The Catholic Spirit - October 14, 2022

PAGETWO

CNS | PAUL HARING

ROME ORDINATION Bishop Austin Vetter lays hands on Deacon Ryan Glaser of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Sept. 29 in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Deacon Glaser, of St. Michael in Prior Lake, is studying for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was one of 23 men ordained a transitional deacon during the Mass.

Former St. Agnes boys’ basketball coach Dick Ghizoni will be inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame at an Oct. 29 Hall of Fame banquet at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency Hotel. Ghizoni’s coaching career spanned 33 years, starting at St. Agnes in 1979 with a team that went 1-18 the year before. From 1984 to 2001, the Aggies won five conference titles, two section titles and the 1994 Class A state championship. Ghizoni was head coach at Minneapolis Southwest for three seasons before finishing his career at the helm of the Hill-Murray basketball program, leading the Catholic high school in Maplewood to a 2011 Metro East title. Ghizoni also was head baseball coach for 20 years at St. Agnes and three years at Hill-Murray.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis joined a nationwide effort by U.S. bishops Oct. 8 and 9 to provide relief to those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona. Funds from the appeal are going to the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund and will support the efforts of Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church. Hurricane Ian plowed into southwest Florida Sept. 28 as a strong Category 4 storm. Authorities estimate the storm claimed at least 119 lives in Florida. Hurricane Fiona bore down on Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean as a Category 1 storm Sept. 18, leaving destruction and killing at least 25 people in Puerto Rico.

DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis raised a record $2.8 million Oct. 1 for student scholarships — including $2 million from the LeJeune family, honoring the late Larry and Jean LeJeune — at its annual Christian Brothers’ Gala on Nicollet Island. More than $800,000 was raised through donations in the silent and live auctions. A member of the DeLaSalle class of 1954, Larry LeJeune owned LeJeune Steel Co., which helped build the Minneapolis Convention Center, most of the skyways in Minneapolis, and many other major structures in the Twin Cities and surrounding region. LeJeune was a 2011 recipient of The Catholic Spirit’s Leading with Faith award.

The Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul will be the site of a 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 solo concert by internationally known organist Vincent Dubois, one of three titular organists at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The program will include works of J.S. Bach, César Frank, Camille Saint-Saens and Maurice Duruflé. Dubois will conclude the program with improvisation, an integral part of liturgical music at Notre Dame. The Catholic Heritage Foundation, which works to help maintain the Cathedral of St. Paul, is sponsoring Dubois’ concert. Freewill donations are encouraged.

Permanent deacon at St. Peter Claver dies at 84

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

Deacon Fred Johnson, who served St. Peter Claver in St. Paul for all of his nearly 25 years in ministry, died Oct. 1 at age 84.

On Sept. 27, 1997, he became the first Black man in Minnesota ordained a permanent deacon.

In addition to his pastoral ministry, Deacon Johnson served September 2004 to March 2022 as executive secretary of the Commission of Black Catholics for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, an advisory group for the archbishop on pastoral, faith formation and social issues.

Deacon Johnson’s survivors include his wife of 55 years, Karen, two daughters, two sons, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The funeral Mass was Oct. 11 at St. Peter Claver.

PRACTICING Catholic

The Sept. 29 story “Choral project focuses on religions’ response to immigrants, refugees” listed incorrect dates for the Together in Hope Project’s performances of “The Stranger” at the Ordway in St. Paul. They are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 and 3:30 p.m. Oct. 16.

The story “Religious sisters’ streetside rally in St. Paul targets assault rifles” Sept. 29 stated that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet run Carondelet Village. The sisters share the ministry with Presbyterian Homes and Services, which manages the senior living center.

On the Oct. 7 “Practicing Catholic” radio show, host Patrick Conley interviews Father Tony O’Neill, pastor of St. John Neumann in Eagan, and Robert Kennedy, Catholic Studies professor at the University of St. Thomas, who discuss the seven fundamental themes of Catholic social teaching. The latest show also includes interviews with Father David Blume, director of the Office for Vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who describes upcoming events for young men considering religious life; and Jeremy Stanbary, executive artistic director at Open Window Theatre, who previews its new season. Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingcatholicShow com or anchor fm/Practicing catholic Show with links to podcasting platforms.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT ROSARY BY CANDLELIGHT Brandon Alvarado, left, and his mother, Evangelina Alvarado, of Assumption in Richfield walk from the State Capitol to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul Oct. 7 during the annual Candlelight Rosary Procession. Several hundred participated in the faith-filled event, which included Bishop Joseph Williams of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who led a prayer service at the Cathedral after the procession.

DEACON

FRED JOHNSON

Missionary zeal at home, around the globe

Arecent article in the Star Tribune focused on the role of Father Louis Hennepin in chronicling the natural wonders of Minnesota in the late 17th century. What delighted me most was that the article made mention of his motivation: a deep concern for souls. As adventurous by temperament as the most rugged of explorers, it wasn’t furs or fame that attracted him to the mighty Mississippi but the same apostolic zeal that had propelled our patron, St. Paul, and missionaries throughout the ages like Patrick, Boniface, Cyril and Methodius, Francis Xavier. Regardless of our roots, we all owe our faith to the men and women who devoted their lives to the work of mission.

When I was named bishop of Gaylord, Michigan, in 2009, I received multiple copies of the Diary of Venerable Frederic Baraga, a missionary priest from Slovenia who had served as pastor of one of our parishes before being named the first bishop of Marquette. Known as the snowshoe priest, he demonstrated heroic virtue as he traveled throughout Michigan, Wisconsin and even the North Shore to bring Christ and the Church’s sacraments to the Native Americans and trappers of the Upper Midwest. I was blessed to travel with our seminarians this past summer to Madeline Island, the site of one of Father Baraga’s early parishes, with the hope that the experience would stir into flame our own missionary impulses.

We were blessed with an excellent guide at the local museum, who showed us not only Father Baraga’s vestments and chalice, but also shared with us many accounts of his heroic zeal, including how Father Baraga risked his life to travel across Lake Superior in a canoe

Celo misionero en casa, en todo el mundo

Un artículo reciente en el Star Tribune se centró en el papel del padre Louise Hennepin en la crónica de las maravillas naturales de Minnesota a fines del siglo XVII. Lo que más me deleitó fue que el artículo mencionaba su motivación: una profunda preocupación por las almas. Tan aventurero por temperamento como el más rudo de los exploradores, no fueron las pieles ni la fama lo que lo atrajo al poderoso Mississippi, sino el mismo celo apostólico que había impulsado a nuestro patrón, San Pablo, y a misioneros a lo largo de los siglos como Patricio, Bonifacio, Cirilo y Metodio, Francisco Javier. Independientemente de nuestras raíces, todos debemos nuestra fe a los hombres y mujeres que dedicaron su vida a la obra de la misión.

Cuando fui nombrado obispo de Gaylord, Michigan, en 2009, recibí varias copias del Diario del Venerable Frederic Baraga, un sacerdote misionero de Eslovenia que había sido párroco de una de nuestras parroquias antes de ser nombrado primer obispo de Marquette. Conocido como el sacerdote con raquetas de nieve, demostró una virtud heroica mientras viajaba por Michigan, Wisconsin e incluso la costa norte para llevar los sacramentos de Cristo y de la Iglesia a los nativos americanos y tramperos del Medio Oeste superior.

Please join me in praying for all involved in the missionary efforts of the Church (and especially for the priests, consecrated women and men, and laity from this archdiocese involved in the work of mission) and let us do our part to support their efforts.

in treacherous conditions to tend to a dying man, in a Native American settlement near Grand Portage, in need of the sacraments. I’m eager to visit the Baraga cross at Cross River on the North Shore that now stands as a wonderful reminder of how the Lord blesses those who devote their lives to the spread of the Gospel.

The Second Vatican Council taught that the whole Church has to be missionary and described the work of evangelization as a “basic duty” of the people of God (Ad Gentes 35). In that regard, the Council Fathers were confirming the insight of Pauline Jaricot, a young French laywoman who 200 years ago founded the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, a vehicle for ordinary people to support the missionary efforts of the Church with their prayers and contributions. On its 100th anniversary, the society was granted pontifical status, and earlier this year, Pope Francis approved the beatification of this amazing advocate, who mobilized the Church around the globe on behalf of the missions.

In the course of Blessed Pauline’s life, the fledgling

Tuve la suerte de viajar con nuestros seminaristas el verano pasado a Madeline Island, el sitio de una de las primeras parroquias del Padre Baraga, con la esperanza de que la experiencia encendiera nuestros propios impulsos misioneros.

Fuimos bendecidos con una excelente guía en el museo local, quien nos mostró no solo las vestimentas y el cáliz del padre Baraga, sino que también compartió con nosotros muchos relatos de su celo heroico, incluido cómo el padre Baraga arriesgó su vida para cruzar el lago Superior en una canoa en condiciones traicioneras para atender a un hombre moribundo en un asentamiento de nativos americanos cerca de Grand Portage que necesitaba los sacramentos. Estoy ansioso por visitar la cruz de Baraga en Cross River en North Shore que ahora se erige como un maravilloso recordatorio de cómo el Señor bendice a quienes dedican su vida a la difusión del Evangelio.

El Concilio Vaticano II enseñó que toda la Iglesia tiene que ser misionera y calificó la obra de evangelización como un “deber fundamental” del pueblo de Dios (Ad Gentes 35). En ese sentido, los Padres conciliares estaban confirmando la intuición de Pauline Jaricot, una joven laica francesa que hace 200 años fundó la Sociedad para la Propagación de la Fe, un vehículo para que la gente común apoye los esfuerzos misioneros de la Iglesia con sus oraciones y contribuciones. En su centenario, a la sociedad se le otorgó estatus pontificio y, a principios de este año, el Papa

Church in the United States was one of the major beneficiaries of the society. Now, as the society celebrates its 200th anniversary, we have the opportunity to show both our gratitude for its role in our history and our commitment to the Church’s missionary efforts. Every year on World Mission Sunday, Catholics are called to support the Society for the Propagation of the Faith as well as the other Pontifical Missionary Societies.

In a recent letter, our nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, reminded us that this annual collection gives us an opportunity to enable the Holy Father to make sure “that all missions are remembered and receive much-needed help.”

The great façade of our Cathedral portrays Jesus commissioning the apostles to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. That work continues to this day. We’ve been inspired in the course of our Synod to embrace that work within our archdiocese, but we know that it needs to be advanced around the globe as well. Please join me in praying for all involved in the missionary efforts of the Church (and especially for the priests, consecrated women and men, and laity from this archdiocese involved in the work of mission) and let us do our part to support their efforts. While we as an archdiocese have special ties with the Diocese of Kitui in Kenya, and with the parish of Jesu Cristo Resucitado in Venezuela, and while many of you and our parishes are extraordinarily generous in support of particular parishes, schools and institutions throughout the mission world, we have an opportunity this year on Oct. 23 to do even more by assisting the Pontifical Mission Societies. In this year, in which we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, may the Lord pour out special blessings on all who support the Church’s missionary efforts.

Francisco aprobó la beatificación de este increíble defensor, que movilizó a la Iglesia en todo el mundo en nombre de las misiones.

En el curso de la vida de la Beata Paulina, la Iglesia incipiente en los Estados Unidos fue una de las principales beneficiarias de la sociedad. Ahora, mientras la sociedad celebra su 200 aniversario, tenemos la oportunidad de mostrar tanto nuestra gratitud por su papel en nuestra historia como nuestro compromiso con los esfuerzos misioneros de la Iglesia. Cada año, en el Domingo Mundial de las Misiones, los católicos están llamados a apoyar a la Sociedad para la Propagación de la Fe, así como a las demás Obras Misionales Pontificias.

En una carta reciente, nuestro nuncio, el arzobispo Christophe Pierre, nos recordó que esta colecta anual nos brinda la oportunidad de permitir que el Santo Padre se asegure de que “todas las misiones sean recordadas y reciban la ayuda que tanto necesitan”.

La gran fachada de nuestra Catedral representa a Jesús encargando a los apóstoles que prediquen el Evangelio hasta los confines de la tierra. Ese trabajo continúa hasta el día de hoy. Nos hemos inspirado en el curso de nuestro Sínodo para abrazar ese trabajo dentro de nuestra arquidiócesis, pero sabemos que también debe avanzar en todo el mundo. Únase a mí para orar por todos los involucrados en los esfuerzos misioneros de la Iglesia (y especialmente por los sacerdotes, las mujeres y los hombres consagrados y los laicos de esta arquidiócesis

involucrados en el trabajo de la misión) y hagamos nuestra parte para apoyar sus esfuerzos. Mientras que nosotros como arquidiócesis tenemos vínculos especiales con la Diócesis de Kitui en Kenia, y con la parroquia de Jesús Resucitado en Venezuela, y mientras muchos de ustedes y nuestras parroquias son extraordinariamente generosos en apoyo de parroquias, escuelas e instituciones particulares en todo el mundo misionero , tenemos la oportunidad este año, el 23 de octubre, de hacer aún más ayudando a las Obras Misionales Pontificias. En este año, en el que celebramos el 200 aniversario de la Sociedad para la Propagación de la Fe, que el Señor derrame bendiciones especiales sobre todos los que apoyan los esfuerzos misioneros de la Iglesia.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis:

Effective October 1, 2022

Deacon Eric Gunderson, assigned as permanent deacon of the Church of the Epiphany in Coon Rapids. This is a transfer from his previous assignment at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Golden Valley.

