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’ (Gal 2:20). How true this is for Father Huard today,” Father Taphorn said.

Father Huard served as director of spiritual formation from 2009 until stepping down from the leadership role in 2021. He continued to serve seminarians in regular spiritual direction until his death, the seminary said.

Born in 1955 in Duluth, Father Huard attended The St. Paul Seminary and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1994. He was parochial vicar of All Saints in Lakeville from 1994 to 1997; chaplain of the Community of Christ the Redeemer in West St. Paul from 1996 to 1999; director of campus ministry at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul from 1999 to 2007 and pastor of St. Mark in St. Paul from 2007 to 2009. He was a member of the Companions of Christ priestly fraternity association and for a time served as its moderator.

Funeral arrangements, all at St. John Neumann in Eagan, include 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. visitation Nov. 24, with vespers at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 25, with interment immediately after, followed by lunch.

Father Huard’s death occurred as The Catholic Spirit was readying its Nov. 23 print edition. Please watch for more at TheCatholicSpirit.com and in the Dec. 7 edition.

NEWS notes The University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, is hosting a music festival Dec. 9 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul called Luminosa: Cappella by Candlelight. The 7:30 p.m. concert will feature the university’s chorus, the Cathedral’s Schola, and high school choirs from Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Agnes School, both in St. Paul, Chesterton Academy of the St. Croix Valley, Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, Unity Catholic High School in Burnsville and Visitation School in Mendota Heights. The performance will be followed by a European-style Christmas market outside the Cathedral. For more information or to buy a ticket to the dinner and social at James J. Hill House, email luminosa@umary.edu.

Nearly two dozen people including Archbishop Bernard Hebda gathered in honor of Respect Life Month Oct. 28 in Como Park in St. Paul under a Norway pine tree planted 30 years ago. A bench marks the spot, with a plaque reading: “‘A Tree to Remember’ / For special loved ones, born and unborn / St. Paul Deaneries Council of Catholic Women / April 17, 1993.” Pastor-in-solidum Father Kevin Manthey of Holy Childhood in St. Paul and a guitarist were part of the group praying, singing and celebrating the dignity of all life. Joyce Nevins, a parishioner of Holy Childhood, said the St. Paul deanery of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women planted the tree and placed the plaque. “The Council of Catholic Women has been instrumental in starting many good things,” said Nevins, a member of the deanery.

PRACTICING Catholic COURTESY KELLI SCHMITZ | ST. ODILIA

HOLY LAND PRESENTATION Claudia Borshart gives a presentation on the Holy Land to students at St. Odilia School in Shoreview Nov. 16. Borshart, along with her son, Yossef — who are from Galilee and are away from their homeland amid the ongoing war in the Holy Land — offered presentations at locations including churches and schools during a recent visit to Minnesota, according to Father James Peterson, pastor of St. Odilia. Father Peterson said he and others from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis participated in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land guided by Borshart last fall. In addition to guiding Holy Land tours, Borshart uses virtual reality technology in presentations to share information about various locations in the Holy Land, Father Peterson said.

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 28 — No. 22 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher JOE RUFF, Editor-in-Chief REBECCA OMASTIAK, News Editor

On the Nov. 17 “Practicing Catholic” radio show, producer Kayla Mayer interviewed Bishop Joseph Williams about Thanksgiving traditions. Also featured were David Kruse, founder and CEO of Orémoose, who discussed his faith and his handcrafted leather products; and Jeremy Stanbary, founder and executive artistic director of Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights. Stanbary described the upcoming performance of “Nicholas,” which opens in December. Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com or anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show with links to streaming platforms.

Materials credited to CNS copy­righted by Catholic News Service.

Materials credited to OSV News copyrighted by OSV News.

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NOVEMBER 23, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEBISHOP ONLY JESUS | BISHOP JOSEPH WILLIAMS

Advent: It is good to wait in silence

A

dvent is fundamentally a season of hope, which means that it is also a season of waiting. Waiting and hoping are inseparable, which other languages express more clearly.

Spanish, for example, has only one word — “esperar” — for our two English words “wait” and “hope.” This is also the case for the equivalent word in Hebrew.

As we light the first candle of the Advent wreath Dec. 3, the Church invites us into a school of waiting, where over the course of four weeks we learn once again that, “It is good to hope (wait) in silence for the Lord’s deliverance” (Lam 3:26). This precious lesson in the spiritual life is proclaimed most convincingly by the prophets, like Jeremiah in the Book of Lamentations, through whom the promises of salvation were made. These promises echo again and again in the Mass readings of the Advent season, which is why there is no greater classroom in the school of waiting than the Eucharistic liturgy.

Of course, every student appreciates a good field trip.

For over 20 years, my favorite Advent field trip has been attending a performance of Handel’s “Messiah.”

This tradition began when I was a newly ordained priest at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. I have to say that today my Advent somehow feels incomplete without attending a performance of the “Messiah,” as when a pandemic invaded our world in 2020.

Handel’s heavenly harmonies, set to Charles Jennen’s inspired arrangement of the scriptural text, make for what I would call the most beautiful lectio divina of the year. Part I is Advent lectio, which includes the most important messianic prophecies

Adviento: es bueno esperar en silencio

E

l Adviento es fundamentalmente un tiempo de esperanza, lo que significa que también es un tiempo de espera. Esperar “hope” y esperar “waiting” son inseparables, algo que otros idiomas expresan más claramente. El español, por ejemplo, tiene sólo una palabra, “esperar”, para nuestras dos palabras en inglés, “wait” y “hope.” Este es también el caso de la palabra equivalente en hebreo.

Al encender la primera vela de la corona de Adviento, la Iglesia nos invita a una escuela de espera, donde a lo largo de cuatro semanas aprendemos una vez más que “es bueno esperar en silencio la liberación del Señor”.

(Lam 3:26). Esta preciosa lección de la vida espiritual es proclamada de manera más convincente por los profetas, como Jeremías en el Libro de las Lamentaciones, a través de quienes se hicieron las promesas de salvación. Estas promesas resuenan una y otra vez en las lecturas de la Misa del tiempo de Adviento, razón por la cual no hay mayor aula en la escuela de la espera que la liturgia eucarística.

Por supuesto, todo estudiante aprecia una buena excursión. Durante más de 20 años, mi excursión favorita de Adviento ha sido asistir a una representación del “Mesías” de Handel. Esta tradición comenzó cuando yo era un sacerdote recién ordenado en la Catedral de St. Paul en St. Paul. Debo decir que hoy mi Adviento se siente de alguna manera incompleto sin asistir a una representación del “Mesías”, como cuando una pandemia invadió nuestro mundo en 2020.

Las armonías celestiales de Handel combinadas con el arreglo inspirado de Charles Jennen del texto de las Escrituras crean lo que yo llamaría la lectio divina más hermosa del año. La Parte I es Adviento lectio, que incluye las profecías mesiánicas más importantes del Antiguo Testamento. Estas profecías son el fundamento de la esperanza en la salvación del pueblo elegido. Pero

After Mass, a woman approached me who had indeed been waiting for 20 years for a word of God to become flesh in her life. She understood that my homily was a prophetic encouragement for her to keep hoping. Surely, this woman is in good company. Surely, her hope is preparing the way for a new coming of the Lord in her life.

Surely, she will discover, with Mary, that her waiting in silence is not in vain, but rather ‘The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him’ (Lam 3:25). from the Old Testament. These prophecies are the foundation of the chosen people’s hope in salvation.

But one cannot listen to these prophecies repeated in the “Messiah” without realizing how long the holy people waited on the Lord to realize these prophecies.

It would be over 500 years, for example, before Isaiah’s famous Emmanuel prophecy — “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.” (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23) — would be fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.

We can imagine how faith in these prophecies was sorely tested by the passage of time. They were kept alive, nevertheless, by the hope of Old Testament saints, like Mary of Nazareth, who from generation to generation recalled that “it is good to wait in silence

uno no puede escuchar estas profecías repetidas en el “Mesías” sin darse cuenta de cuánto tiempo esperó el pueblo santo en que el Señor cumpliera estas profecías.

Pasarían más de 500 años, por ejemplo, antes de la famosa profecía de Emmanuel de Isaías: “He aquí, la virgen concebirá y dará a luz un hijo, y llamará su nombre Emmanuel, Dios con nosotros”. (Is 7,14; Mt 1,23)—se cumpliría en el nacimiento de Jesús.

Podemos imaginar cómo la fe en estas profecías fue duramente puesta a prueba por el paso del tiempo. Sin embargo, fueron mantenidas vivas por la esperanza de los santos del Antiguo Testamento, como María de Nazaret, que de generación en generación recordaba que “es bueno esperar en silencio la liberación del Señor”. El Papa Benedicto ha escrito elocuentemente sobre cómo fue esta misma esperanza la que le dio a Emmanuel un camino hacia el mundo. “María es mujer de esperanza: sólo porque cree en las promesas de Dios y espera la salvación de Israel, el ángel puede visitarla y llamarla al servicio decisivo de estas promesas” (Deus Caritas Est, 41).

Queridos amigos, lo mismo ocurre con nosotros.

Nuestra esperanza le da a Dios un camino hacia nuestras vidas, pero ¿estamos dispuestos a esperarlo?

En una homilía, una vez hice esa misma pregunta.

Había compartido el testimonio de una persona que esperó atentamente durante más de 20 años que una palabra del Señor se cumpliera en su vida. Pregunté, retóricamente, si podríamos esperar tanto tiempo por el Señor. Después de Misa, se me acercó una mujer que efectivamente llevaba 20 años esperando que una palabra de Dios se hiciera carne en su vida. Ella entendió que mi homilía era un estímulo profético para que ella mantuviera la esperanza. Seguramente esta mujer está en buena compañía. Seguramente su esperanza está preparando el camino para una nueva venida del Señor a su vida. Seguramente descubrirá, con María, que su espera en silencio no es en vano, sino que “el Señor es bueno con quienes lo esperan, con el alma que lo busca” (Lam 3:25).

Un breve posdata: Mientras escribía este artículo, el Diácono Luis Rubí me invitó a la iglesia deSagrada

on the Lord’s deliverance.” Pope Benedict has written eloquently about how it was this very hope that gave Emmanuel a way into the world. “Mary is a woman of hope: only because she believes in God’s promises and awaits the salvation of Israel, can the angel visit her and call her to the decisive service of these promises” (Deus Caritas Est, 41).

Dear friends, the same is true for us. Our hope gives God a way into our lives, but are we willing to wait for him? In a homily, I once asked that very question.

I had shared the testimony of a person who waited attentively for over 20 years for a word of the Lord to be fulfilled in his life. I asked, rhetorically, if we would be able to wait that long on the Lord. After Mass, a woman approached me who had indeed been waiting for 20 years for a word of God to become flesh in her life. She understood that my homily was a prophetic encouragement for her to keep hoping. Surely, this woman is in good company. Surely, her hope is preparing the way for a new coming of the Lord in her life. Surely, she will discover, with Mary, that her waiting in silence is not in vain, but rather “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him” (Lam 3:25).

A brief post-script: As I was writing this article, Deacon Luis Rubi invited me to Holy Family in St. Louis Park for a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” to be performed in that beautiful space by the parish choir and some invited guests. I had to admit that I had recently purchased tickets to attend a different performance of the “Messiah” with my brother John. I guess I should have waited. Anyway, who am I to refuse a messianic invitation? I will go twice this year and call it pandemic redemption.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Familia en St. Louis Park para una actuación del “Mesías” de Handel que será interpretado en ese hermoso espacio de por el coro parroquial y algunos invitados. Tuve que admitir que recientemente había comprado boletos para asistir a una representación diferente del “Mesías” con mi hermano John. Supongo que debería haber esperado.

De todos modos, ¿quién soy yo para rechazar una invitación mesiánica? Iré dos veces este año y lo llamaré redención pandémica. ¡Ven, Señor Jesús!

OFFICIALS Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective November 9, 2023 Deacon Ramon Garcia DeGollado, assigned to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon for the Church of the Incarnation in Minneapolis.

This is a transfer from his current assignment as permanent deacon of the Church of Saint Odilia in Shoreview.

Deacon Hjálmar Guðjónsson, assigned to exercise the ministry of a transitional deacon for the Church of Saint Peter, the Church of Saint Richard, and the Church of Assumption in Richfield. This assignment is for his pastoral formation while ordained as a transitional deacon.

Reverend James Liekhus, assigned as chaplain for the chapter of Courage in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, also known as Faith in Action. This is in addition to his assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Peter, the Church of Saint Richard, and the Church of the Assumption in Richfield.

Reverend James Livingston, assigned as chaplain to Way of the Shepherd Catholic Montessori School. This is in addition to his assignment as pastor of the Church of Saint Paul in Ham Lake.

Deacon Luis Rubi, assigned to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon for the Church of Saint Francis de Sales in Saint Paul. This is in addition to his current assignment at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Saint Paul.

Effective January 1, 2024 Reverend Louis Floeder, assigned as pastor of the Church of Saint Dominic in Northfield. Father Floeder has been serving as parochial administrator of the same parish.

4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

LOCAL

Giving thanks

SLICEof LIFE DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Neriah Walker, a third grader at Presentation of Mary Catholic School in Maplewood, gives a handmade card to Linda Gangl, a parishioner of Presentation of Mary, during a Mass of Gratitude Nov. 17 at the church.

At the end of Mass, a group of students took cards they had made to express gratitude and gave them to adults attending the Mass, which was celebrated by Father Peter Ly, the pastor of Presentation.

