The Catholic Spirit - October 25, 2018

October 25, 2018 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Officially a bishop

Jack of fall trades

The Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, celebrates the ordination Mass of Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt Torres, who previously served in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Catholic News Service

P

— Page 5

Behind bars Local Legion of Mary members bring prayer ministry to inmates at Stillwater prison.

— Page 7

Summoned to Rome While serving at NET Ministries, woman accepts invitation to go to the Vatican representing Catholic young adults.

— Page 8

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Jake Voelker poses with the pumpkin he carved for Halloween this year. He wanted to use an image of Father Michael Schmitz of the Diocese of Duluth, whom he met in 2004 and finds inspiring.

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

J

Seminaries unite To increase community awareness, St. John Vianney and St. Paul Seminary choose single brand name with tagline “Joyful Catholic Leaders.”

— Pages 12-13

Organic rosaries Later in life, Savage Catholic chooses to grow beads in his backyard so he can reap a Marian harvest.

— Page 15

Pope accepts Cardinal Wuerl’s resignation as Washington archbishop

ake Voelker gets an itch every October. Ideas start filling his mind, and his imagination plays with images he can carve — on a pumpkin.

He’s not talking the standard toothy grin cut with a kitchen knife. His faces are much more elaborate. They take 10-plus hours to forge, and he uses wood carving tools.

Rarely does the blade go all the way through the shell. This creates shading for a three-dimensional effect when a light bulb is lit inside the pumpkin. He began teaching himself in 2008, when working on the likeness of Sarah Palin, then the Republican nominee for vice president.

Voelker, 33, has carved a special pumpkin every year since. His favorite is the one from 2014 that announced that he and his wife, Shannon, 32, were expecting their second child. Parishioners of Epiphany in Coon Rapids, the Voelkers typically post a picture of the finished jack-o-lantern on Facebook, and the “Preggo Pumpkin” received many “likes” and congratulatory messages.

This year, Jake decided to do something intentionally Catholic. He came up with carving the face of Father Michael Schmitz, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth whose monthly column, “Ask Father Mike,” appears in The Catholic Spirit. Father Schmitz has gained widespread attention with his catechetical videos conducted in a casual style from his living

room — the vantage Voelker captured.

After deciding to carve an image of Father Schmitz, Jake queried friends asking for a Catholic message to go with the priest’s face.

The idea was to use something related to what Father Schmitz presents in his videos.

Next to his image are the words, “No tricks, it’s transubstantiation,” a phrase from a priest and friend, Father Jeremy Trowbridge from the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois. The message refers to the consecration during Mass, in which the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.

“With all the negative news around the Church this year, I wanted to highlight something positive about the Church,” Jake said. “I met him [Father Schmitz] in 2004.

He’s just been such an inspiration for so many kids and teenagers. So, I thought that would be an exciting pick this year.”

Jake, a marriage and family therapist, has carved both secular and religious figures, including Pope Francis (the “Papal Pumpkin”) in 2013, Brett Favre in 2009 and Batman, twice, in 2012 and 2016. Last year, staffers at the hit TV food series “Cake Boss” asked him to carve a pumpkin with the show’s logo for a new store opening at the Mall of America. He did three, and Shannon carved one of her own, which drew praise from the staffers of the show.

Jake doesn’t know what he’ll choose for next year’s design, but Shannon has a concept. She envisions carving a religious image she is fond of.

“I really want to do the Sacred Heart,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about that for a year.”

ope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl as archbishop of Washington, but did not name a successor.

When the pope’s decision was announced Oct. 12, the Archdiocese of Washington released a letter from Pope Francis to the cardinal, making clear his support for Cardinal Wuerl’s ministry and leadership, but also praising the cardinal for putting the good of the Church first.

“You have sufficient elements to ‘justify’ your actions and distinguish between what it means to cover up crimes or not CARDINAL to deal with DONALD WUERL problems, and to commit some mistakes,” the pope wrote.

“However, your nobility has led you not to choose this way of defense.

Of this, I am proud and thank you.”

The archdiocese also announced the pope has named Cardinal Wuerl as apostolic administrator to oversee the archdiocese until a successor is named.

Cardinal Wuerl had been facing pressure to resign after an Aug. 14 grand jury report detailing sexual abuse claims in six Pennsylvania dioceses painted a mixed picture of how he handled some of the cases when he was bishop in Pittsburgh from 1988 until 2006.

The 77-year-old cardinal, the sixth archbishop of Washington, had submitted his resignation, as is mandatory, to the pope when he turned 75, but it had not been accepted until now.

After his resignation was announced Oct. 12, Cardinal Wuerl said in a statement: “Once again for any past errors in judgment, I apologize and ask for pardon. My resignation is one way to express my great and abiding love for you the people of the church of Washington.”

The cardinal also thanked PLEASE TURN TO WUERL ON PAGE 11

2 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

PAGETWO

“

So many people have lost everything: homes, property and even their livelihood.

The scenes of destruction are heart-wrenching, knowing that when we see a place where there once was a house, a family used to live there and are now homeless.

Bishop William Wack of the Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, Diocese in an Oct. 12 letter regarding the impact of Hurricane Michael, which hit Florida Oct. 10.

NEWS notes

100 CNS | LUIS ECHEVERRIA, REUTERS

HONDURAS CARAVAN Honduran migrants who are part of a caravan trying to reach the United States walk along a bridge Oct. 18 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The caravan departed from San Pedra Sula, Honduras, Oct. 13, and it has grown to include more than 7,000 people as of Oct. 23. In an Oct. 22 tweet, President Donald Trump said he was beginning to cut off or substantially reduce financial assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras because the countries “were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S.” An official of a Catholic migrant shelter in Guatemala City that has served the caravan described the shelter as overwhelmed by the influx of migrants. “This is a humanitarian crisis. Here there are 75-year-old elderly women and 2-month-old babies,” he said.

The anniversary year of Czechoslovakia, formed in 1918, which “Czech Country Minnesota” will celebrate Oct. 27-28 in New Prague, Montgomery, Lonsdale and Veseli. The celebration also commemorates 50 years since the Prague Spring reform movement and 25 years since the formation of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The celebration includes a Czech Mass at St. Wenceslaus in New Prague 1 p.m. Oct. 28, celebrated by retired Bishop Peter Esterka of Brno, Czech Republic.

St. Wenceslaus will also host Czech cultural activities and music. For more information, visit czechslovakcentury.org.

3

The number of panel discussions in a new Giving Insights series hosted by the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota. The St. Paul-based grant-making nonprofit will host its first forum 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis on how parishes and the Catholic community can engage millennials and post-millennials. CCF will also host a forum April 9, 2019, at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie on a Catholic response to immigration. The final forum on the need for Catholic schools will be June 25, 2019, at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul. The forums consist of discussion panels of experts. For more information, visit ccf-mn.org.

1724

The year Johann Sebastian Bach’s “St. John Passion” premiered. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, led by early music expert Jonathan Cohen, will perform the oratorio at 8 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

Tickets for adults are $12-$50, and students and children are free. For more information, visit thespco.org.

147 CNS

DISHING UP LAUGHS U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley smiles after being introduced by comedian and master of ceremonies Jim Gaffigan, left, during the 73rd annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City Oct. 18. Haley was the charity gala’s keynote speaker. The dinner honors the memory of the former governor of New York, who was the first Catholic nominated by a major political party to run for president of the United States. Proceeds from the $3,000-a-plate event help needy children in the greater New York area. The foundation distributed $3.4 million in grants after last year’s dinner. The event drew 700 guests to the traditionally festive gathering of political, religious and philanthropic New Yorkers.

Gaffigan, who is Catholic, poked fun at the presumed wealth of the guests, whom he described as a “distinguished diverse group of rich, super-rich and Michael Bloomberg.” Bloomberg, the billionaire former three-term mayor of New York, was seated on the dais. Gaffigan said wearing a white bow tie and tails and looking at the sea of diners in formal attire made him feel “like I’m in an ugly episode of Downton Abbey.”

ONLINE exclusives Crashed Ice won’t return to St. Paul in 2019. The Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul had been hosting the downhill ice-cross race since 2012 with the facade of the Cathedral as the backdrop for the ice track.

Legendary St. John’s University football coach John Gagliardi died at age 91 Oct. 7. He was the all-time winningest college football coach with 489 wins. A Catholic, Gagliardi was known for using the Golden Rule in working with his players.

Read the stories at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

The Catholic Spirit is published semi-monthly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 23 — No. 20 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love

MARIA C. WIERING, Editor

The number of L’Arche communities in 35 countries. Founded in 1964 by Jean Vanier, a Canadian Catholic philosopher, theologian and humanitarian, the communities support people with intellectual disabilities. They are the subject of a 2017 documentary “Summer in the Forest.” To celebrate Disability Awareness Month, the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis is hosting a free screening of the film 3 p.m.

Oct. 27. For more information, visit mary.org.

83

The number of Jesuit high school and Jesuit Nativity middle school presidents and trustees who attended the Jesuit Schools Network 2018 Presidents and Trustees’ Cohort Gathering Oct. 16-19 in Minneapolis. Conference topics included apostolic leadership, board development and the sharing of best practices around issues facing schools today. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis hosted a social hour and dinner for participants Oct. 17. School President Jeb Myers served as chairman of the planning committee.

CORRECTION In the Oct. 11 edition, the name of the country Colombia was misspelled in the story “Against the odds.” The Catholic Spirit apologizes for the error.

Materials credited to CNS copy­righted by Catholic News Service.

All other materials copyrighted by The Cath­olic Spirit Newspaper.

Subscriptions: $29.95 per year: Senior 1-year: $24.95: To subscribe: (651) 291-4444: Display Advertising: (651) 291-4444; Classified Advertising: (651) 290-1631.

Published semi-monthly by the Office of Communications, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857 • (651) 291-4444, FAX (651) 291-4460.

Per­i­od­i­cals pos­tage paid at St. Paul, MN, and additional post offices.

Post­master: Send ad­dress changes to The Catholic Spirit, 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106-3857.

TheCatholicSpirit.com • email: tcssubscriptions@archspm.org • USPS #093-580

OCTOBER 25, 2018

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 3

FROMTHEARCHBISHOP ONLY JESUS | ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

New bishop reflects seminary strength

O

n Thursday, Oct. 18, Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt Torres, SEMV, one of two vice rectors at the St. Paul Seminary and a longtime pastor in our archdiocese, was ordained to serve as the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford.

He will be sorely missed at the Catholic parish Community of St. Francis de Sales and St. James here in St. Paul, as well as at the seminary and by many of our priests, particularly those whom he had formed over the past decade.

It’s not surprising, however, that Pope Francis would have chosen for this important task a biblical scholar with a pastor’s heart, grounded in a solid spirituality rooted in the charism of his religious community, capable of ministering generously in a multicultural context, and having a deep knowledge of the experience of Catholic immigrants and refugees.

As I listened to the papal nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, read the Decree of Appointment, and as I reflected on the prayers of the ordination ceremony, I was honored that Pope Francis would have looked to our archdiocese, and particularly to one of our archdiocesan seminaries, for the choice of a new successor of the apostles. It would seem to be a vote of confidence in the measures that Bishop Betancourt and his colleagues have taken in the course of the past decade to strengthen the programs offered at the St. Paul Seminary to meet the needs of the Church.

On the same day as Bishop Betancourt’s ordination, the Washington Post ran an op-ed by Rev. Thomas V. Berg titled “Want to address priest sexual abuse? The Catholic Church needs to overhaul its seminaries.”

Given that he is a professor of moral theology and vice rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary in the Archdiocese of

New York, Father Berg’s critique is supported by solid credentials. I came to know of him and his work through the kindness of a number of survivors of clergy abuse here in the Twin Cities who see Father Berg as a very credible advocate for the sorts of change that survivors see as crucial to rebuilding our Church.

I was encouraged that many of the suggestions offered by Father Berg are already being implemented by our two archdiocesan seminaries. He noted a need for seminary programs that go beyond “an overemphasis on academics” to “forming candidates who are emotionally mature and have a healthy, wellintegrated personality and spirituality” and recognized that seminaries need to foster “an inner culture of trust, transparency and honest dialogue.” Thankfully, those needs have already been priorities for several years at both of our seminaries, as reflected in the priority that they have given to human formation (while maintaining the high academic standards that sending bishops find so essential).

We see that, for example, in the hiring of a full-time psychologist at the St. Paul Seminary to assist with human formation and the fostering of a culture of trust. Both seminaries, moreover, have invested in the continuing education of their staffs, taking advantage of the resources of the Institute for Priestly Formation (in the area of spiritual formation) and the Seminary Formation Council (for formation advisors and mentors).

Father Berg also calls for a “blue ribbon panel of seasoned seminary formators” to conduct a visitation of American seminaries, and he speculates that there should be some consolidation among seminaries to make certain we are pooling the resources of the best formators, those who are capable of offering the formation that our challenging contemporary context requires. The executive committee of our seminary

board has already been working with our rectors to explore options for how a meaningful evaluation or visitation could take place. I have been consistently impressed by their openness to critique.

Just last year, the board conducted a study that collected the insights, opinions and suggestions of bishops who send students to our seminaries, of the bishops of our region, and of faculty and staff members and recent graduates. There’s a real commitment to improvement, always with the hope of producing happy, healthy and holy priests and lay ministers capable of meeting today’s pastoral challenges.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with the parents of our archdiocesan seminarians, along with both rectors and our archdiocesan vocation director.

There was very consistent and reassuring feedback from the parents that their sons were confronting the recent scandals and challenges “with eyes wide open,” responding to the present crises by renewing their commitment to vigorous discernment and priestly formation, knowing that the Church needs leaders after the heart of Christ who will be outstanding in virtue.

I hope that you will make the effort to get to know our seminarians, to welcome them into your parishes, and to get involved in the “teaching parish programs” that provide needed lay feedback and context for our future shepherds. They are a great source of hope for all committed to the rebuilding of our Church.

Please join me in praying as well that the Lord will help us identify, train and support more formators with the gifts that Bishop Betancourt brought to the St. Paul Seminary. May the Lord bless him in his new ministries and continue to bless all involved in the important work of seminary formation.

Nuevo obispo refleja la fuerza del seminario

Seminario de San José en la Arquidiócesis de Nueva York, la crítica del Padre Berg está respaldada por sólidas credenciales. Llegué a saber de él y su trabajo a través de la bondad de una serie de sobrevivientes del abuso del clero aquí en las Ciudades Gemelas que ven al Padre Berg un defensor muy creíble para el tipo de cambio que los sobrevivientes consideran crucial para reconstruir nuestra Iglesia.

Me animó que muchas de las sugerencias ofrecidas por el Padre Berg ya están siendo implementadas por nuestros dos seminarios arquidiocesanos. Señaló la necesidad de programas de seminario que vayan más allá de “un énfasis excesivo en lo académico” a “formar candidatos que sean emocionalmente maduros y tengan una personalidad y espiritualidad bien integradas y saludables”, y reconoció que los seminarios deben fomentar “una cultura interna de confianza”, transparencia y diálogo honesto ”.

Afortunadamente, esas necesidades ya han sido prioridades durante varios años en nuestros seminarios, como se refleja en la prioridad que le han dado a la formación humana (al tiempo que se mantienen los altos estándares académicos que los obispos consideran tan esenciales).

Vemos eso, por ejemplo, en la contratación de un psicólogo de tiempo completo en el Seminario de St. Paul para ayudar con la formación humana y el fomento de una cultura de confianza. Además, ambos seminarios han invertido en la educación continua de su personal, aprovechando los recursos del Instituto para la Formación Sacerdotal (en el área de la formación espiritual) y el Consejo de Formación del Seminario (para asesores y mentores de formación).

El Padre Berg también pide un “panel de cinta azul de formadores de seminarios experimentados” para llevar a cabo una visita de los seminarios estadounidenses, y especula que debería haber cierta consolidación entre los seminarios para asegurarse de que estamos reuniendo los recursos de los mejores formadores, aquellos que son capaces de ofrecer la formación que nuestro desafiante contexto

contemporáneo requiere. El comité ejecutivo de nuestro Consejo de Seminarios ya ha estado trabajando con nuestros rectores para explorar opciones sobre cómo podría llevarse a cabo una evaluación o visita significativa. Siempre me ha impresionado su apertura a la crítica.

Apenas el año pasado, la Junta llevó a cabo un estudio que recopiló las ideas, opiniones y sugerencias de los obispos que envían a los alumnos a nuestros seminarios, a los obispos de nuestra región, a los recordados de profesores y personal ya los recién graduados. Hay un compromiso real de mejorar, siempre con la esperanza de producir sacerdotes felices, sanos y santos, y ministros laicos capaces de enfrentar los desafíos pastorales de hoy.

Recientemente tuve la oportunidad de reunirme con los padres de nuestros seminaristas arquidiocesanos, junto con los dos rectores y nuestro director de vocación arquidiocesana. Los padres respondieron de manera muy consistente y tranquilizadora que sus hijos estaban enfrentando los recientes escándalos y desafíos “con los ojos bien abiertos”, respondiendo a las crisis actuales al renovar su compromiso con el vigoroso discernimiento y la formación sacerdotal, sabiendo que la Iglesia necesita líderes después. El corazón de Cristo, que será sobresaliente en virtud.

Espero que hagas el esfuerzo de conocer a nuestros seminaristas, de darles la bienvenida a sus parroquias y de involucrarse en los “programas parroquiales de enseñanza” que brindan la retroalimentación y el contexto necesarios para nuestros futuros pastores. Son una gran fuente de esperanza para todos los comprometidos con la reconstrucción de nuestra Iglesia.

