The Catholic Spirit - September 10, 2015

Clerical decisions 6 • Quicker annulments? 11 • Retirement advice 18 September 10, 2015 Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Papal preparations The tabernacle stolen from St. Pascal Baylon church Sept. 4 contained the Eucharist, which is what most concerns Church leaders. Courtesy St. Pascal Baylon

St. Pascal parishioners pray for return of stolen tabernacle, eucharist

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit Parishioners of St. Pascal Baylon in St. Paul are praying for the return of a solid bronze tabernacle containing the Eucharist that was stolen before dawn Sept. 4. Video surveillance footage showed three young men leaving the church at 3:21 a.m., one rolling the tablernacle estimated to weigh more than 50 pounds down the sidewalk toward Conway Street.

The sacred vessel was valued at $15,000, but leaders of the parish and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are more concerned about the Eucharist it contained. Catholics believe the Eucharist is the actual body of

What will the pope say to Congress?

12 Locals making pilgrimage 13 World Meeting of Families to present Church as mother 16 A 225-foot mural featuring an image of Pope Francis nears completion in New York City Sept. 1. The artwork was commissioned by DeSales Media Group, the communications and technology arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, ahead of the pope’s Sept. 22-27 visit. CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz

What it’s taking — at home and abroad — to get ready for Pope Francis • Pages 14-15

Pope to European Catholics: House Syrian refugees

Please turn to THEFT on page 27

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Given the ongoing crisis of people fleeing from war and poverty, Pope Francis asked every parish and religious community in Europe to take in a family of refugees as a concrete sign of hope and God’s mercy.

He said the gesture would also be a concrete way to prepare for the Holy Year of Mercy, which begins Dec. 8.

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, said St. Peter’s

Basilica and the Vatican’s St. Anne Church would sponsor their first refugee families soon as well as seek employment for each head of the household.

The pope asked that two apartments near the Vatican be made available for the two families, said Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“The pope wants the apartments to Please turn to POPE on page 10

ALSO inside

Investigating the supernatural

Sainthood celebration awaits

With age comes wisdom

In new book, veteran journalist and St. Paul resident explores how the Church handles miracles, relics and exorcism.

— Page 8

Ahead of their patron’s Sept. 23 canonization, local Serrans make pilgrimages, commission icon.

102-year-old reflects on teaching at St. Thomas Academy, engaging education policy.

— Page 9

— Page 20

Page Two

2 • The Catholic Spirit in PICTURES

September 10, 2015

“The spirit of people in this country will respond.”

Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, England, Sept. 2 in response to shocking images of refugees’ bodies washed up on beaches in the Mediterranean, including one of a drowned Syrian boy lying face down. The British government initially refused to accept migrants fleeing wars and dire poverty in the Middle East and Africa at a time when hundreds of thousands of them are risking their lives to enter Western Europe. But following an outcry, Prime Minister David Cameron said Sept. 4 that Britain would accept refugees from camps in Syria.

NEWS notes • The Catholic Spirit

Rome-based art historian to speak at UST Liz Lev, an American art historian working in Rome with expertise in Renaissance art, will present “Michelangelo’s Women” 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The artist, whose works at the Vatican include the Pietà, Sistine Chapel’s ceiling and the “Last Judgment,” is known for depicting women with masculine features. According to promotional material, Lev’s presentation is “the fruit of five years of research and 15 years of daily contact with Michelangelo’s painting, sculpture and architecture.” The lecture will be in the Woulfe Alumni Hall of the Anderson Student Center, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul.

CSJ theologian to address creation at St. Kate’s SEPT. 11 REMEMBERED A woman reads the names of people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial in New York City Sept. 3. Pope Francis will visit the memorial and participate in an interreligious prayer service inside its museum Sept. 25. CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz

Fordham University professor Elizabeth Johnson, a sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, will present “Is God’s Charity Broad Enough for Bears?” 7 p.m.

Sept. 25 in the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. The talk draws from her most recent book, “Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love,” exploring God’s relationship with the natural world. The free event is co-sponsored by the Myser Initiative on Catholic Identity at St. Catherine University and Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality. Tickets are required. For more information, visit www.oshag. stkate.edu/event/elizabeth-johnson.

Kitui delegation coming to Twin Cities A 10-person delegation from the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya, will visit the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Sept. 24-Oct. 5 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the dioceses’ partnership. The Office for Mission is hosting three events: a welcoming picnic 5 p.m. Sept. 25 in St. Paul, a St. Croix River boat cruise 11:30 a.m. Oct. 2, and an anniversary Mass and lunch celebration 11 a.m. Oct. 4 at Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville. The delegation is also visiting St. Joseph, Red Wing; Ascension, Minneapolis; and St. Nicholas, Carver. For more information or to RSVP, contact Mike Haasl at 651-291-4504.

Champions for Life Awards lunch Oct. 8 Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, is the keynote speaker at the annual St. John Paul II Champions for Life Awards 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 8 at St. Peter in Mendota. Registration is $35 per person or $280 for a table of eight. Register at www.archspm.org or call 651-291-4489.

The awards are sponsored by the Office of Marriage, Family and Life of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

FRATERNAL FUN Seminarians participate in a ropes course at Sand Creek Adventures in Jordan as part of the first Great Seminarian Expedition, a gathering of seminarians of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Aug. 16. From left, Matt Maile, St. John the Baptist, New Brighton; Bryce Evans, St. Thomas the Apostle, Corcoran; Tim Wratkowski, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony; Ryan Best, All Saints, Lakeville; Jonathan Gawarski, St. Joseph, West St. Paul; David Maslow, Nativity of Our Lord, St. Paul; and Connor McGinnis, All Saints, Lakeville. Courtesy the Office of Vocations

Singer/songwriter Marie Miller will share stories and music 7-10 p.m.

Oct. 9 at Ol’ Mexico Restaurant, 1754 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville. A $25 cost includes appetizers. The event is sponsored by WINE: Women in the New Evangelization in a joint initiative with the archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.

Archdiocesan Youth Day Oct. 24 in St. Paul

WHAT’S NEW on social media Followers shared memories of St. Paul Seminary seminarian John Lawrence of Des Moines, who died in his sleep the night of Aug. 31. (See story on page 4.)

“I met John in one of my small groups at the Catechetical Institute,” Nan Koenig Algren wrote. “John was a ‘grace-filled’ presence in the group and I was impressed by his comments. May God surround John’s friends and family with his tangible love as they walk through this season of grief.”

The Catholic Spirit is published bi-weekly for The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Vol. 20 — No. 17 MOST REVEREND BERNARD A. HEBDA, Publisher TOM HALDEN, Associate Publisher United in Faith, Hope and Love

Marie Miller to speak on ‘Call of Beauty’ Oct. 9

MARIA WIERING, Editor

Sarah Swafford, Catholic author of “Emotional Virtue: A Guide to DramaFree Relationships,” is among the speakers at the 2015 Archdiocesan Youth Day for high school youth. The event will be 1:30-9 p.m. Oct. 24 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul RiverCentre, and will include Mass, dinner and opportunities for reconciliation and eucharistic adoration. Registration is by group only, so those interested should contact their parish. For more information, visit www.archspm.org, or call the Office of Marriage, Family and Life at 651-291-4515.

Materials credited to CNS copyrighted by Catholic News Service.

All other materials copyrighted by The Catholic Spirit Newspaper.

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FROM THE MODERATOR OF THE CURIA

September 10, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 3

Trust God’s authority to turn Good Friday into Easter

T

wo workers from an electric company had orders to put up power poles in a local farmer’s pasture. Unfortunately, when they got to the farmer’s house, he ordered them to get off his

FROM THE MODERATOR OF THE CURIA Father Charles Lachowitzer

land.

They showed him a set of papers proving they were given a legal right to put up those poles. The farmer stormed off and the workers walked through his land.

A short while later, a huge, angry bull with thundering hooves came barreling through the field, sending the workers running for their lives. The old farmer sat on the fence and yelled, “Show him your papers!”

The farmer had the authority to throw trespassers off his property.

When the workers did not listen, he used a greater power. I’m sure that eventually the electric company used a greater power, too: the power of law.

It is estimated that at the time of Jesus, there were more than 600 religious laws. It was the job of the religious leaders, who could read and write, to interpret the law of God as found in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. The problem was that the focus of the law had become more about punishment than teaching a pathway to a better life. The laws had become a burden, especially for the poor.

Punishment for breaking religious laws ranged from being declared unclean to a death sentence.

When Jesus began his public ministry and opened the scroll from the Prophet Isaiah, he revealed that the Messiah is the proclamation of Good News, the liberation of all who are knocked down. Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets and establishes in himself the New

Covenant by transforming the authority of the law into the power of good, especially for the powerless.

To follow Jesus is to follow the heart of the Torah, to love God, one another and ourselves. These are the first steps, the first fruits of life in Christ. It is also for us as disciples to ascent freely to live by his teachings as the authority in our lives.

God does not send bad stuff nor does God make it all go away. God sends Jesus — the greater power — to be the help we need to get through anything and everything. For anyone searching for meaning in an all-too-human Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church that is the sacrament of Christ’s presence on earth, is so much bigger than any member or leader. To follow Jesus is to let no other authority or power — including sin and death — take away one bit of our goodness and dignity.

Moses established the Law of the Covenant to be the authority of God in daily life. We fulfill our side in the Mass, receiving the very Body of Christ, the perfect fulfillment of the law. At Mass, God continues to honor the Covenant and transforms hearts made heavy by the weight of the world. At Mass, our hearts are filled with grace, love and peace so that with the power of God, we go forth to transform what is wrong into what is good.

My mother, God rest her soul, used a variation of an old saying: “The grace of God can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”

It all comes down to what power rules our lives. Do we give sin too much power and let it rob our lives of joy, hope and communion? Or do we give the power to God, who through the Holy Spirit transforms the tragedy of every Good Friday into the joy of Easter?

Confía en la autoridad de Dios para convertir el Viernes Santo en Pascua Dos trabajadores de una compañía eléctrica tenían órdenes para poner postes de electricidad en el terreno de un granjero local. Desafortunadamente, cuando llegaron a la casa del granjero, este les ordenó que salieran de su tierra. Ellos le mostraron una serie de documentos que probaban que se les dio el derecho legal de poner los postes.

El granjero se marchó enfurecido y los trabajadores caminaron por su terreno.

Poco después, un enorme toro, enojado, con los cascos retumbando, se dejó ir a través del campo, haciendo que los trabajadores corrieran por sus vidas. El viejo granjero se sentó en la cerca y gritó: “¡Muéstrenle a él sus papeles!”

El granjero tenía la autoridad para echar a los intrusos fuera de su propiedad. Cuando los trabajadores no escucharon, utilizó un poder mayor. Estoy seguro de que con el tiempo la compañía eléctrica utilizará también un poder mayor: el poder de la ley.

Se estima que en la época de Jesús, había más de 600 leyes religiosas. Era el trabajo de los líderes religiosos, que sabían leer y escribir, interpretar la ley de Dios tal como se encuentra en la Torá, los primeros cinco libros de la Biblia. El problema era que, el enfoque de la ley se

había dirigido más hacia el castigo que a enseñar un camino hacia una vida mejor. Las leyes se habían convertido en una carga, especialmente para los pobres.

El castigo por violar las leyes religiosas variaba entre ser declarado impuro hasta una sentencia de muerte.

Cuando Jesús comenzó su ministerio público y abrió el libro del profeta Isaías, él reveló que el Mesías es la proclamación de la Buena Nueva, la liberación de todos los que han sido derribados. Jesús cumple con la ley y los profetas, y establece en sí mismo la Nueva Alianza por la transformación de la autoridad de la ley por el poder del bien, sobre todo para los más débiles.

Seguir a Jesús es seguir el corazón de la Torá, amar a Dios, amarnos unos a otros y a nosotros mismos. Estos son los primeros pasos, los primeros frutos de la vida en Cristo. También nosotros, como discípulos, debemos de aspirar libremente a vivir sus enseñanzas como la autoridad en nuestras vidas.

Dios no manda cosas malas, ni Dios hace que todo desaparezca. Dios envía a Jesús — el poder mayor — para ser la ayuda que necesitamos para pasar por cualquier cosa y por todas las cosas. Cualquier persona que busca un sentido a toda la — muy humana Iglesia, el Cuerpo místico de Cristo, la Iglesia que es el

sacramento de la presencia de Cristo en la tierra, es mucho más grande que cualquier individuo o líder.

Seguir a Jesús es evitar que ninguna otra autoridad o poder incluyendo el pecado y la muerte — nos quiten un poquito de nuestra bondad y dignidad.

Moisés estableció la Ley de la Alianza para ser la autoridad de Dios en la vida diaria. Cumplimos nuestra parte en la Misa, recibiendo el Cuerpo de Cristo, el cumplimiento perfecto de la ley. En la Misa, Dios continúa honrando el Pacto y transforma los corazones cargados por el peso del mundo. En la Misa, nuestros corazones son colmados de gracia, amor y paz, para que con el poder de Dios, vayamos adelante para transformar lo que está mal en algo que es bueno.

Mi madre, que en paz descanse, utiliza una variación de un viejo dicho: “La gracia de Dios puede hacer maravillas, hasta crear un bolso de seda de la oreja de una cerdo.”

Todo se reduce al poder que gobierna nuestras vidas. ¿Le damos demasiado poder al pecado y le permitimos robarnos de nuestras vidas la alegría, la esperanza y la comunión? ¿O le damos el poder a Dios, que por medio del Espíritu Santo transforma la tragedia de cada Viernes Santo en la alegría de la Pascua?

OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bernard Hebda, has announced the following appointments in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Effective August 31, 2015 • Reverend Joseph Kuharski, appointed chaplain to DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis. This is in addition to his current appointment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Stephen in Anoka.

• Reverend Paul Shovelain, appointed chaplain to Totino-Grace High School in Fridley. This is in addition to his current appointment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Peter in Forest Lake.

• Reverend James Stiles, appointed chaplain to Totino-Grace High School in Fridley. This is in addition to his current appointment as parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Odilia in Shoreview.

Effective September 1, 2015 • Deacon Steven Dupay, appointed to exercise the ministry of a permanent deacon at the Church of Saint Albert in Albertville. This is in addition to his current appointment as deacon at the Church of Saint Michael in Saint Michael.

• Reverend James Devorak, parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Rose of Lima in Roseville and the Church of Corpus Christi in Saint Paul, while the pastor, Reverend Robert Fitzpatrick, is on a leave of absence. This is a transfer from his previous appointment as parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Bernard in Saint Paul.

• Reverend Peter Richards, parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Albert in Albertville and of the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Dayton.

This is in addition to his current appointment as pastor of the Church of Saint Michael in Saint Michael.

• Reverend Anthony Judge, C.Ss.R, granted faculties of the Archdiocese and appointed parochial vicar of the Church of Saint Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center.

• Reverend Thanh Nguyen, C.Ss.R, granted faculties of the Archdiocese and appointed to pastoral ministry at the Church of Saint Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center.

• Reverend Donald Willard, C.Ss.R, granted faculties of the Archdiocese and appointed parochial administrator of the Church of Saint Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center.

Arrivals • Reverend Matthew Bonk, C.Ss.R, Reverend Patrick Keyes, C.Ss.R, Reverend Tuan Pham, C.Ss.R, and Reverend Thomas Santa, C.Ss.R, granted faculties of the Archdiocese and assigned to the New Evangelization Team based at the Church of Saint Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center.

• Reverend Joseph Hennen, granted faculties of the Archdiocese. Father Hennen is a retired priest of the Diocese of Honolulu.

Departures • Reverend Peter Connolly, C.Ss.R., Reverend Tuan Nguyen, C.Ss.R, Reverend William Bueche, C.Ss.R., Reverend Steven Nyl, C.Ss.R., Reverend Joseph Stenger, C.Ss.R., and Reverend Martin Stillmock, C. Ss.R., re-assigned outside of the Archdiocese by their religious superior.

LOCAL

4 • The Catholic Spirit

September 10, 2015

in BRIEF ST. PAUL

Iowa seminarian, 30, dies; was St. Paul Seminary student John Wesley Lawrence, 30, a seminarian of the Diocese of Des Moines, died in his sleep the night of Aug. 31 while staying with his mother at her home near Anamosa, Iowa. His cause of death is unknown at this time. Lawrence was studying at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul and was expected to be ordained a priest in June 2018. “John was eagerly awaiting the beginning of another year of preparation on his journey to God’s altar,” said Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, St. Paul Seminary rector, in a statement for The Catholic Spirit. “He was a good-natured, affable, and friendly young man who related with his peers and superiors. He demonstrated great gifts for relating to and serving others with a pastoral heart.” Lawrence was among seminarians planning to make a pilgrimage to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis during his United States visit this month.

Archbishop’s chapel joins mansions on Ramsey Hill house tour The private chapel in the archbishop’s residence at 226 Summit Ave. will be open to the public 4-7 p.m.

Sept. 17 for the biennial Romance of Ramsey Hill House Tour. The chapel was designed by Minneapolisbased Cerny Associates and the design firm Rambusch. It will appear on the tour for the first time.

Hosted by the Ramsey Hill Association, the tour will include 10 private homes and seven public spaces.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the tour. In May, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis placed for sale the archbishop’s residence, the attached chancery building and three other nearby properties. Officials called the voluntary decision to sell a prudent move as part of the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 Reorganization process.

Bishop Cozzens to lead men’s pilgrimage to Guadalupe shrine

The modern style, private chapel in the archbishop’s Summit Avenue residence joins the Romance of Ramsey Hill House Tour for the first time Sept. 17. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit Sister Clare Matthiass, a member of the Community of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal in New York, spent months coordinating the production of the film, which includes vignettes from sisters in religious communities describing their lives and scenes of their work, prayer and community life. “The film is intended to show forth the joy and beauty of the religious life, assisting people in their understanding of why a young woman would leave behind all things in this world ‘For Love Alone,’” Mother Mary Clare said. “The target audience for the film is primarily young women, but really, all ages have found this to be a touching and beautiful work.” University of St. Thomas students screened an unfinished version of the film in May. Students called it the answer to the question, “Why would you ever want to be a nun?”

“It was like seeing the Blessed Mother in action,” one audience member said. The film was released Aug. 15 and is available for $9.95 at Amazon.com.

Catholic men are invited to honor the Blessed Mother by taking part in a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Oct. 10. Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who will lead the pilgrimage, urged men across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to “come and be renewed and strengthened in your desire to be a Catholic man.”

