Bridgette and Jake Kappers stand in the pasture of his family farm shortly after their wedding Mass Sept. 14 at St. Mary in Chatfield. The two met at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market in 2022 and plan to build a life on the dairy farm. Bridgette grew up in the Twin Cities, while Jake is a lifelong resident of rural Chatfield, south of the Twin Cities. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Lightning flashes near St. Wenceslaus church in New Prague at 7:02 p.m. during an Aug. 24 storm. A parishioner who lives near the church, Sheena Arias, took video of the
and provided a still image from the
Arias said she believes the lightning struck beyond the church, though it might appear otherwise. There is no noticeable damage to the church, said Pamela Sherlock, director of communications and marketing for St. Wenceslaus.
LEGACIES From left, Mayor Andrew McGuinness of Kilkenny, Ireland, Celeste Raspanti of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul and Father Joseph Johnson, rector of the Cathedral, pose for a picture Sept. 13 at Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul near the grave of Archbishop John Ireland. A delegation from Kilkenny came to the Twin Cities to lay a wreath at the grave of Archbishop Ireland, who was born in Ireland, and to visit the Cathedral and the church of St. Canice in Kilkenny, which is south of the Twin Cities near Faribault and was named after the Irish city. Raspanti, who recently turned 96, was honored for her longtime volunteer work as Cathedral archivist.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Sept. 20
“Practicing Catholic” radio show included a discussion with Father Jim Livingston about healing Masses and an interview with JoAnn Schulzetenberg from the Way of the Shepherd Catholic Montessori School in Blaine, who dove into Montessori education. The program also included a talk with Christina Krutza about the Called and Gifted charism discernment process workshop. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
I have learned with sorrow that Juan Antonio López has been killed in Honduras. Coordinator of social pastoral care in the Diocese of Trujillo, he was a founding member of the pastoral care of integral ecology in Honduras.
Pope Francis expressing his grief over the killing and his solidarity with those “who see their fundamental rights violated” and are targeted for their advocacy for the poor and for the care of the planet. Pope Francis spoke after praying the Angelus at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome Sept. 22. López, a Catholic human rights and environmental activist, was killed in his car by a hitman Sept. 14 after attending Mass, Vatican News reported. The 46-year-old husband and father of two recently had been working to shut down an iron oxide mine in a national park that was said to be contaminating two rivers in the area and threatening the local population’s water supply. “I join in the grief of that church and condemn every form of violence,” Pope Francis told visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “I am close to all those who see their fundamental rights violated and to those who work for the common good in response to the cry of the poor and the earth.”
notes
Writer Anne Neuberger of St. Cecilia in St. Paul has produced a free, downloadable resource to teach children about caring for creation. Parents, grandparents, teachers, catechists and others can go to anneneuberger com for the 42-page illustrated booklet geared toward second through fifth graders. Titled “God’s Creation Waits,” it includes activities with plant and animal themes, including word finds and matches, drawing, writing, prayers and short stories of saints such as St. Hildegard of Bingen and St. Francis of Assisi. The booklet is particularly timely for the Season of Creation observed by churches including the Catholic Church from Sept. 1 through the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4.
A new rectory is being built for the priests at St. Ambrose in Woodbury. In an Aug. 25 bulletin notice, the pastor, Father Peter Williams said, in part, “We are so very excited by this new opportunity to live and minister in closer proximity to those to whom we have been sent and love so dearly. As you may have noticed, work is proceeding diligently and we look forward to watching the progress over these coming months.”
Oct. 5 will be a day “of prayer, listening and learning,” according to organizers of an event centered on the harm caused by Native American boarding schools. Hosted by the Catholic Racial Justice Coalition and Gichitwaa Kateri in Minneapolis, “Toward Healing Minds and Hearts: Reflecting for Right Relationship and Conciliation” aims to “explore possible conciliatory actions” and celebrate “the vitality of Native cultures.” Samuel Torres, deputy chief executive officer of the Minneapolisbased nonprofit National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, will be a guest speaker. The event at St. Catherine University in St. Paul is free and registration is available online: ccf-mn org/crjc/registration
Sept. 24, Father Martin Siebenaler, an alumnus of The St. Paul Seminary, received the seminary’s Distinguished Alumni Award on his 92nd birthday. The award, meant to recognize the priest’s contributions to the Church, was given to Father Siebenaler at evening vespers followed by a light reception. Father Siebenaler was ordained in 1959 by Archbishop William Brady and continues to serve patients and staff at Allina Health United Hospital-Hastings Regina campus in Hastings. Father Siebenaler’s ministry has included serving as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Loretto from 1972 to 1986 and St. Joseph in Waconia from 1986 to 2002. He retired in 2002.
Kim Osborn, director of Catholic Charities Twin Cities (CCTC) Northside Development Center in north Minneapolis, was honored Sept. 18 with the Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Award from Catholic Charities USA for her 30 years of teaching and servant leadership at the center. Osborn began there as a teacher, and for the last 17 years she has led the center, which provides affordable childcare to about 130 children aged 6 weeks through 12 years, CCTC officials said in a news release. Even while overseeing the center, Osborn helps as needed, from teaching to cleaning the restrooms, CCTC officials said. “Kimberly Osborn has forged a legacy that all of us should admire and seek to emulate,” CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson said in a statement. “With passion, care and humility, she has tangibly and profoundly changed the lives of thousands of children and their families over the course of her career. Her work is a tremendous blessing to her community and to the entire Catholic Charities network.” Osborn said she is honored and grateful for the award, which she received in Oklahoma City at Catholic Charities USA’s annual convention. She is humbled by the families who entrust their children to Northside Development Center and inspired by the dedication of those working at the center, Osborn said. “Together, we are building brighter futures,” she said.
CELEBRATING
ELECTRIFYING
storm
video.
COURTESY SHEENA ARIAS | ST. WENCESLAUS
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
FROMTHEVICARGENERAL
ONLY JESUS | FATHER CHARLES LACHOWITZER
Grace at table
Ilove food. I have not outgrown my childhood tendency to fill my plate with more food than I can eat. My mother, God rest her soul, used to tell me that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. In the life of the Church, there is often food. Funeral luncheons, wedding receptions, award dinners and fundraising banquets. There is an old adage in parishes –– if you want people to attend, serve food. Common to many parishes, St. Gerard Majella in Brooklyn Park, where I am privileged to serve as pastor, has a parish festival and hospitality Sundays with coffee and donuts (also juice and little oranges for the health-conscious).
The parish also has “Café Majella” which is a place for people to gather in the afternoon for conversation, card and board games, and an assortment of baked goods and other treats. On Thanksgiving Day, after a morning Mass, the parish hosts a Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, I was surprised when over 90 people attended. Some found it a respite from cooking. Some had family out of town and were not traveling that year. Others had no family.
In the United Kingdom, where governmental departments are called ministries, there is an official with the title, “Minister of Loneliness.” Though it sounds a bit mushy for a government office, it is a major social issue. In the United States, the latest statistics estimate that one in four Americans suffer from isolation.
Even though it is called “The Great Minnesota Get-Together,” most people I know do not go to the Minnesota State Fair to meet people and have meaningful conversations. As for the life of faith, I think the only faith statement I have ever made at the state fair is when I make the sign of the cross before gorging on an ear of corn, dripping with butter.
Nonetheless, we have the opportunity in parishes to gather at table for a purpose that goes beyond catering to gluttony. The table can be a meeting place where people of faith, as the first order of business, seek to grow in a deeper relationship with each other as sisters and brothers in Christ. The agenda is secondary. The
La gracia en la mesa
Me encanta la comida. No he superado mi tendencia infantil a llenar mi plato con más comida de la que puedo comer. Mi madre, que Dios la tenga en su gloria, solía decirme que mis ojos eran más grandes que mi estómago.
En la vida de la Iglesia, a menudo hay comida: almuerzos en funerales, recepciones de bodas, cenas de entrega de premios y banquetes para recaudar fondos. Hay un viejo dicho en las parroquias: si quieres que la gente asista, sirve comida. Algo común en muchas parroquias, St. Gerard Majella en Brooklyn Park, donde tengo el privilegio de servir como párroco, tiene un festival parroquial y domingos de hospitalidad con café y donas (también jugo y naranjas pequeñas para los que se preocupan por su salud).
