Archdiocesan Youth Day 6 • Surrogacy 9 • New cardinals 12 October 13, 2016 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Got growth After years of declining enrollment at Catholic schools, pre-K programs bring new wave of students By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit
T
eachers at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Brooklyn Park had plenty of moving to do before the new school year. All but one of its teachers moved classrooms to make way for a new preschool program, which began this fall. Thirty-eight preschool students spend their days learning through various activities at the school. “I think it’s added a real nice component to our school,” St. Vincent de Paul Principal Lisa Simon said. “The older kids are interacting with these younger kids and are naturally finding ways to reach out, be good role models to them.” Preschool programs popping up at Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have boosted enrollment. After years of decline, kindergarten through eighth-grade Catholic schools bounced back from an average loss of 800 students per year over the past three to four years, according to the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence. This year, schools increased
From left, preschoolers Brinlin Mitchell, Ruby Zehr-Short, Asher Rexine, Conor Flack and Grace Stueve sing a song during class at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Brooklyn Park, which started a preschool program this school year. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit total enrollment by 20-some students. “The reason there’s been a real change this year has been the help from the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence to help schools develop strategic plans around enrollment and to help develop high quality preschools and to support our principals around enrollment as well,” said Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the archdiocese’s vicar of education. CSCOE, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Catholic education, began working with the archdiocese’s Catholic grade schools in 2015 to address the enrollment decline. Bishop Cozzens and the archdiocesan Office for the Mission of Catholic Education soon partnered with it. “With twin focus on growing enrollment and excellence in Catholic schools, the Catholic Schools Center of
Excellence is instrumental in expanding preschool offerings in our elementary schools, upgrading school technology platforms and helping us tell the beautiful story of our Catholic faith,” said Jason Slattery, director of the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education. CSCOE assisted principals in forming teams at their respective parishes to help increase enrollment. Bishop Cozzens added that the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education also worked to help priests who have parish schools. “And we want to continue to help support the priests in their work in the schools, because we know how important it is for the success of the school,” Bishop Cozzens said. Success in enrollment starts at the preschool level, which grew by 11 percent, according to CSCOE. Some schools such as St. Vincent de Paul just
began work last November to start a preschool with CSCOE’s encouragement. It paid off for the Brooklyn Park school with an increase of 38 students this year. “We couldn’t have done it without CSCOE’s help,” Simon said. St. Vincent de Paul’s new program enticed preschool teacher Sara Kessler to leave her early childhood teaching position in the Columbia Heights school district. Having received a Catholic education, she wanted to help develop a Catholic pre-K program. Moreover, she recognizes what public schools can’t offer. “The power of prayer,” Kessler said. “We pray throughout the day. We pray as a school and as a class.” Kessler added that her students look Please turn to SCHOOLS on page 6
ALSO inside
50 years of unity
World Mission Sunday
All-school Mass
Catholics look back on decision to add Minneapolis to archdiocese’s name. — Page 8
Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, to benefit from this year’s collection. — Pages 10-11
Catholic grade school students gather for archdiocese’s first Mass of the Holy Spirit. — Page 19
2 • The Catholic Spirit
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October 13, 2016 NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit
in PICTURES
Vocation events set for young men and women Team Vianney, an event for young men in grades 9-12, will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 13 at St. John Vianney College Seminary, 210 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Participants will meet for dinner with college seminarians, hear a brief talk on the Catholic faith and attend Mass with seminarians and university students. For more information, contact 651-962-6825 or sjv@stthomas.edu, or visit www.stthomas.edu/vianney/events/ visittheseminary. For women ages 16-35 who are discerning consecrated life, the annual Miryam Dinner will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Archbishop’s Residence, 230 Summit Ave., St. Paul. The evening includes prayer and dinner with consecrated women sharing their vocation testimonies. For more information, contact 651-962-6890 or stpaulvocations@10000vocations.org, or visit www.10000vocations.org/ events.html.
Archbishop Tobin to speak at UST Oct. 24 Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin, whom Pope Francis named a cardinal Oct. 9, will discuss “Welcoming the Stranger While Challenging the Fear: The Response of the Catholic Church to the Polemic Around Refugee Resettlement in the United States” at the annual lecture of the University of St. Thomas’ Institute for Catholicism and Citizenship 7 p.m. Oct. 24. The lecture is free and open to the public, and will be held in Woulfe Alumni Hall of Anderson Student Center on the university’s St. Paul campus. For more information, visit www.stthomas.edu/news.
ROME ORDINATION Tim Wratkowski, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, kneels as Cardinal Sean O’Malley ordains him a transitional deacon in Rome at St. Peter’s Basilica Sept. 29. He was one of 30 seminarians ordained, and one of two from the archdiocese. The other was Deacon Nicholas Hagen. Both Deacon Wratkowski and Deacon Hagen are studying at the Pontifical North American College. CNS/Paul Haring
Blue Mass for law enforcement, first responders Nov. 2 Members of law enforcement and first responders, along with their families and the public, are invited to a Blue Mass 5:15 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. Archbishop Bernard Hebda will celebrate the Mass honoring these public servants.
MN bishops lead prayer to prepare for Election Day Each day leading up to Election Day Nov. 8, one of Minnesota’s bishops will offer a prayer and reflection on a different area of Catholic social teaching. The bishops will pray the novena through online videos, which are available at www.mncatholic.org/novena. To receive a printed brochure of the novena, contact the Minnesota Catholic Conference at 651-227-8777.
MILESTONES
CHILDREN’S ROSARY Children from Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis prepare to pray the rosary with Bishop Andrew Cozzens during the 14th Annual Worldwide Children’s Eucharistic Holy Hour Oct. 7 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. The event was broadcast live on EWTN and began with a Parade of Nations, in which children dressed in ethnic attire and joined in the processional. Cadets from St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights carried in a statue of Mary, and seventh-grader Karenna Krize, center, of St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater performed the crowning. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit
WHAT’S NEW on social media Minnesota’s bishops share an election message in a video from the Minnesota Catholic Conference: www.facebook.com/thecatholicspirit Father Paul Shovelain, parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, and Father Paul Treacy, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park, ran the Twin Cities Marathon Oct. 9: www.facebook.com/thecatholicspirit In a video for the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island’s Office of Vocations, actor Mark Wahlberg shares about the important role priests have played in his life and his support for them: www.facebook.com/thecatholicspirit
The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 21 — No. 20 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher MARIA C. WIERING, Editor
Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, which opened as Archbishop Grace High School in 1966, is celebrating 50 years. The archdiocesan co-educational school follows the Lasallian tradition. In 1980, the school’s name changed to Totino-Grace to honor a $1 million gift from Jim and Rose Totino. The school celebrated its anniversary with events during homecoming week Oct. 2-8, including Mass with Archbishop Bernard Hebda. For more information about Totino-Grace, visit www.totinograce.org. Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Minneapolis celebrated its 125th anniversary Oct. 9. The first church, located on the corner of 16th Avenue NE and Main Street, was a wooden A-frame dedicated by Archbishop John Ireland on Oct. 10, 1893. In 1909, the site of the original church was sold to the Northern Pacific Railroad. The current church was built in 1916 in classic Renaissance style and blessed in September 1917. Incorporated as a church of Slovak descendants, it now has a large Spanish-speaking community from Ecuador. The church’s stained glass windows include Slovakian inscriptions. Father Edison Galarza, parochial administrator, celebrates Masses in English and Spanish. For more information about the parish, visit www.sscyrilandmethodiusmpls.org.
CORRECTION In a photo caption in the Sept. 22 issue, The Catholic Spirit misidentified the Chaska church where Mike Eder serves as pastor. He is pastor of Chaska Moravian Church. We apologize for the error.
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 semi-monthly 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: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580
FROM THE MODERATOR OF THE CURIA
October 13, 2016
The Catholic Spirit • 3
When faith seems inadequate, know that God provides what we need
S
ometimes a line from a Sunday Gospel will stay in my mind for weeks on end. I preach to myself first, and I continue to reflect on one of the most well-known requests from the apostles to Jesus. On the first Sunday in October, we heard proclaimed from the Gospel of St. Luke, “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’” (Luke 17:5). Throughout my life and my priesthood, variations of this request echo in response to the challenges of living out my faith. I have said it myself and have heard so many others say, “If only I had more faith!” When Jesus told his disciples that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could uproot a tree and plant it in the sea, it only made my faith seem smaller. I can’t even get rid of buckthorn. Nonetheless, faith is a gift from God. From the moment of our conception, we are given the capacity to know and love God. Hardwired in our brains are not only the “primal appetites” — the desires that lead us to the seven deadly sins — but also the “spiritual appetites” — the desires that lead us to the seven virtues. We can and should confront the evils in our world. We can and should confront the sin in our own lives. Yet, it can be like the game whack-a-mole when we keep pounding one sin on the head while another pops up elsewhere. We can focus so much on what’s wrong that we miss what’s right. There is only so much time in a day and only a finite number of days. The more time we spend discovering what is right and what it takes to live a virtuous life, the less time we have to let the power of sin convince us that we live in a bad world filled with bad people. It is still a good world, and we are still good people. The blessings of God are indeed in and through all things. Good still triumphs over evil. Light still banishes the darkness. And the tragedy of every Good Friday is transformed by the cross of Jesus Christ into the joy of Easter. It is good to remind ourselves that God has given us all ONLY JESUS the faith we need. In Jesus Christ, God has given us all the Father love we need. And through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we have all the hope we need. We are given the grace Charles Lachowitzer
Cuando la fe parece insuficiente, recuerda que Dios provee lo que necesitamos
A
veces una línea de un Evangelio del domingo permanece en mi mente durante semanas. En primer lugar me predico a mí mismo, y sigo reflexionando sobre una de las peticiones más conocidas de los apóstoles de Jesús. En el primer domingo de octubre, escuchamos proclamar en el Evangelio de San Lucas, “Los apóstoles dijeron al Señor, ‘Auméntanos la fe’” (Lucas 17:5). A lo largo de mi vida y de mi sacerdocio, variaciones de esta petición dan resuenan en respuesta a los desafíos de vivir mi fe. Yo mismo lo he dicho y he escuchado a tantos otros decir, “¡Si tan sólo tuviera más fe!” Cuando Jesús les dijo a sus discípulos que si tenían fe del tamaño de un grano de mostaza, podrían arrancar de raíz un árbol y plantarlo en el mar, sólo hizo que mi fe parezca más pequeña. Ni siquiera puedo deshacerme de un arbusto. No obstante, la fe es un regalo de Dios.
In a world that seems deaf to the cries of the poor, blind to God and silent in the face of so many injustices, we pray that God’s gifts of faith, hope and love may be awakened anew.
of the sacramental life of the Church to pursue lives of faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God understands that many of us think that if something is good, then more of it is better. So, increase our faith? Whenever I think I need more faith, I pause and thank God for the faith I already have, and I pray for the grace to strengthen my belief. I pray that with faith, hope and love, I may have the virtue of fortitude to see what is best in our world and bring out the best in others. I pray that I may have the virtue of temperance that is foundational to mercy and compassion. I pray that I may have the virtue of justice that is necessary to speak up for and reach out to those without a voice and who are most in need. I pray for the virtue of prudence to know the will of God in each chapter of my life and, united with Jesus Christ and his Church, live out the Gospel with ever increasing joy. In a world that seems deaf to the cries of the poor, blind to God and silent in the face of so many injustices, we pray that God’s gifts of faith, hope and love may be awakened anew. May we increase our trust in God so that we believe that in Jesus Christ, love is more powerful than hatred, mercy greater than any sin and the precious gift of life greater than the power of death itself. Faith is an act of God. Belief is our response.