Por favor únanse a mí para orar para que el Señor nos ayude a identificar, capacitar y apoyar a más formadores con los regalos que el obispo Betancourt trajo al Seminario de St. Paul. Que el Señor lo bendiga en sus nuevos ministerios y continúe bendiciendo a todos los involucrados en el importante trabajo de la formación del seminario.

E

l jueves 18 de octubre, el obispo Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV, uno de los dos vicerrectores del Seminario St. Paul y un pastor de larga data en nuestra arquidiócesis, fue ordenado a servir como obispo auxiliar de la Arquidiócesis de Hartford. Se lo extrañará mucho en la comunidad parroquial católica de St. Francis de Sales y St. James aquí en St. Paul, así como en el seminario y por muchos de nuestros sacerdotes, especialmente aquellos a quienes había formado durante la última década.

Sin embargo, no es sorprendente que el Papa Francisco hubiera elegido para esta importante tarea un erudito bíblico con el corazón de un pastor, basado en una sólida espiritualidad arraigada en el carisma de su comunidad religiosa, capaz de ministrar generosamente en un contexto multicultural, y conocimiento profundo de la experiencia de inmigrantes y refugiados católicos.

Mientras escuchaba al nuncio papal, el arzobispo Christophe Pierre, leía el Decreto de nombramiento y reflexionaba sobre las oraciones de la ceremonia de ordenación, tuve el honor de que el Papa Francisco hubiera acudido a nuestra arquidiócesis, y en particular a uno de nuestros seminarios arquidiocesanos, La elección de un nuevo sucesor de los apóstoles.

Parecería ser un voto de confianza en las medidas que el obispo Betancourt y sus colegas tomaron en el transcurso de la última década para fortalecer los programas ofrecidos en el Seminario de San Pablo para satisfacer las necesidades de la Iglesia.

El mismo día de la ordenación del obispo Betancourt, el Washington Post publicó un artículo de opinión del reverendo Thomas V. Berg titulado “¿Desea abordar el abuso sexual de los sacerdotes? La Iglesia Católica necesita revisar sus seminarios ”. Dado que él es profesor de teología moral y vicerrector del

4 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

LOCAL

SLICEof LIFE Another ‘Minneapolis Miracle’

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Congratulations

Archbishop Bernard Hebda gives high-fives to Catholic elementary school students following the Mass of the Holy Spirit at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis Oct. 10. More than 12,000 students from 79 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis attended. During his homily, Archbishop Hebda linked the Mass to a last-second touchdown catch by receiver Stephon Diggs that gave the Minnesota Vikings a playoff win over the New Orleans Saints Jan. 14.

That play was later dubbed the “Minneapolis Miracle.” Said Archbishop Hebda:“It’s the Holy Spirit, who like the best possible coach, ... breathes life into all of our efforts [and] who inspires us to do our best, to practice what it means to be a good Christian and to put our Catholic values into action.” The event featured music by the local Catholic band Sonar, plus a Coats for Kids drive sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.

Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt.

Thank you for your joyful leadership.

SAINT PAUL SEMINARY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY University of St. Thomas

OCTOBER 25, 2018

LOCAL

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 5

Former seminary professor welcomed as Hartford’s newest bishop

By Mary Chalupsky Catholic Transcript As a jubilant gathering of friends, family and other Catholics looked on, Juan Miguel Betancourt Torres was ordained a bishop for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, Oct. 18 at its Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Born in Puerto Rico, Bishop Betancourt most recently served as a pastor, seminary professor and vice rector for formation in St. Paul. Among well-wishers at his ordination Mass were men from his 16-member contemplative religious community, Servants of the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was founded in Puerto Rico in 1981 with houses in the U.S. and Spain.

In his homily delivered in Spanish and English, Hartford Archbishop Leonard Blair, who officiated as presiding and principal consecrator, emphasized the “prophetic” mission and high office of bishop.

“On this joyful day for our archdiocese and for the whole Church, we have every confidence that our brother, Juan Miguel, stands before us as a man of virtue, integrity and honor; who will truly be … a holy bishop with the heart and mind of Jesus Christ.”

He was joined on the altar by co-consecrators Timothy Broglio, archbishop for the Military Services USA, and Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who lived with the newly-ordained bishop when the two studied in Rome.

During the rite of ordination, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, read the Sept. 18 letter from Pope Francis calling the bishop-elect to the episcopal ministry and naming him auxiliary bishop of Hartford and titular bishop of Curzola.

In his remarks, he drew laughter when he quoted Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, rector emeritus of St. Paul Seminary, about his admiration for Bishop Betancourt.

“It’s a big loss for the seminary; it’s like losing an arm,” said Archbishop Pierre, quoting Msgr.

Callaghan’s comments to The Catholic Spirit after the appointment. “I think he’s a wonderful priest. He’s dynamic — the Energizer bunny would lose a job [trying to keep up] with him.”

Bishop Betancourt then held up the letter from Pope Francis to those in attendance, and proudly processed it through the cathedral.

The rite of ordination continued with the bishopelect giving his assent to nine promises to uphold the faith and discharge his duty; the litany of the saints during which he prostrated himself on the floor of the sanctuary while the congregation prayed for him; the laying on of hands by Archbishop Blair and other bishops in attendance; and the solemn prayer of ordination during which the Book of the Gospels was placed over his head, illustrating that preaching the Word of God is the pre-eminent obligation of the office of bishop.

After anointing his head with holy chrism and presenting him with the Book of the Gospels, Archbishop Blair then presented Bishop Betancourt with the episcopal insignia: a ring as a reminder to preserve the “bride of God, the holy Church”; the miter symbolizing the dignity and jurisdiction of his office; and the crosier shaped like a shepherd’s crook as a sign of his pastoral authority and need to keep watch over his whole flock.

Bishop Betancourt then took the first place among the concelebrating bishops, and the rite of ordination ended with the kiss of peace from Archbishop Blair and the other bishops present, sealing his admittance into the College of Bishops.

“It’s a real pleasure to be here for this joyful occasion,” said Bishop Daniel Fernandez of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, who traveled to attend the liturgy with Bishop Roberto González of San Juan, Puerto Rico. “It’s a real source of pride that one of our island’s sons has been called to this service.”

Bishop Betancourt, 48, was ordained a priest April 21, 2001, and has served since 2007 on the faculty of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. He was also pastor of St. Francis de Sales and St. James in St. Paul, which merged under his leadership.

Also making the trip from Puerto Rico for the ordination were his parents, Miguel and Gloria

LEFT Hartford Archbishop Leonard Blair places a miter on the head of Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt Torres during his ordination Mass Oct. 18 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. Bishop Betancourt, who previously served in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, became an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford.

BELOW Bishop Betancourt addresses the congregation near the end of Mass.

COURTESY ARCHDIOCESE OF HARTFORD

Betancourt, and his sisters, Gloria and Glorimar, who sat as tears rolled down their faces during the ordination.

“It’s a great gift from the Holy Spirit,” said Bishop Betancourt’s mother, who was raised by grandparents 60 miles away in Bridgeport, Connecticut, before she returned to Puerto Rico.

Speaking through an interpreter about her son’s ordination, she said, “All of the way he lived his life was to serve God and the Virgin Mary. The most important thing now is for him to continue to give glory to God.” His father was equally reflective. “I still don’t know what is going on,” Miguel Betancourt said with a laugh, “but I’m impressed” by the occasion.

“It’s a gift we don’t deserve. But God has given us this and we have to accept it,” he continued. “It’s all about God. He will advise him to keep doing what he’s asking [my son] to do. Now he’s going to create an even greater impact for the glory of God.” Added Glorimar: “He’s an example, a role model.

It’s a blessing for us that the Holy Father has chosen someone from Puerto Rico, and we are proud of his election as bishop.”

Bishop Betancourt chose the phrase “Ecce Agnus Dei,” or “Behold the Lamb of God,” for his motto. For his episcopal coat of arms, he chose symbols signifying the Lamb giving his life for the Church, his new local church of Hartford and former church in Minnesota, his home community in Puerto Rico, the spirituality of his religious community, his call as a successor of the apostles, and the strong presence of the Blessed Mother in his life.

A contingent of seminarians, staff and parishioners flew in from Minnesota for the ordination.

“He’s so amazing, so funny and charming,” said Jean Murtaugh, a St. Francis de Sales parishioner.

Reflecting on his collaborative work style, St. Francis de Sales trustee Jeff Marcolina noted, “He’s the type of person who will sit back and listen before interjecting with his thoughts. He doesn’t dominate a situation; he lets the parish leadership try to work things out first.”

Among the liturgy’s concelebrants were Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Auxiliary Bishop Robert Evans of Providence, Rhode Island; Auxiliary Bishop Richard Henning of Rockville Centre, New York; Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa; Bishop Mitchell Rozanski of Springfield, Massachusetts; and Bishop Kurt Burnette of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic.

Concelebrants from Connecticut included: Archbishop Emeritus Daniel Cronin of Hartford, Archbishop Emeritus Henry Mansell of Hartford, Bishop Michael Cote of Norwich, Auxiliary Bishop

WHAT’S A ‘TITULAR SEE’?

As an auxiliary bishop, Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt was named to the “titular see” of Curzola, a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. According to Catholic News Service, a titular see is “a former diocese, now nonexistent, to which a bishop is given honorary title if he is not the residential bishop of a diocese or archdiocese. ... Most titular sees are ancient cities of northern Africa, the Middle East or Spain that had to be abandoned as bishoprics because of schism or, especially in the Middle Ages, Islamic rule. Some titular sees, such as Walla Walla, Washington, and Allegheny, Pennsylvania, ceased to be active see cities simply because of a decision to merge dioceses or transfer diocesan headquarters to another city.”

Peter Rosazza of Hartford and Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the Ukranian Catholic Diocese of Stamford.

Bishop Betancourt begins his new appointment as the archdiocese prepares to mark its 175th anniversary Nov. 28th.

At the conclusion of the Mass, he thanked the many people who supported him over the years, as well as the faithful in attendance. He quipped that he already was going to work the next day by officiating at two confirmations.

“There’s a lot of joy and gratitude today… a lot of hope and emotion,” Bishop Betancourt told the Catholic Transcript after his ordination.

“I received a lot of support today not only from my family, the bishops and my seminarians but from everybody,” he said. “The theme that is constant here is that I’m going to serve this Church.”

Chalupsky is a news reporter for the Catholic Transcript, magazine of the Archdiocese of Hartford.

LOCAL

6 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Surprise invitation led Father Gitter to archdiocese; now he works in Rome

By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit Father Paul Gitter never expected to minister in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

He was hosting a vocations night for youth at his western Wisconsin parish in January 1996 when Father Peter Christensen, then rector of St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, presented at the event. He invited Father Gitter to serve at the seminary as an adjunct spiritual director.

“And that’s how the Holy Spirit made it all happen,” Father Gitter said.

After two decades of ministering to college-level seminarians at St. John Vianney, Father Gitter, 62, officially became a priest of the archdiocese in September. The process, called “incardination,” allows for a priest to change dioceses long term at the approval of the bishops of both dioceses involved.

“The archdiocese was starting to feel like it was my home,” explained Father Gitter, who was ordained in 1993 for the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Father Gitter, a Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native, worked in the music publishing industry before responding to a call to the priesthood.

He studied at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago for the La Crosse Diocese.

Following ordination, he served as parochial vicar at St. Mark in Rothschild, Wisconsin. He then became pastor of Christ the King in Spencer, Wisconsin, in 1994.

Vocations to the priesthood were a major interest for him early on.

“That’s right about the point where the priest shortage was starting to become evident,” Father Gitter said.

“It’s when we started asking priests to take two parishes and things like that, so I thought, ‘We need more vocations, and we need to do something.’”

By his third year of priesthood in 1995, he was pastor of three Wisconsin parishes: Holy Guardian Angels in Brackett, St. Anthony in Augusta and St. John the Apostle in Fall Creek.

During that assignment, he formed a vocations committee that worked with him on hosting the vocations night in January 1996.

After Father Christensen, who is now the bishop of Boise, Idaho, drove three hours “in the dead of winter” to speak, Father Gitter hosted him at the rectory, where the two discussed the priesthood, seminary formation and

vocations. The conversation ultimately led to Father Christensen inviting Father Gitter to serve on the seminary’s staff.

Father Gitter became an adjunct spiritual director at St. John Vianney in 1996. He continued to serve in the La Crosse Diocese until his role became full time at the seminary in August 2007 at the request of Father Bill Baer, who was rector at the time.

The seminary was experiencing a significant increase in enrollment.

“I just fell in love with being a spiritual director, especially FATHER for seminarians,” PAUL GITTER Father Gitter said. “I felt very strongly the Lord’s presence in that work and a strong sense that he wanted me to continue doing this type of work.”

Father Gitter served at St. John Vianney until 2017, but he took a new post in Rome with the seminary at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.

Through the Catholic Studies program at the University of St. Thomas, where St. John Vianney seminarians study, nine seminarians are studying at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. The seminarians live at the Pontifical Irish College, also in Rome.

“The benefit, of course, is they’re in the heart of the Church,” said Father Gitter, who serves as the formator for the seminarians in Rome.

“It’s very, very complicated trying to do formation in a foreign culture, just trying to get a program up and running in a place that doesn’t operate the way things operate back in St. Paul,” he added. “We make a lot of adjustments, and we learn to be extremely flexible.”

His work involves the “external formation” rather than the “internal formation” of spiritual direction. He said external formation includes observing how seminarians are doing academically, participating in seminary community life and arranging trips in Rome.

That included taking seminarians to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City Oct. 3 for the opening Mass with Pope Francis for the Bishops’ synod on young people, the faith and vocational discernment which goes through Oct. 28.

Most Rev. Juan Miguel Betancourt, We wish to extend our heartfelt congratulations to you on your ordination as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT. May our Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt intercede for you the wisdom and strength you need for your new ministry within our Holy Church.

From our Schoenstatt Shrines, we accompany you with our prayers.

Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Susan Hildebrand reacts to remarks made by Father Joseph Kuharski during the St. John Paul II Champions for Life Awards Oct. 18 at St. Peter in Mendota.

Hildebrand was a winner in the adult volunteer category, Father Kuharski was one of this year’s judges. The two got to know each other when Father Kuharski was assigned at St. Stephen in Anoka.

Champions for Life winners moved by story of baby found at German church

By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit St. John Paul II Champions for Life award winners and their guests heard a concrete reminder Oct. 18 of what prolife work means.

Kathy Schneeman, former respect life coordinator for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, shared her story of a baby found at a German church 300 years ago and how that affected her family. Relatives of Schneeman’s in-laws in Germany learned of the baby when researching their family tree and found he was the first Schneeman. A mom who felt she couldn’t take care of the baby left the child at the steps of the local Catholic church and knocked on the priest’s door before disappearing. The priest came out and took the baby into his home.

“It’s amazing to us from that one unplanned, adopted baby, there have been, just off the top of my head, doctors, nurses, teachers at tough innercity schools [and] businessmen who have been honored for their honesty and integrity,” Schneeman said of her inlaws’ family. “Every life is precious. Every life counts.”

A parishioner of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, Schneeman also spoke of how she had twins at age 43 after already having seven children. She said it blessed her family and others instead of creating more challenges.

“I enjoyed that she had a lot of personal examples about how God impacted her life,” said Gabrielle Brounstein of St. Paul in Ham Lake, one of the award winners.

Her group, the Pro-Life Youth Ambassadors, won the youth and young adult Champions for Life award. The awards recognize pro-life groups and individuals for their work defending

human life. The archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life hosts the annual luncheon, which took place at St. Peter in Mendota.

“I am fully aware there are so many others who do far more than what I have done,” said Susan Hildebrand, the volunteer award recipient, when she accepted the award.

Hildebrand, a parishioner of St. Stephen in Anoka, volunteers with Birthright, a pro-life pregnancy assistance organization, and local senior homes.

Father Joseph Kuharski, who handed out the awards, said Hildebrand was appreciated for her work when he served at St. Stephen. He helped at the same nursing home a few times in the place of another priest at the parish, who told him about how well Hildebrand served the people there.

“And that was my experience, too — the tremendous compassion, the patience and just the love that came from her and how she personally knew people,” said Father Kuharski, who handed out the awards on behalf of Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

The archbishop couldn’t make it because of the Oct. 18 episcopal ordination Mass of Auxiliary Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt Torres for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut.

Bishop Betancourt had been serving in St. Paul before his appointment.

The pro-life professional award recipient, Nancy Blom, also couldn’t attend Champions for Life because of her ministry’s midweek retreat. Blom, the executive director of Rachel’s Vineyard, established the local chapter of the ministry in 1999 to help post-abortive women and men heal and seek forgiveness from God. Fe Mahler, board of directors president for Rachel’s Vineyard, accepted the award on Blom’s behalf.

LOCAL

OCTOBER 25, 2018

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 7

For a prison reeling from officer’s murder, Legion offers prayer

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

LEGION OF MARY 101

On a Sunday afternoon in October, 14 inmates in the chapel of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater listened as Jeanne McDonald, 60, read a prayer by Blessed Solanus Casey and highlighted two lines she thought they’d especially relate to: “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger.”

As a consequence of the July 18 murder of Correctional Officer Joseph Gomm, the men remain mostly confined to their cells. An inmate has been charged with the crime. Through a weekly rosary led by Legion of Mary members and other volunteers including McDonald, the inmates have an opportunity to pray for strength for themselves and fellow inmates.

“It’s a subdued atmosphere,” said Nancy Kiolbasa, 57. Like McDonald, she is a parishioner and member of the Legion of Mary chapter at St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater, which began praying with prisoners four years ago.