“It was truly a blessing to be here today,” Gangl said. The students “were so happy to hand out cards. It was a joy to watch them.” Sue Lovegreen, the principal of the school, said the annual Mass of Gratitude began in 2020. “We wanted to take the time, especially during this time of the year, to give thanks to those who support our students, our staff and our whole community,” she said, “because without them, our school wouldn’t exist.” Representatives of some organizations that support the school came to the Mass.

LOCAL

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

Decree: St. Katharine Drexel in Ramsey to be established as an archdiocesan parish

By Rebecca Omastiak The Catholic Spirit A welcoming environment is something Father Paul Jaroszeski, pastor of St. Katharine Drexel in Ramsey, wants to continue as the parish is to be formally established in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, per a decree issued Nov. 1.

“I think that is one of our hallmarks and one we’d have to keep working at,” said Father Jaroszeski, who has been a priest for 47 years and pastor of St. Katharine Drexel for 19 years.

Deacon Randy Bauer, who has served St. Katharine Drexel for roughly 18 of the 30 years he has FATHER been a deacon, agreed: “One of PAUL JAROSZESKI the comments that we frequently hear from people (who) join us is that we’re such a welcoming community.”

The decree establishing St. Katharine Drexel as a territorial parish (a parish that has a specific geographical designation of pastoral care, Chancellor for Canonical Affairs Susan Mulheron explained) assigned to Deanery 12 takes effect March 3, 2024 — the feast day of St. Katharine Drexel.

Father Jaroszeski said his reaction to the decree was “absolutely excited and grateful to the archbishop for that change in our status. It just means a whole lot not only to me personally, but to the community here.”

Receiving the decree on All Saints’ Day had special significance, Deacon Bauer said, “because we’ve been praying to practically every single one of them.”

St. Katharine Drexel has been temporarily housed in an office building along 143rd Avenue Northwest in Ramsey and counts over 500 registered households among its membership, Deacon Bauer said.

In 2004, then-Archbishop Harry Flynn commissioned Father Jaroszeski to found a

missionary parish in the growing Ramsey community. The parish in formation celebrated its first Mass in January 2005. Having the opportunity to help found the parish and to see its growth is “a wonderful gift from God,” Father Jaroszeski said. Meanwhile, Deacon Bauer said his April 2005 appointment to St. Katharine Drexel suited him: “I’ve always enjoyed being part of something new.”

To spread the word about the parish in formation, Deacon Bauer referenced a door-to-door ministry, during which members of St. Katharine Drexel would mention upcoming events — pancake breakfasts and Beer, Brats and Bingo among them.

“It was always enjoyable, an DEACON opportunity to meet people,” said RANDY BAUER Deacon Bauer, who also serves on Ramsey’s Planning Commission.

“Doing the door-knocking, this chance to meet some people and talk to them about Ramsey and talk to them about their faith.”

Mulheron said challenges arose for the parish in formation. One was the Great Recession; its impact on Ramsey “had a significant effect on the development of this parish,” she said. Meanwhile, members of St. Katharine Drexel continued to work toward archdiocesan strategic planning process benchmarks for it to be formally established as a parish and for construction of a church to be approved.

In 2018, approval was given to begin a design-build process for a future church and in 2022, St. Katharine Drexel received approval to sell 18 of over 33 acres it had acquired through a donation, leaving over 15 acres for a future church construction site.

Father Jaroszeski said he has seen the parish in formation grow “in many ways,” but particularly in building a strong community committed to faith, to one another, and to the surrounding neighborhood.

“They’ve grown in terms of their ability to reach

beyond the confines of the walls here to help in the community and to be of service to people,” he said, giving the example of a social justice committee that “has grown exponentially in our time.”

“Their focus is on trying to bring Christ’s presence to others,” Father Jaroszeski said.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda highlighted that mission in a Nov. 1 letter to Father Jaroszeski accompanying the decree.

“Your mission is to bring the Gospel to the north and western region of our Archdiocese, in Ramsey, in its time of high growth,” Archbishop Hebda wrote, in part. “Your patron did so by sharing the message of the Gospel and the life of the Eucharist with the poor and oppressed among the Native and African American people. Your parish continues her legacy as you strive to bring justice and peace to the earth by following Jesus Christ and seek ‘to see Christ in all and be Christ to all.’”

Moving forward, the archdiocesan College of Consultors and Finance Council met Nov. 21 to go over the finances and construction plan that St. Katharine Drexel has developed. Both entities must give their approval for the building process to move forward, Mulheron said. If approved, groundbreaking plans can take shape; if not approved, St. Katharine Drexel will receive feedback on what it would need to accomplish for approval, Mulheron said.

For the design-build concept, Deacon Bauer said the parish has been working with Station 19 Architects Inc. out of Minneapolis and Langer Construction out of West St. Paul. With the necessary approvals, Deacon Bauer said the hope would be to complete construction by Christmas 2024.

Father Jaroszeski views the construction of a church — “a permanent place where we can call home” — as a tangible sign for parishioners and Ramsey community members. “To see an actual building there will be, I think, a boost in terms of people coming and joining.”

Retirement Fund for Religious collection set for Dec. 9-10

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit An opportunity lies right around the corner to help Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests who have served selflessly for decades without significant financial compensation.

The annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious is scheduled for Dec. 9-10 in parishes across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Last year alone, parishioners contributed $467,703 to the collection. Nationwide, the collection raised $27.6 million for 297 U.S. religious communities.

It makes a difference to those who have made a difference in so many lives, said Nicole Bettini, the delegate for consecrated life in the archdiocese.

“What would our country, our communities, look like without them?” Bettini said. “And thus, we help them in their need.”

Religious communities run hospitals and schools, work in parishes and other ministries. They are responsible for the support and care of all members, with income, earnings and expenses managed separately from parish and diocesan structures of the Church.

The need among the communities is great, with religious over the age of 70 outnumbering religious younger than 70 by nearly three to one, according to a news release about the fund from the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), which coordinates the annual appeal and distributes financial assistance to eligible religious communities.

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Only 6 percent of religious communities providing data to the office are adequately funded for retirement; 42 percent have 25 or fewer members, the NRRO said.

The NRRO is sponsored by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. U.S. Catholic bishops launched the fund in 1988 to address the lack of retirement funding. Since the first collection, U.S. Catholics have donated more than $975 million.

Almost $842 million has been distributed to support the day-to-day care of elderly sisters, brothers and religious order priests, the NRRO said.

An additional $102.6 million has

N O T I C E

been allocated to projects initiated by religious communities, including health care facilities, the office said.

However, since 2009 the average annual cost to support senior women and men religious has exceeded $1 billion. Meanwhile, the average annual Social Security benefit for a religious is $7,679, compared with $21,902 for the average lay U.S. beneficiary, the NRRO said.

The director of the NRRO, John Knutsen, said in a statement that he looks forward to this year’s collection.

“We are privileged to support those who have dedicated their lives to tireless service, and we are immensely grateful for the continuing generosity of U.S. Catholic donors to this vital cause,” he said.

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OF ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS in all copies of this issue.

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6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

Latino group at St. Odilia completes sessions on Catholic social teaching

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit St. Odilia in Shoreview recently served as a pilot site for a sevenweek series of classes in Spanish that focused on the Catholic Church’s social teachings.

Viviana Sotro, director of Latino ministry at Guardian Angels in Chaska, facilitated the seven classes. She described the Church’s social teachings as “kind of a hidden gem,” at least among some in the Latino community.

Twenty-five of 35 registrants completed the program. They received certificates at a Nov. 11 reception at St. Odilia that followed a Mass in Spanish with Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams presiding and Msgr.

Martin Schlag, Moss-endowed chair for Catholic Social Thought at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, concelebrating. Bishop Williams presented the certificates in the church’s adjacent gymnasium.

Msgr. Schlag, along with staff at the Minnesota Catholic Conference and Michelle Rash, program manager at St. Thomas’ Murphy Institute, developed the program.

“The treasures of the social doctrine need to be made available and accessible to all Catholics, including those for whom English is not their first language,” said Jason Adkins,

HAZEL JORDAN FOR THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Aurelia Ponce, a volunteer catechist at St. Odilia in Shoreview, smiles after receiving a certificate Nov. 11 for completing a course in Spanish on Catholic social teaching at the parish.

MCC executive director and general counsel, in an email. “They, too, have a responsibility to live the Gospel in every sphere of life.”

The Church’s social doctrine illuminates “the principles we use to build the civilization of love,” Adkins said, “and the framework with which we think about how to apply the Gospel to social relationships in family life, commerce and politics.” When the Church’s social doctrine is not communicated, especially to young

people, “people are more prone to fall prey to partisan or ideological solutions that, at best, are incomplete answers to the deepest problems, and at worst, are deeply harmful to the common good,” he said.

“Part of MCC staff’s responsibility is to assist the bishops in their work encouraging the social apostolate.

When more people deepen their faith and go forth to bring the Gospel into every corner of society, it is a win for all of us and the common

good,” Adkins said. “We also hope that Hispanic Catholics will get more actively involved in speaking with their legislators about important issues that impact both them and the broader community.”

Christian Reyes Rodriguez, director of Latino ministry at St. Odilia, said the program was “amazing” and he “learned so much about not just my faith, but more about how I can put my faith into practice in the real world.”

The course is based on a book Msgr.

Schlag compiled from the compendium of the social doctrine of the Church: “Manual of the Social Doctrine of the Church: A Guide for Christians in Today’s World,” available in Spanish and English. It uses a question-andanswer format to distill social doctrine and present it in a simpler, more readable format.

Each session in the program included readings and a 20- to 30-minute video with instruction from Msgr. Schlag. About 30 minutes of small group discussion followed at tables, then a large group discussion.

The remaining time was used to “explain and facilitate the main ideas,” Reyes Rodriguez said. Sotro served as a facilitator leading the discussions, summarizing concepts and answering SOCIAL TEACHING CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Father O’Gara brought blessings with his ‘characteristic Irish passion and wit’

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit At 6 feet, 4 inches tall, Father Stephen O’Gara was a big man, with a personality to match, said Father John Malone, a longtime friend.

Not pushy or loud, “but his presence was strong,” Father Malone said.

“His notion of being a pastor was a sense that was more than just providing sacraments and programs and education,” he said. “He became very involved in the community.”

Everywhere Father O’Gara served, he built lasting relationships with parishioners, Father Malone said.

Father O’Gara, 79, whose ministry included serving at Assumption in St. Paul from 2005 until his retirement in 2014, died Nov. 7 at Our Lady of Peace Hospice in St. Paul.

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Father Malone, 83, said he knew Father O’Gara at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, although the two were several years apart.

“We got to be pretty close friends,” Father Malone said, and stayed in touch throughout their years of ministry. “We spent a lot of time together,” as priests and as friends, including Father Malone driving Father O’Gara to Rochester when his friend participated in FATHER a research program there for six STEPHEN O’GARA months.

Father Malone also spent a lot of time with Father O’Gara the week before he died. “He was just very relaxed and not worried about death,” he said. “And he said, ‘I’m ready.’” Father Malone said that’s how anyone would hope to die, “without any

panic or anxiety.”

“So that’s a good memory for me,” Father Malone said.

Father O’Gara’s illness “progressed quickly over the last few days,” Father Paul Treacy, Assumption’s pastor, said in a message to parishioners.

Calling Father O’Gara “an incredible pastor and friend,” Father Treacy said, “We are grateful for the many blessings he brought to Assumption — all with his characteristic Irish passion and wit.”

Father Malone recalled Father O’Gara’s ministry as being “welcoming and inclusive.”

“He was a “very good preacher,” always adding “a human-interest story that would fit the Gospel.” And he had “a wonderful sense of humor.”

Father O’Gara had a cabin on an island in the FATHER O’GARA CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE questions, he said.

Msgr. Schlag produced the videos, syllabus and cases presented. Discussion topics included human dignity and common good, a consistent ethic of life, marriage and family, the common good and the economy, and the common good and public life, he said. Participants were especially touched by two topics, Msgr. Schlag said: “end of life” and discussion around “workers have rights.”

Adkins also noted a relative lack of awareness among program participants of the Church’s tradition of “speaking for the rights of labor and the dignity of work,” and of its end-of-life teaching, which he said is needed to “push back on a health care system increasingly oriented toward driving down costs and which pushes people to make decisions inconsistent with their values.”

Because of what Latino immigrants experience when they move to a different country, Sotro said she believes Church teachings can bring them hope and help them feel consoled and “cared (for) by the Church.”

Church teachings “are always beautiful and rich and so deep,” Sotro said. The course helped participants “understand all the beauty of these teachings.”

“People yearn for justice, and it is crucial that Catholics, especially, have something compelling to say about the important problems of the world,” Adkins said. “When the social doctrine is communicated, it enlivens the hearts of Catholics and evangelizes nonCatholics,” he said.

Adkins said the pilot at St. Odilia will be reviewed for any needed improvements and offered to other interested parishes. Expansion will depend on availability of facilitators and donors to help cover costs of the textbook, facilities and facilitator honorarium.

In addition to this series of classes, the archdiocesan Office of Latino Ministry hosts an annual retreat on social justice, at which Catholic social teachings are discussed.

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

MOMS group argues to intervene in abortion case

FATHER O’GARA

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE western Twin Cities metro. Years ago, a friend learned Father O’Gara needed a new septic tank that required digging a hole and offered to help. So Father O’Gara “supervised” while his friend dug the hole, ladder in place, and at one point, Father O’Gara removed the ladder and said he’ll be back later. “He played some good tricks on people,” Father Malone said.