Desde el momento de nuestra concepción, se nos da la capacidad de conocer y amar a Dios. Programado en nuestros cerebros no son sólo los “apetitos primitivos” — los deseos que nos llevan a los siete pecados capitales — sino también los “apetitos espirituales” — los deseos que nos llevan a las siete virtudes. Podemos y debemos confrontar a las aflicciones de nuestro mundo. Podemos y debemos confrontar el pecado en nuestras propias vidas. Sin embargo, puede ser como el juego de “golpear al topo”, cuando después de golpear un pecado otro aparece en otro lugar. Podemos concentrarnos tanto en lo malo que perdemos el sentido de lo que es bueno. Sólo hay cierto tiempo en un día y sólo un número finito de días. Cuanto más tiempo pasemos descubriendo lo que está bien y lo que se necesita para vivir una vida virtuosa, menos tiempo tenemos para dejar que el poder del pecado nos convenza de que vivimos en un mundo lleno de maldad con gente mala. Todavía es un mundo bueno, y seguimos siendo buenas personas. Las bendiciones de Dios están a través de todas las cosas. La bondad todavía triunfa sobre el mal. La luz todavía hace desaparecer la oscuridad. Y la tragedia de cada Viernes Santo se transforma por la cruz de Jesucristo en la alegría de la Pascua. Es bueno recordar que Dios nos ha dado toda la fe que necesitamos. En Jesucristo, Dios nos ha dado todo el amor que necesitamos. Y a través de la efusión del Espíritu Santo, tenemos toda la esperanza que necesitamos. Se nos ha dado la gracia de la vida
sacramental de la Iglesia para llevar una vida de testimonio fiel del Evangelio de Jesucristo. Dios entiende que muchos de nosotros pensamos que si algo es bueno, entonces más de lo mismo es mejor. Por lo tanto, ¿aumentar nuestra fe? Cada vez que pienso que necesito más fe, hago una pausa y le doy gracias a Dios por la fe que ya tengo, y oro por la gracia de reforzar mi creencia. Oro para que con la fe, la esperanza y el amor, pueda tener la virtud de la fortaleza de ver qué es lo mejor en nuestro mundo y sacar lo mejor de los demás. Oro para que yo pueda tener la virtud de la templanza que es fundamental para la piedad y la compasión. Oro para que yo pueda tener la virtud de la justicia que es necesaria para hablar a favor y llegar a aquellos que no tienen voz y que están más necesitados. Oro por la virtud de la prudencia de conocer la voluntad de Dios en cada capítulo de mi vida y unidos a Jesucristo y a su Iglesia, vivir el Evangelio cada vez con más alegría. En un mundo que parece sordo a los gritos de los pobres, ciegos a Dios y en silencio ante tantas injusticias, oremos para qué los dones de la fe, la esperanza y el amor de Dios puedan ser nuevamente despertados. Que podamos aumentar nuestra confianza en Dios de manera que creamos que en Jesucristo, el amor es más poderoso que el odio, la misericordia más grande que cualquier pecado y el don precioso de la vida mayor que el poder de la muerte misma. La fe es un acto de Dios. La creencia es nuestra respuesta.
OFFICIAL Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:
Effective September 19, 2016
Effective November 1, 2016
Reverend Jake Anderson, appointed chaplain to Hill-Murray School in Maplewood. This is in addition to his current appointment as parochial vicar of the Churches of Saint Michael and Saint Mary in Stillwater.
Deacon Thomas Michaud, appointed to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of Saint Joseph in West Saint Paul. This is a transfer from his current assignment at the Church of Divine Mercy in Faribault.
4 • The Catholic Spirit
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SLICEof LIFE
Taste of Venezuela Zuleynis Ruiz dances with a group of young adults from Venezuela at the Little Sisters of the Poor Holy Family Residence in St. Paul Sept. 21. Ten Venezuelan men and women from the parish of Jesucristo Resucitado in San Felix, a mission parish of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, visited the archdiocese from Aug. 31 to Sept. 28. They performed at parishes and schools in order to build relationships and seek financial support. Their time in the Twin Cities included performing at the Minnesota State Fair and singing at a Minnesota Twins game. Also making the trip were the two priests serving at the Venezuelan parish — Father Greg Schaffer, pastor, and Father James Peterson. Dave Hrbacek/ The Catholic Spirit
Holy Childhood
Congratulates Parishioner
Agnes Dynes
2016 Recipient of St. John Paul II Champions for Life Award Adult Pro-Life Volunteer
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www.TheCatholicSpirit.com
LOCAL
October 13, 2016
The Catholic Spirit • 5
Pax Christi founder Father Power worked to develop lay leaders By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit Father John Timothy Power, who died Sept. 21 at age 76, longed to work with an inner-city parish. But his life took a different turn as an associate pastor at St. Timothy in Blaine when then-Archbishop John Roach invited him to take a new assignment in a growing community. That’s when, after prayer, Father Power worked to establish Pax Christi in 1981. “He read a couple of different Gospels, both of which had the quotation in them that, ‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven,’” said Shari Steffen, a long-time Pax Christi parishioner. “It was at that point that he decided to do that rather than go to the inner city.” “He considered us the ‘rich man’,” Steffen added with a laugh. Father Power served at Pax Christi from 1981 until retiring in 2004. He supported lay leadership in a parish that remains rich in leadership today. The parish has eight councils that foster the many
different ministries there. In the early 2000s, Father Power co-founded the Center for Parish Leadership with Steffen to enrich other parishes in developing lay leaders. CPL offers guidance, support and resources for parishes around the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. CPL also hosts Father Tim conferences to help parishes POWER develop strong leadership. The organization has done work with archdiocesan staff since its inception, too. “He decided that it would be a good idea to try to preserve that lay leadership model in some fashion and perhaps use it as a way to look to other parishes in the future,” Steffen said. Steffen described Father Power as someone who was relatively introverted but went out of his way to reach out to others at Pax Christi. He also connected with the broader Eden Prairie community as chaplain for the police and fire departments. He did so at a time
in BRIEF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
Immaculate Conception principal receives second national award Jane Bona, principal of prekindergarten through eighth grade Immaculate Conception School, was one of three Catholic school principals in the U.S. to receive a 2016 National Distinguished Principals Award from the National Catholic Educational Association. The National Association of Elementary School Principals presented the award to Bona during a celebration Oct.6-7 in Washington, D.C. In March, Bona received the “Lead.Learn.Proclaim Principal Award” from the NCEA. During Bona’s six-year tenure at the school, enrollment has increased 79 percent, and through the school’s Blended Learning model, it has been able to track standardized test scores and set academic goals for each student. Bona is a member of Immaculate Conception parish.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS
Five STA, Visitation students honored for saving teacher’s life St. Thomas Academy teacher Mitch Taraschi awarded certificates Sept. 26 to five students who saved his life back in May. Taraschi, who teaches Latin at the school, had a stroke during his Latin II class. Five students in the class, from both STA and Visitation School, recognized Taraschi’s symptoms and contacted first responders. Taraschi had surgery at a hospital soon after, and he resumed teaching the following week. Visitation students Maria Daly, Kelli Martin and Anne Marie Underwood received Life Saving awards, and STA students Vinnie
Be faithfully informed
In memory of our founding Board member Fr. Tim Power
Motzel and Tom Litecky received awards and military life-saving ribbons for aiding Taraschi.
MINNEAPOLIS
Feed My Starving Children CEO and UST alum honored Mark Crea was honored Sept. 19 as part of the Influential Leaders Challenge of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Crea’s alma mater, the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, nominated him to be recognized as a business school graduate who makes a positive impact on society and sets “an inspiring example” for others. Crea, a parishioner of St. Joseph in Amery, Wisconsin, 60 miles northeast of St. Paul, has led FMSC for 12 years. The Christian organization coordinates volunteers to assemble food packs that are shipped to starving children and families in nearly 70 countries.
ST. PAUL
Campion first layman to receive C-DH service award Michael Campion, a 1966 alum of Cretin High School, now Cretin-Derham Hall, received the school’s annual St. DeLaSalle Award for his service to the community, particularly in his work to protect children. With a career in law enforcement, including serving with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Campion is the assistant director of ministerial standards and safe environment for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Campion, a parishioner of St. Odilia in Shoreview, was honored at a banquet Oct. 3 at the St. Paul Hotel. Campion is the first layman to receive the award, following 36 years of bishops, priests and religious brothers as recipients.
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when the parish was growing. It now has 3,500 households. “He worked very, very hard to be among the people at all the right times and in all the right places,” Steffen said. Born Oct. 13, 1939, in Faribault, Father Power was ordained a priest on May 28, 1966. Father Power studied at Nazareth Hall and the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul and Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He previously served at St. Thomas the Apostle in Minneapolis from 1966 to 1967, St. Edward in Bloomington from 1969 to 1974 and St. Timothy in Blaine from 1974 to 1981. He served as administrator for Archbishop Leo Binz from 1967 to 1969. Father Power continued to say Mass in retirement and support the work of CPL. He planned in advance to have certain CDs he produced for CPL available to people attending his funeral Mass, which took place Sept. 27 at Pax Christi. Burial was in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Steffen said there were more than 1,000 CDs distributed at Father Power’s funeral.
For his many years of service to parish leaders through the work of The Center for Parish Leadership 952-942-5395 • www.parishleader.org
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685) Title 39, United States Code 1. Title of Publication: The Catholic Spirit. 2. Publication No. 093580. 3. Date of Filing: Oct. 13, 2016. 4. Frequency of Issue: Semi-monthly plus periodic extra editions. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 24. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $29.95. 7. Complete Address of Known Office of Publication: 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, Ramsey Co., MN 55102. 8. Complete Mailing Address of the Headquarters of General Business Offices of the Publisher: 226 Summit Ave., St. Paul, Ramsey Co., MN 55102. 9. Names and Address of the Publisher, Associate Publisher, Editor, and Assistant Editor. Publisher: Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda, 226 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. Associate Publisher: Tom Halden, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. Editor: Maria C.Wiering, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. Assistant Editor Jessica Trygstad, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. 10. Owner: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 226 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. 11. K nown bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None. 12. F or completion by Nonprofit Organizations Authorized to mail at special rates (Section 132.122 Postal Service Manual): The purpose, function and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal Income Tax purposes have not changed during the preceding 12 months. 13. Publication Name: The Catholic Spirit 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sep. 22, 2016. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Ave. No. Copies Actual No. Copies
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66,461 0 66,072 66,072 89 0 89 66,161 300 0 66,461
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6 • The Catholic Spirit
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Archbishop Hebda’s AYD message: Youth ‘extremely important’ to Church Interview by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
that their gifts are welcome. So, I certainly want to make sure that our youth hear me saying that, in fact, we need them. Not only are they welcome, but we also need them, and we intend to integrate them into every part of our local Church.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda will attend his first Archdiocesan Youth Day Oct. 29 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in River Centre in St. Paul. He shared his thoughts about the upcoming event with The Catholic Spirit.
Q. How much are our youth on your heart? A. Very much so. Last year when we engaged in the
Q. This is your first time at AYD. How do you feel about going? A. I’m really excited. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about the youth day. While I’ve met a lot of our young people individually and in smaller groups, it hasn’t been as part of anything quite like AYD. So, I’m really eager to see what it’s like and to see how I might be able to add something, to make a contribution, to what I’m sure is already a great day. Q. How do you hope to connect with the teens who will be there? A. I really just appreciate the opportunity to be
present, to have the opportunity to hear what our young people have to say — whether one-on-one, or in small groups. I hope to spend most of the day there so that I can have opportunities for those kinds of contacts. I also am looking forward to having the opportunity to preach. I think that the Mass is always a beautiful place of encounter. It certainly will give our young people a chance to get to know me a little bit better, particularly in the course of the homily. I will certainly be trying to draw on the insights that I’ve already accumulated from my encounters with youth over the last few months.
Q. What message do you plan to convey to them? A. I really want to convey that they’re extremely
important to the Church, that they’re hugely important to me and to this Archdiocese, that they have so much zeal and excitement and energy to bring to our Church, and that we would be weakened as a community without them. I really hope to invite them to become more involved in their parishes and in youth ministry and to encourage them to not hold back from contributing the wonderful gifts with which God has blessed them.