“We all feel bad about what happened,” Kiolbasa said. “It’s sad that everybody’s on this modified lockdown.

It’s different now.”

Representing both spiritual and corporal works of mercy, the prison prayer service is one of many apostolates through which Legion of Mary groups called “praesidia” (Latin for “garrison of troops”) honor the dignity of human life under the direction of Mary.

Inspired by the teaching of the Legion,

The Legion of Mary was founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1921. Inspired by St. Louis de Montfort’s writings on Mary, the Legion has roughly 10 million active and auxiliary members in 170 countries.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Nancy Kiolbasa stands near the entrance of the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater. She and other members of the Legion of Mary visit the prison regularly to pray the rosary with inmates. an international lay apostolate, its members seek to uplift the spirits of some of the 1,600 inmates at the 104-year old prison in Bayport and help them build their sense of purpose.

Since they’ve resumed the prayer service following a more than monthlong full lockdown after Gomm’s death from hammer blows and stabbing, Legion members say the chapel has been rearranged for their safety.

Legion members “leave their comfort zone” to help inmates grow in prayer, find Christ’s peace and love, and be examples for other inmates, said Legion member Stephen McAlpine, 50, also a

The Parishioners and Staff of the Church of St. Francis de Sales of St. Paul extend their heartfelt congratulations and prayerful best wishes to

The Most Reverend

Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV upon your appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford We will miss you.

May God bless you in your new ministry!

Los feligreses y el personal de la Iglesia de St. Francis de Sales de St. Paul extienden sus sinceras felicitaciones y mejores deseos a

S. E. R. Mons.

Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV en su nombramiento como obispo auxiliar de Hartford Te extrañaremos. ¡Que Dios le bendiga en su nuevo ministerio!

Established in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1941, the Legion has about 100 active members. They meet weekly and dedicate time to apostolic work. Its 400 auxiliary members focus on daily prayer, including the rosary, for Mary’s intentions and success of the apostolates. Members, many in their 50s, belong to one of 10 groups at local parishes.

With a focus on the spiritual works of mercy, Legion members help their pastors serve isolated or non-active parishioners with faith formation and prayer. Others serve in nursing homes, hospitals and pro-life organizations.

Serving with the Legion is a means to sainthood, said Tom Ryan, 41, president of the St. Paul assembly, known by its Latin name, “comitium,” which is the Legion’s archdiocesan-level organization. Mary fosters Trinitarian devotion among Legion members, he said.

— Susan Klemond parishioner of St. Michael and St. Mary.

The Legion’s purpose is to collaborate with Mary in bringing souls to Christ, and the prison ministry fruitfully presents Jesus to people, including inmates, said Father Randal Kasel, 45, the Legion’s archdiocesan spiritual director.

Father Kasel is pastor of St. Michael, Pine Island; St. Paul, Zumbrota; as well as Holy Trinity, which includes Holy Trinity, Goodhue; St. Mary, Bellechester; and St. Columbkill, Belle Creek Township.

“There is a need to help people find redemption, forgiveness and healing for prisoners,” he said.

Inmates attending the Legion’s prayer service range in age from their 30s to 60s.

Catholic, Protestant or non-Christian, most bring a prayerful disposition and seek something meaningful, said fellow St. Michael and St. Mary parishioner and Legion member Tom Ryan.

They pray for each other, loved ones and other intentions, Kiolbasa said.

“They’re always praying for the people serving in the armed services overseas, for their safety,” she said. “It’s very touching. They’re keeping up on current events and have prayers for various disasters throughout the world. It’s surprising how their prayers are so global.”

The Legion’s prison ministry enhances the dignity of human life, said Father Kasel, adding that prisoners have dignity despite bad decisions they’ve made, and need to find forgiveness and healing.

Visiting prisoners is one of many opportunities Legion members have to show mercy and foster hope, Ryan said.

“To show that their life does matter, that God has a purpose for them,” he said.

“Behind the prison walls, God still has work for them to do.”

LOCAL

8 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Minnesota missionary helped in youth synod preparation

By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit While serving as a missionary with Minnesota-based NET Ministries at a parish in Texas in fall 2016, Suness Jones received a personally addressed email from the Vatican.

“I was shocked,” Jones, 24, said. “I just happened to check my email and didn’t really believe it.”

She had been invited as the lone American young adult delegate to participate in the first preparation meeting in 2017 at the Vatican for this month’s Synod of Bishops on “young people, faith and vocational discernment” and the 2019 World Youth Day in Panama. The Vatican had asked the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to recommend participants.

Jones had previously worked with the USCCB in youth and young adult ministry. She interned for the organization under Paul Jarzembowski, assistant director of the USCCB’s Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. Jarzembowski also attended the 2017 Vatican meeting.

Jones contacted NET program director Dave Rinaldi about the opportunity and received approval from her NET team supervisors leave for a week in April 2017 for the meeting.

NET missionaries serve on a team from October to May seven days per week putting on retreats for youth or serving youth at a parish or school. The team typically stays together the whole time

except for a Christmas break.

“NET was really good about working with me on it,” Jones said about going to the Vatican. “They were really excited for me. I knew that my first priority was on the road [with NET], so I was prepared to not go and just be happy with being asked.”

In Rome, Jones joined 150 young people and another 150 accompanying adults from around the world at the meeting with cardinals and Pope Francis to prepare for the Synod. In small group sessions, delegates discussed issues they faced and shared with the cardinals how they experienced the Church, the challenges of young people and youth, and young adult ministry today.

Jones said her small group included delegates from Africa, Australia, Central America, Europe, and South America as well as the Holy Land. Their discussion helped to shape a working document now guiding the bishops at the Synod, which runs through Oct. 28. Jones said that it’s part of the Synod process for the Church to listen to the needs and concerns of young people in an effort to better engage them in the Catholic faith.

“What I see is the youth really yearn to be connected to something bigger than themselves, and they want to be influencers, and they know that they can make a difference, and they don’t know that the Church is a place that they can do that,” Jones said. “I’m really excited for the synod to open the Church as a place for youth to grow in those areas

Joyful

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Suness Jones hopes her work as a delegate at the Vatican in 2017 will help Church leaders better understand the needs and concerns of young people. and to have those desires fulfilled, to be able to realize their potential.”

She said her international peers shared similar challenges, although youth ministry differs from country to country.

With her experiences in campus ministry or youth ministry in California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas and Washington, D.C., Jones has seen the variety of youth ministry in the U.S. alone. She is now a NET team supervisor based in West St. Paul.

“I really have hope that what we came up with in our documents from those

meetings is something that’s going to be part of the change,” she said, of young adults being more engaged in the Church.

A California native, Jones found her own place in the Church and became Catholic while attending JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California. She said campus ministry there influenced her.

“I just entered into youth ministry with a bang and said, ‘I love Jesus, and I want to make him the center of my life,’” she said.

Catholic Leaders Saint John Vianney College Seminary The Saint Paul Seminary The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity

OCTOBER 25, 2018

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 9

NATION+WORLD

Synod groups on sexuality: Church welcomes all, calls all to conversion

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service No one is excluded from the love of God or from being welcomed into the Catholic Church, but God’s love and the Church’s welcome also come with a call to conversion, said the English-language groups at the Synod of Bishops.

Young people need to know “the Church’s beautiful, yet challenging, vision, teaching and anthropology of the body, sexuality, love and life, marriage and chastity,” said the English-A group.

“At the same time, we restate the Church’s opposition to discrimination against any person or group, and her insistence that God loves every young person, and so does the Church,” the group said in its report.

The reports, published by the Vatican Oct. 20, were the result of reflections in the small groups — divided by language — on the final chapter of the synod working document, which dealt with “pastoral and missionary conversion.”

Most of the 14 working groups called for further local and national dialogue with young people on what they need from the Catholic Church and what they can offer the Church. Most also called for a greater involvement of women in the life of the Church, including in the training of priests, and many acknowledged how the sexual abuse scandal undermines the Church’s credibility.

None of the synod groups in any language used the term “LGBT,” but many of them did refer to a need to help young people who struggle with Church teaching on sexuality or, more explicitly, those who experience “same-sex attraction.”

The English-B group said that it “discussed the issue of Catholics who experience same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria,” which refers to believing one’s biological sex does not correspond to his or her true identity.

The group asked that the synod’s final document include “a separate section for this issue and that the main objective of this be the pastoral accompaniment of these people which follows the lines of the relevant section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.” The catechism teaches that homosexual activity is sinful, but that homosexual people must be respected and welcomed.

Three members of the group took part in the Vatican’s daily press briefing on the synod and were asked about the discussion on homosexuality.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago told reporters the group wanted to ensure that the final document would say “something that was inclusive of everyone.”

Cardinal John Ribat of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, said the synod could not ignore the topic because it is one of the things young people, inside and outside the synod, are talking about.

“Now,” he said, “the approach of the Church is to be able to welcome everyone and to make them feel at home and that nobody is excluded. That is the Church.”

Australian Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne told reporters, “Very simply, aren’t we all sinners and aren’t we all looking to be found by God and, being found by God, how might we then find our lives in him?”

The English-D group said it, too, “spent a good deal of time reflecting on the motif of the Church’s stance of welcome and inclusivity. We fully and enthusiastically acknowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ reaches out in love to absolutely everyone.”

“No one, on account of gender, lifestyle or sexual orientation, should ever be made to feel unloved, uncared for,” the group said. “However, as St. Thomas Aquinas specifies, love means ‘willing the good of the other.’ And this is why authentic love by no means excludes the call to conversion, to change of life.”

The group also echoed a sentiment shared by other groups that through the synod, the speeches and the contributions of the young adults present, “it became

Australian students, alumni to Synod: No ‘ambiguous language’ More than 200 Australian Catholic university students and alumni told the Synod of Bishops that young Catholics cannot be well formed in their faith when prelates create confusion by using “ambiguous language” on key issues “despite Christ’s clear teaching, the Church fathers and the clear dogma of the Church.”

Among the matters they specified were being treated ambiguously were the Church’s teaching on contraception, sexuality, Communion for divorcees and non-Catholics, married priests and female ordination.

“Such ambiguity is neither charitable nor desired by the youth and needs to be addressed by this synod,” they wrote in the letter to the Synod of Bishops on young people and vocations. The letter was signed by 217 students and alumni, including virtually all officeholders and leaders of the Australian Catholic Students’ Association.

“Some of the synod fathers wish to avoid a Church of ‘rules’ which fail to encourage a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” they wrote. “However, these rules lead us to Christ, they always have. We need the Church to explain why and how this is.”

They urged the synod not to fall into the trap of adopting “policy speak” as opposed to clarity in speaking to young Catholics throughout the world. “When the Church eschews the truth for policy-speak, young people are left with only superficial banalities to express their beliefs.

Deliberately unclear words are, ironically, relied on and repeated with rigidity. The Church should not discourage young people following its rules in love, nor its priests from teaching them.”

They also urged the adoption on a greater scale of practices that would attract the young to the Church, even in architecture.

Citing the meteoric rise in popularity of Canadian agnostic and psychologist Jordan Peterson, they also urged the bishops to have courage in speaking to young people.

“Only the Church can provide real meaning to our world. The synod fathers need to accept this mission. The young want the truth, unambiguously,” they wrote.

— Catholic News Service eminently clear that young people crave holiness of life and desire practical training that will help them walk the path of sanctity.”

The French-B group asked for a special section in the synod’s final document on “the gift of the body [and] the grace of affectivity and sexuality.”

The section should explain Church teaching clearly and in a way young people understand “to avoid confusion,” the group said. But “we believe it is important to deepen a reflection on pastoral outreach and the mission of the Church regarding certain categories before introducing them into the document.”

The Spanish-B group, led by Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, also called on the Vatican — probably his office — to prepare a document in which “the subject of sexuality is approached in a systematic and clear way, with anthropological arguments, accessible to all young people, that shows that the virtue of chastity is a joyful affirmation that creates the conditions for human and divine love.”

U.S. cardinal: Abuse crisis discussed at synod, will top bishops’ agenda

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service While the clerical sexual abuse crisis did not dominate discussions at the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said it was discussed, and everyone in the room clearly believed the crisis has to be dealt with.

Cardinal DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, spoke to Catholic News Service Oct. 22 as the synod was winding down and preparations for the U.S. bishops’ November general meeting moved into high gear.

The agenda for the November meeting will include multiple items for dealing with the abuse crisis and, particularly, the issue of bishops’ behavior and accountability, Cardinal DiNardo said.

One suggestion the bishops will examine, he said, is to draw up “a CARDINAL DANIEL code of conduct for bishops,” similar DINARDO to those that most dioceses have for priests and lay employees. Another would be to establish a “third-party reporting system” that would allow someone with an abuse complaint against a bishop to report him to someone not connected with his diocese or the bishops’ conference.

“All of these involve issues that we are going to have to discern,” the cardinal said. “We want to do something that will help intensify our commitment to change.”

For any real change to take place, he said, the bishops must collaborate with each other and with lay experts.

Cardinal DiNardo said the bishops would begin their meeting Nov. 12 with some introductory business, but then would go directly into a day of prayer and fasting focused on the abuse crisis.

Many of the items that the bishops were due to consider at the November meeting, he said, will be postponed to devote more time to considering concrete steps to take in response to the abuse crisis. However, he said, they will vote on the proposed statement, “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love — A Pastoral Letter Against Racism.”

Cardinal DiNardo is a veteran of the Synod of Bishops. The gathering Oct. 3-28 on young people, the faith and vocational discernment was his third synod.

“One of the best parts of this synod is obvious: the young people,” he said. The 34 synod observers under the age of 30 “are lively, they applaud sometimes. They take a great interest in the speakers. They have been a very, very important part of the language groups,” where synod members, observers and experts make recommendations for the gathering’s final document.

The young adults are serious about the Church “listening to them, the Church being attentive to them,” he said. “They also are not opposed to the Church’s teaching necessarily at all. They want to be heard and listened to, but they also want to draw on the vast beauty and tradition of the Church and do some listening of their own.”

In his speech to the synod, Cardinal DiNardo asked that the final synod document include a reference to how following Jesus includes a willingness to embrace his life-giving cross.

Young people are not afraid of a challenge, the cardinal said. “They may not always ‘get’ things of the Church, but they know who Jesus is and Jesus is not mediocre; he doesn’t want you and me to be mediocre.

He wants us to follow him to the cross and only then to glory.”

Cardinal DiNardo said he was struck at the synod by the variety of young people and especially the variety of their experiences, including experiences of being persecuted for their Christian faith or the challenges of being part of a Christian minority.

“Young people are much more serious than I think we give them credit for,” he said. And, hearing a young person’s story of faith probably is the most effective way to evangelize other young people, he added.

NATION+WORLD

10 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

‘Faithful Citizenship’ helps voters form conscience before casting ballot

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service Since 1976, the Catholic bishops have issued a quadrennial statement to guide Catholics “in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy.” For years titled simply “Political Responsibility,” the document published in 1999 was titled “Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium.”

The latest revision of the current document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” was done in 2015 and issued ahead of the 2016 presidential elections.

The issues, though, don’t go away just because presidential candidates are not on the ballot. In fact, this year’s midterm elections promise to deliver turnout numbers rivaling midterm voter interest for at least a generation. “Faithful Citizenship” is meant to provide a moral framework voters can use to analyze the issues, and it contains footnotes and multiple references to Church teaching, papal encyclicals and previous statements by the U.S. bishops.

Here is an issue-by-issue look of select passages in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document: uAbortion: “Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable and must always be opposed. Cloning and destruction of human embryos for research or even for potential cures are always wrong.”

uAssisted suicide: “The purposeful taking of human life by assisted suicide and euthanasia is not an act of mercy, but an unjustifiable assault on human life. ... Our conference supports laws and policies to protect human life to the maximum degree possible, including constitutional protection for the unborn and legislative efforts to end abortion, assisted suicide and euthanasia.” uCapital punishment: “Our nation’s continued reliance on the death penalty cannot be justified.

Because we have other ways to protect society that are more respectful of human life, the USCCB supports efforts to end the use of the death penalty and in the meantime to restrain its use through broader use of DNA evidence, access to effective counsel, and efforts to address unfairness and injustice related to application of the death penalty.” uConduct during war: “Genocide, torture, and the direct and intentional targeting of noncombatants in war or terrorist attacks are always wrong.” uEconomy: “Social and economic policies should foster the creation of jobs for all who can work with decent working conditions and just wages. Barriers to equal pay and employment for women and those facing unjust discrimination must be overcome.” uEnvironment: “Effective initiatives are required for energy conservation and the development of alternate, renewable and clean-energy resources. Our conference offers a distinctive call to seriously address global climate change, focusing on the virtue of prudence,

pursuit of the common good, and the impact on the poor, particularly on vulnerable workers and the poorest nations.” uHealth care: “Affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life and a fundamental human right. ... Health care coverage remains an urgent national priority.” uImmigration: “Comprehensive reform is urgently necessary to fix a broken immigration system and should include a broad and fair legalization program with a path to citizenship; a work program with worker protections and just wages; family reunification policies; access to legal protections, which include due process procedures; refuge for those fleeing persecution and violence; and policies to address the root causes of migration.” uLabor: “Catholic social teaching supports the right of workers to choose whether to organize, join a union and bargain collectively, and to exercise these rights without reprisal.” uMarriage: “Marriage must be defined, recognized and protected as a lifelong exclusive commitment between a man and a woman, and as the source of the next generation and the protective haven for children.” uReligious freedom: “U.S. policy should promote religious liberty vigorously, both at home and abroad: Our first and most cherished freedom is rooted in the very dignity of the human person, a fundamental human right that knows no geographical boundaries.”