Father Treacy said he has heard “countless stories” of how Father O’Gara helped people through difficult times, “being a listening ear, giving wise advice, being compassionate, being at the bedside of a dying parent or grandparent.”

“But he also had great fun with the families who had kids, or kids who were celebrating their first Communion,” he said.

Father O’Gara served six parishes and two schools in the archdiocese, including as assistant priest of St. Olaf in Minneapolis from 1971 to 1973, and St. Thomas (now St. Thomas the Apostle) in Minneapolis from 1973 to 1979.

He was pastor of St. Dominic in Northfield from 1979 to 1988, parochial administrator of Annunciation in Hazelwood from 1980 to 1988 and pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle from 1988 to 2005.

Father O’Gara was canonical administrator of St. Thomas School (now St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights) and Christ the King School (now Carondelet Catholic School) in Minneapolis from 2002 to 2005. He was parochial vicar of Assumption in St. Paul from 2005 to 2006, co-pastor and then pastor from 2006 to 2014.

Father O’Gara retired in July 2014, but returned to Assumption to serve as parochial administrator from July 1 to Sept. 25, 2017.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at a funeral Mass for Father O’Gara Nov. 18, with concelebrants including Father Treacy.

The Catholic Spirit The attorney for a statewide group of mothers argued Nov. 15 at the Minnesota Court of Appeals that the MOMS, or Mothers Offering Maternal Support, should be allowed to intervene and appeal a judge’s decision striking down a 48-hour parental notification requirement before an abortion is performed on a minor.

“Parents have the right to know because they are the first to help,” said Teresa Collette, a law professor and director of the Prolife Center at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, who is serving in a private capacity as lead counsel for MOMS. Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Olson argued that MOMS was not a party to the case when it was brought, and the group was too late presenting its motion to intervene. “Minnesota courts do not allow intervention with this kind of wait and see approach,” she said.

Collette said it only became clear with the July 11 ruling from Judge Thomas Gilligan Jr. that Attorney General Keith Ellison, who declined to appeal Gilligan’s ruling and opposed MOMS’ efforts to intervene, did not adequately defend the state law. Among those challenging the law were an obstetrician-gynecologist who performs abortions and a Minneapolis nonprofit, Our Justice. The law has been in place more than 40 years.

In the same ruling, Gilligan struck down several other longstanding protections against abortion, including a 24-hour waiting period before a woman can have an abortion. While Gilligan’s ruling may pertain only to Ramsey County, many of the abortions in Minnesota are performed in the county, Collette said. A ruling on the intervention request could be made in about 90 days, the court’s three-judge panel said.

Elderly religious need your help. Like those pictured, nearly 25,000 senior sisters, brothers and religious order priests have dedicated their lives to serving others through praying for us, ministering to us, educating the young, caring for those who are sick and more—most for little or no pay, leaving a profound shortage in retirement savings. Your donation will make a real difference by providing essential care, medicine and other necessities. Please give generously.

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retiredreligious.org Visit retiredreligious.org/2023photos to meet the religious pictured. ©2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC All rights reserved • Photo: Jim Judkis

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

NATION+WORLD

US bishops’ meeting shows united front on mission but no clear synod action plan

By Peter Jesserer Smith OSV News For two days, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met in plenary assembly in Baltimore advancing key issues related to liturgy, living out the faith, including in the public square, and retooling the conference to better serve the Church’s mission.

However, the bishops’ Nov. 13-16 meeting, which took place nearly three weeks following the conclusion of the global synod on synodality, also concluded without a common game plan for how bishops could get consultative feedback from their local parishes with respect to the synod’s “halftime” report before it reconvenes in 11 months.

At the assembly’s opening Mass Nov. 13, the bishops prayed for peace, with USCCB president Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services in the homily saying they asked for wisdom to help others embrace Jesus Christ, and noting the feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint, and herself an immigrant who championed care for immigrants.

The public portions of the bishops’ plenary assembly Nov. 14-15 were marked with extraordinary unanimity as the bishops’ closed-door “fraternal dialogues” gave them time for face-to-face group discussions to work out contentious issues in advance of presentations and votes.

The bishops approved a letter to Pope Francis, affirming their shared concern over global conflicts, his teaching on “ecological conversion,” and their commitment to prayerfully reflect on the synod on synodality synthesis report.

In their addresses, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., and Archbishop Broglio offered contrasting viewpoints on synodality.

Cardinal Pierre focused on Luke’s Gospel account of the risen Jesus revealing himself to his disciples on the road to Emmaus as illustrating “precisely the synodal path in its essential elements: encountering, accompanying, listening, discerning and rejoicing at what the Holy Spirit reveals.” Archbishop Broglio shared his view that existing advisory structures in the U.S. Church, both at the diocesan and national level, are examples of existing synodal realities to “recognize and build on” while remaining open to “new possibilities.”

Over Nov. 14-15, the bishops voted with overwhelming majorities on every issue: U.S. adaptations to the Liturgy of the Hours and liturgical drafts related to consecrated and religious life; national revised statutes for Christian initiation; and it also approved without controversy supplements to its teaching on faithful citizenship that reference Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical letter “Fratelli Tutti” (“Brothers All”) while naming abortion as “our preeminent priority” among other threats to human life and dignity.

The bishops voted to support the sainthood cause launched by the Archdiocese of New York for Father Isaac Hecker (1819-1888), founder of the Paulist Fathers. They also endorsed an effort to declare St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the Church.

The bishops voted to reauthorize their Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism for two more years, discern its future place in the conference structure, and change rules so retired Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry, who is African American, could continue leading that committee.

The U.S. bishops elected Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City as secretary-elect of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and also elected chairmen-elect for six committees — education, communications, cultural diversity, doctrine, national collections and pro-life activities — as well as bishops for the boards of Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., or CLINIC, and Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Church’s overseas relief and development agency.

A surprise came when the bishops decided to punt on approving a pastoral framework for Indigenous Catholic ministry that they had commissioned four years ago in order to revise and revisit the plan at

OSV NEWS PHOTO | BOB ROLLER

Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, speaks during a news conference after giving a presentation on the National Eucharistic Revival and the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress during the assembly’s Nov. 15 session. Looking on is Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress.

OSV NEWS PHOTO | COURTESY ANGELUS VIRATA, BALTIMORE BASILICA

Bishops attend Mass Nov. 13 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore at the start of their 2023 fall plenary assembly. their June 2024 assembly.

Outside the hotel where the bishops’ assembly was held, the Baltimore-based Defend Life organization held a rosary rally led by Bishop Joseph Strickland.

The event, however, was planned in advance of the bishop learning Nov. 11, just days before the assembly, that Pope Francis had removed him from pastoral governance of his Diocese of Tyler, Texas.

About 125 participants, including some clergy and religious, participated.

Bishop Strickland told reporters, including OSV News, that he was told by “the nuncio” — indicating Cardinal Pierre — not to attend the fall plenary meeting. He said he “respected” the decision, as well as his “commitment to be here for this prayer.”

Back in the bishops’ assembly, the prelates heard an update on the National Eucharistic Revival that revealed attendees of the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21 in Indianapolis now have the option of purchasing single-day and weekend passes, among other provisions to make participation more affordable and flexible, including scholarships and increased housing options. A plenary indulgence also will be available to anyone who participates in one of the four main routes of the national pilgrimage to the Eucharistic congress.

The bishops also heard an update on the newly launched Institute on the Catechism. Some bishops advocated that instituting lay men and women to the new ministry of catechist would fill a need for authentic, well-formed witnesses to bring that “evangelizing catechesis” to others.

The bishops most sustained public dialogue took place over the mental health campaign launched in response to the “dire mental health crisis” in the U.S. with some bishops calling for more Catholics to enter the mental health field, educating seminarians and priests in properly referring people for counseling, or connecting people with mental health resources.

With respect to the Oct. 4-29 synod on synodality, the bishops heard about positive experiences from

some of their delegates, particularly the value of the synod’s “conversations in the Spirit” as a model for carrying out regular conversational interaction among the Church’s members for the sake of the Church’s mission. However, by the time the plenary assembly concluded, the bishops did not seem to have any definite process or task force to help them engage the faithful in consultation on

OSV NEWS PHOTO | BOB ROLLER

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester speaks during the Nov. 15 session.

the synod’s 41-page report summarizing the body’s consensus, matters for consideration and priority actions.

During a Nov. 14 press conference, Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas told OSV News he anticipates it will be discussed in June once bishops have taken the time to “let it sink in and read it carefully.” He said what the USCCB could do immediately was request guidance from the Synod Secretariat in Rome on how to engage their local churches in a focused and relevant way “because the first responsibility of the bishops is to go back to their own people and to say these are some issues that impact us in particular.” He indicated a synodal culture needs to take root in the local Church first — noting parish or diocesan pastoral councils are not used in some places since they are not mandatory — in order to discern what structures are needed to support it at all levels.

The bishops showed a move toward deepening that kind of engagement by replacing the USCCB’s current strategic planning cycle with a mission planning process that would allow the conference to have defined regular responsibilities and the flexibility to focus on “mission directives that evolve after a process of discernment” that can be informed by bishops engaging in local and regional consultation. “I think it is more synodal,” Archbishop Broglio said in an interview with OSV News, “and I think that will be something that will make a difference in how we address issues and concerns of the Church in the United States in a different way, in a new way.”

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

NATION+WORLD

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

HEADLINES u Nebraska abortion advocates launch an

effort to qualify for a 2024 ballot measure. The Nebraska Catholic Conference, Nebraska Right to Life, Nebraska Family Alliance and other pro-life groups are criticizing a newly launched effort to put abortion protections on the ballot in their state in 2024. Seeking to replicate efforts to enshrine abortion protections in the state’s constitution as others have done, abortion advocates in Nebraska announced the effort at a Nov. 16 kickoff event.

The proposed measure would codify abortion access in the state’s constitution through fetal viability, typically understood to be 24 weeks gestation, or if a physician decided an abortion was necessary for the sake of the mother’s life or health. In a joint statement Nov. 15, the prolife groups called the proposed ballot measure “part of a nationally coordinated effort by the abortion industry and their allies to remove all rights from the unborn, health protections for women, and parental rights.” To qualify for the ballot, proponents of the amendment would need to gather more than 120,000 signatures from registered voters — about 10% of them in the state, including at least 5% of registered voters in a minimum of 38 of the state’s 93 counties, according to the Nebraska Examiner.

u Patriarchs, church leaders urge Holy Land’s

Christians to “stand strong” in Advent message. Christmas in Bethlehem and the Holy Land this year will be one of solemnity, prayer and fasting as the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem called upon the faithful to forgo any “unnecessarily festive activities” during the Christmas season this year and to “stand strong” with those facing the afflictions of war, focusing more on the spiritual meaning of Christmas. “Since the start of the war, there has been an atmosphere of sadness and pain. Thousands of innocent civilians, including women and children, have died or suffered serious injuries,” they said in a Nov. 10 statement on the “Celebration of Advent and Christmas in the Midst of the War.” “Many more grieve over the loss of their homes, their loved ones, or the uncertain fate of those dear to them. Throughout the region, even more have lost their work and are suffering from serious economic challenges.”

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, brutally killing 1,200 Israelis — a move that triggered a war in Gaza launched by Israel that already killed over 11,000 Palestinians. Bishops around the world, from Australia to Europe, prayed for peace, urging respect for human dignity and calling for a stop to the violence.

u Bishop Strickland’s removal is “administrative,

not penal,” says canon law expert. The removal of Bishop Joseph Strickland from pastoral governance of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, is an administrative rather than penal action, a canon law scholar told OSV News. On Nov. 11, the Holy See Press Office announced the bishop was removed by Pope Francis from the pastoral governance of the diocese. The pope has appointed Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin as apostolic administrator to oversee the diocese until a new bishop is appointed.

No reason was given for Bishop Strickland’s removal, although speculation about his future in the diocese has swirled for months given a number of statements the bishop had made challenging the pope’s orthodoxy and authority.

Now, Bishop Strickland is “functionally a retired bishop” who remains incardinated in his diocese, said Father John Beal, professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America. The removal “does not affect his ability to function as a bishop in the spiritual realm, at least thus far,” said Father Beal.

“There’s been nothing said otherwise, so they would have to make it public if they were going

to limit his spiritual ministry.” Father Beal added that “the removal does not, of itself, entail any wrongdoing. It’s just … a pastoral judgment that the ministry had become detrimental or ineffective in that particular place.” u Indi Gregory, a British girl whose life support

was halted by court, dies. Indi Gregory, a British girl whose parents battled the British courts to have her life support extended, died Nov. 13. In a statement, Indi’s father, Dean Gregory, said he and his wife, Claire, “are angry, heartbroken and ashamed. The NHS (National Health Service) and the Courts not only took away her chance to live a longer life, but they also took away Indi’s dignity to pass away in the family home where she belonged.” Indi suffered from a rare metabolic disorder known as mitochondrial disease, and her family was fighting a court order that she be removed from life support, as was the case of several other children in the past, including Alfie Evans and Charlie Gard. “I knew she was special from the day she was born,” Dean Gregory said, adding that his wife “held her for her final breaths.” Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham and Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues and Auxiliary of Westminster, wrote in a statement that they learned about the death of the child with “deep sadness,” assuring the parents “of our prayers and those of all the Catholic Community, including Pope Francis, at this sad time.” “As a baptized child of God, we believe that she will now share in the joy of heaven after her short life which brought deep joy to her parents who loved and protected her as a precious gift of God,” the bishops said.

u Bishops’ migration chairman urges

lawmakers to enhance protections for migrant children. The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ migration committee has sent a letter to lawmakers in Congress urging enhanced protections be put in place for migrant children. “In recent months, several concerning reports have emerged regarding incidents of migrant children in the United States suffering exploitative labor conditions and other harmful situations,” Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, said in his Nov. 9 letter. “Among migrants, unaccompanied children constitute the most vulnerable group,” added the bishop, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration. His letter follows the Nov. 1 introduction of a bipartisan, bicameral measure that would add protections for minors to immigration courts, which do not currently have protocols specifically for processing children. Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, alongside Reps.

Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., and Maria Salazar, R-Fla., introduced the Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act, legislation they said would establish a Children’s Court within the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which they argued would both combat the immigration court backlog and strengthen due process rights for unaccompanied migrant children. Reps. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., and Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., are also original co-sponsors of the legislation, according to a release from Bennett’s office.

different contemplative orders to live there for a period of three to five years with “the ministry of prayer, adoration, praise and reparation” in silence and solitude “to support the Holy Father in his daily care for the whole church.” The last community, a group of Visitation nuns, left in November 2012, and a remodeling project began. A few months later, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation.

The monastery became home to the retired pontiff and a small staff until Pope Benedict died Dec. 31, 2022. The Vatican press office confirmed Nov. 13 that Pope Francis, in a letter dated Oct. 1, decided that “the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery would return to its original purpose: that contemplative orders support the Holy Father in his daily care for the whole church, through the ministry of prayer, adoration, praise and reparation, thus being a prayerful presence in silence and solitude.”

Pope Francis invited the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of St. Scholastica in Victoria, Argentina, to staff the monastery and they accepted, the press office said. “The six nuns who, according to the statutes, will form the monastic community will begin living in the monastery in early January.”

anniversary of St. Francis’ creche. On the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi setting up the first Nativity scene, the creche in St. Peter’s Square in 2023 will come from the Diocese of Rieti, Italy, and pay tribute to the scene set up in the diocese in 1223. St. Francis’ Nativity scene in a cave in Greccio featured live animals, but the one set to be unveiled in St. Peter’s Square Dec. 9 will not, according to a press release from the Vatican City State governor’s office. The Christmas tree that will stand in St. Peter’s Square is expected to be more than 80 feet tall and come from the Maira Valley near Turin. It will be decorated with live edelweiss flowers cultivated at a nursery nearby; picking or transplanting wild edelweiss is against the law in Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The unveiling of the creche and lighting of the Christmas tree in the square is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 9. They will remain in the square through the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Jan. 7, 2024.

u Abuse survivor group names patron saints

to guide healing, reform. An abuse survivor group has just chosen several patron saints as “heavenly friends” and guides on the journey to recovery. “Many people find great comfort and strength in developing a relationship with particular saints who they turn to for inspiration and intercession,” said Sara Larson, executive director of the independent nonprofit Awake Milwaukee, which works to raise awareness of and heal sexual abuse in both the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Catholic Church as a whole. In a message posted to its website Oct. 25, Awake announced it had named as its patrons St. Charles Lwanga, a 19th-century court page in what is now Uganda, who was martyred for his faith and for defending royal pages from the king’s sexual advances; St. Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century Italian mystic, church reformer and one of only four female doctors of the Church; St. Mary and St. Abraham of Edessa, fourth-century ascetics who personally experienced the devastation of clerical sexual abuse; St. Michael the Archangel; and Our Lady Undoer of Knots, a Marian devotion originating in 18thcentury Germany and popularized in recent years by Pope Francis. Each of the saints’ stories speaks to a particular aspect of sexual abuse recovery, said the group — in particular, Sts. Mary and Abraham.

u Pro-life leaders point to fundraising, media

and culture in Ohio ballot measure loss. After Ohio voters on Nov. 7 approved a measure that will codify abortion access in the state’s constitution, some pro-life leaders blamed fundraising issues and the media for this latest ballot box defeat, while others pointed to the need to increase cultural pro-life efforts. The results were not an outlier Nov. 7 as other candidates who ran on anti-abortion platforms lost. Democratic incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear defeated Republican challenger Daniel Cameron as he was elected to another term as Kentucky governor, and Democrats won back control of the General Assembly in Virginia in a campaign that often centered on Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s opposition to abortion. Stephen Billy, vice president of state affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called the results “disappointing,” and said that they made clear “the abortion industry is going to use the money it takes to create campaigns of fear and deception to try to pass their extreme policies of abortion without limits.” Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa, founder and president of New Wave Feminists, said the culture “will not shift to one that values life until it sees the pro-life movement truly caring about society on all levels,” calling for the movement to significantly increase its care for mothers and children.

Fr. Grundman

Fr. Todd

Fr. Peter

u Pope returns Mater Ecclesiae Monastery

to use by contemplative nuns. Pope Francis has invited a community of Benedictine nuns from Argentina to move into the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens, renewing the building’s purpose as home to a cloistered community of women dedicated to supporting the pope’s ministry with their prayer. St. John Paul II had established the monastery in 1994 with the intention of inviting

u Vatican Nativity scene to honor 800th

Fr. Fitz

— CNS and OSV News

2023

• • • •

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• • • • • •

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Eucharistic Revival/IN (St. Cloud Diocese) July 17 Ͳ 21 CA Mission/Wineries (Fr. Binsfeld)

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10 • NOVEMBER 23, 2023

Hundreds of Thanksgiving meals help families in north M

By Susanna Parent For The Catholic Spirit

FOR 22 YEARS, John Dols and Jean

Cerisier have organized and run an annual delivery of Thanksgiving meals to any family that requests one in the north Minneapolis neighborhood around Ascension.

Dols, 49, is principal of Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria. He and his family are members of Ascension, which is where Dols went to grade school.

Cerisier was one of his former teachers at the parish school.

They were first approached by Patty Stromen, the parish administrator and president of Ascension Catholic Academy, a consortium that also includes St. John Paul II Catholic School in Minneapolis and St. Peter Claver Catholic and St. Pascal Regional Catholic schools in St. Paul. She asked Dols and Cerisier if they would run a parish fall festival.

“Jean and I said that we would do it if we could also do a Thanksgiving dinner,” Dols said. “The Thanksgiving meals started because we believed that there were a lot of people who were spending Thanksgiving alone and we thought it would be a great opportunity for people to come together if they didn’t have anywhere to go.”

That first year, about 20 people came for the meal, which includes turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, corn, dinner rolls and pie. People volunteering to help outnumbered those who came to eat.

“The second year we thought that maybe the word hadn’t gotten out about the meal” so they decided to run it the same way, but numbers were still low, Dols said.

In those first two years, Cerisier said she and Dols talked about how they could make it better. They wondered what needs might not be getting met as they invited families to the parish cafeteria for a meal.

Then someone called to ask if meals could be delivered. Dols and Cerisier decided that was the approach they would take in year three. Perhaps families wanted to stay home for the holiday, rather than venture out, Cerisier said.

About 100 meals were delivered in 2003, the first year of meal deliveries. The number continued to rise each year; one year, more than 2,000 meals were delivered.

In addition to Dols and Cerisier, more than 100 volunteers from Ascension and outside the parish help with the meals, Dols said.

“Ascension is a small but strong community,” he said. “Whatever needs to be done, people just do, whether that be reading at Mass or being a Eucharistic minister.”

In fact, that is partly what keeps him at Ascension as a parishioner, Dols said. He loves the tight-knit community and people’s willingness to meet the needs around them.

For the holiday endeavor, Dols has recruited people from Holy Family in Victoria and members of his family.

“From the very beginning, my sister and brother-in-law Jenny and Conrad Petzel were very involved in the meals,” Dols said.

“My brother-in-law worked at Traditions Capital Bank in 2006, and he invited people that he worked with to come help with all the work that needed to be done.

He died in 2013, and when he died, the bank decided to financially support the Thanksgiving meal as a way to honor him,

and for years they underwrote the whole meal,” Dols said. To this day, the bank contributes financially, he said.

With so many meals to cook, Dols and Cerisier have a team that starts cooking turkeys at the parish the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. One volunteer does an overnight shift as the turkeys are stored overnight in the kitchen.

“Groups from Holy Family come in every year,” Dols said. “One of the moms brings in her whole crew on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. And she donates all of the boxes that we use to package the food.”

Most of the meals are packaged the night before Thanksgiving.

The meals are advertised to Ascension parishioners through the parish bulletin, and flyers are sent home with students at Ascension school. The students of Hall Stem Academy across the street are also notified through flyers, and the northside Visitations Sisters spread the word.

“We really want it to be as much of a neighborhood deal as possible,” Dols said.

In 2020 however, Thanksgiving meal delivery was discontinued because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We couldn’t have many people in the kitchen, and we had to figure out how to serve people but not put anybody in danger,” Dols said. “We decided it would be better if we put the meals in boxes for people to pick up.”

Unfortunately, the number took a steep decline, matching the number of Thanksgiving meals served in the early years, before the meals were packaged and delivered, Dols said.

After offering meals for pickup again in 2022, Ascension is excited this year to deliver Thanksgiving meals to people’s homes. They started taking orders in early November. They continued taking orders through Nov. 17, the Friday before Thanksgiving.

“It’s just such a special meal,” Dols said.

“I’ve always been excited to have my kids grow up and do these meals. Not being able to deliver meals to people’s homes has left a little bit of a hole in the last couple of years. Having people pick up meals felt so impersonal.”

The Dols family, which includes his wife, Joanna, 48, and their 8-year-old daughter, Cassie, and 6-year-old son, Eli, isn’t the only family excited about the Thanksgiving meals returning to home deliveries.

Monica Norwick, 58, and her husband, Mark LaRose, 60, are one of the first families from Holy Family Catholic High School to start helping prepare the Thanksgiving meals. They live in Waconia and belong to St. Victoria in Victoria. Their three children joined them in volunteering in 2007, after Dols asked if they would be willing to help out. Their oldest daughter, Micaela, is 29 and lives in San Antonio; their son, Rob, is 28 and lives in Seattle, and their youngest child, Claudia, is a 25-year-old medical student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

The three siblings have continued to volunteer beyond their high school and college years.

Norwick said when their children started at Holy Family, Dols was the school’s vice principal.

“He had an ability to find those kids who didn’t know anyone and get them involved,” Norwick said. “Every summer, Dols led a service trip to Ethiopia for Holy Family students, and all of my kids have gone on missions there and their eyes were opened up to the world.”

Dols built such a good relationship with the students that Norwick’s daughter, Claudia, went to him for advice when deciding which medical school to attend.

“He was just such a person who tried to share life experiences with kids, but then let them talk about what they were feeling and experiencing,” Norwick said.

Norwick and her husband have helped with the meals every year since 2008, except during the COVID-19 pandemic and

one year when they went to New York to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

They share the tedious task of cleaning every single roaster pan. “We’re the last people to leave, but Jean Cerisier finally liners for the roaster pans, so that has helped,” Norwick said. “But Jean and Joh do so much work (in) the weeks leading to Thanksgiving, and I know they work s much harder than what we’ve ever done Cerisier said she is looking forward to

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11

Minneapolis parish community

Longtime parishioner, teacher, coach: Cerisier makes a difference

By Susanna Parent For The Catholic Spirit

J

John Dols, right, works with Jean Cerisier to package Thanksgiving dinners at Ascension in north Minneapolis in 2018.

Below, volunteers pack and mark the meals.

PHOTOS COURTESY JUDY ROMANOWICH SMITH

o e. g got

hn up so e.”

seeing the volunteers who come back to pack meals this year. “I don’t think people realize how huge that is. Even just washing dishes,” she said.

Cerisier recalled that one of the Norwick took the garbage out every year. “It makes it so much easier when people come back every year, because you don’t have to train them again and again.”

Cerisier shared a special memory she has of preparing the Thanksgiving meals. “One

time we were closing up, and we had a gentleman come in from off the streets, and he said that he knew we were giving away food. That day we were only packing up the meals, but we still got him something hot to eat, and then he left.”

Later, she saw him in between buildings, eating the food he had received. “How hard it is for someone to come in and say they need food,” Cerisier said. “We gave him everything he needed.”

ean Cerisier is a fixture at Ascension parish and school, as well as the broader community in north Minneapolis.

A lifelong parishioner, she attended kindergarten through eighth grade at the school, where she would later return as a gym teacher, athletic director and coach of volleyball, soccer, basketball and softball.

Cerisier’s 43 years at the school also included the titles of dean of students and assistant principal.

Affectionately, she is known by many as “Ms. Jean.” Her dedication to the parish, school and students was impacted by her own experience growing up at Ascension, as well as the influence of her late mother, Patricia Cerisier, who also served at the school as athletic director and coach, Cerisier said.

“My mom was such a good example,” Cerisier said, crediting her mother with instilling in her the passion and drive to serve the school and the community.

Seeing her mother coach and impact students’ lives is something Cerisier later experienced herself, she said. A party in the Ascension gym celebrating her retirement from the school June 3 brought some of that to mind, she said.

“I couldn’t tell you about all of the families that came back to say thank you at my retirement party,” Cerisier said. “It feels good to be a positive part of their lives.”

Cerisier’s community service continues. Among other efforts, she helped start the parish’s practice of delivering home-cooked meals to families for Thanksgiving.

When it comes to the parish, she said, “I feel like it’s home. There’s no judgment and it is a welcoming parish. I also like the fact that the people at the parish knew my mom and remember her.”

The principal of Ascension, Benito Matias, noted Cerisier’s impact at the school and beyond.