Q. Do you have any plans for initiatives related to youth here? A. Not yet, to be honest with you. I’m still in that period where I’m looking to see what else is already going on. I’ve been really impressed with the parish youth programs and youth ministers that I have already encountered, and I feel extremely blessed that the archdiocese has so many possibilities for collaborating locally with NET Ministries (a NET Lifeline Mass has been one of the highlights of my time in the archdiocese!). I recognize that there’s already high quality youth ministry taking place throughout the archdiocese, and I feel really blessed by that. Around the country, it’s all too often a real struggle to engage the youth — but here, it’s already done routinely with such gusto and with such success. I am just looking to be a part of that initiative and to see how it is that I as archbishop might be able to encourage and guide that ministry and contribute to its effectiveness. Q. What do you think today’s youth need from their local shepherd and the Church? A. I think certainly they need the reminder that they’re welcome in the Church. All of the pollsters say that hospitality is a huge issue in the Church, that sometimes people don’t feel welcome, or they don’t feel
SCHOOLS continued from page 1 forward to visits from the parish’s priests. “It’s like seeing a celebrity in here,” Kessler said. Bishop Cozzens also indicated the importance of Catholic schools beginning at pre-K. “As we know, even very young children can come to love and know Jesus,” Bishop Cozzens said. “And so, it’s a great gift that we can offer this faith-based education, even starting at a very young age.” Growing pre-K programs also has a practical benefit for Catholic schools. CSCOE President Gail Dorn said young families most often select schools at the preschool level. She calls preschool the “funnel” for bringing students into Catholic education. “That is a big change from previous decades where kindergarten was the entry point,” Dorn said. “It was really important for our schools to grow in that space specifically. We were really excited to see such a large leap forward.” Some schools with existing pre-K programs or child care also saw improved enrollment. Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School in Rogers added a second classroom. St. Therese Catholic School in Deephaven expanded an existing childcare program with a half-day preschool for 18 students. That included the addition of an outdoor classroom, which will open later this fall. “There’s so much research out now about how kids are connected with nature,” St. Therese Principal Lauren Caton said. The Deephaven school increased its enrollment this year through both programs, a 22 percent increase. Caton said 90 percent of the oldest group in the childcare program stayed for kindergarten this year. “That is one of our biggest successes and one of the reasons our enrollment is up,” Caton said.
listening sessions, I think the question of outreach to youth came up in every one of the sessions. It is pretty obvious that the people in the pew are very concerned about what it is that we’re doing to engage our younger generation, whether we’re talking about young adults or whether we’re talking about our youth. So, picking up on that, I know that that has to be a priority for me as well. It’s not just a challenge here in the archdiocese, but really throughout the Church. I know how important it is that we are in harmony with Pope Francis and his plans for the Church, and they certainly involve youth. I had the great privilege of being with him in Krakow this summer for World Youth Day and more than 300 young people from the archdiocese. When we have those kinds of opportunities to share our time together, to share our vision, there is going to be so much vitality that comes out of those discussions on both sides. Interesting, the Vatican has just announced the theme for the next Synod of Bishops, and it’s actually on outreach to youth. With that in mind, I’m confident that youth ministry is going to be a major thrust, not just here in the archdiocese, but throughout the world.
Q. If you could pray right now for our youth, what would you say to God? A. I would really ask the Lord to give them the strength that they need to hear his call and to desire to respond to his call, that they might know his love and strive to respond to that love, that the Lord would bless them with the gift of being able to see how he’s calling them to serve their brothers and sisters, how he’s calling them to serve the Church. For more information about Archdiocesan Youth Day, visit www.archspm.org/archspm_events/ayd16/. through outreach to Latino and other ethnic communities. The school added a pre-K program with 23 students, which largely drew from those demographics. “It’s been great. We keep having more and more people coming through the door,” Principal Jane Hileman said.
All hands on deck
Eighth-grader Avery McGregor listens during class at St. Therese Catholic School in Deephaven. Dave Hrbacek/ The Catholic Spirit CSCOE emphasizes school excellence in order to achieve such successes as boosting enrollment. Components of the excellence sought include a strong community, competent teachers and high-quality academics.
Latino students, families benefit CSCOE also takes interest in minority families, particularly helping the Latino communities throughout the archdiocese. Enrollment Director Anne Marie Hansen started a weekly radio show on La Raza 1400-1470 AM in the Twin Cities. It helps raise awareness of Catholic school options for Latino families. Edgar Alfonso, principal of St. John Paul II Catholic Preparatory School in northeast Minneapolis, co-hosts the show. They also have a segment with Bishop Cozzens. St. Helena Catholic School in Minneapolis particularly benefited from increasing enrollment
CSCOE addresses the varying situations of Catholic schools in terms of facilities, marketing, finances and scholarships in addition to life in the classroom. Many other Catholic organizations work with CSCOE to help achieve different areas of growth for Catholic schools. That includes the AIM Higher Foundation for fundraising, and the Catholic Community Foundation and the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation for grants. The GHR Foundation and Catholic Services Appeal Foundation also provide financial help. “All of this is really supported by our own Office for the Mission of Catholic Education in various ways,” Bishop Cozzens said. That archdiocesan office opened in 2015 to replace the Office of Catholic Schools. The change came about with a shift in focus from administration to mission. “If there ever was a ‘reset button’ for an archdiocesan approach to Catholic education, it would be fair to say that this year we pressed it,” Slattery said. “We have spent the year evaluating, adjusting and reworking our approach to Catholic education.” It has set a foundation for the future, too. “We want to continue to see our Catholic schools grow in excellence in every area so that the education we’re providing these children is able to help them become missionary disciples as Pope Francis desires,” Bishop Cozzens said.
LOCAL
October 13, 2016
The Catholic Spirit • 7
MCC seminar keynotes: Local races important, too; service should motivate politicians
Wajda dismissed from clerical state
By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit
The Catholic Spirit
Presidential election mania often overshadows the multitude of critical races other than the one for the White House. “[It’s] through the local level where we restore the foundation and begin to rebuild … the culture,” Scott Richert told the crowd gathered at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Sept. 21 for a special election year study day hosted by the Minnesota Catholic Conference. Richert, the executive editor of “Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture,” joined Kimberly Hahn in giving the keynote addresses for the study day titled “Our Corner of the Vineyard: Rediscovering the Importance of Social and Political Engagement in the Local Community.” Six of Minnesota’s seven bishops attended the event. Hahn, the wife of Catholic Scripture scholar Scott Hahn, has first-hand experience of local-level government with her service as a city council member in Steubenville, Ohio. She talked about the impact local government can have and how to get involved. Hahn also called political involvement essential in living out the Christian life. “We need to engage our culture, to help warn our culture, to expose what is evil and reward what is good,” Hahn said. Moreover, that essential call to all Catholics stems from the fundamental call to love one’s neighbor. Hahn referenced what Pope Francis had to say in that regard. “Pope Francis says, ‘Politics according to the social doctrine of the Church is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good,’” Hahn said. Seeking the common good led Hahn to serve on the Steubenville city council in 2015 after homeschooling six children, writing books and giving talks. She wants to improve a struggling community that has only 30 percent of its residents working. It doesn’t mean that she believes local government can solve all of the eastern Ohio town’s ailments, though. Both Hahn and Richert highlighted the importance of subsidiarity, which means a government allows a society to manage the
Kimberly Hahn speaks Sept. 21 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit things it can on its own instead of being micromanaged. “It is so essential that we support this understanding and how we detangle the mess we are in,” Hahn told the 150-plus people gathered at UST. In his presentation, Richert described how the current government infringes on family life. It spells trouble for society since “the family is the original cell of social life,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which Richert referenced. Religious freedom also came up at the conference. Hahn made it clear that religious freedom cannot stop at freedom to worship. “Our society must allow the Church to do what she has been called to do, which is to proclaim the truth,” Hahn said. It behooves Catholics to keep standing up for the right to life. Hahn added that candidates who support abortion miss more than one issue. “I think someone is unqualified to run for office if there is any segment of our population they refuse to represent,” Hahn said. Hahn encouraged the crowd to consider serving in politics. She said it takes prayer and talking with others to gauge support. She added that watching for motives of anger and gaining power also matter. “It’s about service,” Hahn said. Richert set up that point earlier when he talked about all human authority coming from God, again referencing the Catechism. Politicians can’t save the world either, even at the presidential level.
Joseph Wajda, who since 2003 has been banned from exercising public priestly ministry because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors, has been laicized, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said in an Oct. 1 statement. Wajda, 69, “may not dress or present himself as a priest and is forbidden from the ordinary exercise of all sacred ministry, private as well as public,” the statement said. Ordained in 1973, Wajda had served at St. Raphael in Crystal, Immaculate Conception in Columbia Heights, St. Rose of Lima in Roseville, St. Joseph in Waconia, Sts. Peter and Paul in Loretto, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis, St. Andrew in St. Paul and Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul. His last assignment was in 2002 at the Metropolitan Tribunal. Archbishop Hebda said he strongly encourages anyone who has been abused to contact police.
Archdiocese reports allegation of priest serving in SD The Catholic Spirit The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Sept. 20 that it received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor and reported it to law enforcement. The alleged sexual abuse involves Father Joseph Thomas Forcelle and is from the late 1970s and early 1980s when he was serving at St. Mark in St. Paul. Father Forcelle has been serving in the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, since 1984. The archdiocese said it notified that diocese, which has information about Father Forcelle’s priestly status. Father Forcelle, 63, was ordained for the archdiocese in 1980. In addition to St. Mark, he served at St. Olaf in Minneapolis. In 1984 he became the director of the Office of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Sioux Falls and was incardinated into that diocese in 1988. According to a press release from the archdiocese, the St. Paul Police Department on Sept. 19 advised that there would not be a criminal investigation and gave the archdiocese permission to make the disclosure.
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October 16: Salt & Light Series Reentry of Former Prisoners into Society with UST Law Professor, Mark Osler and Former County Attorney, Tom Johnson October 30: The Corporal Works of Mercy with Prof. Susan J. Stabile November 6: The Spiritual Works of Mercy with Fr. Daniel Griffith November 20: Contemplation in Action: Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Excercises with Prof. Susan J. Stabile December 11: The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe with Dennis Gaetano, Mater Dei Tours
www.TheCatholicSpirit.com
January 8: Lectio Divina: A Spiritual Reading of Scripture with Prof. Susan J. Stabile January 22: Salt & Light Series The Many Facets of Abortion with Victoria Newcome Johnson February 5: Praying with the Psalms with Patrice Stegebauer, Director of Sacraments and Formation February 12: Stories from the Lourdes Archives with Julie Craven, Director of Communications March 12: Salt & Light Series Pope Francis and the Reform of the Church with Sr. Katarina Schuth, OSF, PhD March 19: Lenten Bible Study on the Theme of Discipleship with Fr. Daniel Griffith March 26: Lenten Bible Study on the Theme of Discipleship with Prof. Susan J. Stabile April 2: Lenten Bible Study on the Theme of Discipleship with Diane Millis, PhD April 30: Mystagogy: The Risen Christ in the Acts of the Apostles with Prof. Susan J. Stabile and Fr. Daniel Griffith
Celebrating 140 Years 1877-2017 • One Lourdes Place • Minneapolis, MN 55414 • ourladyoflourdesmn.com
8 • The Catholic Spirit
FAITH & CULTURE
October 13, 2016
Tale of two cities
See marks 50 years as Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit
F
ifty years ago, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was simply the Archdiocese of St. Paul. Until 1966, the official title of the Catholic Church in the Twin Cities and surrounding counties didn’t include Minneapolis even though the City of Lakes was larger in population than Minnesota’s capital. Currying favor with the people of Minneapolis — Catholics and non-Catholics alike — was behind the name change, according to documents in the archdiocesan archives, and civic influence and Church finances had as much to do with the modification as did the sense that people in both cities and the suburbs saw the Twin Cities as a metropolitan area. Archbishop Leo Binz pointed to population statistics in his 1966 request to the Vatican that Minneapolis be added to the archdiocese’s title, but by then a common sense of place had been in the air in the Twin Cities and suburbs in a host of other areas for Archbishop some time. LEO BINZ Bishop Richard Pates, who served in Minneapolis as pastor at Our Lady of Peace and its predecessor parishes, St. Kevin and Resurrection, from 1987 to 1998 and is now the bishop of Des Moines, Iowa, said he believes “it was simply the archbishop’s desire to have the name reflect the reality of the Twin Cities.” Both cities were relatively important in the region, Bishop Pates noted; they were already recognized as the “Twin Cities,” and, the Basilica of St. Mary, a cocathedral, was in Minneapolis. “Minneapolis is obviously an important civic and residential center,” said Bishop Pates, who also served the archdiocese as an auxiliary bishop, as rector of St. John Vianney College Seminary rector and as pastor of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. “I believe its inclusion in the archdiocesan title reflects the reality, gives due recognition to Minneapolis and best describes the local Church,” Bishop Pates said.