Effective October 6, 2022

Reverend Sojan Thomas, CFIC, assigned as chaplain for M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina. Father Sojan is a priest of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

Age 100 for a person and a parish

Ruth Glarner stands to receive applause for being the same age — 100 — as her parish, Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. The celebration of both milestones took place during a Mass Oct. 1 celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, which also included Bishop Richard Pates, retired bishop of Des Moines, Iowa, and Father John Ubel, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, both of whom belonged to Nativity during their childhood. “It’s my beloved parish,” Glarner said of Nativity, which she joined in 1952 with her husband, Gaylord, who died in 2010. All six of their children went to Nativity School, including the oldest, Terry, right, who brings her to Mass every weekend, alternating between the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass during the summer so she can play golf on Sunday mornings, and the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. She likes the “sense of community” at Nativity, and also the choir, which she once sang in during the 1980s and ‘90s. “My mother’s got a very good voice,” said Terry Glarner, 79, who was a classmate of Bishop Pates from third through eighth grade at Nativity School, and at Nazareth Hall in Roseville after that. “And, she’s got an amazing knack for melody and harmony.”

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DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Minnesota bishops emphasize ‘prenatal justice’ in November elections

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

Noting the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the high court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion across the country, Minnesota’s bishops released a statement calling on Catholics to make “how a candidate will work for prenatal justice a pre-eminent consideration” as they enter the voting booth Nov. 8.

“Prenatal justice is not simply being anti-abortion, though that is the foundation of the pro-life witness,” the bishops said in the statement posted Oct. 5 on the Minnesota Catholic Conference website at mncatholic.org/electionresources.

“Prenatal justice means establishing right relationships between the mother and the unborn child in her womb, between society and the unborn child, and between society and the mother and father of the unborn child. As life begins in the womb, so must justice,” said the bishops, including Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Joseph Williams of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Protecting innocent children from abortion and ensuring that parents meet their obligations must include society ensuring that mothers and fathers are supported when necessary due to economic hardship, the bishops said. That means, among other things,

policies that fund nutritional support for expectant mothers, adequate health care, child care assistance, housing support and other aids to parents and children, they said.

The high court’s June decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, declaring there is no right to abortion protected by the U.S. Constitution, has returned the matter of abortion to the political process for deliberation, the bishops said.

“Will states allow the continued killing of innocent human life? What are our responsibilities to the child and the mother? How do we foster right relationships between them and the broader society for the common good? These are questions elected officials must answer as they work to foster prenatal justice,” the bishops said.

“It would be a dereliction of duty for us as bishops to pretend as though the abortion question was not a focus of Minnesota’s election discourse this year, especially as Dobbs has changed the abortion landscape in this nation,” they said.

In Minnesota, all state legislative and executive officers are up for election, the bishops pointed out.

“What we seek to emphasize here is that, just as the bishops of the United States have identified the ending of abortion as a pre-eminent policy priority, so too should Catholic voters make protecting innocent human life and stopping abortion extremism a pre-eminent consideration in our voting calculus,” the

bishops said.

“Unfortunately, many candidates are openly advocating for Minnesota to become an abortion sanctuary state with taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, as well as pledging to deregulate the abortion industry by removing safeguards put in place to protect women from medical malpractice or to protect teenage girls from ill-considered abortions,” they said.

“Far too many others, moreover, although professing to be pro-life on paper, are going out of their way to avoid talking about Minnesota’s future as a potential abortion sanctuary or what should be done to limit abortion, preferring to avoid the subject altogether,” the bishops said. “In this situation, it is incumbent on the Catholic laity to be especially proactive in speaking to candidates about prenatal justice and supporting legislative and judicial efforts to limit abortion,” the bishops said. “The effect of proactive engagement with candidates, not just in this election cycle but also during their term in office, will give courage and political will to those who support pro-life policies in principle, and moderate the pro-abortion extremism of other candidates and elected officials.”

Signing the statement with Archbishop Hebda and Bishop Williams were Bishops Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Daniel Felton of Duluth, Donald Kettler of St. Cloud and Chad Zielinski of New Ulm.

St. Paul residence for retired clergy placed in charitable trust

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

A charitable trust has been created solely to own and maintain the Leo C. Byrne Residence in St. Paul, a commitment to better serving the retired clergy who live there, said Bill Lentsch, chief operating officer of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The archdiocese transferred its ownership of the building to the Leo C. Byrne Residence Trust Oct. 11. At the same time, the owner of the land on which the residence is located, The St. Paul Seminary, transferred the 100year lease for the property from the

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

Father Ray Monsour was part of history when he joined a group of priests from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to begin serving in Venezuela in 1970. Father Monsour, who served there for five years, died Oct. 4 at age 85.

Serving in a Latin American country — and the priesthood itself — were unimaginable to a man who grew up on the west side of St. Paul and was raised in the Maronite Rite. His parents emigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon, and raised their six children in Holy Family Maronite Catholic Church, which at the time was located in St. Paul and now is in Mendota Heights.

Father Monsour began thinking about priesthood while going to St. Matthew School, and had a desire to attend Nazareth Hall, a preparatory school in Roseville for young men interested in the priesthood. But, he was told he could not become a priest of the archdiocese because he was a Maronite, according to Father John Forliti, a retired priest of

archdiocese to the trust. Seventy-three years remain on the lease, Lentsch said.

Built in 1995, the building needs roughly $6.5 million worth of repairs and upgrades, Lentsch said. Over the years, the building has deteriorated because original design elements allowed moisture intrusion. Heating, cooling and other systems have aged and been difficult to maintain, he said. Transferring the Byrne Residence to the charitable trust will help ensure high-quality use for many years to come, he said.

“This is for priests who have selflessly dedicated their lives to serving others and deserve good care in their retirement years,” he said.

Michelle and Patrick Fox, parishioners of St. Olaf in Minneapolis, began a fundraising effort for the building last year that raised more than $1 million. A group of concerned local business leaders noted the need and have stepped up to help, Lentsch said. The goal is to raise money for the upgrades plus a reserve fund to support ongoing maintenance and operations, he said. The St. Paulbased Catholic Community Foundation has created a Byrne Residence Renovation Fund that people can donate to as well, Lentsch said. That fund can be found at ccf mn.org/byrneresidence.

A group of five trustees will oversee the trust. Three will represent the donor

group, one will be a representative of the residents, and one will be appointed by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Lentsch said.

To help ensure stability and maintain appropriate reserve powers, the charitable trust agreement cannot be changed, nor can the building be sold, without the archbishop’s approval, Lentsch said. Day-to-day services and management of the building will continue to be handled by the archdiocese, he said.

The Byrne Residence includes 29 apartments and a small guestroom, dining facilities, exercise room, community room, chapel and underground, heated garage for the residents.

the archdiocese and Father Monsour’s longtime friend. Father Monsour cleared that hurdle a few years later when he joined the Latin rite while also maintaining his membership in the Maronite Rite.

That move cleared a path to attending the St. Paul Seminary, which is where he met Father Forliti. He was one year behind Father Forliti, and was ordained in 1963. The two priests later joined a priest support group that met monthly for 50 years. They also took vacations together and cooked meals together.

FATHER RAY MONSOUR

“He was very faithful,” said Father Forliti, 86, who five years ago wrote a brief biography on Father Monsour. “Just a very, very solid human being, and man of deep faith. He loved the priesthood. He loved to serve and work with people, especially around the margins. I was able to help him quite a bit when he was pastor of Ascension parish in Minneapolis.”

Father Monsour came to Ascension in 1981, first serving as co-pastor (1981-85), then as pastor (1985-93). During that time, the school was struggling, with enrollment dropping to 163 students. With Father Forliti’s continued support and help with financial networking to increase school funding, Father Monsour helped turn things around at the school.

One important step was hiring Dorwatha Woods as principal in 1987. She had never been a principal before, but Father Monsour invited her to step into the leadership role at Ascension. Her time at Ascension lasted 29 years, with numbers increasing steadily and the quality of education improving to the point where, in 2015, 100% of the 2011 eighth-grade graduating class had graduated from high school and 90% had gone on to college.

Woods, who left Ascension in 2016 and now continues her work in education at Flaherty Family Foundation, traces the success of Ascension back to Father Monsour and how he led the parish and school. Together, they helped boost enrollment to nearly 300 students, and served primarily African-American

students and other racial minorities.

“He allowed me to be the educator that I am and to use my expertise,” said Woods, 64. “He understood that I was the educator, and he trusted me and my expertise in being able to do what was good for that school.”

After 12 years at Ascension, Father Monsour spent the next 12 as pastor of St. Mary in LeCenter. He spent seven months as parochial administrator of St. Henry in Monticello before retiring from parish ministry in 2006. He served as director of the Retired Clergy Office in the archdiocese from 2006-2011. Other assignments included St. James (196367), St. Luke (1967-69) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (1974-81), all in St. Paul.

Through all of those assignments, Father Monsour remained faithful to the priest support group, and was “like a brother” to Father Forliti. “He was always a strong supporter of what I was going through,” Father Forliti said. “He was there when you needed him.”

The funeral Mass was scheduled for Oct. 12 at Holy Family Maronite, with interment at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights.

Father Monsour remembered as one who ‘loved the priesthood’

Prayer, ‘watch fire,’ walk honor those impacted by Indian boarding schools

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

As a child, Virgil Blacklance heard stories about Indian boarding schools, one of which his father attended. He recalled that after events like powwows concluded, families would often go back to their encampments and gather around fires where “the old people” would sit and visit, he said. When Blacklance and other children grew tired from playing, they’d sit and listen to their stories.

Blacklance, 56, remembers hearing his father, who died in his 90s several years ago, his uncle and “his aunties” talk about what boarding schools were like, and it was mostly negative. “They (were) … scared in a new environment they weren’t used to,” he said.

The children’s hair was cut and some students were sexually abused, Blacklance said. A childhood friend of his father took his own life because “he just couldn’t take the trauma,” he said.

But, his father and other schoolmates would sometimes take “little buckets” with some bread and “scurry into the woods” where the nuns and others couldn’t see them, Blacklance said. “He said that’s the only way that he kept his language,” because out of earshot of boarding school staff, the boys could speak to each other in their native tongue. Those who didn’t lost their language, he said.

Blacklance, a member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community, Mdewakanton Dakota, who grew up in Minnesota, serves as a spiritual adviser for Gichitwaa Kateri in Minneapolis, which includes handling “the spiritual side” of wakes for Native Americans’ loved ones, he said. He works closely with Shawn Phillips, the parish’s pastoral minister and director of the Office of Indian Ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Blacklance relayed the recollections in an interview with The Catholic Spirit Sept. 30 during a 12-hour prayer and “watch fire” event at Gichitwaa Kateri in south Minneapolis. He and Phillips shared opening remarks at 6 p.m. and the gathering ended at 6 a.m. Oct. 1. It was day one of “Walking Together: Twin Cities” events that invited prayer and pilgrimage for healing from lasting harms suffered by Native Americans attending boarding schools, and their families, decades ago.

Phillips said other goals of the event included increasing understanding of what happened and how it impacted people and, as members of the local Church, “What does God want us to do?”

With temperatures in the 60s, partly cloudy skies and occasional raindrops, participants moved outside as a “watch fire” was lit. They prayed, sang and listened to speakers throughout the night.

“Walking Together: Twin Cities” also included a prayer service Oct. 1 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, and a pilgrimage walk to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, with a closing prayer service and remarks from Archbishop Bernard Hebda. Leadership from Gichitwaa Kateri, the Basilica of St. Mary, Ascension and St. Frances Cabrini in Minneapolis, and San Diego-based Modern Catholic Pilgrim organized the two days.

Indian boarding schools have drawn attention in the United States and Canada since 2021, when remains of children were found buried at a former Indian residential school in Canada. Pope Francis visited Edmonton and other areas in Canada July 24-29 and issued an apology for Church involvement in boarding schools and other forms of assimilation.

The U.S. Department of the Interior in May identified 408 schools in 37 states or U.S. territories that tens of thousands of children were forced to attend from 1819 to 1969. The Indian boarding school era largely coincided with the forced removal of many tribes from ancestral lands. Dozens of federal Indian boarding schools across the country were run by Catholic institutions through U.S. government contracts.