Former nuncio claims vindication after Cardinal Ouellet’s response

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò said he is convinced he was right to accuse Pope Francis and Church officials of failing to act on accusations that then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick engaged in sexual misconduct and sexual harassment.

Archbishop Viganò, the former nuncio to the United States, said an open letter released Oct. 7 by Cardinal Marc Ouellet confirmed many of the allegations he first made in late August, when he called on Pope Francis to resign.

The archbishop’s response to Cardinal Ouellet was published Oct. 19 by Italian blogger Marco Tosatti. “Cardinal Ouellet has written to rebuke me for my temerity in breaking silence and leveling such grave accusations against my brothers

and superiors, but in truth his remonstrance confirms me in my decision and, even more, serves to vindicate my claims,” he said.

The archbishop had issued an open letter to Cardinal Ouellet in late September urging him to tell what he knew about now-Archbishop McCarrick.

Archbishop Viganò’s letter followed a statement in mid-August calling on Pope Francis to resign because, he claimed, the pope had known there were sanctions on Cardinal McCarrick and not only did he lift them, he allegedly made Cardinal McCarrick a confidante and adviser on bishops’ appointments in the U.S. However, Cardinal Ouellet’s response said that because there were only rumors and no proof of Cardinal McCarrick’s impropriety, then-Pope Benedict XVI never imposed formal sanctions on the

retired Washington prelate, which meant Pope Francis never lifted them.

Archbishop Viganò’s latest letter said the measures were “not technically ‘sanctions’ but provisions, ‘conditions and restrictions.’ To quibble whether they were sanctions or provisions or something else is pure legalism. From a pastoral point of view, they are exactly the same thing.”

The former nuncio also took issue with Cardinal Ouellet’s assertion that the Vatican was aware only of rumors, saying the “Holy See was aware of a variety of concrete facts and is in possession of documentary proof, and that the responsible persons nevertheless chose not to intervene or were prevented from doing so.” He added: “They are official correspondence, not gossip from the sacristy.”

In a statement published Oct. 6, the Vatican said the pope had ordered a “thorough study of the entire documentation present in the archives of the dicasteries and offices of the Holy See regarding the former Cardinal McCarrick in order to ascertain all the relevant facts, to place them in their historical context and to evaluate them objectively.”

The Vatican also acknowledged “that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues.”

Archbishop Viganò also restated his belief that homosexuality is at the root of the sexual abuse crisis in the Church that has “become a plague in the clergy, and it can only be eradicated with spiritual weapons.”

FREE - Miracle Healing Service Saturday Night, November 17 • 7:00-10:00 p.m. • St. John the Baptist Church, 835 2nd Ave. NW • New Brighton.

Join international speaker, gifted servant of God, Damian Stayne.

In 2014, many healings were witnessed: arthritic joints became straight, hearing loss healed, relief from constant pain in shoulders, being able to walk after being confined to a wheelchair, and even healing of cancer.

Bring your friends and neighbors who need healing and to experience the love of Jesus.

Also, join us for the weekend School of Healing & Empowerment.

Visit ccro-msp.org.

Sponsored by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Office and St. John Vianney Seminary.

Your Byline Here.

CatholicHotdish.com

The Catholic Spirit is seeking experienced, professional freelance journalists to report on Catholic life in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Interested? Email CatholicSpirit@archspm.org

OCTOBER 25, 2018

HEADLINES uBishops to start 2019 with spiritual retreat. Set for Jan. 2-8 at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago, the retreat was planned in response to Pope Francis’ request to a delegation of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops leaders at the Vatican Sept. 13. That meeting focused on the U.S. bishops’ response to the widening clergy sex abuse crisis. Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, will direct the Ignatian style retreat, the USCCB announced Oct. 23. uNeutral stand on assisted suicide by physicians group called ‘startling.’ The American Academy of Family Physicians passed a resolution Oct. 9 to “adopt a position on engaged neutrality toward medical-aid-in-dying as a personal end-of-life decision in the context of the physician-patient relationship.” The academy also rejected using the phrase “assisted suicide” or “physician-assisted suicide” in formal statements or documents and directed its American Medical Association delegation “to promote the same in the AMA House of Delegates.” Dr. Peter T. Morrow, president of the Catholic Medical Association, said Oct. 18 that the American Academy of Family Physicians’ new position is “diametrically opposed” to the medical community’s long-standing opposition to it. uPennsylvania order asks Supreme Court to uphold its religious rights. The Adorers of the Blood of Christ have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether their religious freedom rights were violated by the construction and pending use of a natural gas pipeline through their land. The petition to the Supreme Court, filed Oct. 19, asks the justices to determine how widely government agencies must regard claims under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and whether a circuit court’s review of an agency’s

WUERL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Pope Francis for what he had expressed in his letter, saying, “I am profoundly grateful for his devoted commitment to the well-being of the archdiocese of Washington and also deeply touched by his gracious words of understanding.”

In early September, Cardinal Wuerl told priests of the archdiocese that he would meet with Pope Francis and ask him to accept his resignation “so that this archdiocesan church we all love can move forward” and can experience “a new beginning.”

The Vatican announcement that the pope accepted his resignation came more than two months after the announcement that Pope Francis accepted the resignation of retired Washington Archbishop Theodore

NATION+WORLD order satisfies the religious freedom guarantees under the law. In July, a three-judge appeals court panel agreed with a lower court ruling that the congregation had not made their religious objections known during the federal administrative process that led to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval of the 183-mile Atlantic Sunrise pipeline. uCardinal Rivera’s home attacked in Mexico City, security guard killed. An auxiliary police officer providing security was shot dead at the Mexico City home of Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera Oct. 21 in what authorities described as an unsuccessful attempt at robbing the retired churchman. Cardinal Rivera and several religious who help maintain his home were in the house at the time of the attempted robbery, but never were in danger, authorities said. uIndian priest, witness against bishop accused of rape, found dead. A Catholic priest considered a prime witness against an Indian bishop accused of rape has been found dead, with his family suspecting foul play. However, local medical staff said he had a series of health problems. Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, 67, was found dead inside his room in Jalandhar Oct. 22, a week after Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar was granted bail by the state court in Kerala and went back to his diocese. Ucanews. com reported Father Kattuthara gave testimony against the bishop, who has been accused of raping a nun repeatedly between 2014 and 2016. uChilean court rules archdiocese liable in covering up Karadima sex abuse. In a major victory for survivors of abuse in Chile, a court ruled that the Archdiocese of Santiago prevented a thorough investigation into sexual abuses committed by a former priest, Fernando Karadima. The lawsuit brought on by survivors was first dismissed five years ago. The Chilean court of appeals overturned the lawsuit’s McCarrick from the College of Cardinals. Archbishop McCarrick faces credible allegations of sexual abuse, including two that involved minors; Pope Francis ordered him to maintain “a life of prayer and penance” while awaiting a trial or other canonical process on the charges.

Cardinal Wuerl has said until the Archdiocese of New York began investigating the claims that Archbishop McCarrick abused a minor, he was never informed of such accusations or even the rumors of Archbishop McCarrick’s sexual harassment of seminarians.

Cardinal Wuerl has been archbishop of Washington for the past 12 years. He earlier served as an auxiliary bishop of Seattle from 1986 until 1988, when he was named bishop of Pittsburgh, where he served for 18 years.

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 612-379-6363.

dismissal Oct.18 after new evidence obtained from raids conducted on the archdiocesan chancery proved that Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz, the retired archbishop of Santiago, closed an investigation into Karadima. The court awarded the equivalent of $661,000 in compensation for damages to victims. uAll six dioceses in Illinois sued over clergy sexual abuse allegations. St. Paul-based attorney Jeff Anderson, who has represented clergy abuse victims nationwide, filed a lawsuit Oct. 18 in Chicago against all six Catholic dioceses in Illinois and the Illinois Catholic Conference for what he described as an ongoing effort to cover up clergy sexual abuse. The lawsuit wants the state’s dioceses to release all of their records on abusive priests. Anderson filed the suit along with three others who said they were sexually abused by priests. The lawsuit does not seek damages and only claims instances of abuse against children in three of the Illinois dioceses — Rockford, Peoria and Springfield — but according to Anderson, all of the dioceses have had a role in covering up clergy sexual abuse. The claims of abuse cited date from the early 1970s through the late 1990s. uJustice Department opens investigation into abuse claims in Pennsylvania. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, based in Philadelphia, recently began serving subpoenas in the federal grand jury investigation of allegations of child sexual abuse and a cover-up of such claims statewide. The federal investigation follows the release Aug. 14 of a statewide grand jury report on clerical sexual abuse in the Church and decisions by bishops to conceal, transfer or shield alleged abusers. The 18-month investigation under the Pennsylvania attorney general uncovered sexual abuse claims on a vast scale, detailing some 1,000 cases of alleged abuse by 300 priests and other Church workers dating back 70 years. Most of the cases

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 11 took place from the 1960s through the 1980s. uVietnam releases, then exiles jailed Catholic blogger. Vietnam has freed a well-known Catholic blogger and rights activist jailed two years ago for posting anti-government material on social media and forced her into exile in the United States. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 39, was driven from Prison Camp No. 5 in Vietnam’s northern province of Thanh Hoa to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Oct. 17 before flying to Houston with her children and mother. uPope, meeting South Korean leader, says he’s open to visiting North. At their meeting Oct. 18, Pope Francis praised South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s efforts to promote peace in the Korean peninsula. In a statement released after the meeting, the Vatican said Pope Francis and Moon discussed the Church’s role in promoting “dialogue and reconciliation between Koreans.”

Reportedly, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had asked Moon to tell the pope of an invitation to visit North Korea. Moon’s press secretary told reporters the pope said he would accept “if an [official] invitation arrives and I can go.’” uPope Francis canonizes Sts. Romero, Paul VI. Carrying Pope Paul VI’s pastoral staff and wearing the blood-stained belt of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, Pope Francis formally recognized them, and five others, as saints of the Catholic Church Oct. 14 at the Vatican. The other new saints are: Vincenzo Romano, an Italian priest who died in 1831; Nazaria Ignacia March Mesa, a Spanish nun who ministered in Mexico and Bolivia and died in 1943; Catherine Kasper, a 19th-century German founder of a religious order; Francesco Spinelli, a 19thcentury priest and founder of a religious order; and Nunzio Sulprizio, a layman who died in Naples in 1836 at age 19.

– Catholic News Service

Read the stories at TheCatholicSpirit.com.

12 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Fresh

FACE

Leaders say ‘The Seminaries of Saint Paul’ better conveys institutions’ identity, mission

By Maria Wiering • The Catholic Spirit

H

e’s slightly embarrassed to admit it, but Bill Malkowiak didn’t know St. John Vianney College Seminary existed until 2010 when his then-pastor, Father Michael Becker, was appointed to serve as its rector.

Now Malkowiak is a member of its board of trustees and well versed in not only its program, but also those of the St. Paul Seminary, which forms aspiring priests in the years immediately preceding ordination. But he, like other seminary leaders, is convinced that his initial unawareness isn’t unique among local Catholics, even those deeply involved in the life of their parishes or the broader Church.

“There are many local Catholics who know of St. Paul Seminary and don’t know about St. John Vianney seminary,” Father Becker said. “We’re a little more hidden.”

In an effort to boost the community’s awareness of the archdiocese’s two seminaries and the programs they offer — including significant opportunities for lay formation — St. John Vianney and St. Paul Seminary are uniting under a single brand: The Seminaries of Saint Paul.

“It does increase our visibility,” Father Becker said of the new brand. It also conveys “the unity of vision between the seminaries in our formation,” said Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the St. Paul Seminary’s interim rector. The brand’s tagline, “Joyful Catholic Leaders,” “captures the goal of our formation process, which is not just for our seminarians, but also for all of our students,” he added.

Seminary leaders were expected to unveil the new brand Oct. 23 at the annual Rector’s Dinner. Until that point, St. John Vianney, St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity and SPS’ seven institutes used different logos, fonts and color schemes, with little to visually indicate they are related. And there wasn’t a way to easily speak about the work the seminaries are doing as a whole.

“There were some really strong brands in place; what we lacked was a unifying effort across each of these individual activities,” said Malkowiak, who works in sales and marketing at General Mills and is a

parishioner of St. Michael in St. Michael. “Wha become apparent to me in my time working wi Seminaries of Saint Paul is that there is so much going on here than I believe the average memb our archdiocese knows.”

In studying the question of brand recognition seminary leaders found that St. John Vianney C Seminary, which serves college-aged men consi priesthood, is better known outside of the regio while St. Paul Seminary — the graduate-level se — is known better within the archdiocese. Mea the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, which includes graduate-level theology programs for l students, has been flying under the radar for m local Catholics — even those engaged in their p and in the larger archdiocese. Many Catholics a didn’t realize that some of the St. Paul Seminary regarded institutes — especially the popular Archbishop Flynn Catechetical Institute, which lay men and women — were actually seminary programs.

Despite the new name and logo — which fea navy blue shield with an archiepiscopal, or dou barred, cross — nothing about the institutions changing, its leaders emphasized. The new bran reflects no tweak to the seminaries’ institutiona structures or their relationships to the Universit St. Thomas in St. Paul, on whose campus both seminaries are located.

However, it does reflect the way the major an minor seminaries have grown together in recen While they are independently incorporated, th merged their boards of trustees in 2010 and late combined operations.

Tom Ryan, the seminaries’ vice president for institutional advancement, echoed Malkowiak’ assessment of the seminaries’ situation before t “umbrella” brand.

“It was difficult to talk about all the things go without having one ‘umbrella statement’ to cap it,” he said. “[The new brand] was a way of unif of that work under one board, and certainly, an ‘umbrella’ to describe all of the good things hap between two seminaries. ... What we’re doing is forming the next generation of lay leaders to se community.”

Archbishop John Ireland founded St. Paul Sem in 1894. St. John Vianney College Seminary wa founded in 1968. For years they existed as sepa institutions serving men of different levels of st with SJV serving as a natural pipeline into SPS, especially for priesthood-bound men of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Each seminary also forms seminarians from o dioceses. SJV is the second largest college-level seminary in the U.S., with 98 men representing 19 dioceses enrolled this year. St. Paul Seminary 87 seminarians in formation from 14 dioceses a religious community. More than 1,000 men an women are enrolled in SPS’ various programs.

“Together, we’re one of the largest formation in the United States,” Bishop Cozzens said.

Sarah Mealey, a Catholic communications consultant in the Twin Cities, performed much groundwork, including interviews and surveys, THE SEMINARIES O F S A I NT PAU L

PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

S A I NT J O H N V I A N N E Y C O L L E G E S E M I N A RY

S A I NT PAU L S E M I N A RY

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

A R C H B I S H O P F LY N N C AT E C H E T I C A L I N S T IT U T E

I N S T IT U T E F O R C AT H O L I C SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

I N S T IT U T E F O R T H E O LO G I C A L R E S E A R C H

A INST

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

The

at has ith The h more ber of

n, College idering on, eminary anwhile, h lay many parishes also y’s well-

h forms y

atures a ubleis nd al ty of

nd nt years. hey er

’s the new

oing on pture fying all n ppening s erve our

minary as arate tudy,

other

g y has and one nd

n centers

h of the , that

OCTOBER 25, 2018 • 13

led to the re-branding. In 2015, Mealey was hired by then-rector of SPS, Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, who stepped down from his leadership position in June but continues to serve the seminary, and Father Becker to begin working on the branding project, which was an outgrowth of a larger strategic plan launched after the boards merged.

While new brands mean consistent fonts, logos and colors — now blue, bronze and gray — in letterhead, advertising and marketing materials, the goal is much larger, Mealey said.

“Branding, at the heart of it, is the way we can quickly and with impact relay the heart of the organization — who we are, what we do, what we’re about — and to invite people into the mission through that,” Mealey said. “It’s really good communications that’s pithy and to the point and where people can recognize it.”

The new brand conveys the seminary’s work at a time when it’s well positioned to be “a great, positive sign of hope” and “part of the solution [for] the future of the Church,” she said.

“There’s a lot of questions and frustration and sadness about what’s happening in the Church in respect to the sexual abuse crisis and in respect to abuse of power, ... [and] the seminaries are an absolute bright spot,” she said. “So how do we communicate that in a way that [people] can really see this and come to want to be a part of it?”

The new brand’s tagline “Joyful Catholic Leaders” also aims to highlight that The Seminaries of Saint Paul are not just for future priests and deacons, but that their programs for laypeople are just as integral to its mission. Mealey is a Catechetical Institute graduate, and she said she experienced “wonderful ah-ha” moments throughout the two-year certificate program.

“You actually see that the Church herself is holy, and you understand how all the puzzle pieces fit together,” she said. “And there’s just truth and beauty and goodness.”

Ryan said he hopes the new brand conveys that the seminaries “cover the gamut” of formation, from the undergraduate seminarian to a priest who has been serving the archdiocese for years, as well as laypeople interested in a two-year certificate or a graduate-level degree.

“In a given year, we have [more than] 900 people — lay and ordained, men and women — in formation, and I hope that it shows the breadth and depth of all that’s taking place here at the two seminaries,” he said.

The new brand also indicates that the seminary’s work isn’t static, and that it’s increasingly becoming understood as a regional center for formation, Ryan said. One indicator of that is a new institute it’s launching in January 2019 for Catholic educational leaders.