An attempt to unite Archbishop Binz’ predecessor, Archbishop William Brady, saw the need for the inclusion of Minneapolis in the name of the See as early as 1960, according to letters in the archdiocesan archives. He made the request to the Vatican to include Minneapolis in the title of the archdiocese in March of that year. Archbishop Brady wrote that adding Minneapolis to the archdiocesan title would “be of great religious and civil value. “Minneapolis deserves some recognition,” he noted. “It is possibly the largest city in the United States ... without a bishop ordinary.” The change “would result in a sense of pride for the Catholics of Minneapolis,” he wrote, “plus a better cooperation in archdiocesan works, since Minneapolis is jealous that St. Paul has the religious preference in everything.” Uniting Catholics in both cities, which Archbishop Brady proposed, was an opportunity for the Church “to take the lead here and to demonstrate to the business, civic and community enterprises a form of unified action and leadership that will be applauded by all and raise the opinion of the Catholic Church in this community which is still strongly non-Catholic in places.” Despite that rationale, the 1960 proposal was denied, likely because Archbishop Brady at the same time had proposed two other changes in the Church’s structure — that North Dakota and South Dakota be split off from the Province of St. Paul to form their own province, and that the bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, become an archbishop and head of that proposed new Dakotas province.
The Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, left, and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, apostolic delegate to the United States at that time, explained in a letter to Archbishop Brady that his proposals were denied because the bishops of the Dakotas did not approve of the change. But the idea to add Minneapolis to the name of the Archdiocese of St. Paul had staying power.
A new focus The arrival of big-time sports teams that chose “Minnesota” to be in their names — rather than either Minneapolis or St. Paul — was “part of the dynamic of the times,” recalled Father William Kenney, a retired priest of the archdiocese who was ordained in 1956. He pointed out that both the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings played their first seasons in 1961. James Baumgaertner, a St. Paul native and graduate of its Catholic schools whose uncle, Msgr. William Baumgaertner, was rector of the St. Paul Seminary from 1968 to 1980, remembered that the rivalry between the Twin Cities began to abate a bit in the early 1960s. Both the Twins and the Vikings played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Baumgaertner said, “a little suburb that had the first real freeway, and that tied the two old cities together. So there was a new focus on Minneapolis and St. Paul as a metropolis rather than two separate cities,” he said. Baumgaertner, an attorney in La Crosse, Wisconsin, brought up the fact that the early 1960s was also the time of the Ecumenical Council, and that racial integration was also a very hot topic. “So I think there was a mood in the Church for embracing and sharing,” he said, “and I suspect some of that just naturally fell over to the archdiocese. From a practical point of view, I suspect there were some money issues as well, and perhaps the Minneapolis Catholic churches would be more willing to help pay for the archdiocese and the St. Paul Cathedral if their name was included in the archdiocese.” Baumgaertner’s suspicion is right on target.
‘To foster the greater good of souls’ When Archbishop Binz wrote on June 13, 1966, to request the name change to include Minneapolis, he addressed the petition to Archbishop Vagnozzi, just as Archbishop Brady had. In a four-page letter, Archbishop Binz listed reasons for the name change, reasons almost all of which had been crafted by Auxiliary Bishop Leonard Cowley. “Reasons to honor Minneapolis grow stronger year by year,” Archbishop Binz wrote: • Programs are being discussed in both cities to solve common problems such as transportation, communication and sewage disposal. (The area-wide regional planning unit, the Metropolitan Council, was approved by the legislature one year later in 1967) • Citizens of the suburbs of both cities have few ties to either Minneapolis or St. Paul, and about one-third of the Catholics in the archdiocese live in the suburbs.
• The Catholic population of the two cities is about equal, although there is a greater percentage of Catholics in St. Paul and its suburbs. • Catholic organizations are likely to utilize the newly built convention center in Minneapolis, and having a co-cathedral available there would be an asset. • The archdiocesan board of consultors has unanimously approved the idea of a name change as “good for religion.” In his petition, Archbishop Binz credited Bishop Cowley — who at the time had lived in Minneapolis for eight years as pastor of the Basilica of St. Mary — as the writer of the following paragraph: “As near and as close as St. Paul and Minneapolis are, there are many Catholics in Minneapolis who have never been in the Cathedral of St. Paul, and, therefore, have never witnessed the pontifical ceremonies for which the Cathedral of St. Paul is noted. Furthermore, many citizens of Minneapolis have not known their Ordinary, or much about him.” Archbishop Binz also used another paragraph from Bishop Cowley’s memo suggesting that if the See’s name included Minneapolis, greater lay leadership would be forthcoming, particularly in response to requests for financial assistance. However, Archbishop Binz did not use another paragraph from his auxiliary’s memo that relates to financial and personnel reasons for the name change. In that paragraph — again from the archdiocesan archives — Bishop Cowley wrote: “In my opinion the clergy who are stationed in Minneapolis rarely respond to appeals of the Ordinary for diocesan projects in proportion to the response of the brethren in the See city of St. Paul. It would seem that if the Twin Cities were considered a single See area, the attitude of the Minneapolis clergy would change considerably. I think they would not consider themselves, or the appointments [to serve at Minneapolis parishes], as remote from the chancery in St. Paul as they now do.” The petition Archbishop Binz sent June 13, 1966, received a relatively quick response. On July 11, with the approval of Pope Paul VI, the Vatican’s Sacred Consistorial Congregation decreed that “to foster the greater good of souls” the petition was granted. The archdiocese would be known as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the archbishop would be the archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis would be elevated to the dignity of a co-cathedral. The Latin-language decree was received at the archdiocesan chancery in September, and the name change was announced on the top of the front page of the Catholic Bulletin Oct. 14, 1966. The story noted that there is not any plan “to separate the cities in the future” by establishing two dioceses. “On the contrary, it is evidence that the Church considers the Twin Cities and suburbs as a metropolitan unit,” it read.
A matter of order That was a point Archbishop Binz added near the end of his request for the name change, writing that “there appears no sentiment whatsoever for dividing the Archdiocese,” and that if the petition was granted, publicity should be handled “as to avoid creating the impression that a future division is contemplated.” Another point that Father Kenneth Pierre remembered was important to Archbishop Binz was the order of the cities’ names. Father Pierre was the archbishop’s priest secretary at the time. “[Archbishop] Binz wanted to retain St. Paul as the first city named in the new name,” Father Pierre recalled, “and he did that.” The Basilica of St. Mary was dedicated as a cocathedral on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 1966. A delegation from each parish in Minneapolis was invited to the Mass at which the Vatican’s edict was read. The Basilica plans to observe the 50th anniversary of that event along with a wider celebration in 2017.
October 13, 2016
FAITH & CULTURE
regard for whether it’s a good idea and whether the mother really understands what she’s getting into.” For opponents, this point exposes the fundamental difference between surrogacy and adoption. While adoption revolves around the child, surrogacy revolves around adults. “Throughout our history, the central focus of child rearing is what’s in the best interest of the child,” Cassidy said. “Here, for the first time, we’re talking about writing laws that are going to have as its central purpose not the best interest of the children. It’s going to be the desires of the adult. We are fundamentally shifting the focus of child rearing.”
Editor’s note: This is the third story in a series on surrogacy, which a Minnesota State Legislature commission is studying as it prepares to make public policy recommendations on the practice. Follow the series at www.thecatholicspirit.com.
A
s the discussion on surrogacy continues before a Minnesota state legislative commission studying the issue, the divide between the two sides becomes clearer, even as proponents of the practice try to normalize it. In the latest round of testimony Sept. 27, proponents compared surrogacy to adoption. “You don’t buy and sell babies in an adoption procedure, but there are costs paid,” said surrogacy lawyer Gary Debele. But the kind of costs paid in surrogacy prove to opponents that the industry is commerce in babies. In addition to reimbursement for medical expenses, in many surrogacies, “a big fee is paid for carrying the child,” Debele also testified Sept. 27. In adoption, direct compensation is illegal, and any financial support of the birth mother during pregnancy is strictly limited. Surrogacy agencies, however, advertise that surrogates can earn up to $40,000 per pregnancy. “There’s no question that surrogacy involves the selling of the child,” surrogacy opponent Harold Cassidy had stated in testimony during an August commission meeting. Cassidy has represented troubled surrogate mothers since the 1980s and is currently representing Melissa Cook, a surrogate mother in California who was pressured by the intended father to abort one of the triplets she was carrying. Cassidy also has experience in adoption law. Earlier in his career he represented birth mothers who had been pressured to surrender their children. In many cases, the adoption was overturned. Since then, laws have been enacted to ensure that mothers make a completely free and voluntary choice. A child cannot be surrendered and no legal agreement can be made until 72 hours after the birth. The adoption is not final until 90 days after the placement. The child is only separated from its mother after careful consideration and for a serious reason. “There were situations where the mom was unable to care for the child. It happens, and the culture had to come to the rescue of those children to provide them a home,” he stated. Surrogacy, however, is not an intervention, he stressed. “Surrogacies are planned before the child is even conceived. To what? Separate a baby from the mother who carried the child,” he said. “What the intended parents are bargaining for is not a service to carry a child. What the intended parents are bargaining for is exclusive custody and control over the child.” The Cook case is a good example. Early in the surrogacy arrangement, according to court documents, the intended father wrote Cook in an
The Catholic Spirit • 9
Misplaced desire
Adoption vs. surrogacy Surrogacy opponents lay out key differences in legislative commission hearings By Bridget Ryder • For The Catholic Spirit email, “I would let you keep my babies for weeks till you feel [it is the] right time for them to being [sic] ready to be home with me.” Then, later in the pregnancy, after he had expressed concern about his ability to care for the triplets Cook was carrying, he ignored her repeated offers to care for all three babies for several months after their birth and to raise the third child he said he could not handle. Instead, he insisted she have an abortion. The court, too, refused to hear her petition for custody of the third child, claiming that because of the surrogacy contract, it could not intervene. Cassidy said that violates the rights of the child. “Let’s look at what we’re really talking about,” he told the commission. “We talking about using a document that is signed before the child even exits, before the mom has a relationship with the child, before we know if the child is even going to come into existence. We use it as waiver of the future rights of the child, the future rights of the mother without
Surrogacy supporters have repeatedly referred to the “dream to become parents” of people who seek surrogacy. While having children is a good, the way of going about it matters, too. “Desiring a child is a good thing,” said Deborah Savage, a professor at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity and co-director of the Siena Symposium for Women, Family, and Culture, both in St. Paul. “But children are gifts; they are given. We have no right to a child, because a child is not the same thing as a good meal.” Savage speaks from personal experience. When she and her husband were unable to have children, she prayed. Six years later, out of the blue, a friend called. Her teenage daughter was unexpectedly pregnant and wanted Savage and her husband to adopt the child. “Wanda didn’t not want Maddie. Clearly, she was doing it out of love for Maddie,” Savage said. Parenthood is about the good of the child. “A child is not a means to my happiness, he’s created for his own sake,” Savage explained. As human persons with “their own right to life, their own destiny,” parents must respect the human dignity of their children. Savage agrees with Cassidy that a child has to be respected as a human person even at their conception. “We think of children wrongly,” Savage explained. “To say that this child has no rights because this child doesn’t exist is to deny that we were all at one time pure potency.” Pure potency is a philosophical term for the potential to exist. No one brings himself into existence, “we are all gifts to one another,” Savage said. “Placing a price and having a right-by-contract over the life of another treats that person as a commodity, not a gift.” She added: “By definition, I don’t have a right to something that is a gift.” For more information about the ongoing surrogacy discussion in Minnesota, visit www.surrogacyawareness. com.
28th–30th
Join Us at the Open Houses: October 26, November 10, January 9 • 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 651-696-3301 • www.c-dh.org/admissions
10 • The Catholic Spirit
WORLD MISS
Missionaries
on the last frontier
Contributions on World Mission Sunday Oct. 23 benefit Diocese of Fairbanks, the only fully missionary Catholic diocese in the U.S. By Jessica Weinberger For The Catholic Spirit
O
n the shortest day of the year, Dec. 21, the sun shines for less than four hours in Fairbanks, Alaska. But while darkness overcomes the region for much of the winter months, the light of the Catholic Church shines year-round through the faithful in the Diocese of Fairbanks, 3,000 miles northwest of the Twin Cities. It’s a place where nuns ride snowmobiles, priests travel by plane from parish to parish, and a dedicated group of diocesan leaders and lay ministers work to meet the needs of the nearly 12,500 Catholics situated throughout the nearly 410,000-square-mile diocese — more than 66 times the size of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Forty-six parishes dot this expansive geographic area, with only nine accessible by an official road system. It’s truly the last frontier, where temperatures can dip well below zero degrees, and whipping winds, dense fog and lengthy periods of darkness are routine. Officially formed in 1962, the Diocese of Fairbanks is both the nation’s largest diocese by size and the only remaining fully missionary Catholic diocese in the United States as designated by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. On Oct. 23, when Catholics worldwide celebrate World Mission Sunday, proceeds will benefit the Pontifical Mission Societies, which triages support to the 1,150 mission dioceses around the world. “Since only about eight of our communities can support themselves, we must subsidize the rest,” Fairbanks Bishop Chad Zielinski said. “We are grateful for the assistance we receive from the Pontifical Mission Society, Catholic Extension, Catholic Home Mission, Black and Indian Missions and the thousands of faithful who support our diocese with their donations. Without these benefactors, we could not carry on our work.” Deacon Mickey Friesen, director of the Center for Mission that serves the archdiocese, is organizing a trip to the diocese in 2017 so that local Catholics can build on the message of World Mission Sunday and witness the missionary Church in action. (See box.) “The hope of World Mission Sunday is to remember that we’re all called to be witnesses to our faith, but we’re also all connected to one other,” he said. “We have this worldwide connection of faith as Catholics worldwide, and we have an opportunity to support one another.”