The pilgrimage is sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis in partnership with Catholic Man Night. “The pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is an excellent opportunity for Catholic men of our archdiocese to get away from all the daily stress of life and enjoy fraternity and have much needed opportunity for some silence and prayerful examination of their lives,” Bishop Cozzens noted. “Even short pilgrimages like this one are great opportunities to grow in our faith. . . . We will be praying in a special way for our families to Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is the patroness of the culture of life we desire to build in our Catholic homes.” Registration deadline is Oct. 1.

Fee of $70 includes transportation, lunch, dinner and programming. For questions or group reservations, contact St. Anne, Hamel, parishioner Jeff Reither at jeffreither001@yahoo.com or 763-645-4324.

Open Window Theatre, a Minneapolis theatre company with a mission to connect faith and art, has announced its 2015-2016 season performances. The four shows are: “Sister Calling My Name,” Oct. 16Nov. 1; “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” Dec. 4-30; “Everyman,” Feb. 19-March 20; and “Best of Enemies,” April 22-May 22. Theatre subscribers can see all four plays for $85 or any three plays for $70.

Open Window Theatre is a 100-seat black box studio in the Metropolis Minneapolis building near the intersection of I-94 and I-394. It was founded in 2011

by Jeremy and Sarah Stanbary, parishioners of St. Joseph in West St. Paul. This season is the theatre’s fifth. The theatre states on its website: “We believe that art in its highest form should be a call to transcendence — a ‘window’ to the Divine and to the innermost reality of the human person and world.”

Film about women religious’ lives has local ties

Catholic Charities part of Twins’ kids outreach

“For Love Alone: The Story of Women Religious,” an 18-minute film produced by Grassroots Films for the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, was made with the assistance of Mother Mary Clare Roufs, an alumna of the University of St. Thomas and former employee of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Foundress of the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus near New Ulm, Mother Mary Clare and

Thanks to a long-running charitable effort, children who might not otherwise have a chance to attend a Major League Baseball game can watch the Minnesota Twins play at Target Field. Through TwinsCare Tickets for Kids, an initiative of the Twins Community Fund, 250 tickets are made available for every regular season Twins home game to nonprofit groups, explained Stephanie Johnson, community relations manager

MINNEAPOLIS

Open Window Theatre announces new season’s performances

with the fund, for a total of 20,250 tickets per year.

The program is specifically limited to nonprofit organizations that serve children and families. Many of those who get to see the Twins play are clients of programs run by Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “Giving back is an important part of what we do as the nonprofit arm of the Twins,” Johnson said. “Getting boys and girls involved in baseball and softball is a goal of the team, and what better way to do that than to spend a night or day at the ballpark.”

ROBBINSDALE

C-STEM program to begin in first local urban Catholic school Sacred Heart Catholic School in Robbinsdale is the first urban Catholic school in the archdiocese to initiate a C-STEM (Catholic-Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program. It joins Frassati Catholic Academy in White Bear Lake and St. Joseph Catholic School in Waconia, which also have C-STEM programs. Sacred Heart’s initiative received grants from the GHR Foundation and the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation totaling $188,000. The grants support teacher certification through St. Catherine University in St. Paul, technology, tuition scholarships and other STEM resources. The program’s implementation began with teacher training in August and is expected to continue through December 2016.

MAPLEWOOD

Benedictine Center exhibit series to focus on God’s presence Paintings inspired by a trip to the Holy Land are the initial exhibit of a yearlong art series designed to elicit an experience of the presence of God in new ways.

Hosted by the Benedictine Center at St. Paul’s Monastery in Maplewood, the series will include works by local artists who portray spiritual themes, including student artists from neighboring HillMurray School. The center is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Running through Nov. 22 is “Beneath the Surface: Exploring the Layers,” a collection by married artists Chuck and Peg Hoffman. The works resulted from the couple’s reflection after they spent time as pilgrims, teachers and learners in Israel and Palestine.

September 10, 2015

LOCAL

The Catholic Spirit • 5

SLICEof LIFE

My fair lady

Martha Rossini Olson, one of the founders and owners of Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar and the namesake of the Minnesota State Fair’s top-grossing vendor, shows off a pan of cookies on Aug. 30 at the fair. She and her husband, Gary, who belong to Assumption in St. Paul, started the business at the fair in 1979 along with Brenda and Gary O’Leary of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. Olson formerly taught at Highland Catholic School in St. Paul. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Co-sponsored by

Myser Initiative on Catholic Identity Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality

Is God’s Charity Broad Enough for Bears?

Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ Award-winning scholar and author

Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University in New York City, Elizabeth Johnson is the author of many best-selling books, including the recent Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love and Abounding in Kindness: Writing for the People of God.

Friday, September 25 | 7 p.m.

The O’Shaughnessy, St. Paul campus Free and open to the public | Tickets required | 651-690-6700

stkate.edu

wisdomwayscenter.org

6 • The Catholic Spirit

LOCAL

Priest reinstated to ministry; archdiocese removes one, investigates another The Catholic Spirit Archbishop Bernard Hebda, apostolic administrator of St. Paul and Minneapolis, reinstated to ministry Sept. 2 a Richfield pastor accused in May of sexual abuse of a minor, and he removed from ministry another priest whose sexual abuse allegation case is being forwarded to Vatican officials for review.

The actions come days after the archdiocese announced Aug. 27 the leave of absence of Father Robert Fitzpatrick — pastor of two Roseville parishes, Corpus Christi and St. Rose of Lima — upon receiving a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor stemming from the 1980s. The allegation is under investigation. Father Fitzpatrick, ordained in 1973, will not exercise ministry during the investigation.

Father Gerald Dvorak, pastor of St. Peter in Richfield, returned to ministry Sept. 2 following a three-month investigation into a sexual abuse claim made against him. The 12-member archdiocesan Ministerial Review Board concluded that the allegation of abuse in the 1970s was not substantiated. The review board recommended that Father Dvorak return to ministry. He was expected to return to his parish Sept. 8.

According to a Sept. 2 statement from Archbishop Hebda, Tim O’Malley, the archdiocese’s director of the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, was present for the board’s deliberations and agreed with its decision to reinstate Father Dvorak, who had been on a voluntary leave of absence since May 19. Law enforcement was notified of the results of the archdiocese’s investigation.

“The investigation included interviews with Rev. Dvorak and with the complainant,” said Archbishop Hebda. “The archdiocesan Ministerial Review Board reviewed this entire matter, including results of the investigation and other information relating to Rev. Dvorak’s 37 years of faithful service to this archdiocese.”

The archdiocese’s apostolic administrator since the resignation of Archbishop John Nienstedt in June, Archbishop Hebda added that he supported the board’s conclusion that the allegation was not substantiated, and asked for prayers and support of sexual abuse victims/survivors and their families.

According to the archdiocese, “the definition of ‘credible’ in this context means ‘not manifestly false or frivolous.’ The use of the term was neither a presumption or determination of guilt.”

In a separate statement, Archbishop Hebda said Father Joseph Gallatin had been removed from

ministry, and his case “has been referred to Rome for adjudication and final resolution.”

Father Gallatin is barred from celebrating Mass in the presence of lay men and women, hearing confessions, preaching, assisting at weddings or funerals, or other priestly ministry, according to the statement. He is also not permitted to wear a Roman collar or present himself publicly as a priest.

“Imposing these precautionary measures reflects the seriousness of the allegation, but should not be viewed as a presumption of guilt,” Archbishop Hebda said. “[Father] Gallatin has denied that he has sexually abused a minor and is accorded the presumption of innocence during this time.”

The former pastor of St. Peter, Mendota, Father Gallatin resigned from his position at the parish in July 2014 after Archbishop Nienstedt restricted his ministry following a review of his priest file.

Father Gallatin was accused in 1998 of inappropriate physical contact with a minor.

Archdiocesan Review Boards reviewed the allegation in 1998, 2002 and 2014. Each board found insufficient evidence to conclude that the priest’s conduct constituted sexual abuse of a minor, but the 2014 board recommended Archbishop Nienstedt limit Father Gallatin’s ministry, which he did.

Following the 2014 review, the archdiocese received additional information about the 1998 incident, prompting it to renew its investigation and subsequently place additional restrictions on Father Gallatin’s ministry.

With this new information, the Ministerial Review Board comprehensively reviewed the allegation in August and “concluded there was sufficient evidence to support the allegation of sexual abuse against a minor,” according to the statement.

At the recommendation of the board, the case will now be adjudicated in Rome under canon law, or Church law.

“I do not know how long it will take for Rome to resolve this matter, but I have confidence that they will proceed with fairness and justice for all parties involved,” Archbishop Hebda said.

The Ministerial Review Board is a confidential advisory body for the archbishop and director of the Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment in assessing cases of allegations of sexual abuse of minors against priests or deacons.

Formed in May, the board includes two priests and 10 lay members. According to the archdiocese, five have law degrees, two are medical doctors, and three are experts in psychology.

Lightning dislodges cross from St. Helena church At 4:10 a.m. Sept. 2, the neighborhood surrounding St. Helena in south Minneapolis was rocked by an explosion. Lightning struck the church and blew the 3-foot concrete cross off the peak of the facade. It split into two larger pieces and landed at the base of the church, with debris scattered on the church lawn and sidewalk.

Parish business manager Mike Petruconis said he was “shell shocked” when he arrived at 7 a.m. to survey the damage. He noted that no one was hurt and that Mass was celebrated on schedule that morning at 8.

The parish has hired Advance Companies, Inc. to fabricate and install a new cross.

Petruconis said it will take six to eight weeks to complete the job. He noted that there is no damage inside the church and that there will be no change in the Mass schedule.

Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

September 10, 2015

Access to sexual abuse claims granted to leaders from implicated parishes

By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit A federal bankruptcy judge ruled Sept. 3 that access to confidential sexual abuse claims made against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis shall include parishes implicated in the claims.

After hearing oral arguments earlier that afternoon, Judge Robert Kressel authorized, for each parish identified in the claims, review of the claim forms by five parish leaders and the parish’s attorneys.

Kressel said access could be extended only to a parish’s pastor, two trustees serving on the parish board with the pastor, the parish finance council chairperson, the parish business administrator and the parish’s attorneys. The reviewers would be required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Richard Anderson, a Briggs and Morgan attorney representing the archdiocese, said the ruling was not a victory for any party involved, but a step “in the right direction” in mediation, where multiple parties are working together to help the archdiocese pay claimants equitably and emerge from Chapter 11 Reorganization.

“Our goal is to bring the case to a conclusion that everyone can live with, while protecting the privacy rights of all involved. In addition, I would say that we trust the parish personnel to honor the terms of the confidentiality agreement,” he told The Catholic Spirit.

Kressel ruled in response to an Aug. 13 motion of the official parish committee of unsecured creditors, which asked that parish representatives be allowed to review sexual abuse filings that involve their parish. A committee representative said the information was important in parishes’ work with insurers and key to successful mediation.

In the motion, the parish committee argued that parishes and religious orders “alleged to be involved in or responsible for alleged sexual abuse in a Sexual Abuse Proof of Claim form will need to have information regarding those claims in order to evaluate whether to contribute to settlement of such claims as part of the global mediation.”

During oral arguments, all parties agreed that expanding access to the confidential documents for the parishes would be helpful to the Reorganization mediation process, but disagreed on the number of people who should be given that access.

Kressel indicated that he would approve the motion, but would limit the number of people who had access, citing concerns about claimants’ privacy.

Anderson noted during the hearing that a similar extension should be offered to representatives from religious orders implicated by some of the claimants. Judge Kressel said he would address that request separately. The archdiocese subsequently filed a motion, scheduled to be heard Sept. 17, to extend access to religious orders participating in mediation of claims that implicate their members.

Orders participating in mediation are the Christian Brothers, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Franciscans, Crosiers, Benedictines, Society of St. Columban (Franciscan), Redemptorists, Dominicans and Franciscans, Third Order Regular.

Following the hearing, attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents a group of sexual abuse claimants, emphasized that the confidential nature of the review extension should protect claimants.

“This judge is going to enforce the confidentiality provision so that whoever is informed of the information under this order will be under strict orders and court supervision to abide by it, and I have confidence they will have to. And if they don’t, there will be hell to pay both by this judge and by us,” he said.

In response to a series of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of minors, the archdiocese filed for Reorganization Jan. 15 and began mediation with attorneys representing claimants following the first hearing. In May, the court established a committee representing all 187 of the archdiocese’s parishes, which joined mediation.

Sexual abuse claimants seeking to be part of the Reorganization were required to file claims by Aug. 3. The archdiocese received about 400 abuse claims, which are under a confidential review.

Prior to the Sept. 3 ruling, parties who could view the claims filing forms were limited to archdiocesan representatives, attorneys for the archdiocese, insurance companies, the creditors committee, a court-appointed mediator, a trustee overseeing payments to creditors and law enforcement. All reviewers are required to sign confidentiality agreements.

September 10, 2015

LOCAL

The Catholic Spirit • 7

Pair of local Catholics race toward tumor cure

By Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit

knows what you’re going through,” Folkestad said.

When two young Catholics found themselves battling the same rare and deadly tumor, they received overwhelming support from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — and each other. Now they’re preparing for a Sept. 19 fundraiser and trying to keep the faith.

Matt Zechmann, 31, a logistics transportation manager for Schneider, was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor in 2009. Maggie Folkestad, a 21-year-old college senior, learned in 2014 that she has three desmoid tumors. The lifethreatening tumor has no cure, and it is so rare — approximately two out of every million Americans are diagnosed with it each year — that it doesn’t receive any government funding to research its cure.

That leaves Zechmann and Folkestad to marshal all their resources to fight the grim disease. They have discovered a deep reserve, thanks largely to their combined 17 years of Catholic schooling. Zechmann attended St. Jude of the Lake in Mahtomedi, St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights and St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Folkestad, meanwhile, went to Our Lady of Grace in Edina and the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield and is now at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph.

Along the way, they have been surprised by many Catholic

Both young Catholics say they’re trying to make sense of their fate through a spiritual lens. Sometimes, they admit, the number of people praying for them feels both comforting and bewildering.

“Because you don’t have control, you kind of have to lean on your faith and pray that things will be OK." Maggie Folkestad Matt Zechmann leans on his Catholic faith after being diagnosed with a desmoid tumor in 2009. Courtesy Matt Zechmann connections, a burst of light in their darkest moments and evidence of the Holy Spirit at work. When Zechmann suffered from complications following a 13-hour operation at the Mayo Clinic to remove a football-sized desmoid tumor, hemorrhaging 750 milliliters of blood, Dr. David Aamodt, his former STA tennis partner, was one of the doctors who saved his life.

Early on the morning of a crucial, “last ditch” surgery, Father John Ubel — who had been Zechmann’s chaplain at St. Thomas Academy — made a surprise visit to Mayo. The Cathedral of St. Paul rector had risen at 3 that morning and felt compelled to pray a rosary for Zechmann and drive down to Rochester.

Now, friends and family are rallying around the Desmoid Dash 5k to be held at St. Thomas Academy on Sept. 19.

Every dollar of the proceeds will go directly to the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation and, specifically, a promising “Collaboration for a Cure” study being done at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

“Catholic schools are a real gift because, as we often hear, they do not forget their own,” Father Ubel said. “It is a tribute to the sense of community.”

It’s also an opportunity to take action in the face of fear. “I could be funding the cure to my own disease,” Folkestad said. “That’s part of my drive and why I want other people to participate.”

She and Zechmann met at last year’s Desmoid Dash and have since been a source of “mutual strength,” he said.

The night of Folkestad’s latest CT scan, they commiserated over Facebook messenger.

“It’s so nice to have that person who

“Because you don’t have control, you kind of have to lean on your faith and pray that things will be OK,” Folkestad said.

For Zechmann, who joined a Bible study last year, faith has always been part of his journey but hasn’t resolved all his questions yet. “There’s still more to be written,” he said.

Father Ubel relates to that struggle.

“Even after serving as a priest for 26 years, there are still times when in my gut I pray, ‘Lord, it is not fair that this person has to suffer so much at such a young age,’” he told The Catholic Spirit. “The mystery of suffering still beggars my best attempts to make sense of it, and I must turn it over to God, asking for his love and grace to understand.”

Desmoid Dash To sign up for the Sept. 19 Desmoid Dash at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, or to donate, visit www.DesmoidDash.com.

LOCAL

8 • The Catholic Spirit

September 10, 2015

New book explores Church tension between reason and the supernatural Interview by Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit

may not be something in the broader American culture that’s on the front pages, but it percolates out, and every now and then you do hear these stories. I think if you go around and talk to enough people, you’ll find almost every Catholic knows someone like that. They’re out there. There are more stories than you might think.

John Thavis, a journalist, retired Catholic News Service Rome bureau chief and St. Paul resident digs into miracles, relics and exorcism in his new book, “The Vatican Prophecies: Investigating Supernatural Signs, Apparitions and Miracles in the Modern Age” (Viking), which will be published Sept. 15. The author of “The Vatican Diaries” (Viking-Penguin, 2013), Thavis is a parishioner of St. Frances Cabrini in Minneapolis. The interview is edited for length. Read an extended version at www.

TheCatholicSpirit.com.

Q. How does the Internet change how miracles are reported or received?

Q. Where did the idea for this book come from?

A. I realized there was one aspect of the Vatican that I had not covered in the earlier book [“The Vatican Diaries”] and no one’s really written about much, and John Thavis is the author of “The Vatican Prophecies,” due out that’s how the Vatican investigates the supernatural. It Sept. 15. Courtesy John Thavis was always of interest to me because, of course, there is no single way the Vatican approaches the supernatural.

As Pope Benedict always said, private revelations, If we’re talking about miracles, then there’s a apparitions, none of these things add anything procedure; it’s in connection to the sainthood cause, a definitive to the faith. That ended with the New very, very complicated and set procedure. If we’re Testament. So, again, the reason I wrote the book is talking about apparitions, then it goes to the doctrinal because I saw this as an area where it’s much more congregation and they try basically to stay out of it as complicated and interesting than most people realize. long as they can, and when they do investigate, they’re very doctrinal about it. They’re looking at content; they Q. You’ve lived in Rome and the U.S. and don’t want anything that confuses the faithful. If we’re researched your book in both places. How do the talking about relics, then there are all kinds of mixed approaches to miracles differ in America and messages, because while the Vatican is trying to steer Europe? the Church away from venerating relics and slicing up bodies of saints, at the same time there is a resurgence A. In Rome, you walk around, you see these “exof interest in relic tours. votos,” gifts of prayer in thanks for intercession So I saw a certain tension, not just in the Vatican, but received. Many of these people believe also in the Church as a whole, between they prayed and got well. That’s still the thirst for a supernatural sign, and the present in Rome, but I believe it’s Vatican’s reluctance to give endorsement Meet the author disappearing. Culturally, Rome itself, to too much of this. I wanted to explain Common Good Books and Italy itself, is becoming much more that in a book, and I wanted to explain at 38 S. Snelling Ave., secular. At the same time, in the U.S. how both approaches exist in the St. Paul, is hosting a there’s almost a growing interest in this Church because we are, after all, a Sept. 16 discussion type of thing.