A watch fire is rooted in Catholic and native traditions, Phillips said. It is used at some Catholic parishes on Good Friday, he said. And it’s being willing to spend an hour with Jesus, as many do in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, he said.

DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY

On his trip back to Rome from Canada in July, Pope Francis promised a papal statement that could help acknowledge concerns Indigenous people have about the Doctrine of Discovery. To learn more about this doctrine and its impact on land ownership, visit TheCaTholiCSpiriT Com

PILGRIMAGE WALK

About 40 people walked 2.5 miles to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis Oct. 1 following a 9 a.m. prayer service at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. They were encouraged to pray the rosary en route, either silently or with walking companions, or to reflect on questions including “How would you feel if someone told you that it was illegal to speak your language, celebrate your holidays, etc.?” and “How can I aid the Church in walking through truth and healing?”

BARB UMBERGER | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Peter Koenig, a parishioner of St. Frances Cabrini in Minneapolis, lights the watch fire outside Gichitwaa Kateri church in Minneapolis the evening of Sept. 30, where people prayed, sang and listened to speakers on the first day of “Walking Together: Twin Cities.”

Fire is a powerful symbol of prayer and gathering for the Ojibwe and Dakota people, Phillips said.

“So American Indians can … relate to it from their spirituality, which is a little different than what the watch fire is, but we all come to a prayer with our own kind of spirituality and bring it together,” he said.

Father Stan Sledz, a retired priest of the archdiocese, spoke to the group about lamentations and led prayers around the fire in the 9 p.m. hour. He used a small flashlight as a reading light.

Calling it a great blessing to participate, Father Sledz said he has served as sacramental minister to Gichitwaa Kateri since 2017. He leads a Sunday worship service at the parish and helps with other sacraments as needed, he said.

At midnight, Maka Black Elk, director of the boarding school Healing for St. Francis Mission in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and a descendant of Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk, described his work trying to promote boarding school healing. At 3 a.m., Robert Harrman, administrative intern at Gichitwaa Kateri, discussed the work of “allies” in boarding school truth and healing efforts. And at 6 a.m., before the fire was extinguished, parishioner Gypsy LeMoine described healing circles and a path to healing through culture and tradition.

Inside the church hall, hot soup, snacks and beverages, including homemade cedar tea, were available for breaks throughout the evening and overnight hours. “Stations” were available with rosaries and the chance to make “prayer ties” that could be hung on a sweat lodge replica elsewhere in the building.

Most participants wore orange T-shirts with artwork of a large oak tree and a quote from Black Elk, who was a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe: “At the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children.” The T-shirts recognized “Orange Shirt Day” Sept. 30, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation that acknowledges the impact on Indigenous communities of the country’s Indian boarding school system.

Meagan Phillips, a parishioner of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, brought her daughter Abby, 11, to the watch fire. Phillips, 44, is a teacher at Albertville Primary School and Big Woods Elementary School in St. Michael. She also serves on the American Indian Advisory Committee for the St. MichaelAlbertville School District.

“I’m a white Catholic teacher, so I’ve learned a lot about what a lot of white Catholic female teachers have done to Indigenous peoples through the boarding schools,” Phillips said. “Even though I was never a part of it, I feel that the only way we can make a better present and a better future is if we here today take steps in solidarity to be here with others, both physically present and also spiritually present.”

Archbishop Bernard Hebda delivered remarks at Cristo Rey, which included the following:

“Having met with tribal leadership here in Minnesota, and having read of similar discussions across our country, we are sadly aware of the pain and ongoing trauma that the system of government boarding schools has caused for generations of families,” he said. “Nor should we forget our role in the government’s plan to erase the cultural identity of the American Indian students sent to Clontarf (then part of the Archdiocese of St. Paul), depriving them of their rich cultural and linguistic heritage.

“We pray that our American Indian brothers and sisters might allow us to humbly walk with them on a common journey of confronting this history, in a way that with God’s grace might bring some healing to wounds and open a path to some reconciliation,” Archbishop Hebda said.

“Let us not be afraid to confront our involvement in this sad chapter in our history, and let us look for other opportunities for prayer and encounter, always remembering to pray for the healing that only the Lord can bring,” he said.

Resources for learning more about efforts to bring healing from the impact Indian boarding schools had on Native Americans include the Minneapolis-based National American Indian Boarding School Healing Coalition website: boardingschoolhealing org

— Barb Umberger, The Catholic Spirit

Phillips said she brought her daughter because “I think it’s important that we as a family live out our values in a very real way.”

Kathy Hawkinson, a parishioner of Ascension in Minneapolis, said she felt called to acknowledge injustices to “the native people, not just in Minnesota, but in this country.”

“I felt like there’s been so much hurt and we can’t begin to heal it if we don’t acknowledge it,” she said, “and the horrible things that were done.”

Hawkinson, 62, who spoke with The Catholic Spirit three days after the event at Gichitwaa Kateri, said the injustices included boarding schools but also behavior toward Indigenous people in general.

“I want to make sure that I don’t have (what) people refer to as unconscious bias,” she said. “I need to be aware of my own behaviors and attitudes. That’s why I wanted to be there.”

Archbishop Bernard Hebda joined the gathering late in the evening. The archbishop said he wanted to express his solidarity with the parish as it showed its solidarity with Canadian brothers and sisters marking that country’s second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“I found the experience to be prayerful, and appreciated the opportunity to pray around the fire as well as before the tabernacle,” Archbishop Hebda said. “I was also grateful to have the pleasure of meeting some of those who would be making the Saturday morning pilgrimage and hearing them speak of why we need to be accompanying those who continue to feel the hurt that surrounds our Church’s role in the boarding school experience.”

Eagan parish exploring Catholic social teaching

By Joe Ruff

The Catholic Spirit

It’s an ambitious series but accessible to anyone who would like to understand the core social teachings of the Catholic Church — and act on them.

St. John Neumann in Eagan has lined up seven speakers from Oct. 25 through May 16 who will address such topics as life and the dignity of the human person, rights and responsibilities toward the poor and vulnerable, the call to family and community, and caring for God’s creation.

Each evening will start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. A talk in the church, questions and answers and small group discussions will shape each gathering, said Mirla Conlon, coordinator of the parish’s Justice and Charity Committee, which is hosting the effort.

Parishioners at St. John Neumann have long been socially aware and active, such as helping stock local food shelves, serving meals to the homeless and providing Christmas gifts for people in need, Conlon said. It is fruitful to continue keeping service to others grounded in Christ, she said.

“It is always good to remind ourselves of the true source of social justice,” she said. “Come and revisit the source of these actions, which is Christ and the teachings of the Church.”

Father Tony O’Neill, pastor, said he hopes people at the parish and beyond will attend. He came up with the idea and a team of people at the parish is helping carry it to fruition.

“I hope this will bear fruit with this real association with the poor, this human dignity, which is being assaulted in this culture, in this society,” Father O’Neill said.

Jeanne Buckeye, a retired associate professor in business and ethics at the University of St. Thomas

JEANNE BUCKEYE MICHAEL NAUGHTON ARTHUR HIPPLER

We’re not just bringing to people a better society or a better world. We’re bringing people to Jesus Christ. We always want to be a community of love, to love as perfectly as we can. It colors everything else that happens.

Arthur Hippler

in St. Paul, will discuss the dignity of work and the rights of workers in her Jan. 17 presentation.

“Relatively few Catholics know the full body of Catholic social teaching, its beauty, depth, integration and richness,” she said. Labor, for example, is a gift from God that helps people participate in creation and develop as human beings, Buckeye said. Work plays an important role in building families and communities. It is a right and a responsibility, she said.

These

Michael Naughton, director of the Center for Catholic Studies at UST, will kick off the series

with an overview of Catholic social tradition. A challenge in conveying Church social teaching is that discussions can become ideological, from the left or the right, he said.

“There is a theological grounding that connects us to the deepest messages of what the Church’s teachings are about,” he said. “It is expressed in the course of the Gospels and in the Church’s 2,000 years of tradition. The teachings are the authoritative messages of popes, bishops and (Church) councils,” he said.

Closing out this year’s talks May 16 will be Arthur Hippler, chairman of the religion department at Providence Academy in Plymouth, discussing “Care of God’s Creation.”

“This teaching element is important,” Hippler said of learning as well as doing. “It’s important to understand why we are acting. To understand the bigger vision of the Church and why it is here. There’s a special motivation we have that needs to be grasped.”

“We’re not just bringing to people a better society or a better world,” he said. “We’re bringing people to Jesus Christ. We always want to be a community of love, to love as perfectly as we can. It colors everything else that happens.”

Father O’Neill said this year’s talks could lead to two more years of reflection on social teaching: the development of Catholic social thought, and then the importance of social action.

“I’m very excited about this,” Father O’Neill said. “I’m invested as a priest in the teachings of the Church. I hope it’s illuminating for people. We’ll leave the fruit up to the Lord and let him do his work.”

To learn more about the series, dates and speakers, go to sjn org/catholic social teaching

Call

Office

Kueppers

Pope prays for unity of Church as he celebrates anniversary of Vatican II

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

The Second Vatican Council was the universal Catholic Church’s response to God’s love and to Jesus’ command to feed his sheep, Pope Francis said, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the council’s opening.

The council reminded the Church of what is “essential,” the pope said: “a Church madly in love with its Lord and with all the men and women whom he loves,” one that “is rich in Jesus and poor in assets,” a Church that “is free and freeing.”

Pope Francis presided over the Mass Oct. 11 in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the council was held in four sessions from 1962 to 1964. The date is also the feast of St. John XXIII, who convoked and opened the council; the glass urn containing his body was moved to the

HEADLINES

uRefusal to help migrants is 'sinful, criminal,' pope says at canonization. The refusal to help desperate migrants "is revolting, it's sinful, it's criminal," Pope Francis said Oct. 9 as he canonized a bishop dedicated to assisting migrants and a Salesian brother who had immigrated with his family to Argentina. At the beginning of the liturgy in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis formally recognized the holiness of St. Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, an Italian who founded the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo to care for migrants, and St. Artemide Zatti, an Italian immigrant in Argentina who became a Salesian brother.

center of the basilica for the liturgy. The Gospel reading at the Mass recounted Jesus asking St. Peter, “Do you love me?” and telling him, “Feed my sheep.”

In his homily, the pope said the council was the Church’s response to that question and marked a renewed effort to feed God’s sheep, not just those who are Catholic, but all people. The debates that followed the council and continue today are a distraction from the Church’s mission, Pope Francis said.

“We are always tempted to start from ourselves rather than from God, to put our own agendas before the Gospel, to let ourselves be caught up in the winds of worldliness in order to chase after the fashions of the moment or to turn our back on the time that providence has granted us,” he said.

Catholics must be careful, he said, because “both the ‘progressivism’ that lines up behind the world and the ‘traditionalism’ that longs for a bygone world are not

evidence of love, but of infidelity,” forms of “selfishness that puts our own tastes and plans above the love that pleases God, the simple, humble and faithful love that Jesus asked of Peter.”

With Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant representatives present, as they were at the council, Pope Francis also prayed that “the yearning for unity” would grow, and “the desire to commit ourselves to full communion among all those who believe in Christ.”

Pope Francis, who was ordained to the priesthood in 1969, is the first pope ordained after the Second Vatican Council. His immediate predecessor, now-retired Pope Benedict XVI, attended all four sessions of the council as a theological adviser to the archbishop of Cologne, Germany. St. John Paul II participated in all four sessions as a full member of the body, first as auxiliary bishop of Krakow, Poland, and then as archbishop of the city.

uThailand day care massacre a ‘horrific attack,’ pope says. Pope Francis said he was "deeply saddened" after hearing news of one of the world's worst mass shootings at a day care center in northeast Thailand.

In a message sent Oct. 7 by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, the pope offered prayers for the victims "of the horrific attack" Oct. 6 that claimed the lives of 36 people, including at least 24 children.