Ongoing financial needs The harsh winds, blizzards and ice have kept Cindy
Jacobson, the diocese’s facilities and construction manager, busy for her four years on the job. She oversees the maintenance of more than 75 buildings, which must be handled through volunteer labor in the villages unless she can raise money to fund a specific project. She coordinates each group of workers, shipping or barging in the necessary tools to address the exterior and foundational needs of the buildings and replace outdated light fixtures. Plumbing is a complicated task, as she must keep the buildings warm enough to prevent the pipes from freezing. Each project requires Jacobson to communicate with many residents who continue to speak in their native Alaskan languages, while also overseeing many projects, depending on the time of the year, in the dark. “That’s why those light fixtures are so important,” she joked. Deacon George Bowder, who served as the diocese’s director of finance for 35 years, noted that the conditions, along with the cultural make-up of the region, have contributed to the unique financial needs of the diocese. “The biggest roadblock is that the cultural lifestyle is one of subsistence, which is hunting and gathering,” he explained. “They do a lot of gathering, but that doesn’t create a cash economy where you could take that and pay for the maintenance on the church or help with the fuel that goes into the tank or pay the electric bill.”
Native ministry Catholic missionaries have ministered to indigenous groups such as the Athabaskan, Yup’ik, Cup’ik and Inupiat native Alaskans since 1862, before the United States purchased the land from Russia in 1867. Franciscan Sister Kathy Radich has carried on that tradition for the last 30 years in ministering to the spiritual needs of the Yup’ik Eskimo people in the YukonKuskokwim delta region. From her home base of St. Mary’s, a village of 600 residents, she serves as the diocese’s coordinator of rural ministries, supporting 24 villages on the far western coast of the state. Living among the Yup’ik people, she works to establish a Yup’ik-Catholic community that is both true to Catholic teaching and meaningful to the local people. Sister Kathy has helped incorporate Yup’ik customs into sacraments like the baptismal rite, where parents and sponsors will say both the child’s baptismal name and Yup’ik name. “The Yup’ik had a spiritual life long before the missionaries came,” she said. “Now they’re drawing parallels between what Jesus taught and what their
About the Pontifical Mission Societies
Travel to Fairbanks
The Pontifical Mission Societies represents a group of four Catholic missionary societies, governed by the pope, that work to promote a universal missionary spirit within the Church. Together, they help bring the messages of Christ to the world, especially in countries where Christianity is new, young or poor. World Mission Sunday, organized by the Propagation of the Faith, one of the mission societies, is celebrated by Catholics worldwide and invites them to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. Proceeds from World Mission Sunday support the more than 1,100 mission dioceses around the world by supplying Bibles for catechists, supporting a struggling parish, caring for orphans, helping priests travel between remote villages and more. Each year, Catholics in the U.S. donate about $50 million to the Propagation of the Faith to support this important evangelization work. — Jessica Weinberger
The Center for Mission is planning a trip to the Diocese of Fairbanks in northern Alaska in mid-June 2017. See how the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and other grants sustain and nurture the spiritual health of mission dioceses. Share in their faith, culture, joys and struggles. For more information, contact Eric Simon at 651-291-4446 or simone@archspm.org.
ancestors taught. Our mission out here is to empower these people to continue to spread their spirituality.” Malora Hunt, a Yup’ik mother of five, appreciates how she can blend her heritage with her Catholic faith, singing Yup’ik songs and pieces from the Catholic hymnal at Mass. With limited volunteers serving in her parish in Emmonak, a village of 900 people, she has held a wide-ranging set of leadership roles, while also overseeing baptismal and marriage preparation with her husband, Dominic. There are more than 300 baptisms in the diocese each year, and Hunt helps plan the baptisms within her parish mostly between October and June, as residents spend the busy summer months salmon fishing and gathering. Each year, fewer than 40 couples enter into the sacrament of marriage in the diocese, which Hunt attributes to the younger generations losing their connection to traditional Yup’ik values and beliefs, as well as influences from the mainstream culture. During their marriage preparation sessions, the Hunts work to share the wisdom and knowledge of their Yup’ik spirituality and traditional parenting. “We try to inspire young people to rely on the teachings of our ancestors and to build their families together with our Catholic faith and practices,” she said.
Support for vocations With limited financial resources and personnel, Patrick Tam, the director of adult faith formation and a parish facilitator for Sacred Heart Church in Emmonak, splits his time between coordinating retreats, Bible studies and groups for adults in the Yukon–Kuskokwim region and maintaining the spiritual life of his parish with Sunday services, sacramental preparation and more. Without a designated pastor, a native deacon or lay eucharistic minister is left to lead Sunday services until a priest visits every two months. “Sometimes it’s very frustrating when you see people really needing the sacraments, whether it’s reconciliation or anointing or the Eucharist, and you can’t just do those things until we get a priest out here,” Tam said. Only 18 priests and 26 deacons serve the 46 parishes
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SION SUNDAY
the Diocese of Fairbanks, forcing priests to split time ween multiple parishes. They face unpredictable ather and costly transportation, leading many of them ride snowmobiles or travel by river barge between ishes when travel by small plane is too costly. At the end of each visit, parishioners ensure the veling priest stocks the tabernacle with enough hosts ast until the next visit, and they continue to pray for igenous men, especially, to answer the call to the esthood or deaconate. ather Robert Fath, the Diocese of Fairbanks’ vocations ector, is both the youngest priest in the diocese at 38 d the only current homegrown priest. In his newly panded role within the Office of Faith and Family mation, he plans to travel extensively between the ages to increase awareness and support for vocations
October 13, 2016 • 11
Mercy … to the ends of the earth By Deacon Mickey Friesen
LEFT Father Roman Caly blesses the boats of parishioners during an annual procession in the Yup’ik village of Emmonak, Alaska. The village sustains itself through fishing. Courtesy Franciscan Sister Marian Leaf BELOW In this photo from 2008, Lucy James, a Yup’ik Eskimo from the bush village of Tununak, Alaska, fishes for smelt in her favorite spot in front of her house. The bank where her house sits is part of the narrow peninsula that separates the river from the Bering Sea. Courtesy Jesuit Father Thomas Provinsal
from residents who might only interact with a priest a handful of times each year. He admits that ministering in northern Alaska is not for the faint of heart. Priests must be willing to accept the extreme temperatures, light-dark cycles and remote settings that characterize the region. But these dedicated missionaries are crucial to spreading the good news on American soil. “When we think of mission dioceses, we often think of foreign lands,” he said. “But there’s still mission territories here in our own country. … We have faithfilled individuals who are hungry for the Lord here in northern Alaska, and just because of the vast expanse of the area and the lack of easy transportation, we need all of the help we can get to bring the faith and the sacraments to the people.”
Where are the mission fields today? How do we know where to go to bring the Gospel to our world? We could take inspiration from Jesus’ parting words to his friends, “ … you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus’ great commission was to go to three distinct destinations, three areas of focus for living out the missionary call. Jerusalem was where the disciples lived at the time. Judea-Samaria was their region or land, which included faithful Jews and separated Samaritans. And, then there is the rest of the known and unknown world of our planet — the ends of the earth. And yet, despite the place, the call is the same: “Be my witnesses.” Whether at home or abroad, our words, deeds and very lives are to give witness to Jesus — to share and to continue his mission to bring good news to the poor, healing to the sick, light to those in darkness and liberty to those held captive. Jesus’ mission is a mission of mercy to the ends of the earth. Mercy is more than just praying or wishing others well. The mission of mercy is about going to the margins to serve others, and it can be quite practical at times. Maybe the reason he sends us to all three destinations is because he wants his Church’s mission to be universal (as we say, catholic), and he wants us to care about everyone. World Mission Sunday is the day for Catholics around the world to renew their commitment to these great commissions through their own witnesses of life, love and service to others. In “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis wrote that the great commissions have not ceased. Rather, “This command commits all of us, in the current landscape with all its challenges, to hear the call to a renewed missionary ‘impulse.’ … Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel” (20). Today, the peripheries are another way of describing the ends of the earth. They can be geographic, but there are other kinds of frontiers, borders, edges and margins in our world that still exist in darkness. On World Mission Sunday, we join Catholics around the world to witness to the light in the darkness and to support the mission of Christ’s mercy across the miles and across the borders of the human heart and the many souls who seek the light. One of those places that feels like the end of the earth on many levels is Alaska. Alaska is known as “The Last Frontier.” It is still a vast and wild terrain that is as large as a third of the size of the lower 48 states. The Diocese of Fairbanks is the only remaining fully missionary Catholic diocese in the U.S. It is also among the poorest. This diocese serves both the city of Fairbanks and the very remote regions that embrace many cultures. With very few clergy and religious sisters, the diocese has called upon deacons and the lay faithful to provide sacraments and pastoral leadership. Missionaries must travel great distances and endure harsh environmental conditions, difficult terrain and extreme poverty to do their work. Mission activity in Fairbanks can be very basic at times. It means providing basic human services and simple churches. It means providing means of transportation to remote regions and providing expensive fuel oil for enduring the harsh winter. It can mean addressing the physical and mental strain that comes with living in near total darkness for several months a year. Providing transportation and basic services to mission villages is a great challenge to mission work. As we come to the end of the Year of Mercy, now is the time to renew our call to be missionaries of mercy. We are each called to go to the margins in our world. We can pray and support those who go to the ends of the earth and offer our support for those who bring light to those in darkness. Let us each take our place at the table of God’s mercy and be a witness to Christ at all times and to the ends of the earth. Deacon Friesen is director of the Center for Mission in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
12 • The Catholic Spirit
U.S. & WORLD
Pope names 17 new cardinals, including three from U.S. By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Pope Francis will conclude the Year of Mercy by creating 17 new cardinals, including three from the United States: Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago; Bishop Kevin Farrell, prefect of the new Vatican office for laity, family and life; and Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis. Archbishop Cupich graduated from the College (now University) of St. Thomas in St. Paul in 1971. Announcing the names of the new cardinals Oct. 9, Pope Francis said, “Their coming from 11 nations expresses the universality of the Church that proclaims and witnesses the good news of God’s mercy in every corner of the earth.” The new cardinals — 13 of whom are younger than 80 and therefore eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope and four older than 80 being honored for their “clear Christian witness” — will be inducted into the College of Cardinals Nov. 19, the eve of the close of the Year of Mercy. The next day, Nov. 20, they will join Pope Francis and other cardinals in celebrating the feast of Christ the King and closing the Year of Mercy, the pope said. The first of the new cardinals announced by the pope was Archbishop Mario Zenari, who, the pope explained, “will remain apostolic nuncio to the beloved and martyred Syria.” The last of the cardinals he named was Albanian Father Ernest Simoni, a priest of the Archdiocese of Shkodre-Pult, who will turn 88 Oct. 18. He had moved Pope Francis to tears in 2014 when he spoke about his 30 years in prison or forced labor under Albania’s militant atheistic regime. Ordained in 1956, he was arrested on Christmas Eve 1963 while celebrating Mass and was sentenced to death by firing squad. He was beaten, placed for three months in solitary confinement, and then tortured because he refused to denounce the Church. He was eventually freed, but later arrested again and sent to a prison camp. In creating 13 cardinal-electors — those younger than 80 — Pope Francis will exceed by one the 120 cardinal-elector limit set by Blessed Paul VI. The
October 13, 2016
New cardinals Pope Francis announced 17 new cardinals Oct. 9 in the following order: •A rchbishop Mario Zenari, an Italian, 70 •A rchbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic, 49 • Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Madrid, 71 •A rchbishop Sergio da Rocha of Brasilia, Brazil, who will be 57 Oct. 21 • Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago, 67 •A rchbishop Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 73 • Archbishop Baltazar Porras Cardozo of Merida, Venezuela, 72 •A rchbishop Jozef De Kesel of Malines-Brussels, Belgium, 69 •A rchbishop Maurice Piat of Port-Louis, Mauritius, 75 •B ishop Kevin Farrell, prefect of the new Vatican office for laity, family and life, 69 •A rchbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla, Mexico, 66 •A rchbishop John Ribat of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 59 • Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis, 64 •R etired Archbishop Anthony Soter Fernandez of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 84 • Retired Archbishop Renato Corti of Novara, Italy, 80 •R etired Bishop Sebastian Koto Khoarai of Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho, 87 •A lbanian Father Ernest Simoni, a priest of the Archdiocese of Shkodre-Pult, 87 number of potential electors will return to 120 Nov. 28 when Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr of Dakar, Senegal, celebrates his 80th birthday. The youngest of the new cardinals — who will be the youngest member of the College of Cardinals — is 49-year-old Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic. When violence broke out in his country, the archbishop began working with a Protestant leader and a local imam to counter efforts to turn the conflict into a religious war. Seven of the 11 nations represented by the new cardinals did not have a cardinal at the time of the pope’s announcement: Central African Republic, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Papua New Guinea will now have cardinal-electors. Malayasia, Lesotho and Albania will be represented in the College of Cardinals, although their cardinals will be too old to vote in a conclave.