“It’s going to provide a formation program that will equip current and aspiring principals not only with a vision and mission and how to create that culture within the school, but the practical skills to really run well a Catholic nonprofit in a really complex world,” Ryan said. “There is such an incredible need, even in the five-state region.”

The seminaries’ programs and services are needed now more than ever, said Tizoc Rosales, SJV’s

‘JOYFUL CATHOLIC LEADERS’ As Sarah Mealey interviewed stakeholders about their perceptions of the St. Paul Seminary and St. John Vianney College Seminary — and even the word “seminary” itself — she kept on hearing another word: “joy.”

“It just kept popping [up] — that there’s this tremendous sense of joy,” she said. “That joy is really emanating from the truth of the Church, the truth of the teaching, and most importantly, these are people who have a very close relationship with Jesus Christ, and you can feel it, and you can sense it. ... What I really found is that this is a real gem, and what we have to do is convey that joy.”

That led The Seminaries of Saint Paul to choose “Joyful Catholic Leaders” as its tagline.

As Pope Francis expressed in his 2014 apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” Christians are called to give witness to Christ with joy, Bishop Cozzens said.

“It’s meant to really mark the Catholic leaders of our age,” he said. “We need to be joyful witnesses so that people will be attracted to the Catholic faith today, and now perhaps more than ever we can show people that a life authentically lived in Christ and his Church can be joyful.”

From her own experience with the Catechetical Institute, Mealey observed that people “came in with ... great intellectual interest, and came out on the other side on fire for the Lord, on fire for the Church, and felt called to live out their membership in the body of Christ in new ways — and I would say, very ‘leaderful’ ways,” especially at their parishes.

And she sees the same attitude among the priests and deacons the seminary forms.

“It’s not just happiness, it’s not just positive mental energy, it’s not just enthusiasm. Those words don’t capture it,” Mealey said. “It’s joy, and joy is divine, and joy is a sure sign of the presence of God.” development director who is also the associate director for institutional advancement for SPS. “Inside the Church and outside the Church, forming good leaders has never been more important than now,” he said. “If we — the two seminaries — do our job right, we can really be a part of the solution to a lot of the challenges that face our Church and world today.

“This brand allows us to package that messaging of all these great programs and services and take it to the marketplace in a real succinct way,” he added. “And that really allows all of our constituents — from program recipients, to donors, to Catholics in the pew, to vocations directors [and] our ‘sending’ bishops to perspective Catholics — to see and get excited about all that’s going on at these two seminaries.”

For Ryan, something he was told by a branding expert sticks in his mind: “A brand is a promise, and a great brand is a promise kept.” “‘Joyful Catholic Leaders’ is both aspirational as well as descriptive,” Ryan said. “I’m hoping that it’s a way for us internally and externally to rally behind that promise and do our best as disciples to fulfill that promise.”

ST. JOHN VIANNEY COLLEGE SEMINARY St. John Vianney College Seminary serves undergraduates who are considering a call to the priesthood. SJV’s seminarians attend the University of St. Thomas, and SJV’s building, which includes its offices and a residence, is located on the north end of its campus. Its rector is Father Michael Becker.

ST. PAUL SEMINARY St. Paul Seminary forms men for the priesthood in their final years before ordination. Men who attend St. Paul Seminary earn a master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas through the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, and, like men at SJV, they focus on the four dimensions of formation: human, pastoral, intellectual and spiritual. Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens is serving as its interim director until Father Joseph Taphorn steps into the rector role in January.

ST. PAUL SEMINARY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY The SPSSOD is a graduate school of theology at the seminary. While seminarians at St. Paul Seminary follow a separate course of study within the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, the school offers three graduate degree programs in theology, pastoral ministry and religious education. Degrees are granted by the University of St. Thomas.

ARCHBISHOP FLYNN CATECHETICAL INSTITUTE Founded in 2008, the Catechetical Institute is a two-year certificate program for lay men and women who want to better understand the Catholic faith. The institute has recently expanded to the Diocese of St. Cloud and the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa.

INSTITUTE FOR ONGOING CLERGY FORMATION Founded in 2015, the IOCF provides ongoing formation for priests and deacons in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

INSTITUTE FOR DIACONATE FORMATION Founded 2010, this institute encompasses the formation for men, single or married, training to become permanent deacons in the archdiocese.

INSTITUTE FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Coming in January 2019, this new institute aims to prepare principals and administrators for leadership in Catholic schools.

ARCHBISHOP FLYNN INSTITUTE FOR HOMILETICS This institute provides resources aimed at enhancing seminary training in preaching.

MSGR. QUINN INSTITUTE FOR BIBLICAL STUDIES Founded in 2009, this institute brings Scripture scholars to the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity to teach, mentor and write.

INSTITUTE FOR THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH Founded in 2006, this institute coordinates the academic research, publications and conferences of the SPSSOD. FAR LEFT FROM TOP Seminarians at St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul listen to a lecture by Father Michael Becker in October 2015.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens hands a certificate of completion to a graduate of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute May 15 at the St. Paul Seminary chapel.

S A I NT PAU L S E M I N A RY S C H O O L O F D I V I N IT Y

Members of the congregation applaud the Catechetical Institute graduates at the end of the May 15 ceremony.

University of St. Thomas

Seminarians at St. John Vianney carry a statue of Mary during the Candlelight Rosary Procession Oct. 5 at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.

GRAPHIC COURTESY THE SEMINARIES OF SAINT PAUL

Deacon Joe Michalak carries the Book of the Gospels during the opening Mass of the Catechetical Institute Sept. 10.

A R C H B I S H O P F LY N N TITUTE FOR HOMILETICS

I N S T IT U T E F O R O N G O I N G C L E R G Y F O R M AT I O N

I N S T IT U T E F O R D I AC O N AT E F O R M AT I O N

M S G R. Q U I N N I N S T IT U T E FOR BIBLICAL STUDIES

Seminarians react during the opening Mass of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity Sept. 4.

e Seminaries of Saint Paul

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

The Seminaries of Saint Paul

A mixture of lay students, seminarians, faculty and staff gather for the seminary’s Sept. 4 opening Mass.

14 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

OCTOBER 25, 2018

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 15

FAITH+CULTURE

Botanical beads

1August Bueltel

of St. John the Baptist in Savage checks plants in his backyard to see if there are any grains ready for harvest that he will use as beads for rosaries.

In Savage, rosary making from the ground up

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

2 A ripe grain is

F

or most of his life, August Bueltel of Savage rarely held a rosary.

Now, he grows them.

In the backyard of his modest home, the 90-year-old waters and nurtures waist-high plants known as “Job’s Tears.” He picks their round grains when they ripen in late summer and uses them for rosary beads.

From there, the black beads go to his basement workshop, where he turns them into devotional keepsakes that he hands out freely to anyone who asks.

He takes most of them to his parish, St. John the Baptist in Savage, where they are sold in a small gift shop.

“A friend of mine gave me 11 seeds in the year 2003,” Bueltel explained. “He said my soil was better. So, I planted those 11 seeds. Ten of them grew, and I gave them all [the grains] to him, and he made rosaries. He gave me some. Then, after that, my wife [Arlean] recommended that I learn how to make rosaries.”

Now, he tends to his garden diligently, watching the grains as they ripen, and picking them individually after close inspection. They are black on the vine, then turn to a medium gray within a few days of picking. He links them together with wire, then attaches a metal crucifix to each finished string of five decades.

He has “no clue” how many rosaries he makes a year.

The best figure he can come up with is “more than 10 and less than 500.”

What he keeps better track of is the number of beads he grows. “I would bet this year I got more than a thousand,” he said. “I got 200 beads out of one plant.”

When asked why he keeps growing them year after year, he simply says, “it keeps me busy, and I enjoy working at it.”

But, there is a deeper meaning to the craft, one that is tied to a spiritual awakening.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “Prior to this experience, I really didn’t pray the rosary. But now, I do. So, some good [came] out of it.”

He has become devoted to the prayer, going to church every weekday morning that he can for rosary and Mass. “It’s one of my main things,” he said.

Others should follow suit, he believes.

“The problem with the world,” he said, “is too few people pray.”

Oct. 7 was the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

One of the most important rosaries he made was for Archbishop Bernard Hebda. He sent one to him at the suggestion of his former pastor, Father Michael Tix, who now works as the episcopal vicar for clergy and parish services for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The response he received is now a keepsake.

“It was just a nice thank-you letter,” Bueltel said, as he proudly pulled out the letter and shared its contents.

That’s all the reward he needs. He does not accept money for his work, insisting: “That’s not the point.”

NOTICE

Look for The Catholic Spirit advertising insert from

THE SEMINARIES OF SAINT PAUL in all copies of this issue.

ready for harvest.

The grains come off the plant black, then turn gray a few days later.

3 Bueltel holds freshly-picked grains from his garden.

4 Bueltel links

the beads together with wire to make a rosary.

5 Harvested 1

PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

2

3

4

5

“

grains await the rosary-making process.

Prior to this experience, I really didn’t pray the rosary.

But now, I do. So, some good [came] out of it.

August Bueltel

Prices starting at $2,499 ~ with Airfare Included in this price from anywhere in the USA

Several trips to different destinations: the Holy Land; Italy; France; Portugal; Spain; Poland; Medjugorje; Lourdes; Fatima; Ireland; Scotland; England; Austria; Germany; Switzerland; Turkey; Greece; Budapest; Prague; Our Lady of Guadalupe; Colombia; Brazil; Argentina; Domestic Destinations; etc.

We also specialize in custom trips for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

Call us 24/7 508-340-9370 or 855-842-8001 www.proximotravel.com anthony@proximotravel.com (Hablamos Español)

16 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

HOSPICEANDFUNERALS

Unburying the past

Calvary Cemetery is located at 753 Front Ave., St. Paul, and open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk.

For more information, call the cemetery at 651-481-8866.

Calvary Cemetery offers view into St. Paul’s colorful history

The season has closed on Mary-Benton Hummel’s walking tours of St. Paul cemeteries, but she plans to offer them again through St. Paul Community Education in the spring.

For more information, visit spps.org/commed.

TOURING CALVARY CEMETERY

By Doug Hovelson For The Catholic Spirit

T

o know a city, people must walk in the footsteps of those who came before them.

Or take a walking tour of the city’s cemeteries.

The history of St. Paul is written in stone. And the stones that speak of days gone by are to be found in the cemeteries, said Mary-Benton Hummel, a St. Paul Community Education instructor whose popular Historic Cemetery Walking Tour course includes one of the most significant Catholic cemeteries in the Twin Cities.

“You can tell so much about a city from its cemeteries,” she said.

Calvary Cemetery is spread across a 100-acre bluff along Front Avenue in St. Paul. Established on the site in 1856 by Bishop Joseph Cretin, the first bishop of the then-Diocese of St. Paul (now the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis), Calvary marks the final earthly resting place for the remains of many of the city’s biggest names in business and industry, politics, law and — of course — religion.

The names live on, and so do the stories about them and their times, certainly in the fact-packed mind of Hummel. Anyone who moves about the metro area knows some of them, if only by logistical necessity: Larpenteur, Robert, Pierce Butler, Ireland, Cretin, Dowling, Bremer, Hamm, Prince.

They’re the stuff of street maps, required learning for all who traverse the city to any degree, leaping out to passersby from street signs, schools, bridges, banks and city parks.

Hummel knows them all. She spent hours on end researching the history of St. Paul cemeteries for her master’s

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

thesis — about seeing city history through the perspective of its cemeteries — while at Hamline University in 1991. Community Education organizers asked her to teach a class on cemeteries shortly thereafter.

“I am not the least bit solemn about cemeteries,” she said. That approach stands her in good stead as a city historian, especially given some of the city’s early history — from a roughhewn pioneer outpost to a kind of sanctuary city for the nation’s criminal class in the 1920s. It’s all catalogued in the city cemeteries, if people just know how and where to look, Hummel said.

The diocese first planted Calvary Cemetery on a plot of downtown ground running along Third Street (Kellogg Boulevard), near the riverfront.

Not long thereafter, the diocese relocated the cemetery to a larger area near the present-day junction of Interstate 94 and 10th Street, according to Hummel. But even that move proved ephemeral. In 1856, the diocese moved the cemetery again, to the large plot of land on Front Avenue, well to the north and west of the main population center.

“The land was affordable,” Hummel explained. People thought the diocese’s leaders were crazy to put a cemetery in such a remote area, she said, but the city eventually grew up, around and well beyond the cemetery.

James J. Hill bought a piece of the land from the diocese to use for

Mary-Benton Hummel, a St. Paul Community Education instructor, gives a tour of Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul Oct. 13.

railroad tracks for his Great Northern railway line, which extended to Seattle.

The tracks still border the cemetery at its back-end, although they’re now owned by the BNSF Corp. Hill also purchased a family plot at Calvary, but used it just once — for the burial of his 2-year-old daughter who died of an unknown illness. (The family ultimately relinquished its plot at Calvary and is today buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights.)

Calvary is home to the remains of more than 104,500 people — and counting. “We do 150-250 burials a year,” said Linda Radtke, office manager for Calvary Cemetery, which, along with Resurrection, is among the five cemeteries managed by The Catholic Cemeteries.

The cemetery draws visitors from around the world, Radtke noted. In addition to being the final resting place for prominent Minnesotans, the cemetery is also known for its wealth of beautiful, original statuary and monuments.

One of the most important names in the cemetery, from the perspective of Minnesota history, is that of Mary Ann Bilansky. A native of North Carolina, Bilansky in 1860 found herself residing in St. Paul and married, apparently unhappily, to Stanislaus Bilansky. The marriage ended when Stanislaus died of rat poisoning, administered on the sly

by his wife, according to police. Mary Ann was subsequently convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to be hanged. Despite an outcry from the citizenry and even the State Legislature, Mary Ann was hanged in 1861 — making her the first, and also the only, woman ever judicially executed in Minnesota. Bishop Thomas Grace, a South Carolina native, ministered to Bilansky in her final moments, Hummel said.

Bishop Grace is buried there, too, along with the archdiocese’s other early leaders: Bishop Cretin, Archbishop John Ireland and Archbishop Austin Dowling.

Calvary Cemetery also contains the remains of David Hogan, a Prohibitionera criminal who suffered the distinction of becoming the first-known person killed by a car bomb. Hogan had taken up occupancy in the city. As a known gangster, he was expected to pay off the police in return for his being allowed to move about the city freely. He refused to play by police rules, however, which led to the police figuring out how to plant and trigger a bomb in his car. Al Capone paid for the funeral, including the grave at Calvary Cemetery. “It was said to be quite an impressive funeral,” Radtke said.

Other important historical figures buried in the cemetery include Frederick McGhee, St. Paul’s first black criminal lawyer; E.L. Masqueray, architect of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis; and Mother Seraphine Ireland, Archbishop Ireland’s sister and one of hundreds of religious sisters and priests buried in a special section of the cemetery.

Relics a reminder that saints were real people

w a s hb ur n- m crea vy. c o m

Funeral Chapels, Cemeteries and Cremation Services

Since 1857, you can trust the McReavy family for professional advanced planning, funeral and cremation services.

612.377.2203

The relics of seven people canonized Oct. 14 were present at their Mass as reminders that the saints were flesh-andblood people who lived holy lives. Most were what the Church traditionally described as “first-class” relics: a piece of the physical remains of the saint, often bone fragments. But Pope Francis used other items — ­ traditionally known as “second-class” relics — that previously had used by two of the new saints: the crosier and pallium of St. Paul VI and the blood-stained cincture, a rope belt, that St. Romero was wearing when he was assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980. And for the Eucharist, he used a chalice that had belonged to St. Paul VI. The formal reliquary for St. Paul VI was a glass vase containing the blood-specked undershirt he was wearing in November 1970 when a Bolivian artist stabbed him at the Manila airport. ­— Catholic News Service

OCTOBER 25, 2018

HOSPICEANDFUNERALS

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 17

Epiphany cemetery offering free burial Nov. 16 for cremated remains

By Matthew Davis The Catholic Spirit

‘CATHOLIC’ CREMATION

F

ather Thomas Dufner once counseled a young woman who wore a locket with her grandmother’s ashes in it to bury the remains, after the woman admitted she couldn’t sleep at night.

“The thing about death is that it is not the end,” said Father Dufner, pastor of Epiphany in Coon Rapids. “There’s still a presence associated with the remains of our beloved dead, which is why even primitive peoples have always buried their dead.”

As cremation has become widespread, so has the practice of keeping the deceased’s ashes in the home indefinitely — a practice generally prohibited in the Catholic Church. Father Dufner and Epiphany Cemetery Director Bob Mathewson have been discussing for years how to encourage people who have not buried cremated remains to do so. Their conversations led to offering a free day of burial Nov. 16 at the parish cemetery.

“It’s actually a good opportunity for us to be of some service to people and provide a need for our beloved dead,” Father Dufner said.

Mathewson said there are many reasons people hang on to cremated remains instead of burying them. Some had intended to, but “life has just caught up with them,” he said.

The Catholic Church has permitted cremation since 1963, but Catholic teaching requires that the dead be buried or interred in a sacred space, usually a cemetery. A person’s cremated remains should not be kept at home or scattered.

Due to an increase in the practice of cremation, the Church clarified its teaching in a document released in 2016.

In making the burials at Epiphany free for a day, Mathewson aims to remove what he sees as one of the main hurdles to burial. “For a lot people, one of the

Cremation is Catholic when it is “of the Church” — that is, everything surrounding cremation, in all aspects, embodies the faith and practice of the Church. Cremation for Catholics flows from the mission of the Church — to teach, to come together in community and to serve.