La parroquia también tiene el “Café Majella”, un lugar donde la gente se reúne por la tarde para conversar, jugar a las cartas y a los juegos de mesa, y disfrutar de una variedad de productos horneados y otras delicias. El Día de Acción de Gracias, después de la misa matutina, la parroquia organiza una cena de Acción de Gracias. El año pasado, me sorprendió que asistieran más de 90 personas. Algunos lo encontraron un respiro de cocinar. Algunos tenían familiares fuera de la ciudad y no viajarían ese año. Otros no tenían familia.
En el Reino Unido, donde los departamentos gubernamentales se denominan ministerios, existe un funcionario con el título de “Ministro de la Soledad”. Aunque suene un poco cursi para un cargo
The table can be a meeting place where people of faith, as the first order of business, seek to grow in a deeper relationship with each other as sisters and brothers in Christ. The agenda is secondary. The food is but a physical feeding for a people who have a far greater spiritual hunger.
food is but a physical feeding for a people who have a far greater spiritual hunger.
At St. Gerard, we have “Leadership at Table.” Each month, commission members, pastoral and finance council members gather at different tables to eat a wonderful dinner while discussing a prioritized topic that I have presented for advice on temporal matters or for collaboration on pastoral activities. After one hour, the commission members go home and the Pastoral Council then meets to share the table discussions. I am always impressed with the depth of these conversations. Pope Francis has invited us to “spiritual accompaniment.” In the Holy Father’s Jan. 4, 2023, general audience, he said:
“This accompaniment can be fruitful if, on both sides, one has experienced filiality and spiritual kinship. We discover we are children of God at the moment that we discover we are brothers and sisters, children of the same Father. This is why it is essential to be part of a journeying community. We are not alone, we belong to
gubernamental, se trata de un problema social de gran importancia. En Estados Unidos, las últimas estadísticas estiman que uno de cada cuatro estadounidenses sufre aislamiento.
Aunque se llama “La gran reunión de Minnesota”, la mayoría de las personas que conozco no van a la Feria Estatal de Minnesota para conocer gente y tener conversaciones significativas. En cuanto a la vida de fe, creo que la única declaración de fe que he hecho en la feria estatal fue cuando me persigné antes de atiborrarme de una mazorca de maíz cubierta de mantequilla.
Sin embargo, en las parroquias tenemos la oportunidad de reunirnos en torno a la mesa con un propósito que va más allá de satisfacer la glotonería. La mesa puede ser un lugar de encuentro donde las personas de fe, como prioridad, busquen crecer en una relación más profunda entre sí como hermanas y hermanos en Cristo. El orden del día es secundario. La comida no es más que una alimentación física para un pueblo que tiene un hambre espiritual mucho mayor. En St. Gerard, tenemos “Liderazgo en la mesa”. Cada mes, los miembros de la comisión, los miembros del consejo pastoral y de finanzas se reúnen en diferentes mesas para disfrutar de una maravillosa cena mientras discuten un tema prioritario que he presentado para recibir asesoramiento sobre asuntos temporales o para colaborar en actividades pastorales. Después de una hora, los miembros de la comisión se van a casa y el Consejo Pastoral se reúne para compartir las discusiones de la mesa. Siempre me impresiona la profundidad de estas conversaciones.
a people, a nation, a city that is on the move, a Church, a parish, this group … a community on the move.”
In deepening our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are to deepen our relationship with each other. The root of accompaniment is companion. Companion –– com panis –– means “with bread.” If our faith party is just me and Jesus, then the Holy Spirit was not invited. The Holy Spirit elevates us above and beyond what divides us to unite us as one in Christ. This same Spirit compels us to move from the table of accompaniment to the celebration of the Eucharist where we are given a glimpse of the communion of saints seated at the table of the heavenly banquet that is yet to come.
From the pulpit to the altar and then to the people, the person and real presence of Jesus Christ gives to us his very self. At each Mass, food and faith are two halves of the same coin. At the table of all tables, the altar of sacrifice, from which comes the greatest feast of them all, we do want our eyes to be bigger than our stomachs.
El Papa Francisco nos ha invitado al “acompañamiento espiritual”. En la audiencia general del Santo Padre del 4 de enero de 2023, dijo: “Este acompañamiento puede ser fecundo si, por ambas partes, se ha hecho experiencia de la filiación y de la fraternidad espiritual. Descubrimos que somos hijos de Dios en el momento en que nos descubrimos hermanos, hijos del mismo Padre. Por eso es esencial formar parte de una comunidad en camino. No estamos solos, pertenecemos a un pueblo, a una nación, a una ciudad en camino, a una Iglesia, a una parroquia, a este grupo … a una comunidad en camino”.
Al profundizar nuestra relación con Jesucristo, debemos profundizar nuestra relación con los demás. La raíz de la palabra acompañamiento es compañero. Compañero –– companis –– significa “con pan”. Si nuestra fiesta de fe es solo yo y Jesús, entonces el Espíritu Santo no fue invitado. El Espíritu Santo nos eleva por encima y más allá de lo que nos divide para unirnos como uno solo en Cristo. Este mismo Espíritu nos impulsa a pasar de la mesa del acompañamiento a la celebración de la Eucaristía, donde se nos da un atisbo de la comunión de los santos sentados a la mesa del banquete celestial que está por venir.
Desde el púlpito hasta el altar y luego al pueblo, la persona y la presencia real de Jesucristo se nos da a sí mismo. En cada Misa, la comida y la fe son dos caras de una misma moneda. En la mesa de todas las mesas, el altar del sacrificio, de donde sale el banquete más grande de todos, queremos que nuestros ojos sean más grandes que nuestro estómago.
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SLICEof LIFE
Trophy day
Olive Ohly, a seventh grader at Benilde-St. Margaret’s in St. Louis Park, holds the Walter Cup trophy of the Professional Women’s Hockey League brought to the school Sept. 18 by BSM alum and girls varsity hockey coach Kelly Pannek, right, who played for the Minnesota team that won the championship in the league’s inaugural season. Pannek played forward for the team and got to have the trophy for a day. The first place she took it was to BSM, where she carried it on display for students and staff to see, touch and take photos. “It’s pretty special to be able to bring it around and share it with many people,” said Pannek, who came to the school in 2018 to show her gold medal after the U.S. women’s hockey team won the Olympic title. “Benilde’s been a huge part of my life,” said Pannek, who played for the school and went to the State Girls Hockey Tournament in 2014. “I’ve just always felt very supported by the BSM community and the family here.” Ohly plays hockey and said she hopes to someday hoist the Walter Cup as a professional player.
Stepping down
After 43 years, Mark Berchem retires from NET
Stories by Christina Capecchi For The Catholic Spirit
The alarm no longer sounds for Mark Berchem, but the 70-year-old still rises before 6 a.m., a creature of habit. He slips into his prayer corner, a glider by the fireplace, to start his day by talking to God, then ambles out to the deck to sip coffee and soak up nature.
But the next part is what trips up the routine guy, the shock to his system: He is no longer headed to NET Ministries, the Catholic evangelization center he founded 43 years ago and has run ever since. He no longer knows what the rest of his day is going to look like.
“There’s a certain mystery,” said Berchem, a grandfather of seven who belongs to St. Joseph in West St. Paul. “OK, Lord, what are you going to bring today? Where do you want me?”
That kind of availability to God — the surrender, the trust — has been the hallmark of Berchem’s ministry since the beginning, when, in his twenties, he mapped out a more efficient way to send Catholic young adults to witness to youth. Since the first year of full-time outreach in 1981, some 3,400 young adults have served on the National Evangelization Team — including 103 this school year — reaching more than 80 percent of U.S. dioceses.
It’s the work of a Catholic who, early on, developed “an expectant faith” when God answered his prayer as a teen and healed the heart condition that had halted all athletic pursuits. “I can approach my Father in heaven with the expectation that he hears me and he’s interested and he’ll help me, and that made it a lot more personal,” Berchem said.
In many ways, he believes, NET is more needed than ever. It was the pioneer for Catholic youth ministry at a time when “evangelization” was a Protestant word. Decades later, it has become apostolic in nature, an urgent need for many teens who have never been catechized. It is also a balm for the unprecedented level of mental health conditions clouding adolescence.
Meanwhile, Berchem’s own youthful zeal grew into something quieter and deeper: a faithful leader, steady-handed and clear-eyed. It is easier to start something than to sustain it, year after year, decade after decade. He became a study in leadership and longevity.