Aid slowly makes its way to thousands of Haitians displaced by hurricane By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service Emergency aid slowly began to reach some of the thousands of Haitians displaced by Hurricane Matthew in the country’s picturesque southwest as reports of casualties slowly trickled in from communities cut off by the storm. The number of deaths reached 1,000 on Oct. 9, five days after the storm’s 145-mile-an-hour winds and torrential rains slammed into the country, according to a tally by Reuters based on conversations with local officials. However, Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency reported that 336 people had died. The agency’s accounting of casualties is lower because of a policy that requires emergency workers visit each village to confirm the number of casualties. Health care workers were becoming increasingly concerned Oct. 9 that cholera would explode throughout the worst hit areas of Grand’Anse and South departments because of a lack of water and sanitation. The water-borne disease was introduced into Haiti in 2010 by U.N. peacekeeping troops. More than 800,000 cases and nearly 10,000 deaths have been attributed to the disease since then by Haiti’s Department of Public Health and Population. Reports of damage and casualties in Cuba and other nations affected by the storm were sporadic. In Haiti, emergency supplies that had been stored in warehouses before the storm were being distributed to people whose homes were turned into matchsticks by Hurricane Matthew, said Chris Bessey, Haiti country director for Catholic Relief Services. Pope Francis offered condolences to “all those who lost a loved one” and assured “the injured and all those who have lost their homes and belongings” that he was close to them through prayer. “Welcoming and encouraging solidarity in facing the country’s latest trial, the Holy Father entrusts all Haitians to the maternal protection of Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” said a telegram released Oct. 7 by the Vatican. The U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency planned to send additional staff and vehicles into the region. Meanwhile, CRS on Oct. 7 committed $5 million as an initial contribution to help Haiti and other Caribbean nations to recover from the storm, the strongest to hit the region in a decade.
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October 13, 2016
The Catholic Spirit • 13
in BRIEF MEXICO CITY
Argentine priest who criticized drug trafficking found dead at his home An outspoken Argentine priest known for denouncing the threat of drug trafficking and warning of rising crime in the northern part of the country was found hanged Oct. 5 in his parish home. The circumstances of Father Juan Heraldo Viroche’s death remain uncertain. Investigators in the province of Tucuman, 750 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, told local media there were no signs of violence or “something that would suppose there was some kind of altercation with someone,” the newspaper Clarin reported. But Father Viroche, 47, pastor of Our Lady of the Valley in a locality known as La Florida, had a history of speaking out on security issues and the dangers of drug dealing. Father Viroche even celebrated a Mass outdoors in an area notorious for narcotics trafficking known as Delfin Gallo to denounce insecurity and illegal activities, Argentine media reported.
VATICAN CITY
Pope chooses youths, vocational discernment as theme for next synod Following up on the Synod of Bishops on the family, a synod in 2018 will focus on accompanying young people on the path of faith and in discerning their vocations, the Vatican said. Pope Francis chose “Young people, faith and vocational discernment” as the theme for the 15th general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in October 2018, the Vatican announced Oct. 6. The theme of young people and their path of discernment is a
continuation of “what emerged from the recent” synod on the family and the pope’s apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” on family life, a Vatican statement said. The synod will look at the best ways to accompany young people on their path toward maturity and providing a process of discernment so “they may discover their life plan and fulfill it with joy, opening themselves to an encounter with God and with men and women, and actively participating in the building of the Church and society,” the Vatican said.
WASHINGTON
Anniversary program celebrates, looks at threat to Hyde Amendment With the Hyde Amendment that bans federal Medicaid funding of abortions celebrating its 40th anniversary Sept. 30, the March for Life celebrated the anniversary in part by warning of threats to dismantle the rider. Even though one new study estimates more than 2 million babies have not been aborted since the Hyde Amendment took effect, Jeanne Mancini, executive director of the March for Life, said it is at risk, as the Democratic Party platform and presidential standard-bearer Hillary Clinton have said the amendment should be repealed. She spoke at a briefing Sept. 29 in a hall at the Rayburn House Office Building near the Capitol. Michael New, a visiting associate professor at Ave Maria University in Florida, said in a research paper that he calculated that 2.14 million unborn babies’ lives had been saved as a result of the Hyde Amendment. The paper was published in September by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the Susan B. Anthony Foundation. — Catholic News Service
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas share a light moment as they leave the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington after the annual Red Mass Oct. 2. CNS/Jaclyn Lippelmann
Justice, mercy are twin virtues for the law, Archbishop Hebda says in Red Mass homily By Mark Zimmermann Catholic News Service Those involved in the administration of law should seek justice and mercy in their work, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis said Oct. 2. “Those two virtues must intersect in our lives and actions,” said the archbishop, who was the homilist at the 64th annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. The Red Mass in the nation’s capital is celebrated just before the Supreme Court begins its term in October; opening day for the court this year was Oct. 3. The Mass seeks God’s blessing and guidance on those who work in the law, including judges, diplomats, government officials and attorneys. The Mass also was attended by university officials and law professors and students. Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was attended by five Supreme Court justices: Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts Jr. and Supreme Court Associate Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito Jr. Other government officials at the Mass included U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch; U.S. Secretary of Education John King Jr.; and Denis McDonough, President Barack Obama’s chief of staff.
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14 • The Catholic Spirit
October 13, 2016
FOCUS ON FAITH
October 13, 2016
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Deacon Matt Shireman
By persevering in prayer, we share in Christ’s life Both the first reading and the Gospel from Oct. 16 speak about the importance of persistent prayer. Moses is an Old Testament figure for intercessory prayer. In the first reading, he prays for Joshua and the army of Israelites who are in battle against the Amelkites. Moses’ two helpers, Aaron and Hur, are with him on top of a mountain during this time of prayer and ultimately, they hold his hands up so that the Israelites win the battle. In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples to not become weary in prayer. He uses a parable of a widow who repeatedly approaches a judge asking to
receive a just decision from him. Her persistence is what gets the judge to give her the just verdict. We can be tempted to become weary in prayer when the situation that we have been praying for seems to never change. October, as Respect Life Month, calls to mind Roe v. Wade, an unjust judgment that was decided many years before I was born. I have been praying for an end to abortion throughout my life, especially since becoming more involved in my Catholic faith. Unfortunately, it can seem that little ground has been made in building a culture of life, particularly in
The Catholic Spirit • 15
the conversion of some pro-abortion politicians. On a different note, the daily praying for the conversion (or re-conversion) of a loved one can also seem like a prayer that is not being answered. We have St. Monica as an example of a woman who prayed day after day for the conversion of her son Augustine. We know that she saw the fulfillment of her prayers; St. Augustine became one of the greatest saints in the Church. In the responsorial psalm, we hear, “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Truly, our God is all-powerful. He also loves us more than we could ever know. This means that he desires great things, like our salvation, infinitely more than we do. So we should — and need to — believe that “justice will be done speedily” for us, as in Jesus’ words. As painful as it can be to see injustices in the world or to see a loved one turn a back on God, Jesus experienced a much greater pain on the cross. He who did not know sin accepted the ultimate unjust judgment for our sins. On the cross, Jesus’ hands were held up by two nails as
Sunday, Oct. 16 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings • Ex 17:8-13 • 2 Tm 3:14-4:2 • Lk 18:1-8 he prayed for us. He persevered in his prayer for us until his last breath and won the great battle over sin. We participate in the same prayer of Jesus, especially when we unite ourselves to him in the eucharistic sacrifice. We trust that through our prayer, God will change our hearts to love as Jesus loves — a love of total gift to others whether or not they respond the way we think they should. And that love is truly freeing. Deacon Shireman is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His teaching parish is St. Victoria in Victoria, and his home parish is St. Therese in Deephaven.
DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Oct. 16 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Ex 17:8-13 2 Tm 3:14-4:2 Lk 18:1-8 Monday, Oct. 17 St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr Eph 2:1-10 Lk 12:13-21
Tuesday, Oct. 18 St. Luke, evangelist 2 Tm 4:10-17b Lk 10:1-9 Wednesday, Oct. 19 Sts. John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, priests, and companions, martyrs Eph 3:2-12 Lk 12:39-48
Thursday, Oct. 20 Eph 3:14-21 Lk 12:49-53 Friday, Oct. 21 Eph 4:1-6 Lk 12:54-59 Saturday, Oct. 22 Eph 4:7-16 Lk 13:1-9
SEEKING ANSWERS
Father Michael Schmitz
Hope is powerful and calls us to action Q. How do I live with hope? This world seems so lost at times. Even more personally, my life seems so painful and senseless at times. It all just seems so pointless. A. Thank you so much for writing and asking this question. The very fact that you have asked this question is a sign that you have a certain degree of hope, because you have taken action in asking for an answer. And hope is almost always going to be connected to action. Years ago, I read Laura Hillenbrand’s phenomenal book “Unbroken,” the story of the life of Louis Zamporini, who joined the Air Force during World War II and flew in a B-52 bomber in the South Pacific. On one of these runs, the bomber crashed into the ocean, and only three men survived: Louis and two others. They spent the next 47 days drifting in the South Pacific Ocean, constantly hungry, perpetually thirsty and often
threatened and attacked by sharks. Desperate, nearly mad and hopeless, one of the men, Francis McNamara, ultimately died aboard the raft. Louis and the other survivor, Russell Allen Phillips, finally made it to land. Hillenbrand writes, “Given the dismal record of raftbound men, Mac’s despair was reasonable. What is remarkable is that the two men who shared Mac’s plight didn’t share his hopelessness. Though all three faced the same hardship, their differing perceptions of it appeared to be shaping their fates.” Hope is powerful. But hope is not merely optimism or wishful thinking. Often, people who share their desire to live in hope seem to reveal that what they long for is optimism. Optimism can be a nice thing for most people on most days, but it is virtually useless when needed the most. People with hope differ from merely optimistic people in at least one critical way. Those with hope all share the core
Sunday, Oct. 23 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sir 35:12-14, 16-18 2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18 Lk 18:9-14 Monday, Oct. 24 Eph 4:32–5:8 Lk 13:10-17 Tuesday, Oct. 25 Eph 5:21-33 Lk 13:18-21
Wednesday, Oct. 26 Eph 6:1-9 Lk 13:22-30
Saturday, Oct. 29 Phil 1:18b-26 Lk 14:1, 7-11
Thursday, Oct. 27 Eph 6:10-20 Lk 13:31-35
Sunday, Oct. 30 Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 11:22-12:2 2 Thes 1:11-2:2 Lk 19:1-10
Friday, Oct. 28 Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles Eph 2:19-22 Lk 6:12-16
conviction: Life has meaning. This conviction leads them to action.
