One year after Doe 1 sex abuse settlement: Where the archdiocese stands today 14-15 November 5, 2015 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Building
brotherhood St. John Vianney College Seminary draws men from dioceses across the country into bonds of fraternity as they share life and faith — Pages 12-13
From left, Connor Orabutt (Diocese of Rockford, Illinois) and Josh Salonek (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis) of St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul enjoy a game of Ultimate Frisbee during a free period in their schedule. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
ALSO inside
A helping hand
Call of duty
Saints among us
Supported by an annual collection, the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development makes local impact. — Page 7
Bloomington-based Knights of Columbus are behind the scenes each week at Mass at Minneapolis’ Veterans Home. — Page 8
On first U.S. tour, relics of St. Sharbel, a Lebanese monk who died in 1898, are visiting two local Maronite-rite parishes. — Page 11
PAGE TWO
2 • The Catholic Spirit
November 5, 2015 NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit
in PICTURES
Catechist magazine honors Deephaven teacher Carol Schmidt, a longtime catechism teacher at St. Therese, Deephaven, was among 10 parish catechists honored by Catechist magazine in its October issue. Nominated by Liz Lammers, St. Therese’s faith formation director, Schmidt was recognized for her dedication and “simple acts of kindness.” She began teaching 46 years ago as a high school freshman, according to the article, “to help children grow to know Jesus and remind them that he is there through everything, good or bad.”
Cretin-Derham Hall names field house for Mauer Cretin-Derham Hall dedicated the Joe Mauer Field House Oct. 19 to honor the Minnesota Twins pro baseball star and C-DH alumnus and recognize the philanthropy of Mauer and his wife, Madeline Bisanz Mauer, who was also a standout high school athlete at the St. Paul school.
Teen honored as hero for book-giving idea FAITH AND FLAMES Chad Crow of Transfiguration in Oakdale talks about the need for men to join together in prayer as Keepers of the Fire gathered around the parish fire pit outside Transfiguration Church Oct. 24. Throughout that afternoon and evening, men stopped in to pray for teens who at that time were attending the Archdiocesan Youth Day in downtown St. Paul. All Saints in Lakeville also held a Keepers of the Fire event that day. Bob Zyskowski/The Catholic Spirit
Maria Keller, an active member of Holy Name of Jesus in Medina, is a 2015 recipient of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which celebrates young leader’s contributions to society. Keller, 14, founded the nonprofit Read Indeed at age 8 to get books to children in need. Her organization has donated more than 1.7 million books.
Pax Christi recognized for stewardship efforts The International Catholic Stewardship Council awarded Pax Christi in Eden Prairie an honorable mention for its parish stewardship commitment renewal process during the organization’s annual conference in Chicago Oct. 25. Mary Kennedy, the parish’s stewardship director, received the award on behalf of the parish.
CCF grants board member Legacy of Faith Award The Catholic Community Foundation honored Alfred Elder, a founding member of the CCF board of directors, with is annual Legacy of Faith Award Oct. 28 at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul. Elder served on the board 17 years and continues to serve as a community board member. CCF leaders credited Elder with helping to build CCF into “the nation’s largest community foundation serving Catholic philanthropy.” Elder is a parishioner of Good Shepherd, Golden Valley. GROUP PROJECT From left, Mike Kennedy, Maureen Kent, Tom Kent and Pam Kennedy were among 140 people who assembled 76 dressers Oct. 25 at St. Edward, Bloomington, as part of the Bridging Building Project for Bridging Inc., a Twin Cities-based furniture bank, which provides furnishings and household goods for people transitioning from homelessness to homes. Courtesy St. Edward.
WHAT’S NEW on social media Father Andrew Brinkman, associate pastor of St. Matthew, St. Michael and Our Lady of Guadalupe on St. Paul’s west side, wows high school students attending Archdiocesan Youth Day Oct. 24 with a skateboarding stunt — jumping over Father Paul Shovelain, associate pastor of St. Peter, Forest Lake.
Students at Benilde-St. Margaret’s in St. Louis Park documented by video the creation of a mural by Erin Sayer, an alumna, former BSM teacher and professional muralist. Painted on fabric, the mural features St. Benilde, St. Scholastica and St. Margaret of Scotland. It is designed to make the school’s worship space, a gym, feel more sacred. It was unveiled Oct. 29 at a special Mass for the saints.
Father Michael Van Sloun gets back to basics with an explanation of saints and angels. Saints, he explains, were humans who lived exceptionally holy lives and are now in heaven. Angels are spiritual beings without a body who have “existed across the ages” and whom God may use as messengers to earth, as Scripture attests.
The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 20 — No. 21 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love
MARIA C. WIERING, Editor
Bishop Cozzens to speak on consecrated life Bishop Andrew Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will speak to men and women in consecrated life 3 p.m. Nov. 8 at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. The event includes a holy hour and vespers followed by time for conversation. It is open to the public.
Minnesota’s Give to the Max Day is Nov. 12 Catholic schools and charities are among Minnesota nonprofits hoping to benefit from Give to the Max Day Nov. 12. A list of participating organizations in the annual online giving marathon is at www.GiveMN.org. Last year, 62,607 people donated to 5,544 schools or nonprofits through the Give to the Max Day website.
Masses to honor adoption at four parishes In honor of National Adoption Month, four parishes in the archdiocese are hosting special Masses honoring the gift of adoption. The Masses will be followed by refreshments and information about adoption and speak with adoptive families. The Masses will be held at Our Lady of Grace, Edina, 5:15 p.m. Nov. 14; Annunciation, Minneapolis, at all Masses Nov. 14-15; St. John Neumann, Eagan, 5 p.m. Nov. 21; and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bloomington, all Masses Nov. 21-22.
Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service. All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper. Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631. Published bi-weekly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: catholicspirit@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
November 5, 2015
FROM THE APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR
The Catholic Spirit • 3
Families highlight ways Christian vocations are lived out
T
he conclusion of the recent synod on the “vocation and mission of the family” seems to have led seamlessly into National Vocation Awareness Week, Nov. 1-7. While this annual event focuses specifically on promoting three particular vocations — the call to the diaconate, to consecrated life and to the priesthood — the week is designed to lead all of us into a deeper reflection on the Christian reality of vocation. In their final report, the synod fathers in their discussion of family life made explicit mention of the promotion of vocations, noting that the family of origin can often be an incubator of vocations. They encouraged parents to be sure to ask the Lord for the priceless gift of a vocation to the consecrated life or priesthood for at least one of their children. Having counted an amazing 62 faces on the recently issued archdiocesan vocations poster, I am guessing there are plenty of parents in this archdiocese who have already anticipated the advice of the synod fathers! Earlier in October, I had the honor of hosting the annual gathering for parents of archdiocesan seminarians. While most seemed to see in their sons the raw potential to be good future priests, they likewise seemed to share St. John Paul II’s insight that vocations are best seen as both “gift and mystery.” There’s no one recipe for producing priestly or religious vocations — it is God alone who calls and, as Pope Francis often states, our God is truly a God of surprises! What is often less surprising, however, is the relationship between family life and vocations to the consecrated life, diaconate and priesthood. Pope Francis has gone to great lengths to illustrate the connection between the way in which the vocation to marriage is lived out in a family and the likelihood that a son or daughter will be willing to respond to the Lord’s call. On Oct. 18, he “raised to the APOSTOLIC altar” Louis and Zelie Martin, ADMINISTRATOR the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. In many ways, the celebration Archbishop served as a liturgical Bernard Hebda
Father Bruno Nwachukwu greets his parents after being ordained to the priesthood May 30 at the Cathedral of St. Paul. Father Nwachukwu serves as associate pastor of St. Hubert Catholic Community in Chanhassen. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit commentary on the synod. The canonization, the first ever of a married couple, highlighted not only the dignity of the married vocation as a path to holiness, but also the powerful consequences that flow from forming a family that is centered on living out its Christian vocation. It’s no coincidence that the commitment of the Martins to their vocation as husband and wife brought about great fruit, with one daughter having already been declared a canonized saint and all five daughters having found the strength to say “yes” when the Lord called them to consecrated life. As Pope Francis mentioned in his homily at the canonization, it was the parents’ practice of Christian service in the family that
“created day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters.” As we join in praying this week that our young people might have the awareness and strength to respond to the Lord’s call, let’s not forget to pray for strong and holy families. St. Zelie, St. Louis and St. Therese, pray for us.
Editor’s note: The Spanish translation of the chancery column is expected to return Nov. 19. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Knowing how to cry opens one to tenderness, pope says at cemetery Mass By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service While the Beatitudes can seem counterintuitive, Jesus knew that the poor in spirit, those who mourn or are persecuted and those who work for peace and justice are those who are open to experiencing God’s love and mercy, Pope Francis said. Celebrating an evening Mass Nov. 1, All Saints Day, amid the tombs of Rome’s Verano cemetery, Pope Francis assured people that the saints would intercede for them and for their beloved departed. Hundreds of people went to the cemetery to prepare their loved ones’ graves for the Nov. 2 feast of All Souls. As Pope Francis processed to the temporary altar, he also stopped to lay a white rose on a grave. The day’s Gospel reading was St. Matthew’s version of the Beatitudes, which the pope said was the path Jesus taught as the road to heaven. “It’s a journey difficult to understand because it goes against the tide, but the Lord tells us that whoever takes this path is happy, (or) sooner or later will become happy,” the pope said. Those who are “poor in spirit,” the pope said, are happy because heaven is their only treasure; heaven awaits them.
Those who mourn are blessed because without ever having experienced “sadness, anguish, pain, one will never know the power of consolation,” the pope said. But those who know how to weep for themselves and for others will experience the caress of “the tender hand of God.” “How many times,” the pope asked, “are we impatient, nervous, always ready to complain” and to criticize others as if “we were the bosses of the world when in reality we are all children of God?” Jesus showed his followers that meekness is the path to eternal happiness, the pope said. Although the son of God, he experienced exile as a child in Egypt, he was slandered, falsely accused and condemned. But “he took it all with meekness. He bore it out of love for us, even to the cross.” Those who hunger and thirst for justice, the pope said, “will be satisfied because they are ready to welcome the greater justice, which is what only God can give.” The merciful are blessed because they have experienced the truth that everyone is in need of forgiveness and mercy, the pope said. “They don’t judge everything and everyone, but try to put themselves in the other’s shoes.” Mass always begins with asking God’s forgiveness and mercy; it is a time when “we recognize ourselves for
what we are, sinners. It’s not just a saying, a formality,” he said. “And if we learn how to give others the forgiveness that we ask for ourselves, we will be blessed.” The Beatitudes say that peacemakers will be blessed, and that is something often visible in the here and now, he said. “Look at the faces of those who go around sowing discord; are they happy? Those who always look for opportunities to trick others, to take advantage of others, are they happy? No, they cannot be happy.” But those who patiently try each day to promote peace and reconciliation, even through small gestures at home and at work, “are blessed because they are true children of our heavenly Father, who always and only sows peace.” As dusk approached, Pope Francis asked the thousands of people gathered in the cemetery to pray with him for “the grace to be simple and humble people, the grace to know to weep, the grace to be meek, the grace to work for justice and peace and, especially, the grace to let ourselves be forgiven by God in order to become instruments of his mercy.” Earlier in the day, the pope recited the Angelus with visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square, focusing on the call to be saints that all Christians receive at baptism.
4 • The Catholic Spirit
LOCAL
November 5, 2015
SLICEof LIFE
In the groove
Members of St. Anne/St. Joseph Hien in Minneapolis dance with keynote speaker Sarah Swafford, center, to the music of the local praise band Sonar at Archdiocesan Youth Day Oct. 24 at the St. Paul RiverCentre’s Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Enjoying the music with Swafford are, from left, Cindy Pham, Tuyen Nguyen, Julie Nguyen and Vi Vu. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
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Nuncio rep confirms listening sessions will have role in pope’s naming of new archbishop
Minnesota Historical Society to buy Hayden
By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit A representative of the apostolic nunciature to the United States observed two listening sessions Nov. 2-3 to gather information to aid Pope Francis’ selection of the next archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Msgr. Michael Morgan, secretary to the apostolic nunciature, attended listening sessions at St. Peter in Forest Lake and Divine Mercy in Faribault on behalf of Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the apostolic nuncio, or papal diplomat, to the United States. “My mission is essentially to listen to what the faithful have to say, to report it back objectively and, thereby, to increase . . . the closeness of the people of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to the selection process,” Msgr. Morgan said Msgr. Michael following the Nov. 2 listening MORGAN session in Forest Lake. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ apostolic administrator since the June resignation of Archbishop John Nienstedt, held a series of 10 listening sessions in October and November to get feedback from local Catholics ahead of the pope’s appointment of the next archbishop. Attendees shared their opinions on the archdiocese’s strengths and challenges, as well as characteristics desired in the new archbishop. Archbishop Hebda is also accepting feedback via mail and www.archspm.org. Archdiocesan officials have already shared information from the first four listening sessions with the nuncio and plan to submit a full report later this month. Msgr. Morgan said the listening sessions are unprecedented in the United States. Typically, the nuncio seeks confidential input from some local leaders, including lay people, but never before on this scale. “This is the closest the Church comes to direct democracy, you might say,” he said. He called the extraordinary process “experimental,” but said it was appropriate for an extraordinary situation, citing the archdiocese’s sexual abuse scandal, Reorganization, and the resignations of Archbishop Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piché. He said the nuncio planned to include information from the listening sessions in a report to Pope Francis, but said he did not know what form that would take, or when a new archbishop would be named. He was “favorably impressed” after witnessing a listening session, he said, because participants’ enthusiasm conveyed their care for the Church.
A primary Work of the Order of Malta
The Catholic Spirit • 5
By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis plans to sell the Monsignor Ambrose Hayden Center, one of its chancery properties, to the Minnesota Historical Society for $4.5 million, officials announced Nov. 3. The property is directly across Kellogg Boulevard from the Minnesota History Center, home to the Minnesota Historical Society’s museum and library. In a Nov. 3 email to chancery corporation staff members, Father Charles Lachowitzer, the archdiocese’s moderator of the curia, said the purchase agreement allows the archdiocese to lease the building from the Minnesota Historical Society for up to a year following the closing. He expects the sale to close before March 1, 2016. “To be clear, relocation is not imminent and you need not start packing moving boxes tomorrow morning,” he wrote. U.S. Bankruptcy Court must approve the sale for it to proceed. The archdiocese entered Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in January in response to mounting clergy sexual abuse claims against it. In May, archdiocesan officials announced the archdiocese was voluntarily selling four of its St. Paul properties: the Hayden Center at 328 W. Kellogg Blvd., the chancery offices and archbishop’s residence at 226 Summit Ave.; 244 Dayton Ave., which houses the archdiocese’s evangelization and communications offices, including The Catholic Spirit; and a vacant lot at 250 Dayton Ave. The properties are adjacent to the Cathedral of St. Paul. The Hayden Center is the first to sell.