In January 2023 NET named a new president, David Rinaldi, and Berchem extended a rare level of transitional support, assuming a new role as strategic adviser for the next 18 months. He worked closely under Rinaldi and Tom Ryan, who was launching NET Foundation.
“In a sense I went from being the boss to having two bosses,” Berchem said. He didn’t feel demoted, per se — this was a transition he charted himself, with guidance from his staff and board. But it did require some recalibrating.
“There was a shift, for sure,” Berchem said. “My spiritual director helped me quite a bit with it. For the last 42 years, he said, I had looked at everything through the lens of command. I had to learn to view it through a new lens. I
NET WELCOMES HOME ITS FIRST CHAPLAIN
Father Chad VanHoose was in his second assignment since his 2017 ordination when he got an invitation. Archbishop Bernard Hebda asked if he would take on a new position and become the first chaplain for NET Ministries.
“I was a bit shocked,” Father VanHoose said.
As a teen in West Virginia, he attended a NET retreat that deepened his faith. Then, as a young adult, he became a NET missionary, a pivotal year when he discerned his call to the priesthood. He stayed in Minnesota, serving as supervisor of the ministry’s first discipleship team for two years, then three more as its administrator.
Leaving NET to be a priest would be hard, he told the vocations director.
Time marched on, and Father VanHoose accepted his first priestly assignment at All Saints in Lakeville, then became pastor of St. Jude of the Lake in Mahtomedi.
He continued to help with NET’s annual training of new missionaries. This fall marked his 20th training.
To return to his beloved NET, full time, as chaplain, felt surreal.
“It’s a dream,” Father VanHoose said. “It’s one of those moments you pinch yourself. Is this really happening? It’s a great promise fulfilled by the Lord.”
His new boss, David Rinaldi, is the man who’d led his first NET retreat, as a boy in West Virginia, and later had supervised him on the NET staff.
“There’s so much mystery in how the Lord has continued to bring things full circle,” Father VanHoose said.
Since assuming his new role on July 1, Father VanHoose has been busy meeting the spiritual needs of the missionaries and the staff by celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, offering spiritual direction, giving talks.
“The missionaries are the ones on the front line,” he said. “And we’re the ones supplying them for the front line. They’re helping us and coming back and telling stories and keeping us fresh.”
It’s been a homecoming for Father VanHoose, a return to the familiar, but also a marked change. A new dimension has emerged at this seven-year mark into his priesthood.
“Now I’ve been able to step into a father-figure role,” he said. “NET has great lay leadership, but they needed a chaplain who’s the spiritual, fatherly, pastoral figure for the missionary. I feel a different confidence and authority that is from the Lord. ‘OK, the Lord has given this!’ In this decision that needs to be made or this conversation that needs to be had or this liturgy that needs to be planned, I’ve felt really confident in being who I am.”
His NET colleagues have observed this, too. “I’ve had other people reflect it: ‘You are coming back a different man.’ Even staff members who have known me as a priest: ‘We’ve known you for a decade, or more, and to see you in a different role and your confidence and the way you’re able to instruct and guide is something that has to be from the Lord.’”
Receiving this position as a gift from God has allowed him to embrace those positive changes. It’s not a matter of pride, but of joyful acceptance.
“That’s how I’ve been enjoying it: I am who I am, and now I am who I am as chaplain,” Father VanHoose said. “It’s a spiritual reality that the Lord, through the archbishop, has given me this assignment, so I can have complete trust and confidence and joy in doing my daily work here. I’m working hard for the kingdom knowing this is exactly where he wants me.”
have to hang on loosely. I’ve got to set up NET for the future. NET is not mine. It’s not the board of directors’. NET is the Lord’s. And when we start treating it as if it’s something we own, we get in trouble.” That’s never been his style, his colleagues insist.
“NET was never about Mark Berchem,” Rinaldi said. “It was always about Jesus. This was the key to Mark’s leadership, and it’s one of the things I admire most about him. Mark is a servant leader. When he sees something that needs to get done, he rolls up his sleeves and gets it done.”
In the last year and a half, during this change in guard, Berchem has had more opportunities to do that, unflinchingly tackling work that once would’ve fallen to a lower-ranking staff member.
“I feel peaceful,” Berchem said. “I don’t necessarily miss being in control. Certainly, I miss some of the excitement of the mission and being around the missionaries and the staff. But part of being a good leader is setting up the next person for success. Every leader has to leave at some point, whether you want to or not, so best to do it in a way that really advances the mission of the organization. I hope the next leader does better than me, and that NET reaches more young people and is more effective.”
He identifies three virtues that greased the hinges amid winds of change: gratitude, humility and generosity. “It’s asking, ‘How can I be helpful?’ without imposing. It’s about the mission. It’s all about the mission.”
Surrendering control bears spiritual fruit, Berchem discovered. “In all honesty, this last year has been the year where I’ve felt the most grateful,” he said. “I’m blown away by how privileged I’ve been with what God has allowed me to experience. That’s my predominant thought right now: ‘Wow! Thank you, Lord!’”
Berchem officially retired this summer and was honored by Archbishop Bernard Hebda and NET before the ministry’s Sept. 14 Commissioning Mass.
“Pope Francis has said that ‘the apostolate of the laity is primarily that of witness,’” Archbishop Hebda said. “Since the founding of NET Ministries here in the archdiocese in 1981, Mark Berchem has given an extraordinary witness to what Christ can do when he finds someone willing to say ‘yes’ to his call. I have personally been inspired by that witness and believe that our archdiocese has been enriched beyond measure by the apostolic zeal that Mark has consistently brought to youth ministry, to family life and to his work as the representative of our region on the USCCB’s (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) National Advisory Council.”
Indeed, it’s hard to overstate the impact of NET, said Father Kevin Finnegan, pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Edina. He was a NET missionary from 1983 to 1984, and last year, he counted eight staff members at his parish who’d served on NET.
“Constantly I run into people who were on NET or have supported people on NET,” Father Finnegan said. “Even
COURTESY NET MINISTRIES
Mark Berchem speaks to NET missionaries during missionary training in 2016 at Camp Wapo in Amery, Wis.
FATHER CHAD VANHOOSE
Catholic bishops of Minnesota encourage careful reflection in 2024 elections
The Catholic Spirit
The Catholic bishops of Minnesota recently released a letter encouraging prayer and careful reflection as the faithful prepare to vote in the 2024 elections. The full, unedited statement is below. It can also be found on the Minnesota Catholic Conference website, along with other election resources, at mncatholic org/election2024.
The letter is signed by Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Michael Izen of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester; Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston; Bishop Daniel Felton of Duluth; Bishop Patrick Neary of St. Cloud; and Bishop Chad Zielinski of New Ulm.
As we approach the 2024 election, we encourage you to reflect on the virtue of faithful citizenship. As Catholics, our spiritual life and public life are not separate. Rather, our prayer and sacramental life informs our conscience, guides our actions, and sustains us in our efforts to build a just society.
In our representative form of government, voting remains a significant responsibility. Those we elect to office make critical decisions on our behalf, and therefore, we should participate in the electoral process with informed consciences, nurtured by prayer.
As faithful citizens, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching are the foundation for discerning how to vote and advocate for policies that promote the common good. The Church’s social teaching reflects the Gospel’s call to love our neighbor, promote the common good, and uphold the dignity of every human person. These principles give Catholics the tools to live out our personal call to holiness despite the challenges of
modern society and to share the truths of the faith. Understanding current issues through the mind of the Church informs our conscience to vote and act accordingly. Although national elections draw much attention, state and local politics directly impact the quality of life of our families and communities. Therefore, our engagement at the local level is vital.
As we prepare to vote, let us consider the following when evaluating candidates:
At all levels:
uWho will work to protect life from the moment of conception?
uWho will respect the liberty of the Church and the rights of all believers to practice their faith?
uWho will defend the rights of free speech and assembly, necessary for a properly functioning democracy?
At the Federal Level:
uWho will promote peace among nations and reject the escalation of violence as a means of conflict resolution?
uWho will exercise fiscal responsibility and avoid burdening families with inflation and debt?
uWho will work for a just and comprehensive immigration policy that respects the well-being of both American citizens and migrants?
At the State Level:
uWho will oppose the legalization of assisted suicide?
uWho will promote economic security for families, including access to housing?
uWho will uphold the rights of parents and support parental choice in education?
uWho will steward our state’s natural resources responsibly?
At the local level:
uWho will advocate for public safety that protects citizens, respects victims, and offers restoration opportunities for offenders?
uWho will ensure harmful materials are kept out of public libraries?