Church of miracles and a Church of In my chapter on miracles, one of the reason. We walk that fine line all the with John Thavis on cases I zero in on is the case of three time. It really hasn’t changed in 2,000 “The Vatican young people in a very small area of years, although it’s changed a little bit.

Prophecies.” Free and Kansas. They’re all young athletes, struck That’s why the epigraph at the open to the public. down during athletic competition by beginning of the book is from the illness or injury, all presumed they Gospel when the Pharisees come to Jesus would die, and all recovered — and say, “Give us a sign.” It’s as if to say, miraculously, in their minds, because family and friends “Prove to us that you are God.” In some ways, that is prayed to a man they believe is a saint: Father Emil what the Vatican is looking out against. They don’t Kapaun, who was a Catholic chaplain during the want people approaching or seeking after supernatural Korean War. He died in a Chinese prison camp and his signs to prove the faith is real. They’re happy to see and body was never found. He was from a tiny town of welcome signs because God can do that and it helps Czech immigrants in Pilsen, Kansas. people. What they don’t want is people going after a sign as a proof, an “I need this to believe.” That, for the I went there, and it’s an incredible thing, because Vatican, is always a sign of weak faith. these three young people didn’t know each other. . . . It

A. There are so many people who believe, “I’m in contact, I’m getting messages.” When they start saying things like, “This is a message the whole Church needs to follow and believe,” that’s when the Vatican is like, “OK, bishop, put the reins on her; explain to her how this works.

We don’t demand adherence. We don’t correct the Church.”

Sometimes, these people have had to be excommunicated. That’s happened. Or, more than that, the faithful need to be warned about not following these people. In the age of the Internet, that becomes very difficult, because the Church has always had a go-slow approach — go slow, be cautious, and don’t pronounce too quickly, because it will probably go away.

But in the age of the Internet, these things can go viral quickly, and soon it’s too late for the Church authorities to say, don’t listen to this person, because they already have a huge audience. It challenges the Church’s way of handling this. The Church has always said a person can have true mystical experiences and have something supernatural occur in their life. But one of the traditional ways of discerning this is that they’re under the care of a spiritual advisor, that they go slowly and carefully, that they don’t broadcast this stuff. They’re humble.

Humility is a sign to the Church of the authenticity of this stuff.

Nowadays, not only is this stuff instantly available to millions of people, but the media, and in part, the people, want these visionaries to be public figures. They want them to meet with pilgrims, they want them to give us the messages, they want them to explain the messages, tell everything and be accessible. That does not really fit with the Church’s century-old tradition of mysticism.

Q. What’s the main takeaway?

A. The Catholic Church is cautious and careful when it comes to the supernatural for very good reason, because there’s a lot at stake. I would hope that people would come away from the book with an understanding that it’s sometimes a lot more complicated than it seems when you’re talking about a miracle, an exorcism or the supernatural powers of a relic. And it is fascinating.

At 150 years, Scott County parish retains historic charm

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit

St. Catherine, Spring Lake Township.

Courtesy St. Catherine parish

Although the first Mass in Spring Lake Township was celebrated in 1857, it wasn’t until about the time the U.S. Civil War was ending in 1865 that St. Catherine parish was established in a rural area of Scott County some 30 miles southwest of the Twin Cities.

That parish history will be a prominent part of the day Sept. 13, when St. Catherine of Spring Lake celebrates its 150th anniversary.

A 3 p.m. Mass will be followed by a meal served from 4:30-6 p.m., then a history presentation and fellowship, all on the church grounds at 4500 220th St. E., Prior Lake.

Parishioners of St. Catherine continue to worship in the wooden church (left) that was built in 1896 after the first church — constructed by parishioners in

1867 — was struck by lightning and was destroyed by fire. The parish is now a mission of St. Patrick in nearby Cedar Lake Township; Father Michael Miller became pastor of both parishes earlier this year.

That St. Catherine is still an active Catholic community 150 years later gives parishioners a sense of pride, said Rachel Friske, a 25-year-old who has been a member of the parish all her life.

“One of the things that stands out is that people have been able to maintain the parish with all the [other] parish closings [in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis],” said Friske, who teaches at nearby St. Michael School in Prior Lake.

“People are so dedicated to raising funds to keep everything going,” she said, “and when there are renovations, they are headed up by parishioners.”

The parish Council of Catholic Women is particularly active in both prayer life and service projects, she said.

“There are a lot of ways to get involved,” added Friske, who is a lector and eucharistic minister.

She has been working, too, on technology-based projects, including a video that will be shown at the anniversary celebration.

St. Catherine was fortunate in having gathered historic photos some years earlier for a 1996 book on the 100th anniversary of the building of the church, she said, but it was tricky to track down others.

“It’s very cool to see some of the photos because descendants of some of the founding families are still here,” Friske said. “When you look at the photos you see faces you see every Sunday.”

September 10, 2015

FAITH & CULTURE

Soon-to-be-saint, founder of missions, a model for evangelization

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

and Father Serra experienced midcareer changes: Father Serra left academic work to become a When Blessed Junipero Serra, the missionary, and Father Van Sloun 18th-century Spanish priest known ended a teaching and coaching for founding a string of iconic career as a Crosier brother to California missions and ministry become a diocesan priest. to native population, is canonized “God works through later this month, Catholics in restlessness,” he said. “If you’re Minnesota and across the country not doing what you’re supposed hopefully will be inspired by his to, God keeps shaking.” evangelistic “witness of fortitude” Father Serra’s canonization is a and will look for ways to share gift to Serra International, which their faith, said Bishop Andrew will have a stronger patron Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of supporting its important work, St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Bishop Cozzens said. The On Sept. 23 in Washington, canonization will bring awareness D.C., Pope Francis will preside at of vocations and hopefully the Mass of canonization for encourage Catholics to promote Father Serra, who is patron of the them, Jerry Biese said. vocations apostolate Serra The apostolate was launched International. Several local Serrans after four Seattle businessmen who and other leaders talked with The were meeting to discuss faith and Catholic Spirit about their personal their professional lives, decided in connection with the future saint, 1935 also to focus on promoting why he should be canonized, and vocations. They founded the first what we can learn from his Serra club, choosing Father Serra example, while addressing as patron because of his life of controversy over his treatment of Blessed Junipero Serra is written in this icon by local priestly zeal and heroic virtue in California Indians. iconographer Kati Ritchie of St. Bonaventure in founding missions.

Bloomington in celebration of the 18th-century Spanish To celebrate Father Serra’s Inspiration to local faithful priest’s Sept. 23 canonization. See related story at right. canonization and the fall kickoff Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit Serra International is a lay of Holy Name of Jesus’ faith Catholic apostolate based in formation program, the Northwest Catholic Church, said Jerry, 73, Chicago with 19,000 members in Hennepin Serra Club will show Father treasurer of Airport Serra Club, which 36 countries who seek to grow in Serra’s canonization Mass at 3 p.m. meets in Bloomington. personal holiness while fostering Sept. 23 via live feed at the Medina Mary Beth, 72, Airport Serra Club vocations to the priesthood and vowed parish. After the viewing, the Serra Club president, said a highlight was religious life through prayer and will host refreshments, and Mass and celebrating Father Serra’s July 1 feast programs. The USA Council of Serra faith formation open houses will follow. day at his gravesite at the Mission San International, one of 10 national and Carlos Borromeo in Carmel, California. regional councils worldwide, represents ‘Always forward, never back’ the 235 U.S. Serra clubs, including Considering the estimated 24,000 seven clubs in the archdiocese with miles the priest traveled on foot While some Native Americans believe about 325 members. through mountainous terrain with an Father Serra mistreated the native injured leg, she said: “He is a great The Holy Father might hope to spur populations at his missions, Father Van model of holiness and education and on new evangelization in the United Sloun cited the future saint’s 1773 trip stick-to-itiveness, with a very positive States through the example of Father to Mexico to report the soldiers’ outlook.”

Serra, who experienced great hardships mistreatment of Indians and seek the sharing the Gospel, said Bishop Father Michael Van Sloun, pastor of Mexican government’s help.

Cozzens, 47, who became familiar with St. Bartholomew in Wayzata, also Father Serra might have been affected Father Serra from involvement with visited California missions this summer, by the culture of his time, but he also Serra clubs. Now the episcopal and on the trip got better acquainted defended native people’s rights and moderator of the USA Council of Serra with the future saint, whom he first shared the Gospel, Bishop Cozzens said.

International, Bishop Cozzens sees the learned about at a Serra vocation event Father Van Sloun said that with future saint as a model for making when he 12.

Minnesota’s strong Native American sacrifices to live and share faith.

Father Van Sloun noted that both he presence, people can “I think he was a learn from Father man who had a fire for Serra’s love and respect evangelization, and I for indigenous people. think every Catholic, Blessed Junipero Serra was born in 1713 in Petra, Majorca, Spain.

He was Father Serra offers especially today, has to accepted into a Franciscan order in 1730 after first being denied. A gifted inspiration for the have that same fire,” scholar and orator, he taught for some years in Spain until hearing a call to local Church, Bishop Bishop Cozzens said. become a missionary.

Cozzens said. “In our This summer, Jerry In 1749 while walking to the Mexico City college where he was to teach, archdiocese, it’s not and Mary Beth Biese, Father Serra received an insect bite that caused him pain the rest of his life.

In easy to be a Catholic,” members of Mexico, he ministered to Indians and founded a mission before traveling to San he said. “It takes Immaculate Heart of Diego, California, in 1769. fortitude to stand up Mary in Minnetonka, for faith when the Though sometimes at odds with soldiers and government leaders, during the became more familiar Church is in the 1770s Father Serra led the Franciscans in founding nine California missions with Father Serra by [news]papers. He’s a where they taught Native Americans.

He died of tuberculosis in 1784 at visiting nine California great example for us Monterey, California, having traveled thousands of miles on foot to minister to missions. George there.”

California Indians.

Washington, based on Pope John Paul II beatified Junipero Serra in 1988.

Pope Francis will canonize the East Coast, is Catholics should him Sept. 23 in Washington, D.C., during his first papal visit to the United States. known as the nation’s take seriously Father The Mass of canonization will begin at 3 p.m. local time and will be broadcast on founder, while Father Serra’s motto, said EWTN. Serra on the West Mary Beth Biese: — Susan Klemond Coast is considered “Always forward, founder of the U.S. never back.”

Who was Blessed Junipero Serra?

The Catholic Spirit • 9

Icon of Blessed Junipero Serra is ‘window to heaven’

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit Anyone looking at the new icon of soon-to-be canonized Blessed Junipero Serra might first notice his Franciscan habit and priest’s stole along with a cross and model of one of his California missions in his hands. But when they look at his eyes, the future saint could draw their gaze to heaven.

Kati The icon, written by RITCHIE local iconographer Kati Ritchie in celebration of the 18th-century Spanish priest’s Sept. 23 canonization, is meant to help those viewing it enter into prayer, as it did when she wrote it at the request of members of Serra International.

“It’s a window to heaven,” said Ritchie, 71. “He’s looking out at me from heaven, and I’m looking at him.”

Ritchie, who is a member of St. Bonaventure in Bloomington, talked about being guided by the Holy Spirit and conversing with the saint as she created the icon, which she will present to Pope Francis during the canonization Mass in Washington, D.C. The icon, which measures 24 by 30 inches, is unusual because it is written in pastels on brown paper rather than tempera paint like many other icons, Ritchie said.

The icon was sponsored by the USA Council of Serra International with the support of Serrans in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Serra International is a lay Catholic organization fostering and affirming vocations to the priesthood and vowed religious life. Ritchie was asked to write the icon by members of her Serra club, Airport Serra, which meets in Bloomington.

An icon is an image of a holy person or angel written in the ancient language of sacred images which is meant for prayer, not decoration like a portrait, she said.

Ritchie, who has written more than 100 icons in both pastel and paint, said she learned about Father Serra from her father, who was a Serran in the Twin Cities. She said she admires Blessed Serra because of his perseverance through adversity, his creativity, and love of beauty and music.

Serra International will offer items with the icon printed on them, which can be purchased at www.serrainternational.org.

U.S. & World

10 • The Catholic Spirit

Pope makes ready for refugees

September 10, 2015

Church agencies highlight growing urgency of Europe’s refugee crisis

Continued from page 1

By Jonathan Luxmoore Catholic News Service

be near where he is, also to guarantee health care” and other services available in Vatican City State and not put a burden on the Italian government, the cardinal said.

The pope made his appeal Sept. 6 after praying the noon Angelus with people gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “The Gospel calls us, asks us to be near the least and the abandoned. To give them concrete hope, not just say ‘Hang in there, have patience!’”

“Christian hope has a fighting spirit with the tenacity of someone who is heading toward a sure goal,” he said, while he encouraged all of his “brother bishops of Europe — true shepherds,” to support his appeal in their dioceses.

“In the face of the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeing death because of war and hunger” and are seeking a new life, the pope called on “parishes, religious communities, monasteries and sanctuaries all across Europe to give concrete expression of the Gospel and receive a family of refugees.”

God’s mercy is expressed through the works of regular men and women, he said, reminding people that Christ taught that “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Before the Angelus prayer, the pope said Christians must not be closed up inside themselves, as is often the case. “We create so many inaccessible and inhospitable islands,” he said.

The most basic relationships sometimes can become incapable of openness and mutual exchange, such as families, associations, parishes, even nations, demonstrating yet another example of human sin, he said.

He reminded Christians they are called to open themselves up to God and his word, and to others, sharing the Word with those who “have never heard it or to those who have forgotten it — buried under the brambles of the worries and deceptions of the world.”

Catholic aid agencies have urged Europeans not to turn against migrants seeking refuge from Syria and other countries, in what media reports describe as the continent’s greatest refugee movement since World War II. “The crisis in Syria is now in its fifth year, and the neighboring countries where we’ve been providing assistance are running out of resources,” said Kim Pozniak, communications officer for Catholic Relief Services, the Baltimore-based U.S. bishops’ international relief and development agency. She said countries such as Lebanon and Turkey are sheltering 3.5 million Syrians and “can no longer carry the burden of sheer numbers.”

“People have realized they won’t be going home and turned to the European Union for longer-term solutions. While they’ve been shown compassion in some countries, this hasn’t been the case everywhere.”

“These people aren’t just migrating to Europe in search of a better life for their children: They’re fleeing to protect them and save their lives, and this is something everyone can relate to,” she said.

Pozniak told Catholic News Service Sept. 3 that CRS and other Catholic agencies had been giving migrants food and water, as well as medical and legal help, on the main routes through Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia and Serbia.

She added that Church-backed organizations would aid all refugees without distinction, after some Eastern European bishops called for priority to be given to Christians.

“The Church doesn’t distinguish between faiths and religions — we assist everyone on the basis of needs, whatever their background,” Pozniak told CNS. “The Church in the Middle East and the Balkans has been responding to this crisis for years, and to the Church, no human being is illegal. We’re called to preserve their dignity by not letting them sleep in parks and train stations.”

A Syrian refugee from Aleppo holds his 1-month-old daughter moments after arriving on a boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Sept. 3. Catholic aid agencies have urged Europeans not to turn against migrants seeking refuge from Syria and other countries, in what media reports describe as the continent’s greatest refugee movement since World War II. CNS Meanwhile, people of all religious beliefs must never give up and give in to war, the pope said in a message to an international gathering for peace in Tirana, Albania.

“We must never resign ourselves to war, and we cannot remain indifferent before those who suffer because of war and violence,” he said in a written message to those gathered for the interreligious meeting sponsored by the Catholic lay movement, the Community of Sant’Egidio.

“Violence can also be building up walls and barriers to block people who are seeking a place of peace. It is violence to turn away people who flee inhumane conditions in their hopes of a better future,” the pope wrote.

Believing that peace is always possible is not a sign of naivete, he said, but an expression of one’s belief that “nothing is impossible” with God.

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FESTIVAL & BOOYA Sunday, Sept. 20th ST. JEROME CHURCH

380 E. Roselawn Ave. (at 35E) • stjerome-church.org 10:30 a.m. Outdoor Mass Celebrating 75 years as a Parish • Outdoor Mass at 10:30 a.m.

• 200 gallons of our famous Booya will be available for take-out at 6:00 a.m. until gone. Bring your own non-glass container. The remaining 300 gallons will again be served by the bowl at 11:30 a.m.

Bingo • Kids Games • Car Show • Booya by the Bowl Cold Stone Creamery • Silent Auction • Talent Tent • Pull Tabs • Hamburgers vs Brats

September 10, 2015

U.S. & WORLD

The Catholic Spirit • 11

Administering mercy: Facilitating forgiveness does not downplay sin

Pope simplifies annulment process, asks that it be free of charge

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

While a juridical process is necessary for making accurate judgments, the Catholic Church’s marriage annulment process must be quicker, cheaper and much more of a pastoral ministry, Pope Francis said.

Rewriting a section of the Latin-rite Code of Canon Law and of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Pope Francis said he was not “promoting the nullity of marriages, but the quickness of the processes, as well as a correct simplicity” of the procedures so that Catholic couples are not “oppressed by the shadow of doubt” for prolonged periods.

The Vatican released Sept. 8 the texts of two papal documents, “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus” (“The Lord Jesus, the Gentle Judge”) for the Latin-rite Church and “Mitis et misericors Iesus,” (“The Meek and Merciful Jesus”) for the Eastern Catholic Churches.

The changes, including the option of a brief process without the obligatory automatic appeal, go into effect Dec. 8, the opening day of the Year of Mercy.

The rules for the Latin and Eastern Churches are substantially the same since the differences in texts refer mainly to the different structures of the hierarchy with Latin Churches having bishops and Eastern Churches having eparchs and patriarchs.

Pope Francis said the changes in the annulment process were motivated by “concern for the salvation of souls,” and particularly “charity and mercy” toward those who feel alienated from the Church because of their marriage situations and the perceived complexity of the Church’s annulment process.