ST. PAUL
CCF grants $120,000 to six Catholic schools Six K-8 schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis received grants totaling $120,000 from the Catholic Community Foundation, the organization announced Oct. 30. Awardees are Pope John Paul II Catholic Preparatory School in northeast Minneapolis; St. Pascal Baylon Catholic School on St. Paul’s east side; Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis; Guardian Angels Catholic School in Chaska; Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic School in Rogers and St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School in Mahtomedi. Schools intend to use the grants for
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis plans to sell the Hayden Center on Kellogg Boulevard to the Minnesota Historical Society, which runs the Minnesota History Center across the street. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit At the time the sale was announced, the archdiocese’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Mertens said the archdiocese was selling its buildings to generate cash to assist the archdiocese in moving through Reorganization efficiently. The archdiocese plans to lease property for its central offices. The site has yet to be determined. The archdiocese’s College of Consultors, an advisory council of priests, approved the sale of the Hayden Center Nov. 3. The sale was previously approved by the Archdiocesan Finance Council and the Corporate Board of Directors. The archdiocese is selling the properties through real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq. The Hayden Center is home to most archdiocesan offices. It is named for Msgr. Ambrose Hayden, a priest and librarian who served as the Cathedral’s rector and the archdiocese’s vicar general. He died in 1997. Built in 1914, the building served as the parish school for the Cathedral of St. Paul until 1979. marketing, technology, capital improvements and community outreach.
PLYMOUTH
CSAF gives out $400K in student scholarships The Catholic Services Appeal Foundation distributed $400,000 in scholarships to 320 students attending Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Oct. 5. The organization awarded $2,500 per student based on finanical need. “We are gratified that these awards are spread across the archdiocese, to over 90 parishes,” said Jennifer Beaudry, CSAF executive director.
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6 • The Catholic Spirit
November 5, 2015
Archdiocese has exclusive rights to file Reorganization plan until May 2016
Archdiocese, state in ongoing talks on criminal and civil charges
By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit
By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit
At an Oct. 29 hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the judge overseeing the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Reorganization proceedings allowed it to be the sole party to file a plan for Reorganization until May 31, 2016. Before Judge Robert Kressel’s approval, the date was set for November. Attorney Richard Anderson of Briggs and Morgan, representing the archdiocese, said that the time of exclusivity allotted to the archdiocese to file a plan is necessary because mediation is ongoing. “It would be a mistake and harmful for everyone’s interests for the archdiocese to file a plan that hasn’t been fully vetted. The premature filing of a plan would just be a waste of resources and time,” he said following the hearing. Anderson emphasized that the motion wasn’t asking for an extension of any deadlines and that the archdiocese hasn’t missed any deadlines. “This isn’t a deadline. This is a right,” he said. “The archdiocese has a right to file a plan with an exclusive period.” Other parties, including creditors, are able to file a plan after the exclusivity period ends next May. In a second motion from the archdiocese, Kressel denied the
“It would be a mistake and harmful for everyone’s interests for the archdiocese to file a plan that hasn’t been fully vetted.” Richard Anderson
designation of a claims representative for people who might not have been required to file a claim against the archdiocese by the Aug. 3 deadline because of a legal disability, citing that the existing unsecured creditors committee represents all claimants. Anderson said the motion was to clarify who represents those individuals. An order worked out immediately after the hearing resolved the issue. “We’re happy with the resolution,” Anderson said, adding that it addresses a theoretical and, hopefully remote, contingency. “It will help the ultimate process, which is what their case is all about.” The archdiocese filed for Reorganization Jan. 15 and began mediation with attorneys representing claimants following the first hearing in January.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the State of Minnesota will continue meeting outside of court to discuss criminal and civil charges the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office filed against the archdiocese, attorneys for both parties said in an initial hearing Oct. 29 in Ramsey County Court. Judge Teresa Warner said the archdiocese and state were keeping her apprised of their conversations. She scheduled the next hearing for 9 a.m. Nov. 30 at the Ramsey County Courthouse in St. Paul. In June, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office charged the archdiocese with six gross misdemeanors of failing to protect three victims of now laicized priest Curtis Wehmeyer, and contributing to the victims’ delinquency, asserting Wehmeyer provided them drugs and alcohol. The county also filed a civil petition against the archdiocese alleging it failed to protect children and seeking a legal remedy to prevent future victimization. Although the criminal charges and civil petition are separate cases, attorneys for the archdiocese and the state agreed to address them jointly at the November court appearance. Representing the archdiocese is Joe Dixon, an attorney with the Minneapolis law firm Fredrikson & Byron and a former federal prosecutor. “I am grateful for the opportunities that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and
Minneapolis has to continue working with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda said in an Oct. 29 statement. “Our goal remains the same: To make sure children are safe in our communities, schools and parishes.” Archbishop Hebda has served as the archdiocese’s apostolic administrator since the June resignation of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Bishop Lee Piché. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi noted the resignations in an Oct. 29 statement, adding “under its interim leadership, [the archdiocese] has begun to demonstrate a spirit of reform.” “As the criminal and civil cases progress toward resolution in the courts, we continue to engage the archdiocese and insist upon meaningful corrective actions and systemic change,” Choi said. As The Catholic Spirit previously reported, Wehmeyer, a former pastor of Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul, pleaded guilty in Ramsey County in November 2012 to sexually abusing two minors and possessing child pornography, and was convicted in February 2013. In August, Wehmeyer pleaded guilty in a Chippewa County, Wisconsin, County Circuit Court to sexual assault of a third victim. The abuse reportedly occurred from 2008-2011. The archdiocese reported allegations of child sexual abuse against Wehmeyer to the St. Paul Police Department and removed him from ministry in June 2012. He was dismissed from the priesthood in 2015 and remains incarcerated.
At Basilica, series on abuse response addresses hurt, healing and victim support By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit The impact of abuse of all varieties. The ripple effect abuse has on families and communities. The potential for victims’ recovery, and how churches and individuals can support that recovery. All the above were touched upon in the opening segment of “Responding to Abuse,” a four-part series being held Sunday afternoons during November at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. The first session on Nov. 1 laid the series’ foundation by defining abuse and outlining different types of abuse, abuse’s impact on the brain, cycles of abuse and how to respond to victims. From 1-2:30 p.m., a panel of mental health professionals answered common questions about abuse Dr. Niloufer before taking audience questions. MERCHANT Basilica parishioner Dr. Patty Griffith, a licensed clinical psychologist, moderated the panel that included Dr. Amanda Richards, Dr. Niloufer Merchant and Dr. Tina Sacin, also a Basilica parishioner. Among the points panelists made: • Those who are abused often think the abuse is their fault. “It’s never the fault of the victim,” Richards emphasized. • Family members of those abused may share the victim’s shame and often need counseling, too. • Children who are abused have a higher incidence of chronic health issues later in life, but not always. • Childhood abuse may lead to developmental, emotional and cognitive “pauses” that directly impact
More in the series The Responding to Abuse series continues 1-2:30 p.m. in Teresa of Calcutta Hall in the lower level of the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Nov. 8: How to recognize abuse in corporate settings, institutions and family relationships. Nov. 15: What have we learned? Nov. 22: Spiritual recovery from trauma and abuse.
their adult relationships. Pauses in development might lead to behavior that Richards described as “what 7-year-olds do when they don’t get their way.” • Fifty percent of men incarcerated for child sexual abuse said they began their abusive behavior after viewing child pornography. As with other addictions, the brain “gets used to” porn when it is exposed to it over and over, Sacin explained, “and continually needs to be fed at a different level” to provide the “reward” of excitement. In the pornography industry, Sacin added, “the degradation of females has become measurably more dramatic and harmful as viewers of pornography want more intense experiences.” • For healing to happen, it is not necessary for abuse victims — some of whom prefer to be called “survivors” — to tell their story, Sacin said. But, she added, for those who wish to support the victim, “It is necessary to say ‘I’m sorry that happened to you’ and to ask, ‘What can I do to help?’ ” • Many people recover from abuse and go on to live happy and productive lives, Sacin said, but, for some abuse victims, treatment can take years. “Some people are resilient,” Merchant said. “A lot of
growth takes place from traumatic experiences, and a lot of times people who are abused go on to help other people recover.” • Those working with immigrants who have had horrifying experiences and first responders who witness traumatic events may be secondary victims of abuse. To assist both abuse survivors and secondary victims of abuse, Merchant said, “a community needs to provide a circle of love and support.” She said research has shown that the significantly lower than expected incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder after the 9/11 attacks has been attributed to the circle of support and healing that happened so quickly. • It takes just one caring adult to make a difference in the life of a child, Richards said. “That’s the piece to pay attention to as to what we can do as churches and communities.” The series is a response to the child protection protocols set in place in October 2014 by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said Paula Kaempffer, the Basilica’s director of learning. “I read in the protocols the suggestion to offer continuing education about abuse, and that’s what gave me the idea for the series,” Kaempffer said. “We need to educate people about abuse. Education is power in trying to end this.” She said initially what she had in mind was a response to the crisis of sexual abuse by clergy, but she said she realized that people are victimized by abusive behavior in other settings, including in family, workplace and personal relationships. The series continues with panels Nov. 8 and 15 and a presentation Nov. 22. Nov. 15 panelists are to include Tim O’Malley, the archdiocese’s director of the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, and St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents a group of sexual abuse claimants in the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 Reorganization.
LOCAL
November 5, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 7
Grants offer ‘hand up, not handout’ to worthy organizations By Beth Blair For The Catholic Spirit At age 19, Jessyca Macklin was homeless and jobless due to a domestic abuse situation. That changed after she started working at Elpis Enterprises, St. Paul nonprofit created to provide job training, work experience and job placement for homeless or precariouslyhoused young people ages 16-23. Annually, Elpis offers approximately 30 paid internships for three to six months in several areas, including screen printing, woodworking, office management, and sales and marketing, said Paul Ramsour, executive director of Elpis Enterprises. “Interns develop job placement material and are helped with postprogram job placement,” he said. For Macklin, 31, what could have turned into a cycle of poverty ended up being an inspiring new beginning. “Working at Elpis provided me with an income, and as a result, I was able to get my own studio apartment at a transitional living facility,” Macklin said. Elpis also gave her the resources and referrals she needed to start college and then find a well-paying position with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Macklin eventually moved into her own apartment and continued to advance in her screen printing career. She came full circle when she began training other youth at Elpis. She became a certified printer through the American Screen Printing Association, noting that when she first started at Elpis she knew nothing about the field. This summer she relocated to Colorado and was hired at a large print shop.
Intern Taran Feather, left, works on a screen printing project with help from instructor Kara Gregory Oct. 26 at Elpis Enterprises in St. Paul, which receives funds from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. This year’s collection in parishes is Nov. 21-22. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit “At first, I was nervous about the size of the operation and whether or not I could handle it all, but within two months, I became the manager,” said Macklin, who credits Elpis. “Working at Elpis taught me how to be a good employee, gave me the opportunity to work on my people and communication skills, and [taught me] how to be a good supervisor.” Elpis, Greek for “hope,” is a two-time grant recipient from the annual Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the U.S. Catholic bishops’ anti-poverty program. Grants focus on community and economic development. Funds are raised nationally with an annual parish
collection, this year Nov. 21-22. One-fourth of the funds collected stay in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for local projects, including Elpis, which has received about $37,000 to date. At Elpis, Ramsour noted that support from the community is necessary for young people to complete the training program, gather credentials and successfully obtain placement in future employment and educational opportunities. Other local grantees are All Parks Alliance for Change, an organization for mobile home park residents; and La Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, which
forms and supports immigrant leaders. National grants are also available and currently aid three local nonprofits: Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, an organization of low-wage workers; the Hmong American Farmers Association, which advocates for Hmong farmers and their families; and the East Side Neighborhood Development Corporation, which supports economic development on St. Paul’s East Side. The CCHD “works to break the cycle of poverty by helping low-income people participate in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities,” according to the CCHD application. “CCHD offers a hand up, not a handout.” “That statement is critical,” said CCHD board co-chair Anna Verhoye, a parishioner of St. Ambrose in Woodbury, “as it speaks to the heart of CCHD that is helping empower those who have been marginalized, oppressed and rendered voiceless by unjust systems and structures.” Matt Higgins, CCHD board co-chair, said organizations apply or re-apply for grants each year. The entire board reviews the applications and lays the groundwork for interviews with prospective grant recipients. “The organization [grant recipient] cannot engage in any activities that contradict fundamental Catholic moral and social teaching, including any other groups who fund them,” said Higgins, a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park. Local grants are administered locally through Catholic Charities. For more information about CCHD grants, visit www.cctwincities.org/CCHD-CSF.
A St. Thomas Christmas:
JUBILANT LIGHT The College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music presents choral and instrumental music for Advent and Christmas.
4 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis
Purchase tickets at www.minnesotaorchestra.org/ jubilantlight (612) 371-5656
Sister Returns to the Ordway! Sunday, December 6 2pm For Tickets call 651.224.4222 or visit www.ordway.org www.TheCatholicSpirit.com • www.archspm.org
LOCAL
8 • The Catholic Spirit
November 5, 2015
Serving those who served Knights of Columbus bring the Mass to Minnesota veterans By Bridget Ryder For The Catholic Spirit Each week, Joe Novak and fellow Knights of Columbus get an early start on their Saturday morning. At 8 a.m., a dozen of them are already sitting down for breakfast at the Cardinal Restaurant in south Minneapolis. By 9 a.m., they’re on their way to the nearby Minnesota Veterans Home Veterans to prepare for 10 a.m. Mass. Day is Most in the Nov. 11. group of Knights are veterans themselves, and they’ve been organizing the weekly Mass for their fellow veterans for more than 20 years. They see it as another way they can continue to serve. “We took it on to exemplify patriotism and to help the vets for what they gave us,” said Novak, who organizes the Masses. “They fought for our freedoms, and one of those is freedom of religion.” Novak is a parishioner of Assumption in Richfield and a member of the Bloomington Marian Council No. 3827, which includes six parishes in Bloomington, Richfield, Edina and south Minneapolis. At the request of one of Novak’s friends, the council took over responsibility for the Mass from another volunteer group in 1998. Archbishop Harry Flynn gave a dispensation for the veterans at the home, allowing them to fulfill their Sunday obligation on Saturday morning. It is the earliest anticipatory Mass in the country, according to Novak, though the volunteers are still obligated to attend Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday. Saturday morning proved the only time consistently possible to organize the liturgy. “It takes a whole group to set up this thing,” Novak said.