As we discern our choices, let us remember that no candidate is likely to align fully with our positions. And although we may not find a presidential candidate, for example, who aligns with all our values, that is not an excuse to abstain from voting altogether. There is a full ballot of candidates, each with the potential to shape our communities and our future.
Father Valit, who served ‘with great love and joy,’ dies at age 96
By Rebecca Omastiak
The Catholic Spirit
Father Robert “Bob” Valit, who had served the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 1978, died Sept. 21 at the age of 96 at the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul.
Ordained April 4, 1961, Father Valit incardinated to the archdiocese on Oct. 8, 1978. He was a member of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, Abbey of Our Lady of New Melleray.
In his retirement, Father Valit served St. Michael and St. Mary for 17 years, according to the two Stillwater parishes.
Prior to his retirement in 2001, Father Valit had served as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace in Edina from 1993 to 2001.
Father Valit served as parochial administrator (1989), then pastor (1989-1993) of St. Peter in Forest Lake. Prior to that, he served as pastor of St. John the Baptist in Dayton (1983-1989); associate pastor of Our Lady of Grace (1983); associate pastor of St. Luke in St. Paul (1982-1983); and pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Little Canada (1980-1982).
Father Valit served as associate pastor of St. Columba in St. Paul (1978-1980) and St. Margaret Mary in Minneapolis (1975-1978), as well as chaplain at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale (1975-1978). He served as associate pastor of St. Anne in Minneapolis from 1974 to 1975.
Father Valit’s wake was set for 4-8 p.m. Sept. 26 at
Archbishop Bernard Hebda was set to celebrate the funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Sept. 27 at St. Michael in Stillwater. Interment was to immediately follow, at St. Michael cemetery. A lunch in St. Michael’s Rose Hall was also organized.
Father Valit had requested memorials be directed to St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater or to the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Father Valit “served our communities with great love and joy,” stated a social media post from St. Michael and St. Mary, announcing Father Valit’s funeral arrangements. “Let us pray for God’s merciful love to embrace him and bring him to the radiant glory of the kingdom of Heaven.”
Please watch for more about Father Valit’s ministry in the Oct. 10 edition of The Catholic Spirit.
This special service of remembrance is for anyone who lost a child before birth, whether recently or many years ago, and offers a safe place to acknowledge the children who died before birth.
Registration is required for this free event. Scan the QR code or call 651-228-9991.
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FATHER ROBERT VALIT
St. Agnes soccer coach aids in rescuing driver from burning car
By Josh McGovern
The Catholic Spirit
On Sept. 9, the girls varsity soccer head coach at St. Agnes School in St. Paul, Terry Maynard, was visiting a vendor in Roseville for his company.
Leaving Roseville, he drove north to visit more vendors but decided to take Interstate 35W off County Road C, a route Maynard rarely traveled. Making the turn onto the entrance ramp to I-35, he saw a car pinned against a light pole. At the top of the ramp’s shoulder, he saw that the car was on fire.
Maynard went down the ravine to see if anyone was inside the vehicle. “You don’t really think in that situation, you just do. It was just common sense.”
The doors were locked, and the car was filled with smoke. A garbage truck driver and state trooper, Sgt. Vang Yang, arrived shortly after Maynard. Nobody had seen anyone injured, walking around near the road, and when all three men recognized that, they rushed to get the door open, knowing someone was still inside the burning car.
“We started banging on the windows,” Maynard said. “The doors were locked. We just couldn’t get in. And then he (Yang) went to the other side with his baton and just started beating on the window.”
With the flames rising and the men no closer to getting the driver out of the car, Maynard said he felt hopeless. There was nothing that could be done about the flames. Then, a construction truck driver arrived
and shouted to the men that he had a crowbar and a fire extinguisher in his truck.
“Sgt. Yang yelled at him to go get it,” Maynard explained.
While Yang and the other driver used the crowbar on the door, Maynard used the fire extinguisher. He pulled the pin, primed it and got as close as he could to the car and the flames.
“Out of nowhere somebody comes with the tools you need,” Maynard said. “We all just took a tool and did our job. … What are the odds of that person showing up there at that time, and us getting there at the time that we did?”
Maynard emptied the fire extinguisher knowing it wasn’t going to be enough to put out the flames. But he hoped it would be enough to knock the flames down, giving Yang and the garbage truck driver time to pull out the 22-year-old driver, Paymon Sadat.
Though traction was difficult on the hill up to the highway, the three men managed to drag the driver safely to the road as the car erupted into flames. Paramedics arrived soon after and helped the driver, who was conscious but incoherent.
Maynard happily reported that the driver would recover and had just had surgery on his leg and ankle.
“We are all just so grateful that the outcome was a positive one,” Maynard said. “We got him home to his
Catholic Cemeteries offers services to honor
By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit
On Oct. 12, Catholic Cemeteries will host two special services of remembrance for anyone who has lost a child before birth. The services will be held at 10 a.m. at both Gethsemane Cemetery Chapel Mausoleum in New Hope and Resurrection Cemetery Chapel Mausoleum in Mendota Heights. During the services, families will have a chance to name their child and light a candle to honor and remember them.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda will preside over the service at Resurrection Cemetery and Father Michael Joncas will preside at the Gethsemane Cemetery service.
Jamie Moloney, the director of pastoral outreach for Catholic Cemeteries, said miscarriage is commonly known as the hidden loss. In many cases, Moloney said, most parents who experience a
miscarriage only tell their immediate family.
“A lot of people don’t consider it an actual loss because the baby was so small,” Moloney said. “A lot of people, because they lacked awareness, didn’t realize the grief that the mother and father were going through. A lot of times, people are kind of dismissive of it. A common thing people might say is, ‘Well, you’re young. You can have more children.’ Every child is remembered and mourned and it’s just that no one has seen this baby. … It makes it really hard for people to understand the loss.”
The service of remembrance is meant to honor those children and those who grieve their loss. “What we found is there are so many women over the years (who) have lost a child before birth,” Moloney said. “There wasn’t anything for them. The churches really weren’t tuned into it. A lot of them (parents) didn’t even name
family and we all went home to ours.”
Maynard attributes the rescue to divine intervention.
“I can’t say enough how we were brought there for a reason,” Maynard said. “Everything just seemed to come together. There are so many pieces to that. If they didn’t happen, that outcome would have been so much different. I’m a strong believer that we all took that route that morning for a reason. We were the ones chosen to go that way just because of what was at the other end for us. The right people were there at the right time.”
Speaking about the driver, Maynard said, “Somebody was looking out for him. I believe that wholeheartedly. When people come together like we did, we can perform miracles, and that’s what we did. It just happened.”
Maynard said that as a coach, he tries to prepare his players for moments like this.
“With my coaching, I’m there to help those kids,” Maynard said. “I’m not there to help them win a game or anything like that. I’m there to help them maneuver their way through life and face different variables and obstacles during the game. It’s the same thing in life. You’re going to face that unforeseen variable. For me, it’s just teaching them a game plan for life.”
Maynard was the assistant soccer coach at St. Agnes last year and became the head coach this year. He also coaches a handful of the players in club soccer outside of St. Agnes. He attended Nativity of Our Lord elementary and Cretin-Derham Hall high school, both in St. Paul, and now is a member with his family of St. Patrick in Inver Grove Heights.
children lost to miscarriage
their babies. And many, probably most, didn’t even have an opportunity to get the baby’s remains to bury the baby.”
The services are being held on Oct. 12 because it’s the closest Saturday to Oct. 15, a day known as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Anyone is invited who has experienced this kind of loss, not just Catholics. In 2023, Catholic Cemeteries worked with Guardian Angels in Oakdale to have a similar service. Moloney said those who attended ranged in age from their 20s to their 80s.
“It doesn’t matter how many years ago it was or how recently it was, they can come and name their baby,” Moloney said. “When they come in, there’s going to be a book that they can write their baby’s name in. And then during the service itself, the presider will read the names and then the families will come up, light a candle and then they can sit
back down again and what that does is just ritualizes and names their babies, so it is pretty powerful.”
Catholic Cemeteries has been doing a quarterly fetal burial in partnership with Fairview Hospitals in which they bury the remains of babies who died at 20 weeks or earlier. Moloney said they bury about 200 fetuses every quarter. Catholic Cemeteries also sees families who buy a grave for their child with a marker.