The new rules replace canons 1671-1691 of the Code of Canon Law and canons 1357-1377 of the Eastern code. Pope Francis also provided a set of “procedural regulations” outlining how his reforms are to take place, encouraging bishops in small dioceses to train personnel who can handle marriage cases and spelling out specific conditions when a bishop can issue a declaration of nullity after an abbreviated process.

Those conditions include: when it is clear one or both parties lacked the faith to give full consent to a Catholic marriage; when the woman had an abortion to prevent procreation; remaining in an extramarital relationship at the time of the wedding or immediately afterward; one partner hiding knowledge of infertility, a serious contagious disease, children from a previous union or a history of incarceration; and when physical violence was used to extort consent for the marriage.

The reformed processes were drafted by a special committee Pope Francis established a year earlier.

Among the criteria he said guided their work, the first he listed was the possibility of there being “only one executive sentence in favor of nullity” when the local bishop or judge delegated by him had the “moral certainty” that the marriage was not valid. Previously an appeal was automatic and a declaration of nullity had to come from two tribunals.

Msgr. Pio Vito Pinto, dean of the Roman Rota, a Vatican court, and president of the commission that drafted the new rules, told reporters that Pope Francis asked for updates throughout the year, sought a review by four “great canonists” not involved in the drafting.

The changes made by Pope Francis, particularly the responsibility and trust placed in local bishops, are the most substantial changes in the Church’s marriage law since the pontificate of Pope Benedict XIV in the mid1700s, Msgr. Pinto said. Even with the 1917 and 1983 new Codes of Canon Law, the process for recognizing the nullity of a marriage remained “substantially unchanged,” he said.

The Metropolitan Tribunal staff of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will be examining and studying the texts and changes, Father Timothy Cloutier, the tribunal’s judicial vicar, told The Catholic Spirit Sept. 8.

“These changes in procedures of marriage nullity cases should also be made with an intensified and better articulated catechesis on Christian marriage,” he said, “that begins much sooner than is currently the practice — that is, when fiancés come to the parish with their wedding date already set.”

— The Catholic Spirit contributed to this story

Always, but especially during a Holy Year, the Catholic Church does everything possible to help Catholics repent of their sins, receive forgiveness and draw closer to God. The Church’s law and its canon lawyers are part of that effort, said Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts and a prelate of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court handling matters of conscience.

When Pope Francis announced the Holy Year of Mercy would open Dec. 8, he also said he would appoint “missionaries of mercy” to preach and teach about God’s mercy. They will be given special authority, the pope said, “to pardon even those sins reserved to the Holy See.” Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Then, in a letter released at the Vatican Sept. 1, Pope Council for Legislative Texts, is pictured in his office at the Francis announced his decision “to concede to all Vatican June 2. Bishop Arrieta explained why Pope Francis is priests for the jubilee year the discretion to absolve of appointing “missionaries of mercy” to preach and teach the sin of abortion those who have procured it and during the Holy Year of Mercy, which opens Dec. 8 and runs who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it.” until Nov. 20, 2016. CNS The first step, of course, is to recognize an action is a sin and confess it, expressing contrition and a However, when an excommunicated person is in willingness to do penance. Bishop Arrieta said the danger of death, any priest can hear his or her pope’s action is designed to ensure that the path to confession and grant absolution, the bishop said. That penance and reconciliation is not blocked by a priest is because the priority in the Church’s law is the not having the full authority to offer absolution in the salvation of souls. name of God and the Church.

“All the barriers of canonical penalties fall when In an interview before the pope’s announcement faced with the need to save souls and the danger of about the extended faculties, Bishop Arrieta said the death,” he said. pope’s mention of “reserved” sins in his holy year proclamation refers to actions that can bring with Penalties indicate gravity them automatic excommunication, for example, When a woman goes to confession seeking abortion when the person is aware of the penalty and absolution for abortion, “the problem is not the sin, commits the sin anyway. but the penalty, which prevents the reception of any The missionaries of mercy will have the “faculties” sacrament,” Bishop Arrieta said, which is why Pope or authority to remove the excommunication and Francis is making special global provisions. grant absolution in cases that In most dioceses of the normally require the United States, including the intervention or permission of Archdiocese of St. Paul and the local bishop or the Apostolic Minneapolis, England and “All sins can be forgiven.”

Penitentiary, he said. several other countries, the Pope Francis’ decision to bishops regularly give all their Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta extend to all priests the faculties priests the faculties to grant needed for absolving a woman absolution for abortion. But in who confesses to having had an other places, like Italy, such abortion is “not in any way minimizing the gravity of permission is given only on special occasions. the sin” of abortion, said Jesuit Father Federico Bishop Arrieta said that when the Code of Canon Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.

Law was being revised in the 1970s and 80s, Church officials had long, passionate discussions about ‘This sin holds people hostage’ removing the penalty of automatic excommunication For Vicki Thorn, founder of Project Rachel, a for an abortion. After all, the serious sin of murder ministry promoting healing and forgiveness for those does not carry the penalty of automatic who regret an abortion, expanded opportunities for excommunication. The penalty was maintained, forgiveness are a crucial part of the Year of Mercy. however, because officials believed it could “give a “For millions of women, in their hearts abortion is distorted impression that the Church no longer sees the unforgivable sin,” Thorn said. “This sin holds abortion as so grave,” he said. people hostage.”

“Sin is sin,” Bishop Arrieta said, and the offenses “Some women keep coming back confessing the that can carry automatic excommunication are same sin” over and over, she said. “She knows she has especially serious, but a Holy Year is an especially committed a sin — the hard part is to convince her of serious time of grace.

God’s mercy.”

“The pope is not saying abortion is no longer In the Latin Church’s Code of Canon Law, Bishop important. No. It’s important,” the bishop said. “It is Arrieta said, the offenses that carry automatic the most frequent cause of excommunication.” excommunication are: apostasy, heresy and schism; By granting a special faculty to priests during the profanation of the Eucharist; physical violence against Year of Mercy, he said, Pope Francis is trying to balance the pope; attempted absolution of an accomplice in a desire “to facilitate reconciliation as much as sexual sin; attempted ordination of women; possible” while also “trying to form consciences” consecration of a bishop without papal approval; about the seriousness of abortion. violating the secrecy of the sacrament of confession; “The Church has a spiritual patrimony, and during a recording the words of a confessor or penitent during Holy Year, it encourages the faithful to draw on this confession; procuring, performing or actively assisting patrimony” for the grace and strength to reconcile or pressuring a woman into having an abortion. with God and begin a new life, he said.

“All sins can be forgiven,” Bishop Arrieta said, but The pope is not saying that any sin is unimportant, more serious sins are also considered crimes under the bishop said. “No, not at all. The pope is saying the canon law and carry penalties. In order to receive Church is like a field hospital in the middle of battle absolution, a person must be allowed to receive the and the treasure of the merits of Christ and of the sacraments, which he or she cannot do while under saints must be distributed broadly” to heal the the penalty of excommunication. wounded.

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

ANALYSIS

12 • The Catholic Spirit

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

A

long with having a winning smile and a warm embrace, Pope Francis is known for challenging people.

He does it regularly at morning Mass — particularly calling out hypocrisy and gossip — and does not spare even his closest aides in the Roman Curia, so it is unlikely his speeches to the U.S. Congress and the U.N. General Assembly will let his audiences leave without a suggested examination of conscience.

His speeches to Congress and to the United Nations in late September will be less pastoral than his homilies, obviously, and more about policy. They will be crafted carefully with the assistance of the Vatican Secretariat of State.

The themes will reflect the priorities of Pope Francis, not as an individual, but as head of the universal Catholic Church. With the exception of a few classic, colorful Pope Francis analogies — an infusion of Pope Francis’ personality — the speeches are expected to be similar in style and tone to those his predecessors delivered at the United Nations.

Like his predecessors, Pope Francis will praise the founding ideals of both the United States and the United Nations; the challenges will come when he urges the leaders of both to live up to those ideals and to do so consistently.

With the pope’s address, an examination of conscience for Congress?

pope recognized the dilemma facing politicians who know that short-term sacrifices — and re-election risks — are needed for long-term gains in safeguarding the environment. “But if they are courageous, they will attest to their God-given dignity and leave behind a testimony of selfless responsibility,” he wrote.

Courage also is needed to overcome what the pope has described as “the globalization of indifference,” “the economy of exclusion” and the “throwaway culture,” which are the main forces he sees at play behind hunger, poverty, abortion, discrimination, immigration, war, environmental devastation and a host of other global problems.

While every person of good will should join the fight, Pope Francis sees the United Nations as a global institution whose very purpose is to pay attention to and assist those most in need, most under threat and most often excluded from the benefits of economic development.

His visit coincides with a scheduled vote on the sustainable development goals, a list of 17 major commitments that the world’s nations and U.N. agencies will be asked to pursue until 2030, beginning with concrete steps to end extreme poverty everywhere.

Dignity and the common good

Focus on human family At the center of both speeches will be a call to work for the common good — not just the interests of their campaign supporters or even of all their constituents — with a vision that recognizes, as the pope repeatedly says, that there is only one human family and that people have a shared responsibility for others and the world.

A global problem, one he addressed last November at the European Parliament and Council of Europe, is an approach to human rights that is disconnected from responsibilities and from an individual’s connection to the wider community.

“Unless the rights of each individual are harmoniously ordered to the greater good,” he said, “those rights will end up being considered limitless and consequently will become a source of conflicts and violence.”

The pope recognizes how tough a politician’s job is. In his apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” he wrote that “politics, though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good.”

In the exhortation, Pope Francis strongly defended the right of believers to bring their faith to bear on the social, economic and political issues of the day.

“No one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society,” he wrote. “Who would claim to lock up in a church and silence the message of St. Francis of Assisi or

September 10, 2015

Pope Francis addresses the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, Nov. 25, 2014. CNS

“Unless the rights of each individual are harmoniously ordered to the greater good, those rights will end up being considered limitless and consequently will become a source of conflicts and violence.”

Pope Francis

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta?”

Authentic faith, the pope wrote, “always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.”

Working with courage For Pope Francis, making the world a better place is not a catchy line from a pop song. It is about rolling up one’s sleeves and feeding the hungry,

welcoming the immigrant, rescuing the victims of human trafficking, reducing the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming and ensuring jobs for young adults.

Making the world a better place, he often says, means putting the needs of real people above the desire for maximum profits. A healthy economy and lively businesses are essential, but they must grow along with the entire population.

In his encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” the

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican representative to U.N. agencies in Geneva, noted that the Catholic Church shares and concretely works around the globe to end poverty and inequality and promote solidarity, but it cannot support the inclusion in the development goals of “reproductive health” when it means access to abortion.

The goals seems to present abortion as “a right that should be guaranteed to all,” he told the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire. “It’s as if by eliminating people there would be fewer problems.”

Pope Francis may repeat what he told members of the European Parliament about promoting — even unconsciously — the human rights only of those who are useful producers and consumers.

“As is so tragically apparent,” he said, “whenever a human life no longer proves useful for that machine, it is discarded with few qualms, as in the case of the sick, of the terminally ill, the elderly who are abandoned and uncared for, and children who are killed in the womb.”

Even on the question of climate change and preparations for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of the year, the pope’s challenge to the United Nations will come back to his conviction that too many people and nations have made money their god and self-interest their only criterion for judgment.

“International negotiations (on climate change) cannot make significant progress due to positions taken by countries which place their national interests above the global common good,” the pope wrote in his encyclical on ecology. “We believers cannot fail to ask God for a positive outcome to the present discussions so that future generations will not have to suffer the effects of our ill-advised delays.”

World Meeting of Families & papal visit

The Catholic Spirit • 13 September 10, 2015

Motorhome pilgrimage

CNS

Three families expect the unexpected on road trip to see pope

By Bridget Ryder For The Catholic Spirit Reinaldo Casarez didn’t hesitate to answer when Patricio Peña suggested they go to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis.

“We said yes,” Casarez recalled.

He knew Peña from his Minneapolis parish, Sagrado Corazón de Jesus, where Peña, also the coordinator of Latino ministry at Assumption in Richfield, volunteers in many areas of parish ministry among fellow Latinos.

When Peña and his family heard Pope Francis was coming to Philadelphia, they knew they wanted to be there.

“The first thing we thought is it’s a blessing and we want to honor him here,” he said.

He found that other Latinos also wanted to express their love for a pope to whom they feel especially close because of his Latin American roots.

Casarez’s wife, Maria Isabel Tenorio, and their three children — Tony, 12, Osvaldo, 9, and Aaron, 5 — are joining in the adventure. Friends Patricia Rosas, her husband Jose Flores, and their two children — Freddy, 23, and Brian, 16 — will also be part of the crew. None of them have participated in a papal event before.

Patricio Peña and his wife, Enriqueta Alfaro, also plan to take their four children, ages 4-13.

A true pilgrimage The three families started planning the trip in January, the younger members taking the lead on Internet research. They plan to arrive four days before Pope Francis gets in town on Sept. 26, perhaps participate in a day of the World Meeting of Families, and hopefully catch a good glimpse of the pope.

“We want to live the grace that is going to be in this place.”

Patricio Peña The trip will also be an exercise in community building. They have rented a motorhome to take across the country and use as shelter during their days in Philadelphia.

The families are among scores of pilgrims from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis traveling to Washington, New York and Philadelphia to see the pope. Large groups heading to Philadelphia are those St. Mary of the Lake and St. Pius X, both in White Bear Lake; youth sponsored by the archdiocese’s Commission of Black Catholics; and 26 in an archdiocese-organized pilgrimage, including Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Pilgrims from St. Pius X and the archdiocesan group plan also to attend the World Meeting of Families.

For the three families, one of the main challenges is getting time off work. Casarez works in construction, and with the season still in full swing in September, he hopes a letter from his pastor will convince his boss to give him the days off. Money is also something that they have had to take into consideration, especially when it comes to attending the World Meeting of Families. Rosas experienced sticker shock when she saw the conference price — $325 per person for the full registration package — but the group remains hopeful.

“We have a lot of faith and I don’t think there will be any problems,” Casarez said.

Peña said they have come to see the trip as a true

pilgrimage. Whatever happens in Philadelphia, they want to bring the graces of the Holy Father’s visit back home to share with others.

“We want to live the grace that is going to be in this place,” Peña said. “It’s a blessing for all.”

Casarez has tracked previous popes’ journeys around the world, and he has been impressed by their humility and the peace they bring to even violent countries such as Mexico. He expects Francis’ visit to the United States will have the same effect.

Fortifying faith For Patricia Rosas, traveling to Philadelphia is a way to fortify a renewed faith, but she also hopes that the experience will help her better serve others. Rosas said she and her family had been Catholic “in name only” until three years ago when a series of family difficulties led her to seek guidance from a parish priest she knew.

She realized she was “lost in ignorance of her religion,” and that this was also the cause of their family problems.

“I never felt that God had abandoned me; I just never thought of God because I never thought about my religion,” she said.

Since then, she and her husband have had their marriage blessed by the Church and received counseling. Their children also received the sacraments.

She hopes seeing Pope Francis will help her be a guide for others who are lost like she once was.

“It will be a great experience because he is the representative of God on earth,” she said. “My hope is that I am going to be more ready and able when people ask me for help, and to be able to help with love. This is what gets me excited about going.”

Following Francis After he arrives Sept. 22, Pope Francis will spend time in Washington and New York before heading to Philadelphia, where he will join the closing festivities of the World Meeting of Families. This special four-page section offers background for following his trip, whether you’re on the East Coast or in your living room. Go to www.TheCatholicSpirit.com for special coverage.

World Meeting of Fa

14 • The Catholic Spirit

The pope’s schedule

Grea

TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 Washington, D.C. 4 p.m. Arrival from Cuba at Joint Base Andrews WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23

EX

Washington, D.C. 9:15 a.m. Welcome ceremony and meeting with President Obama at the White House 11:30 a.m. Midday prayer with the U.S. bishops, St. Matthew’s Cathedral 4:15 p.m. Mass of canonization of Junipero Serra, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception THURSDAY, SEPT. 24 Washington, D.C., New York City 9:20 a.m. Address to joint meeting of Congress 11:15 a.m. Visit to St. Patrick in the City and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington 4 p.m. Depart from Joint Base Andrews 5 p.m. Arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport 6:45 p.m. Evening prayer (vespers) at St. Patrick’s Cathedral FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 New York City 8:30 a.m. Visit to the United Nations and address to the U.N. General Assembly 11:30 a.m. Multi-religious service at 9/11 Memorial and Museum, World Trade Center 4 p.m. Visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School, East Harlem 6 p.m. Mass at Madison Square Garden SATURDAY, SEPT. 26 New York City, Philadelphia 8:40 a.m. Departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport 9:30 a.m. Arrival at Atlantic Aviation, Philadelphia 10:30 a.m. Mass at Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul 4:45 p.m. Visit to Independence Mall 7:30 p.m. Visit to the Festival of Families, Benjamin Franklin Parkway SUNDAY, SEPT. 27 Philadelphia 9:15 a.m. Meeting with bishops at St. Martin’s Chapel, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary 11 a.m. Visit to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility 4 p.m. Mass for the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families, Benjamin Franklin Parkway 7 p.m. Visit with organizers, volunteers and benefactors of the World Meeting of Families, Atlantic Aviation 8 p.m. Departure for Rome

By Tom Tracy Catholic News Service

Philadelphia’s archdiocesan director of communications.

A

Last November, the Vatican officially confirmed Pope Francis would attend the international family gathering, and the pope’s itinerary eventually expanded to include first a stop in Cuba, followed by Washington, New York City and finally Philadelphia.

self-described “homebody,” Pope Francis will make the 10th foreign trip of his pontificate this month, visiting Cuba and then, for the first time in his life, the United States.

The visit of the 78-year-old Argentine pope comes in a year packed with important events for him: the publication in June of “Laudato Si’,” his encyclical on the environment; the world Synod of Bishops on the family in October; and the Dec. 8 opening of a special Year of Mercy.

The first traces of preparation for Pope Francis’ historic U.S. visit could be said to have started in Milan, Italy, in 2012.

In closing the Vatican-sponsored World Meeting of Families held there that year, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the 2015 gathering would take place in Philadelphia.

Right away, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and World Meeting of Families organizers considered the possibility of a papal visit, which has often accompanied the family summit held every three years in a different host country.

Although at that time the event’s planners could not have known that Pope Francis would be at the Vatican helm in 2015, they laid out contingency plans in hopes the World Meeting of Families would draw a papal visit.