Well-coordinated effort The Knights’ weekly presence is essential to providing community and spirituality for veterans, their families and their fellow Knights. About a dozen Knights pitch in every week. They function like a well-trained platoon to transform the Veterans Home’s community room into a Catholic chapel. Each Knight has a specific job: setting up chairs, preparing the altar, pouring cups of water to help the veterans swallow the Eucharist, playing the keyboard or bringing residents from their rooms. They also keep the tabernacle and the vestments stored in the meditation room of the Veterans Home in good repair. Soliciting the help of their parish priests, they have a rotation of celebrants who also hear confessions and administer the anointing of the sick every six to nine months. Novak acts as the point person to find a priest to minister to the Catholic veterans when they’re dying.
Michael Gigot of St. Helena in Minneapolis talks with residents of the Minnesota Veterans Home Oct. 24 as they prepare for Mass. Gigot and other members of the Knights of Columbus Bloomington Marian Council visit with residents and attend Mass with them every Saturday. “It wouldn’t be Saturday morning to me without this,” said Gigot, who has been attending the Mass for 12 years and leads music. “I have unfathomable respect for people who stood in the line of fire for the freedoms we enjoy.” Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
“We took it on to exemplify patriotism and to help the vets for what they gave us. They fought for our freedoms, and one of those is freedom of religion.” Joe Novak
On one particular Saturday, dressed in his alb and stole, Deacon John Mangan leads the alleluia during Mass. His voice is rich and full despite the lingering effects of a stroke. Like many of the other veterans around him, he uses a wheelchair. In 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Deacon Mangan was in the Caribbean preparing to lead a landing force in an assault on the island. It was a decisive moment not only in history, but also in his personal life. “I said that when I get out, I’ll serve the Church,” he recalled. A half-hour before the slated launch time, the attack was called off, as President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev came to an agreement that ended the nuclear crisis. Mangan, too, made good on his promise. He became a permanent deacon and for 21 years served as the chaplain for the Veterans Home, where, at age 74, he is now a resident. “I asked the archbishop if I could serve here because I was a Navy vet, and I could understand their needs,” he said.
Joe Schepers, a veteran and now a Knight with the Bloomington Marian Council, watched the Knights in action during his 34-year career as a certified nursing assistant at the Veterans Home. He retired in 2014, but even before retiring he had started volunteering on his weekends off. “I definitely notice its effects on their [veterans’] longevity and motivation,” he said. “I don’t think we know how important [faith] is for being able to continue their journey and being at an optimum at their station in life.”
‘Tremendous graces’ Approximately 35 residents attend on a weekly basis. Physically bringing the residents to Mass is one of the most important aspects of their work. Novak has a roster of Catholic residents whom the Knights find and bring to the community room with help from the home’s staff. He also keeps a list of residents who attend each week because family members follow up to make sure their beloved veteran is getting to Mass. Many of the veterans have a spouse or family member who attends the
liturgy with them. However, given the Minneapolis Veterans Home is the largest in Minnesota, a number of spouses, often elderly themselves, live outside the metro area and aren’t able to come every Saturday. Without the Knights working with the home’s staff, some veterans wouldn’t make it to Mass. A few non-Catholic residents also come simply because they enjoy it. Joni Kuehnel and Judy Laube attend Mass every week with their husbands. “It’s been very important,” Kuehnel said of the Mass, her eyes tearing up. “I love being able to take Mark to Mass every Saturday.” The two women knew each other through business before their husbands moved to the Veterans Home. Besides continuing the weekly spiritual ritual with their spouses, the women reconnect with each other over coffee and cookies after Mass. The commissary provides the refreshments so that, just as in many parishes, a short social time follows Mass. “I think it’s absolutely wonderful how these men give up their Saturday morning and bring residents down who couldn’t come down themselves,” Laube said of the Knights. Though the men know their role is important, they don’t see their service as a much of a sacrifice. “If it weren’t for the Knights, it wouldn’t be such a success,” Schepers said. “I became a part of this group because we get tremendous graces from bringing the residents down to holy Mass.”
November 5, 2015
U.S. & WORLD
The Catholic Spirit • 9
Encourage vocations among Latinos, embrace multiculturalism, Orlando bishop says at workshop By Beth Griffin Catholic News Service As Jesus called his disciples in many ways, vocation directors and seminary faculty must walk with candidates and students to understand and meet their individual needs as they discern their call to priesthood, according to the bishop of Orlando, Florida. Diocesan policies and seminary practices should accommodate varying expressions of prayer and cultural celebrations, particularly in the diverse and growing Hispanic Catholic community, said Bishop John Noonan. He addressed the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors Hispanic workshop Oct. 29 at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York. He said Hispanics comprise 42 percent of the Catholic population in the United States, and more than 50 percent of Catholics under 35, but only 15 percent of seminary students. “What are we doing wrong?” he asked. Bishop Noonan said the Church should recognize differences among Hispanic cultures, and vocation directors should point to the example of Pope Francis as a Spanish-speaking priest and leader. The Irish-born bishop described his own bilingual education at two seminaries in the Archdiocese of Miami as a cultural eye-opener. The student bodies included Cuban immigrants and non-Hispanics. He said the joyful, physical, noisy liturgies and celebrations “were kind of extraordinary for an Anglo. We never express our feelings in Ireland,” he quipped. “People clapped at Mass, people swayed, people talked. It was all foreign to me. I embraced it and thoroughly enjoyed it,” Bishop Noonan said. He drew on personal experience as an immigrant seminarian, longtime rector of his seminary alma mater and his nineyear tenure as director of priestly life and ministry for the Archdiocese of Miami to
Father Jorge Torres, vocation director of the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, addresses the assembly prior to a keynote presentation Oct. 29 by Orlando Bishop John Noonan at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York. The presentation took place on the first day of a two-day Hispanic vocations workshop sponsored by the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz encourage vocation directors to accompany candidates on their journey of discernment and development. Bishop Noonan said it’s not necessary to speak the language or know the culture, but priests must care for their people, reach out and welcome them. Pastors at primarily Anglo parishes that celebrate a single weekend Mass in Spanish need to understand that Hispanics “are not just using the church, it’s their parish, too,” he said. “Food, music and folkloric dancing are important to a culture, and they tear down barriers,” Bishop Noonan said. “The experience of our faith is so limited sometimes that we don’t understand what it is to celebrate multiculturalism.” Vocation directors and seminary faculty must spend time getting to know candidates and develop appreciation and respect for every student. “Each has a story to tell. You need to know as much about them as you can to set them up for success,” Bishop Noonan said. “Don’t let laws, rules and regulations overcome you,” he said. Learning disabilities and a weak educational background are surmountable obstacles that can be addressed in houses of
formation and mitigated with support throughout the seminary years. “We need to walk with our young men and understand what they need. We need to give them the hope that it’s important to let Christ into their life,” he said. “Don’t give up!” The two-day workshop included representatives from 15 dioceses and will be repeated in Florida, California and Texas, according to Rosemary Sullivan, executive director of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. Sullivan said her organization was tasked by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations to help dioceses increase the number of Hispanic seminarians by 25 percent over three years. The small number of seminarians relative to the Hispanic presence in the Church “symbolizes a void. Are there young men in the Hispanic community who have a calling and don’t know how to internalize it or pray with that?” Sullivan asked. “The role of the vocation director is to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit.”
Synod report urges ‘accompaniment’ tailored to family situations By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service While not specifically mentioning the controversial proposal of a path toward full reconciliation and Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried, members of the Synod of Bishops on the family handed Pope Francis a report emphasizing an obligation to recognize that not all Catholics in such a situation bear the same amount of blame. The 94-paragraph report approved Oct. 24, the last working day of the three-week synod, highlighted the role of pastors in helping couples understand Church teaching, grow in faith and take responsibility for sharing the Gospel. It also emphasized how “pastoral accompaniment” involves discerning, on a case-by-case basis, the moral culpability of people not fully living up to the Catholic ideal. Bishops and other full members of the synod voted separately on each paragraph, and the Vatican published those votes. The paragraph dealing specifically with leading divorced and remarried Catholics on a path of
discernment passed with only one vote beyond the necessary two-thirds. Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna told reporters that the key word in the document’s discussion of ministry to divorced and civilly remarried people is “‘discernment.’ I invite you all to remember there is no black or white, no simple yes or no.” The situation of each couple “must be discerned,” which is what was called for by St. John Paul II in his 1981 exhortation on the family, he said. The cardinal told news site Vatican Insider that although St. John Paul called for discernment in those cases, “he didn’t mention all that comes after discernment.” The synod’s final report, he said, proposes priests help divorced and remarried couples undergoing conversion and repentance so that they recognize whether or not they are worthy to receive the Eucharist. Such an examination of conscience, he said, is required of every Catholic each time they prepare to approach the altar. As Pope Francis said at the beginning of the synod, Church doctrine on the
meaning of marriage as a lifelong bond between one man and one woman open to having children was not up for debate. The final report strongly affirmed that teaching as God’s plan for humanity, as a blessing for the Church and a benefit to society. While insisting on God’s love for homosexual persons and the obligation to respect their dignity, the report also insisted same-sex unions could not be recognized as marriages and denounced as “totally unacceptable” governments or international organizations making recognition of “‘marriage’ between persons of the same sex” a condition for financial assistance. The report also spoke specifically of: the changing role of women in families, the Church and society; single people and their contributions to the family and the Church; the heroic witness of parents who love and care for children with disabilities; the family as a sanctuary protecting the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death; and the particular strain on family life caused by poverty and by migration.
Diocese of Duluth clergy abuse case underway in Ramsey County court The Catholic Spirit In the first case under the Minnesota Child Victims Act to go to trial, John Doe 30 is suing the Diocese of Duluth in Ramsey County District Court, alleging it failed to protect him against an abusive priest in the 1970s. Attorneys for Doe 30, 52, said he was 15 in 1978 when he was molested during a two-week stay with Father James Vincent Fitzgerald, who was assigned to a parish in Squaw Lake. The priest died in 2009. The trial began Oct. 21. Doe 30 is seeking $9 million for past and future lost wages and opportunities, and for the harm he has suffered. The diocese isn’t legally challenging the claims. Diocese attorney Susan Gaertner has said that Father Fitzgerald was an employee of a religious order, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, so the diocese isn’t responsible for his actions. The Diocese of Duluth contends it wasn’t given pertinent information the Oblates had about Father Fitzgerald. Passed in 2013, the Minnesota Child Victims Act allows older claims of child sex abuse previously barred by statutes of limitations to go to court.
Vatican official, consultant arrested for documents leak Catholic News Service A Vatican official and a former lay consultant on a pontifical commission were arrested for leaking financial documents to an Italian journalist who has announced plans to publish them in a book. Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda and Francesca Chaouqui, who both served on the pontifical commission established by Pope Francis in 2013 to develop solutions for greater fiscal responsibility and transparency in all Vatican offices, were taken into custody by Vatican police, the Vatican press office announced Nov. 2. They were questioned over the weekend of Oct. 31-Nov. 1 by Vatican police who have been investigating “the removal and dissemination of news and confidential documents,” the press office said. Although they were both arrested and detained after the interrogation, Chaouqui was released due to her cooperation with the investigation. However, Msgr. Vallejo Balda’s release “remains under consideration” by the Vatican prosecutor. According to the laws of Vatican City State, those convicted of unlawfully leaking private documents can face imprisonment from six months to two years or face fines from 1000 euro to 5000 euro.
10 • The Catholic Spirit VATICAN CITY
Cardinal Parolin: Apostolic exhortation on the family could come soon Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said an apostolic exhortation on the family following the recently concluded Synod of Bishops could be released soon. “I imagine that it won’t take long because usually these things should be done in a Pope relatively short FRANCIS time, otherwise it loses its strength a bit, its impact,” Cardinal Parolin told Vatican Radio Oct. 28. “I think if the pope decides to do it, he will do it relatively quickly.” The post-synodal apostolic exhortation follows a request made by the synod fathers in their final report.
Reporter claims pope approves Communion for all remarried who ask; Vatican refutes The Vatican spokesman described as obviously “unreliable” an Italian journalist’s claim that Pope Francis told him that following October’s Synod of Bishops on the family, “all the divorced who ask” will be admitted to Communion. Eugenio Scalfari, a co-founder and former editor of La Repubblica, an Italian daily, said Pope Francis — with whom he has Eugenio had several telephone SCALFARI
U.S. & WORLD conversations and a face-to-face meeting — phoned him the evening of Oct. 28 to discuss an article Scalfari had written about the synod. The journalist has explained on more than one occasion that he does not take notes or record his conversations with the pope; he recreates them afterward from memory, including the material he puts in quotation marks. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told Catholic News Service late Nov. 2 that often Scalfari’s reconstructed quotations “do not correspond to reality” because they are not “the exact words of the pope. Therefore, it is obvious that what he refers to in his latest article about the divorced and remarried is not in any way reliable and cannot be considered the thought of the pope,” Father Lombardi said. The synod’s final report to Pope Francis did not specifically mention Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried. In Church practice, in almost all cases, such people are not to receive Communion because the Church recognizes only their sacramental marriage as valid.
Bishops from around the world plead for climate change action The presidents of the U.S. and Canadian bishops’ conferences joined leaders of the regional bishops’ conferences of Asia, Africa, Latin America, Oceania and Europe in signing an appeal for government leaders to reach a “fair, legally binding and truly transformational climate agreement” at a summit in Paris. Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, signed the appeal Oct. 26 at the beginning of a joint news conference at the Vatican. The appeal, Cardinal Gracias said, was a response to Pope Francis’ letter on the environment and an expression of “the anxiety of all the people, all the churches all over the world” regarding how, “unless we are
November 5, 2015
careful and prudent, we are heading for disaster.” The appeal is addressed to negotiators preparing for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris Nov. 30-Dec. 11. The bishops called for “courageous and imaginative political leadership” and for legal frameworks that “clearly establish boundaries and ensure the protection of the ecosystem.” The bishops also asked governments to recognize the “ethical and moral dimensions of climate change,” to recognize that the climate and the atmosphere are common goods belonging to all, to set a strong limit on global temperature increase and to promote new models of development and lifestyles that are “climate compatible.” Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, confirmed that the U.S. bishops asked that a specific temperature target not be in the appeal. Others agreed, he said. “We’re pastors and we’re not scientists,” the archbishop said. The specific temperature target for reversing the impact of climate change is something for scientists to decide, but the need to act is a moral issue, and the bishops are competent to speak to that, he said.
MEXICO CITY
Cardinal says in homily Pope Francis will visit Mexico in February Pope Francis will visit Mexico in February, marking the pontiff’s first trip to the heavily Catholic country, said Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City during a homily Nov. 1. He offered no other information on itineraries or the length of the stay. The Vatican has not confirmed the dates, but Father Hugo Valdemar Romero, Mexico City Archdiocese spokesman, said Vatican officials responsible for organizing papal trips planned to arrive in Mexico Nov. 3. Details of where the pope might visit “are still to be
Celebrating Church of St. Mary 150th Anniversary 261 E. 8th St. St. Paul, MN 55101 RECOGNITION MASS November 15, 2015 10:30 a.m. Reception following On Site Parking
determined,” he said. Pope Francis said in September that he had wanted to visit Mexico, but instead went to Cuba in advance of his U.S. trip. Pope Francis told reporters his wish was to symbolically cross from the border city of Ciudad Juarez into the U.S. as an expression of solidarity with migrants.