“We have a children’s memorial wall here at Resurrection and there are so many names on it, and the walls filled up, (so) that they had to expand,” Moloney said. “When we have our fetal burial, many people come with their entire family. They’ll come with their parents. They’ll come with their brothers and sisters. Some will even come with friends. They’ll bring their children if they have children. It’s a very important way to grieve.”
TERRY MAYNARD
NATION+WORLD
Pope thrives, hits main themes of his pontificate during Asia-Pacific trip
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
The 87-year-old Pope Francis not only survived the longest trip of his pontificate, but he drew energy from the crowds who came to see him, and he seemed to enjoy his 12-day visit to Asia and the Pacific.
Unity, respect for one’s culture, interreligious dialogue, and care for the poor and for the environment were the main themes of his talks in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore Sept. 2-13.
Except for in Jakarta, Indonesia, his last event in each country was a meeting with young people. And despite his age, all the meetings he already had sat through, and changing time zones with each country, Pope Francis seemed to draw the most energy from the young.
He did not follow a single prepared text for his gatherings with teens and young adults, and none of the meetings finished on time. Instead, picking up on a phrase or two of what he heard from his young hosts, he’d launch a dialogue, revving up the crowd with “I can’t hear you” when they didn’t respond loudly enough.
The 45th trip of his pontificate took him from predominantly Muslim Indonesia to predominantly Christian Papua New Guinea and from povertystricken Timor-Leste to super-affluent Singapore.
While poverty, development and the consolidation of democratic institutions are still challenges in Timor-Leste, which won its independence in 2002, Pope Francis said he was impressed by how young the population was, by the people’s enthusiasm and by their faith.
In fact, an estimated 600,000 people showed up for Mass with the pope Sept. 10 in a park in Tasitolu; the country itself has a population of only 1.3 million people — 96% of whom are Catholic. Excluding Vatican City State, it was the largest percentage of a local population ever gathered for a single Mass, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the
Vatican foreign minister, told reporters.
With government leaders Pope Francis addressed some of the key challenges each country faces, and with Church workers he pleaded for ministry that was close to the people, willing to share their struggles and always conveying the joy of knowing one is loved and forgiven by God.
He did not shy away from talking about the serious divide between rich and poor in Indonesia.
“Some people want to deal with this” by resorting to “a law of death, that is, limiting births, limiting the greatest wealth a nation has — new births,” he said, referring to a long-running government program promoting the use of contraceptives.
The pope elicited smiles and laughter when he told government and civic leaders Sept. 4 that in some countries, “families prefer to have a dog or a cat.”
Pope Francis visited Jakarta’s Istiqlal
Mosque — the largest mosque in southeast Asia — Sept. 5, and he and Nasaruddin Umar, the grand imam, signed a short document committing members of their religious communities to defending human dignity, especially when threatened with violence, and to defending the integrity of creation.
But recognizing the sensitive situation of Indonesia’s Catholic community, Pope Francis told Church workers that the Christian call to share the Gospel is not about trying to win converts at all costs, but about living in a way that exudes Christian joy and always treats others with respect.
“Proclaiming the Gospel does not mean imposing our faith or placing it in opposition to that of others, but giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ, always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone,” the pope told bishops, priests, religious and catechists at a meeting Sept. 4.
He made the same point, in a slightly different and less precise way Sept. 13, when he spoke extemporaneously to young adults engaged in interreligious dialogue in Singapore — a country where many religions coexist but where a significant portion of the population follows no religion at all.
“If we always say, ‘My religion is more important than yours’ or ‘My religion is true and yours is not,’ where will that lead us?” he asked the young people.
“Every religion is a path toward God,” who is the creator and father of all, the pope said. And if there is only one God and Father, then all people are brothers and sisters.
In Papua New Guinea, where some 98% of the population is Christian, Pope Francis asked for a greater focus on “the peripheries of this country” with “people belonging to the most deprived segments of urban populations, as well as those who live in the most remote and abandoned areas, where sometimes basic necessities are lacking.”
“I think too of the marginalized and wounded, both morally and physically, by prejudice and superstition, sometimes to the point of having to risk their lives,” the pope said. “The Church desires especially to be close to these brothers and sisters, because in them Jesus is present in a special way.”
A group of missionaries — priests and sisters — from Argentina were ministering in the jungle, and Pope Francis decided to pay them a visit.
The Australian Royal Air Force flew him 600 miles to Vanimo near Papua New Guinea’s border with Indonesia Sept. 8 for a meeting in a field with about 20,000 people and then a short drive to the missionaries’ church and school in Baro.
Father Tomás Ravaioli, one of the Argentine Incarnate Word missionaries working in Baro, told reporters, “at his age, in his condition, this is an enormous sacrifice. But it shows that what he says, what he writes, he also demonstrates” in his closeness and service to people.
Lebanese cardinal decries attacks he calls ‘devoid of humanity’
Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Rai expressed “profound sorrow” over the “devastating toll” of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, the country’s state news agency NNA reported Sept. 22.
In his Sunday homily Sept. 22, he said the “unprecedented” attacks are “devoid of humanity.”
NNA reported that Israeli aircraft carried out a total of 111 airstrikes on southern Lebanon in one hour the morning of Sept. 21, with the Israeli army saying it hit about 180 Hezbollah targets. CNN reported that the number of airstrikes “is among the highest recorded since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel last year” in support of Hamas amid the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.
Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets early Sept. 22 across a wider and deeper area of northern Israel. A Hezbollah leader declared an “openended battle” was underway as both sides
appeared to be spiraling toward all-out war following months of escalating tensions, The Associated Press reported Sept. 22.
NNA reported that Cardinal Rai called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene and “put an end to the ongoing conflict.”
“In war, everyone is a loser; the only winners are arms dealers,” the patriarch said.
The death toll from a “targeted attack” by the Israeli military on a Beirut suburb Sept. 20 rose to 37, including seven women and three children, Lebanon’s health minister said on Sept. 21. This comes as the U.S. also urged Americans in Lebanon to leave the country.
The weekend attacks followed a wave of explosions of hand-held devices Sept. 17 and 18 across Lebanon and in the capital, Beirut, apparently targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
During his homily, Cardinal Rai expressed “deep concern” about Lebanon’s shifting political landscape,
noting that the nation has moved from a state of “unique pluralism” to one characterized by “singularity and division,” according to the NNA news agency. He warned that this troubling trend can only be reversed when the Lebanese people embrace a “new path forward,” one that fosters hope and lays the groundwork for “a new historical narrative.”
He urged Lebanese politicians to establish “a stable and independent Lebanese state, capable of overcoming internal divisions and healing the scars of war.”
He stated that this goal “can only be achieved through the election of a president who will restore legislative powers to Parliament and uphold the constitutional authority of the Council of Ministers,” NNA reported Sept. 22.
Following his Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis reiterated his “tireless call for prayers for peace,” Vatican News said. “Brothers and sisters, let us continue to pray for peace. Unfortunately, tensions
are very high on the war fronts,” the pope said, appealing to all people of goodwill not to forget the suffering in “so many countries at war.” “May the voices of the peoples asking for peace be heard,” he prayed.
In a Sept. 22 post on X, formerly Twitter, the U.N. special coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said: “With the region on the brink of an imminent catastrophe, it cannot be overstated enough: there is NO military solution that will make either side safer.”
“No one wants the conflict to escalate,” said Maronite Archbishop Charbel Abdallah of Tyre, the major city in the south of Lebanon.
According to a Sept. 20 Vatican News report, the archbishop recalled “the fragile situation” of the local population and the devastating war in 2006 between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. But he emphasized that despite the fighting, “prayer remains at the heart of the Christian communities that have stayed in the region.”
CNS | LOLA GOMEZ
Pope Francis greets a group of children as he arrives Sept. 11 in Singapore, the last stop on his fournation visit to Asia and the Pacific.
HEADLINES
Caritas Luxembourg ends its international projects after a financial scandal. Following a multimillion-dollar fraud case at Luxembourg’s Caritas, the Church’s aid organization has been forced to stop its international aid projects. Dozens of them will be halted in the most vulnerable regions of the world. Caritas Luxembourg said in a Sept. 14 statement that despite “working intensively to mitigate the impact on beneficiaries abroad,” the organization did not manage to keep the projects and employment from before the scandal, and that more than 60 international projects will be canceled. The organization lamented that the consequence of it will be “leaving thousands of people in precarious situations and thousands without the hope they had regained through the activities of international cooperation.” Caritas Luxembourg said it is laying off around 30 of its 500 employees in the country and a further 70 jobs in South Sudan and Laos are to be cut, according to the statement. The Caritas scandal broke amid preparations for a Sept. 26 Luxembourg stopover by Pope Francis, ahead of a four-day visit to neighboring Belgium. Investigations continue into the reported theft of 61 million euros ($67 million) from Caritas, one of Luxembourg’s largest charities, in fraudulent bank loans and transfers. July media reports said the money was diverted from the charity between February and July into bank accounts in Spain, while a female staffer had been bailed out after surrendering to police but denying theft charges.