According to an AP report Oct. 7, Panya Kamrap, a former policeman, went to the day care, where his child was enrolled but had been absent for the past month, before going

on a shooting and stabbing rampage. He then went home where he shot and killed his wife and child before turning the gun on himself.

uImmigration advocates say DACA ruling should push Congress to act. The Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. and other immigration advocates are emphasizing that an Oct. 5 ruling by a federal appeals court — finding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is unlawful — sends another signal that permanent legislation is needed to protect young immigrants from deportation and put them on a path to U.S. citizenship. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans affirmed a lower court's ruling last year that said the Obama administration did not have the legal authority in 2012 to create DACA in the first place. This appeals court decision, similar to the ruling last summer from a federal judge in Texas, leaves DACA in limbo, preventing the Biden administration from enrolling new participants in the program while continuing the program for current recipients. The 5th Circuit also returned the case to the lower court asking the judge to review new DACA regulations that the Biden administration announced in August and set to go into effect Oct. 31.

uColorado baker fights ruling over cake celebrating gender transition. Colorado baker Jack Phillips, whose refusal to make a same-sex wedding cake on religious grounds went to the Supreme Court, is currently fighting a ruling that he violated the state's anti-discrimination law in 2017 for refusing to bake a cake to celebrate a gender transition. In arguments before Colorado's appeals court Oct. 5, Phillips' attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom urged the court to overturn a ruling issued last year against their client on procedural grounds and said the court should uphold Phillips' First Amendment rights.

uTexas executes inmate who won court battle over prayer in death chamber. John Ramirez, a Texas inmate who won a legal battle with the Supreme Court to have his pastor pray aloud over him and place his hands on him in the execution chamber, was executed by lethal injection Oct. 5. Ramirez, 38, was given the death sentence for the stabbing murder of a convenience store clerk during a 2004 robbery.

uSwiss cardinal apologizes for Nazi reference in critique of Synodal Path. In a meeting with the president of the German bishops' conference, Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch

apologized for offending people and said he never intended to imply that supporters of the German Church's Synodal Path were doing something similar to what a group of Christian supporters of the Nazis did in the 1930s. At a meeting Oct. 4 in Rome with Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops' conference, "Cardinal Koch expressly emphasized that it was completely far from him to want to impute the terrible ideology of the 1930s to the Synodal Path," said a statement published the next day by the bishops' conference. "Cardinal Koch asks for forgiveness from all those who feel hurt by the comparison he made," the statement continued. Bishop Bätzing had demanded an apology from Cardinal Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, for the comments he made in a Sept. 29 interview with Die Tagespost newspaper, when Cardinal Koch referred to an orientation text decided on during the Synodal Path. In addition to the Bible, tradition, the magisterium and theology, the text also mentions the "signs of the times" and the "sense of faith of the people of God" as the most important sources of revelation for Christians. "It irritates me that new sources are being accepted alongside Scripture and tradition as sources of revelation; and it frightens me that this is happening — again — in Germany," Cardinal Koch told Die Tagespost. "That is because this phenomenon already existed during the National Socialist dictatorship, when the so-called 'German Christians' saw God's new revelation in blood and soil and in the rise of Hitler."

uUSCCB, military archdiocese oppose VA's proposed abortion services rule. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese for the Military Services filed a joint statement Sept. 21 objecting to a rule proposed by the Biden administration to allow abortions to be performed on demand in health programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. "In our view, there are at least three problems with the interim final rule," the USCCB and military archdiocese said. "First, the department has no statutory authority to adopt it. Second, the rule represents a violation of conditions Congress has placed on the availability of taxpayer funds and government facilities for abortions. Third, the rule will facilitate the taxpayer-funded destruction of innocent human lives and harm the women it is intended to benefit."

Beyond words

Why witness matters

Celebrating the universal Church

After separate missionary trips to Alaska, India, Jamaica and Kenya, four witnesses of Christ in others and of his love in their own lives share

some of their experiences of the universal Church with The Catholic Spirit this World Mission Sunday.

Each is a parishioner in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Each visited mission dioceses supported by the pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith. And they will join Catholics in every corner of the globe on the second to last Sunday of October — this year Oct. 23 — to celebrate and assist the spreading of Christ’s example and teaching.

“It’s not just us,” Deacon Mickey Friesen, director of the Center for Mission in the archdiocese, said of the universal character of World Mission Sunday. “We’re journeying with everybody.”

“You shall be my witnesses” is this year’s theme for the Oct. 22-23 collections in parishes for mission dioceses, Deacon Friesen said. That eighth verse of Acts 1 reads in full: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In modern parlance, that could be interpreted to mean witnesses to Christ in a given zip code, diocese, nation and beyond, Deacon Friesen said. Everyone in this effort is equal, even while facing different challenges and opportunities, he said.

In addition to collections at Masses, people can contribute to the missionary impact of the Church by mailing in donations to the Center for Mission using an envelope in this issue of The Catholic Spirit. People wishing to donate online can do so anytime at centerformission org

“We are all baptized. We all have needs. And we all have gifts,” Deacon Friesen said. “When we collaborate together, we uncover each other’s gifts.”

Three boys hold out yellow roses to members of a 2019 delegation from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on a mission trip to the Diocese of Vijayapuram, India, organized by the Center for Mission. As part of its mandate to promote mission outreach, the Center for Mission coordinates the collection for World Mission Sunday, held annually on the second to last Sunday in October, which benefits mission dioceses around the world, including the four dioceses visited by Catholics profiled on pages 10-11. The Center for Mission is the local representation of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith founded in 1822 by Blessed Pauline Jaricot, who was beatified in May (see page 12).

MARIA WIERING THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

‘You are witnesses of these things’

Actions do speak louder than words. People inspire me and teach me more by how they live than by what they say. Actions also give meaning to the words we speak. I think this is especially true in giving witness to Christ. I remember a quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi that says, “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” There is a power to witnessing faith that speaks beyond words. It is the witness of seeing, hearing and loving.

The Church was born to be a witness to Christ. At the time of his ascension, Jesus commissioned the disciples to remember all they had seen in following him in life, death and resurrection: “You are witnesses of these things” (Lk 24:28). The early Church father Tertullian remarked on how often he would hear from non-Christians, “See how they love one another.” Beyond any teaching or preaching, it was the way that Christians loved that inspired generations of faith. Many of the earliest saints were martyrs — witnesses — who died for their faith. Christians built their churches on the graves of these martyrs to draw strength and inspiration from their lives. It came to be said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church’s growth. People believe witnesses more than words!

Two hundred years ago in France, a young woman named Pauline Jaricot was inspired by the stories of missionaries witnessing to Christ in Asia and the Americas. She decided to respond by reaching out in prayer and support of God’s mission happening in foreign lands. She wanted to amplify what she had seen and heard from missionaries. She began to gather with groups of women who shared letters of mission stories, to pray for the missions and to offer what they could to support missionaries living in difficult

and poor circumstances. Her witness of prayer, sharing faith and offering support to foreign missions gave birth to a worldwide movement that continues to our day called the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Joining in support of God’s mission abroad in this way also motivated her own witness and ministry at home. Pauline Jaricot was beatified in May of this year.

On World Mission Sunday, we renew our most basic vocation as Christians to be witnesses of Christ’s love. We join with Catholics around the world on this day to pray, to share faith and offer financial support for the Church’s universal mission. Speaking of the Church and the witness of the Christians in it, Pope St. Paul VI said, “It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus — the witness of poverty and detachment, of freedom in the face of the powers of this world, in short, the witness of sanctity” (“Evangelii Nuntiandi,” No. 41). The Christian call to witness is the same as the call to holiness.

Faith grows when we share it. We are part of a great story of God’s love. God is choosing us to take our place in the story by what we say and what we do. We are among a great cloud of witnesses who continue to bring the good news of Christ to the world. We also come alive in faith as we give witness to what we have seen and heard. Let us join with St. John who wrote, “What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing this so that our joy may be complete” (I Jn 1:3-4). Witnessing faith helps it to grow in us.

Deacon Friesen is director of the Center for Mission in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY | DEACON MICKEY FRIESEN

Visitor received with joy by Native Alaskans

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

While on an immersion and service trip to the tiny, remote village of Galena, Alaska, Dianne LaScotte approached an older resident outside St. John Berchman church to thank her for sharing her life story at a parish event. The woman, an elder in the Athabascan Indian community to which most of the village’s 470 residents belong, responded with curiosity, “Why are you here?”

A little surprised by the question, LaScotte, 73, a member of Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul, told the woman that she, and nine others visiting the Diocese of Fairbanks through the Center for Mission, had come to their town to listen, learn, pray and share a meal with them.

The woman from Galena smiled and said “OK” with the same grace the missionaries had experienced from other village residents who expressed joy, welcome and resilience, LaScotte said.

“They were kind and welcoming,” she said of their encounters in 2017. “We were in their church, on their land, in their home. I would say that’s the charity.”

The woman’s question made LaScotte reflect on why she’s served as a lay missionary in several locations starting in the 1970s. “That’s a question that anybody could ask about anything about their own lives: ‘What am I here for? What is my witness about?’”

During their eight days in Alaska, LaScotte hoped that the group’s witness of presence and service benefited those they met, not only in Galena but in Fairbanks, where they talked with and served meals to the homeless at Immaculate Conception church’s soup kitchen, and at other parishes they visited by airplane in the more than 409,000-square-mile diocese.

LaScotte traveled to the diocese with the Center for Mission in part because of two radio stations. A Lebanese Christian radio station helped ease her feelings of isolation as she worked at a children’s zoo on an Israeli kibbutz in the 1970s and 1980s. She later started supporting a Catholic radio station in

… that makes a person who comes from a larger country rethink, ‘What am I doing? If they can do so much with so little, what am I doing?’

Dianne LaScotte

Nome, Alaska, that also reaches isolated Christians. And Nome’s location in the Fairbanks diocese sold her on making the Center for Mission’s trip.

During another Center for Mission trip to El Salvador in 2011, LaScotte said she was radically affected by people she saw and met who suffered from deep poverty and gang violence.

She met Alaskans who live very simply, including Galena residents who depend on fish they catch in the nearby Yukon River. LaScotte also saw spiritual poverty as some Catholics in remote parishes only see a priest every three months. “We live in luxury, and we don’t know it here,” she said.

Experiencing how others live has made LaScotte think about her own consumption and contribution to her community.

“You listen and you hear the stories of the people, whether they’re serving like missionaries or they’re people who actually live there, and you learn their faith stories,” she said. “You see their small communities and what they can do … and how important each member of the community is and that makes a person who comes from a larger country rethink, ‘What am I doing? If they can do so much with so little, what am I doing?’”

After the limited time LaScotte has spent with Alaskans and others she’s met on mission trips, she said she’s tried to plant seeds of faith for others to nurture.

“I think it has to start with how you are and what you’re called to be in the small things in your own life — and one experience led to another, which led to another,” she said.

India encounter leads to ‘sense of sharing life’

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

W

hen Marta Pereira visited St. Antony’s Pilgrim Shrine during an immersion trip to the Diocese of Vijayapuram in India, she was awed by the thousands of faithful who gathered for the sacraments and eucharistic adoration on a Tuesday, the Church’s traditional day to honor and pray to the saint.

“People were coming from work, and you can see they’re poor people, but there’s this sense of devotion that they have, also for the Eucharist,” said Pereira, 50, a parishioner of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul who led the nine-member delegation on an immersion trip organized by the Center for Mission.

Pereira said she went to India in 2019 with a desire to listen with an open heart and to share in the experiences of the people she met in the diocese in the coastal state of Kerala. What she saw was a vibrant faith, lived in God’s providence, that helped rejuvenate her experience of the universal Church.

Describing the trip as a “beautiful journey that we did with the Church,” Pereira said she and the delegation visited Basic Christian Communities — groups of parishioners who meet regularly in homes to read the Gospel, pray, share and have a meal together — in the city and villages throughout the diocese. They also participated in prayer, liturgies and conversations with lay Catholics and clergy.

It was Pereira’s first trip to India, but not her first mission experience. She did mission work for eight years in Central America and the Caribbean as a religious sister of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters, a Spanish missionary congregation. Separately, she traveled on mission to Guatemala with the Center for Mission in 2013.

Pereira said she has been inspired by Pope St. John Paul II’s 1991 exhortation, “Do not forget that faith is strengthened and grows precisely when it is given to others.” She said she’s also seen her

faith strengthen through the faith of those she’s met.

“I have always felt like when I’m in a position supposedly to witness, I’ve been mostly witnessed to, because in the beauty of a faith that is lived, particularly by the poor, there’s a sense of total abandonment and a total openness that poor communities have in different ways, and really an openness to the Spirit,” she said.

Families in the four or five different Basic Christian Communities that Pereira visited opened their simple homes in hospitality as they shared life with fellow parishioners outside of Mass — something she saw as a possible model for other dioceses.

“I think the sense of sharing life outside the sacramental life, because sometimes we can just think that being a Christian is just going to Mass or my personal prayer,” she said.

Through her experience in the Vijayapuram diocese, Pereira said, she’s re-encountered a sense of mission beyond a “just me and God” mentality, which she hopes to share with students she works with at the University of St. Thomas’ campus ministry in St. Paul.

“We are a Church that is mission driven,” Pereira said. “We would not be a Church if we weren’t that. It is our commandment to go and spread the Good News, and I think the Good News comes through that encounter that brings God, but also encounters God through others.”

MARIA WIERING | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Marta Pereira, left, speaks to two Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny outside their convent in Vandiperiyar, India, while leading a mission trip to the Diocese of Vijayapuram in 2019.

COURTESY CENTER FOR MISSION

Dianne LaScotte of Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul, second from left, visits Denali National Park and Preserve in June 2017 during an immersion trip to the Diocese of Fairbanks and northern Alaska.