Next thing mentality We live in a hopeless age. There is an awful lot of optimism, but very little hope. The source of this hopelessness is a profound lack of meaning in most people’s lives. Consider this: Most people live their lives looking forward to “the next thing.” We say things like, “It might be rough now, but once I get that promotion, then I’ll be fine.” Or, “I know that I’m lonely now, but once I find someone, then I’ll be fine.” Or, “I know that my spouse and I are discontented now, but once we have kids, then we will be fine.” There is nothing wrong with looking forward to things, but sooner or later we discover that it just doesn’t deliver. We go on to the next thing and are no better off. We miss the meaning of the moments of our lives because we have forgotten that all of life is meaningful. This is why being a Christian, a real follower of Jesus Christ, is a gamechanger. All of us experience the pain that the world throws at us. All of us experience discouragement and even utter destruction (we are all going to die some day). All of us will be confronted with situations like Louis Zamporini’s, where we cannot escape and where wishing isn’t enough. As Christians, we know that God has made this world good. We know that evil and suffering and death are not a part of his plan for
our lives, but that he is with us in the midst of even the worst and most destructive storms. We know that he can work out for the good everything that comes against his children. We have this hope, this confidence, that our lives have meaning. And if our lives have meaning, then our choices have meaning. Many people are paralyzed by their situations or by their fears. Too many of us look at the challenges of the moment and choose to wish, rather than choose to hope. But wishing is hopelessness in disguise. It leads nowhere. Hope leads us to action. Hillenbrand describes the difference between the men in the raft: “Louie’s and Phil’s hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor. Mac’s resignation seemed to paralyze him, and the less he participated in their efforts to survive, the more he slipped.” How does a person grow in hope? By reconnecting with the Story. By being reminded that we believe that there is more to this life than just this life. By being committed to the truth that God is in all things and all moments and that our decisions matter. And then to simply begin making choices. You can’t do everything, but you can do something. 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. Reach him at fathermikeschmitz@gmail.com.
16 • The Catholic Spirit
THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY
EVERYDAY MERCIES Alyssa Bormes
James, meet St. James After writing three columns about the Camino this summer, it seemed excessive to do one more. But who am I kidding? I’ll be writing about this forever! In an effort to recap the previous articles, the Camino is a 500-mile walking pilgrimage across Spain to Santiago, where the remains of St. James the Greater are housed. My stepsister, Brenda, was my companion. After a few days of walking, I had to stop for some weeks due to a fall that made worse my already inadequate knee. I was able to walk the last 72 miles.
As we neared Santiago, there was an odd thing in the guidebook; it said that many people find arriving in Santiago to be a bit of a letdown. It was such a sad thing to read. One of the questions that all of us walkers asked each other was, “Why are you walking the Camino?” At first, it was a surprise as to how few people were there on pilgrimage. Instead, there was a sense of the physical feat, or to somehow find the unknown “something.” What was different for us pilgrims is that we were going to find Someone.
When I was asked why I was walking the Camino, I would reply, “I was called by St. James.” “What do you mean?” The discussion that followed usually boiled down to, “It’s all for Jesus; I would never walk the Camino if not for Jesus.” When I arrived in Santiago, it was about 7 a.m. The full sun had not yet hit the cathedral, but the light was there. We went to 7:30 a.m. Mass and received the Eucharist. St. James had been calling me to Someone, our Lord. Gratitude flooded my soul. Later that day, Brenda and I greeted my stepfather — her father, Jim — and three of his grandchildren. Two days after their arrival, it was the feast of St. James. In addition, it was Jim’s birthday. It was amazing to be at Mass together, but then there was that moment — the one unlike the rest. As a family, we went below the altar to the place where the relics of St. James are kept. On his 84th birthday, James Parson met St. James.
October 13, 2016
A faithful Catholic man surrounded by two of his 17 children, three of his nearly 40 grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, was meeting a man who walked with Jesus, was at the Last Supper, was a witness to the Resurrection, and became an evangelist. James and St. James were each meeting a brother in Christ. What a moment! Later, I asked Jim, “Do you think this is what your parents had in mind for your 84th birthday on the day you were born?” We all had a little chuckle — of course not, who could imagine this? Yet, Jesus knew, St. James called, and Jim went to Santiago. The Camino was Jim’s pilgrimage, Brenda and I walked it, and his many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were able to share in the many graces. St. James, pray for us! Bormes, a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park, is the author of the book “The Catechism of Hockey.”
TWENTY SOMETHING Christina Capecchi
Listening at the keyholes: how to love better, learn more When two 20-somethings slung a wire across rooftops in Boston, they were hoping to hear each other’s voices transmitted across that line. It worked, and they did, but in the process, they also picked up a far more exotic sound: powerful radio waves emitted from the sun. Alexander Graham Bell was 26 and working in a fifth-floor attic when he spoke those famous words into a mouthpiece: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” The message to his assistant was transmitted, Bell wrote in his journal: “To my delight, he came and declared that he had heard and understood what I said.” Any charged wire becomes not only a transmitter, but also an antenna, and Bell’s assistant, Thomas Watson, an earnest 22-year-old he had plucked from a machine shop, spent hours listening to the strange chirps and whistles coming from their accidental antenna. Using the first telephone, it turned out, the young men were actually dialed into the sun. Watson correctly guessed that he was picking up activity on the surface of the sun through its radio waves. Fifty years later Bell hired an engineer to study those noises, ushering in a new age of space exploration — radio astronomy — and prodding astronomers to scale up their antennas, connecting them to loudspeakers, and catch the radio waves made by stars and planets. New insights into the solar system were unlocked not through looking, but listening. Space, they discovered, makes a hissing noise. Jupiter, when carried through short waves of radiation,
sounds like pebbles thrown on a tin roof. The sun roars like the sea. And a pulsar, which is a pulsating radio star, beats like a drum — the faster the star spins, the faster the beat. To hear these celestial structures is to know them in a new way, to render them “a little more tangible,” said Honor Harger, a New Zealand sound artist who spoke about this field of study on a TED stage. “It’s through listening that we’ve come to uncover some of the universe’s most important secrets,” she said. Her words came through my iPhone last Friday, via a podcast, and resonated deeply with the lost art I have been pondering this autumn: listening. This is a season that calls us to quiet, to hear the crinkling of leaves and the clapping of wind whipping through cornfields. The Holy Father has charged us to be a “listening Church,” but our noisy Information Age makes it hard to listen well, and my generation may suffer the most. We consume sound bites and Snapchats, headlines and thumbnails. We are stuffed so full that we forget how to be empty and attuned: to listen to each other, to the Mass, to ourselves and to God. How embarrassing to think of the many times I missed out on really hearing others because I talked over them or missed the question they were begging to be asked, because I made it about myself or reinforcing something comfortable, rather than challenging myself to go somewhere new. When we set down our phones and set aside our agendas, we can listen in a transformative way: We can love better and learn more. “When it’s God who is speaking,”
“When it’s God who is speaking,” St. John Vianney once said, “the proper way to behave is to imitate someone who has an irresistible curiosity and who listens at keyholes. You must listen to everything God says at the keyhole of your heart.”
St. John Vianney once said, “the proper way to behave is to imitate someone who has an irresistible curiosity and who listens at keyholes. You must listen to everything God says at the keyhole of your heart.” I love the image of a curious child, snooping and sleuthing, pressing his ear to a keyhole in hopes of picking something up. That’s how we should
lean in and listen to God, eager to discern every whisper. That’s how we should approach the world around us, observing and appreciating — neighbors, grandparents, colleagues, cashiers — and listening at all the keyholes. Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights and the editor of www.sisterstory.org.
October 13, 2016
THIS CATHOLIC LIFE • COMMENTARY
LETTERS Opposition to Elizabeth Johnson advertisement It was disturbing to see the ad in The Catholic Spirit [Sept. 22] promoting Elizabeth Johnson and her desire to “loosen the shackles of patriarchal structures … .” The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ, a man, and given the Holy Spirit to guide and protect Her from error. Why would The Catholic Spirit, our local Archdiocesan CATHOLIC newspaper, promote Ms. Johnson, who has been told repeatedly by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the “language she uses does not adequately express the faith of the Church.” Is it asking too much that The Catholic Spirit reaffirm and support the Catholic Church? • www.usccb.org/news/2011/11-205e. cfm
• www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/
publications/upload/statement-quest-forthe-living-god-2011-03-24.pdf
Bridget Kluesner Divine Mercy, Faribault Dear Catholic Spirit editors: Are you serious? Running an ad in The Catholic Spirit promoting Elizabeth Johnson? Isn’t she a former nun who has huge problems with the traditional teachings of the Church? What could she possibly have to offer Catholics other than more division and dissension? Ms. Johnson (or is it Sister) has been told by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the “language she uses does not adequately express the faith of the Church” (www.usccb.org/ news/2011/11-205e.cfm). Why is The Catholic Spirit supporting this woman?
THE LOCAL CHURCH Tom Mertens
Archdiocese’s bankruptcy expenses explained Bankruptcy is complicated and expensive. A Sept. 21 article in the Minneapolis StarTribune about the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Reorganization efforts and how much it has cost since we filed in January 2015 painted an incomplete picture, and there are some items that need attention and clarification. First, it is true that attorneys’ fees have topped $11 million since we filed for Reorganization, but that’s not just for lawyers representing the archdiocese. Under U.S. Bankruptcy Court rules, the organization that files for Chapter 11 is responsible for paying for all of the attorneys involved in representing courtapproved committees. That means that the archdiocese also has to pay for lawyers and professionals for the Unsecured Creditors Committee (which represents sexual abuse claimants and others who have filed claims against the archdiocese) and for the Official Parish Committee (which represents all of the parishes in the archdiocese). The figure also includes costs of the court-appointed federal mediator, and court fees and expenses incurred by the official committees.
Rosie Huray St. John the Baptist, New Brighton Share your perspective by emailing CatholicSpirit@archspm.org. The Commentary page does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.
archspm.org
www.TheCatholicSpirit.com
We are confident that the fees we are paying the attorneys representing the archdiocese are an investment toward a successful outcome of the Reorganization process. Our attorneys continue working with the insurance carriers that have provided coverage over the past 70 years in order to make sure that those who have been harmed receive compensation. Their efforts are bearing fruit. You may remember that when we filed our plan for Reorganization in May, the proposed trust for victims of clergy sexual abuse was at $65 million. Thanks to ongoing mediation efforts with insurance carriers and the efforts of legal counsel, that number has substantially increased, and by an amount far exceeding any fees that have been paid for their services. Second, the StarTribune article indicated that the reports filed with the court show that the archdiocese is paying child support. That is inaccurate. We are not paying child support for any priest or employee. The accounting category is set up to reflect that employees’ wages are sometimes garnished to satisfy a personal obligation (such as a school loan or child support), meaning that
The Catholic Spirit • 17
we are sometimes required to deduct money from that employee’s paycheck and send it to the entity that is owed or the collecting agency. We have not, however, been required to withhold payment for child support since the beginning of the bankruptcy. Third, while we do pay assessments to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the $1 million figure cited in the article needs some context. Every diocese in the country contributes to the USCCB based on its size, and the accounting category represents not only the annual assessment, but also the amounts forwarded to the USCCB as a result of our parishes’ voluntary participation in national collections, such as the annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Parishes send the archdiocese what they collect, and we write one check to the USCCB on behalf of the archdiocese. Similarly, the archdiocese is assessed a fee for its involvement in the MCC, which is the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota and advocates on behalf of social justice issues. All of the dioceses in the state contribute to the MCC, and the bishops who comprise its board decide those fees. I want to assure you that all of us at the archdiocese work diligently every day to be good stewards of the resources we are given. We are working hard to minimize our expenses and maximize the services we provide for parishes and schools. Mertens is the chief financial officer for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
18 • The Catholic Spirit
CALENDAR
Dining out KC Partnership Breakfast with Dunrovin Retreat Center — Oct. 16: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at 1910 S. Greeley St., Stillwater. Knights of Columbus Respect Life Family Dinner — Oct. 22: 6–9 p.m. at 11400 57th St. NE, Albertville. Reservations: 763-497-3909 by Oct. 17. Knights of Columbus Breakfast for WomenSource — Oct. 23: 8:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park.
Eucharistic Miracles of the World — Oct. 22-24: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul, 9100 93rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Chris Stefanick Reboot! Live! — Oct. 26: 7–9:30 p.m. at 4125 Woodbury Drive, Woodbury. www.RealLifeCatholic.com.
Prayer/worship Novena for Abundant Grace in the Electoral Process — Oct. 8-16: 6:30–6:45 p.m. at Lumen Christi Catholic Community, 2055 Bohland Ave., St. Paul. www.lumenchristicc.org.
Music
Healing Masses with Father Ubald Rugirangoga from Rwanda — Oct. 17-22: Various parishes and times. www.frubald.com/travel-schedule.