Christian leaders express “serious anxiety” over Indian atrocities. About 40 Christian leaders in India who gathered in mid-September expressed “serious anxiety” over “the increasing atrocities on Christians and other minorities,” and they demanded protection for minority rights and security for minority communities. Christians make up less than 3% of predominantly Hindu India and, amid growing pressure on minorities, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India gathered leaders of India’s major Christian denominations for ecumenical dialogue, prayer and a fellowship dinner. In their statement after the meeting, the Christian leaders continued their demand for the equal status and constitutional rights of Dalit Christians. In India, Dalits, the lowest of the now-outlawed caste system, receive government social welfare benefits to help lift them out of poverty. However, once they become Christian or Muslim, the Hindu-led government stops those benefits, saying their new religions do not recognize the caste system, a Hindu class system that was officially eliminated in 1950 but that remains a social hierarchy. On Sept. 15, in Uttar Pradesh state, police arrested 10 Christians, including six women and a pastor, during a Sunday prayer service for allegedly trying to convert Dalits, reported ucanews com. Religious conversion is banned in the state. In August, more than 300 Christian leaders, mostly from the United States, urged the State Department to designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a status contained in the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act.
Catholic parents are urged to delay children’s cellphone use. As studies reveal the negative effects of smartphones on the health and well-being of elementary and middle schoolers, central Arkansas parents are taking a pledge to delay giving their children smartphones. Two parishioners and parents at Our Lady of the Holy Souls School in Little Rock have started a chapter of the national program Wait Until 8th, an organization based in Austin, Texas, that encourages parents to pledge to wait until eighth grade before giving their children smartphones. The organization — waituntil8th org — has resources and information to help other parents with their commitment. Tricia Wilson and Grace Squires, who each have three children, decided to start a local chapter, and since July 7, they have already had more than 250 pledges from parents who say they will not give their children smartphones until eighth grade. “We are calling on parents to delay equipping their children with smartphones until the end of eighth grade,” Wilson said. “This means no smartphones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools and more outdoor play and childhood independence.” Squires said many young people are so focused on their smartphones that they struggle to connect with the people around them. “I want better for my children,” she said. To join the pledge, visit waituntil8th org/take-the-pledge
Report: Americans are less polarized on faith and politics than generally thought. A new report from the New Yorkbased nonprofit More in Common identifies what researchers call “three big myths” about faith and politics in the U.S., concluding that the nation is less polarized around such issues than popularly believed — and that faith leaders are key to healing division in American society. The 140-page report,
titled “Promising Revelations: Undoing the False Impressions of America’s Faithful,” drew on data from a representative sample of over 6,000 U.S. citizens, finding that many commonly accepted narratives — that faith is “all about politics,” that faith is “becoming irrelevant in Americans’ lives,” and that religious Americans are “intolerant” — aren’t supported by the data. In contrast, Americans prioritize faith, family and general national identity over political affiliation, while endorsing a religiously plural society that can at the same time acknowledge its Christian foundations. Despite religious disaffiliation, faith remains important to Americans, who are distrustful of institutions, yet still look to faith leaders to help heal divisions. “This report shines a light on the enormous potential of America’s faith communities to heal divisions and foster a more united society,” said Jason Mangone, executive director of More in Common. “It’s time we move beyond the misperceptions that have distorted the public narrative about faith in America and embrace the vital role faith leaders can play in building bridges across divides.”
French bishops urge the Vatican and broader society to help investigate Abbé Pierre. As the Emmaus Community for the poor investigates accusations of sexual abuse against its once-iconic, now disgraced, founder Abbé Pierre, the case made international headlines as Pope Francis commented on it while on his return voyage to Rome from Asia. “We must speak clearly on these things and not hide them,” Pope Francis said. “Abuse, in my judgment, is something diabolical” because it attacks the sacredness and God-given dignity of another person. As the pope’s September 2024 trip to Asia began, the Emmaus Community announced that new accusations of sexual abuse of women and children had been made against the priest, and French media reported that Church officials and leaders of the community had tried to cover up allegations as far back as the 1950s. In an editorial in the French daily Le Monde, Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, president of the French bishops’ conference, acknowledged that the Vatican may have had knowledge of Abbé Pierre’s abuses, saying that he “respectfully” hoped “the Vatican will undertake a study of its archives and tell us what the Holy See knew and when it knew it.” On Sept. 16, the French bishops said they would make the archives from their National Center of Archives of the Church of France, and those of all dioceses, available to the Justice Department, expert members of the commission announced by Emmaus, researchers and authorized persons — including to the journalists investigating Abbé Pierre.
“Pioneering” retired Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Losten dies at age 95. A Ukrainian Catholic bishop whose legacy was one of “pioneering and lasting” achievements for both Church and community has died in Connecticut at age 95. Retired Bishop Basil Losten died in the early hours of Sept. 15 in a Stamford hospital, following a short illness, according to the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford and the press office of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kyiv, Ukraine. In a tribute posted Sept. 15 on the UGCC website, Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia commended the late bishop for his “tireless pastoral ministry,” which saw him help to rebuild the UGCC after decades of Soviet repression, while investing in education and creating affordable senior housing in the U.S. Bishop Losten “represented a continuity among generations of faith living communion in Christ,” wrote Archbishop Gudziak. As part of his “tireless pastoral ministry,” Bishop Losten led the construction of Ascension Manor in Philadelphia, a complex of some 240 affordable apartments for low-income seniors of Ukrainian, Black, Asian and Hispanic heritage, said the archbishop. The late bishop — who endowed the Ukrainian church studies program at The Catholic University of America, while serving as a “generous benefactor” of Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine — “represented a continuity among generations of faith living communion in Christ,” wrote Archbishop Gudziak.
Indifference kills; be signs of hope, Pope Francis tells young people. Young people must reject indifference and embrace their role as a generation of hope and unity to build a better future for the world, Pope Francis said. Developing a sense of fraternity is “the best answer we can offer to the conflicts and indifference that kill, because indifference kills,” the pope told a meeting of young Catholics from around the Mediterranean. In a video message for participants in the Med24 meeting in Tirana, Albania — the fourth edition of a meeting for young people organized by churches across the Mediterranean region — Pope Francis urged young Catholics to “learn how to read the signs of
the times together.” The pope said, “Contemplate the diversity of your traditions as a richness, a richness desired by God,” in the message published by the Vatican Sept. 17. “Unity is not uniformity, and the diversity of our cultural and religious identities is a gift from God.” The Sept. 15-21 meeting was intended to address issues affecting the Mediterranean region, such as humanitarian crises resulting from conflicts and the lack of work and educational opportunities for professional development. Fifty young people from 25 countries were scheduled to participate in the meeting and discuss issues with bishops from the region. The theme for the meeting drew from the motto of the Holy Year 2025: “Pilgrims of Hope. Builders of Peace.”
As International Eucharistic Congress ends, Catholics can “shine their light” amid world’s problems, says Bishop Cozzens. While the serious problems the world is facing are mostly beyond the control of the Church, Catholics can “shine their light” and draw people to a path of peace and solidarity, said Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, the chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc. After leading the successful National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21, Bishop Cozzens took part in the International Eucharistic Congress in Quito, Ecuador, Sept. 8-15. “To experience the Church alive in Latin America is also a great gift,” Bishop Cozzens told OSV News. Both events emphasized the theme of healing brought by the Eucharist. In Indianapolis, the third day of the congress especially focused on opportunities for physical, psychological and spiritual healing. In Quito, the “wounds of the world” — the many challenges currently faced by societies, including the immigration crisis, political polarization, and the deep divides caused by it in many nations — were debated in different presentations throughout the week. Such problems are a reality both in the U.S. and in Latin America, Bishop Cozzens said. “The divisions in society are so deep that only God can overcome them.”