Cremation is Catholic when the Order of Christian Funerals is celebrated in its liturgical fullness. This includes prayers at the time of death in the presence of the body, a vigil prayer during the time of the wake, a funeral liturgy and the rite of committal.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Epiphany Cemetery Director Bob Mathewson stands near a marker that will be used in a ceremony Nov. 16 for those who bring cremated remains for burial in Epiphany Cemetery in Coon Rapids. reasons [not to bury the remains] was it costs too much money to bury them,” he said. “For some people, it was just the fact it slipped their mind. They were always going to get around to it but just never have.”

Mathewson estimated that in 45 percent of the burials at the parish’s cemetery, the deceased has been cremated. Father Dufner said that as he’s presided over funeral Masses, he has observed cremation become a more common choice.

Mathewson said that handling the dead with proper dignity is important for Catholics, and he takes it seriously in his work.

“We feel that even if we get one cremation buried, that’s one more than it would have been,” Mathewson said.

“We’re hoping for a couple dozen at least.”

People can register for the free burial by contacting Epiphany by Nov. 12. The registration is open to any Catholic or non-Catholic with cremated remains.

The staff will take any cremated remains

that are more than 18 months past the deceased’s funeral, a recommendation of the Catholic Cemetery Association, Father Dufner said. Mathewson has consulted other Catholic cemeteries in the United States that have offered free cremation burials.

In Church tradition, November is the month especially devoted to praying for the dead. It begins with All Saints Day Nov. 1 and All Souls Day Nov. 2.

Mathewson said the day will include a 10:30 a.m. prayer service before the burial, and the remains will be buried together in a vault. The cemetery will absorb the costs of the burials.

Father Dufner and Mathewson said this

Cremation is Catholic when the cremated remains of the body are committed to the ground or a niche in a Catholic cemetery. As part of a continuum of faith with the parish community, Catholic cemeteries call to mind the resurrection of the dead and the communion of saints.

— The Catholic Cemeteries first free burial day is experimental, but they hope to see it grow and other parishes adopt the practice.

“We’re hoping, by offering this, that we will get quite a few people that will bury their ambiguous remains, pay the proper respect for their loved ones,” Mathewson said.

For more information, contact Bob Mathewson, Epiphany Cemetery director, at 763-862-4308​.

18 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

HOSPICEANDFUNERALS

With Academy for Life, experts urge greater access to palliative care

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service A group of physicians and other health care experts are working with the Vatican to promote what they see as a sorely needed form of “advanced medical care” — palliative care, which is centered on pain relief and emotional, spiritual and social support of patients with chronic, progressive diseases.

Under the auspices of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 13 experts from eight countries spent more than a year developing a “white paper for palliative care advocacy,” which was published in late September by the Journal of Palliative Medicine, a peer-reviewed publication.

Dr. Carlos Centeno, director of the Atlantes Research Group at the University of Navarra, Spain, and coordinator of the experts’ group, told reporters Sept. 27 that palliative care is “advanced medicine for the end of life,” a form of medicine that relies less on technology and more on human contact and a team approach to patient care.

Dr. Thomas Sitte, chairman of a German foundation devoted to palliative care, said that in his country, “we have a problem with overtreatment, over-treatment until the very end” of a patient’s life.

Often that treatment is aggressive, excessive and painful, which almost naturally weakens the patient’s desire to live and increases the family’s suffering as well, he said. Palliative care is not a soft form of euthanasia, but it does accept the fact that some illnesses cannot be cured.

Centeno said that in some parts of the world, palliative care and hospice care are nearly identical, especially because “the same spirit is behind them, the principles are the same: holistic care, family involvement, a team approach and patient-centered care.”

Identifying individuals or categories of people to lobby and drawing up proposals, the 13 experts first looked to national policy makers, urging efforts to provide universal access to palliative care.

“Patients with chronic progressive diseases, such as cancer, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and HIV-AIDS develop severe physical, psychosocial and spiritual symptoms before death,” they said.

Palliative care can reduce much of their suffering, and “there is strong evidence that these benefits are accompanied by a reduction in the total cost of care.”

The experts called for mandatory undergraduate courses in palliative care in all medical and nursing studies and for the development of certification guidelines for health care workers specializing in palliative care.

They also urged a special role for pharmacists in the palliative-care team since most patients will need to take multiple drugs and will have an increased risk of negative drug interactions.

Speaking to reporters, Sitte also

TheCatholicSpirit.com

Trojack Law Office, P.A. • Wills • Powers of Attorney • Trusts • Health Care Directives • Probate

CARE RESOURCES World Hospice and Palliative Care Day was Oct. 13. Together, St. Louis-based Catholic Health Association and the Supportive Care Coalition are advocating for access to high quality palliative care for all who need it, and developing resources and tools to improve palliative care programs and increase awareness of its benefits.

OCTOBER 25, 2018

John E. Trojack, Attorney at Law

• Guardianships • Conservatorships

Call to attend complimentary workshops We offer tailor-made, client-focused estate planning and related services from a Catholic Perspective

Trojack Law Office, P.A. • 1549 Livingston Ave., Ste. 101 • W. St. Paul, MN 55118

Phone: 651.451.9696 • www.TrojackLaw.com

Three resources designed for patients and their families can be found on the CHA website, chausa.org/palliative-care: u“Expressing Your Health Care Wishes,” which includes FAQs about advance directives. u“Caring Even When We Cannot Cure,” which explains the differences between palliative and hospice care. u“Caring for People at the End of Life,” which explains the Catholic Church’s teaching about end-of-life decisions.

According to CHA, the resources are written from the perspective of Catholic tradition “but can be used by people of any religious tradition.”

— Catholic News Service

highlighted the report’s insistence that governments and hospitals take seriously the World Health Organization’s identification of morphine as an “essential medicine.”

“Globally, a majority of patients die with severe pain without having ever received a single dose of morphine or other opioid analgesic,” the report said.

Obviously the “abuse potential and adverse effects” must be considered and the drugs must be handled with care, but there is no other drug as effective in treating pain, especially in patients with cancer.

Governments and health care providers must “recognize access to pain relief and palliative care as a basic right of the person and the family,” the report said.

MOVIE REVIEWS TheCatholicSpirit.com

OCTOBER 25, 2018

FOCUSONFAITH SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | MSGR. JEFFREY STEENSON

The priesthood of Melchizedek

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 19

“

Let no one claim that Christ’s priesthood resides in an order established by human beings, St. Ambrose teaches; established by God the Father himself, it is forever based on the mission of his Son.

In the second reading for Oct. 28, we find this fascinating statement attributed to Christ: “Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 5:6). The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews drew this from Psalm 110, a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah.

We also encounter this mysterious order of priesthood in Eucharistic Prayer I in the Missal, when the celebrant prays that the Lord would accept “with a serene and kindly countenance … the offering of your high priest Melchizedek.”

What does this mean?

The Apostles, no doubt having been taught by Christ about his eternal identity and how his earthly mission was prefigured in the sacred texts of the Old Testament, reflected upon the mysterious figure of Melchizedek, the King of Salem, whom we meet in Genesis 14. There, Abraham, the father of the first covenant between God and his people, receives a blessing from Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High, which the Church has understood as an anticipation of the Eucharist. And Abraham then offers a tithe.

This is remarkable, because this mysterious priesthood bore no relationship to the priesthood of Aaron, from which the priesthood of Israel was derived. Both priesthoods were instituted

by God, but Melchizedek’s was shrouded in mystery. “He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever” (Heb 7:3).

The Church has understood this priesthood to be a type of the eternal priesthood of Christ, rooted in the very life of the Blessed Trinity, superior in every respect to the priesthood of the Temple.

Let no one claim that Christ’s priesthood resides in an order established by human beings, St. Ambrose teaches; established by God the Father himself, it is forever based on the mission of his Son. St. Gregory of Nazianzus offers this lovely poem in “On the Birth of Christ,” a sermon he preached in Constantinople in 381.

He reflects on the meaning of Melchizedek being without father or mother, which the Fathers came to see as a sign of the Incarnation of our Lord:

“The old has passed away, behold all things have been made anew.

The letter withdraws, the Spirit advances.

The shadows flee, the truth breaks in.

Melchizedek is summed up; the motherless becomes fatherless.

The first without a mother, The second without a father, The laws of nature are abrogated that the cosmos above be brought to perfection.”

“The motherless becomes fatherless.” Who is the one without a mother? The eternal Son of God, only-begotten from the Father.

Who is the one without a father? Our Lord who was born of the Virgin Mary. Two natures, perfectly united in one Person, so that we might “become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pt 1:4).

The sacramental life of the Church flows from this perfect source of priesthood. There is, in this divine order, properly only one Priest. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 1546), we are taught that all of the baptized share in this one priesthood, because Christ has called us to be a kingdom of priests (Rev 1:6), to proclaim the goodness of the Lord and offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pt 2:5, 9). There are two participations in this one priesthood: the ministerial to which bishops and priests are called, and the universal that embraces all of the faithful. But it is essential that every exercise of this priesthood, in both its participations, be ordered to the One True Priest, with the singlemindedness by which blind Bartimaeus in our Gospel today sought the Lord.

Faithful priesthood, in both participations, serves to renew the Church and advance Christ’s mission. And both will have a share in the “forever” aspect of this priesthood. Here priestly fraternity means the joy of celebrating the Divine Liturgy with our great High Priest, on earth and in heaven, for ages unending. Our great High Priest will welcome each of us.

And who is that regal old concelebrant with those exotic vestments, standing just behind the Lord? St. Peter whispers, “That would be Melchizedek.”

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS | FATHER MICHAEL VAN SLOUN

receives holy Communion. But Jesus is not simply a short-term guest. Jesus is assimilated and becomes part of the fabric of our being. Jesus forms us anew into his image and likeness.

Spiritual digestion happens in a unique and distinctive way. With physical food after digestion we are nothing like the original food source, but with spiritual food after digestion we become more and more like the original food source. When we receive holy Communion, our brains are transformed and we think like Jesus; our hearts are transformed and we love like Jesus; and our tongues are transformed and we speak like Jesus. As St. Paul explains, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20a).

In the spiritual reconstruction of holy Communion, we keep our own personality and individuality, but spiritual digestion and assimilation follow the rules of spiritual DNA and replication. Jesus is the template or the pattern, and we are re-created as replicas or mirror images of him. We become what we receive.

The reception of the Eucharist is supposed to result in a dramatic spiritual transformation. If Jesus was a man of prayer, we will be people of prayer; if Jesus resisted temptation, we will resist temptation; if Jesus was a great teacher, we will study his teachings and share them with others; if Jesus cured the sick, we will care for those who are ill; if Jesus persevered when criticized, we will do the right thing even if others complain; if Jesus forgave sinners, we will forgive those who have hurt us or have done something wrong; and if Jesus laid down his life for us, we will lay down our lives for others.

When we receive the Eucharist, not only does Jesus visit us, he remodels us into a person more and more like himself.

Become what you receive

The Eucharist has a transformative effect. If we cooperate, the Eucharist has the power to change us, not in a small way, but in a major way, to re-create us into a new and better person. When Jesus gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper and asked us to “do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19), he asked us to receive him, the bread of life (Jn 6:35,48), true bread from heaven (Jn 6:41), on a regular basis, because of his deep desire that each of us would have a complete makeover, a total transformation.

Nutritionists have a slogan, “You become what you eat,” which is partially true but cannot be taken literally. The meaning behind the slogan is, “Eat healthy foods, and you will be healthy; eat ‘junk food’ and you will be unhealthy.” It does not mean, “Eat poultry and you will turn into a chicken or a turkey”; or, “Drink milk and you will turn into a cow.” When we eat protein, our body digests the protein: It disassembles the proteins into amino acids, and then reassembles the amino acids into human proteins, human skin or muscle, that appear and function nothing like the original food source. The Eucharist does not follow the usual rules of nutrition.

Jesus said, “My flesh is true food” (Jn 6:55), but not the kind of food that is found in a grocery store. The smallness of the host indicates that it is not intended to satisfy physical hunger. Rather, Jesus explains, “Whoever eats my flesh … remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6:56). Jesus takes up residence within a person who

Msgr. Steenson is ordinary emeritus of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. He retired this summer from teaching at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity.

Father Van Sloun is pastor of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata. This column is part of a series on the Eucharist. Read more of his writing at TheCatholicSpirit.com and CatholicHotdish.com.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Oct. 28 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jer 31:7-9 Heb 5:1-6 Mk 10:46-52 Monday, Oct. 29 Eph 4:32–5:8 Lk 13:10-17 Tuesday, Oct. 30 Eph 5:21-33 Lk 13:18-21 Wednesday, Oct. 31 Eph 6:1-9 Lk 13:22-30 Thursday, Nov. 1 Solemnity of All Saints (Holy Day of Obligation) Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 1 John 3:1-3 Mt 5:1-12a Friday, Nov. 2 Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Wis 3:1-9 Rom 5:5-11 Jn 6:37-40 Saturday, Nov. 3 Phil 1:18b-26 Lk 14:1, 7-11 Sunday, Nov. 4 Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Dt 6:2-6 Heb 7:23-28 Mk 12:28b-34 Monday, Nov. 5 Phil 2:1-4 Lk 14:12-14 Tuesday, Nov. 6 Phil 2:5-11 Lk 14:15-24 Wednesday, Nov. 7 Phil 2:12-18 Lk 14:25-33 Thursday, Nov. 8 Phil 3:3-8a Lk 15:1-10 Friday, Nov. 9 Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17 Jn 2:13-22 Saturday, Nov. 10 St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church Phil 4:10-19 Lk 16:9-15 Sunday, Nov. 11 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kgs 17:10-16 Heb 9:24-28 Mk 12:38-44

20 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

FOCUSONFAITH

SPECIAL FOCUS: SOCIAL MEDIA JOHN GROSSO

What role can social media play in evangelization?

These days, one is hard-pressed to find people who speak positively about social media. In fact, a quick Google search of the term “social media” brings about doom-andgloom articles discussing how social media have brought about the ruin of our institutions, turned us into antisocial scrollers and are the root source of depression and anxiety.

I am not one to discount or deny the negative aspects of social media, particularly as it relates to the Catholic Church, but I take a different approach.

Social media, especially Catholic social media, can be a difficult, hostile place. These days, we often see discussion devolve into debate, and debate devolve into fighting, and fighting devolve into mudslinging.

The current climate in the Catholic Church has supercharged this phenomenon in an ugly way.

It is for these very reasons that faithful Catholics must take our message of love and trust in Jesus Christ to social media. Now is the time to show the world what it means to be a Catholic, to love our neighbor, to advocate for life in all of its forms and to be in awe of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Social media allow us to communicate with hundreds of thousands of people with one click — so what better place to spread this message of hope and love than Facebook (or Twitter or Instagram)?

Using social media to witness to Christ, and hopefully, to evangelize in his name, starts by treating social media as an end in itself, not just a means to an end. Pope Francis, in his 2016 message for World Communications Day, alluded to this: “Emails, text messages, social networks and chats can also be fully human forms of communication. It is not technology

JANA MARGUERITE BENNETT

Being Catholic online — problems and possibilities Is there a theology of social media? Our sacramental tradition values our bodily natures and the material substances of wine, bread, oil and water. Social media seem to overlook our bodies, instead drawing us into an abstract world of words and images.

Sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are known for generating belligerent, hurtful arguments.

Researchers note connections between cyberbullying and social media; news stories tell of youth who become depressed and even consider or commit suicide due to the horrific online actions of others.

Yet what can be put to evil use can also be put to good. I suggest that our Catholic theology should reflect our belief in God and shape our online life, just as with our offline life. I offer the following points for reflection. uNever forget that what we do and say online affects real people.

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Editor’s note: “In Focus” is a new occasional series that examines Church and culture in light of the Catholic faith. The content is provided by Catholic News Service.

that determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal.”

It is extremely important to use our social media outlets to invite people to Mass, adoration, confession and Catholic events, but we can’t only use our social media in this way. Rather, we must acknowledge that our Facebook friends, or the accounts following our parish’s Twitter account, are communities themselves.

That means we must use social media to minister to and feed these communities by offering them content that will help them encounter Jesus in some way.

Whether it is an inspiring or comforting quote from Scripture, live streaming Masses or events, or catechetical videos that share the richness of our Catholic tradition, we need to offer something of substance to our friends and followers.

If we share meaningful content, we can use social media to bring people into an encounter with Christ every single day.

Meaningful content is two things: authentic and vulnerable. In a world where lives are lived on social media, where we are bombarded with advertisements and noise, people crave authenticity. They desire something stable, something comforting and something that helps them make sense of their crazy lives. That something is actually someone, and his name is Jesus Christ.

In my role as director of digital media at the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, I’ve found people respond strongly to short videos, authentic reflections and spiritual graphics. Most of all, they respond to our bishop, Bishop Frank Caggiano, who uses social media to post daily reflections, ask questions and offer prayers.

Likewise, parishes that use their social media to highlight their parishioners, share words of wisdom from their pastor, and provide prayer and reflection resources to the faithful are all authentically using social media for the betterment of their parishioners.

Social media must also be vulnerable. These days, many people live their lives on social media, meaning they open themselves up to the inherent and constant vulnerability that comes from putting their hopes, dreams, emotions, opinions and day-to-day experiences out on display for all to see.

Since they live their lives this way, they expect the

It is easy to forget that the people with whom we interact online are flesh-and-blood people with feelings. Yet for all that, we also know that online interactions can have both positive and negative impact on peoples’ emotions and well-being, including physical well-being.

That is why our sacramental faith is not in conflict with our online participation. Full participation in the Church’s sacramental life helps us to see others as made in the image of God, with the dignity that image entails.