WASHINGTON
House bill holds up federal funds for Planned Parenthood for a year The U.S. House voted Oct. 23 to block federal funding for a year to affiliates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and redirect the money to community health centers. The provision is part of a reconciliation bill — H.R. 3762 — that voids some major provisions of the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Law. Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act passed in a 240-189 vote along party lines. “Planned Parenthood now commands about one-third of the total abortion ‘market,’” said Carol Tobias, National Right to Life president. “For far too long, federal taxpayer dollars have been funneled to the nation’s abortion giant, and it’s time for that to stop. We applaud passage of the reconciliation bill, and we urge the U.S. Senate to act quickly.” The Senate cannot block the bill with a filibuster, but even if it were to pass, it will face a guaranteed veto by President Barack Obama. According to its most recent annual report, Planned Parenthood received at least $528 million annually from the federal government and state governments. Calls for defunding Planned Parenthood and investigating the organization followed the release of several videos, taped undercover, that show physicians and others associated with Planned Parenthood describing the harvesting of fetal tissue and body parts during abortions at their clinics.
Pastor
Fr. Biju Mathew, CFIC
In Residence Sons of the Immaculate Conception Fr. Benny Mekkatt, CFIC Fr. Antony Skaria, CFIC
Parish Staff
Religious Education Director: Sr. Cynthia Schmit, Order of St. Benedict Director of Music: Mary Joy R. Maintenance Supervisor: Vince Z. Business Administrator: Debra H.
To ADVERTISE in The Catholic Spirit Dick Martens 651-251-7717 martensr@archspm.org
Chris Pierskalla 651-251-7714 pierskallac@archspm.org
FAITH & CULTURE
November 5, 2015
St. Sharbel relics coming to Maronite churches By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit Maronite Catholics have heard about the miracles — reportedly thousands of them. Some parishioners of St. Maron Maronite Church in Minneapolis say they’ve even witnessed them. Now, all Catholics have the opportunity to venerate first-class relics from the man credited with miracles claimed from Lebanon to the U.S. — St. Sharbel Makhlouf. Contained in a hand-carved wooden reliquary, bone fragments of the 19thcentury Lebanese saint were set to be on display at St. Maron Nov. 4-5 and Nov. 7-8, and at Holy Family Maronite Church in Mendota Heights Nov. 5-6. “It’s exciting for people because we hear so much about St. Sharbel’s miracles,” said Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun, pastor of St. Maron. He credits the saint, his namesake, with clearing his younger brother’s hand full of warts. Chorbishop Maroun was instrumental in bringing the relics to the U.S., where they will visit all 30some Maronite Catholic parishes and some Roman and Byzantine Catholic parishes. This year, Maronite Catholics are celebrating the 50th anniversary of St. Sharbel’s beatification.
A man of many miracles Born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf in 1828, St. Sharbel was said to have been a devout child from a young age, even blessing his toys with incense. He was also obedient and scholarly. He became a monk in 1853 and ordained a priest in 1859. He spent most of his religious life at the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, where he became a hermit in 1875. At
and the saint didn’t discriminate; Jews and Muslims also credit St. Sharbel with miraculous healings and interventions. Blessed Paul VI canonized St. Sharbel, the first Maronite saint formally canonized in Rome, on Oct. 9, 1977. On that day, the statue of St. Sharbel near his tomb reportedly perspired, and the bronze hands rose to bless the huge crowd gathered there to celebrate. Chorbishop Maroun, who was there as a teenager with his parish youth group, said there were seven obvious miracles that day as evidenced by the people who had left their wheelchairs or crutches behind, having been healed of their paralysis through St. Sharbel.
Power of prayers
This picture of St. Sharbel, artist unknown, has been used for decades. Courtesy Chorbishop Sharbel Maroun age 70, he died of a stroke on Christmas Eve of 1898 while celebrating Mass. While some miracles were attributed to him even before his death, one of the most notable is said to have occurred soon after. The day he was buried, his tomb began to emit light. Then, upon opening his tomb a year after his death, monks discovered his body still intact and emanating a liquid. Even after changing his garments and re-closing the tomb, each time it was opened, his body would still be emanating the liquid. Chorbishop Maroun said the 1950s were the heyday of reported miracles,
Elena Elkhouri, 52 and a parishioner of St. Maron, grew up in Lebanon during part of its civil war, which lasted from 1975-1990. She said St. Sharbel’s canonization was “perfect timing.” “We needed this,” said Elkhouri, a wife and mother of four who came to the U.S. in 1984. “There was a spiritual revolution in Lebanon. Those [miraculous] signs were really helpful.” She added: “When I look at St. Sharbel, I see what the power of prayers can do.” Fellow parishioner Joan Moses said she never thought she’d have the opportunity to venerate St. Sharbel’s relics. “I saw the reaction to everyone last year when the relics of St. Rafka came . . . just the presence and the different kind of prayer and veneration when something like that is in front of you in the church, is very overwhelming,” she said. “I felt like our community came together even more.”
The Catholic Spirit • 11
Maplewood parish to display stories of eucharistic miracles By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit A Vatican-approved exhibit of 126 eucharistic miracles from around the world will be at St. Jerome Church in Maplewood from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 13-16. Included are photographs and historical writings that tell the stories of the eucharistic miracles. Cynthia Schluender, a parishioner who coordinates the eucharistic adoration chapel at St. Jerome, highlighted one of the exhibit’s miracles — the miracle of Lanciano, Italy. “That came about when a priest was having doubts about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and when he was saying the words of consecration, the host started bleeding in his hand,” Schluender explained. “It’s all documented. Most of these miracles, the hosts are still intact.” Housed at Epiphany Church in Coon Rapids, the exhibit is a duplicate of one from Chicago-based The Real Presence Association Inc. that groups could borrow, but were required to drive to Chicago to pick up and return. In 2013, a parishioner from St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center duplicated the exhibit that now travels to parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Schluender said. Any parish may host the exhibit by contacting Peggy Powell at 763-755-7706. “Our goal is to help people deepen their belief in the real presence, and for some, change their disbelief,” Schluender said. The event is free of charge and includes eucharistic adoration and children’s activities. St. Jerome is located at 384 E. Roselawn Ave. in Maplewood.
“Pope Francis and the Synod on the Family”
Thursday, Nov. 19 - Saint Joseph the Worker; Maple Grove, MN 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. presentation In October of 2013 Pope Francis convoked a universal synod of bishops to discuss topics related to the family and evangelization. The synod aims to consult with the faithful to address pastoral needs facing modern families. The synod and the Pope’s trip to Phiadelphia to attend the World Meeting of Families have sparked conversation about Francis’ interest in this theme and how the Church can better understand and approach issues related to family life. This session will explore Francis’ theology, why issues related to the family have emerged, and what directions might come from the synod meetings. Kristin and Shawn Colberg are both assistant professors of theology at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, Saint John’s University and the College of St. Benedict. Both received their doctorates at the University of Notre Dame and have authored several articles in journals such as The Heythorp Journal, Horizons, Missiology, Nova et Vetera, among others. Kristin is co-editor of a fetschrift in honor of Cardinal Walter Kasper and is the author of a forthcoming book on the relationship between Vatican I and II. She also serves as a member of the official U.S. Reformed-Catholic Dialogue.
FREE but registration is required: www.csbsju.edu/sot or 320-363-3560
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12 • The Catholic Spirit
St. John Via
A
s the St. Paul Seminary continues to turn out vibrant, faith-filled priests, staff across campus at St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas feel a quiet satisfaction. Father Michael Becker, rector of SJV, proudly pointed out that five of his 27 seminarians who graduated last spring with the required philosophy degrees went on to the St. Paul Seminary. Some of the others enrolled at major seminaries elsewhere. He also noted that SJV, established in 1968, serves other seminaries throughout the country as well, with 22 recent grads going on to major seminary. This year, men from 19 U.S. dioceses are enrolled in the undergraduate seminary. Despite the clergy sex abuse crisis that has rocked the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, SJV continues to draw solid numbers. In fact, Father Becker is scrambling to find accomodations for the 134 seminarians he has this year (almost identical to last year’s 135). “I actually have every bed in the building full, plus guys on the first floor in guest rooms, plus 12 extra [seminarians studying] in Rome,” Father Becker said. “We are considering the possibility of a small addition to the building, which would allow us to have everyone in the building when we’re all together.” The life of an SJV seminarian is intentionally spiritual, with a typical day beginning at 6:30 a.m. for eucharistic adoration. From there, the men spend a good portion of their day in class, with more time spent studying philosophy. Father Becker counts St. Thomas’ philosophy program among the best in the country, but SJV’s key to thriving — and the continued high enrollment — lies in the bonds of brotherhood formed by the men, starting the day they arrive at their college home. “One of the great strengths of SJV, which differentiates us from a lot of seminaries, is the strength of fraternity,” Father Becker explained. “Every man who comes into St. John Vianney is put in a fraternal sharing group of four or five other brother seminarians — their age, their class — who will travel with them through the four years. They discuss all topics related to their life, including how they’re discerning their vocation, how they’re growing in prayer, how they’re overcoming sinful patterns, how they’re doing in their studies.” Though the men may go in different ways during the course of a day on campus, they always return to a core group for fellowship. “I just thank the people of God for their support of St. John Vianney Seminary,” Father Becker said. “They should be proud that we have the largest college seminary in the United States, that we’re doing really good work with young men, and we would ask their prayers and support in any way that they can offer it.” — By Dave Hrbacek
A da
The Catholic Spirit pho men at St. John Vianney with eucharistic adoratio
5:00 P.M.
4:05 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
10:09 a.m.
SJV at a glance • SJV is the largest college seminary in the U.S., enrolling more than 100 men every year since 2005 • 15 alumni were ordained to the priesthood this year • 436 alumni have been ordained priests • 39 men are in this year’s freshman class • This year, the total cost per seminarian is $52,000 • Average grade point average is 3.45
8:42 p.m.
11:43 a.m.
November 5, 2015 • 13
anney College Seminary
ay in the life
7:02 a.m. Father Jonathan Kelly,
right, prays in front of the Eucharist during an adoration hour along with SJV seminarians Will Marcinkus (Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan), left, Joshua Billing (Joliet, Illinois) and Tyler Riese (La Crosse, Wisconsin).
otographer Dave Hrbacek spent a day documenting the life of College Seminary in St. Paul. The day began at 6:30 a.m. on and ended with Nerf Wars on the dorm floors.
10:02 a.m. Father Michael Becker,
SJV rector, teaches the Catechism of the Catholic Church to seminarians.
10:09 a.m. From left, Zachary
Schaefbauer (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Dominic Shovelain and Jacob Hornecker (both Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis) enjoy a light moment during Father Becker’s catechism class.
11:43 a.m. From left, Connor McGinnis
(St. Paul and Minneapolis) and Jacob Toma (Duluth) head to lunch after morning class.
3:56 p.m. David Maslow (St. Paul 3:56 p.m.
and Minneapolis ) and Jared Clements (La Crosse) battle for a catch during a game of Ultimate Frisbee.
4:05 p.m. Chris
Tibbetts (Sioux Falls) lays down on the turf after a game of Ultimate Frisbee as other seminarians form a prayer circle: Connor Orabutt (Rockford, Illinois), left, Clayton Forner (St. Paul and Minneapolis), Jacob Bennett (Bismark, North Dakota), Ben Hall (St. Paul and Minneapolis), Adam Pinkelman (Omaha, Nebraska), Kenny Urlakis (Carmelites), Alex Lorang (Joliet), Josh Salonek (St. Paul and Minneapolis), Jared Clements, Tyler Riese and Connor McGinnis.
10:02 a.m.
4:30 p.m. From left,
Steven Weller (La Crosse), Kyle Loecker (Omaha), Daniel Strecker (Omaha) and Miguel Colunga-Santoyo (Lansing, Michigan) hang out in a dorm room during a period of free time.
4:37 p.m. Reed Flood (Des Moines, Iowa) takes advantage of free time to study.
5 p.m. Nathan Allen
(Sioux Falls) reads from a breviary during Evening Prayer.
8:42 p.m. Thomas 4:37 p.m. 7:02 a.m.
Bennett, left, and Eric Wuebben (both Sioux Falls) come face to face during Nerf Wars.
14 • The Catholic Spirit
SPECIAL REPORT
November 5, 2015
A
year ago Oct. 13, leaders from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis stood alongside sexual abuse victims attorney Jeff Anderson in St. Paul and declared that the longtime adversaries were partnering to eradicate child sexual abuse from the local Catholic Church. “We’ve come here together today because we forged a new way,” said Anderson, who worked with archdiocesan officials to draft 17 child protection protocols. “That new way is an action plan — an action plan that not only protects kids in the future, but honors the pain and the sorrow and the grief of the survivors in the past.” That “new way” was a buoy in what would become a tumultuous year for the archdiocese. In January, it entered Chapter 11 Reorganization in response to mounting claims of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy following a temporary lifting of the state’s statute of limitations on decades-old cases. In May, it announced that, as part of the Reorganization, it was voluntarily selling its three chancery buildings near the Cathedral of St. Paul. In June, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office charged the archdiocese with failing to protect minors in 2008-2011 in the case of the since-laicized priest Curtis Wehmeyer. Ten days later, Archbishop John Nienstedt and auxiliary Bishop Lee Piché resigned. By Aug. 3, a Reorganization-related deadline, 416 claims of clergy sexual abuse of a minor had been filed against the archdiocese. For months now, archdiocesan leaders have been working to resolve the Chapter 11 Reorganization and the Ramsey County charges. (See page 6.) In the midst of these challenging circumstances, archdiocesan leaders say they have pressed ahead with what Anderson also characterized as a “new day,” implementing the 17 protocols, which include publicly disclosing and barring from active ministry any clergy member who is under investigation, facing unresolved credible claims, or previously found to have abused a minor. Archdiocesan leaders have also restructured key staff positions, rewritten or enhanced related policies, and attempted to improve relationships with clergy sexual abuse victims. Undergirding these new policies and procedures, archdiocesan leaders say, is a deepened understanding of the Church’s place in abuse prevention and awareness as well as its relationship to victims and its goals for the future. “These are difficult times, and as with all difficult times, opportunities are presented,” said Tim O’Malley, who oversees the newly formed Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment. “We are facing some harsh facts from the past, but we’re facing them head on with an unwavering commitment to creating as safe a future as possible.”