It is our commandment to go and spread the Good News, and I think the Good News comes through that encounter that brings God, but also encounters God through others.

Marta Pereira

Missionary blessed by Jamaica family bonds

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

Aforlorn-looking woman standing outside her small shack near Mandeville, Jamaica, caught the eye of the van driver who was taking Grant Rabuse and nine others from the archdiocese to a mission site in the south-central Diocese of Mandeville. The group stopped that day in early 2016 and learned that the woman suffered from HIV-AIDS, and that she and her 7-year-old daughter had no food for the day. The chickens that a Catholic organization had given them as a source of income had been stolen.

Six years later, Rabuse, 60, remains surprised at how freely the woman shared her story with him and the other visitors. She welcomed them into her home with a dirt floor and no windows, without expecting anything from them.

“It was nothing that any of us would say you’d showcase, but I think she was still proud that she had this home for her daughter,” said Rabuse, a parishioner of St. Joseph in West St. Paul. “It was still her home that she welcomed us into. It was very eye-opening and humbling to see how some people live and how they enjoy what they have, what little they do have.”

Rabuse spent a week in the Mandeville diocese meeting and serving residents on an immersion trip organized by the Center for Mission in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which works to promote the missionary life of the Church and coordinate mission outreach in the archdiocese.

As he visited schools, health clinics, orphanages, a nursing home and helped build a house, Rabuse saw the Jamaican people’s poverty and suffering but also their joy, generosity and strong family bonds.

Rabuse decided to take his first mission trip to Jamaica after hearing his sons tell of the joy they saw in people they encountered on mission trips to Central and South America.

Whether visiting elderly residents at a nursing home run by the Missionaries of Charity in St. Elizabeth, or touring schools and meeting school leaders and community members, Rabuse said he sought to see Christ in the people and to witness God working in their lives.

It was very eye-opening and humbling to see how some people live and how they enjoy what they have, what little they do have.

Grant Rabuse

“I think (our) witnessing down there was just being present to these people and seeing a day in the life in the community, whether it was in some of the schools or hospitals or St. John Bosco,” (Boy’s Home run by the Sisters of Mercy in Hatfield, Jamaica). “For somebody to actually take interest in them was a pretty nice thing for them to experience as we all sat with different groups down there and had some good conversations.”

Jamaicans’ joy was evident, from the grateful widow for whom Rabuse helped build a small, wood frame home, to members of a lively, packed Sunday Mass congregation who passed their babies to the Americans to hold. Their joy appeared to come from having priorities more focused on family and relationships than material things, Rabuse said.

Since meeting Jamaicans in their communities, Rabuse is more conscious of being kind and appreciative to people he meets when vacationing in the Caribbean. He plans to return to Jamaica on another mission trip in early 2023.

And after meeting Missionaries of Charity in Jamaica, he’s now helping the Twin Cities community of sisters with woodworking and building projects.

Jamaicans’ focus on family and sharing and helping each other through problems is something Americans could learn from, Rabuse said.

“I guess it was very transferable to see that — whether you’re in a rich country, (such as) America, or Jamaica — that everybody has a cross to bear and struggles in life,” he said. “Probably we in America try to mask more of that, and hide that, to make everything look like it’s rosy.”

Common ground with Kenyans inspires faith

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

All the meetings Debbie Keller attended in Kitui, Kenya, during a Center for Mission partnership trip started in a surprising way — whether they were about community building and resources or gatherings with local women.

“Every time we attended a meeting, it opened with prayer and then singing and dancing,” said Keller, 63, a member of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake. “They would get up and they would dance with us and (share) the meaning of the song.”

Hearing the Kenyans’ music and seeing their joy transformed Keller’s heart during the 2017 trip she made with 12 others to the Diocese of Kitui, located east of the capital Nairobi.

Unlike an immersion trip designed to introduce people to the needs of a country or region, Keller’s trip was one of a number of visits that representatives of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Kitui diocese have made to each other’s countries since establishing a relationship of mutuality and solidarity in 2004.

Keller and other delegation members met with Kenyans in the Kitui county capital, Kitui Town. They worked on development goals and projects, including building and sharing resources, such as wells and water collection.

Keller, who at the time was president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, met with members of Kitui’s Catholic Women’s Association and toured the construction site of a women’s college dormitory campus outside Kitui Town. They hope the campus will eventually accommodate more than 200 students. To date, the ACCW has contributed almost $50,000 to the project, Keller said. She also met with members of the women’s association from parishes around the Diocese of Kitui.

The trip was Keller’s first to Kenya, but she has formed friendships with some of her hosts, who have visited

Debbie Keller

the archdiocese.

Finding common ground on hopes, dreams and sorrows, sometimes while sitting under trees on hot, dusty days in small communities around the diocese, was a witness to unity, both for Keller and the Kenyan women, she said. “The sharing of our stories was very familiar to us all and gave consolation, I think, to both sides.”

As a visitor, Keller said, “You have to go with a heart of humility and a heart that’s kind of vulnerable, because nothing’s going to be accomplished if you’re going to go there and save the world and you have all the answers.”

The Kenyans’ strong faith and welcome, despite the devastation of poverty and other problems, inspired Keller’s faith: “Their witness to me was probably more profound I think than mine was to them.”

For almost two years after returning from Kitui, Keller spoke at nearly 80 archdiocesan parishes in her role as ACCW president and talked in part about Kitui to raise funds for the dormitory project.

Remembering Kenyans’ deep faith, Keller said she tries not to take hers for granted, or underestimate God’s plans for her.

“You think you have a lot of experience in life after many years of walking on this earth and being a person of faith, and then the Lord still has more plans for you,” she said.

COURTESY CENTER FOR MISSION

Grant Rabuse, left, a member of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, stands with a woman for whom he helped build a house in February 2016, as well as fellow immersion trip delegate and friend Bob Doyle, in Black River, Jamaica.

COURTESY

Debbie Keller of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake stands with Sister Lucy John in the Diocese of Kitui

You have to go with a heart of humility and a heart that’s kind of vulnerable, because nothing’s going to be accomplished if you’re going to go there and save the world and you have all the answers.

Blessed Pauline

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

In 1822, a young and rich French woman, Pauline Jaricot, founded the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

In 2022, this international association that coordinates assistance for Catholic missionary priests, brothers, and nuns in mission areas, is still going strong. And renewed attention has been given to its founder, who was beatified May 22 in Lyon, France.

Born in that city in 1799, Jaricot was the youngest of seven children. At age 17, Jaricot was recuperating from a serious fall when her mother died. Jaricot then led a life of intense prayer. On Christmas 1816, she took a vow of perpetual virginity.

Jaricot first founded an association for pious servant girls, the Repairers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. While her brother, Phileas, was studying to be a missionary priest, she felt an urge to help the missionary cause. So, in 1822, with the help of workers at the family’s silk factory, she established the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

She encouraged each participant to invite 10 other people to pray and make contributions, which was dubbed the “circle of 10.”

“Pauline had a vision of two lamps. One lamp was empty and the other lamp was full and filling up the other lamp,” said Monica Yehle, chief of staff for the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. “She saw the empty lamp as France after the revolution.”

She wanted to rebuild the strength of the Church in France just a few decades after the French Revolution.

“She wanted to do something, right? So, she asked each person in the circles of 10 to contribute a sous — equivalent to a penny — for the work of the mission Church,” Yehle said.

In 1826, while fostering the growth of the society supporting missionary work, Jaricot also founded the Association of the Living Rosary.

Instead of organizing it in 10s, she assembled groups of 15 — one for each decade of three “mysteries” of

of Society for the Propagation of the Faith

her virtually penniless. She declared bankruptcy but preached forgiveness to those who had bilked her. Jaricot died destitute in 1862.

But what she started bore many fruits.

The United States, which got all of $6 from the society in its first contribution, now accounts for 25% of all donations to its current work. By 1908, the Church in the United States had grown so vigorous that it was decided that it was no longer missionary territory.

The last U.S. diocese still receiving funds from the society is the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska — and this is the final year of society contributions, according to Msgr. Kieran Harrington, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.

On May 3, 1922, a century after its founding, Pope Pius XI declared the Society for the Propagation of the Faith “pontifical.” There are three international groups with the “pontifical” designation: the Missionary Childhood Association, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, and the Missionary Union. The first two were also founded in France and raise funds for the Church.

Jaricot’s remains are in St. Nizier Church in Lyon, where they have been since 1935.

On Feb. 25, 1963, a century after her death, St. John XXIII declared Jaricot venerable.

Then there is the matter of the miracle.

the rosary at that time. By 1832, Pope Gregory XVI gave canonical status to the latter organization.

In 1835, Jaricot became severely ill again, and while heading toward a pilgrimage in Italy, she was healed. She attributed the cure to St. Philomena.

In 1845, she set out to practice Christian social reform by buying a blast furnace plant, with workers and their families living in an adjacent building, with a school and chapel nearby. She left the management to people who defrauded her and left

Mayline Tran had been in painful agony for two years. But her intercession with Jaricot resulted in what she describes as a miraculous recovery in 2012. Her doctor, stunned by the reversal of her condition, was dumbstruck to learn she was going to middle school. The girl’s brain waves, a jumble in the wake of the accident that nearly killed her, were once again normal.

On May 26, 2020, Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to Jaricot’s intercession.

NET Ministries’ Lifeline program returns with support from archdiocese

By Barb Umberger The Catholic Spirit

Apopular event for high school students in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis returns

5. Suspended during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lifeline restarts at NET Ministries’ headquarters in West St. Paul with its format of Mass, contemporary praise and worship, a talk geared toward young people and their faith, and a time for eucharistic adoration to process topics discussed.

New this year is partnering with the archdiocese, said Mark Berchem, founder and president of NET Ministries. The archdiocese is helping with funding (attendees pay no fee) and planning, utilizing its Office of Marriage, Family and Life. The archdiocese’s Office of Latino Ministry also will assist, especially with NET now offering sessions for Spanish speakers as well as English, which requires guidance on aspects such as music and speakers, Berchem said.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who will celebrate the Mass Nov. 5, said he was “thrilled by the archdiocese’s new collaboration with NET ministries that made possible the return of dynamic and faith-filled outreach to the young people of our archdiocese.”

“Knowing that NET’s programming has long been transformative for many young Catholics in our area, I look forward to the opportunity to partner with NET as we strive to respond to the needs expressed so clearly in the three years of our Synod process,” Archbishop Hebda said. “In many ways, this new partnership will be the first fruits of our Synod.”

West St. Paul-based NET Ministries is named for its national evangelization teams. Founded in the archdiocese in 1981, teams of Catholics ages 18-28 spend nine months traveling to 100 dioceses across the U.S. each school year to conduct youth retreats,

COURTESY NET MINISTRIES

Young people during a time of praise and worship while attending a Lifeline event in 2018 at the NET Center in West St. Paul.

drawing more than 100,000 youths annually before the pandemic.

Lifeline’s main goals are awakening faith and giving attendees a sense of belonging as members of a larger community in the archdiocese, Berchem said.

“All good youth ministry programs have a balance of ‘momentum events’ and what I would call small group discipleship,” Berchem said. It’s difficult for one parish to host an event like Lifeline with large numbers, where “young people can see that ‘it’s not just me that believes,’” and be inspired by uplifting music, liturgy that reaches at the heart of what they are wrestling with, and quiet time before the Eucharist, Berchem said.

A list of upcoming Lifeline events can be found at TheCaTholiCSpiriT Com For more information and to register for Lifeline, visit neTuSa org/lifeline

Preparing

ARCHDIOCESAN YOUTH

NET Ministries will lead the coordination of Archdiocesan Youth Day going forward, previously organized by the archdiocese’s Office of Marriage, Family and Life. But it will be a partnership between NET and the archdiocese, using gifts from both to serve the archdiocese “the best way we can,” said Bill Dill, marriage preparation and youth ministry events coordinator at OMFL.

The next AYD will be April 29 at NET Ministries in West St. Paul.

“We’re really excited to do AYD with NET Ministries,” Dill said. “They’ve been doing large events for years, and it just fits so well in their wheelhouse with their gifts and assets.”

NET has a long history of working with the archdiocese to provide evangelistic youth events, including AYD, said David Rinaldi, vice president of mission for NET Ministries, who served as emcee for the first three AYDs. NET missionaries, staff and alumni served in many ways over the years: performing dramas, sharing testimonies, leading music “and volunteering for all sorts of behind-the-scenes tasks,” he said.

“We’re excited to continue partnering with the archdiocese and welcome people to our newly expanded NET Center,” Rinaldi said. “It’ll be a great opportunity for young people to spend the day with our archbishop praying, learning and having fun.”

Nearly 2,000 young people gathered at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis Sept. 15, 2012, for the first Archdiocesan Youth Day. In addition to a candlelit adoration procession, they listened to speakers, attended Mass, received the sacrament of reconciliation and listened to music.