Yet what about online sacraments? None of our seven sacraments are available online — not even reconciliation (which is often mistakenly thought to be offered online), though there are apps available to help people with examination of conscience.

However, there are numerous prayer opportunities for Catholics online — from praying the Liturgy of the Hours to rosaries to spiritual reading. Online prayer groups provide space for people to share their concerns, and so help us keep connected to the embodied lives of people, online and offline! uBuild and foster small online Christian communities.

A great benefit of online social media is to connect people who might otherwise become disconnected.

This is important for churches! Illness, disability, frequent moves, changes in work schedules and doubts about our faith are all reasons people disappear from church attendance.

Social media can be a way to address social isolation and enable vigorous theological discussion about our faith. Some communities are wholly online

CNS

Commuters pass a life-size “Flat Francis” in Daley Plaza in Chicago in 2015. Chicago-based Catholic Extension created the Flat Francis social media campaign to officially welcome Pope Francis on his first visit to America. institutions they follow to live this way, too. That’s why it is so important for our parishes, schools and dioceses to have fun on social media, to use informal language and to show people “the behind the scenes” of the institution.

This allows us to show that the Church is made up of people, with all of their triumphs and tribulations, all trying to serve God as best they can. In this way, we are both authentic and vulnerable.

We cannot resign ourselves to indifference or cynicism simply because social media sites can often be desolate places. Rather, if we bring a spirit of love and joy, rooted in Christ, to everything we do on social media, we can provide an incredibly compelling example to a searching world.

Christ himself tells us: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 12:35).

There is nothing more authentic, no narrative more powerful and no message more challenging than the Gospel. Let us strive to share it through our example of loving witness on social media.

Grosso is director of digital media at the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

(like online Bible study groups), some are online and offline (like my parish’s adult education group), some are devoted to particular faith practices (like eucharistic adoration), some form around common causes (like seeking just wages or using natural family planning) and some have common characteristics (like home schooling).

These communities enable us to teach, pray for others and respond to others’ needs — just as the Scriptures call us to do. uEnsure online communities reflect Christian virtues.

It is easy for our small Christian communities to become isolated, or worse, to see themselves as better than “those other” online groups. Catholics are particularly bad at seeing the worst in other Catholics online — even though we share the Eucharist with each other. (This has been most evident recently in discussions about the pope’s declaration on the death penalty.)

The best Christian communities enforce ground rules prohibiting trolling but also cultivate respect when making arguments. In short, social media websites can enable us Christians to live by example online, just as we do offline. In a social media world that often features vitriol, we might consider how to proclaim and promote Christ’s own peace.

Bennett is professor of moral theology at the University of Dayton in Ohio. She is the author of “Aquinas on the Web? Doing Theology in an Internet Age,” and she co-edits the blog catholicmoraltheology.com.

OCTOBER 25, 2018

COMMENTARY FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA | JASON ADKINS

Seek first the kingdom

Faithful citizenship requires transcending the ideologies and partisan divides of our time and working primarily for the salvation of souls, not for short-term political gain on high-profile issues.

Though Christians can make prudential alignments with various candidates or parties to achieve specific goals, we should not conform to them or become beholden to them.

Rather, we should form our consciences, inform our political activity and votes, and transform the parties and our state.

Today’s challenge A political arena not characterized by virtue or respect for the common good has left people angry and looking for leaders who speak to their core concerns. One temptation for Christians in this context is to give their full allegiance to one of the fragmented programs offered by parties and politicians — neo-liberal, neo-Marxist or populist.

Each program speaks to authentic social concerns in some way. But each also offers a strange mix of secular morality clothed in bastardized Christian vocabulary.

The result is grotesque: revivals of racism and nativism, increasing attacks on First Amendment freedoms, and the cancerous spread of a throwaway culture that can rationalize disposing of the most vulnerable in our midst — among other things.

These developments, while disturbing, should not surprise us. Politics reflect culture, and as our nation becomes more secular, peoples’ horizons will inevitably shift from the eternal to the temporal.

Political ideologies are so appealing because they promise a perfect world, here and now; they identify an enemy, offer simplistic solutions to destroy it, name the saviors, and promise renewal and lasting prosperity.

But because they place all their hope in this world, they cannot tolerate dissent of any kind; everyone

YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY

My gentle man, my Good Master

Make no mistake, my husband is a man’s man. For his “bachelor party” my siblings gave him a day at a recreational facility called “Drive-A-Tank,” where he spent the afternoon with my brother firing World War II machine guns and driving an obstacle course in a Cold War tank — complete with a water feature. He has hung the bulls-eyes from that day prominently over his work bench in the basement. It was, he reported, “a blast!” Pun intended.

Once when I was in a bad bicycle accident — something he could not have prevented — I saw his protectiveness toward me unleashed in a way that I knew he would sooner be fed to the lions than ever, ever let any harm come to me. I have never felt so cherished. And when I ask him to help me around the house — to wash the dishes, for example — they nearly quake in fear as they know they will be receiving a military grade washing.

But when I had to have surgery on my face — skin cancer had left a gaping hole in it and it required

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 21

“

[St. Oscar Romero] condemned ideology, corruption and violence on all sides, and instead he stood for the dignity of the human person, especially the poor. who does not subscribe fully to their agenda is an obstacle to progress. Here is where we find ourselves today: locked in an uncompromising power struggle between “left” and “right,” with little room for compromise or dialogue, because to do so would mean compromise with the “devil.”

Two witnesses Catholics can look to some of the saints as leaders who modeled faithful citizenship. Their lives demonstrate that the Gospel never loses its potency to transform human life and society, in whatever age or circumstance. Times may change, but the principles do not.

One such witness is Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was canonized Oct. 14. He was murdered for his condemnation of injustices in his native El Salvador and his constant exhortations to the perpetrators to repent or face the judgment of God. Though criticized as being a “political” (that is, partisan) bishop, his witness was rooted in a truly Gospel-centric vision of our Lord’s care for the poor and the responsibility of the Church to proclaim the kingdom of God. He condemned ideology, corruption and violence on all sides, and instead he stood for the dignity of the human person, especially the poor.

Likewise, Servant of God Dorothy Day, who cofounded the Catholic Worker movement in the 1930s, was criticized for her refusal to take sides in the Spanish Civil War. Communists were killing clergy, religious and lay Catholics by the thousands in Spain, and many allied (not imprudently) with the Franco regime, but Day refused to be complicit in violence as a means of resolving social and political conflict.

Instead, Day built farming communes and houses of hospitality for the poor, advocated non-violent social change, and promoted economic democracy rooted in a system of widely distributed property. Not content with either party, she rarely bothered to vote.

These two figures courageously fought against injustice and worked for a better world, but the

surgery to repair it — he tended to me with the perfect combination of military precision and the Good Shepherd’s gentleness. It was so noticeable, in fact, that as I was preparing to leave the hospital on a very hot, humid day, the nurses told my nowhusband to go and fetch the car, make sure it was nice and cool before I got in because the heat would make the swelling worse for my wound and this would be very painful. Once he was out of ear shot the nurses gathered around me in my wheelchair and as they pushed me to the door, they said, “We know when someone leaves here, whether or not they are going to receive good or bad care. We can tell. And you are going to receive exquisite care.”

And they were right.

A Good Master One day when we were walking my puppies — it was a very hot day and we had been out a long while — the pups were getting thirsty and we didn’t bring any water or a watering dish with us. My husband improvised. We found a drinking fountain, he cupped his hands, filled them with water and bent down low to water my dogs. And they, in their complete certainty that he was a good master who would always meet their needs, lapped up the water right from his palms. We repeated this process several times until they were sated and went on about our walk.

This is exactly how the Master is with me. I am busy about the work he has for me and I suddenly find myself thirsting — for him, for any number of needs to be met, to know that I am loved and

Ready for election day?

Prepare yourself for election day with Minnesota Catholic Conference’s resources. Visit mncatholic.org/ election, where you will find resources to form your conscience, cast an informed vote instead of simply conforming your vote to political ideologies, and learn ways to begin to transform politics in Minnesota. Election Day is Nov. 6.

Church ultimately honors them because they witnessed to a vision of Christian social concern that extends far beyond party lines. Their goal was to bring about the kingdom of God by making the world, as Day famously said, a place where “it is easier to be good.”

Moving forward In today’s context, there is so much focus on specific outcomes — ending abortion, ending poverty, protecting migrants, saving the environment — that we sometimes lose a vision of the whole and fall into the trap of an uncivil politics that dehumanizes others and ends in more anger.

But Christians should refuse to be co-opted by the parties in this dis-integrated political dynamic. It undermines our Gospel witness.

We ought to vote and work for social change but do so motivated above all by the love of God and neighbor, with Catholic social teaching as our foundation, while also maintaining a healthy detachment from specific political outcomes.

God is ultimately sovereign over human affairs.

This reality should free us from the need to win every battle in the short-term.

The temporal order is passing away, and our priority is the Gospel command: “Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness ...” (Mt 6:33).

Adkins is executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.

“

This is exactly how the Master is with me. I am busy about the work he has for me and I suddenly find myself thirsting — for him, for any number of needs to be met, to know that I am loved and cherished — and he bends down low to meet me in my need.

cherished — and he bends down low to meet me in my need. He finds a way to “water” my soul so that I can go on about the business he has for me. It may not be in the way I expect or in a way that is predictable, but his care is always exquisite, and he will never leave me to perish in thirst. My husband teaches me this over and over.

In your mercy, O Lord, you have seen fit to send me such a good man, a gentle man, a strong man who frequently reminds me how generous you are to your children. And, as an added bonus, he’s Italian. Grazie a dio, O Signore. ~ For Vincent, on the occasion of our wedding.

Kelly is newly married and the author of six books, including the award-winning “Jesus Approaches” (Loyola Press, 2017) which has been chosen by the U.S. Catholic Book Club as its October 2018 selection. Visit her website at LizK.org.

COMMENTARY

22 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD

Brotherhood moves the hearts of men

One of my favorite parts of the Ignatius Press movie “Restless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine” is the saint’s response to the accusations of the Donatists for his past pre-Christian wretchedness: the seeking of pleasure, wealth, power and glory. As a bishop defending Catholic doctrine, including his own journey of faith, Augustine first admitted openly his past sins. Ensuing with a compelling discourse on how close God is to all mankind, despite the human condition, the Doctor of Grace concluded: “God is more brother than any brother; he is more friend than any friend; more lover than any lover.”

We all have memorable lines, tidbits, adages and clichés that stick with us over time. We usually recall such wisdom from our parents and grandparents, mentors in life, a good book, a movie with redeeming value, or maybe a dynamic speaker at a seminar or retreat. Timeless, holistic reminders that ring in our memory banks as experiences through life bring them to task.

Events from the last few months to the present moment have reminded me of the importance of brotherhood, friendship and the love of Christ as prescribed by the following: “Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love of the brethren, a tender heart and a humble mind” (1 Pt 3:8).

Brotherhood is about men praying together, lifting one another up and keeping each other accountable as spiritual leaders, providers and protectors. This past summer with those purposes in mind, a small group of men’s ministry leaders within my home parish met in fellowship on the deck of my abode.

Held later in the day about twice monthly on a Friday

missionary discipleship. Recently I experienced a daylong pilgrimage to La Crosse, Wisconsin, with a busload of Catholic brothers. As a potpourri of brotherhood with a common faith and a devotion to the Blessed Mother, we traversed uphill in unison to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe — rosary in tow.

Brotherhood groups keep men engaged year-round.

Their goals are common and simply boil down to making men better — married, single or celibate — men of integrity. Spiritual men with drive and purpose.

Catholic, Protestant or secular-based, research shows that when men deem to be better spiritual fathers on the home front, it complements the spiritual efforts of those with whom they live. One can guess accurately that this role has often been left to the auspices of the wife and mother. Yet, studies are remarkably staggering and revealing when it comes to their findings. When spiritual leadership is robust among men in households, the faith does indeed resonate and tends to stick in multi-fold fashion among the hearts of their families — both COURTESY DEACON BIRD within and outside their homes.

Deacon Gordon Bird, far right, stands among local men who Brotherhood is a qualitative dimension of the made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Christian life that reaches beyond data sets. Building La Crosse, Wis., Oct. 6. fraternity and evangelizing men in monthly parish gatherings is just one fundamental, dynamic afternoon, six to eight men would show up to pray discipline of the Catholic Watchmen movement. All the Divine Mercy chaplet for brotherhood — men seven disciplines of the initiative are meant to be mentoring men — and other needs. We would discuss active inside the hearts of men — starting at home. As “business for Christ’s sake,” which includes family brothers of Jesus with Catholic Watchmen and work, then end in prayer. And yes, pleasantries fundamentals inside, we learn and live to participate with temperance were part of the picture “On the in and witness at the various parish activities, Deacon’s Deck,” as this Christian brotherhood venue archdiocesan events, community affairs and the affectionately became known. workplace — in the image and likeness of God — People respond to personal engagement. Christian more brother than any brother. The sort of brotherhood is personal, it is prayerful and it is active. brotherhood that offers sacrificial, undying love.

Since the onset of the Catholic Watchmen movement Every day keep encouraging one another (Heb 3:13). in our archdiocese, the emphasis on brotherhood groups — men mentoring and engaging with other Deacon Bird ministers at St. Joseph in Rosemount and men regularly — is garnering and gaining more in a new assignment, assisting in the Catholic Watchmen traction throughout our parishes. I have been blessed movement of the archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization. to witness the parish leadership of men in both As a permanent deacon ordained in December 2017, he Lakeville (All Saints) and Rosemount (St. Joseph) that and his wife, DiAnn, are also members of All Saints in encompass a range of activities from preLakeville. They have two married children and four evangelization events to the augmentation of grandchildren. Reach him at gordonbird@rocketmail.com.

THE LOCAL CHURCH | ESTELA VILLAGRAN MANANCERO

‘V Encuentro’ truly an encounter of people, ideas, faith, Church Only a few weeks after the national V Encuentro gathering in Grapevine, Texas, the theme song that rocked the house, especially with all the dance movements, still resonates in my head: “Nuestra alegría está en el servicio, nuestra misión es evangelizar.

Nuestra cultura es del encuentro con nuestro Dios y la humanidad; Our joy is in service, our mission is evangelization. Our culture is of encounter with our God and humanity.”

In 2013, when the bishops called us, the leadership of Latino organizations, to explore and design the process of the V Encuentro (or “Fifth Encuentro”), they were thinking of the benefit to the whole U.S. Church, not just the Latino Catholics.

This process, based in Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” gave us the chance to gather together delegates from parishes, apostolic groups and Catholic organizations to share our experiences of reflection, discernment, consultation

OCTOBER 25, 2018

and evangelization.

With the people in the pews, we reflected on the different social, cultural and pastoral realities experienced by us, the Latinos living in the United States. We proposed practical responses to specific needs and the aspirations of our community via a process of reflection and diocesan discernment. With the leadership of our region, we made concrete commitments to work together in the future. We celebrated our sharing with prayer and in the Eucharist.

Finally, in Texas, we met nationally with many expectations and were very excited to encounter one another.

Our very first beautiful surprise was to watch and listen to Pope Francis’ message in Spanish: “I see that the V Encuentro is a concrete way for the Church in the United States to respond to the challenge of going beyond what is comfortable, business as usual, to become a leaven of communion for all those who seek a future of hope, especially young people and families that live in the peripheries of society,” he said.

Throughout the day, following the process, the speakers led us in

reflections on taking the first step, getting involved, accompanying everyone, bearing fruit and celebrating.

In his homily, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston said how blessed we are that God gave us this Encuentro in the middle of this time of shame for our Church. “It is like an oasis of hope and joy,” he said. He emphasized that women in leadership are key in our Church, just like Mary, the very first disciple, saying “yes” to the Lord.

At the end of his homily, Bishop Gerald Barnes of San Bernardino, California, broke out in song and all the Spanish-speakers sang in unison: “Let’s sing to the Lord, God is here, honor and glory to you, Lord of love.”

That was the moment when I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, when I felt the power of our beloved Church through my sisters and brothers.

A very important moment of this gathering was the dialogue between the bishops and youths. A bishop sat at each table listening to young people. They came up with some recommendations for dioceses: ongoing theological and human formation for leaders who work with youth from catechesis through young adulthood; ongoing formation for youth and young adults, including retreats, workshops and social justice formation; and opportunities for youth-focused Masses, spiritual direction, mentorship and accompaniment. At the end of the dinner, each bishop received a blessing from the youth at his table, which was a very humble moment.

Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, asked us to reflect on the question: Who are the poor? In our minds, they must include pregnant girls who do not want to have an abortion and who need people who have time and space in their lives to accompany them along the difficult path. They must include immigrants who live in the shadow of society, who need human attention, who need God and the Gospel, and the sacraments.

They must also include young people without hope or trapped by drugs and gangs, or who are tempted by suicide.

The people who know Jesus and his love sense the need to go out to find the encounter with Jesus in the poor.

He waits for us among them, and when we accompany them, with humility and sincerity, we discover the Lord who accompanies us.

“My brother bishops, our people are ready for leadership. They are already leaders,” said Bishop Nelson Perez of Cleveland, of Latino Catholics in the United States. “We must place them in leadership positions in all levels of the Church even as we strengthen our programs of leadership training and formation. We must show by our accompaniment that we also love our people, and we must affirm them.”

Manancero is the director of the Office of Latino Ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and president of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry.

OCTOBER 25, 2018

THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT • 23

CALENDAR Retreats

Midway Parkway, St. Paul. holychildhoodparish.org.