“The planning started right away in 2012 when we found out the archdiocese was being asked to host the meeting,” said Kenneth Gavin,

More than a million people expected Gavin noted that in Philadelphia alone, there are two papal trip planning bodies: one for the Sept. 22-25 World Meeting of Families under the direction of veteran communications professional Donna Crilley Farrell, and an archdiocesan effort for everything else concerning the Sept. 26-27 papal visit to Philadelphia, with a degree of overlap since the events are intertwined.

“Philadelphia is a big place and the life of the archdiocese has to go on, so we reached out to others — we wanted the best people we can get and who have worked with large groups of people, with security and transportation,” he said, noting that Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput has brought an “incredible” amount of energy to the project.

A Host-A-Family program will augment some 11,500 Philadelphia-area hotel rooms, and financial pledges of $30 million will help offset costs associated with the papal visit there. Some 5,000 to 7,000 accredited journalists are expected to cover Pope Francis’ visit.

The pope’s outdoor closing Mass at Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway could draw more than 1.5 million participants. Pope Francis also is expected to meet with Hispanics and immigrants, and separately, with inmates at a correctional facility in the “City of Brotherly Love.”

World Meeting visit’s centerp

In a June news conference about th stop in the nation’s capital, Cardinal Wuerl of Washington said he and the of Philadelphia and New York City m Vatican papal advance team in each cities in the U.S. and in Rome to char Francis’ first U.S. visit. They were inst come up with their own “wish list” o and activities for Pope Francis during The World Meeting of Families serv centerpiece of the papal visit — some advance team made clear should not overshadowed by planning any large events elsewhere beforehand.

The Washington portion of the vis grew to include a Catholic Charitiesencounter with homeless people. Th visit President Barack Obama at the W and address a joint meeting of Congr events are managed independently b entities, including press credentialing Pope Francis also will celebrate a ca Mass for Blessed Junipero Serra at the the National Shrine of the Immacula Conception.

As with the other locations, tickets events in the capital are limited and a being distributed through local parish of the general public will be able to vi broadcast of the pope’s remarks to Co Jumbotrons at the West Front of the C

Extensive media interest

Chieko Noguchi, director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Wash press credentialing for events the arc overseeing has been daunting. She jo Church officials in predicting that m coverage of Pope Francis’ trip will lik

amilies & papal visit

September 10, 2015 • 15

at

XPECTATIONS Papal trip began as World Meeting of Families, grew to be three-city tour

Father Mike Kueber and Ryan Currens. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Letter becomes papal ticket for Richfield Catholics

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

CNS

piece

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a and public hington, said chdiocese is oined other media kely exceed

“The Holy Father wants to have an encounter with people, he wants to learn about us and how the church operates in New York and the United States, and we want to give him a real understanding of our inner city schools, immigrant populations, of what we do for newcomers to our country and of how faith communities can co-exist.” – Joseph Zwilling that of Pope Benedict’s 2008 visit to Washington and New York.

Finishing touches still in flux included as-yet unannounced papal motorcade routes for those who want to get a glimpse of Pope Francis.

Much more so than during Pope Benedict’s 2008 visit, social media will play a greater role in the Church communications strategy. In August, the USCCB rolled out a new app, “The Catholic Church,” to provide visuals, audio and text of the papal visit.

The USCCB also contracted an outside company to provide live streaming and roundthe-clock replay coverage of Pope Francis’ visit

Take an armchair pilgrimage Pilgrims from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including Bishop Andrew Cozzens, are traveling to see Pope Francis.

Many will also participate in the World Meeting of Families. Catholic Spirit Editor Maria Wiering will accompany a delegation to Philadelphia. Watch for frequent updates at www.TheCatholicSpirit.com and our social media channels. www.Facebook.com/MNatWMOF @CatholicSpirit @TheCatholicSpirit @CatholicSpirit

and which will be accessible via the USCCB website.

Pope expected to speak Spanish Pope Francis is expected to speak primarily in Spanish, so another planning priority has been to enlist sufficient bilingual staff to assist reporters with simultaneous translations of remarks by the pope, who often deviates from prepared texts.

“In the past, the Vatican provided us with texts of the speeches in various languages for the journalists, so if he is speaking extemporaneously in Spanish that will be a challenge,” said Helen Osman, the USCCB’s secretary for communications who is now national coordinator of communications for the papal visit.

In New York, Pope Francis will attend an interreligious prayer service at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site, meet with small groups at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and a Catholic elementary school in East Harlem, and celebrate a Mass at Madison Square Garden.

“In all of our planning we are trying to maximize the time the Holy Father has to interact with people, and we kept the furnishings at the sites very simple,” said Joseph Zwilling, the archdiocesan director of communications.

“The Holy Father wants to have an encounter with people, he wants to learn about us and how the Church operates in New York and the United States, and we want to give him a real understanding of our inner city schools, immigrant populations, of what we do for newcomers to our country and of how faith communities can co-exist,” Zwilling said.

The visit, he added, touches every aspect of the New York Archdiocese — from special fundraising, to parishes awaiting tickets for his appearance, to Catholics praying for his visit and for Cardinal Timothy Dolan, “who is eagerly

It started with a simple letter that Ryan Currens sent to President Barack Obama earlier this summer.

The parish administrator at Assumption in Richfield encouraged the chief executive to read Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Si´,” which came out in June.

He summarized his words for The Catholic Spirit: “I’m a voting Catholic, and I hope you keep in mind everything the Holy Father has to say about . . . our planet. I know you’re a father, too, and we want to make sure that the planet is in good shape for our children and their children. The pope’s got some good ideas, and I hope you’re receptive to them when he’s around.”

His letter led to a call from the White House offering him the chance to be part of events surrounding the audience the president and the Pope Francis will have Sept. 23 in Washington, D.C. Currens had no idea his written words would even be read by anyone at the White House, much less lead to an invitation to be in the presence of two of the world’s most influential leaders. He was driving to a McDonald’s for dinner with his wife, Meghan, and their three children when his cell phone rang.

“I got a call from this blocked number on my cell phone,” said Currens, 33. “You never get a call from a blocked number, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll answer it and we’ll see what the deal is.’”

The “deal” was an offer to come to Washington to see the president and the pope. The communications person he talked to explained that his letter made an impact, and that they were looking for representatives from each state to attend. They were hoping at least some of the attendees would be military veterans, and Currens fit the bill, having served in the Army for three years from 1999 to 2002.

They offered him three tickets, and he immediately asked his wife. They considered taking their youngest child, Johnny, but ultimately decided against it. That left one ticket to give away. He approached the pastor of Assumption, Father Mike Kueber, and offered him the ticket. Father Kueber quickly and eagerly accepted.

“This is just awesome,” Father Kueber said. “I’m grateful to the Lord for this surprise.”

Neither of the men knows whether they will have the chance to greet the pope or the president. But, Currens knows what he would say to the president if he gets the chance.

“We’ve got to keep good track of this planet,” he said.

“It’s the only one we have. I want my kids, and eventually, some day, God willing, grandkids to inherit a better planet than I had. We’re the world’s leading economy. It’s on us to put the right foot forward and show the rest of the industrialized world how it can be done.”

To that message, Kueber would add one more thing: that President Obama keep in mind society’s vulnerable —immigrants and “those in the womb.”

16 • The Catholic Spirit

Christian spouses: Teachers and witnesses of truth

WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES

September 10, 2015

Moorhead couple: Family rosary a teaching moment

By Amanda Zurface Close your eyes and envision St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and insert your family into the scene inside the piazza. Do you feel the colonnade — the arms of the basilica — wrapped around you?

That is the Church embracing you, similar to when your family sits in the pews of your parish church. The family has a special place in the heart of the Church.

When we use the phrase “the Church,” we don’t always recognize its great theological depth. Christ’s total self-gift for our salvation formed the Church, the bride and spouse of our Lord. Jesus, as bridegroom, laid down his life for his bride. The baptized make up the Church as one body with Christ as our head.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that one becomes a member of the one body, not by physical birth, but by being “born anew” in a birth “of water and the Spirit” — by faith in Christ and baptism. Through baptism, while becoming members of the Church, we also become her sons and daughters. By taking on this new identity we have done nothing, but have received everything. Our new identity flows from Christ’s love. This love gives the Church her identity as the bride of Christ.

The Church herself proclaims this love. It is as real as the love between a husband and wife. This love and communion between Jesus and the Church teaches and reflects the truth about what marriages and families are and the mission to which they are called. Because of this, it is appropriate that the Church is also called our “mother,” “teacher” and our “family of faith.”

The Church, as our mother, teaches and forms us in the identity we receive at baptism. Her pastoral duty and responsibility is the salvation of the people of God by preserving the truth of the Gospel and seeing that the baptized abide in the truth.

The Church helps the family, guiding it in a mission of love. Through the Church, the truth of love is revealed and purified. The Church assists the family in building a home for love, and she teaches the family the moral truths of the Gospel. Marriages and families are responsible, through membership in the Church, to proclaim and live the Gospel.

If the Gospel does not motivate the family, strengthening marriages and parents’ relationships with their children, or if the family quits sharing Christian love with the world, the Church loses her relevance in society.

Following our Church as mother and teacher, Christian spouses are called to teach and witness to the truth in the world. May our marriages and families be witnesses, keeping the Church relevant in society and guiding others in our ongoing mission of love.

Zurface is the coordinator of justice, marriage and family life in the Office of the New Evangelization for the Diocese of Crookston.

The Davis family stops for a photo at the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park on a recent trip to Chicago.

Jenny and Casey are pictured with their five children: Peter, 10; Charlotte, 7; Jameson, 5; Stella, 3, and Bridget, 1.

Courtesy the Davises

By Katrina Genereux For The Catholic Spirit Whether biking to confession as a family, praying the rosary with their five children or blessing their food before eating at a restaurant, the Davis family is working toward holiness one day at a time with the guidance of the Catholic Church.

“It’s amazing that our Church has . . . this history and all of these opportunities for families to nurture their relationships,” said Jenny Davis, who has been married to Casey Davis for nearly 12 years. The couple and their children — whose ages range from 1 to 10 — live in Fargo, but belong to St. Joseph parish in Moorhead.

“Coming from a non-Catholic background, it is very nice to have the Church as kind of a teacher,” Casey said. “When I grew up in the evangelical church . . . you just decided what you thought you were supposed to be doing, and you didn’t really have a lot of direction.”

For Casey, looking to Church teaching and tradition is especially important when tough questions arise.

He likes being able to give their children solid reasons behind Church teaching. He described that teaching as “best practices” to follow for people seeking true happiness.

“It’s not just what I believe, it’s what we believe,” he said.

Family prayer One thing that has helped Jenny and Casey deepen their family’s faith life is belonging to Teams of Our Lady, a Catholic couples group.

Jenny describes the group’s purpose as “working on your marriage and relationship before you need to.” They meet with five other couples and a spiritual director monthly for a potluck dinner, faith sharing and prayer.

Being part of Teams of Our Lady has led Jenny and Casey to draw their whole family into a deeper relationship with

Mother, teacher, family: The nature and role of the Church The Church has institutional forms because she must work in the world. But that does not exhaust her essence. The Church is the bride of Christ, a “she,” not an “it.”

In the words of St. John XXIII, she is our mother and teacher, our comforter and guide, our family of faith. Even when her people and leaders sin, we still need the Church’s wisdom, sacraments, support and proclamation of the truth, because she is the body of Jesus himself in the world, the family of God’s people writ large.

sections and, of course, fighting over which one gets to lead, and who gets to hold which rosary and all that kind of stuff,” Jenny said.

Despite navigating those age-typical antics, Jenny enjoys being able to take another step in faith with their children. When the Davises start to get swept away by the daily tasks of working, maintaining the household and raising their children, remembering that they can sit down to pray the rosary as a family helps bring the eternal perspective back to the forefront.

Spiritual habit

The efforts and witness of the Davis family is what Pope Paul VI referred to 40 years ago in the apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi” (“On evangelization in the modern world”), when he wrote, “Modern man — World Meeting of Families listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are Christ and his Church. witnesses.”

Part of that deepening faith life For the Davises, becoming witnesses includes saying the rosary together. The has been a process. “We didn’t start first time they prayed it as a family, where we are,” Casey said. He credits they had prayed three Hail Marys when other Catholics for inspiring his family their 5-year-old turned to them. to growth in faith. “[It] got us to be able “I think we already said this,” he said. to be willing to accept five, or as many “Yeah, we did,” Casey told him. kids as God has planned for us, or to be “And we have 50 more, so buckle willing to sit down as a family and say a up,” added Jenny, laughing as she rosary. . . . We probably wouldn’t have relayed the story. thought that was us when we were first Little by little, they’re getting used to dating.” the practice of praying the rosary Jenny and Casey work to make prayer together. a part of their daily family life and to “They [children] like leading different instill it as a habit for their children.

“If you’re used to something, it’s so much easier,” Casey said.

10th in a series: “If we wouldn’t have started praying with our kids [from the Mother, Teacher, Family beginning] . . . when they are teenagers, trying to get them to In partnership with the pray in front of their friends publications of all Minnesota would be scary.” dioceses, The Catholic Spirit is “The way we are raising our featuring an 11-part series on children and living our family families based on the World life together touches a lot of Meeting of Families’ 10 themes. other people, even if we are not aware of it,” he added.

FAMILY FINANCES

September 10, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 17

Philanthropy honors parents’ Catholic values, connects family

The 13 children of George and Evelyn Sayer line up in this photo circa 1960. Before his death, George set up a charitable foundation that his family continues to operate with help from the Catholic Community Foundation, ensuring their investments are in line with their Catholic values.

Courtesy Ginny Metzger

By Jessica Trygstad The Catholic Spirit A life lived for others is what Ginny Metzger learned from her parents, George and Evelyn Sayer, growing up in Excelsior and attending St. John the Baptist parish and school. A chemical engineer who owned several Twin Cities companies, George set an example for his 13 children — Metzger being the twelfth.

“We had to watch out for others,” said Metzger, 55, a parishioner of St. Michael in St. Michael. “That was part of our responsibility as Christians, as Catholics, to help those who couldn’t help themselves. We always realized that we were blessed to have a house and parents and siblings and everything we needed, but there were always people who didn’t.

“They believed they had three responsibilities to their children,” Metzger continued, “teach them to love God, teach them to work and to educate them. If they were to succeed in these three things, they thought their children could be successful. And handing them Ginny money would never help them METZGER succeed. They felt they fulfilled those responsibilities so that a more lasting legacy of serving the poor and disenfranchised would be the foundation.”

Ensuring Catholic values Instilling a giving spirit in children is what experts at the St. Paul-based Catholic Community Foundation recommend to help establish a lifetime of generosity.

Kelly Webster, vice president of development and donor engagement at CCF, said pairing giving with volunteering often makes the experience real and tangible and puts faces on the beneficiaries.

For example, “when people support their parish or school, that’s going to feel more real because they’re already experiencing it,” she said.

“Throughout the ages, our faith has consistently called us to care for the poor and vulnerable,” Webster continued. “For so many of our donors, the poor are at the top of their minds, ensuring these values carry on to future generations.”

With a mission to financially support the Catholic community, CCF assists donors in a way that’s meaningful to them, Webster explained, offering a variety of ways that serve donors’ objectives for themselves and others. In its 23-year existence, the organization has provided more than $118 million in

grants in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, “a result of the generous hearts of Catholics,” Webster said.

As for the Sayers, firmly believing that his gifts were God-given, George wanted to continue to share his family’s wealth with the community even after he died.

Four years before his death in 1998, he worked with his family to set up a foundation — the Sayer Charitable Foundation, which provides grant money to mostly Catholic organizations and other charities its board deems worthy.

Recently, the family turned to CCF to help manage its foundation.

“At the very minimum, we’re assured that anything my parents worked so hard for wouldn’t be given to anything contrary to the Church,” Metzger said of their partnership with CCF, noting that in order to be considered a grant recipient, the charity must have a pro-life mission. “Our greatest guide is the Catholic Church; she’s got wisdom beyond us.”

Metzger, the wife and mother of nine — ranging in age from 29 to 16 — is the business administrator at St. Raphael in Crystal. She’s serving a second year as board president of her family’s foundation; its members are four of her siblings and a nephew.

When to start Her parents’ values are what Metzger and her siblings want to pass along to the next generation by personally inviting them to become involved — both in the family’s foundation and heritage.

“Maybe it will cause them to stop and think: ‘Why was this so important to my grandparents?’” Metzger said. “Maybe someday when they’re older and get involved with this, that’s their connection to their grandparents, and they can honor their grandparents by continuing to seek out organizations that need their help or answer organizations that ask for help.”

but the Lord directs his steps.”

– steps.”

Proverbs 16:9 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his – Proverbs

Webster said the role charitable giving plays in a family’s financial planning looks different for each one.

“I think what we find as we work with our donors is that so many of them feel called by their faith and the blessings in their life,” she said. “Part of being a steward of those gifts is to pay them forward and benefit people in need. They [donors] practice philanthropy through those funds. We just get to witness it.”

Mike Biver, CCF’s senior gift planning officer, said people can start reflecting on when to give as soon as possible, but that it typically happens simultaneously when they have a steady income and begin planning their finances.

“When you’re thinking comprehensively, have the conversation about philanthropy,” Biver said. “Make philanthropy an equal part of the conversation with other goals: housing, college, taxes, retirement.

Hopefully, giving back is always a part of those considerations. Even in lean years . . . it can still be part of consideration and decision-making.”

Webster said that while most people come to CCF when they have more assets, they work with people at a lot of different life stages.

“As you think about giving, there’s no minimum amount,” she said. “The experience and joy of giving, to me, is an important part of the pursuit. Give $5 and see what it feels like, and lay that groundwork.”

Metzger agreed that people don’t need to have a lot of money or be a financial expert in order to give. And she encourages Catholics to remember to support the Church after their death. She asked, “When you think about how much . . . has been given to us through the Church during our lifetime, why wouldn’t you want to support her when you can, when you’re gone, so the Church can do what it needs to?”

For more information about the Catholic Community Foundation, visit www.ccf-mn.org.

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RETIREMENT

18 • The Catholic Spirit

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit Retirement might be years off or just around the corner, but whatever your personal situation, some basic planning elements apply to just about everyone.

Mary Harens, with 20 years of experience in the financial field, offered a dozen items to consider when planning for retirement. Harens, a parishioner of St. Louis, King of France in St. Paul, often advises those preparing for their golden years.

The following are 12 areas she suggests people think about as they prepare:

1 2 3

Retirement is a very personal entity. “Every family, every couple, every person has a different scenario,” Harens said. A strategy that works for your friends and acquaintances might not work for you.