Bolstering policies For Todd Flanders, headmaster of Providence Academy in Plymouth, sexual abuse allegations against the archdiocese have painfully underscored the vigilance necessary to protect kids now and in the future. Current policies are strong, he said, and the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment team has been responsive and collaborative in their commonsense implementation. Fulfilling safe environment standards is about more than compliance, Flanders added; it’s about creating a place where students can flourish, learn and come to know God. “It’s about much more than safety; it’s about how . . . we find out who we are as human persons in community,” said Flanders, who has been at the helm of Providence, a pre-K-to-grade-12 school, for 16 years. He noted that the new office has been focused, professional and assertive in helping Flanders, 51, and his colleagues apply policies to particular situations. In March 2014, a safe environment task force recommended the archdiocese overhaul the institutional structures responsible for safe environment policies and sexual abuse claimants. As a result, the archdiocese established the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment and in
Father Michael Tix, pastor of St. John the Baptist parish and school in Savage and chaplain of the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, also said the archdiocese has come a long way in the past year. He credits the improved policies and ongoing conversations around best practices, as well as a heightened awareness about individuals’ roles in protecting children and vulnerable adults. “Because of what we’ve learned from the past and measures that we’ve taken . . . we’re probably as safe as we’ve ever been because we’re more watchful,” he said. “We know more the signs to watch for, we’re doing more of the background checks, we’re [having] more of a real conversation about a terrible issue, and that has allowed us to become more transparent about that.”
Assessing priest misconduct
iStock
A year after Doe 1 What the ‘new day’ and ‘new way’ look like now By Maria Wiering • The Catholic Spirit September 2014 hired O’Malley, a retired judge and former FBI agent, to lead it. His purview includes safe environment standards and education, the handling of abuse allegations, and victim assistance, responsibilities previously split under multiple directors. Although his office handles abuse claims from the past, O’Malley is focused on the present. “We’re not just dealing with symptoms of individual misconduct; we’re dealing with root causes working backwards, and we’re dealing with systemic and organizational change moving forward that will prevent or at least minimize the risk of any kind of future abuse,” O’Malley said of his 11-member team. Part of that change has included revisions to safe environment policies. In May and June, the archdiocese released two updated codes of conduct: one for church personnel and one for clergy. Other codes are also in place for adult and youth volunteers who interact with minors or vulnerable adults. The codes are among the archdiocesan Safe Environment Policy and Requirements for people who work with children in Church institutions. The other components are background checks and safe environment training through the VIRTUS program, a model used in the archdiocese since 2004. Known since their 2013 implementation as the “essential three,” the requirements are now called the “enhanced essential three.” They include fresh background checks and retraining every three years — requirements from which some personnel were previously exempt. “I think tremendous progress has been made in the past year,” O’Malley said. “It is addressing individual situations and instances, but just as important, it’s positioning this archdiocese for a long-term solution.”
Father Tix is one of two priests who sit on the 12-member Ministerial Review Board, an otherwise lay-comprised entity that oversees all priest misconduct and makes recommendations to the archbishop. That role drives him to get the prevention component right, he said. Prior misconduct review boards existed, but for a time one board handled allegations of clergy sexual misconduct with adults while another responded to allegations of clergy sexual misconduct with minors. A single board means key people have more complete information, O’Malley said. The board also has overlapping membership with a group that focuses on clergy well-being and the board that recommends priest and deacon assignments. “The idea is that we get the right information in the right hands at the right time in order to make informed and fair decisions,” O’Malley said. “Rather than a top-down, autocratic approach, it’s more of a collaborative approach to get a lot of people’s input.” Investigating cases for the board are three staff members of the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, all with law enforcement backgrounds. The team takes up a case after a police investigation, regardless of the outcome. Since its formation, the Ministerial Review Board has recommended action be taken on a number of priests, including five who were removed from ministry pending investigations of sexual misconduct. Two were reinstated to ministry after local law enforcement agencies opted not to pursue the claims and an internal investigation found the claims to be unsubstantiated. Three priests remain out of ministry: One is still under investigation, another is undergoing a canonical review, and a third was referred to Vatican officials for review. Jeri Boisvert, a parishioner of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, said her passion for justice and fairness drives her work as a Ministerial Review Board member. Now retired from working in victim services, she draws on her professional work with victims, a background in offender rehabilitation, her role as a mother and grandmother, and knowledge of clergy sexual abuse suffered by a close family member. She described the board’s conversations as collegial, honest and complex, where “everybody brings something different.” “I wouldn’t serve on a token board. . . . Life is short and I need to do things of value,” said Boisvert, 66. “The board is very intense, it’s labor intensive, and it’s very thoughtful. We take a lot of time and consideration and reviewing the materials and considering all voices that are available to us. It is really hard work, but in the end I believe that it will promote justice. I really do.”
‘On the right path’ The 17 protocols and the era of collaboration that ushered them in was part of the archdiocese’s settlement with Doe 1, abused in the 1970s as a child by Thomas Adamson, a laicized priest of the Diocese of Winona who served in this archdiocese. His was the first case filed after the Minnesota State Legislature lifted the statute of limitations in 2013 for three years on historic claims of minor sexual abuse. Continued on next page
November 5, 2015
SPECIAL REPORT
Continued from previous page
The Catholic Spirit • 15 comfortable approaching Church leadership. “I don’t think this [trust] is going to happen in a month or two, or even a year or two, but it has to happen with systemic change,” Meuers said. That change involves every Catholic, Father Lachowitzer said. “People like to say, ‘The people are the Church. The Church is the people of God.’ That definitely is one of the images of the Church. But that also means that we’re all part of the solution.” The solution isn’t solely in a chancery office, he emphasized, but in a Church-wide commitment to keeping children safe. “We can all be voices of healing, we can all be voices of restoring trust, we can all be voices of being the Church we want us to be,” he said. In the meanwhile, Father Lachowitzer continues to meet with victims who reach out to the Church. “This is about where the Church must be, and the Church must be on the side of . . . those who bring wounds so deep that it will take my lifetime with the Church to be instruments of healing,” he said. He added: “Awareness is a painful process for all of society. Each chapter of crisis gives us that fork in the road where we’re either going to succumb to the crisis and get ourselves out as much intact as we can, or we use the crisis as an opportunity to bring about greater awareness [and] to be in the preventative mode.”
Doe 1 has never publicly revealed his identity, but he is key to the local Church’s direction, said Father “People like to say, ‘The people are Charles Lachowitzer, the archdiocese’s moderator of the Church. The Church is the people the curia since October 2013 and a co-author of the safe environment protocols. of God.’ That definitely is one of the “Sometimes when we focus on the child protection protocols as part of Doe 1, we forget Doe 1, who images of the Church. But that also himself is an incredible man,” Father Lachowitzer said. He is “somebody who really gave us the opportunity means that we’re all part of the not only to look at restitution, but also [to] look at what is the path of healing for those who feel they’ve solution.” been not just abused, but injured by the Church in terms of the Church’s response.” Father Charles Lachowitzer The Doe 1 case also revealed to archdiocesan leaders that they needed to find a different route for restitution for future cases, Father Lachowitzer said. Settling each individual claim would have potentially exhausted the archdiocese’s resources before it Re-establishing trust addressed all claims, he said. The archdiocese entered Reorganization to “do the most for the most” — as Trust is still a challenge for many local Catholics — Father Lachowitzer often repeats — and to minimize not just those who are abuse survivors, said Frank adversity among parties. Meuers, southern Minnesota director for the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. He Reorganization, however, again put the archdiocese believes O’Malley and Father Lachowitzer want to and plaintiffs’ counsel, including Anderson, on move the archdiocese forward, but he remains opposite sides of the courtroom, although the parties skeptical, recalling that previous Church officials had are working toward common ground in mediation. However, sustaining the momentum gained in the Doe made new policies or promises that he believes were later broken. 1 settlement hasn’t been easy, Father Lachowitzer said. Looking ahead New standards can be in place, but communicating “We’re still in dawn,” he said, drawing on Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archdiocese’s them is key, said Meuers, a 76-year-old parishioner of Anderson’s “new day” analogy. “The new day is going apostolic administrator since June, described St. Joseph in New Hope. For example, he wishes to be when people realize that over this past year they archdiocesan staff as “committed to being proactive pastors would preach more often about the steps the would be proud of us. No, we’re not getting to things and collaboratively engaged in addressing these Church is taking to keep kids safe. He also said it’s as fast as people want . . . but we’re on the right path.” difficult issues.” He believes the last year could serve as important that people who want to discuss abuse feel Charlie Rogers, an attorney of the a case study for others. Minneapolis-based firm Briggs and Morgan “I have been impressed by both a heightened who represents the archdiocese in the level of sensitivity to the needs of those who Reorganization process, said the current work have been harmed and a real appreciation for to make sure children now and in the future the contemporary challenges that face priests, are protected from victimization is the first of religious and laity who generously labor in the three steps the archdiocese is taking. Lord’s vineyard,” he said. “The change of October 2013 The second step is the Reorganization culture that has apparently resulted from the process, which focuses on restitution for Task Force appointed painful experience of Doe 1 offers great hope victims while maintaining the ability of the for the future and merits further study on the archdiocese to meet its core missions. The third March 2014 national and international levels.” is a concerted effort to reach out to victims and The archdiocese’s efforts from the past year offer a role in their healing — efforts that Task Force report finalized were reviewed at the end of October, when, on unfortunately have had to be somewhat behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic muted, he said, due to the legal parameters of September 2014 Bishops, an independent auditing team the Reorganization process. Retired Judge Tim O’Malley hired to direct new Office of Ministerial completed an onsite audit of the archdiocese’s It was Rogers, with the blessing of Standards and Safe Environment; office structure reorganization safe environment and abuse response archdiocesan leadership, who reached out to begins structures. The USCCB audits the archdiocese Anderson in the summer of 2014 hoping to annually, with an onsite audit every three change the dynamic of their relationship, a October 2014 years. The archdiocese also audits parishes and gesture that opened the door for the Doe 1 schools in the spring and fall, and reports settlement. Doe 1 settlement; 17 Child Protection Action Protocols announced results to the USCCB. A management plan In his assessment of the archdiocese’s current based on their findings is expected in safe environment efforts, he emphasized the November 2014 November. number of lay leaders influencing the process, Victim/survivor services reorganized increased collaboration with law enforcement “The direction of the archdiocese is very well and the community, and the archdiocese’s set, both in our operations and in our December 2014 improved access to its own information, thanks determination,” Father Lachowitzer said. to the comprehensive review of clergy files that “We’re in this for the long haul, and this is a Partnership with Canvas Health announced Los Angeles-based Kinsale Management long haul.” Consulting completed in 2014. He cautioned Catholics not to look for a January 2015 Referring to the policies and protocols, quick fix to the problem of clergy sex abuse Rogers said, “We’ll be judged not by the paper, Archdiocese enters Chapter 11 Reorganization and begins mediation and its effects on the local Church. but by our actions and by the people who are “We are never going to be over this,” he said. doing it.” May 2015 “There is no getting over this. We will get In December, the archdiocese partnered with through it, by the grace of God, and we will be Archdiocese releases new codes of conduct; revises new safe Canvas Health to provide counseling services better for it. But [as for] this notion of ‘When environment policy; organizes Ministerial Review Board and a 24-7 crisis hotline for victims of clergy will it end?’ At the end of time.” sexual abuse. Prior to that partnership, it would He’s heard it suggested that the current crisis June 2015 have been an archdiocesan staff member who is a “distraction” from what the Church should would have assessed survivors’ needs and Archdiocese drafts new sexual abuse policy; Ramsey County be doing, and people are eager for things to referred them for care or services. O’Malley Attorney’s Office files charges against the archdiocese; Archbishop return to “normal.” indicated that he and other members of John Nienstedt and Bishop Lee Piché resign; Archbishop Bernard He vehemently disagrees. The work the archdiocesan leadership still meet with Hebda, coadjutor of Newark, New Jersey, becomes the archdiocese’s archdiocese has done in the past year is not to survivors, but assessing their care and needs is apostolic administrator “get over the crisis,” he said, but to make child best handled by a group of professionals. protection and victim/survivor outreach “an In September, the archdiocese had planned August 2015 inseparable, inextricable part of the mission of to start a survivors support group, but only a the Church.” Reorganization-related August 3 filing deadline for sexual abuse few people showed interest. Its launch has been
Milestones
postponed until the archdiocese establishes stronger rapport and trust with victims, O’Malley said.
allegations against the archdiocese
“This is what it means to be Church,” he said. “This is not a distraction from our mission. This is our mission.”
16 • The Catholic Spirit
VOCATIONS
November 5, 2015
Religious community associates adopt charism, not vows By Terry Griep For The Catholic Spirit The majority of Twin Cities’ Catholics have not been called to vowed consecrated life. Yet, many lay men and women have sought — and found — a robust spiritual life by formally associating with professed religious men and women. These people call themselves by various names — associates, consociates, oblates and companions — but share a commitment to living a particular religious order’s charism, or spirit. These communities, they say, feed their souls, invite them to ministry and unite them with like-minded people. Most associates choose a particular religious community for one of two reasons: either they have had a long-term relationship with the religious community, or they have a desire to share the ministries of a particular community. The Ignatian Associates, for example, draw members who have attended Jesuit high schools and universities, or members who are attracted to social justice ministries. They’re named for St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Jesuits’ founder. Bruce Labno, a 66-year-old Ignatian associate and parishioner of Guardian Angels in Oakdale, said his link to local Jesuit ministries has “ingrained” his life with Ignatian spirituality. “Ignatian spirituality helps [people] focus on finding God in all things, at any moment, in so many different ways, all of which is called awareness,” he said. “I have become aware of God around me, of my humanness, my brokenness and the many gifts given that are to be passed on to others. Ignatian spirituality is my way to actively live Christ in the world as it is today.” Formed as a pilot program by the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus about 25 years ago,
Andrea Pearson Tande, left, and St. Joseph Sister Suzanne Herder sort baskets for the silent auction of the annual St. Joseph Worker Program fundraiser, a Taste of Thanksgiving, which takes place Nov. 6 at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul. Pearson Tande, who belongs to St. Cecilia in St. Paul, is the program coordinator and is nearing the completion of her twoyear process to become a lay consociate with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit the associates, with the Jesuits’ support and blessing, incorporated as an independent community in 2010. The associates maintain an ongoing relationship with the Jesuits, many of whom serve as their spiritual directors, prayer partners and friends. Many associates programs include a formation period where prospective candidates learn more about the religious order, its founder, its members and the members’ various ministries. Many also include their
associates in congregation meetings, retreats and liturgies. Associates are also invited to share in the social ministries performed by vowed members of the religious communities. In the Twin Cities, Ignatian Associates volunteer at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Listening House in St. Paul, Loaves and Fishes, and retreats for people who Continued on next page
Take your cross and follow me Matthew 16:24
Midwest Jesuits | jesuitvocations.org | (414) 727.5231 | mwvocations@jesuits.org
Always Christ, always faithful Benedictine Priests and Brothers of Assumption Abbey
For For more more information, information, contact: contact: Br. Michael Taffe, OSB Br. Michael Taffe, OSB Vocation Vocation Director Director vocations@assumptionabbey.com vocations@assumptionabbey.com www.assumptionabbey.com www.assumptionabbey.com 701-974-3315 701-974-3315
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VOCATIONS
November 5, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 17
Community, belonging, support at heart of commitment Continued from previous page
to join the sisters in prayer.”
are homeless or recovering from addictions.