— Barb Umberger

Legacy Society of the Catholic Community

Minnesota

up of

their charitable legacies

Widow pursues longtime dream of travel and mission work

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

Kathy Pierson started a new chapter when she was widowed at 51, reclaiming a teenage dream to travel abroad. Her open mind and Catholic faith guide her. Meanwhile, her devotion to family remains an anchor. “One of the loves of my life is my grandchildren,” said Pierson, 76, a member of St. Cecilia in St. Paul. A mother of three children and a grandmother of eight, she lives in Apple Valley.

Q I hear you’re a swimmer.

A I have a place on Loon Lake in Wisconsin where I do “destination swimming,” as I call it — swimming from one end of the lake to the other. I try to do it every day in the summer. I don’t like swimming in pools. You feel like you’re swimming circles in a fishbowl. In a lake, you’re swimming under the clouds and you can just go anywhere, and every once in a while, you’ll look and see where you are.

Q Do you have a cabin there?

A I just have a camper up there. My husband died our second year there, in 1997, so I never got to the point of building anything.

The nights are beautiful on Loon Lake. If it’s clear and the weather behaves, you can see all the stars. We can watch the moon come up. And if it’s warm enough to swim under the starlight, that’s amazing. You look up and think, “Now that’s the same moon that people can see everywhere! It gives you a sense of being a part of something greater.”

Q How do you preserve your sense of wonder?

A My father was very into nature and beauty, and he drove all five of us kids in the back of a station wagon to the mountains or the North Shore. He knew about all the rocks and the flowers and the birds. I was probably influenced by that. I make a point to be outside every single day. I don’t feel right if I don’t get outside.

Q Where did your love of travel come from?

A I was in high school when President Kennedy started the Peace Corps, and I remember thinking, “That’s something I’d like to do.” But I also always wanted

to be a mother. I got married right out of college and put travel aside.

Q Then you were unexpectedly widowed when your husband died from a stroke. Did you look at your life anew?

A Yeah, I did. My youngest son had one year left of high school, so I didn’t do anything right away. I went on a pilgrimage with my church to the Holy Land, and I got really interested in the Arab culture. There’s something about that place — you know it’s sacred — and the ancientness of it. It was eye opening.

My job gave me a six-month leave of absence to go volunteer at a home for blind children on the West Bank. That changed my life.

It felt like I was going back to something I’d always had in the back of my mind, and I was finally able to do it. Long story short, I sold my house and put all my possessions in a 10 by 10 storage locker and went back there for almost two years. I worked at this miserable nursing home called The Shelter, for disabled people of all ages.

Q What did you learn from that experience?

A You learn, “My God, am I blessed!” I can’t believe how terribly those people have been treated. Your social justice hackles go up. But I’ll do what I can. So, I tried to touch them and speak to them and play games with them. I got a recreation program going.

Q Then the pull of being a grandma brought you home.

A My son sent me a video of my first grandchild, and I was crying. I returned and tried to find a job with refugees here. I got into teaching English to these older Somali guys. It was fun. For the past 15 years, I’ve been teaching and subbing and then going out of the country in the winter. The last two winters I worked at the border in El Paso — the Annunciation House, which was started by a group of Catholics interested in social justice. They rent this huge warehouse and set up cots and blankets from the Red Cross. The whole organization is entirely volunteer run. My job was to contact their sponsor, who’s already living in the U.S.

They were very grateful for the help. These immigrants are coming from very difficult situations, and they want to work and contribute and be a part of our society. They want to get out of the hold of poverty. They want a better life for their children.

Q Do you admire their courage?

A Yes! We’d see Haitian women with little, tiny babies — a baby who was born in Brazil. What the heck? How they got from Brazil to the border with a tiny baby? Many walked long, long distances. It’s dangerous. Those coyotes can be really bad people.

Q Is your embrace of the immigrant influenced by your Catholic faith?

A There is a strong social-justice tradition in the Catholic faith. It’s not up front like it should be, but it’s there.

I think the message of Jesus, who was a revolutionary, is: “You need to try to do something about the injustices in the world!”

I think I was born looking at the world and the people in it — and people different from myself — as being interesting, as people to be learned from, whereas some people have the instinct that anybody who is different is scary. Someone with a different color or language or religion is to be feared, kept away.

My instinct is just the opposite, and all the missionaries I’ve met and the old Maryknoll nuns believe, “No, they’re not to be feared. They’re interesting. They have something to teach you.”

Q What allows you to be a lifelong learner?

A Curiosity.

Q How can Catholics do mission work right here in our archdiocese?

A Pick a cause. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Come up with one issue you’re passionate about and find organizations that support it.

Q What do you do for fun?

A I enjoy cake decorating. When I’m decorating for somebody’s birthday, I try to make it really personal. I want it to make them feel special.

Q What’s your go-to prayer?

A The Bible verse that rules my life is: To whom much is given, much will be required. But I’m more into hymns that are prayers. I picked these out for my funeral: “Here I Am, Lord”; “Be Not Afraid” and “The Servant Song.” That’s me.

Q What do you know for sure?

A When you’re young, you think you know everything for sure. And the older you get, the more you realize that you really don’t know much for sure. What I’m pretty sure about is that people are basically good. That’s how I’ve always operated, when I travel and do mission work. Every once in a while, you get mugged in a taxi or taken advantage of. But I have to believe that, under it all, people are good.

If you suspect abuse of a minor, your first call should be to law enforcement.

You are also encouraged to contact the archdiocese’s Victim Assistance Program at 651-291-4475.

For confidential, compassionate assistance from an independent and professional local care provider, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, contact Canvas Health at 651-291-4497.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Persistence in prayer

The theme of the readings for Oct. 16 is persistent prayer.

In the first reading, Moses must keep his arms raised in prayer in order for the Israelites to gain victory in battle. As his arms grow tired, he is helped by others and is able to persevere in prayer so that Israel defeats its enemy.

In the second reading, St. Paul writes to Timothy to be persistent, whether it is convenient or inconvenient.

And in the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about the necessity to pray always without becoming weary.

Why this stress and focus on persistent prayer? Because God knows how easily we become weary from praying.

We pray for many things big and small, personal and global, and we often pray for the same thing every day without seeing much change. Because of this, we are tempted to stop praying. We may throw up our hands or, more accurately, throw down our hands thinking, “What’s the use? God isn’t listening!” But

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS

FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

Until death do us part

Marriage is for life.

When God created the world, God’s plan for marriage was that the husband and wife

“become one body,” or sometimes translated, “one flesh” (Gn 2:24b).

Jesus further explained, “What God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mt 19:6; Mk 10:9). It is more than a human or physical bond. It is a spiritual bond because God seals it, thus making it unbreakable. The enduring nature of the union is stated clearly in the consent between the bride and groom. The final words of the marriage vows are, “I promise … to love you and honor you all the days of my life.” Previously, one option for the conclusion was, “Until death do us part.” From the day of the marriage forward, the marriage covenant, likes God’s relationship with us, is permanent and binding, irrevocable and indissoluble.

A lifelong marriage is for the good of the couple. It provides stability for both the wife and the husband. When hardships and suffering come along, as they surely will, the first thought is not, “How can I get out of this?” but rather, the conscious decision, “We are going to get through this together.” It is a preset mental framework, a chosen path from the beginning, “No matter what obstacles may come our way, with the help of God, we will work together to overcome them.”

The commitment to persevere no matter

the SAINTS

this is a temptation from the Enemy of our souls.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of the battle of prayer. “The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God.” (CCC 2725).

Nowhere is this clearer than in those who have persisted in prayer for an end to abortion. I admire those heroic souls who persisted in prayer to overturn the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. It may have seemed like it would never happen, and many probably gave up years ago. But, after almost 50 years of persistence, this prayer was answered.

However, these prayers have been answered from the first moment they were uttered. We need only think of the countless conversions that have happened over the years. Other answers to prayers have been the many pro-life organizations that have arisen to help women make a true choice for life. God has been and continues to answer our prayers. We just need to be persistent, never growing weary, trusting that our prayers are being answered.

Father Przybilla is pastor of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony. He can be reached at frprzybilla@stchb org

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 Brebeuf 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

The stronger the marriage, the stronger the family; and the stronger the family, the stronger the Church.

unwavering in their love for each other, joyfully together and present day by day, united in their concern and care for their children, available and reliable, calm and steady. Parents who are together for the long haul give their children safety and security and set them on the right path as disciples of Jesus on the journey to God.

Lifelong marriages and strongly united families are the foundation and building blocks of the Church. The couple first, and then the family, constitute a house church, and it functions as the basic unit of the Church with the mother and father as the spiritual leaders of their children and the home. The stronger the marriage, the stronger the family; and the stronger the family, the stronger the Church.

Similarly, lifelong marriages are the foundation of society. When the institution of marriage is strong and long lasting, when couples are faithful to each other for life, it promotes healthier neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and society as whole. It fosters the common good.

In his book “Life is Worth Living,”

Friday, Oct. 21 Eph 4:1-6 Lk 12:54-59

Saturday, Oct. 22

Eph 4:7-16 Lk 13:1-9

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

Thursday, Oct. 27 Eph 6:10-20 Lk 13:31-35

what reduces worry and fear and serves as a rich source of hope and confidence.

A lifelong marriage is for the good of the children. It provides a stable home life. The children need both their mother and their father, parents who are

Bishop Fulton Sheen concludes his chapter on the sacrament of marriage with this reflection: “Fidelity is an eternal engagement with the future. The soul knows that it cannot be saved unless it is faithful to the spouse, even in the midst of trial. If God’s love is never withdrawn from His Church, then the love of husband and wife is never withdrawn one from another. Their love is a proclamation to the world of another marriage, the marriage that gives us joy and happiness, the beautiful union of Christ and His Bride, the Church.”

Father Van Sloun is the clergy services director for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This column is part of a series on the sacrament of marriage.

Friday, Oct. 28

Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles Eph 2:19-22 Lk 6:12-16

Saturday, Oct. 29

Phil 1:18b-26 Lk 14:1, 7-11

Sunday, Oct. 30

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 11:22–12:2

2 Thes 1:11–2:2 Lk 19:1-10

ST. MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE (1647-1690) This French saint, who increased devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, spent her life in Burgundy. A pious child, Margaret was bedridden from age 9 to 15 with a rheumatic illness. She gradually understood a call to religious life, and already had a mature prayer life when she entered a Visitation convent near Lyon in 1671. Between 1673 and 1675, she received four visions of Christ’s heart in flames, burning with love for humanity, with instructions to promote a special feast and First Friday devotions. Margaret, aided by a Jesuit priest, overcame disbelief and jealousy within her own convent and saw the feast celebrated there and in other French Visitation convents in her lifetime. She was canonized in 1920. Her feast day is Oct. 16.

Counseling the counselors

Is there still a stigma around mental illness? Is it more pronounced among priests?

The answer to those questions became resoundingly clear last summer when Paul Ruff addressed a gathering of 250-some priests from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Ruff, a 66-year-old licensed Catholic psychologist and director of counseling services for The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, was sharing results of a survey they had participated in, exploring areas of reported satisfaction and concern. He told them he’d been talking to the archbishop about how to increase accessibility to mental health services for priests.

Spontaneous applause broke out.

“That let us know the stigma is gone: ‘I’m not going to just secretly say that’s a good thing, but I’m going to applaud it.’ The need is felt, it’s palpable,” Ruff said.

Further evidence: When a priest comes to Ruff’s office at the seminary — where he counsels both seminarians and priests — he isn’t shy.

“I’ve always told priests I see, ‘If you want to come in the back door, to not do the long walk down the hall and maintain some sense of privacy, you can call me when you arrive.’ They always say, ‘No, it’s good for guys to know I’m coming in here.’ And when someone asks, ‘What are you here for?’, they say, ‘Oh, some mental health stuff with Ruff.’ ‘Oh, great.’”

His work is part of The St. Paul Seminary Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation. Founded in 2016, it supports priests and deacons in active ministry through a variety of retreats, workshops and counseling services. Given the breadth and depth of its offerings — about 25 events a year — it is unique.

“It’s really helpful because our lives are full,” said Father Peter Williams, pastor of St. Ambrose in

Call upon Our Lady of the Rosary

Most Catholics know that May is the month we honor the Virgin Mary, but many people do not realize that October is another month of the year in which we especially venerate Our Lord’s mother.

Oct. 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. On that day in the year 1571, Pope Pius V called on all Catholics throughout Europe to hold special processions and pray the rosary publicly to ask for Mary’s intercession as the Ottoman Turks were coming to wage war with the Christians of Europe. The intent was to claim the continent for Islam.

While the ships of the Christian soldiers were greatly outnumbered, their soldiers engaged the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto, off the coast of Greece. Turks surrounded the ships gathered from throughout Europe, and it seemed the Islamic fleet would overcome the smaller fleet of the Christians. And yet, as is so often the case with Christianity, as well as in stories of the Old Testament, we witness what seems to be the impossible: By the end of the day, the Christian fleet was victorious, while nearly all of the Turkish fleet was destroyed.