September 10, 2015

Looking toward

retirement?

12 tips for making your plans

4 5

7

6

8

Health care. “Typically, health care costs will increase, not decrease,” she said. This is important to consider especially for those whose health care insurance has been provided as part of their employee benefits and will be no longer. “Look into long-term care insurance,” Harens suggested; it might be something you need.

10

Think carefully about your investments.

“Conventional wisdom is that we should spread our investments differently as we age,” Harens said. “As we get older, prudence says put more into guaranteed or conservative accounts.”

Personal tolerance for risk comes into play here. “No risk and no fees is nice,” Harens said.

Don’t delay estate planning, and update documents as needed. Review your wills, trusts, life insurance, investments, etc. Keep beneficiaries current. “Know who your beneficiaries are,” Harens said. “It’s easy to update.”

Pay down debt. “Lose the credit card debt!” she stressed. Whether you should withdraw money from your assets (savings, retirement account, investments) depends on your situation: See No. 1 above. Rule of thumb for withdrawing from one’s 401K to pay bills: If you are younger than 59 1/2, don’t do it.

The cost of living has a personal dimension.

“Some expenses we have control over, some we don’t,” Harens said. How much people travel or spend on entertainment is under their control; health care insurance and medical and dental bills might not be. “There is a difference between needs and wants,” Harens warns.

9

Understand how your retirement accounts work. Knowing the dynamics of your 401k, Roth IRA and other retirement funds, because “it’s a different game when we retire,” Harens said.

“Withdrawals all impact our income, which effect our tax scenarios.” Every penny, nickel and dime in this country has a relationship with the IRS.

11 12

Have a good sense of your monthly bills and spending. “Know what you’re doing now with your money,” Harens said. Software that is readily available, or even a simple spreadsheet, can help you track your expenses.

Be current on tax laws. Tax laws change, and knowing the tax consequences of your decisions can spare you grief and expensive mistakes, Harens said. Consult a CPA with questions.

available. In Minnesota, know that there may be tax consequences that impact your Social Security payout, depending on how much income you make from a parttime job, for example.

iStock Take care of yourself first. “Think of this not in a selfish way but in a prudential way,” Harens said.

Trying to give financial help to children for college might backfire in the not-too-distant future. Get creative on funding for a child’s college education, but not at the expense of your own retirement. Remember what they say on airplanes: Put on your oxygen mask first before helping others so you will be able to help them.

Learn what you need to about Social Security.

Preregister for a Social Security account, something that can be done at www. socialsecurity.gov. Know that the process to begin receiving Social Security funds takes several months.

“There are decisions to be made, and there are resources to help with those decisions,” including information on the Social Security website, Harens said. Professional help from a financial advisor or elder care attorney is

Consult a professional. A trustworthy financial planner can help you avoid costly missteps with many of the points above.

Your bank or credit union might be a source to consider, and Harens suggested consulting a few professionals, including those recommended by friends. You want to know how long they’ve been in the industry. Ask friends why they trust the people they recommend. “I always check the back of Catholic church bulletins, ads in The Catholic Spirit or Relevant Radio,” Harens said.

“If I have to start somewhere, I like the idea of a faithbased resource. At least I know right away that they support something I support!”

And one more thing Along with the above elements of planning, Harens added an important suggestion: Plan to give of yourself.

“Volunteer. Mentor someone. Give of your time and talent,” said Harens, who volunteers on the Cathedral of St. Paul Heritage Foundation board and at her own parish.

“Retirees have a a wealth of experience and knowledge galore to share with those of us coming up behind them,” she said.

Mary Harens is a sales representative of Catholic United Financial in St. Paul. Reach her at (651) 295-2040 or mharens@catholicunited.org.

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RETIREMENT

September 10, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 19

Experience, wisdom passed on through ethical wills

By Beth Blair For The Catholic Spirit The topic of death isn’t something most people care to think about or discuss, but planning what will happen after the inevitable occurs is necessary for a variety of reasons.

The legal research corporation LexisNexis reports that more than 55 percent of American adults are without a will or estate plan — tools that could help put people’s minds at ease and make the transition easier for loved ones after a death in the family. What some people might not realize is planning for death means more than simply assigning or granting property, financial accounts and family heirlooms.

Today, adults are taking it a step further by creating an ethical will, also called a legacy letter. Bill Marsella, director of partner relations at the Catholic Community Foundation in St. Paul, has been in professional fundraising for 38 years and first became familiar with the concept of an ethical will about 15 years ago.

“I’ve written my own ethical will to my five children and many grandchildren 10 years ago and began to see the value of using this concept in my work as a professional fundraiser at about the same time,” he said.

Ethical wills aren’t a new trend.

“The concept of an ethical will goes back in biblical times 3,000 years, to the prophet Jacob, who called his 12 sons

“I recommend the writing of ethical wills because not only are they a wonderful gift to pass on to loved ones, but they can also inform your legal will or your estate planning.”

Bill Marsella to his deathbed to ‘leave them his prophecies.’ It is simply a vehicle by which you leave your values, your wisdom and your love to future generations in written form,” Marsella explained. “It is not a legal instrument like a formal will and estate plan, but something that can accompany a legal will when given to descendants or loved ones.”

Marsella says the process is simple and need not be rushed; it’s best done from middle age and beyond or when approaching the end of life. He suggests writing down important tidbits such as beliefs, opinions and memories. He points out that it’s easier to write a living will and a will of inheritance when you know what principles you value. Marsella has given presentations on the topic and asks attendees to reflect on the following questions before writing their ethical wills: How is the world better because I’ve lived?

How would I like to be remembered? If I knew I was going to die tomorrow, what would I want to say to my loved ones? Once the answers are laid out, it’s time to put pen to paper. He says an ethical will should start with the context, tell the story and end with a blessing.

or parish had on his or her life.

“Very often when someone writes their ethical will or a legacy letter for loved ones, they will mention values or virtues they have that were influenced by their Catholic faith or the Catholic institutions they have engaged with during their lives,” Marsella said. “I recommend the writing of ethical wills because not only are they a wonderful gift to pass on to loved ones, but they can also inform your legal will or your estate planning. Of course, the Catholic Community Foundation can play a role in helping you include the Church in your estate planning.”

Not about money Wealth is a non-issue when it comes to ethical wills. Marsella says anyone can write one, and people don’t need a large bank account. What you need is life experience, wisdom and love to pass on. In addition, it gives Catholics the opportunity to recall how the Church has molded their faith, Marsella says. A legacy letter can also explain the choices made in a legal will. For example, if a donor leaves a gift to his or her church or school, a legacy letter can explain the impact a priest, teacher

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More on ethical wills Bill Marsella, director of partner relations at the Catholic Community Foundation in St. Paul, recommends resources from Rachael Freed, a Minnesota author and founder of Life Legacies, www.life-legacies.com.

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20 • The Catholic Spirit

RETIREMENT

September 10, 2015

At 102, St. Thomas Academy’s ‘Prof Brown’ isn’t short on memories

By Bob Zyskowski The Catholic Spirit Although it happened 71 years ago, LeRoy Brown remembers every bit of the story of religious prejudice that brought him to Minnesota and to careers in teaching at a Catholic school and changing systems that treat Catholics unfairly.

Sitting at the kitchen-counter desk in his apartment at an assisted living home in Eagan just weeks away from his 102nd birthday on Sept. 7, Brown told how in 1944 he had been teaching at a public high school in Baraboo, Wisconsin, when the superintendent of schools there threatened not to renew his teaching contract if he and his wife, Dorothy, were going to send their 6-year-old daughter, Margaret, to a Catholic school.

“That didn’t sound legal to me,” Brown said, but the challenge that he recalled thinking was, “How strong a Catholic are you?”

“We prayed a lot, and we finally decided to see what other jobs were available,” he said.

That was when the phone rang, and Father Vincent Flynn, recently appointed president of the then-St. Thomas Military Academy, invited him to come to St. Paul to check out the school because they were looking for a physics teacher.

“I’d never heard of St. Thomas,” Brown said, “but when I asked Father Flynn what else I would have to teach, he said nothing — just physics.

“I’d been teaching biology, chemistry, algebra, geometry, coached basketball and put on the junior prom,” Brown said. “I remember it like it was yesterday.

I thought I was in heaven. I said to my wife, ‘We’d better say a rosary right away. This sounds like what we’ve been praying for.’ ”

Academy’s ‘Prof Brown’ From being out of a job because of his intention to

LeRoy Brown holds the framed congratulatory letter he received from Pope Francis upon his 100th birthday two years ago.

Longtime St. Thomas Academy teacher and veteran lobbyist for Catholic issues, Brown turned 102 on Sept. 7.

Bob Zyskowski/The Catholic Spirit practice his religion, Brown went on to have a 20-year career at St. Thomas Academy, where he became known as “Prof Brown” to generations of students.

Decades later, Prof Brown doesn’t hesitate when asked what was the most satisfying part of teaching at the academy.

“Kids,” he replied with a big smile.

“It was a dream job,” he added. “All boys. No discipline problems. Only seniors. Physics was an

elective. And every class started with prayer.”

There was only splash in the still water of this pool — when St. Thomas Academy was looking for a swimming coach, Father Flynn turned to the man who, during his summers in Baraboo, had been manager of the municipal swimming pool.

“There was one problem with that,” Brown said. “I Continued on next page

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September 10, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 21

From Academy to advocacy Continued from previous page

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didn’t swim. I managed the pool, I wasn’t a lifeguard.”

Brown went on to serve for 14 years as St. Thomas’ head swim coach, and now can laugh about how when the academy won a meet, half the swim team would throw him into the pool and the other half would save him from drowning.

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Back in 1948 the Minnesota High School Association admitted only public school teams to its annual state tournaments.

“I thought, gee, that’s not right, that’s not fair,” Brown recalled. “We ought to do something about that.”

Under the auspices of the Minnesota Catholic Education Association, that year he organized the first state Catholic high school basketball tournament.

That led to state Catholic competitions in hockey, debate, speech and music, all organized by letters and phone calls from the physics teacher at St. Thomas Academy through the MCEA. He left St. Thomas Academy in 1963 to dedicate his full-time work to the association.

Brown’s organizing ability caught the attention of one John R. Roach at a unique confluence of world and Church history.

The space race was in full bloom between the Soviet Union and the United States, and the Second Vatican Council (1961-65) opened the Church to collaborative decision-making at local levels.

In part as a response to fears that the Soviet Union was progressing in space faster than the U.S., Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which subsidized funding in math and science for all students — not just those in public schools.

In the Church, the concept of episcopal conferences was promulgated by Pope Paul VI. American bishops created the U.S. Catholic Conference, and each state began to establish its own state Catholic conference to be a voice in public policy decisions.

Public policy pioneer

Check out WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES on page 11

Minnesota was among the first to do so, and then-Father Roach, who taught at and then was headmaster of St. Thomas Military Academy before founding St. John Vianney College Seminary and becoming archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, approached Brown to head up the education department of the new Minnesota Catholic Conference in 1967.

Brown turned to a former student to teach him the ropes at the State Capitol.

“I didn’t know how to do anything in politics except vote,” Brown joked, “but I knew who did. I went to Joe O’Neill (who represented areas of St. Paul in both the Minnesota House and Senate during his tenure) and said, ‘You didn’t know a test tube from a flat iron when you came to my class. Teach me how to get a law changed.”’

The lessons took.

Brown organized statewide lobby efforts to persuade the Legislature to require school districts to bus to school all Minnesota students, not just public school students.

But that’s getting a bit ahead of the

story.

“It was not so much me, but [having organized the state Catholic tournaments] I had a pipeline to every Catholic high school in the state,” Brown said. “When I got into the political deal, though, I found out Catholics couldn’t do it alone.”

Because Vatican II had promoted ecumenism — cooperation with people of other faith traditions — he joined with Imogene Treichel (“a good Lutheran woman,” Brown said) to create an organization that wasn’t solely Catholic: Citizens for Educational Freedom.

CEF went to work, gaining first busing for students of nonpublic schools.

“When we got that, we got the gate open,” Brown said.

Through the years, their lobbying efforts gained a fair share of federal dollars for education in math and science for students in nonpublic schools, textbooks, educational services such as speech therapy, tax credits and tax deductions for parents who send their children to nonpublic schools, and full membership in the Minnesota State High School League for nonpublic schools.

“At one time,” Brown recalled, “the state department of education didn’t know how many nonpublic schools or students were in the state. I said give me 90 days and I’ll get you that information.”

Although separation of church and state was initially used as an argument for funding to go only to public schools, Brown said he knew that the federal ESEA did not distinguish between school affiliations, and so did the attorney for the state Department of Education at the time.

“He was a former student of mine, too,” Brown said, smiling once again.

Fighting injustice Getting laws changed isn’t easy, Brown admitted.

“When you get into the nitty-gritty talking with legislators,” he said, “you’ve got to help them understand the basic unfairness [of current law or public policy].”

His 1936 education degree from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls didn’t prepare Brown for a life such as he had, but as he said several times, “Things just happen.”

“You see a need, and nobody seems to be addressing the need, and you say to yourself, what would you have to do to fill the need?”

He quickly adds, “If you belong to a Catholic organization, I believe you need to spend some time praying.”

A longtime member of St. Mark in St. Paul, Brown retired in 1981. He volunteers at St. Peter in Mendota, where he’s on the cemetery committee and counts the weekend collection.

He’s not a cradle Catholic, though.

“I was nothing,” he said.

His father died when he was freshman in high school, and his mother died from cancer during his senior year. He had no faith tradition until he met Dorothy, who was also a teacher. “‘You’ve got to take the Church along with me,’ she said when I proposed,” Brown recollected.

“I said, ‘I’ll have to think about that’; 35 seconds later I said I’d do it.”

RETIREMENT

22 • The Catholic Spirit

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St. John’s Campus – Friday & Saturday, Sept. 11 & 12

September 10, 2015

Dodgers’ broadcaster suggests retirement after 2016 season

6 Interlachen Road • 55343

Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully throws out the ceremonial first pitch in early June prior to the first game ever between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston.

Scully will likely retire after the 2016 season, his 67th announcing games for the franchise. CNS/ Jon Soohoo, EPA

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By Mike Nelson Catholic News Service Veteran Los Angeles Dodgers’ announcer Vin Scully will likely retire after the 2016 season, his 67th announcing games for the franchise.

The beloved 87-year-old broadcaster — once voted by fans as the “Most Popular Dodger” of all — said Aug. 28 he will return for one more season, and on Aug. 29 told a news conference at Dodger Stadium that “realistically, next year will be the last one.”

“How much longer can you go on fooling people?” smiled Scully, a lifelong Catholic who attended Fordham Preparatory School and Fordham University in New York, and now attends St. Jude the Apostle Church in Westlake Village, California.

“So, yeah, I would be saying, ‘Dear God, if you give me next year, I’ll hang it up.’”

Scully began broadcasting Dodger baseball in 1950, at age 22, when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. He became the team’s lead announcer in 1953 and has served in that role ever since. He became an icon after the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958, with many Dodger fans insisting on bringing

portable listening devices (starting with transistor radios) to listen to Scully, even though the game was right in front of them.

Because of his advancing age and desire to spend more time with his wife, children and grandchildren, Scully has curtailed his workload in recent years and now only broadcasts Dodger home games and road games in California.

And although he said he will miss the daily contact with his friends at Dodger Stadium and his fellow reporters, he added, “When I leave, I will leave.”

He noted that other longtime baseball announcers associated with some of baseball’s most storied franchises — the Yankees’ Mel Allen, the Giants’ Russ Hodges, the Cardinals’ Jack Buck — have come and gone. “And you know what?” he said, “they kept playing the games, and the fans kept coming. So I know I can be replaced.”

Scully has also called baseball games for national radio (CBS) and television (NBC), and in the 1970s and 1980s served as an announcer for nationally televised pro football, golf and tennis events. His resume includes dozens of World Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Games and no-hit efforts, including several perfect games.

A multi-award-winner — including National Broadcaster of the Year and Broadcaster of the Century by the American Sportscasters Association — Scully was inducted into the broadcasters’ wing of Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1982. In 2009, he received the Cardinal’s Award from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for his service to the local Church and community.

“I think about my career,” he told The Tidings, newspaper of the archdiocese, in a 2008 interview, “and all I can say is, ‘Thank God who made it all possible.’”

But during the news conference at Dodger Stadium — where the press room was named for him in 2001 — Scully displayed customary humility as he sought to minimize the fuss over his plans to step aside from the broadcast booth.

“When it all boils down, I am the most ordinary man you’ve ever met,” he said. “I was given an extraordinary opportunity, and God has blessed me for doing it all these years.”

THIS CATHOLIC LIFE

September 10, 2015

WORD ON FIRE Bishop Robert Barron

Mother Nature is one unreliable lady, so look higher Conservation International has sponsored a series of videos that have become YouTube sensations, garnering millions of views. They feature famous actors — Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Robert Redford and others — voicing different aspects of the natural world, from the ocean, to the rain forest, to redwood trees. The most striking is the one that presents Mother Nature herself, given voice by Julia Roberts.

They all have more or less the same message, namely, that nature finally doesn’t give a fig for human beings, that it is far greater than we, and will outlast us. Here are some highlights from the Mother’s speech: “I’ve been here for over four and a half billion years, 22,500 times longer than you; I don’t really need people, but people need me.” And: “I have fed species greater than you; and I have starved species greater than you.”

And: “My oceans, my soil, my flowing streams, my forests — they all can take you or leave you.”

I must confess that when I first came across these videos, I thought, “just more tree-hugging extremism,” but the more I watched and considered them, the more I became convinced that they are fundamentally right and actually serve to make a point of not inconsiderable theological significance. That nature in all of its beauty and splendor doesn’t finally care about human beings came home to me dramatically many years

ago. I was standing in the surf, just off the coast of North Carolina, gazing out to sea and remarking how beautiful the vista was. For just a moment, I turned around to face the shore, and a large wave came up suddenly and knocked me off my feet and, for a few alarming seconds, actually pinned me to the ocean floor. In a moment, it was over and I got back on my feet, but I was shaken. The sea, which just seconds before had beguiled me with its serenity and beauty, had turned on a dime and almost killed me.

The ancients knew this truth, and they expressed it in their mythology. The gods and goddesses of Greece, Rome and Babylon were basically personifications of the natural necessities: water, the sky, the mountain, the fertile earth, etc.