Uvalde, Texas, church opens a counseling facility for ongoing healing from a 2022 mass shooting. Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde has opened a new, onsite counseling facility to provide ongoing community healing and support following the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. The school held a grand opening ceremony Sept. 6, celebrating with key community partners and leaders in attendance, including representatives from partner organizations supporting the new center such as Catholic Extension Society, the Children’s Bereavement Center of San Antonio, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, William and Salome Scanlan Foundation, and Carlos Lopez & Building Management Group. Dedication of the facility occurred immediately following the celebration of a community-wide Mass. “We are humbled and honored to support this new center for healing in the Uvalde community,” Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension Society, said in a statement. “We pray that it will be a source of hope to those who receive services here, reminding them that they are not alone or abandoned in their search for peace.”
Historic Franciscan monastery is under water as southwestern Poland suffers disastrous floods. Poland’s government prepared a decree of a state of natural disaster as the southwestern part of the country was severely flooded by torrential rains caused by Storm Boris. Throughout the weekend of Sept. 14-15, the storm continued to wreak havoc across Central and Eastern Europe. In Austria, Poland and Czech Republic, 11 people were confirmed dead in the regions affected. “I want to express our sympathy to those who have experienced this great drama, but at the same time assure them that they are not left alone,” Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, said in a Sept. 16 statement as thousands of people were evacuated from the flood-affected region of the country. “Water, after heavy rains, flooded many houses, schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. Many homes and public buildings have been destroyed, and the entire road infrastructure in that area has been badly damaged,” the archbishop said. A 17th-century Franciscan monastery in Klodzko was dramatically affected by the flood. “The whole main church was flooded,” said Father Ignacy Szczytowski, guardian of the monastery. “We’re located right at the curve of the Nysa Klodzka River. There were no chances that with this amount of water we would manage to stop it from coming,” he said, estimating the monastery’s losses at $3.5 million.
Young Catholic baker and dairy farmer fall in love at local market
AStories and photos by Dave Hrbacek
The Catholic Spirit
As slivers of September sunlight spilled into a dark and dusty dairy barn near Chatfield, Bridgette Fink threw a bunch of rubber tubes over her shoulder and set off to the far end of the weathered building to begin the process of extracting milk from more than 30 dairy cows on a farm south of the Twin Cities.
Not too long ago, this suburban girl wouldn’t have known what these sets of tubes were called — milking clusters — let alone how to use them. That all changed in the last two and a half years, along with her life’s trajectory, when she met a young dairy farmer and fell in love. It happened while she was selling her homebaked bread at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market near a dairy stand manned by Jake Kappers, who grew up on a farm just on the outskirts of a town that is authentically and unmistakably rural.
As providence would have it, on a Saturday in fall 2022, they struck up a conversation at the market. At the time, Kappers was Lutheran but was reading the Father Brown fiction series by G.K. Chesterton. That piqued Fink’s interest. It just so happened, on that same day, Fink’s older sister Mary was attending a Chesterton conference in the Twin Cities.
A friendship between Fink, 27, and Kappers, 32, began that day and eventually turned romantic. Their courtship became a sacramental marriage Sept. 14 as they professed wedding vows at St. Mary in Chatfield, near the farm where Kappers grew up. For Fink, now Bridgette Kappers, the seemingly huge leap from the Twin Cities suburb of Edina where she grew up to a place where the smell of a barn never leaves one’s clothing is what she calls “a perfect fit.”
Father Kyle Etzel, parochial vicar of St. Joseph in West St. Paul, was one of five priests at the Chatfield church, which was packed to near overflowing, to concelebrate the wedding Mass. The principal celebrant was Father Bryce Evans, co-pastor of St. Mary in St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood in downtown, just blocks away from the St. Paul Farmers’ Market. These two priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis live together in the rectory at St. Mary, along with the other co-pastor, Father Byron Hagan, and all three have gotten to know the couple. Also at the wedding and up at the altar were Father Francis Floeder, who was just ordained in May, retired Father Joe Fink, Bridgette’s uncle, and transitional Deacon Alexander Marquette. All were happy to make the hour-and-a-half drive to the small, rural community just south of Rochester. In addition to the wedding, the three priests living at St. Mary in St. Paul had played a part in Jake’s joining the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil Mass March 30 at St. Mary.
“Such a joy,” said Father Evans, summarizing the significance of this wedding and this pairing of a country-raised dairy farmer with a girl whose roots are in the suburbs. “These are two of the people we respect most in the world. It’s been a privilege to witness the unfolding of their relationship, the unfolding of their faith. … It’s beautiful to see some of the fruits of the Lord in this new life they’re beginning. And we’re full of confidence that they’ll be a blessing to many people.”
Focused on bread
Bridgette was not at all looking for love when she began selling her bread at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market in 2022. She had studied philosophy at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, and started a teaching job at Holy Family Academy in St. Louis Park in fall 2020, shortly after her graduation from UMary. But she had a desire to bake and run a baking business, and she eventually followed that dream, buying a
Finding husbandry … and
storefront on West Seventh Street in St. Paul next to the former Schmidt Brewery building in 2022. She broadened her business to include selling at farmers’ markets in Minneapolis and St. Paul. By the time she met Jake, her business was flourishing. On most Saturdays at the St. Paul market, she was sold out of bread by noon. Only at that point did she have time for conversations with Jake or anyone else. Jake, meanwhile, enjoyed an idyllic life on a dairy
farm run by his parents, Bob and Jeanette, who the 140-acre property in the early 1980s for raising dairy cattle and growing crops for the cattle to eat. grew up in the area and decided to start a new dairy operation on land that borders the outskirts of Chatfield. Jake, the oldest of three boys, chose to home and work on the farm after trying college time. He milks cows daily, then gets help on days travels to the St. Paul Farmers’ Market to sell his
Jake Kappers takes part in the bread baking process Sept. 11, working alongside his now-wife.
Bridgette Fink (now
and a husband
Bridgette and Jake Kappers exchange wedding vows at St. Mary in Chatfield Sept. 14. At center is the principal celebrant, Father Bryce Evans, co-pastor of St. Mary in downtown St. Paul. Also from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are Father Francis Floeder, back left, retired Father Joe Fink (Bridgette’s uncle), second from back left, Father Byron Hagan (partially visible next to Father Evans), co-pastor of St. Mary in St. Paul, transitional Deacon Alexander Marquette, front left, and Father Kyle Etzel, back right, parochial vicar of St. Joseph in West St. Paul.
bought raising eat. Bob dairy to stay college for a days he his
family’s dairy goods, which include milk, cream and the family’s signature cheese curds. Jake and Bridgette said they hope to buy the farm someday.
The Kappers farm has come to reflect the shared life that Bridgette and Jake are building together. Just a week before the wedding, one of the buildings on the property was converted to a bakery, complete with commercial ovens and equipment that were brought in just in time for the two of them to bake bread for their
wedding reception, which included more than 400 guests. Each table featured a loaf of bread baked just days before the wedding. And of course, there were plenty of dairy products on hand, including homemade ice cream for dessert.
Teamwork
Each helps the other in the life Jake and Bridgette have forged. There are times throughout the week devoted to baking, and times devoted to milking. The two work inside the barn mornings and evenings, and Bridgette has learned to wear the same set of clothes each time she milks because the smell cannot be washed away.
Do Bridgette and Jake see what they are doing as unconventional, even countercultural?
“I would say no,” Bridgette said. “I don’t think we ever really thought” of it that way.
“I think this is what comes naturally,” Jake said. “I think it’s just what I enjoy doing. I don’t think there are any philosophical underpinnings. It just happened to be that way.”
Bridgette then added further analysis of how what she and Jake are doing fits into God’s plan and the Catholic faith, a response perhaps tied to her philosophy background.
“I think that I’m following the will of God generally — not perfectly, but that’s my mission,” she said. “And that is synonymous with living a good and beautiful life. I find baking to be life-giving. I also find being on the farm to be life-giving.”
She noted that her family and close friends support her new life. One friend came down and saw her in action baking and doing farm chores and was won over.
“She just looked at me, and was like, ‘You just fit right in, Bridgette. This was made for you,’” Bridgette recalled. “And it’s true. … Part of my nature just enjoys what the farm has to offer or what the farm asks of you. My close friends and my siblings really think that it’s a good fit.”
‘Reaching out’
The priests agree. They also think that Bridgette and Jake will be able to plant seeds of faith in addition to seeds of the crops grown on the farm.