“If you look up Ascension Catholic School in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Ms. Jean,” Matias said. “Ascension is part of The Catholic Academy, where we come together with other Catholic schools to leverage resources and personnel. We started about seven years ago with St. John Paul II in Minneapolis. It is almost like a small school district.” The consortium also includes St. Peter Claver Catholic and St. Pascal Regional Catholic schools in St. Paul.

Through the academy, Cerisier also has been able to reach a broader community, Matias said.

“Both personally and professionally, she’s been a great mentor for me,” he said. “I really think she was the highest moral authority within our organization.

This isn’t due to just her history, but

COURTESY JUDY ROMANOWICH SMITH

Jean Cerisier holds a proclamation from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey marking June 3 as “Ms. Jean Cerisier Day” in Minneapolis.

CERISIER MEMORIES Coaching, including soccer and basketball: “I made sure that all my kids played. Then to see that they have people who care about them and are going to go watch them. It’s just amazing to see them change.”

Children’s Masses, especially excitement and joy of kindergartners: “It’s nice because some of the parishioners come to the children’s Mass and I think it’s so good for them to see it.”

Spending time at the school, which her family gave her a hard time about: She doesn’t deny it. “I will especially miss the people I’ve worked with,” she said.

“They’re such good friends.” just her overall welcoming personality and generous work ethic.”

The pastor of Ascension, Father Dale Korogi, said the Cerisier family name is almost synonymous with Ascension. He was there as Cerisier soaked in love and affection at her retirement party.

“She’s just a natural when it comes to connecting with young people,” Father Korogi said. “They instinctively know that she loves and cares for them, even though she can be really firm and direct with them.

It is a marvel to watch her in action.

It’s not something you can teach. It’s the grace of God, a gift. She’s a leader in the north Minneapolis neighborhood. You know that she has your back and I am happy to call her my friend. She’s got a heart as big as north Minneapolis.”

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

FAITH+CULTURE A heart for moms: How Sarah Norton takes care of herself and her peers

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit Being diagnosed with postpartum depression opened Sarah Norton’s eyes and expanded her heart, compelling her to not only help herself but also many other suffering moms. Now a mother of four, the 34-year-old painter runs a print shop called Conversion Street Studio. A North Dakota native, she lives in Eagan and belongs to St. Joseph in West St. Paul.

Q Tell me about your postpartum depression.

A My whole life I ticked along pretty well, and then

having kids — in particular, with my second — and being diagnosed with postpartum depression, I had this mental health reckoning where I was forced to face a lot of things: I’m not good at sleeping, I’m not good at exercising, my lifestyle is not very good in order to support me being a mom and my own person. I realized I have to build safeguards because I’m taking care of my kids and myself. As a mom, you don’t have time to mess around with sleep, food, exercise and prayer. If your life isn’t centered on that, things go awry.

Q Were there warning signs?

A I had extreme irritability. Yelling a lot. I’m

usually pretty chill. One day my daughter, who was 3 at the time, said, “Mom, you should go to the doctor.” That’s where I was told this is pretty classic postpartum depression.

Q What helped?

A They had me sign up for some therapy and gave

me a small prescription for an antidepressant, but the thing that helped me the most was just knowing that the thing I was experiencing was postpartum depression. That opened an entire world, just knowing: This is hard, but now I have a very reasonable way forward. I combined the therapy and medication with a daily regimen of exercise, good eating habits and prayer. And it’s not like my mental health is perfect now. It’s something I always have to maintain.

Q What didn’t help?

A Trying to apply the wrong medicine didn’t help.

Sleeping too much. Or watching too much Netflix.

Or buying things or alcohol. Those are all ways you can feel good temporarily, but it wasn’t satisfying.

The cool thing about being Catholic is the faith and reason component. We have the faith, where you can dig deeper in prayer and draw closer to Jesus, and also the reason, these proven ways of living a good life.

I know self-care is a funny word now: When I think of self-care, I think of things you can do to help live your mission better. What can I do to be a better wife, mother, child of God? Oftentimes it is not Netflix or alcohol or shopping. Maybe carving out time to do things you love, things that can help us live our mission better.

Q A priest once told me that all the great spiritual

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

in our lives. It’s had remarkable effects on our psyches. You feel a physical weight off you.

I try to involve the older kids, giving them little bite-sized things to do.

If I can tell someone is struggling, a lot of times I ask them if they’ve talked to a doctor about it. Or I’ll ask them to explain what they’re sharing, because sometimes it might be very veiled.

Q With kids ages 1 to 9, how do you curb excess

Q And you created a podcast called “Mental” —

stuff at Christmastime?

A I get them two presents. That’s what it is. Because

I know they’ll get presents from other people. There were a couple years there, in the beginning, when, after opening all these gifts, we didn’t feel happy. So, we slowly dropped off on the presents. The last two years we’ve done the two-present thing.

The kids get a lot of things — and a lot of it tends to go in the trash.

As Catholics, we believe there really is a connection between us and our environment, the world God gave us. We’re not supposed to waste. That’s a main principle.

Q There’s more waste than ever with all these

plastic toys wrapped in layers of plastic where the main attraction is the unboxing, not the playing with it later.

A I’m obsessed with quality. I try to get them quality

toys that they will keep. For example, my daughter has this cute wooden sushi set. It’s nicely made, handpainted, and she’s had it forever. And honestly, we don’t go into stores much. COVID really changed how we do shopping.

thinkers write that the victories of tomorrow are won tonight.

Q Did your postpartum depression change you?

A Before we go to bed, my husband and I set up our

A 100 percent. It’s given me a supernatural charity

house for success. Basically, we make sure our house is tidy, nothing where it shouldn’t be. And if we need to reconcile with each other or the kids, we do that before bed. A very practical thing and a spiritual thing: a clean house and the forgiveness of Jesus. We always think of our house as a monastery. There’s a reason why monasteries are clean and uncluttered.

Q Was that a natural instinct for you?

A We both came into marriage knowing that having

too much stuff is a weight on us. It’s gone through ebbs and flows, but it’s always been an underpinning

for other mothers. I love mothers, and I try to leave others better than I found them. One compliment from someone else can make all the difference. I try to build up other moms by being present to them, hanging out with them, building them up and I hop on those meal trains after they have a baby.

There was a mom I recently saw after Mass who was eight months pregnant, and you could tell she was feeling lousy. I could sense that, and I ran after her and told her she looked stunningly beautiful. I could see her entire countenance lifted. Moms need to be affirmed. It’s so easy to feel like: “I’m failing my kids, I just messed up again.”

that you can search for on streaming services with your name.

A I couldn’t believe the number of women in my

friend group who experienced the same thing. I felt I needed to share my story so other women can feel supported and get help.

Q Tapping into creative outlets is another form of self-care. When did you begin painting?

A I inherited a bunch of paints when I was in fourth

grade. In college, I decided to make good on them and took some college-level painting courses. In 2020, a friend who had seen a couple of my paintings asked to commission me. It was for a kids playroom — a huge 4-by-5-feet resurrection-themed Aslan from Narnia with flowers and a big old lion — acrylic and oil.

That started it all. I’m forever thankful to her. And then I got other commissions from there.

Q Was it hard to establish a rate for that first one?

A Yes! It was basically like, “I’ll do it for you as a gift.”

And she was like, “No, I want to pay you.” I charged her $100.

Q How do you feel when you paint?

A Painting is one of my favorite things. I’m

completely mindful. There’s no thought of the future or the past. Time seems to stop.

Q How has launching a small business influenced you?

A It’s increased my faith. I feel like that’s how

you know you’re doing something really good, that the Lord wants: if it increases your faith. It’s a discernment of spirit that St. Ignatius taught: If something increases your faith, you’re on the right track.

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

FAITH+CULTURE

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 13

The St. Andrew Novena: Prayerful preparation for Christmas

By Anna Wilgenbusch OSV News

T

en years ago, Erika Kidd sat at the edge of a family member’s hospital bed. It was almost Christmas; wind buffeted the window. Quietly, she recited the St. Andrew Novena over and over again.

“Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born “Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.

“In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires Through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of his Blessed Mother. Amen.”

It is a curious novena. Unlike a traditional novena, which spans nine days, it lasts from the feast of St. Andrew on Nov. 30 to Christmas Eve. On each of these days, it is repeated 15 times, either all at once or throughout the day. The novena has a reputation for answered prayers.

The prayer recalls the “hour and the moment” of Christ’s birth “at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.” It evokes, with precision, the moment the Incarnation is revealed. For Kidd, the darkness at the moment of Christ’s birth was reminiscent of the darkness of the cold hospital room.

“Waiting in the hospital, I felt myself to be in those dark moments, just before the arrival of Christ,” Kidd said. “And I prayed that he would come and set all things right. I prayed that he would come and save us.”

Her request — that her family member return home in time for Christmas — was answered. Prayers of thanksgiving trod on the heels of her novena.

“The prayer invites us to take seriously the darkness of our current situation: The fact that Christ has not yet come again in glory, the fact that we are often living with difficult and troubling situations, and it invites us to welcome Christ and rejoice in Christ’s coming,” said Kidd, an associate professor of Catholic studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul who teaches a class on Mary.

For Father Edward Looney, president of the Mariological Society of America, the St. Andrew Novena is “prayerful preparation” for Christmas.

“We can be caught up in the busyness in preparing for Christmas — going to concerts, shopping, all of these things — but at least this prayer allows us to stay rooted and grounded, and to think about what it is and why it is that we are celebrating Christmas,” said Father Looney, author of the 2022 book “How They Love Mary: 28 Life-Changing Stories of Devotion to Our Lady.” The priest, of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, also hosts the “How They Love Mary” podcast.

In December 2022, he posted a video on YouTube of the 15 repetitions of the novena, hoping to popularize the novena and facilitate the process of praying it.

It can be difficult to keep track of the prayer’s 15 daily repetitions; however, some Etsy sellers aim to remedy this with bracelets for tracking the devotion. Even if a person misses a day or prays less than 15 repetitions, Father Looney said that the novena is still efficacious.

“There can be a specific grace that you request, but then I think there are just the

different graces of the Christmas season — joy, hope, peace,” he said. “The joy of the Incarnation — that is what we are praying for.”

Father Looney said that what we pray the novena for might be answered in a different way than we expected.

“There is always going to be a grace given by God. We believe, in our finite knowledge, that we know what God should do. But God, who is greater than us and knows all things, knows what is for our good or their good,” he said. “God is still at work, and God is aiding that situation.”

The prayer has an obscure history.

Rachel Fulton Brown, an associate professor of medieval history at the University of Chicago and an expert in medieval Marian devotions, said that the repetition of 15 has a long tradition in the Church.

While the monks of the Middle Ages ascended into the chapel, they recited the 15 psalms traditionally associated with Mary — Psalms 119-133 in the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible prepared

by St. Jerome. Over time, these 15 psalms became associated with the stairs that the 3-year-old Mary ascended into the temple as recorded in the “Protoevangelium of James,” an apocryphal, or non-scriptural, Gospel account from the second century that describes the infancy of Mary.

Although the text does not specify the number of steps, the monastic tradition associated each psalm with a step into the temple.

Brown said that the St. Andrew Novena’s 15 repetitions likely stem from this tradition.

She also noted many evocations of traditional Marian devotion in the words and phrases of the text. The word “piercing,” for example, has roots in the medieval understanding of the Incarnation, she said.

“One of the things that the medieval imagery likes to do is to show Christ as the light beam. There is a lot of meditation, at the Incarnation, on how he can enter into Mary like a ray of sunlight through glass,” Brown said. “They make all of these beautiful windows in cathedrals to show that he passes through her like a crystal, taking light on without breaking her, so she is still virginal.”

Brown said that there is evidence that the novena sprung from a movement to revive Church tradition in the 19th century. This movement attempted to repopularize texts such as the “Protoevangelium” and monastic traditions like a Marian version of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Sister Joseph Maria of the Holy Family, prioress of the cloistered Dominicans of Our Lady of the Rosary in New Jersey, had not heard of the St. Andrew Novena before she entered religious life.

Her novice mistress encouraged her to pray the novena. She now prays it every Advent in the silence of the convent.

“Just the act of praying it for so long, it does really help prepare you for the birth of Our Lord,” she said.

She prays the novena so much during Advent that she said she does not bother to count to 15.

“I probably pray more than is needed each day,” she said. Before praying the Divine Office, when working around the convent, and while brushing her teeth, she silently repeats the St. Andrew Novena, over and over again.

A stained-glass image of St. Andrew is pictured in an undated photo.

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14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER JOHN PAUL ERICKSON

Choose life The possibility of hell is a troublesome truth.

Not only does it run counter to what I believe to be the basic assumption of many believers these days: that is, that in the end all are saved except for the most hardened and obvious of cases. It also seems to run counter to what we do in fact know about God, and what we rightly emphasize in our efforts at evangelization — he is all good, all loving and all merciful. Does this not preclude the prospect of his condemning men and women to eternal death?

Nope.

We read in Sunday’s powerful Gospel that Christ will at the end of time draw all men before him and deliver the sentence that they have written for themselves by their love or lack thereof — and this sentence may very well include eternal damnation. If we have chosen to respond to the revelation of Jesus Christ with living faith, that is, active love for friend and foe alike, and especially in active service of those most in need, our destiny shall be heaven, and an eternal participation in the glory of Christ himself. But if we have refused to respond generously to this pearl of great price and have closed our hearts to the needs of others, there awaits an eternal fire prepared for the devil and his legion. There is no third option listed.