Like the natural elements that they symbolized, these divine figures were fickle in the extreme. One minute, Poseidon smiles on you, and the next minute he sinks your ship; now Zeus is pleased with you, now he sends a thunderbolt to destroy you; Demeter can be a gentle mother, and Demeter can be an avenging enemy.

And indeed, so it goes with the ocean, with the weather, and with the soil. But this is precisely why the worship of these natural necessities is always such a dicey business, for the best one can hope for is to mollify these finally indifferent divinities to some degree through

TWENTY SOMETHING Christina Capecchi

Pope’s ravioli story: asking questions that unlock wisdom I’m reading a book that speaks to me as a journalist, Brian Grazer’s 2015 release “A Curious Mind: The Secret To A Bigger Life.” In it, the 64-year-old Emmy-winning movie producer recounts his practice of conducting “curiosity conversations” twice a month for the past three decades to fill up his knowledge reserve and walk in someone else’s head.

The book is part memoir, part howto, urging readers to unleash the power of curiosity in daily life — in the break room, on the bleachers — by asking, in essence, “What is it like to be you?” It’s an ode to the power of learning, to the joy of being surprised and making connections.

“We are all trapped in our own way

of thinking,” writes Grazer, “trapped in our own way of relating to people.”

The reporter’s way as a lifestyle strikes me as an inherently Christian proposal.

It suggests that everyone we encounter — from stranger to spouse — possesses wisdom that could be acquired if only we care enough to ask. It hints at the bedrock of Catholic social teaching, human dignity, each of us created in the image and likeness of God. It submits that an understanding of the world comes not from pedigree but from shoe-leather reporting — listening, observing, leaning in and following up.

Pope Francis conducted a curiosity conversation last month, as reported in a quiet, six-sentence Associated Press

The Catholic Spirit • 23

worship and sacrifice.

“He made us!”

Biblical religion represents something As classical Christianity came to be altogether new, a fact signaled in the questioned by some of the intellectual opening verses of the book of Genesis, elite in the early modern period, the where it is emphatically stated ancient worship of nature made an that God creates earth, sky, the unhappy comeback. One thinks of stars and planets, the animals Baruch Spinoza’s equation “Deus that move upon the earth and sive natura” (God or nature) the fishes that inhabit the and then of the many ocean depths. All of these forms of pantheism that natural elements were, at it spawned, from one time or another, Schleiermacher’s worshipped as divine. “infinite” to Emerson’s “Oversoul” to George So even as he celebrates Lucas’s “The Force.” In them, the author of fact, the return to the Genesis is effectively classical sense of dethroning them, divinity is on desacralizing them. particularly clear Nature is wonderful display in the “dark” indeed, he is telling and “light” sides of us; but it is not God. The Force that play And the consistent such a vital role in biblical message is the Star Wars that this Creator narrative. Though it God is not like the can be used for good arbitrary and or ill, The Force is capricious gods of finally as indifferent the ancient world; to human beings as rather, he is reliable, is Mother Nature. rock-like in his steadfast love, more And this is why dedicated to human the Julia Roberts beings than a “Nature is wonderful video functions as mother is to her an effective antidote child. The entire indeed . . . but it is not against all forms of Scriptural revelation nature worship. It God.” comes to a climax vividly reminds us with the claim, in that when we make Bishop Robert Barron the fourth chapter Mother Nature our of John’s first letter, ultimate concern, we that God simply is are turning to an love. St. Augustine exceptionally cruel and unreliable lady. celebrated this biblical departure from Though I don’t think this was her the ancient worship of nature in a lyrical intention, Ms. Roberts is urging us to and visionary passage in his “look higher.”

“Confessions.” He imagines the natural elements coming before him, one by Bishop Barron is an auxiliary bishop of one. Each says to him, “Look higher,” the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the and then, in a great chorus, they gesture founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. toward God and then shout together, He was ordained a bishop Sept. 8. story. During an audience in St. Peter’s Square, the pope made his driver stop the popemobile so he could talk to “a tiny granny with shining eyes.”

There was something in her eyes that captivated him, whispering of secret knowledge: an old body, a childlike light.

He had to ask her: “Tell me your recipe” for joy.

Her response surprised him. “I eat ravioli,” she said. “I make them.”

It was such a concrete answer to an abstract question, its simplicity blanketing layers of meaning: a woman who has learned to sustain herself as she cares for others, gathering them around her table, warming bellies and doling out love in little pockets of pasta.

It makes me wonder what wisdom figures are right under my nose, masquerading as bank tellers and mail carriers, as the familiar or the strange, as the young or the old.

This month I went to a 50th anniversary party in a packed church gym, where the bride’s $90 satin gown was fluffed up on a mannequin, beckoning from the past. More than 500 people were there, but one niece and her fiancé couldn’t be there due to their pre-Cana formation. Ironic, I thought, to attend formal marriage prep

and, as a result, miss out on the chance to learn from these experts.

And so I started asking. I started assuming the people in my path are generous and wise, and, borrowing from Pope Francis, I started asking for their recipes for joy. The cashier at a McDonald’s drive-thru, the cart pusher at my local grocery store, whomever I could manage.

I found myself in the speckled shade of an oak on a Thursday afternoon, handing over a dollar for a bag of jingle bells and ribbon, shopping for secondhand wisdom at a garage sale on the edge of town.

The woman who lives there told me she spends more than a month adorning her house with Christmas lights and inflatables. Then she and her husband dress as Santa and Mrs. Claus, giving toys to the children who visit and responding to their letters on official North Pole stationery with personalized, handwritten details. Her faith is at the heart of the operation, she said, smiling broadly in the sun.

“What you give comes back to you tenfold.”

Capecchi is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights and the editor of www.SisterStory.org.

THIS CATHOLIC LIFE

24 • The Catholic Spirit

September 10, 2015

MAKING SENSE OF BIOETHICS Father Tad Pacholczyk

Abortion negates ‘best interest’ standard of consent In recent years, scientists in industry and academia have come to rely on freshly obtained human tissue specimens for certain types of research and experimentation. Sometimes these tissues and organs can be obtained after routine surgeries like gall bladder removal from adults or foreskin removal during the circumcision of newborns. The use of such tissues and organs can be morally acceptable if the patient (or the parents of the newborn) provide informed consent. The use of cells and tissues from fetuses can also be morally acceptable when those cells are obtained from a natural miscarriage and the parents provide consent. This would be equivalent to consenting to an organ donation from their deceased child.

Recently, however, a phenomenon has come to light that involves the partnering of biomedical researchers with abortionists for the purpose of securing a reliable supply of human tissues and organs.

In these cases, parental consent (usually from the mother) may be sought prior to using the aborted child’s remains. Researchers claim this consent is necessary to enable the ethical use of the cells or tissues. This procedural detail is frequently described in the section called “Materials and Methods” found in scientific research papers, as, for example, in this February 2015 article on brain research in the journal Science: “Human fetal brain tissue was obtained from the [clinic], following elective pregnancy termination and informed written maternal consents, and with approval of the local University Hospital Ethical Review Committees.”

Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortions in the United States, also seeks maternal consent prior to procuring fetal body parts from direct abortions, as chronicled by the Center for Medical Progress in its bombshell 2015 video exposé in which the sales of fetal heart, lungs, brain and liver were discussed and negotiated.

The strong public outcry that followed these revelations of harvesting fetal organs was understandable on the one hand, yet difficult to explain on the other, since there hadn’t been a parallel outcry when it came to the more offensive act of terminating the life of the unborn child itself. As one commentator observed, “Maybe it is not enough to be outraged at abortion on its face because, I don’t know, killing is somehow worse if body parts are sold.”

Despite this inconsistency, it is nonetheless clear that the use of tissues and organs from direct abortions raises significant moral concerns, even if the

mother’s signature may have been sought and obtained.

Typically when we serve as a proxy for someone and give consent on their behalf, we act simply as their agent and provide an affirmation of their original wishes (“yes, he told me he wanted to donate his kidneys”). Alternatively, if we do not know the wishes of the deceased patient, we do our best to make a reasonable decision based on the specifics of their situation using a “best interest” standard (“based on my friendship with him and concern for him, I think he really would have wanted to donate his kidneys”). When we serve as a proxy decision maker for a fetus, an infant, or a deceased child prior to the age of reason, it is incumbent on us to make a “best interest” decision on their behalf. The assumption is that as we cared for them in life, and had their best interests in mind while they were living, we can continue to exercise that “best interest” decision-making capacity later when they are deceased.

But if the mother of an aborted child were to sign the dotted line granting permission to utilize fetal cells and organs, that consent would necessarily be void, because she would have already categorically demonstrated that she does not have the best interests of her child in mind, having arranged for the taking of that child’s life. From the ethical point of view, she has disqualified herself from being able to give valid informed consent on behalf of her now-deceased child.

In the absence of proper informed consent, taking organs or tissues from the corpse would represent a further violation of the integrity of the child’s body and constitute a failure to respect the remains of the dead. Thus, the tissues and organs of the directly aborted child should not be utilized for research, transplantation or the development of therapies, but instead should be given a proper and respectful burial. In the final analysis, maternal consent cannot provide moral clearance for researchers to utilize fetal remains from direct abortions in their research.

Such permission from the mother is not, objectively speaking, an authentic form of consent, but is rather a type of “sham consent” that secures the veneer of legitimacy for what is ultimately an unconscionable research practice.

Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and serves as the director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, www.ncbcenter.org.

archspm.org

God’s Gifts Within Us - What Are We Doing With Them?

Tuesday, Sept. 22 - Pax Christi Catholic Church; Eden Prairie, MN 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. - presentation

The Scriptures tell us that God has placed particular talents and abilities in every one of us, and that we are expected to do something with them. So how well do we recognize, develop and use these gifts at every stage of our lives? Stewardship is not simply about caring for the land or contributing to our parish collections. It is especially about living this biblical call to use God’s gifts within us, and helping to build a world that more closely reflects the love and mercy, the justice and peace of God. Dr. Bernard Evans is on the faculty at Saint John’s University where he serves as Assiciate Dean for Faculty and occupies the Virgil Michael Ecumenical Chair in Rural Social ministries. Evans teaches courses on Christian social ethics, environmental theology and ministry in rural communities. His most recent publications include the books: Lazarus at the Table: Catholics and Social Justice (2006); Vote Catholic? Beyond the Political Din (2008); and, Stewardship: Living A Biblical Call (2014), all published by the Liturgical Press.

FREE but registration is required: www.csbsju.edu/sot or 320-363-3560

26, 2015 27, 2015

TheCatholicSpirit.com

FOCUS ON FAITH

September 10, 2015

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES Jean Denton

Especially in midst of suffering, cling to Christ I’ve known Mack since he was 11 years old — that’s 44 years. He grew up in a faithful, practicing Catholic family, much younger than his four older brothers and sisters. He was a young teenager when things started unraveling at home, largely due to alcoholism in the family.

He was well on his way to being an alcoholic himself by the time he was 20.

He fell in with some unsavory colleagues, was involved in a few violent encounters

and quickly flunked out of college. Soon afterward, his father died, and he continued a lifestyle of uneven employment, social isolation, minor arrests and alcohol abuse.

For a while, it seemed that he was trying to address his situation by periodically participating in substance abuse programs and reconnecting with family members. He also held on — by the thinnest thread — to his faith.

The Catholic Spirit • 25

He was hanging on to Jesus’ call, recollected in the Gospel for this week, to bear the cross life had handed him and hope in the promise that in joining his own troubles to Christ’s suffering, he also would find peace through him.

However, it later became obvious that alcoholism was at the root of his problems, as Mack grew increasingly isolated. Lately, it appears he has accepted a life of constant hardship — remaining homeless, barely employed and an alcoholic.

And he has let go of his faith.

He continues to pick up his cross, but he no longer holds to the second part of Jesus’ exhortation — to follow him.

It’s the second part that makes all the difference. Peter didn’t get it either when Jesus said that he’d have to suffer. But Jesus explained further that, yes, everyone has suffering, but if we follow him through our suffering, we’ll also follow him to resurrection. That means one must cling to the life of Christ, being

Sunday, Sept. 13 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings

• Isaiah 50:5-9a • James 2:14-18 • Mark 8:27-35 centered on goodness and trusting in God, all the way to resurrection. Not easy in the middle of serious strife.

Mack’s friends and family hope that he will reach out again for that thin thread of faith in Christ that once held him.

They hope he will find the right direction in which to follow Jesus while carrying his cross through to resurrection.

This Catholic News Service column is offered in cooperation with the North Texas Catholic of Fort Worth, Texas.

DAILY Scriptures Sunday, Sept. 13 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 50:5-9a James 2:14-18 Mark 8:27-35 Monday, Sept. 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross Numbers 21:4b-9 Philippians 2:6-11 John 3:13-17 Tuesday, Sept. 15 Our Lady of Sorrows 1 Timothy 3:1-13 John 19:25-27

Wednesday, Sept. 16 Sts. Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop, martyrs 1 Timothy 3:14-16 Luke 7:31-35 Thursday, Sept. 17 1 Timothy 4:12-16 Luke 7:36-50 Friday, Sept. 18 1 Timothy 6:2c-12 Luke 8:1-3

Saturday, Sept. 19 1 Timothy 6:13-16 Luke 8:4-15

Tuesday, Sept. 22 Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20 Luke 8:19-21

Friday, Sept. 25 Haggai 2:1-9 Luke 9:18-22

Sunday, Sept. 20 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 James 3:16—4:3 Mark 9:30-37

Wednesday, Sept. 23 St. Pius of Pietrelcina, priest Ezra 9:5-9 Luke 9:1-6

Saturday, Sept. 26 Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15a Luke 9:43b-45

Monday, Sept. 21 St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 Matthew 9:9-13

SEEKING ANSWERS Father Michael Schmitz

Feelings aren’t wrong; it’s what you do with them Q. I fell in love with a married

man. We had been such close friends and then developed feelings for each other. We haven’t done anything wrong, but I really care about him.

A. What you have described is something that almost every human being who is alive and who has any kind of significant contact with another person will experience at some point.

Right off the bat, I want to be sensitive to your feelings. Most likely, you are very hurt. Even if you weren’t looking for anything like this, it is very easy to feel guilty or to feel used or misled. I do not want to add to that guilt or hurt.

The first thing is to note that your feelings are neither right nor wrong. Of course, this is not the same thing as claiming that one’s actions are neither right nor wrong. What we choose to do with our emotions can certainly be good or evil, but the simple fact of feeling a certain way is neither good nor bad.

I am sure that you are aware of this: While your feelings for your friend are

neither good nor evil, what you do with those feelings has the potential to be sanctifying or damning. Our actions have the potential to be liberating or devastating.

It is very likely that you didn’t want these feelings. You probably didn’t do anything to conjure them into existence.

My guess is that you just started spending time together and those feelings developed on their own. This is another reason not to panic; feelings just “happen.”

Feelings are not a reliable indicator regarding the next action a person should take. They kind of just “are.” Your feelings can no more discern between right and wrong than your sense of smell is able to tell you what color the walls are painted.

Romantic feelings are of the exact same category. One of our modern problems, however, is that we seem to treat romantic feelings as having some special power or insight. They don’t. In fact, if you live for any number of years, you will realize that romantic feelings come

Thursday, Sept. 24 Haggai 1:1-8 Luke 9:7-9

and go almost more easily than any other emotion.

Sheldon Vanauken wrote about this in an essay titled “The (False) Sanction of Eros.” He pointed out that many people claim some kind of special privilege or dispensation from their promises or vows because “being with so-and-so makes me want to be a better person.”

Hogwash. “Being a better person” means making the choice to keep one’s vows or helping the other person keep their vows by removing yourself from the situation.

What to watch out for You indicated that you haven’t acted out on these feelings. This is very good.

But it seems that many people can be tempted to think that cheating is limited to acting out sexually. While this is the most obvious form of infidelity, there are many steps that are potentially just as destructive and harmful on the way to these actions.

I invite you to reflect on some other ways that could reveal where your heart is: • The amount of time spent with your friend.

• What you say and how you speak with each other.

• The number of times you text. Would you want his spouse to read your texts?

Not just the words, but the frequency and the time of day or night?

• Do you find yourself sharing things with him that only his wife should share? Are you his source of intimacy?

When a couple gets married, they promise fidelity. In simple terms, this

Sunday, Sept. 27 Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Numbers 11:25-29 James 5:1-6 Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

means my spouse is the only legitimate source of romance in my life.

Other relationships exist. Other friendships exist. There may be other people (members of the same sex only) who are confidantes. But when it comes to romance, your spouse is the only place you look. Not books. Not movies. Not Facebook. Not old letters from old flames. Not co-workers. Not friends of the opposite sex.

No ‘buts’ about it You have a crush. Crushes are very simple to deal with. There are only two responses. You either feed a crush or you starve it.

“But, but, but we are old friends!”

But, but, but he is married.

And, and, and your relationship with each other has changed; it is no longer platonic. So the decision is made. I don’t mean to be rude or insensitive about this, but the sooner all people in your situation take a step back and clear their heads, the better for everyone involved.

“How can I keep this relationship?” I don’t mean to be a jerk, but you can’t.

Unless you want to make some decisions that will destroy your life and devastate his family, you have to choose to starve this relationship.

The next step is simple. It is not easy.

But it is clear.

Father Schmitz is director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Reach him at fathermikeschmitz@gmail. com.

CALENDAR

26 • The Catholic Spirit Dining out Spaghetti Dinner for Vocations — Sept. 19: 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Epiphany Church (cafeteria), 1100 Hanson Blvd. NW, Coon Rapids. Hosted by the Knights of Columbus Auxiliary. Information: Nancy Mathewson, (763) 754-2892.

Parish events Garage sale — Sept. 12-13: Sept. 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Sept. 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sacred Heart/Kermesse del Sagrado Corazon, East Sixth and Arcade Streets, St. Paul.

Study and faith sharing on Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel” — Sept. 14 and Sept. 28; Oct. 5 and Oct. 19; Nov. 2 and Nov. 16: 6-8 p.m. at St. Olaf Church, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis. Information: (612) 332-7471 or Joan Miltenberger, jmiltenberger@ saintolaf.org.

St. Rose of Lima School 75th anniversary — Sept. 19: 4-9 p.m. Prayer service, Mass, outdoor dinner, music, children’s activities, reunion meet-andgreet. 2048 Hamline Ave., Roseville. Information: www.mysaintrose.net.

Garage sale — Sept. 16-18: Church of St. Patrick, 6820 St. Patrick’s Lane, Edina. (Sept. 16) 5:30-9 p.m.; (Sept. 17) 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; (Sept. 18) 8:30 a.m.-noon.