Woodbury. “How do we help priests go from survival mode to flourishing?”

One answer: by providing year-round opportunities for intellectual, pastoral, spiritual and human formation.

Their well-received programs are expanding in scope and impact, thanks to new grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. and the Haggerty Foundation. The grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. was made possible through the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. They are enabling more guidance for pastors at schools and a major boost in mental-health support.

Warding off burnout is crucial, Ruff said. “How do I stand in this vocation in the ‘too much’ of everything and live it in the way that I just carry the part that’s mine? If we try to do it all, we can’t.”

In addition to examining their prayer lives, Ruff prods priests to assess their sleep and dietary habits. “It’s our dilemma as men — we haven’t been trained to think about the self-care we need and how to take that not as a luxury but as a responsibility. What’s your stewardship, as a resource?”

Getting fresh air can make a big difference. “We live

Pope Pius V declared the first Sunday of October for Our Lady of Victory, and Pope Gregory XIII, who succeeded Pope Pius V, declared the first Sunday of October as the feast of the Holy Rosary, in commemoration of Mary’s intercession on behalf of Christians at the Battle of Lepanto.

We all face battles in our lives. While they may not be the magnitude of the Battle of Lepanto, we are all facing some sort of challenge at this time, particularly in a world that is so desperately trying to find its center of gravity again. We may have attempted to fight these battles on our own and find we keep slipping back into the abyss we are feverishly trying to climb out of on our own accord.

Perhaps the battle is a struggle with an addiction that flared up during the pandemic, one you had previously overcome, only to find that the isolation and fear created by the shutdowns reignited your dependence on your substance of choice. You may find yourself discouraged to be back in a place you never thought you would be again in your life.

Is it time to turn to prayer and ask for help? What will it take for you to reach out to God, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary to humbly implore their intercession in the battle you face? We can continue to fight these battles on our own, with our own resources, and find we face the same walls of our self-made prisons. Or we can humbly turn to our God and ask for help. We can drop to our knees and plead for the saints’ intercession to overcome the struggles we believe we must silently and singly endure on our own.

Pope Pius V knew the Turkish fleet was much stronger and larger than the European fleet, and

in strange days,” Ruff said. “We live in more and more virtual worlds, and we weren’t meant for a virtual world.”

Some psychologists prescribe gardening. “Digging in the dirt helps with depression,” Ruff said. “Research shows that. It might be biologically driven. We’re part of a biome, and we want to be in it.”

The work of the Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation is cause for rejoicing, Father Williams said. “It should be a note of pride for the whole Church, all people of God, that we’re caring for our priests and wanting them to grow.”

Ruff senses that response among laypeople. “It’s kind of like when you’re a child, and you see your parents are doing things to take care of themselves. It’s reassuring to you that they’re going to be OK. We cheer for that.”

Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights.

Editor’s note: Paul Ruff is brother to Joe Ruff of The Catholic Spirit.

ACTION STRATEGIES

uTurn to God with humility and ask for help to overcome the struggle you face. Do not try to overcome this weakness with your own resources. Turn to the holy rosary and ask Mary to help you.

uTake time for prayer this month. Visit the adoration chapel, even if you don’t have a set time. Sit with our Lord and let him speak to you and help you conquer the battle you are fighting.

yet he had unfailing confidence in the Virgin Mary and the power of her intercession. He did not ask the Christians throughout Europe to pray to Mary and ask for her help with little hope of their prayers being answered. No, he asked them to pray with full confidence that she would hear and answer their prayers.

We must do the same. When we ask for Mary to intercede for us, we must do so with full confidence that she will hear us and provide the answers we seek. With her help, we can be victorious over the struggles we face. Take time during this month of October to say the rosary and ask very specifically and confidently for exactly what you need. Trust that the Virgin Mary will help you, just as she did the Christians of Europe in the Battle of Lepanto.

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. Learn more at her website

It should be a note of pride for the whole Church, all people of God, that we’re caring for our priests and wanting them to grow.

Father Peter Williams

OTECT

autumn day may be, it is utterly and absolutely not a sacrament in this sense. But there is a broader sense of the word sacrament that was once more common in Catholic usage. For instance, in his section on the sacraments in the Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas says that “a thing may be called a ‘sacrament,’ either from having a certain hidden sanctity … or from having some relationship to this sanctity,” such as being a sign of it. This means that there are multiple ways that we can use the word sacrament to refer to realities that are absolutely distinct, but are nonetheless both related to sanctity in some way.

& MAN DIGNITY

I sometimes joke that I sin less in October. But it might actually be true. God seems to be more on my mind during the fall, and, therefore, it seems easier to seek out and cooperate with his grace.

Part of it are those mornings of low-hanging mist that make me think of how close God is to mankind through Christ’s incarnation, when heaven came down to earth. It’s also the longing for the Source of all beauty stirred up by the spectacular explosion of color in the changing fall foliage. And how the fact that winter lurks behind every picturesque fall scene prompts me to think of the end of mortal life and the Love that overcomes even death. Taken altogether, the quintessential elements of the fall season work to lift my heart and mind to spiritual things in a way like no other time of year. Because of this, I can sincerely say that for me, autumn acts as a kind of sacrament.

This kind of language may seem wrong, even heretical. Sacrament, after all, refers in a strict sense to the seven sacraments of the Church, such as baptism and the Eucharist. These are grace-affecting signs instituted by Jesus, that make Christ present to us and communicate divine life. And as great as a beautiful

In other words, sacrament is a word we can use analogously. It is in this latter sense, the sense of a sign, that I speak of autumn as a sacrament. It’s a natural reality that serves as an occasion for me to think about God, redemption and eternity. Again (because it can’t be said enough!) this broad usage of the word sacrament is not the same as the seven sacraments, which St. Thomas defines as “the sign of a holy thing so far as it makes men holy.” The seven sacraments actually make me holy by communicating the sanctity they also signify; natural sacraments like the beauty of the fall (or the grandeur of a mountain or the vastness of an ocean) merely call God to mind through his creation, as “the invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20).

There are two ways to get this analogous relationship between the sacramentality of the created world and the sacraments wrong. The first is to collapse the two into each other, and to deny the uniqueness and significance of the seven sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ as places of his presence that incorporate us into divine life. This line of thinking is perhaps encapsulated by tired and trite expressions like, “I don’t need to go to Mass, because the woods are my church.”

This approach is wrong, because although God is the creator, he does not incorporate us into divine life

show up. It is why the Church calls the laity to be “faithful citizens.”

The work of faithful citizenship must begin with forming one’s conscience in the Church’s social teaching — the toolbox of principles used to shape social and political life. It is not a set of prescriptions or ready-made answers. Instead, it is a mental model for well-formed Catholics to guide their actions.

This year, Minnesota’s bishops have offered a statement about how to prioritize the principles of Catholic social teaching in light of the signs of the times, particularly during an election-year debate in which abortion dominates the headlines. Take time to familiarize yourself with the statement, which sheds light on the need for right relationships to create true justice and the preeminence of prenatal justice in our voting considerations.

Understandably so, the frequency of this query tends to grow in the weeks leading up to a big election.

MCC does not produce voter guides for some important practical reasons. For one, legislators rarely take clear-cut votes on specific or solitary issues; legislation is often rolled into omnibus bills that include many pieces of legislation and is usually adopted along party-line votes by a whole legislative caucus. Secondly, candidates generally do not respond to questionnaires from outside groups about their positions, particularly ones that do not provide endorsements or campaign contributions. Furthermore, if we were to try to cobble together their positions via public sources, they are often intentionally ambiguous about positions on controversial issues, and even the construction of such voter guides would entail editorial choices that could lead to accusations of bias.

Ultimately, we believe relying on voter guides and scoresheets undercuts the process by which citizens must educate themselves about the issues, and form relationships with candidates so that they can influence their work throughout their time in office. We cannot be content to vote once every couple of years and then wash our hands of the results. Our system requires active participation by its citizens, or important decisions will be left to those who

You may receive the statement in your bulletin at Mass, or you can find it on our election resources page at mncatholic org/electionresources. Go to page 5 to read an article on the statement.

Once we form our conscience, then we inform ourselves of the candidates’ positions and apply our formation to their positions. Making an informed vote requires that we get to know our candidates. Although MCC does not distribute a candidate scorecard, we do provide you with, among other resources, a questionnaire that you can download to ask questions of your candidates.

Most candidates’ websites provide direct contact information for the candidate. Candidates are surprisingly accessible. We recently published a series of video interviews we conducted with candidates for the Minnesota Legislature so that Catholics have examples of the types of conversations they can have with candidates.

Reaching out directly to candidates will allow you to learn where they stand on issues of life, dignity and the common good. That is the recipe for informed voting, but also the building blocks for relationships that can help transform our state for the better.

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

through creation; he does this through the sacraments, which Jesus instituted and commanded us to partake in. “Do this in memory of me.” In fact, we only have the sacraments precisely because creation, due to sin, has been cut off from God’s graces; in a sense, the seven sacraments are the means by which God redeems a fallen world. Failing to recognize the singular significance of the sacraments is a deep mistake, and no amount of sitting in the woods can ever be compared to even a single reception of the Eucharist.

But there’s also the danger of denying any sacramentality in the natural world. This posture can come out of a well-intended concern over downplaying the distinctiveness and importance of the seven sacraments, but it can lead to a kind of desacralized imagination that fails to see that, in the words of Gerard Manley Hopkins, “the world is charged with the grandeur of God.” Someone with this attitude may partake in the sacraments with great reverence and devotion, but when they leave church, they leave behind any attentiveness to the signs of God in the world he created. A desacralized imagination can lead to a lack of gratitude, or even a degrading of the created world as a merely trivial matter.

Instead of collapsing these two senses of sacrament into each other, or of eliminating any sort of connection between them, it seems to me that the mature Catholic thing to do would be to integrate them. The sacramentality of the world should lead us to seek Jesus in the sacraments. And our encounter with Jesus in the sacraments should, in turn, prompt us to go back out into the world with eyes opened anew to how creation, as a gift from God, can point back to him.

Liedl, a Twin Cities resident, is a senior editor of the National Catholic Register and a graduate student in theology at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.

Improve catechesis now

The story “U.S. synod report finds participants share common hopes, lingering pain” (Sept. 29 edition) states “… a common hope that emerged nationwide was the desire for lifelong spiritual, pastoral and catechetical formation as disciples ….” Some of us have been crabbing about this in the Catholic press and to the hierarchy for years, but nobody listened. I will repeat some of it here. Post Vatican II, the Catholic Church banished the Baltimore Catechism because it apparently was “out of date.” It was replaced with nothing. Some of us who taught CCD in the 1970s had to “wing it.” There was nothing to use. It wasn’t until 1996 that the present Catechism was published. This is a fine research document, not a textbook. In 2004, the USCCB published the “United States Catholic Catechism for Adults,” a welldocumented, thematically arranged textbook for adults, useful for individual or group study. But almost nobody knows it’s available. I found it accidentally at St. Patrick’s Guild about seven years ago and we use it. What’s the secret? That’s 56-plus years without a promoted teaching document for a Church that is not a Sundaygo-to-meetin’ church. We are a “live your faith” and hopefully a “grow in your faith through daily practice” Church. A half-century is a long time to be without basic study materials appropriate to the student audience. I recommend that, rather than waiting two more years to compile more reports, we segue into evangelizing by applying the materials at hand and expanding programs into unserved groups such as public and non-Catholic school children, adolescents, adults and others (assuming Catholic school students are being properly catechized). The faithful have spoken.

Art Thell St. Joseph, West St. Paul

Share your perspective by emailing TheCaTholiCSpiriT@ arChSpm org. Please limit your letter to the editor to 150 words and include your parish and phone number. The Commentary pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Catholic Spirit.

By Lynette Graham Why I am Catholic

Ihad fallen away from the Catholic Church for most of my adult life.

It was due to a lack of understanding of Church teaching on spirituality, love, justice and peace. Twelve years ago, I found myself in desperate need. My marriage had been falling apart for years. It was a difficult marriage on many levels, one that I stayed in for 35 years. A family member insisted I call our parish priest. With reluctance, I did. That was a major turning point. He held up a mirror reflecting my life. I stepped through that mirror into a Catholic world I had no idea existed.

I was and still am hungry for knowledge. From my writings, my priest told me it was time for me to read about some of our saints. He introduced me to St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola and the early Church Fathers. I’ve also been in spiritual direction for 10 years, which has provided me with the kind of feedback I need to keep growing in faith. I made my first eight-day silent Ignatian retreat in 2019 at a beautiful retreat house in Los Altos, California. I have visited many hermitages over the years, sometimes twice a year. Being alone with the Lord in silence on retreat or in adoration, I have gotten in touch with my interior, spiritual life, which has led to a joy-filled life.