Hell, like heaven, begins on earth, within the soul of every man and woman.

If heaven is union with God, we can rightly say that even should a believer endure brutal agonies this side of the veil, if the believer remains in a state of grace doing what the Father wills, the believer has the kingdom of God in his or her heart. This beatitude will come to full flourishing in the presence of the one to whom we looked to save us, but it begins now, in this valley of tears.

So, too, it is with hell. The essence of hell is the isolation of self-love, a willful refusal to dislodge from self-interest in our own minds and hearts. The damned reject the call to leave all and to follow Christ. They reject the call to leave their pride, their selfsufficiency, their security and their self-preservation. Instead, they choose to cling to what they believe to be their own by right — their will, their way and themselves. They refuse to embrace the mystery of gift, and instead cling viselike to what they fear to lose.

ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ

When it feels like my prayers don’t do anything

Q I’ve been told that I can pray to God, and

that he hears my prayers and answers them.

I’ve been frustrated though, because it seems like it doesn’t do anything. Am I missing something?

A This is a great question, not only because it reveals that you are aware of God’s desire that we turn to him in our need but also because you are acting on this and actively reaching out to him. All prayer is good prayer.

And yet, what are we looking for in our prayer? And who exactly is it that we are approaching when we pray? These two questions might seem superfluous, but they are essential to understanding why it is that we become upset when God doesn’t give us what we want.

The Church’s teaching on the real possibility of being separated from God forever comes directly from the mouth of the Messiah himself. Mortal sin, that is, a deliberate act that separates the soul from the grace of God, is the traditional term for the decision to walk away from the Father. For one to commit a mortal sin, one must know that the act performed is gravely sinful and one must freely do it. No one can accidentally commit a mortal sin, or in a strict sense, be forced into it. The act itself must also be objectively serious, what tradition calls a “grave matter.”

Many contemporary discussions about mortal sin include sins of impurity or grave assaults against the innocent. And rightly so. But I think in light of the Gospel given for the solemnity of Christ the King this year, we must also accept that sins of omission can also be quite grave, particularly when what is being omitted are the rights of others and the needs of the poor.

Indeed, it is significant that Christ does not criticize the condemned for their lack of religious fervor, or sins of the flesh, or blasphemy. He condemns them because they were wholly negligent of the poor. Nowhere does Christ indicate that they were particularly cruel to their fellow man. It is possible that the damned simply did not see the poor, because in the hardness of their hearts they had grown blind, accustomed only to viewing their own lives, comfort, anxieties and hopes. They are like the rich man in the parable of Lazarus at the door: So eager to partake of the lavish dinner awaiting him each night, the rich man steps over the one at his own door, not acknowledging his need or presence.

Our lives are precious, and the decisions we make or don’t make matter. It is not enough to say “Lord, Lord,” and to proclaim the kingship of Christ only with our lips. We must also acknowledge him as our King in every facet of our existence. That is, we must be like him, living for love of the Father and our neighbor, even unto death, the death of self. Dying to self and a calculated dethroning must be waged every day upon the idols we build for ourselves within our hearts in obvious and subtle ways. Without this, we will get what we ask for — an eternity of gazing upon ourselves, turned away from God and our fellow man. Alone. Forever.

It does not need to be so. We are reminded this weekend that the King shall return and he shall judge the living and the dead.

Awakened by this warning, may we be found waiting when he comes, busy about the concrete, sacrificial acts of love and service that are the fruits of the kingdom of God within our hearts, most notably service to the poor.

Father Erickson is pastor of Transfiguration in Oakdale.

First, it is important to remember that our prayers do not change God. God is perfect and does not change. Of course, this raises the question: Then why ask God for anything at all? The short answer is that God is good and always wills our good. At the same time, God wants to include you in his plan of bringing his blessings to the world. When we pray, not only are we spending time with our Father and coming to know his heart more intimately, but praying increases our desire for his will to be done and allows us to actively participate in his mission to bring his grace to this world.

Prayer is the honor that God extends to us. He allows us to be his coworkers in his plan of salvation.

Yet it can feel like we aren’t heard when we ask God for help.

And we can be sorely tempted to complain. What do we do with that?

It is in these moments that I am so grateful to the Lord for the Catechism of the Catholic Church, because the catechism asks this exact question. Here is the answer: “In the first place, we ought to be astonished by this fact: when we praise God or give him thanks for his benefits in general, we are not particularly concerned whether or not our prayer is acceptable to him.”

Have you ever noticed this in yourself? When we are thanking or praising God, we can tend to nonchalantly throw out casual prayers of gratitude. This isn’t wrong, but it could reveal a certain attitude toward God that is not really troubled about whether God hears our prayers or doesn’t care if we’ve thanked or praised him properly.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Nov. 26 Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Ez 34:11-12, 15-17 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28 Mt 25:31-46 Monday, Nov. 27 Dn 1:1-6, 8-20 Lk 21:1-4 Tuesday, Nov. 28 Dn 2:31-45 Lk 21:5-11 Wednesday, Nov. 29 Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 Lk 21:12-19 Thursday, Nov. 30 St. Andrew, apostle Rom 10:9-18 Mt 4:18-22 Friday, Dec. 1 Dn 7:2-14 Lk 21:29-33 Saturday, Dec. 2 Dn 7:15-27 Lk 21:34-36 Sunday, Dec. 3 First Sunday of Advent Is 63:16b-17; 19b; 64:2-7 1 Cor 1:3-9 Mk 13:33-37 Monday, Dec. 4 Is 2:1-5 Mt 8:5-11 Tuesday, Dec. 5 Is 11:1-10 Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday, Dec. 6 Is 25:6-10a Mt 15:29-37 Thursday, Dec. 7 St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Is 26:1-6 Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday, Dec. 8 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gn 3:9-15, 20 Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 Lk 1:26-38 Saturday, Dec. 9 Is 30:19-21, 23-26 Mt 9:35—10:1, 5a, 6-8 Sunday, Dec. 10 Second Sunday of Advent Is 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8

PLEASE TURN TO ASK FATHER MIKE ON PAGE 17

KNOW the SAINTS ST. ANDREW In the synoptic Gospels, Andrew is a Galilean fisherman grouped with his brother, Peter, and with James and John in the inner circle of Apostles; in John’s Gospel, he is the disciple of John the Baptist who is the first to follow Jesus and who brings his brother to the Lord. Many traditions about Andrew come from the apocryphal second-century Acts of Andrew, which depicts him as a zealous missionary in the Black Sea region who is crucified — tied to an x-shaped cross — by the Roman governor.

Some early Church historians also said he evangelized in Greece and Asia Minor. He is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Greece and those who fish for a living.

— OSV News

PROTECT LIFE & HUMAN DIGNITY

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

COMMENTARY

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15

bishops, dynamic and 1,000+ Catholics from photo). He also includes a birthday picture ofChurch my twin leaders, Adding baptismal anniversaries, first Communion FAITH AT HOME | LAURA KELLY FANUCCI Join Minnesota’s

daughters in the NICU before they died. dates or confirmation days to our yearly calendars can across the state a day ofgestures, inspiration advocacy at spirit our ofState Capitol. help us celebrate the the sacraments long after With these smallfor but meaningful he keeps and

Liturgical calendar of the family

the initial graces have been received. My own kids’ Learn the issues, hear dynamic baptism days and namesake saints’ days are burned in in the everyday. Each month holds dates that are and meetthey your their brains because getlegislators. to choose a special dessert only to lunch our family, but they stand as mighty speakers,  meaningful Breakfast and included with to celebrate. Liturgical calendars are meant to help us memorials to the ones we have loved and lost.  See the newly renovated State Capitol! registration. both fast and feast, after all!

As the Church looks ahead to a new liturgical year come Advent, we have the perfect chance to meditate My favorite part of my brother’s family calendars is on the mysteries of how our individual lives weave Each Christmas, my youngest keeping them as a treasure from one year to the next. together with the wider Church. If each family is brother makes a photo calendar for Flipping back through the pages, we watch babies arrive rightly considered a domestic church, then our own our extended family. Thanks to the and their birthdays take their place among our holy celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries and memorials can days at home. We remember anniversaries long past ease of photo websites and pre-made become a domestic liturgical calendar, too. templates, it’s an easy task to drop even as each married couple ages beyond the grinning pictures into each month of the year Your personal “holy days” might be celebrated by kids in wedding photos. And we hold tight to our — but it’s become one of our favorite only a few: your grandparents’ wedding day, the date beloved dead, asking them to intercede for us.

ARCHof BISHOP BERNARD HEBDA BISHOP ANDREW COZZENS OP Jchild’s AMES Cadoption ONLEY was finalized, GLORIA PU RIVanniversary S gifts to receive. All my kids fight over BISH your the Each domestic church’s liturgical calendar is as diverse United foryour Life home.

Diocese of Lincoln, Neb. who gets to flip through the calendar first, laughing at your sobriety or the dayBlack youCatholics moved into Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis as its members, yet still anchored by the great high goofy poses and remembering vacations from years past. In addition to these bright celebrations, the calendars feasts. As we turn the calendar to a new Advent, may Beyond the big photos splashed across each month, of our domestic churches can hold harder days, too: we ask God’s blessing upon our homes and hopes for the calendar lets you insert smaller photos on particular the memory of a car accident or a house fire, the another year: Teach us to number our days. dates. My brother adds pictures for each family date of a life-changing diagnosis, the anniversary of member’s birthday and each couple’s anniversary. He a miscarriage. Just as Holy Week holds both Good always finds a funny photo of our oldest brother who Friday and Easter Sunday, we can find comfort Fanucci is an author, speaker and founder of Mothering died at age 21 (once a sibling, always a sibling, and knowing that every year brings highs and lows — yet Spirit, an online gathering place on parenting and spirituality we like to think he’d still laugh at his eighth-grade the God of time holds it all. at motheringspirit.com. whole family alive in22-and-under spirit and beforeFREE! our eyes   ourKids and students

This is our moment.

Let’s go!

CATHOLIC OR NOTHING | COLIN MILLER

INSIDE THE CAPITOL | MCC Learn more and register at CatholicsAtTheCapitol.org

Catholic communitarianism HOSTS: Women’s rights would weaken SPONSORS: In the past few columns, I’ve been introducing key aspects of the Catholic Worker Movement, founded in 1933 by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. This month, I want to begin to focus on the way the movement emphasizes the importance of community in the Christian life.

Maurin used to call the Catholic Worker’s vision “communitarian.” By this, he was emphasizing that daily community life and shared tasks were essential to the life of the Church.

This was long before anyone had ever thought of our Archdiocesan Synod or the invitation to join a small group, but it’s certainly the sort of thing Maurin would have heartily endorsed.

By “communitarian,” then, Maurin didn’t have in mind any political party, then or now, that might go by that name. Rather, he wanted to distinguish the Catholic Worker from “communism” on the one hand (which was a political option at that time), and from the normal “individualism” of American life on the other.

The Catholic Worker was meant to simply be an embodiment of the Church being itself. And this necessarily meant that it would include Catholics being deeply enmeshed in the business of each other’s lives. Hospitality houses, the daily practice of the works of mercy, shared work, regular meetings for discussion and reflection, corporate liturgy, weekly or daily meals together, the pooling of resources — all these were ways that Maurin advocated that the Church could be more of a community. This is what he meant by communitarianism.

Once again, Maurin saw this kind of thick community as essential for the life of the Church. In other words, we can’t really be Christians without it. Yet too often we think of community as an

optional add-on to our faith. For most of us, churchgoing consists of coming together for Mass — even perhaps for daily Mass — but too often not having any real connections with one another.

But things were not always this way. I regularly hear stories about a time, still within the memory of some older members of our parishes, when there were thick social bonds uniting Catholics in St. Paul. One octogenarian I talk to often tells of living on a block with a half dozen other Catholic families. Each morning around breakfast time, she recalls, her back door would open and 10 neighborhood kids would scurry by as she made breakfast, using her kitchen as a shortcut as they all went off to the parish school down the street. The families cooked together, ate together, shared childcare, took care of each other when someone was sick, shared lawn mowers and cars and rides, grieved together when someone died, helped when someone lost a job, played football in the street, and dropped in unexpectedly just to chat.

Surely such communities were not perfect, but they do show a much closer resemblance to the ideal held out to us in Scripture than the reality of most of our lives today. The early Church, says the Acts of the Apostles, ate together, prayed together, took care of the poor together, shared their possessions freely, and met regularly in each other’s homes (see Acts 2:42-47).

There is no doubt that we will have to reclaim, in our own way, something like Maurin’s communitarianism, something like what we see in Acts of the Apostles, if the Church is once again to become at all socially credible to a world that sees mere individualistic piety as totally irrelevant. We will have to become, in other words, a way of life that makes people once again say “see how they love one another” (Tertullian).

Miller is director of pastoral care and outreach at Assumption in St. Paul.

The proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Minnesota Constitution, more appropriately called the Erosion of Rights Amendment, would diminish hard-earned rights and protections of women and could eliminate conscience rights and religious liberty of all Minnesotans.

If passed by legislators, the ERA would be sent to Minnesota voters as a ballot question during a general election year. The proposed language for the constitutional amendment protects people against a broad range of discrimination, including creed and age, which is not bad. But it goes beyond attempting to protect against basic forms of discrimination to also protect people against discrimination based on their “gender identity or expression.”

This elevation of subjective identity over biological determinants of sex would allow men, posing as women, to invade women’s spaces and activities and undo years of progress in the name of women’s equality.

The ERA is unnecessary. The Minnesota Supreme Court has interpreted the Minnesota Constitution to require equal protection of the laws.