Corner of Valley View Road and Gleason Road.

Holy Trinity CCW salad luncheon — Sept. 24: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church Hall, 749 Sixth Ave. S., South St. Paul. Information: Sue, (651) 455-5261.

DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication.

Recurring or ongoing events must be submitted each time they occur.

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

ITEMS MUST INCLUDE the following to be considered for publication in the calendar: • Full street address of event.

• Contact information in case of questions.

ONLINE: www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions MAIL: “Calendar,” The Catholic Spirit, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102

A note to readers As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Catholic Spirit will no longer accept calendar submissions via email. Please submit events using the form at www.thecatholicspirit.com/calendarsubmissions Sacred Heart Fun Fest — Sept. 13: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4087 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale. Information: (763) 537-4561.

Sacred Heart/Kermesse del Sagrado Corazon fall festival — Sept. 13: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., East Sixth and Arcade Streets, St. Paul.

St. Boniface Country Fest — Sept.13: 11 a.m.4 p.m. at 4025 Main St., St. Bonifacius. Information: (952) 446-1054.

St. Patrick fall festival — Sept. 17-20: 3535 72nd Ave., Inver Grove Heights. Information: www.churchofstpatrick.com or (651) 455-6624.

Nativity of Our Lord School and Church County Fair — Sept. 18-19: 1900 Stanford Ave., St. Paul.

Information: www.nativitycountyfair.org or (651) 696-5401.

Holy Cross SeptemberFest — Sept. 11-13: 1630 Fourth St. NE, Minneapolis. Information: www.ourholycross.org or (612) 789-7238.

Holy Family Maronite fall fest — Sept. 11-13: 1960 Lexington Ave. S., Mendota Heights. Information: www.HolyFamilyEvents.org or (651) 291-1116.

St. Mary of the Lake fall festival —Sept. 12-13: Parish Life Center, 4690 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. Information: (651) 429-7771 or www.stmarys-wbl.org.

St. Michael of St. Michael fall festival — Sept. 12-13: 11200 Frankfort Parkway NE, St. Michael.

Information: www.stmcatholicchurch.org.

St. Timothy fall carnival — Sept. 11-13: 707 89th Ave. NE, Blaine. Information: (763) 784-1329 or www.churchofsttimothy.com.

Other events

• Description of event.

Holy Childhood Holiday Boutique — Oct. 3: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Holy Childhood Church, 1435 Midway Parkway, St. Paul.

St. Patrick CountryFest — Sept. 11-13: 19921 Nightingale St. NW, Oak Grove. Information: www.st-patricks.org.

Highland Catholic School/Lumen Christi Catholic Community Block Party — Sept. 12: 5:30-10 p.m. at Highland Catholic School, 2017 Bohland Ave., St. Paul.

Food, beverages, games, Tim Mahoney performance.

Information: Highland Catholic School at (651) 690-2477.

• Time and date of event.

Guardian Angels’ Fall Festival — Sept. 18-20: 8260 Fourth St. N., Oakdale. Information: www.guardian-angels.org.

Parish festivals

Schools

CALENDAR submissions

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University — Tuesday evenings, Sept. 29-Nov. 24: Holy Spirit Church, 515 Albert St. S., St. Paul. For more information and to register: www.daveramsey.com/fpu/locations/ class/1001027/atid/l_ln or call (651) 698-3353.

“Raising Christian Children in a Secular World” — Oct. 19: 7 p.m., presented by Mary Ann Kuharski, director of ProLife Across America, at St. Joseph Church, 13900 Biscayne Ave. W., Rosemount.

September 10, 2015

Holy Spirit SpiritFest — Sept. 19: 515 Albert St. S., St. Paul. Information: (651) 698-3353.

St. Ignatius parish festival — Sept. 19: 35 Birch St. E., Annandale. Information: (320) 224-2934 or dmos@lakedalelink.net.

St. John the Baptist, Jordan, fall festival — Sept. 19-20: 210 N. Broadway St., Jordan.

Information: www.sjbjordan.org.

Divine Mercy Catholic Church Spirit Fest — Sept. 20: 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. at 139 Mercy Drive Faribault. Information: (507) 334-2266 or www.divinemercy.cc.

St. Jerome fall festival and booya — Sept. 20: 10:30 a.m. at 380 E. Roselawn Ave., Maplewood.

Information: www.stjerome-church.org.

Most Holy Redeemer fall festival – Sept. 27: 10 a.m. at Most Holy Redeemer Church, 206 Vine Ave. W., Montgomery. Information: Joyce Forcelle, (612) 669-0570 or jforcell@frontiernet.net.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel festival — Sept. 27: 701 Fillmore St. NE, Minneapolis. Information: (612) 623-4019.

St. Pascal Baylon fall festival — Sept. 27: noon-5 p.m., Third Street and White Bear Avenue, St. Paul. Information: (651) 774-1585.

St. Casimir Fall Festival and Polka Mass — Oct. 4: 9 a.m. at 927 E. Jessamine Ave. at Forest Street on the east side of St. Paul. Information: (651) 774-0365.

St. Francis de Sales Booya and Fall Fiesta — Oct. 4: 10 a.m. at Highland Park Pavilion, 1200 Montreal Ave., St. Paul. Information: (651) 228-1169.

St. Peter fall festival — Oct. 4: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1405 Hwy. 13, Mendota.

St. Albert Fall Festival — Oct. 11: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at 11400 57th St. NE, Albertville. Information: www.churchofstalbert.org.

Prayer and worship Healing Mass — Sept. 15: 7 p.m. rosary followed by Mass with celebrant Father Jim Livingston at St. Gabriel the Archangel-St. Joseph’s Church campus, 1310 Mainstreet, Hopkins. Information: Barb at (952) 933-8423 or www.stgabrielhopkins.org.

Retreats Healing Takes Time — Sept. 18-20: For those who are grieving, sponsored by the Hope United Grief Group at Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information and to register: Marlene Hunt of Hope United Grief Group at (507) 381-1177 or email marlenehunt53@gmail.com.

St. Pius V fall festival — Sept. 20: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at St. Pius V Church, 410 Colvill St. W., Cannon Falls.

Information: www.stpiusvcf.org.

Women’s mid-week retreat — Sept. 15-18: Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information and to register: (952) 447-2182 or www.franciscanretreats. net/register.

St. Canice fall festival — Sept. 20: 183 Maple St. W., Kilkenny, eight miles north of Waterville, nine miles south of Montgomery and one and a half miles off Hwy. 13 East.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend — Oct. 9-11: Christ the King Retreat Center, 621 First Ave. S., Buffalo. Information: www.wwme.org.

St. Jude of the Lake CornFest — Sept. 12: 3-10 p.m., 700 Mahtomedi Ave., Mahtomedi.

Our Lady of Peace Block Party — Sept. 25-26: (Sept. 25) 5-10 p.m.; (Sept. 26) 9 a.m.-midnight at 5426 12th Ave. S., Minneapolis. Information: www.olpmn. org.

St. Mary Fall Harvest — Sept. 12-13: 607 Elm St., Waverly.

Holy Spirit parish festival — Sept. 26: 4:30 p.m. at 515 Albert St. S., St. Paul. Tickets required. Information: www.holy-spirit.org or (651) 698-3353.

St. Rita fall festival — Sept. 12-13: 8694 80th St., Cottage Grove. Information: (651) 459-4596.

St. Maron Touch of Lebanon Festival — Sept. 2627: 602 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

“Always The Seeker: The Spirituality of Thomas Merton” — Oct. 16-18: Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake.

Information: (952) 447-2182 or www.franciscanretreats.net.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend — Nov. 20-22: Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Information: www.wwme.org.

Prison ministry information workshop and support group — Sept. 12: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Risen Savior, 1501 County Road 42 E., Burnsville. Information: www.stjosephcommunity.org/prison_ministry.aspx or Kevin Connors, kjc379@gmail.com or (952) 426-8633.

Faithful Spouses support group — Third Tuesday of each month starting Sept. 15: 7-8:30 p.m. in Smith Hall of the Hayden Building, 328 Kellogg Blvd.

W., St Paul. For those who are living apart from their spouses because of separation or divorce. Information: (651) 291-4438 or faithfulspouses@archspm.org.

Lakes Life Care Center’s Passion for Life Banquet — Sept. 25: 5:30 p.m. at the American Legion, 5383 140th St., Hugo. Tickets and information: www.FriendsOfLakesLifeCareCenter.org or call (651) 464-0262.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul eighth annual Friends of the Poor Walk — Sept. 26: 1 p.m. at Assumption Church, 305 E. 77th St., Richfield, followed by a picnic lunch prior to the 4 p.m. Mass. A social hour and dinner will follow Mass. All proceeds and donations to benefit people in the Twin Cities area served by SVdP. Free. Information: www.fopwalk.org.

Art exhibit — Sept. 4-Nov. 22: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

“Beneath the Surface,” art of Chuck and Peg Hoffman, inspired by trip to the Holy Land. Free. Benedictine Center, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood.

Life in the Spirit seminar — Thursdays Sept. 17-Oct. 22: 7 p.m. in the chapel at Church of St. Paul, 1740 Bunker Lake Blvd. NE, Ham Lake.

Information: cosplifeinthespirit@gmail.com.

Looking for a Good Discussion? — Sept.17: 7-9 p.m. at the Benedictine Center, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Participants will explore ways to remain faithful and grounded in a turbulent world. Led by Carol Rennie, a Benedictine Sister and spiritual director, and Mary Janssen, a Benedictine Oblate and science teacher at Hill Murray High School. Information: www.stpaulsmonastery.org, (651) 777-7251 or benedictinecenter@stpaulsmonastery.org.

Is Spiritual Direction for You? — Sept. 22: 7-9 p.m. at the Benedictine Center, 2675 Benet Road, Maplewood. Information: www.stpaulsmonastery. org, (651) 777-7251 or benedictinecenter@ stpaulsmonastery.org.

Options for Women/Cornerstone Harvest of Hope Gala — Sept. 24: 6 p.m. at the Crown Room at Wellstead, 20500 S. Diamond Lake Rd., Rogers. Event includes a social gathering, big raffle, silent auction, smaller raffle, and keynote speaker actress and singer Lauren Roman. Emceed by Father Paul Shovelain.

Information: www.cornerstoneoptions.org or (612) 584-9449.

Reaching for Faith conference — Oct. 3: 8 a.m.noon at St. Raphael Church, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal. Information: www.straphaelcrystal.org or (763) 537-8401.

Career Transition group meeting — Third Thursday of every month: 7:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community, 155 County Road 24, Medina. The Career Transition Group is for people looking for work, changing careers, or looking to improve skills and network. For more information, visit www.hnoj.org/career-transition-group.

September 10, 2015

The Catholic Spirit • 27

Theft of Eucharist not uncommon in present day, history Continued from page 1 Christ. Consecrated hosts not consumed at Mass are reserved in tabernacles.

Before Mass Sept. 6, Father J. Michael Byron, St. Pascal Baylon’s pastor, addressed the congregation, assuring them the St. Paul Police has made the crime’s investigation a priority.

“We acknowledge the loss, grief, maybe the anger, and we entrust our lives to the Lord as we always do,” he said. “As we carry around that extra heaviness this morning, let us do so with faith and gratitude for the things that we have and hope for the future of our community.”

St. Pascal Baylon’s tabernacle was located in an alcove chapel behind the altar; it was obscured from general view by a brick-lattice grille. It is engraved with a cross flanked by two genuflecting angels, one holding a chalice and the other holding bread. Father Byron told The Catholic Spirit he suspects it was stolen for the value of its metal and that the thieves do not understand its spiritual significance.

No other valuables were disturbed, he said, but they did find a pitcher of juice the men had taken from the kitchen and drank, which indicated to Father Byron that the thieves were in the church for a while.

Police investigating A sacristan preparing for morning Mass Sept. 4 discovered the tabernacle was missing around 7 a.m. When Father Byron realized it was gone, he felt sick to his stomach, he said. He trembled during Mass that morning, he said, because of

“I have to think that whoever would do something like this has no idea what they’ve done.”

Father J. Michael Byron

alumna of its grade school, Wasmundt said the tabernacle’s loss makes her feel “like there’s a piece missing.”

Fellow longtime parishioner Philip Lay, 67, said he hopes that the thieves pay with jail time.

Eucharist theft the “sense of violence.” He told parishioners at the end of that liturgy, he said, and they showed “an overwhelming sadness and shock.”

One of the church’s front doors was accidentally left unlocked the night of the crime, but Father Byron thinks the men may have entered the church earlier that evening during a parish meeting, as surveillance footage does not show them entering the church during the night.

Upon discovering the tabernacle’s theft, Father Byron immediately contacted the police, and forensics and burglary units spent Friday morning at the church.

The Eucharist is being reserved in a small tabernacle retrieved from parish storage. Father Byron has received calls from local pastors offering to lend, sell or give a replacement tabernacle to the parish.

The pastor estimated 100 to 150 consecrated hosts were in the tabernacle.

Nothing about the crime suggests to him that the thieves’ aim was the Eucharist, he said.

Father Byron is most concerned about how the theft affects the community because of the tabernacle’s spiritual significance, he said.

The thieves did not take the tabernacle key, which heightens Father Byron’s concern, as the thieves may damage or destroy it as they try to open the door.

The tabernacle was refurbished about 13 years ago, when the current church was built. St. Patrick’s Guild, a St. Paul religious goods store, told him it would cost $18,000 to replace.

Archdiocesan leaders are concerned that the Eucharist the tabernacle contained could be desecrated, which is a serious crime in the Catholic Church.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, asks Catholics to pray for the return of the Eucharist to a Catholic Church and for the crime’s perpetrators.

“Obviously, we want it back,” Father Byron said. “I’m not angry about it; it’s just so sad and so shocking. I have to think that whoever would do something like this has no idea what they’ve done.”

“If nothing else, it’s a great opportunity to think about exactly what we’ve got in that tabernacle and its importance in our life,” he added.

Located on St. Paul’s East Side, St. Pascal Baylon is home to about 1,150 Catholic families and includes a parish school. Father Byron said the parish and school have experienced break-ins before, which included theft of some computer equipment.

Parishioner Gayle Wasmundt, 58, said she was shocked when she learned the news at Sunday Mass Sept. 6. A St. Pascal Baylon parishioner for 55 years and an

Theft of the Eucharist is a serious but not uncommon crime against the Catholic Church. In August, a tabernacle with consecrated hosts was stolen from a Los Angeles parish but returned undamaged two days later. The incident followed a July tabernacle theft from another L.A. parish. In March, a tabernacle containing the Eucharist was stolen from a parish in Buffalo, New York.

In February, the bishop of Belley-Ars, France, ordered the Eucharist be removed from chapels and churches in the diocese after several tabernacles in its parishes were desecrated and the Eucharist stolen.

In August 2014, stolen consecrated hosts were returned to Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City after a satanic group threatened to use them in a ritual.

Perhaps the most famous incident of Eucharist theft occurred in 1730, when thieves stole consecrated hosts from a church in Siena, Italy. The community prayed for their return, and three days later they were discovered in an offering box. They were never consumed and did not deteriorate. Considered miraculously preserved, they have been the subject of several scientific examinations — the most recent in 1922 — and are still available for public viewing today.

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28 • The Catholic Spirit

THE LAST WORD

September 10, 2015

From left, Cardinals Payton Nutter, Nora Schulz, Keely Skluzacek, Hannah Robb, Shelby Meyer, Mary Campbell and Madi Strodtman bring state tournament experience to the Bethlehem Academy varsity volleyball roster this year. All played key roles on last year’s state Class A championship team. Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

Faith is in the Cards

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit Bethlehem Academy volleyball players surrounded their coaches, Franz Boelter and assistant Sue Jandro, at a late August practice in the gym of the Faribault school.

It was minutes after 3 p.m., and it was time to get down to the business of honing skills the Cardinals hope will help them defend the State Class A title the team won last November.

But, before serving, spiking and digging their way through the coaches’ rigorous routine, there was an important task to do.

“Let’s pray,” Boelter said.

In unison, the 15 players dropped to their knees like they were getting ready to dig an opponent’s spike.

The posture highlighted Boelter’s ultimate hope for his team: to be Christians first, players second.

Their prayer routine, including hymns sung in the huddle before every match, is part of a long-standing tradition at the school.

“I think it’s really special that we get that time together,” said senior Hannah Robb, one of seven returning players who saw action in the state tournament last year. “That gives us such a deeper connection with each other when we know that we have that support of our teammates in our faith life.”

Boelter, who is entering his 24th year as head coach, said the girls borrowed a hymnal from Divine Mercy parish in Faribault and picked hymns to sing throughout the season.

The players gather on the court right before a match, lock arms together and sway as they sing some of their favorites.

Once they even included players from the opposing team. It happened after the state tournament in 2012, when the Cardinals

Bethlehem Academy volleyball players and coaches gather for prayer before a recent practice. The team prays together throughout the season and sings hymns during a team huddle before every match.

Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit

“It’s like a deeper connection between all of us when we get to pray and sing together.”

Payton Nutter

faced Southwest Christian in the Class A finals and won the match. The two head coaches agreed that they would have their players gather together right after the match.

“So, there was a big circle with players and

coaches intermixed,” Boelter said. “It probably is one of the most meaningful things that I’ve ever experienced as a coach.

And, I think our players would say the same.

It was one of the absolute highlights of the season, being able to do that after the state championship match.”

Last year, the team struggled when Payton Schultz, then a senior, went down with a fractured elbow during a tournament.

Yet, the team pulled together and made it to state, with Schultz returning just in time to help the Cardinals win the title, her fourth in six years as a starter and the school’s seventh overall. She made varsity as a seventh-grader and became a starter.

Just two years after Schultz arrived, another Payton entered the court — Payton Nutter, now a junior and one of the team’s four captains. Like the older Payton, she impressed the coaches enough to earn a varsity spot in seventh grade.

“We get her for two more years, so she’ll make me a better coach for the next two years,” said Boelter, who was named state Class A Coach of the Year last year. (Jandro won Assistant Coach of the Year.) “She’s extremely humble. I don’t think I’ve ever had a player more humble than she is. She will always give credit to somebody else. If you compliment her, there’s always a thank-you.

She is as humble as they come.”

Coming up for the Cardinals is the Eagle Invitational at Apple Valley High School Sept.

25-26 featuring some of the top teams in the state. The state tournament is Nov. 12-14.

Win or lose, one thing is certain: The Cardinals’ hymnal will get plenty of use this season. “It’s like a deeper connection between all of us when we get to pray and sing together,” Nutter said.