Having a personal relationship with Jesus has led to many graces, including having an agape friendship with my ex-husband. He is

the father of my children. I will never seek an annulment, for we didn’t enter into this marriage under false pretenses. I am truly living out my faith with a full abundant life in Christ. Whatever comes my way, God willing, I shall embrace it.

Why am I Catholic? First and foremost, it is the Eucharist. There is something that happens to me when the eucharistic prayer begins. A power overwhelms my senses, and that has me coming back daily. I am fully present. It is a blissful joy, and I fall more deeply in love with Jesus. This is all so real to me. I am aware of the presence of the Lord in all that surrounds me. I pray that my little light shines and attracts others. Even those I don’t agree with or don’t like — God made us all. He loves us all. Then why shouldn’t I try with all my heart to do the same?

Graham, 65, a member of St. Peter Claver in St. Paul, was baptized at age 4. She attended Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and moved to the Twin Cities in her 20s for a job with an airline. Divorced, she has two sons, a 6-year-old granddaughter and a 3-year-old grandson, all of whom, she says, “I thank God live here in the area.”

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

“Why I am Catholic” is an ongoing series in The Catholic Spirit. Want to share why you are Catholic? Submit your story in 300-500 words to CatholiCSpirit@arChSpm org with “Why I am Catholic” in the subject line.

PARISH EVENTS

St. Thomas More Free Store — Oct. 15: 1–3 p.m. at St. Thomas More, 1065 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Clothing, household items, toys and books. Sign-in required, masks encouraged. Alley school entrance, in school basement. morecommunity org/free store

St. Pascal’s Men’s Club Booya — Oct. 16: 10 a.m. at St. Pascal, 1757 Conway St., St. Paul. Drive-thru sales only. 48-ounce container: $18. Check, cash or card. Proceeds for K-8 physical education equipment/ supplies, related needs. stpascals org

Treasure Hunt aka Rummage Sale — Oct. 20-22 at Sacred Heart, 4087 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale. Pre-sale event: 2–6 p.m. Oct. 20, $5 at the door (children free); 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Oct. 21; 9 a.m.–noon Oct. 22 bag day ($5/bag). Sacred Heart Council of Catholic Women. shrmn org

Grandparents Apostolate Fall Event — Oct. 28: 8:45 a.m. at Nativity of Our Lord, 1938 Stanford Ave., St. Paul. Prayer and fellowship highlighted by a presentation, “The Irrefutable Witness: A Model Apostolate for Grandparents” by Brother David Hottinger, PES, of St. Mark in St. Paul. Handicap accessible on Prior Ave. nativitystpaul org/events/ grandparents fall event fr hottinger

Fair and Ethical Trade Sale — Oct. 29: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at St. John Neumann, 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan. Household items, jewelry, gifts, children’s items, coffee, tea, chocolate, spices and more. Benefits farmers and artisans in developing countries and disadvantaged regions. Lunch for purchase. Kristen at kristenmarie1530@gmail com sjn org

“Colors of the Season” Fall Brunch and Mission Benefit — Oct. 29: 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross,1630 4th St. NE, Minneapolis. Kolbe Hall social time, brunch, entertainment and prizes. Cost: $25. Call Pat 612-781-3335 or 612-963-3355. ourholycross org

Trunk or Treat — Oct. 29: 5:15 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas, 920 Holley Ave., St. Paul Park. Second annual car trunk decorations, food, treats. st thomas aquinas com

RETREATS+WORSHIP

Finding A Reason to Hope (Dealing with Loss) — Oct. 19: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. retreat at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. kingshouse com

Silent Retreat (Men) — Oct. 21-23: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center,16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Scheduled time, open time, confession, anointing, Mass, Holy Hour and silent prayer. franciscanretreats net

Private Directed Fall Retreat for Men and Women — Oct. 24-28: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. kingshouse com

Praise and Worship Holy Hour — Oct. 25: 7–8 p.m. St. Rose of Lima, 2048 Hamline Ave., Roseville. Eucharistic adoration, music, confession. saintroseoflima net/get involved

Discernment Retreat with Archbishop Bernard Hebda — Oct. 28-30: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Retreat for men juniors or seniors in high school through age 24 who do not have a college degree and are interested in the priesthood.

Archbishop Hebda, Father David Blume, director of vocations. 10000vocations org

Friends of Francis Retreat — Oct. 28-30: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Scheduled time, open time, confession, anointing, Mass, Holy Hour and prayer. franciscanretreats net

Discernment Day with Bishop Joseph Williams — Oct. 29: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. at Aspirancy House, 1976 Dayton Ave., St. Paul. Retreat for men who have a college degree and are considering priesthood. Registration required, 10000vocations org

The Eucharist: Our Source and Summit — Nov. 12: 8 a.m.–4 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Retreat with Scott Hahn and John Bergsma. stpaulcenter com/coonrapids2022

CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS

Women with Spirit Bible Study — Weekly, October through April: Tuesdays, 9:30–11:30 a.m. at Pax Christi, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie.

One hour talks by university-based speakers on the Gospel of John, books of Job and Genesis; small group discussions. Tuition $100. paxchristi com/ eventregistration; heimie2004@hotmail com

Sidewalk Counseling Training Seminar — Oct. 18: 7–9 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas, Owens Science Hall Auditorium, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Pro-Life Action Ministries and Prolife Center of the University of St. Thomas. thomas wilkin@plam org or (651) 797-6366.

Minnesota Prison Ministry Conference — Oct. 21-22: 1–3:30 p.m. at St. Joseph, 13900 Biscayne Ave. W., Rosemount. Speakers, panel discussions, confession, healing Mass, exhibits, social time and more. ti to/twin cities prison ministry/mn prison ministry conference

MUSIC

Now and At the Hour of Our Death — Oct. 29: 7–8 p.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave., Minneapolis. Multimedia concert featuring art, poetry, organ music, and theological reflections. Thematically centered around the intercessory role of Mary at the hour of death. Music of Weitz, Franck, Saint-Martin, Dupre, and Saint-Saens. Free. ourholycross org

SCHOOLS

Grad Studies Info Night — Oct. 27: 6–7:30 p.m. at The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Professors, information on lay graduate programs. Boxed dinner. saintpaulseminary org/event/school of divinity grad studies info night

SPEAKERS

Catholic United Regional Gathering — Oct. 15: 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. at Mary, Queen of Peace, 21304 Church Ave., Rogers. Speakers, lunch, bingo, service project (packing hygiene kits). Learn about faith, finances and service. Speaker Kelly Wahlquist, director of the Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute. catholicunitedfinancial org/gathering

Designing the Woman God is Calling You to Be — Oct. 17: 7– 8:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace, 5071 Eden Ave., Edina. Speaker: Amy Cummings, certified Wholeness Strategist. First 100 registrants free. St. Joseph Business Guild. sjbusinessguild com

Praying with the Parables — Oct. 18: 7 p.m. at St. Thomas More, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Father Michael Joncas, with an at-home, three-week retreat in daily life to help pray with Jesus’ parables. Register at morecommunity org/parables

Chris Stefanick: ‘Living Joy’ — Oct. 26: 6–9 p.m. at St. Albert the Great, 2836 33rd Ave. S., Minneapolis. Pray, listen, learn and make friends. 6:30 p.m. Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, followed by Stefanick on how creating a young Catholic community will lead to joy. Refreshments and

CALENDAR submissions

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

LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication:

Time and date of event

Full street address of event

Description of event

Contact information in case of questions

hecatholicspirit com/calendarsubmissions

N O T I C E

Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from THE GLENN HOPKINS

some copies of this issue.

appetizers. $20/adult; $15/student; free for clergy. tinyurl com/4dwc7mdp

Pope Francis’ liturgy document and ongoing liturgical reform — Oct. 27: 7–9 p.m. at St. Thomas More, 1079 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Father Anthony Ruff, teacher at St. John’s University, will examine Pope Francis’s vision of liturgy in his recent document “Desiderio Desideravi,” (Great Desire). almspm org/events/2022/10/27/popefrancis

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Mid-America Business Systems

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Mid-America Business Systems in NE Minneapolis, Minnesota Installation/Service Technician: Full-Time, Salary $26 to $35/hr. Depending on Qualifications. Medical, Dental, 401K, Vacation, Holidays, Opportunities to Advance. Call Jenny: 612-378-3800 or email resume to: jlian@mid-america.com

Sharing & Caring Hands/Mary’s Place is located in Minneapolis and is a compassionate response to the needs of the poor. They provide an array of services to the homeless and poor and stand as a beacon of hope to those that are alone, afraid, and in need. They are hiring for multiple job positions as well as seeking volunteers. For job descriptions/how to apply, please email kklement@sharingandcaringhands .org. To learn more about volunteering as a tutor to the children living at Mary’s Place (must be age 16+), please email kklement@ sharingandcaringhands.org. To learn more about volunteering in the dental or medical clinic (must be a dentist, doctor, or nurse), please email mcozart@sharingandcaringhands.org

WE DO

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PAINTING

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THINGS AROUND THE HOME!

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poster

Being able to come in and do my own stories and curate stories ... oriented toward giving glory to God through the work, that’s been really meaningful for me. I’m grateful for that opportunity.

Daniel Bielinski

Filmmaker at North Dakota Catholic college brings faith to works

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

aniel Bielinski is one of many actors who holds a second job. His is program chair of dramatic arts at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Bielinski also is adept at wearing multiple hats in show business. For his latest film, “Sanctified,” he’s both the star and the producer.

“Sanctified,” shot in the North Dakota Badlands, premiered at cinemas across North Dakota Sept. 30, and was expected to show throughout October. Bielinski told Catholic News Service in a Sept. 9 phone interview that he hopes to have streaming deals in place by the end of the year so that it can reach an even wider audience.

Set in the late 1800s, the movie tells the story of an outlaw rescued from death by a nun traveling through the Badlands. She nurses him back to health in exchange for him guiding her to a church in Williston. A deep friendship develops between them as they learn to work together to survive their dangerous journey.

It might be the first Western with a nun as a central character since “Two Mules for Sister Sara,” from 1970 starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine — except it’s not revealed to anyone until the end of that movie that Sister Sara isn’t a nun after all.

“I hope I’m not spoiling it, but she’s an actual nun,” Bielinski said about the character in his film.

Bielinski hasn’t always been a North Dakotan. He spent some time in New York City trying to

make his way as an actor. He had guest parts in a couple of forgettable series, “Redheads Anonymous” and “The Leftovers.” But away from the klieg lights, it was a tough go. Asked if he had soured on the Big Apple, the Wisconsinborn Bielinski chuckled and replied, “I would say that I worked there for a few years as an actor and then the University of Mary reached out to me. I didn’t pursue the position, but they reached out to me and asked me if I was interested in applying for a new position. I had two kids at that point. I’ve got five kids now. It’s hard in any big city, but especially in New York City it’s hard — up and down subways.”

Once he arrived at the University of Mary, a Benedictine-run school, Bielinski started making short films and then set his focus on feature-length films. He established Canticle Productions in 2018 — the name intentionally chosen by him because it means “song of praise to God” — as the vehicle for his cinematic forays.

“A Heart Like Water” made its premier early last winter. “Sanctified” is not only making the rounds of North Dakota’s biggest towns in October, it’s also slated for theatrical runs in South Dakota and Montana and at the Twin Cities Film Festival Oct. 28 at ShowPlace Icon Theater in St. Louis Park. A third feature, “End of the Road,” is due out next spring.

Setting up shop in North Dakota is the cinematic equivalent of “What good can come from Nazareth?” — which everyone knows was a lot.

In the film industry, “you don’t have a seat at the table unless you’re a Tom Cruise,” Bielinski told CNS. “You don’t have a say in the kind of story being told. When you’re not operating, when you haven’t reached that very high level of industry recognition, you’re taking the stories that come to you, and you’re a worker for hire.

“Being able to come in and do my own stories and curate stories that are meaningful for me and oriented toward giving glory to God through the work, that’s been really meaningful for me. I’m grateful for that opportunity.”

Sometimes opportunity comes at a cost, but Bielinski tries to keep those costs down. “I’ve got to keep a tight lid on that (film budgets) because of my investors, but I can say that there’s been a huge outpouring of support,” he said.

“North Dakota doesn’t have much (film) industry here. And so, when folks find out that there are these homegrown professional productions happening here, there are just so many ways in which a film production can be supported: background players, letting us film on their land, letting us borrow some horses — many, many ways in which a film production can be supported,” he said.

“We shot for a very tight budget, but the production value we’ve been able to achieve is very, very, high.”

Bielinski said it is his hope to continue to make films that “honor the true, the good and beautiful, no matter what genre of story.”

More about the film “Sanctified” can be found

DANIEL BIELINSKI