In addition to long-standing federal and state constitutional protections barring discrimination, the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) bans, among other things, sex discrimination as well as discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but in a limited manner, with protections for commonsense distinctions and exemptions for religious entities.

Historically, ERA proponents wanted to end discrimination against women.

There were also problems with prior versions of the ERA, including the proposed federal ERA, because it could protect abortion. But in an ironic twist, the new ERA proposed in Minnesota

furthers discrimination against women, endangers their safety, and threatens those who object because its purpose is to impose gender ideology, where each person gets to define their identity.

Special interest groups hope the ERA gives them greater power in the courts.

Right now, these groups are relying on judges who are willing to impose their own novel interpretations, such as the recent case in which Attorney General Keith Ellison, through the Minnesota Department of Corrections, settled with a male prisoner by transferring him to a female prison, having the state pay for his “sex change” operation after one was denied to him, and awarding him $500,000 in damages. By passing the ERA, the case outcomes desired by radical activists will become the norm, rather than just a novel interpretation of the law by judges, thus erasing years of work and undermining women’s involvement in society.

Other potential outcomes of the ERA include further entrenchment of abortion rights; increased litigation against faith communities and schools that reject gender ideology; erosion of conscience rights for medical professionals; more taxpayer-funded “gender-affirming care;” a decline of women’s sports; attacks on free speech related to mandated pronoun usage; the shutdown of faith-based shelters for women; and major curricula changes in schools.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, all forms of unjust discrimination against persons should be avoided. But biology is not bigotry, and imposing a false vision of the human person through the ERA will harm persons, the common good, and those who object on principle and believe that respecting our bodies as God in his providence created them promotes human flourishing.

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

16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

COMMENTARY

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY STANCHINA

Pained prayer is powerful prayer

As part of my chemotherapy regimen, I requested intentions from friends, family and connections on social media. I would offer my treatment for them. Chemo scared me and I knew I wasn’t going to fare well through it if I didn’t offer it up in very concrete ways. The intentions poured in, I recorded each one in my “chemo notebook,” and began praying for them every day. This exercise strengthened me in ways I could not have expected.

The thing about chemo — I was completely prepared for nausea. Everybody knows nausea is a primary side effect of chemotherapy. As it turned out, I never got sick to my stomach. Not once.

What I was not prepared for was another possible side effect buried further down the list: bone pain.

That, my friends, was grueling. There were days where all I could do was hug my notebook and beg the Holy Spirit to groan on my behalf. I could only lie there with ice packs and ibuprofen and wait for the pain to pass.

But one day between infusions, as I was sitting in adoration with my notebook, I looked to Jesus on the cross and asked him point blank: How do I pray for all of this when I’m in pain?

In my heart, I sensed this clear reply: Pray the way I did when I was in pain.

Suddenly, the last words of Christ took on fresh meaning and purpose. I thought immediately of what tradition holds as Christ’s first word from the cross: Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.

Then, having observed this extraordinary prayer, the good thief was moved to conversion — and in Christ’s second word, he promises the good thief salvation: Today, you will be with me in paradise.

Granted, it’s going to take me a year or two of praying regularly with this thought, pray the way I did, to fully glean what the Lord was trying to teach me, but at the

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD

Pruning and prepping for the ‘new year’

Upkeep seems endless sometimes with a home and a yard. Yet I’m grateful to be able to take care of them. This time of year, the rakes, blower, hedge-trimmer and pruning shears are active before the cold and snow really set in. It’s work, of course, yet it reminds me of Thanksgiving — things that I am truly thankful for.

And it helps me prepare for the “new year” — the new liturgical year — as the first Sunday of Advent approaches. It takes an active prayer life to prune the excess and prepare for new growth in the life of faith.

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us and Advent just 10 days after, I’m prompted to do more by the flow of the Dynamic Catholic prayer process telling me to step it up a notch. It stares at me daily on my ergonomic desktop, then methodically guides me through the areas of gratitude, awareness, significant moments, peace, freedom and willing the good of others, closing with the Lord’s Prayer.

It is much like a daily examen (St. Ignatius would approve). But I can also look at the process in a broader and deeper way as Advent — the Catholic

I went back to my chemo notebook and found the intentions that required conversion, some deeper recognition of Christ as Lord. There were many.

Again, on the days I was in the worst pain, I begged the Lord to release the grace of conversion wherever it was needed.

iSTOCK PHOTO | SAKORN SUKKASEMSAKORN

very least I’ve come to understand two vital points.

One: When our Lord was suffering the greatest physical, emotional and spiritual pain of his life, his first thought was to ask for forgiveness on behalf of his persecutors. I turned to my chemo notebook and reviewed those intentions where forgiveness played a part. There were many. Going forward, on the days I was in the greatest pain, I kept repeating Christ’s words from the cross, begging the Lord to unleash forgiveness wherever it was needed.

Two: I can only imagine that the good thief heard our Lord begging the Father not for revenge, or retribution, or even justice, but for forgiveness, and any resistance that remained in him was melted. He was flooded with conversion graces that allowed him to recognize Jesus as Lord. How often do movements of forgiveness inspire conversion? The Lord’s reply — today, paradise — tells us the thief’s conversion was

authentic. I went back to my chemo notebook and found the intentions that required conversion, some deeper recognition of Christ as Lord. There were many.

Again, on the days I was in the worst pain, I begged the Lord to release the grace of conversion wherever it was needed.

Jesus is teaching me that as feeble as my pained prayer might be, he can grace it to powerful ends.

Father almighty, your son, Jesus, has taught us how to pray when we are in grave pain. Help us to remember that none of our suffering will go to waste if we offer it just as Jesus did, for forgiveness and conversion wherever it is needed. Amen.

mini-Lent — approaches and proceeds, helping me work toward “the best version of myself” as the founder of nonprofit Dynamic Catholic, Matthew Kelly, might say.

Take gratitude for instance. As together we press on in November — adjusting to the robust, seasonal fluctuations — we celebrate the peace of Thanksgiving and offer our gratitude to God for all the things we are thankful for this past year. Thanksgiving — both the holiday and its action — offers an opportunity to calm the storms in some relationships and close the gap in trivial and large matters that can sometimes divide us as family, co-workers and, yes, even fellow parishioners. We start by simply being thankful and showing others how we have grown in faith and learned from them in our relationships — even in shaky times. Expressing those significant moments and how God helped our faith grow through various relationships and circumstances can remind us to work on that best version of ourselves going forward.

This brings more peace in life because it involves God’s love, mercy and forgiveness.

Each year the Advent season warms my heart by helping me understand why God came to be with us as Jesus — as one of us in an act of true love — fully human yet fully divine. And with the peace of Jesus in my heart comes freedom to change for the better each year. Not because I’m free to do whatever I desire — which really isn’t freedom — but because I’m free to do what is right as our Lord teaches. As a Catholic Watchman, for example, I practice this through prayer, Scripture, the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph, regular Mass attendance, works of mercy, monthly confession and meeting often with men who share my faith and interests. A watchman loves God, family and neighbor in that order. The latter

As together we press on in November — adjusting to the robust, seasonal fluctuations — we celebrate the peace of Thanksgiving and offer our gratitude to God for all the things we are thankful for this past year.

Stanchina is the author of more than a dozen books including “A Place Called Golgotha: Meditations on the Last Words of Christ” (WAUP 2023). Visit her website at LizK.org or follow her on Instagram at LizKToday

two are those for whom I want to pray more and care more about going forward in the new liturgical year, as Jesus taught us to pray and care for others in the Lord’s Prayer.

The reality of Jesus’ humanity and divinity is present in the Eucharist. Regular devotion to the Eucharist at Mass and adoration can strengthen us in holiness and help us prepare for another year with our Lord on this Earth. Stay alert and well prepared for the polyvalent, timeless meaning of Advent — the coming of Christ in prayer, anticipation and joy celebrating his birth; in preparing for his glorious second coming; and in focusing on the importance of the here and now — how he lives actively in our hearts in the present moment and all the year through.

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

COMMENTARY

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17

GUEST COMMENTARY LISA M. HENDEY

the perfect gifts and ponder over the O Antiphons. I’ll bake the cookies and will probably burn a few of them.

Sacrificing excitement to make Advent more holy Waiting has never been my strong suit. I tend to associate long waits with a childhood tradition that I’m certain my mother invented. Each Christmas when I was young, Leroy and Bessie, Mom’s parents, would make the annual drive from their home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to ours in Westminster, California. We always knew the day of their scheduled arrival. But in those pre-GPS, non-cellphone-toting days, we had no idea of the exact hour.

Sometime after breakfast, Mom would send my younger siblings and me to the front yard where we would dutifully “wait for Grandma and Grandpa” on the street curb. In retrospect, I realize it’s likely that Mom knew better, and that we were only out there for a matter of minutes, but to me, the wait felt endless.

But that first sight of my grandparents as they stepped out of their car was well worth the wait on that hard curb.

Perhaps the unknown of their arrival time, those hours of anticipation, made the payoff all the greater when we wrapped them in hugs and kisses. Now,

ASK FATHER MIKE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 But when we ask for something, our attitude changes dramatically. We make sure that we get on our knees, we fold our hands in what we think is just the right way, we word our prayers in a way that we imagine God will hear the best. Am I the only one who might do this? Probably not. Because it is in those moments that we desperately want something that we treat God seriously.

But do I treat God with that same level of seriousness when I thank him?

If I don’t, then this reveals something to me about me. It reveals the image that I have of God. God might simply be an afterthought when I’m in times of comfort and is only necessary for my needs. This is what the catechism goes on to say: “What is the image of God that motivates our prayer: an instrument to be used? or the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ?”

What is my image of God? Is he only there to bail me out of trouble? Is God the divine genie to whom I turn when

N O T I C E

But I hope to approach my waiting — especially for those waits that challenge me so greatly — with greater intentionality, and here is how.

Sometimes the waiting keeps us looking for resolution. We may have experienced the loss of a job, the further explanation of a pending diagnosis, or the outcome of a hoped-for plan or dream. When that happens, we understandably focus on the state of our incompleteness. In our crises of confidence, may we remember to pray for a greater acceptance of God’s perfect will for our lives.

iSTOCK PHOTO | NATALIA SEMENOVA

as a grandmother myself, I can relate to how they must have felt.

“Are we almost there?” Grandma Bessie must certainly have asked Grandpa Leroy. For she was waiting, too.

I experience a similar impatience each year when the violet, rose and green hues of our family’s Advent wreath emerge from my Christmas bins. Those wreaths and their candles, and our daily devotionals, help us to mark the days until the Nativity of Our Lord. But it seems the more I age, the more childlike and impatient I become for the “big day” to be upon us.

Catholics celebrate liturgical seasons rather than singular days for a reason, though, and so this year, I have decided

to focus on lingering in the waiting — sacrificing my own excitement as I try to make my anticipation something holy.

If we are living Advent mindfully, we are preparing our hearts and minds for something even more remarkable than Christ’s birth: his second coming in salvation. Advent, at its best, can be for us a time of intense spiritual training — to make straight our paths toward our ultimate goal: an eternity in God’s presence.

I realize that sanctifying the waiting does not simply happen as I slide open the doors on my glitter-gilded calendar.

This year, I hope to be doing all of my usual Advent-y things. I’ll light the candles and send out the cards. I’ll seek

I’m desperate? And when I turn to him, who do I think he is? Is he just there to be my 24-hour therapist/ATM? Or is God … God? Is he the God he has revealed himself to be? Does he get to be the good Father whom we trust? Or does God only get my attention if he gives me what I want?

Maybe there is a little bit of Veruca Salt in every one of us (the spoiled girl in “Willy Wonka” who demanded “I want an Oompa-Loompa NOW, Daddy!”). But God is our Father. And he is good.

Because of that, he can say no and we can still trust him. Because he is Father, he can say no because he knows what we need better than we do. And because he is good, we can trust him because he wants what we need more than we do.

Ultimately, we trust God’s answer even when it is difficult, because he knows us better and loves us better than we know and love ourselves.

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.

Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

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Some of us await reconciliation. We may deeply feel the loss of relationships with loved ones that have dimmed or grown dark completely. As the world around us plays out various Hallmark moments of family gatherings, we lament the empty seat at our holiday table. In the absence of our loved one’s physical presence, may we remember to pray unceasingly for their well-being.

Some of us await peace. We may be overwhelmed by despair at the profound divides in our world that seem to further separate us with each passing day.

Embroiled in our own traumas and those of nations around us, we may lose sight of hope. As we tune into the daily news (and the state of our own souls), may we remember in our waiting to invoke the lasting love of the Christ Child, our Prince of perfect peace.

Hendey is the founder of CatholicMom.com, a bestselling author and an international speaker. Her column, “Senior Standing,” appears monthly at OSV News.

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

Why I am Catholic

T

he smell of a salty sea drifting in through an open window, a glimpse of majestic mountains as I climbed stairs to open a heavy wooden door into a church, and the joyful noise accompanying an Advent children’s program performed in a different language.

These experiences were worlds apart, but they held one trueness that united them, so that even miles and language barriers could not distinguish the essence they held in common — participating in Mass.

I have had the great blessing of traveling to some of the most beautiful destinations on God’s great Earth and thus have had the privilege of seeing many beautiful Catholic churches. These things have remained true: There are smiling faces of selfless greeters happy to usher us into our seats and a feeling that all are invited and belong here. Familiar hymns that have been sung for generations accompany Mass. And a dedicated priest is there, dressed in his vestments, devoting his life solely to God so we may know God better. The prayers are spoken, word for word, sealed in the head and the heart.