Music of Mercy – Father Michael Joncas, a 50th Anniversary Celebration — Oct. 26: 6:30–8 p.m. at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. www.franciscanretreats.net/50thanniversaryevents.aspx.
Parish events St. Odilia Fall Jewelry Extravaganza — Oct. 15-16 at 3495 N. Victoria St., Shoreview. St. Paul boutique/bake sale — Oct. 15: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE, Ham Lake. St. Pascal’s Men’s Club Booya — Oct. 16: 10 a.m. at 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. Holy Childhood 70th Anniversary Celebration — Oct. 23: 10 a.m. at 1435 Midway Parkway, St. Paul. Vatican International Exhibition of the
October 13, 2016
Other events
CALENDAR submissions
40 Days for Life Twin Cities coordinated by Pro-Life Action Ministries — Every day through Nov. 6: 6 a.m.–6 p.m. at sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood, 671 Vandalia St., St. Paul. www.plam.org/call-to-action/40-days-for-life-twincities. Rhythms of the Soul: a Musical Reflection on the Spiritual Life — Oct. 13: 7–9 p.m. at The Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. www.stpaulsmonastery.org. The CSJ Way: Exploring Unity in Diversity — Oct. 15: 8:30 a.m.–noon at 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. www.csjstpaul.org.
Healing Mass — Oct. 25: 7 p.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 Co. Road 24, Medina.
Frassati Society of MN Pro Life Walk: Cathedral to Basilica and back — Oct. 15: 8 a.m. at Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. www.frassatisocietymn.org.
Conferences/seminars/ workshops
MCCL Pro-Life Gathering — Oct. 17: 7–8 p.m. at Maternity of Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. www.mccl.org.
Essential Wisdom for Listening and Leading with Purpose, Meaning and Joy — Oct. 27: 7–8:30 p.m. at The Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. www.stpaulsmonastery.org.
Who is My Neighbor? with Archbishop Bernard Hebda – A 50th Anniversary Event — Oct. 19: 6:30–8 p.m. at 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. www.franciscanretreats.net.
Called and Gifted Workshop — Oct. 28-29: 7 p.m. at St. Paul, 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE, Ham Lake. www.churchofsaintpaul.com/events-1.
MCCL Pro-Life Gathering — Oct. 20: 7–8 p.m. at St. Albert’s, 11400 57th St. NE, Albertville. www.mccl.org.
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. (No attachments, please.) FAX: 651-291-4460 MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102 A note to readers As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Catholic Spirit no longer accepts calendar submissions via email. Please submit events using the form at www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions.
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October 13, 2016 The Catholic Spirit • 19
Thousands attend first all-school Mass of the Holy Spirit By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit An estimated 12,000 students, teachers and staff of Catholic schools filled CHS Field in St. Paul Sept. 22 for the first allschool Mass of the Holy Spirit in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Bishop Andrew Cozzens and more than 60 priests celebrated the Mass for fourththrough eighth-grade students from the archdiocese’s 79 Catholic grade schools after a performance from the local band Sonar. In his homily, Archbishop Hebda told the crowd filling the stadium seats and spread across the field — where the St. Paul Saints baseball team plays — that the Holy Spirit is what makes Catholic schools great. And, in turn, students must ask the Holy Spirit to help them reach greatness. “I am so happy that we have that opportunity at the beginning of this school year to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” Archbishop Hebda said. “Certainly, on all of you — our wonderful students, certainly on our teachers, certainly on those students who weren’t able to be here this morning, certainly on all those wonderful parishioners who support our Catholic schools. But we understand that we need the Holy Spirit if we are going to be great. And all that we need to do is to ask for the Holy Spirit. That’s how great is our God’s love, that all we have to do is to ask.” Telling students they have the benefit of a good Catholic education, Archbishop Hebda said he hopes they’ll be great sons and daughters of God who’ll go on to be great parents, husbands and wives, doctors, lawyers, teachers, even secondbasemen. “We don’t know what it is that God
Archbishop Bernard Hebda poses for a selfie with Catholic grade school students Sept. 22 at the Mass of the Holy Spirit, hosted by the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence at CHS Field in St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit. To see a photo gallery of the event, visit www.facebook.com/TheCatholicSpirit/photos. has in store for you, but that you’re going to be able to do it with greatness because you know Jesus Christ, and you have received the Holy Spirit that he desires to place in our hearts.” Students from Highland Catholic School, Holy Spirit Catholic School and Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School, all in St. Paul, read the prayers of the faithful, while students from Chesterton Academy in Edina assisted priests during Communion. The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit, sponsored the Mass. CSCOE President Gail Dorn said the event took nine months of planning, 220
buses, and a lot of security and communication with the schools. “We’re just so happy that we’re able to have this community of faith and be able to celebrate with one another,” said Dorn, adding that they’d like to make the Mass of the Holy Spirit an annual event. “It’s very powerful to worship together. I think it was very nourishing for our students to strengthen them in their faith and their belief, not just in our holy Eucharist and celebration of our faith, but also the community of our schools and our belief that they should be stronger and better.” Bishop Cozzens, the archdiocese’s vicar of education and a CSCOE board
member, said after the Mass that it was a great opportunity to get all the students together to help them see that they’re part of something bigger. “What a gift to celebrate Mass together, because all these young people have Mass in their schools, and for them to come together and experience that they’re part of this Church that’s so much bigger, but we all can pray together.” Father Kevin Clinton, pastor of St. Wenceslaus in New Prague, said it’s important for students of the parish school of 200 in kindergarten through eighth grade to look beyond their small community. “I think the kids will remember this very much. This is unprecedented that all these kids can see how many other children are in the Catholic school system,” he said. … “Some of these schools maybe have 100 or 150 kids. They don’t think in terms of thousands. But that is the case, so it’s good that they see the big picture of what they’re involved with.” Masses of the Holy Spirit date back to the Jesuits in the 16th century. Noting that the Church celebrates the start of important events, such as papal conclaves, with a Mass of the Holy Spirit, Bishop Cozzens said the day highlighted the “treasure” of a Catholic education. Chip Knap, an eighth-grader at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School in St. Paul who will be confirmed this school year, said the archbishop’s message was especially meaningful. “It was the best Mass I’ve ever been at,” he said. Kathy McRae, a seventh-grade religion and English teacher at Nativity of Our Lord, has taught for 29 years and said joining the archdiocese’s Catholic schools for Mass was “an incredible experience.”
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20 • The Catholic Spirit
THE LAST WORD
October 13, 2016
Couple can’t stomach hunger Burnsville parishioners battle starvation in the Philippines; pastor honors ministry work in new icon By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit
J
erry and Barb Krosnowski of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville have a heart for mission work. They’ve been doing it since 1967 when they lived in Detroit. But, decades of helping people in third-world countries did not prepare them for what they would discover in the Philippines 10 years ago. After trying to establish a sister parish in Haiti while members of Risen Savior in Burnsville, they encountered obstacles and eventually started looking for a new sister parish. While searching, they met a Filipino doctor who invited them to come to the Philippines and tour the islands. Jerry accepted. Barb later called it a “mistake.” They now know it was God orchestrating a relief effort that they later took on to feed the hungry across the islands. When Jerry came back from his three-week trip in September 2006, he couldn’t forget what he saw. “Getting to the different islands, I’m seeing all these starving children, and it surprised me and I was taken aback that the numbers were so great,” said Jerry, 75, who, along with Barb, owned and operated a tour company prior to retirement. “I went to this one island that had no cars. There were 60,000 people on the island and the kids were so sick, and they were hungry and they were starving.” “And, they were dying,” said Barb, 75. “I was quite overwhelmed,” Jerry said. “In fact, I was so overwhelmed by what I saw that I almost quit doing missionary work.” He walked in areas where homeless children were living on the streets and eating dead animals. His group visited garbage dumps that had people living in them. Jerry’s encounter culminated in one simple dinner conversation with Bishop José Advincula, who is now archbishop of Capiz. “I asked if any American charities have been here in the last year,” Jerry recalled. “He said, ‘No Jerry, but we’ve been praying for someone like you to come.’” That’s all it took. When Jerry got home, he, Barb, and their daughter, Pam Germ, set to work getting food to the Philippines. Jerry had spent time on the trip with a staff member from Feed My Starving Children, and he asked if the organization would be willing to provide meals he could ship to the Philippines. The partnership quickly was formed, and just one month after returning home, he and his family shipped 100,000 meals to the Philippines. That was the start of a ministry they named Risen Savior Missions. They kept sending larger amounts of food every year,
ABOVE Jerry and Barb Krosnowski hold a child during one of their trips to the Philippines as part of their ministry for Risen Savior Missions, which they founded in 2006. Courtesy Jerry and Barb Krosnowski RIGHT Father Jim Perkl, pastor of Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville, poses with his Good Shepherd icon, which contains pictures of children from the Philippines. The icon will be on display at the Oct. 22 gala for Risen Savior Missions, started in 2006 by parishioners Jerry and Barb Krosnowski. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit and to date have sent more than 56 million meals to the Philippines. They have gotten one of the villages Jerry visited on his first trip out of poverty, and are working to do the same across the country. They also work to educate and catechize the people they feed, and help villages become self-sustaining. And, there’s much more work to do, which is why they are raising money to send more meals. Coming up Oct. 22 is their annual gala at Mary, Mother of the Church. The event comes at a crucial time, as they are running low on funds to keep sending food until the end of the year. But, that doesn’t mean they are in panic mode as they head into October. They have faced financial woes before, almost every year in fact. Somehow, the $75,000 goal manages to be reached. And, that translates to 9 million meals and 70,000 kids they can feed. “We’re always begging for money so that we can ship more food,” Jerry said. “Every year since we’ve been doing this, we looked at November or December and we realized we’re going to run out of money. Every year, God comes through and he gives us enough money to ship the food.” Their ministry gained significant momentum a few months ago when Father Jim Perkl, pastor of Mary, Mother, went to the Philippines to visit the feeding sites of Risen Savior Missions. He was so impressed that he put his artistic skills to work to create an icon depicting the missions. It features an image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and actual pictures of kids in the Philippines, along with a picture of Jerry and Barb. “Jerry said, ‘Come and see,’” Father Perkl said. “I just went with him and learned firsthand what the mission was about, went to the feeding sites, saw the lay leadership. I heard there were thousands of laity involved, and I knew there were several religious orders involved.” Father Perkl was deeply touched by his experience. “The words I thought about a lot are the words, ‘I thirst’ from Jesus,” said Father Perkl who served meals to the hungry while he was there. “Jerry said, ‘If you come to the mission, you will meet Jesus, and you’ll meet him in his thirst and his hunger.’ That’s what he said would happen, and that’s what did happen. We did meet him in his hunger and thirst.” Father Perkl had been asked before his 10-day trip in
January and early February to create an icon depicting the Good Shepherd as a way of promoting the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, which the parish uses. Originally, he wasn’t sure he would be able to find the time. The trip changed his mind. “When I went to Risen Savior Missions, I then knew that I would have to do this project of the Good Shepherd,” he said noting that the finished icon will be on display at the gala. “So, I did the icon for Jerry and for the missions as a way to say, ‘This is what Risen Savior Missions does. It feeds kids.’ But, also I wanted to show how Risen Savior Missions works with helping serve the Eucharist because by working with the Catholic Church and working with the bishops like he does, the heart of Jesus, which you see in the icon, moves the hand of Jesus, which you see, to serve the Eucharist.” After working with her parents for the first seven years, Germ made her first trip to the Philippines in 2013. She, too, was aghast at the poverty and starvation. But, she saw something more. “Here were people who were so desperately poor, and yet they had the Lord,” she said. “And, you could see it in them. They were still joyful and they still had wonderful family relationships.” The same can be said about the Krosnowskis. Working together for 10 years in Risen Savior Missions has deepened their faith, increased their devotion to the Church and the Eucharist, and solidified their commitment to keep delivering meals until, as Barb says, “we fall over.” Pam, her husband, Joe, and their three children all have been a part of the work, and the intergenerational effort has made clear how they see God in it. “It truly cements in my mind that God loves to use broken vessels,” Pam said. “I would never have thought — ever — in my lifetime that we would do something like this, that [God] would choose people with a travel background to become these missionaries who do humanitarian relief, who ship flip flops, who visit garbage dumps, and talk with bishops and cardinals, from very humble beginnings to 9 million meals.” For more information or to buy tickets, email Jerry@ or visit www.risensaviormissions.org.
risensaviormissions.org