“The important thing is this has deepened my relationship with God.”
Sharing common goal
Mary Ann Pearson
Most orders invite as associates both men and women, singles and couples, Catholic and non-Catholic, and working and retired people. Associates range in age from about 30 to 90. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet have 149 committed women and men in St. Paul-Minneapolis who call themselves consociates. They share in the sisters’ mission of always “moving toward a profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction.” The sisters and the consociates achieve this through a variety of ministries working side by side. “I have great affection and admiration for the CSJ sisters, and to maintain my own energy and focus, it just made sense to partner with them,” said Rita Quigley, a consociate. “I know that when the sisters see something that needs to be done, they do it. It’s a great place to find community for people of dissimilar backgrounds but with a common goal: to make the world a better place.” Consociate coordinator Mary Kaye Medinger said people “are hungering
for a community that is inclusive and committed to spirituality and justice. We ask nothing specific of the consociates except that they live out the CSJ mission in their lives.” The 1,500-year-old Rule of Benedict continues to be a draw for Jeanie Weber, a Benedictine oblate affiliated with St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph. “I love the simple, time-tested, practical Rule of Benedict and the key values it promotes,” she said. “Benedict suggests doable ways to follow Jesus, not alone, but with arms linked in community.” She added that she resonates with the Benedictine values of “listening with the ear of the heart,” of balancing work with prayer, recreation, rest, service and silence. In addition an oblate program, the Benedictine Sisters of St. Paul Monastery in Maplewood have an associate program, which promotes even closer ties to the community. Linda Anderson, both an oblate and
In North Minneapolis, Visitation Companions join in the work and Salesian spirituality of the Sisters at Visitation Monastery, rooted in the work of Sts. Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal.
an associate, said that associates participate in an additional formation program, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, are involved in the order’s committee work and many of their liturgies, and participate in their ministries. “We come here with a more committed relationship, and this differs from person to person,” she said.
Welcome and community Mary Lou Kozmik, also Benedictine associate, said she spends one Sunday each month at the monastery on community day. Kozmik participates in the Liturgy of the Hours, Mass, brunch and a community meeting where each person shares her ministry work. She serves with the liturgy and social justice committees, and is a prayer leader. “Having a monastery in St. Paul is a treasure to me,” she said. “It renews my spirit. Sometimes I think the Benedictine Monastery is one of St. Paul’s best-kept secrets. I feel so welcome there, and am always welcome
Some wish to integrate their prayer lives with volunteer ministry in their daily lives. Other companions, like Jeff and Mary Ann Pearson, learned about Salesian spirituality when their children attended Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights, which is run by another Visitation community. “I fell in love with whatever the sisters had. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew I wanted it in my life,” said Mary Ann, a companion and former Vistiation Companions coordinator. Through the sisters, she learned about the God of love, about a spirituality that comes from the heart, about how loving and good human beings are, and how each person is called to holiness in the present moment, she said. “The important thing is this has deepened my relationship with God,” she said. “I think communities like this provide a far richer, deeper way to enhance our relationship with God than just going to church or meeting with a group regularly.”
Dominican Friars
Come CelebrateWith Us
Order of Preachers Province of St. Albert the Great
November 20, 2015 at B’s on the River • Watertown, MN Social Hour 6 p.m. • Dinner 7 p.m. • Program and Auction 8 p.m.
Preaching Jesus Christ for 800 years
Auction items Quarter of beef, locally raised • Hand crafted outdoor nativity set A weekend at a Cabin on Maple Lake • Education scholarships
Fr. Andy McAlpin, O.P. Promoter of Vocations vocations@opcentral.org www.opcentral.org
Dinner tickets $50.00 Contacts: Sarah Thomes 763-670-3940 Betty Thomes 320-963-3940 Checks payable to: AFCZ • Mail to Sarah Thomes • 1794 Marshall Ave • St. Paul,MN 55104
Cretin-Derham Hall is pleased to announce our 2015 Alumni/Alumnae and Community Award Recipients.
Congratulations!
Bob Stupka ’73 Bishop Cretin Award
Br. William Clarey, FSC St. DeLaSalle Award
Robert ’78 & Katie Uhler Monsignor Hayden Award
Julia Fried-Devine ’80 Carondelet Award
Kristin Goddard Sartain ’88 Tim Rumsey, M.D. ’66 & Rosemary Reger-Rumsey Michele Jeffrey Hren ’76 Hour Glass Award Hugh Derham Award Eugene and Mary Frey Community Award
Cretin-Derham Hall
Co-sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the Brothers of the Christian Schools 550 South Albert Street • St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 www.c-dh.org • 651-690-2443
THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY
18 • The Catholic Spirit
November 5, 2015
TWENTY SOMETHING Christina Capecchi
Searching for peace with help from a sage It is the book that somehow surfaces when you need it most — manna for the multi-tasker, solace for the stressed. It is the book you stock up on to give to others, to slip in Christmas stockings, to pay it forward. It is the book that spiritual directors recommend again and again: Father Jacques Philippe’s tiny paperback with the nondescript cover, the one that delivers everything its title promises: “Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart.”
the dark,” Roxane says.
My friend Roxane introduced me to the book earlier this year. She had been sitting with a fellow chaperone on a bus in D.C., making their way to the March for Life, when she began sharing her struggles as the mother of teens.
This summer, when Katrina’s family was moving, she found a copy of “Searching for and Maintaining Peace” on a bookshelf. “I have no clue who bought it, since neither my husband nor I remember purchasing it or receiving it as a gift,” she told me. But it made for third-trimester reading the young mom would soon need.
“I wasn’t sure why I brought this,” the chaperone told Roxane, reaching for her purse, “but I think I know now.” And hence, Roxane was gifted with Father Philippe’s tome. “His way of approaching spiritual topics is like having a flashlight to navigate murky areas of life, when before you were just groping around in
I made a mental note, but it took another nudge before I bought a copy. Katrina Harrington, a 26-year-old Catholic from South Bend, Indiana, recently blogged about her third baby, a 9-pound girl with a powerful set of lungs. “Ever since she was born bellowing,” Katrina wrote, “my cup runneth over in patience and humility. I suspect part comes from reading this book” — and the embedded Amazon link directed me to a familiar page.
When her husband, a theology graduate student, had to go on a retreat six days after Elise’s birth, leaving Katrina home with no help, she felt the book’s impact, crediting it for providing “an
FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA Jason Adkins
Ending political homelessness For many Catholics, the most troubling aspect of the presidential campaign season is the feeling of political homelessness. Just when one of the candidates begins to sound sensible, something completely outrageous emerges out of his or her mouth. No single candidate seems to be addressing the many important policy questions of our day. Put simply, there are no prominent candidates for president of the United States who have a campaign platform that significantly reflects a consistent ethic of life or the principles of Catholic social doctrine. This is not altogether surprising. Catholics should always feel at least slightly uncomfortable working with candidates and political parties. Candidates and parties are the amalgamation of a variety of ideological and economic interests, aims and principles coalescing around individual persons. They are never going to reflect fully the views of well-formed Catholics or the Church. Still, we are right to expect more from the candidates and to feel a little less politically alienated than many of us do. What has transpired thus far in
presidential debates, and in the media’s coverage of the campaign trail, does not reflect positively on the state of political discourse and public life in America. But, we get the candidates and political culture we deserve.
No room for nuance An unserious electorate puts up with a media culture driven by profits. Political debates are filtered through a prism of conflict that focuses on personalities more than principles. Candidates talk about, and thus the media highlight, the issues important to small groups of activists and delegates in the political parties to whom the candidates must pander, not necessarily those with the greatest impact on human dignity and the common good. There is no room for nuanced positions, which can be manipulated and do not fit into a sound bite safe for consumption by an electorate with a short attention span. Catholics must shoulder our share of the responsibility for the state of American politics. There are quite a few of us, and we can have a big impact, at least numerically, as shown in the
“Peace, [Father Philippe] explains, is the spiritual condition that lets God’s grace work in us. It is a ‘necessary corollary of love,’ of being available to those around us.”
almost miraculous amount of peace.” Now it’s guiding her as she resumes her at-home business, Hatch Prints — a hand-lettering and art shop that illuminates the wisdom of the saints through watercolor — providing for her family amid her husband’s full-time studies.
Letting go of ‘go, go, go’ I’ve been savoring the book, which is as practical as it is profound. Father Philippe, a 68-yearold French priest with a white goatee and a ruddy complexion, feels like a modern-day doctor of the Church. Peace, he explains, is the Father spiritual condition PHILIPPE that lets God’s grace work in us. It is a “necessary corollary of love,” of being available to those around us. I hadn’t felt that I was lacking peace, quadrennial discussions about winning “the Catholic vote.” (Whether such a thing even exists today — and it is doubtful — is another matter.) Catholics — either refusing to embrace the Gospel-centered principles of Catholic social doctrine and let those shape their political views, or alternatively, willfully ignorant of those principles — have instead been coopted by partisan ideologies and have settled for candidates who think in abstractions and focus on rigid, “either/ or” solutions to the issues.
Transcending consumer politics If we want the parties and candidates to more closely reflect the views of Catholic social doctrine, then we must be the change we seek. For example, political party platforms are developed by party activists who attend precinct caucuses and who introduce resolutions to be included in the platform. In large measure, party platforms are made by the people who show up. In 2010, 19,273 people attended the Minnesota Republican caucuses, and 22,968 people attended the Minnesota Democratic caucuses. In 2012, those figures were 48,916 and 17,376, respectively. In other words, in an election year, between 40,000 and 65,000 people — or roughly a little more than 1 percent of the state’s voting age population — are responsible for identifying the issues that are the focus of both campaigns and legislative sessions, as well as picking the candidates from which all of us must
but the book has helped me recognize how often I hurry and control, trying to strong-arm my own agenda into daily life. It has reminded me to be patient about my progress, to resist the kind of checklist living — go, go, go — that can define young adulthood. “Your guide is the Holy Spirit,” Father Philippe writes. “By your struggles and worries, by your anxiety and haste, you overtake him with the pretense of moving more quickly.” The opposite occurs: You wind up on a rougher terrain, and “far from advancing, you go backwards.” It has refined my thinking and strengthened my desire to harbor the peace that invites God in, so he can work through me, enabling me to produce the good works he designed me to do. In a season accelerated by the holiday scramble and end-of-year drumbeat, this book feels like a slow exhale, reminding of another way. Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights and the editor of www.SisterStory.org.
Take Action Go to www.mncc.org/mn-caucusingcheat-sheet for instructions on how to participate in a Minnesota precinct caucus and to download a list of recommended resolutions. choose during an election cycle. Now, consider this: There are hundreds of thousands of voting-age Catholics in Minnesota. If just a small fraction of us attended precinct caucuses and introduced resolutions, it could significantly alter the face of our two major political parties. Certainly, changing our political culture is more complicated than just showing up at the precinct caucuses. But such a Catholic presence could mark a significant turning point in terms of aligning our politics more clearly with a consistent ethic of life. Politics is more than partisan political activity or electioneering. Fundamentally, it is about civic friendship, and there are numerous ways we can show solidarity with and concern for others. But, elections and the legislative process matter as well. Being a faithful citizen means working creatively to change the dynamics and structures that impede the common good. Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.
THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY
November 5, 2015
GUEST COMMENTARY Father David Blume
The heart of a vocation: sacrificial love On July 1, I began my new assignment as the director of vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. After having spent many joy-filled years in parish life where I regularly lifted up all vocations, I am now specifically focusing on promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life. It is a great joy to do so. One of the many things I enjoyed about parish life was working with couples preparing for the sacrament of marriage. In one of the sessions we would focus on how love is expressed in this world. Then I would ask, “What kind of love was it that allowed Jesus to go to the cross?” In our discussion it becomes clear that it could not have been a love with conditions or based on sentimentality. It had to be a love that enabled him to persevere through great challenges. Our Lord’s sole desire was to do the will of his heavenly Father. Every step he took was not motivated by what he would receive or how he felt, but by love — sacrificial love. For the sake of marriage preparation it produced a good conversation about the love that keeps a marriage strong, but if we take it a step further, sacrificial love is really at the heart of all vocations. It allows us to give freely without expecting something in return. It also helps keep a vocation to priesthood, diaconate or consecrated life strong in times of difficulty. It is what we are called to do in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
GUEST COMMENTARY Gretchen Traylor
Can a mother forget her child? Honoring birthmothers Birth mothers, or “first mothers,” often experienced the loss of belonging during their unexpected pregnancies and relinquishment of children for adoption. They were hurt to the core by shame and isolation, being forced to deny the truth, and not allowed to grieve the loss of their children. It nearly happened to our Blessed Mother. It isn’t hard to imagine Mary’s friends shunning her for fear her “sin” might somehow reflect on them if they stood by her. We know from Scripture that Joseph had planned to put her away quietly, but was instructed by God to protect her instead. What we often forget, however, is that after Joseph took Mary into his home, she then visited her elderly cousin Elizabeth to support her in her unexpected yet welcome pregnancy. As a long-term crisis pregnancy counselor in a pro-life center, I heard many stories of abandonment, rejection, fear, shame and judgment passed by others, especially those closest to the woman in need. What these women needed instead was support, care, honesty and encouragement. They needed a “Mary” or even a group of Marys to “visit” them, both during and after their pregnancies. Because — as I always told them — once you are pregnant, life will never be the same. No matter your choice regarding the future for you and your child, things will not be easy. In the past, there was great pressure put on single pregnant women to relinquish their babies to adoption. They were often bullied into this decision, being told they were not fit to raise their child on their own. Wanting what was best for their children, they complied and then were left on their own with no support. Often, they were told to forget the child existed and just “get on with it.” Many times, they told no one about the
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave imself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph 5:1-2). Years ago, when I realized this great commonality between the vocation of marriage and priesthood, it shifted the focus of my discernment from “marriage or priesthood” to “Lord, how are you calling me to imitate your sacrificial love in this world?” I could see that it is sacrificial love that motivates parents to get up at 2 a.m. to care for their child who can’t sleep, and it also motivates the priest to get up at 2 a.m. to care for the parishioner who is near death. Realizing that both of the vocations I was attracted to were, at their very heart, the same, allowed me a great deal of freedom in my process of discernment. Sacrificial love also calls families, who are the seedbed of all vocations, to levels of great generosity. Sometimes parents find it difficult to be open to their son entering the seminary to give his life to the Church as a priest. It may be difficult for others to see their son or daughter show interest in laying down their life to serve in a religious community. It takes sacrificial love to embrace a plan that is different from our own, and that may be particularly true for parents. I recently heard of a family who was completely open to however God would call each member of their family to serve him. Above their front door they had written, “Lord, choose from our home those who will serve your Church.” That is a home where all vocations are lifted up high. We can’t out-give the Lord. The Lord desires to bless the Church with many holy marriages, priests, deacons, and consecrated brothers and sisters, who in their vocational calling have the capacity to love sacrificially. As we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week, let us pray for this great gift — that it will flourish in our families, our parishes and schools, and in each of our hearts. Father Blume is director of vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Fore more information, visit www.10000vocations.org. child they had borne and lost, but quietly suffered and grieved alone and secretly to avoid more rejection and judgment. But, as the prophet Isaiah reminds us, a mother doesn’t forget her child. As an effort toward support and healing, Our Lady of Grace in Edina hosts a Day of Honor and Recognition for Birthmothers to applaud their choice for life. Our Lady of Grace in Here, there is a community of Edina will honor women those who understand, who do who gave their babies to not judge and who celebrate adoptive families 9:30 a.m. them for who they are; a to 3 p.m. Nov. 14. The event community that encourages includes talks by one another to end the secrecy, birthmothers, a overcome the shame and to presentation by a acknowledge, grieve and begin psychologist, story to heal from their loss; a sharing, the opportunity for community that gently encourages honesty and helps the sacrament of them find the good that God reconciliation and prayer, can bring into painful and breakfast and lunch. situations when we let him. Cost is $15. To register, Here, you belong. contact Melissa Miller at “Belonging.” The word itself 952-929-3317, ext. 111. brings thoughts of family, friends, classes and gatherings. Yet, it may also bring painful memories of loss, isolation or rejection. Most people have experienced both sides of belonging and being an outsider. As an adopted person placed in 1946 under a system based on shame, secrecy and lies, I certainly did. I had a wonderful life, but an unauthentic one. I dealt with criticism, judgment and fear of rejection when I tried to discern my own truth, to grieve its loss and to honor it as God’s plan for me. Yet recently, I had the opportunity to attend a reunion of cousins on my birthmother’s side of my original family. It was a wonderful day filled with joy and laughter, learning about family history and forming new ties. When it was time for pictures, we all jockeyed into positions. I belonged. May our efforts toward healing and transparency in relinquishment and adoption honor our own truths and our roles in God’s loving and eternal family. There, we all belong.