Most important, Mass provides a chance to receive Communion, God’s own precious body and blood. Despite perhaps many miles from “home,” the Eucharist is the gift offered to all Catholics who believe.

I often hear that we live in a lonely world, where we are attached via screens and not human connection. I don’t dispute that this may be true. However, I can tell you about a place where my screen isn’t on, and where, although strangers may be around me, I find true community. It is at Mass with fellow Catholics. There, I am in a common family seeking something greater than ourselves.

Parishioners arrive with open minds and open hearts to do their part to make this world a little less lonely. And the hour I spend at Mass, offering my time with God, will never leave me with regret. It is an opportunity to trust that my presence there matters, not only for my relationship with God, but to those who choose to worship around me.

It dazzles me to this day to think that when I take part in Mass,

By Laura Hendrickson

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

sing the gathering hymn, pray a petition, offer a sign of peace, hold hands with one of my children and recite the Our Father, that all around the world there are other mothers, wives and daughters doing the exact same thing. I also like to think of loved ones who have gone before us finding comfort, wisdom and love in Mass. I feel another bond in this encounter. And I like knowing that fellow parishioners I may not know, yet who care enough to come to Mass, also realize we are a community of faithful believers who can do great things together.

Why am I Catholic? Because I know that with my Catholic faith, I will never be alone. I can be many miles from home and find community and comfort in Mass with a community of believers. I can attend daily or weekly Mass at my parish and together we can work to make this world a more joyful place, where all may know and find true peace in the love of God. Where we are committed to living like the great saints who have gone before us. I am Catholic because I could never do life alone and when I attend Mass, I know I never will.

Hendrickson, 43, and her husband, Eric, members of St. Therese in Deephaven, have two sons, one in fifth grade, the other in sixth, at St. Therese Catholic School, and a freshman daughter at Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria. Hendrickson has been involved with several parish ministries, including Early Catholic Family Life, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, singing in the choir and volunteering at the parish school. Hendrickson’s family loves to travel, and recently took a trip to Utah to see five national parks in five days. Hendrickson said her favorite place is a lake or ocean, and she loves hosting friends and family for dinner or to celebrate milestones and holidays.

“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.”

NOVEMBER 23, 2023 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

CALENDAR PARISH EVENTS

Advent evening of guided reflection, prayer ministry, adoration and songs of praise. Confession and hospitality available after the 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Mass. sjn.org/advent

St. Michael Community Thanksgiving Dinner — Nov. 23: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at 16311 Duluth Ave. SE, Prior Lake. Freewill offering is appreciated but not necessary. stmichael-pl.org Christmas Trees — Nov. 24-Dec. 17: 4-8 p.m. at St. Pascal Baylon, 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. The St. Pascal’s Men’s Club is selling premium Christmas trees at reasonable prices (Fraser, Canaan and Balsam firs, Scotch and White pines).

St. Raphael’s Christmas Village — Dec. 2: 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Raphael, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. Listen to music provided by the school children, shop unique items and baskets, and visit Santa from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Games for kids of all ages, and food from Grandma’s Kitchen. Questions? Call 763-537-8401 ext. 501.

St. Vincent de Paul CCW Christmas Bazaar — Dec. 2: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Over 65 crafters, the Taste of Heaven Bakery, soup and sandwich lunch, coffee at Java Joe’s and a raffle. saintvdp.org/christmas-bazaar St. Hedwig Christmas Fair — Dec. 2-3: Saturday: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Sunday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 129 29th Ave. NE, Minneapolis. Christmas fair, bake sale and other items for sale or for bidding. ourholycross.org Christmas Boutique and Cookie Sale — Dec. 2-3: Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Mark in Carolyn Hall, 1983 Dayton Ave., St. Paul. Find unique ornaments, Nativity sets, Christmas villages, trees, lights and home decor for freewill offer. Tins of homemade Christmas cookies for sale. onestrongfamily.org Christmas Boutique — Dec. 2-3: Saturday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Guardian Angels, 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Annual boutique and craft sale featuring over 70 vendors and shopping for kids. All items are unique and handmade. Christmas trees, Saturday morning cookie sale and a visit from Santa on Saturday. guardian-angels.org/ event/16068158-2023-12-02-christmas-boutique Jewelry Sale to Support Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking — Dec. 2-3: Risen Savior, 1501 E. County Road 42, Burnsville. Risen Savior’s Human Trafficking Committee hosts a jewelry sale of used and refurbished jewelry. Most items $1. Proceeds will benefit community partners Brittany’s Place and Breaking Free.

Saturday: 4 p.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. risensavior.org/service-and-outreach Handel’s Messiah Concert — Dec. 3: 3-4:30 p.m. at Holy Family, 5900 W. Lake St., St. Louis Park. Featuring a professional orchestra, soloists, and the Parish Choir and Schola. A wine, cheese and dessert reception will follow. hfcmn.org/pay-messiah-concert Advent Evening of Renewal — Dec. 6: 6:30-8:30 p.m. at St. John Neumann, 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan. An

Advent Lessons and Carols — Dec. 9: 7-8:30 p.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

A musical celebration combining seasonal carols, choral music and Scripture readings with a uniquely Polish flare. ourholycross.org Knights of Columbus Christmas Brunch — Dec. 10: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast sticks, sausage, toast, a fruit cup, coffee, juice and milk.

A Festival of Lessons and Carols — Dec. 15: 7:308:30 p.m. at St. Bartholomew, 630 E. Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata. Choral pieces, carols, Scripture and sacred reflections. st-barts.org/events/lessonsandcarols

WORSHIP+RETREATS Ignatian Advent Retreat in Daily Life — Nov. 28: 10 a.m. at St. Thomas More in St. Ignatius Hall, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. The Ignatian Advent Retreat in Daily Life provides daily readings and teachings from Ignatian spirituality. Small group sessions are available, both inperson and online. Advent prayer materials are provided. ignatianspritualitycenter.org Ignatian Women’s Retreat — Nov. 28-30: 4:30 p.m. start at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo.

Retreat theme is St. Ignatius and Women: Wisdom from His Letters. The retreat is conference style with time for silent prayer and reflection. Sister Catherine Michaud is the retreat director. ignatianspiritualitycenter.org Advent Day of Prayer — Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Day 1: Mary, Gentle Woman. Day 2: The Annunciation. Day 3: The Visitation. Confession and live speaker. Lunch provided.

Suggested donation: $30. franciscanretreats.net/advent-days-of-prayer Cor Jesu — Dec. 1, Feb. 9: 8 p.m.-9:30 p.m. at St. Mary Chapel at The St. Paul Seminary, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Cor Jesu is a First Friday devotion for college students and young adults that takes place during the academic year. saintpaulseminary.org/event/cor-jesu-adoration-confession-praiseand-worship-and-more-5/ Men’s Silent Weekend Retreat — Dec. 1-3: at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Theme is Shepherd Me, O God. kingshouse.com Serenity Retreat — Dec. 1-3: 7 a.m.-noon at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Our Serenity Retreat is for men and women who are in recovery from alcohol or chemical addictions. franciscanretreats.net/serenity-retreats

Advent Retreat Sponsored by the Ignatian Associates — Dec. 2: 8:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m. at St. Thomas More in St. Ignatius Hall, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Father Mike Graham will lead the retreat. Reflection time follows each of three presentations. A $35 registration fee includes a continental breakfast, noon lunch and refreshments during the day. ignatianassociates.org Advent: The Wonder of Waiting — Dec. 2: 9-11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, St. Paul. Facilitated

by Sister Michaela Hedican, reflect on our culture of speed, instant gratification and efficiency and ask: How do we as seekers of God’s presence find meaning in patient waiting? stpaulsmonastery.networkforgood.com/events/61880-adventthe-wonder-of-waiting Advent Silent Weekend Retreat for Men and Women — Dec. 8-10: at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. For God So Loved the World, presented by Susan Stabile. kingshouse.com Men’s Catholic Spiritual Weekend Retreat — Dec. 8-10: 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake.

Men, step aside from the uncertainties of this time for a period of spiritual renewal. franciscanretreats.net/mens-weekend-retreat Cana’s Advent Morning of Reflection: “The Mindful Mother” — Dec. 16: 8 a.m.-noon at St. Raphael, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. For moms of young children.

Peaceful, reflective morning this Advent season with the sacraments, breakfast, motivating talks and more. tinyurl.com/bd9uts7z Ignatian Men’s Silent Retreat — Thursday-Sunday most weeks at Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House, 8243 Demontreville Trail N., Lake Elmo. Let God meet you at a beautiful retreat location in Lake Elmo. Freewill donation. demontrevilleretreat.com

SPEAKERS+SEMINARS James: Pearls for Wise Living — Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12: 7-9 p.m. at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road, Burnsville. A Catechetical Institute six-week lecture and small group course on the letter of James, taught by Jeff Cavins. saintpaulseminary.org/ci/jeff-cavins-book-james-wise-living Advent Evening of Reflection: To Ponder as Mary Pondered — Dec. 5: 6:30-8 p.m. at Risen Savior, 1501 E. County Road 42, Burnsville. How does Mary’s pondering of the revelation that she was with child serve as a model of the contemplative life we are called to follow?

Draw on insights from great spiritual writers as well as contemplative practices to discern this. risensavior.org/seasonal-faith-enrichment Partner or Servant: What are We Looking for When We Look for AI? — Dec. 8: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Emmaus Hall, St. John’s University, 2966 Saint John’s Road, Collegeville.

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

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief no­tices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission.

Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event uContact information in case of questions TheCatholicSpirit.com/calendarsubmissions Examine what it takes for relationship to be fully authentic, with each other, with God and with AI. Free event.

Registration required. csbsju.edu/sot/sem/alumni-and-friends/ attend-events/theology-day

OTHER EVENTS Caroling for Life — Dec. 16: 8-9:30 a.m. at 671 Vandalia St., St. Paul. Join Pro-Life Action Ministries at sites in three cities — St. Paul, Robbinsdale and Bloomington. plam.org/event/caroling-for-life/

ONGOING GROUPS Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victims-survivors.

Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. 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 Thursday. Visit archspm.org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@archspm.org or 651-291-4429.

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20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

THELASTWORD

NATIVITY AND BEYOND

From left, Father Allen Kuss, pastor of St. Patrick in Edina, and Don Keller stand in front of the Nativity diorama they built for display in the church starting Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

FAR LEFT The Nativity scene is contained within the diorama.

LEFT People playing musical instruments also are part of the scene depicting Bethlehem and the surrounding region at the time Christ was born. work last year on a scene depicting Bethlehem Priest’s diorama designed to help began and the surrounding region. The scene is laid out on a disk that is 20 feet in diameter. It will be moved up viewers learn about Bethlehem from their workroom in the church basement to the main church. It will be open for public viewing from at time of Christ’s birth Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, until Story and photos by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

F

ather Allen Kuss has been collecting Italianmade Fontanini Nativity scene figurines for the last 44 years. After amassing more than 650 of them, he decided in 2022 that it was time to put them on display.

Father Kuss, 66, pastor of St. Patrick in Edina, wanted to arrange all of them in a depiction of the Holy Land region, complete with landscape and buildings, including the temple in Jerusalem. He knew it would be a huge task, one he did not want to do by himself. In 2022, he happened to meet a retired medical illustrator, Don Keller, whose accomplishments over the last 40 years include creating a walk-through replica of the human eyeball with a diameter of 10 feet.

Father Kuss decided to ask Keller, 75 — who belongs to Our Lady of Grace in Edina but also comes to St. Patrick for various functions, including Mass — if he would be interested in helping design and build what Father Kuss calls a diorama. Keller said yes, and the two

Feb. 28.

The two worked steadily for about 14 months, spending more than 1,000 hours on the project with the help of about 12 volunteers. They used simple materials to create the landscape — polyurethane foam, Styrofoam and burlap — and more than 700 feet of wire for 1,250 LED lights to illuminate the scene.

The final touch was hand painting the landscape, buildings and other features of the 310-square-foot diorama.

Contained within this landscape, but not prominently positioned, is the Nativity scene. This approach is designed to help viewers see Jesus, Mary and Joseph as part of a busy and bustling city of Bethlehem that would have been filled with many people at the time Jesus was born due to the census taking place by order of the Roman emperor.

“My intention here is to get people to think not just of the baby Jesus, but what impact does that event have in the lives of these people, these characters — and in your life?” said Father Kuss, who has been to the Holy Land twice, including a month-long trip while he

was on the faculty of The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul.

More than a year of building the diorama has the two principal architects themselves reflecting on the Nativity and its impact on their lives.

“I’m feeling it every day,” Keller said. “I sit back and look at this (diorama) and I think, ‘These people were at the well, they were doing things, and 500 yards away, Christ was being born. They didn’t even know it.’ And, hopefully, that’s what people are going to think about when they look at this. And, to be a part of that, as an artist, is a privilege.”

Father Kuss and Keller will place three iPads around the diorama containing photos of various portions and two or three sentences of explanation with each photo so that viewers can learn more about what they’re seeing. Father Kuss hopes to store the diorama and put it up for display again next year. He plans to invite clergy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, all the way up to Archbishop Bernard Hebda, to come and see it, along with other parishes and even Protestant churches in the area. He hopes all who come are as moved by it as he has been while putting it together.

“When I see this, I’m overwhelmed,” Father Kuss said. “I’m overwhelmed at the beauty of it. It’s gorgeous — the creativity, the painting that Don has done. … I’m amazed at all of the detail and how well it is able to convey the story.”