FEATURED EVENTS

Church of St. Paul boutique and bake sale — Oct. 27: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE, Ham Lake. churchofsaintpaul.com.

Music for a Grand Cathedral concert — Oct. 28: 2-4 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

VocalEssence Chorus and Ensemble Singers and the St. Olaf Choir perform Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor. Tickets are $10-$40 and also are available as part of a 50th anniversary concert series subscription. vocalessence.org.

Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library Lecture by Russell Hittinger — Nov. 8: 7:30-9 p.m. at OEC Auditorium at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Marking the 100th anniversary of Archbishop John Ireland’s death, Hittinger will speak about the intersection of education, church and state, and how the first archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis conceived of this relationship.

The free event is sponsored by the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, the University of St. Thomas’ Center for Catholic Studies and Office for Mission, and the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. stthomas.edu/spssod.

Sacred Heart’s 22nd annual mostaccioli dinner — Oct. 27: 4–7 p.m. at 4807 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale. Served by parish Men’s Club. shrmn.org.

Birthmothers’ retreat — Oct. 27: 9:15 a.m.–2 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace, 5071 Eden Ave., Edina. This retreat is to welcome women who have experienced the pain of relinquishing a child to adoption. olgparish.org.

Oktoberfest bingo, dinner, music and dancing — Oct. 27: 2– 9:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception, 4030 Jackson St. NE, Columbia Heights. ICCSonline.org.

Hope Day (dealing with loss) — Oct. 30: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. kingshouse.com.

Pete’s Boutique — Oct. 27: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at St. Peter, 6730 Nicollet Ave. S., Richfield. stpetersrichfield.org.

Women’s silent midweek retreat — Nov. 6-8 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. kingshouse.com.

St. Jerome carryout booya — Oct. 28: 6 a.m. at 380 E. Roselawn Ave., Maplewood. Carryout booya only. Bring your own non-glass container. stjerome-church.org.

St. John School of Little Canada holiday bingo — Oct. 28: 2 p.m. at 2621 McMenemy Road, Little Canada. Sponsored by St. Anne’s Council for Catholic Women. sjolc.org.

Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Holiday Bazaar — Nov. 3: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at Assumption, 305 E. 77th St., Richfield. assumptionrichfield.org.

Christmas craft fair — Nov. 3: 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at St. Timothy, 707 89th Ave. NE, Blaine. churchofsttimothy.com.

Dining out Knights of Columbus pro-life dinner — Oct. 27: 6–9 p.m. at 11400 57th St. NE, Albertville. Speakers on St. Michael Foundation. kc4174.org.

Knights of Columbus fundraiser breakfast — Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. at St. Agnes, 535 Thomas Ave., St. Paul. churchofsaintagnes.org.

Bloomington Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary spaghetti dinner — Nov. 6: 5–7 p.m. at Bloomington Event Center, 1114 American Blvd. W., Bloomington. 952-888-1492. kofcbloomington.com.

Spaghetti dinner and bingo — Nov. 10: 6–9 p.m. at St. Richard, 7540 Penn Ave. S., Richfield. Immediately following 5 p.m. Mass. Bingo at 7 p.m. strichards.com.

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.

Conferences/workshops

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication: uTime and date of event uFull street address of event uDescription of event u Contact information in case of questions ONLINE: thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit 777 Forest St., St. Paul, MN 55106

Order Franciscans Secular (OFS) — Third Sunday of each month: 1 p.m. at Catholic Charities, 1200 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis. 952-922-5523.

Great conversation: Change is Possible — Oct. 25: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Monastery, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Led by Diane Millis. benedictinecenter.org.

Giving Insights spiritual forum — Nov. 8: 6–8:30 p.m. at Basilica of St. Mary, 88 17th St. N., Minneapolis. ccf-mn.org/events/forums.

Schools

Young adults

St. Catherine turkey bingo — Nov. 4: 2 p.m. at 4500 220th St. E., Prior Lake. Lunch provided by Council of Catholic Women. stpandc.mn.org.

Father Augustus Tolton: From Slave to Priest — Oct. 25: 7–8:30 p.m. at St. Agnes School, 530 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. saintagnesschool.org.

St. Helena’s turkey bingo — Nov. 10: 5–8 p.m. at 3200 E. 44th St., Minneapolis. Proceeds to support junior high Eagle Bluff Environmental camp overnight trip. 612-729-9301. sainthelenaschool.us.

Speakers

Consumed by His Love discernment retreat — Oct. 26-28: at St. Peter, 2600 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul. The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles will be hosting a discernment retreat for single women ages 18-35. Sister Elizabeth Therese at mncomeandsee@outlook.com or 626-300-8938. carmelitesistersocd.com.

St. John the Baptist turkey bingo — Nov. 10: 5:30–8 p.m. at 638 Mill St., Excelsior. Proceeds support the middle and high school summer youth activities. stjohns-excelsior.org/parish.

St. Alphonsus Christmas Bazaar — Nov. 10 and 11: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Nov. 10; 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 11 at 7025 Halifax Ave. N., Brooklyn Center. Sponsored by parish Council of Catholic Women. stalsmn.org.

Pro-Life Gathering — Oct. 30: 7–8 p.m. at Maternity of Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. A speaker from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life will update citizens with the latest information on abortion, assisted suicide and other issues. mccl.org/falltour.

Women’s Saturday morning coffee — Nov. 3: 9–11 a.m. at Risen Savior, 1501 E. County Road 42, Burnsville. Speaker Terry Forliti on sex trafficking in our area and how we can help.

Pat Turner at 612-201-8341. risensavior.org.

Pancake breakfast — Nov. 11: 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Richard, 7540 Penn Ave. S., Richfield. strichards.com.

Turkey bingo — Nov. 10: 6–9 p.m. at St. Mary, 261 E. Eighth St., St. Paul. stmarystpaul.org.

Enveloped by War: The Church in Syria’s Civil Conflict — Nov. 15: 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. at 2115 Summit Ave., OEC Auditorium, St. Paul. Speaker Maronite Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus. stthomas.edu.

Parish events

Council of Catholic Women Christmas craft and bake sale — Nov. 10 and 11: 2–6 p.m. Nov. 10; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Nov. 11 at St. Peter, 2600 N. Margaret St., North St. Paul. churchofstpeternsp.org.

Binding Wounds, Building Bridges with Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus — Nov. 15: 7:30–9 p.m. at 46 S. 11th St., Minneapolis. Schulze Hall, University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis campus. stthomas.edu.

Holy Childhood rummage sale — Oct. 25-27: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Oct. 25; 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 26; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 27 at 1435

CALENDAR submissions

Men’s silent weekend retreat — Oct. 26-28 at Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. kingshouse.com.

Other events Deacon discernment day — Nov. 3: 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul.

For single or married men ages 29-59. Wives are encouraged to come. Register at sjleif@stthomas.edu or 651-962-6891. stthomas.edu/spssod/centers/diaconate.

Fair and ethical trade sale — Nov. 10: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at St. John Neumann, 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan. sjn.org.

Christmas bazaar — Nov. 10 and 11: 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

Nov. 10; 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 11 at St. Alphonsus, 7025 Halifax Ave. N., Brooklyn Center. stalsmn.org.

Minneapolis Deanery Council of Catholic Women meeting — Nov. 12: 9 a.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis. Speakers: Jean Stolpestad and John Flanagan.

Register at 763-424-2203. ourholycross.org.

Marketplace • Message Center Classified Ads

Email: classifiedads@archspm.org • Phone: 651-290-1631 • Fax: 651-291-4460 Next issue: 11-8-18 • Deadline: 3 p.m. 11-1-18 • Rates: $8 per line (35-40 characters per line) • Add a photo/logo for $25 ACCESSIBILITY SOLUTIONS STAIR LIFTS - ELEVATORS WHEELCHAIR LIFTS FOR HOMES, CHURCHES & SCHOOLS Arrow Lift (763) 786-2780 AGING IN PLACE UNIVERSAL DESIGN/ADA Residential – Commercial CJG Architecture, L.L.C. (952-) 933-4950

ANTIQUES TOP CASH PAID For Older Furniture Advertising Signs • Beer Items • Toys • Misc.

(651) 227-2469

ATTORNEYS Edward F. Gross • Wills, Trusts, Probate, Estate Planning, Real Estate. Office at 35E & Roselawn Ave., St. Paul (651) 631-0616.

Brian Flakne Criminal, Family & Business Law 1701 Madison St. NE #101, Mpls (952) 888-9304 bflakne@flaknelaw.com

CABINETRY CABINETS, TV stands, bookcases – large and small, vanities, kitchen cabinets: White Bear Lake (651) 429-0426.

CEILING TEXTURE Michaels Painting. Popcorn Removal & Knock Down Texture: TextureCeilings.com (763) 757-3187.

CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE Resurrection Cemetery: 2 lots. Value $1950/ ea. Price $1800/ea. (651) 278-8873 Resurrection Cemetery: graves 3 & 4; lot 4; block 23; section 61, overlooking Lake Augusta. Value $1800/ea. Price $1500 ea. Al (612) 559-6484 Resurrection Cemetery: 3 side-by-side lots.

Value $1740/ea. Price $1400/ea. (727) 337-3028

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Guardian Angels Catholic Church, Oakdale Seeks active Catholic with pastoral experience with a BA degree or higher academic study in areas of theology or pastoral ministry for its fulltime Pastoral Care Minister. Interested candidates should submit cover letter, resume and the names (with contact information) of three references by November 12, 2018 to Fr. Bauman: rbauman@ guardian-angels.org.

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY Initial free photos offered. Call Earl (651)734-0506, (651) 214-8292.

GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS CD of the Month Club Lighthouse Catholic Media, Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins and more! $5/month includes shipping.

Subscribe online at http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia. org/cdclub Please Enter Code: 1195

HANDYMAN WE DO 1,162 THINGS AROUND THE HOME! Catholic Owned Handyman Business: We will fix/repair and remodel almost anything around the home. Serving entire Metro. Call today.

Mention this ad and receive 10% off labor.

Handyman Matters (651) 784-3777, (952) 946-0088. www.HandymanMatters.com.

HARDWOOD FLOORS

Sweeney’s Hardwood Floors

FALL IS HERE! Spruce up your home with new or refurbished hardwood floors: 10% off labor. Sweeney (651) 485-8187.

Ask a our 3 bout t speciaime l!

PRAYERS

catholichotdish.com

NOTICE: Prayers must be submitted in advance. Payment of $8 per line must be received before publication.

ROOM WANTED MEDICARE Time for your annual Medicare Plan Checkup.

No Cost to review options.

Jerry (612) 382-4363.

Housekeeper in closed NE Mpls convent seeking room & board in exchange for company and housework. Call Rita (218) 841-5453.

TheCatholicSpirit.com

PAINTING For painting & all related services. View our website: PAINTINGBYJERRYWIND. COM or call (651) 699-6140.

Merriam Park Painting. Professional Int./ Ext. Painting. WP Hanging. Moderate Prices, Free Estimates. Call Ed (651) 224-3660.

Michaels Painting. Texture and Repair.

MichaelsPaintingllc.coM. (763) 757-3187.

Dennis Heigl Painting Interior/Exterior Serving Mpls. & suburbs. Free Estimates.

(612) 819-2438

To advertise in the classifieds, email classifiedads@archspm.org.

VACATION/FAMILY GETAWAY Knotty Pines Resort, Park Rapids, MN. 1, 2 & 3 bdrm cabins starting at $565/week. www.knottypinesresort.com (800) 392-2410.

Mention this ad for a discount!

WANTED TO BUY Estate & Downsizing: I buy Van Loads and Bicycles. Steve (651) 778-0571.

Buying Pre-1980 Sportscards & Non-Sportscards singles and collections.

Also, any other vintage sports memorabilia.

Ask for Jim (651) 356-1741.

24 • THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

OCTOBER 25, 2018

THELASTWORD

‘MEANT TO BE A GIFT’ Abraham Gross performs during St. Paul’s Outreach’s 2018 School of the New Evangelization, held Aug. 5-11 at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

Gross is the organization’s first music coordinator.

“We talk a lot in the Catholic world about self-gift.

Giving yourself away is how you find yourself, and it’s really evident in music,” he said.

AMANDA GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY | COURTESY SPO

Local musician leverages talents to lift others’ voices

By Jessica Weinberger For The Catholic Spirit

A

s a musician, Abraham Gross has seen success with his 2016 album, “Perfect Equals Messy,” and as St. Paul’s Outreach’s first music coordinator, raising the quality of worship for college chapters nationwide. It’s helping others create compelling, faith-filled music, either through a full-time role or his company, AJG Productions, where he says he really hits home runs.

“I am much more about the arrangement, production, recording, and vision for a song and melody,” said Gross, 29. “Any music that you hear… there’s a whole team of people that have put it together.

I love being part of the team and showcasing sometimes my own music, but mostly other people’s music.”

His collaborative approach and smoother, downtempo, R&B-influenced electronic style has led to opportunities to drum, play guitar and piano, or sing at live shows and on albums for local and national artists including Sonar, Connor Flanagan and Luke Spehar. Gross also regularly leads worship music at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton and St. Pius X in White Bear Lake, where he splits his time as a parishioner, along with his wife, Elizabeth, and 5-month-old daughter, Eliza.

“He’s adventurous musically, which is really cool, so he’s stretching different audiences, and his heart is centered on the Lord,” said Spehar, a fellow local musician and Catholic. “It honors God and that comes through with his approach.”

Spehar, 30, met Gross at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, in 2012 when Gross was studying psychology and Spehar was performing. Now Gross will play guitar, run sound or perform an opening set for one of his gigs, making Gross “just one of those guys that you like having around,” Spehar said.

Musical roots Gross’ musical career seemed destined from the start.

His parents are musicians and met through the same booking agent. Growing up in St. Paul as a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Paul, he took piano lessons before learning his first chords on an old “beater” classical guitar at age 10. He started lessons in the years that followed, nurturing a love for the instrument.

“

When we’re following the Lord in anything, the best is yet to come.

Abraham Gross

Raised in Community of Christ the Redeemer, a charismatic Catholic community based in West St. Paul, Gross saw the importance of building relationships and community, especially as a foundation for evangelization.

“With evangelization and with music, so much of it is about relationship with people. My music should come out of my relationship with the Lord, but also be tremendously influenced by community. That’s been very influenced by CCR,” he said.

With hopes of becoming a recording artist, Gross put out an album in 2008, the year after graduating from high school at Trinity School at River Ridge in Eagan.

The release was less than successful. That led Gross, then a student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, to look for direction and an authentic faith life.

At the time, he admits, he had been just going through the motions.

He decided to spend a year in Detroit working with YouthWorks-Detroit, leading a youth group and afterschool programs, and serving meals to the homeless.

It’s there that he first experienced leading praise and worship, and there that he deepened his faith while living among a formal brotherhood of celibate men.

Gross largely put his own music career on hold as he transferred to Benedictine College and became involved in an SPO household, but he continued to write his own music.

He joined SPO full-time after college, serving for two years as a mission leader at Arizona State University before returning to Minnesota in 2014 to serve as SPO’s music coordinator — a move he considered both a call home and a call back to music.

In his current role, Gross trains SPO members to lead morning praise and worship in the households, while offering the tools and resources the national organization needs for worship at events. Based in Inver Grove Heights, SPO focuses on the evangelization of college students and has a presence in seven states.

Robert Williams, 25, SPO’s chapter leader at the University of Minnesota, said he used to be petrified in front of groups, but with Gross’ coaching, he can now lead worship, and he even sang on SPO’s recently released 10-track worship album, “Heaven’s Light,”

which Gross produced.

“SPO is trying to reach college students and help them come to know full life in the Lord, and Abe has been the biggest proponent and biggest influence of having the highest quality of worship and teaching us how to worship the Lord,” Williams said.

A multi-faceted ministry Settled in his role at SPO, Gross spent one Lent writing an original song every other day. Six tracks that fit the same genre — a quasi-electronic vibe — became his album, “Perfect Equals Messy.” The album draws on influences like Phil Keaggy, Capital Cities and Jon Bellion, and it reflects the uncertainty he was feeling coming out of single, young adulthood and anticipating marriage and future fatherhood.

Now looking back, he can see how the Lord made perfection out of the messiness, and that’s a message he wanted to share.

“The music that I make, yes, it’s fun to do, but it’s actually meant for other people to hear. It’s meant to be a gift,” said Gross, who considers himself a musician who is Christian, not a Christian or Catholic musician.

“We talk a lot in the Catholic world about self-gift.

Giving yourself away is how you find yourself, and it’s really evident in music.”

It’s all a part of a ministry that’s intrinsically rooted in his full-time role at SPO and in his work among the music community in the Twin Cities. Placed in this market right now with numerous opportunities to share his faith directly and indirectly, Gross sees the difference he’s making in the worship leaders he’s trained who have gone on to lead youth groups and Mass at parishes around the country. And then there are the individuals, like one fan in Illinois, who approached Gross at a retreat to express gratefulness for his relatable, faith-infused songs.

“It was crazy that somebody I didn’t know and had no connection to me had connected with the music, and that God was working,” he said. “That is worth the whole project.”

Gross is currently working on projects out of his studio at his parents’ home — just six blocks from his St. Paul apartment. He’s playing a key role in Sonar’s new EP album due out soon.

As for what’s next, he plans to continually refine the gifts he’s been given while fostering strong ties to other emerging and prominent artists in the Twin Cities.

“Hopefully all of my best music is in front of me,” Gross said. “When we’re following the Lord in anything, the best is yet to come.”