Birthmothers retreat Nov. 14
Traylor is a parishioner of St. Gerard Majella in Brooklyn Park and a former volunteer at Birthright in Coon Rapids.
The Catholic Spirit • 19 LETTERS Drop the word ‘required’ Page 2 of the latest Catholic Spirit has this headline: “All Saints Day a Sunday; no extra Mass required” (Oct. 22). In the spirit of Pope Francis’ wishes and to improve the Catholic Church, let’s not use “required” anymore. Publicly stating that requirement is an example of what needs to be changed in the Church in order for it to prosper again and widen the tent. Kevin Fink St. Dominic, Northfield
No pyramid found Respect life, protect life, yes, but Sister Elizabeth Johnson subtly suggests pantheism and opposes God’s Word that teaches in Genesis 3:17 the earth is cursed because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience (“Catholics called to communion with animals, nature,” Oct. 8). Plants and animals are subject to mankind’s hand — not above, not equal. She calls for a “new theology” that “re-envisions humans not at the top of the pyramid of life,” claiming “Christ is the first-born of all the dead of Darwin’s tree of life.” Jesus Christ died on a tree and rose as “the firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18) — as savior. He cannot be diminished, nor should we be. Her “theology” is prideful, rebellious and disobedient: Darwin offers no salvation plan; Christ is head of the Church; mankind follows Christ, no pyramid chart; and mankind takes priority over “the natural world.” Phyllis Plum St. Peter, Mendota Heights
Cantors should be Catholic Acknowledging the very real risks of diving headlong into the “pedantic parsing” Father Doyle finds so distasteful (“Seeking Answers,” Oct. 22) I must respectfully disagree with his assertion regarding the meaning of the GIRM’s silence on certain points, specifically the meaning of “suitable lay persons.” It is wholly reasonable to assume that the GIRM is referring to fully initiated Catholics when it uses this term in No. 107. Are cantors, or liturgical musicians as a whole, merely performers, or do they in fact serve the liturgy in an integral way? I think the answer is the latter, and subsequently, it only makes sense that they would also be fully initiated Catholics, just as we demand this of lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion. I readily admit that to ask this of our liturgical musicians poses real logistical (and at times, aesthetical) challenges, and runs counter to widespread practice. But it seems to me better to admit this and tackle the challenge head on, then to try to find justification in the liturgical documents when none exist. Father John Paul Erickson Director, Office of Worship, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; parochial administrator, Blessed Sacrament, St. Paul
FOCUS ON FAITH
20 • The Catholic Spirit
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Deacon Dan Gehler
Christ’s sacrifice helps us make our own So many times when we hear the readings on Sunday we think, “Oh, it’s this one again,” and we might tune out because we think we know what it’s all about. The readings for Nov. 8 can fall into that category. The first reading from Kings is about the widow who has enough wheat and oil for only one more meal, then she and her son will die, but she shares what she has with Elijah. The Gospel from Mark is the story of the widow who puts her last two copper coins in the temple treasury. We know these stories and the outcomes,
but at the same time we have probably lost the shock of the twist that is in these stories. In both of these readings, we come across people who were downtrodden for many reasons. These women were poor, widowed and without property, making them useless in the eyes of society of that time. Yet, they are examples of service. There is absolutely nothing that stops these women from doing for others despite everything that’s against them. What could motivate this kind of action? In the nomadic cultures of the Middle
November 5, 2015
East — well, actually in most cultures except our modern one — hospitality wasn’t an option. To deny food to someone who came by, not to share no matter how little there was, was equivalent to murder, since without food, one would die. But there’s more. In both of these cases, the ability to give is based on the sure knowledge that nothing we possess is ever completely our own. All our goods are from God. Whether it is a little or a lot, it is on loan, and should someone or some cause come our way, we give. That is what these women teach us — that all we have comes from the father. As followers of Jesus, we have an additional reason to give, and just in case we forgot, there it is in Hebrews. In the reading, we have an image of Christ who is the ongoing sacrifice for all of our shortcomings and weaknesses. The image in the book of Hebrews is that there is this God who is constantly in the disposition of working for us. It doesn’t mean that he continues to die over and over again and to suffer over and over again. Somehow, that action in and of
Sunday, Nov. 8
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings
• 1 Kings 17:10-16 • Hebrews 9:24-28 • Mark 12:38-44 itself was enough to reveal the disposition of God, who is really willing to do anything for us. It creates a way of imagining a God who is constantly pacing back and forth in his palatial place in heaven worried about whether we have enough, and making sure we do. As Christ made himself the one perfect sacrifice, once and for all, so let us make ourselves like him in offering our lives for the good of the many. Deacon Gehler is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary for the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa. His teaching parish is Sts. Peter and Paul in Loretto. His home parish is St. Joseph in Des Moines.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Nov. 8 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 17:10-16 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 Monday, Nov. 9 Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 John 2:13-22
Tuesday, Nov. 10 St. Leo the Great, pope and Doctor of the Church Wisdom 2:23–3:9 Luke 17:7-10 Wednesday, Nov. 11 St. Martin of Tours, bishop Wisdom 6:1-11 Luke 17:11-19
Thursday, Nov. 12 St. Josaphat, bishop and martyr Wisdom 7:22b–8:1 Luke 17:20-25 Friday, Nov. 13 St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin Wisdom 13:1-9 Luke 17:26-37 Saturday, Nov. 14 Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9 Luke 18:1-8
SEEKING ANSWERS Father Michael Schmitz
Believe in ghosts? Regardless, pray for the dead Q. What does the Church teach
about ghosts? Are they real? What are we supposed to do with them?
A. As anyone with access to a television knows, there’s an abundance of movies about the “paranormal” and TV shows about people who claim to be able to communicate with the dead. What is more, November is the month the Church dedicates to prayers for the dead, and this could be a good time to be reminded that the Church on earth (the Church Militant) and the Church in heaven (the Church Triumphant) is one with the Church in purgatory (the Church Suffering). It is vitally important that we make a few things clear right off the bat. First, the Catholic Church does not have any doctrine that specifically deals with ghosts, so keep that in mind while reading this article. There have been “big deal” saints who have denied the
existence of interaction with ghosts — and there have been “big deal” saints who had ghostly encounters. There appears to be some room for disagreement here. And yet, the theology of the possibility of ghosts is sound. As Christians, we know that the human person is both body and soul. We know that there is more to this life than the natural; there is the supernatural. Further, we believe that the soul is immortal. At death, the body and the soul are separated. At this moment, the individual experiences what the Church calls “particular judgment”; we go to hell, heaven or purgatory. Could it be that God, in his wisdom, allows certain souls to manifest their presence to those still alive? Both the life of the Church and Scripture seem to attest to this possibility. For one, the Church has numerous documented apparitions of saints who appeared to people with a message from
Sunday, Nov. 15 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Daniel 12:1-3 Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 Mark 13:24-32
Wednesday, Nov. 18 St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 Luke 19:11-28
Monday, Nov. 16 1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63 Luke 18:35-43
Thursday, Nov. 19 1 Maccabees 2:15-29 Luke 19:41-44
Tuesday, Nov. 17 St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious 2 Maccabees 6:18-31 Luke 19:1-10
Friday, Nov. 20 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59 Luke 19:45-48
God. In addition, there is the story of King Saul asking the witch of Endor to call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 28. Scripture seems to speak of this as a real thing. This leads to the next very important point: The Church very clearly and emphatically teaches that all attempts to conjure up or contact the dead are absolutely forbidden. One of the personal consequences of this is that we ought never to seek out or participate in séances or any other kind of action that attempts to contact those who have died. Another consequence is that we ought not to seek out or put faith in anyone who claims to be able to communicate with the dead. I can hear it now, “But Theresa Caputo is Catholic! And she knows things about people and their departed loved ones!” She is also most likely a charlatan. Just because the Church knows that there is a world beyond the world we can see and understand does not mean that we attribute all that we don’t understand to something supernatural. Furthermore, when people like the “Long Island Medium” attempt to contact the dead, not only are they violating God’s Word and the Church’s teaching, they are in a position where they may not be able to discern well, not merely between the natural and the supernatural, but also between a potential ghost and something demonic. Someone who is trying to contact a being in the spiritual world may have absolutely no ability to distinguish
Saturday, Nov. 21 Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 1 Maccabees 6:1-13 Luke 20:27-40 Sunday, Nov. 22 Solemnity Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Daniel 7:13-14 Revelation 1:5-8 John 18:33b-37
between a human soul and a demon. Third, if God allows a soul to manifest itself from beyond death, what are we supposed to do with that? Remember, this would have to be permitted by God. Why? God often reveals things to us because he wills us to act on what we know. In the many (seemingly) reliable cases of encounters with ghosts that I have come across, there seems to be one recurring theme: prayers. As Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College, has said, “Ghosts appear on earth but do not live on earth any longer. They are either in heaven, hell or purgatory.” If the soul of a dead person was made manifest, the proper response is prayer. But not the prayer of fear. Rather, we offer prayers of reparation. We believe in the communion of saints, that the Church exists on three “planes”: earth, heaven and purgatory. I recently heard it said: “The manifestation of ghosts is when the Church Suffering is asking the Church Militant for prayers of reparation.” We, the living, are called to pray for the dead. We are called to have the holy Mass celebrated on their behalf. Ghosts may be reminders that our brothers and sisters are in need of our prayers. 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. Email: fathermikeschmitz@gmail.com.
CALENDAR
November 5, 2015 Dining out Spaghetti dinner — Nov. 10: 5–7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary, 1114 American Blvd. W., Bloomington. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church taco feed party — Nov. 14: 11 a.m.–7 p.m. taco sale, 2–6 p.m. live music at 401 Concord St., St. Paul. Information: 651-228-0506. Free Thanksgiving dinner at the Bierstube — Nov. 26: Noon–2 p.m. at two locations: JW’s Bierstube – 7121 10th St. N., Oakdale; and JJ’s Bierstube – 2670 E. County Road E, White Bear Lake. Dinner will be provided for anyone who wishes to celebrate Thanksgiving, but finds it difficult to do so for various reasons. All who are in need are welcome. Information and reservations: Jodi at 651-271-4961.
Music St. Andrew Pipe Organ Dedication Concert — Nov. 22: 3 p.m. at 566 Fourth St. NW, Elk River. Information: www.saint-andrew.net.
Parish events Our Lady of the Lake Holiday Boutique — Nov. 6-8: 6 p.m. at 2385 Commerce Blvd., Mound. Information: www.ourladyofthelake.com/church. St. John Neumann/St. Thomas Becket ninth annual fair trade sale — Nov. 7: 10 a.m.– 5 p.m. at 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan. Information: 651-454-2079 or www.sjn.org/index.php/socialjustice-and-charity. St. Rita Church 46th annual craft show — Nov. 7: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at 8694 80th St. S., Cottage Grove. Information: www.saintritas.org. Holy Cross Church Greeting the Season luncheon and fashion show — Nov. 7: 11 a.m.– 2 p.m. at Holy Cross Kolbe Center, 1630 Fourth St. NE, Minneapolis. Tickets and information: 763-574-9342, 612-789-7238 or www.ourholycross.org. Holiday craft sale — Nov. 7-8: (Nov. 7) 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., (Nov. 8) 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. in the Mary Center and Fireside Room at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road, Burnsville. Information: 952-890-0045.
Church, 3495 N. Victoria St., Shoreview. Information: www.stodilia.org.
CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur. LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and institutions. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your press release. ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Time and date of event • Full street address of event • Description of event • Contact information in case of questions ONLINE: www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102
A note to readers As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Catholic Spirit will no longer accept calendar submissions via email. Please submit events using the form at www.thecatholicspirit.com/ calendarsubmissions Church of the Epiphany Star Bazaar — Nov. 7-8: (Nov. 7) 9 a.m.–4 p.m., (Nov. 8) 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at 11001 Hanson Blvd., Coon Rapids. www.epiphanymn.org. Our Lady of Victory Church fall bazaar — Nov. 7-8: (Nov. 7) 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and (Nov. 8) 8–10 a.m. at 5155 Emerson Ave. N., Minneapolis. Turkey bingo — Nov. 12: 6:30 p.m. in Howley Hall (basement) at Holy Spirit Church, 515 Albert St. S., St. Paul. St. Boniface Christian Mothers’ Guild Christmas Bazaar — Nov. 14: 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at 629 Second St. NE, Minneapolis. Information: 612-788-4389. Knights of Columbus turkey bingo — Nov. 14: 6:30 p.m. in the St. Vincent de Paul School cafeteria and gym, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Information: www.saintvdp.org. St. Joseph Church CCW Christmas Bazaar — Nov. 14-15: 9 a.m. at 171 Elm St., Lino Lakes. Information: www.mystjoes.org. St. Patrick Church Holiday Open House — Nov. 14-15: (Nov. 14) 10 a.m.–4 p.m., (Nov. 15) 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at St. Patrick Church, 7525 Dodd Road,
The Catholic Spirit • 21
Shieldsville. Information: 507-334-6002 or spshieldsville@qwestoffice.net; or www.spshieldsville. org. St. Peter Church Christmas craft/bake sale — Nov. 14-15: (Nov. 14) 2–6 p.m. and (Nov. 15) 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at 2600 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul. St. Francis de Sales Church Holiday Funfest and Silent Auction — Nov. 15: 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. at Upper Mississippi Academy (St. Francis school building), 426 S. Osceola Ave., St. Paul. Information: Karen, 651-442-5357 or www.sf-sj.org. Immaculate Conception Church and School bingo and turkey raffle — Nov. 15: 12:30–3:30 p.m. in the church hall at 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. Information: 763-788-9062 or www.ICCSonline.org. Study and faith sharing on Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel” — Nov. 16: 6–8 p.m. at St. Olaf Church, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis. Information: 612-3327471 or Joan Miltenberger, jmiltenberger@saintolaf. org. Turkey bingo — Nov. 20: 6:30–8:30 p.m. at St. Odilia
ONE
MILLION! That’s the number of meals your gifts provided to those suffering from hunger last year.
When you give, you take
A BITE OUT OF
HUNGER!
Prayer and worship Mass of Remembrance — Nov. 7: 9:30 a.m. at St. Edward Church, 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S., Bloomington. Information: 952-835-7101 or www. stedwardschurch.org. Holy hour and rosary for the Archdiocese — Nov. 15: 1– 2 p.m. at St. Peter Church, 1405 Hwy. 13, Mendota. Information: www.stpetersmendota.org.
Retreats Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend — Nov. 20-22: Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. www.wwme.org.
Schools Cretin-Derham Hall 7th and 8th grade open house — Nov. 10: 6:30–8:30 p.m. at 550 S. Albert St., St. Paul. Information: www.c-dh.org. Benilde-St. Margaret’s Knightsbridge boutique shopping event — Nov. 14: 10 a.m.– 3 p.m. at 2501 Hwy. 100 S., St. Louis Park. Information: www.bsmschool.org/upper/parents/parentassociation/fundraisers/knightsbridge/
Speakers Brenda Elsagher presents “Life, Lessons and Laughter with God” — Nov. 8: 11:30 a.m. at St. Edward Church, 9401 Nesbitt Ave. S., Bloomington. Information: 952-835-7101 or www.stedwardschurch.org. One Night Mission “Breakfast of Champions” — Nov. 8: 6:30–8 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Deacon Larry Lawinger to speak. Information: www.saintvdp.org. “Respecting Life at the End of Life: A Catholic Vision and Guide” — Nov. 10: 8 a.m. Mass followed by 9–10:30 a.m. presentation from Deacon Dan Gannon at the Church of the Epiphany, 11001 Hanson Blvd. NW, Coon Rapids. Information: Kathleen Howland, 763-862-4347 or khowland@epiphanymn. org. Discussion of Minnesota Personhood Amendment — Nov. 17: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at the State Office Building, room 10, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul. Speakers include Dan Becker, Georgia Right to Life and Personhood Alliance; Matt Sande, Pro-Life Wisconsin; and Minnesota pro-life leaders. Information: Bob Hindel, 651-271-6405.
Conferences, seminars, groups Annual Fall Sister Parish Conference: Engaging Our Parishes in Sister Parish Encounters — Nov. 7: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park with speaker, former missioner, Marty Roers. Cost: $10 at the door includes continental breakfast. Sponsored by Archdiocesan Parish Partnerships Team. Dementia Support Group — Nov. 10 and the second Tuesday of every month: 7–9 p.m. at The Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: www.stpaulsmonastery.org; or 651-777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org. Parenting series — Wednesdays in November: 10–11:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 155 County Road 24, Medina. Information: www.hnoj.org/ ParentGroup, Chris Kostelc at ckostelc@hnoj.org or 763-745-3489. Faithful Spouses support group — Third Tuesday of each month: 7–8:30 p.m. in Smith Hall of the Hayden Center, 328 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul. Information: 651-291-4438 or faithfulspouses@ archspm.org.
Other events
VOLUNTEER. DONATE. ADVOCATE. Visit cctwincities.org/Meals or call 612-204-8374
BIZAA Founder’s Gala — Nov. 13: 5:30 p.m. at Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, 7025 Northland Dr., Brooklyn Park. Information: www.bizaa.org.
22 • The Catholic Spirit
November 5, 2015
Pope: Women’s right to maternity leave must be protected
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Businesses are called to promote harmony between work and family for their employees, especially for women with children or who are starting families, Pope Francis said. The pope said that many times, women who announce their pregnancy are fired from their positions, when instead they “must be protected and helped in this dual task: the right to work and the right to motherhood.” “The challenge is to protect their right to a job that is given full recognition while at the same time safeguarding their vocation to motherhood and their presence in the family,” the pope said Oct. 31 in an audience with the Christian Union of Italian Business Executives. Catholic men and women in the world of business are called to live faithfully “the demands of the Gospel and the social doctrine of the Church,” Pope Francis said, and become “architects of development for the common good.” “The workplace and the executive offices can become places of
sanctification through everyone’s commitment to build fraternal relations among business owners, managers and employees, while encouraging shared responsibility and collaboration in the common interest of all involved,” he said. Highlighting their call to be “missionaries of the social dimension of the Gospel,” the pope told the business leaders that while it is important to be close to those suffering poverty or financial difficulties, it is not enough to simply offer charity. “It is necessary to direct economic activity in the evangelical sense — that is at the service of the person and the common good,” the pope said. “In this perspective,” he said, “you are called to cooperate in order to foster an entrepreneurial spirit of subsidiarity, to deal with the ethical challenges of the market and, above all, the challenge of creating good employment opportunities. “Economy and business need ethics in order to function correctly; not just any kind of ethics, but an ethics that places the person and the community at the center.”
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BEYOND THE BELTWAY
November 5, 2015
The Catholic Spirit • 23
Principal’s bittersweet departure highlights rural joys, challenges
SECOND IN A SEVEN-PART SERIES By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit At Most Holy Reedemer in Montgomery, a higher percentage of students come from farm families than at most Catholic schools in the archdiocese. “Kids will have a debate [about tractors],” said Mindy Reeder, at the time Most Holy Redeemer’s principal. “Are you a John Deere family or an International family?” One of the benefits of its rural Le Sueur County setting is its close proximity to nature, Reeder said. Traveling for field trips to farms for research takes only minutes. Teachers can easily meld science lessons with Pope Francis’ recent encyclical on the environment, helping students understand how God wants them to treat the world, she added. Reeder, who lives nearby on her husband’s family homestead, spoke with The Catholic Spirit on her last day as Holy Redeemer’s principal. George Vondracek, formerly a public school music teacher in Wells, replaced her. Reeder’s personal situation exemplifies one of the challenges Catholic schools face in the outer edges of the archdiocese: recruiting and keeping good personnel. With two children in college and another in high school, Most Holy Redeemer’s principal salary isn’t enough for the Reeder family at this stage, she said. In mid-September, Reeder became the principal at Nativity of Mary School in Bloomington, more than 30 miles from home. “I made a choice basically for financial reasons,” Reeder said, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. “It’s really hard to leave.”
Bridging tech divide Reeder’s five years as Most Holy Redeemer principal, however, left her with insights she shared without hesitation. “People don’t realize two big things,” Reeder said. “First, we have 40 percent of our students on the free or reduced lunch program.” She found that poverty in rural schools doesn’t get the attention it does in cities. “It can be a frustrating experience,” Reeder said. “Grants often are limited to urban schools. There’s a whole dynamic that is being lost sight of. Main Street is being depleted. To get to good work, families are traveling 40 to 60 minutes each way.” Second, many rural schools and families are 5-10 years behind in technology, Reeder said, and both public and private schools in rural areas are in the same situation. “It goes back to our funding,” she
Most Holy Redeemer School in Montgomery fifth-grader Abbey Malecha, left, reads to kindergartner Nolan McBurnett in a program where older students read to younger ones. Bob Zyskowski/The Catholic Spirit said. “There’s a huge differentiation between access to technology and wireless access that is completely not being addressed.” Outdated technology was something Reeder knew she had to address when she became Most Holy Redeemer’s principal in 2010. “Five years ago we had green-screen Apples from the 1980s and ’90s in our computer room, and no wireless capability,” she recalled. “People in rural schools just accept it sometimes.” Rather than the previous “cut, cut, cut” approach to keep the school open, strategic planning and surveys helped her create a vision to guide Most Holy Redeemer School forward. “Through prayer and envisioning that dream,” Reeder said, “it became a reality.”
“People in Catholic schools are here for very different reasons. There’s a faith commitment, a community commitment, a true dedication.” Mindy Reeder
Community commitment Today, smart boards and wireless capability are part of that reality, as are increased prayer opportunities throughout the school day and a special faith focus for each school year. So is a multi-age learning environment, which allows teachers to advance or support students as needed. “We built an opportunity for our children to catch up and not be behind,” Reeder said. It’s working. After four years, student test scores continue to increase each year in every subject, Reeder noted, and average scores are 20 percent higher than at area public schools “even though we have the same poverty and the same diversity,” she added. The school initially lost enrollment when it launched its multi-age
approach, but most of the last five years have seen a boost in numbers. It’s up again this year, with 65 students in kindergarten-through-grade 8, and 22 in the pre-kindergarten program. Those relatively small numbers force a principal to be “very judicious in hiring,” as Reeder put it. She looked for teachers with multiple licenses or those with specialties who could teach more than one subject. A preschool teacher, for example, doubles as the school’s art instructor. Reeder said Most Holy Redeemer has been blessed with faculty willing to teach for salaries significantly lower than those in larger schools. “You can go to Lakeville and make a lot more,” she said. “People in Catholic schools are here for very different reasons. There’s a faith commitment, a community commitment, a true dedication.” When Reeder saw teacher Elly Franek in the corridor, she called her into the principal’s office. The 26-year-old Franek’s commitment to staying, Reeder admitted, was one of the reasons leaving Most Holy Redeemer was so difficult. At a meeting at the end of the last school year, Franek said she wanted to continue living and working where she grew up and went to school, graduating from Most Holy Redeemer in 2003. Reeder recalled, “She said, ‘I want to stay in this community and live here and survive. I want to show my friends you can make it in Montgomery.’ ”
Next in the series: St. Joseph Catholic School, Waconia
24 • The Catholic Spirit
THE LAST WORD
November 5, 2015
Winning raffle ticket aids education for students world apart By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit For a 6-year-old girl in Nigeria, a winning raffle stub from a parish auction will become her ticket to an education and a childhood free from forced labor. Her sponsorship is thanks to the grand-prize winner of St. Vincent de Paul Church’s April auction — 19-yearold Kyra Newburg, a member of the Brooklyn Park parish who began her freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall. Last spring, Kyra’s dad, Mike Newburg, gave her money to purchase a raffle ticket, stipulating that if she won, she’d use the money to help pay for college. Winning the $10,000 means she can do that and more. “I was thinking how I could give back some of the money in some way,” Kyra said. “It took me about a month to decide what to do with it.” Although Nigeria might seem like a world away, Kyra didn’t have to look far when deciding on a charity to support. Her mom, Sue, a nurse, is a sponsor liaison with the Basic Institute for Zonal African Advancement, a local nonprofit founded by St. Vincent de Paul’s director of pastoral care and social outreach, Okey Anyanwu. On their living room floor, Sue had laid out pictures of children who needed sponsors. Kyra saw the little girl’s picture and decided to sponsor her. “There are a lot of kids who still need
After winning $10,000 in a parish raffle, Kyra Newburg, 19, left, decided to sponsor a 6-year-old from Nigeria named Kindness, right. Newburg is a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park and a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Courtesy Sue Newburg sponsors,” Kyra said. “They have such sad stories that they live with every day.” In 2014, Sue went on a BIZAA mission trip to Nigeria and came back sharing the stories of how children as young as 4 beg on the streets and carry sticks to sell to help support their families, rather than attend school. Because some families are so poor, they sell their children into domestic servitude, which can lead to trafficking and other violent crimes. “If we all did international outreach . . . helping our neighbors everywhere, there’d be total peace in the world,” Sue said. “BIZAA is one way to do that.” On the trip, Sue met the girl she decided to sponsor with her family. Kyra chose to sponsor a younger child, who has the baptismal name Kindness, so that she can continue to support her
after she graduates from college and enters the workforce. In learning she had won $10,000, Kyra said she was in disbelief. Then shock turned to excitement about the possibilities. “I thought, ‘That’s a lot of money for me to have.’ I’m fortunate that my parents are there to help with my education,” she said. “Reaching out to Nigeria, my faith helps me do that because God wants everybody to have a chance in life.”
Education combats poverty Anyanwu, a native of Nigeria, admits he didn’t think he was an emotional person until he learned of Kyra’s commitment to sponsor a child. “For a 19-year-old girl who has just started her college education, to have won $10,000 and dedicating that
money to sponsoring a child . . . really, really tells me that children can serve children as well,” said Anyanwu, a parishioner of St. Michael in St. Michael with his wife and four children. “It goes to say that the message that BIZAA has is one that is making an impact on the lives of the children in the United States, not just in Nigeria.” An annual sponsorship for a single child to attend six-year primary school through BIZAA is $650 and covers tuition, supplies and a small stipend for the student’s family. Children attend Catholic or other Christian-affiliated schools. BIZAA’s plan to build a vocational school is in the works. “If the youngest citizens of our world, irrespective of their geographical location, don’t have a future, every member of this world should worry, because we are in trouble,” said Anyanwu, citing terrorism. “So the more these American families educate the international society, the safer America becomes. The more educated our world is, the safer our world is. If there are weapons to fight terrorism, to fight poverty globally, education should be one of them, if not the No. 1 weapon to fight that.” Parishes, schools and other organizations can join BIZAA as coalition partners. For more information about the Basic Institute for Zonal African Advancement, visit www.bizaa.org.