“I think one of the things that they’re really good at — and the size of the crowd today is evidence of it — is they’re both, together, really effective at reaching out,” Father Etzel said at Jake and Bridgette’s reception. “I’ve seen it with both of them in the way that they interact with people of all stripes in their life. They’re able to love people wherever they’re at and then, eventually, bring the Lord into it.”
He noted that “at least a dozen people” who came to the wedding and reception know the couple only from interacting with them at the farmers’ market.
Both Father Etzel and Father Evans said they plan to keep coming down to the farm to check in on Jake and Bridgette and pay what they call a “pastoral visit.” And they expect to see the couple at Mass at St. Mary when they are in St. Paul for the farmers’ market.
Then there’s the future and the possibility of being asked to perform baptisms. The two priests exchanged friendly banter about which one would perform the sacrament should Jake and Bridgette bring babies into the world.
“We’re very excited for the children that we know they want to have,” Father Etzel said. “They’re going to be great parents. There’ll be a lot of priests waiting in line to baptize their children.”
They also said the couple is a visible sign of what God is doing in the Church right now.
“This celebration is a sign of the fruitfulness of the Spirit,” Father Evans said. “It’s not just in the lives of these two individuals, but it’s something that overflows. This manifests the power of God and the Church. As long as things like this are happening, the future of the Church is bright.”
For more information about the Kappers’ dairy farm, visit kappersbigredbarn com. For more information about Bridgette’s bread baking, visit solusamorbread square site
PLENTY OF PRIESTLY SUPPORT
The sanctuary was crowded on Sept. 14 when Jake and Bridgette Kappers married at St. Mary in Chatfield. In addition to their wedding party of 10, there were five priests and one transitional deacon, all from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Priests included Fathers Bryce Evans, Byron Hagan, Francis Floeder, Kyle Etzel and Joe Fink. The latter is Bridgette’s uncle and close friend of the family. Joining them was transitional Deacon Alexander Marquette.
Four of the priests became friends with Bridgette and Jake over the last two years, when the clergymen started coming to the St. Paul Farmers’ Market. In summer 2022, Bridgette began attending daily Mass at St. Mary in downtown St. Paul while launching a bread-baking business out of a storefront on West Seventh Street. Her story was published in The Catholic Spirit in June of that year, and one of the priests recognized her from the story and told the other priests. The parish co-pastors, Fathers Evans and Hagan, live at the church rectory along with Father Etzel, who serves as parochial vicar of St. Joseph in West St. Paul.
The three priests all paid a visit to the farmers’ market after seeing the feature article and struck up a conversation with Bridgette. As she got to know them through subsequent visits, she took part in an Oratory of St. Philip Neri formed at the parish among the priests, who decided to intentionally follow in the intellectual tradition of St. Philip Neri. As she attended regular talks at the parish, she began bringing Jake as the two started dating.
Over time, the couple became friends with the three priests, plus Father Floeder and Deacon Marquette along the way, and Jake decided to explore joining the Catholic Church. He enrolled in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) in fall 2023 and became Catholic this year at the Easter Vigil Mass March 30 at St. Mary, with Fathers Evans and Hagan guiding him through the process.
“It was a very big honor” to have the five priests come down for the wedding, Bridgette said. “They kind of come as a package deal. ... They would all come and hang out at the market on many Saturdays.”
She noted that this was the first time in her life she became friends with priests other than her uncle, who has been supportive throughout her life and encouraged her in her baking business. He is the oldest of her father’s siblings and retired from active ministry in 2022.
One of the blessings of having the five priests come to her and Jake’s wedding was their presence before Mass, when they took part in the praying of the rosary and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Bridgette said this was an important part of the day, and she was joined by her bridesmaids and other wedding guests.
“I always attribute all the providence in my life to the Blessed Mother,” Bridgette said. “She’s my friend in heaven. She always gives me everything that I need at the right time. I attribute the whole wedding day to her. Through it all, I always ask for her intercession. So ... give her the credit.”
Posing for a photo after the wedding were, front row, from left: Father Bryce Evans, Jake and Bridgette Kappers and transitional Deacon Alexander Marquette; back row, from left: Fathers Francis Floeder, Byron Hagan, Joe Fink and Kyle Etzel.
(now Kappers) carries milking clusters in the barn Sept. 11.
FAITH+CULTURE
Young entrepreneur brings food to people
By Christina Capecchi
For The Catholic Spirit
Entrepreneurs often solve problems close to home. When Will Pittner was asked to pitch a business idea for a school assignment during his senior year at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, he noticed the leftover food every day on campus and resolved to salvage it. Food to People was born, a program in which unused food is frozen and delivered to area homeless shelters and churches.
Pittner, 25, is a one-man operation, loading coolers of food from five distribution sites into his Chrysler minivan to deliver at six or seven collection sites across the Twin Cities metro. His faith is the fuel, says the Rochester native who now lives in Hopkins and attends Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul.
Local Catholics can support Food to People by coming to one of the organization’s free meals to eat, observe or socialize, including: Sept. 28 from 5-7 p.m. at Ascension in Minneapolis; Oct. 10 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at All Saints in Lakeville; or Oct. 17 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Guardian Angels in Oakdale.
Q How does your faith compel you to help others?
A My parents really emphasized the dignity of the human person and how everyone has a story about how they got right there. The least we can do is love ... them and take a genuine interest in them. They were really good at emphasizing how that ties into Catholic social teaching.
My mom was our school librarian. She was always volunteering, and she was definitely that outlet for a lot of people, specifically women, to talk to. She has that nurturing, maternal gift: “Whatever you’re going through, you’re going to get through.” She looks at you with love in her eyes and suddenly you feel better.
Q Your observations as a student worker led you to research the issue of food waste.
A I learned that at least 30 percent of food intended for human consumption gets thrown away and goes to a landfill. That started me on a journey of asking questions of the cooks and kitchen staff and (I came) to find: It’s almost no fault of their own. It’s almost the nature of the business model –– and also their fear of running out of food.
Q You solved that problem by freezing the unused food and delivering it to local churches and shelters. What did you learn from founding Food to People?
A Patience. We all have this great plan in our head, and we want it now. Every six months, light hits me and God opens my eyes, and I laugh. It’s almost like a checkpoint: “Wow, if I would’ve had everything my way, how I wanted it six months ago, everything would’ve fallen flat on its face.” In hindsight, you can see the strings of God pulling you where you need to be.
During my senior year, when I was trying to get Food to People going, I was DoorDashing and selling my plasma and doing all sorts of things to pay rent. You get scrappy!
That taught me humility and that God’s love for me is not in direct proportion to the amount of material things I possess. I was at a season in life where I was so gung-ho on the prosperity Gospel. You hear speakers say that if you just believe enough, God will give you something. I learned I should ask first what is God’s will and then go from there.
Q Any mistakes you’ve corrected?
A Yes, it’s the scope, in the sense of an openness to all. We’re not calling a specific type of person to the table. Rather, we’re calling all. I learned that the hard way the first time I worked with Guardian Angels and we said, “This is for food-insecure people.” No one came. We learned to say, “Hey, it doesn’t matter your background. This is for all people because everyone is
spiritually hungry.” How can we create an encounter to let people know that they are seen, known and loved? This food is a tool to create that.
Q Is there something about being a Christian that dovetails with being an entrepreneur?
A It requires a childlike faith to step out on a limb. And I think the greatest entrepreneurs are servants of many. That’s Christ’s mode of operating. He didn’t come to be served but to serve.
Q Now that you’ve successfully launched a business, are you less afraid to go out on a limb?
A Totally. I’m bolder. It helps you trust in God more.
Q What advice would you give someone who has a big dream or project in mind?
A At some point, you have to go out on faith and do it. We’re in a culture that confuses discernment with action. You get the same dopamine release from telling people you’re going to write a book than you do from actually writing the book. It’s so easy to talk the talk. Bill Lentsch, the COO of the archdiocese, who’s been a great mentor, suggested a book by Eliyahu Goldratt called “The Goal.” It’s really helped shape my thinking on how to work effectively.
Q How do you pass the time when you’re driving around delivering food?
A I’m an ardent rosary prayer. I pray one rosary a day. And I love St. Francis’ prayer for peace. I listen to podcasts from Bishop (Robert) Barron and the Word on Fire Institute and from Jimmy Akin from Catholic Answers, called “Jimmy’s Mysterious World.” He talks about all different things under the sun. “Does the Bible talk about whether aliens exist?”
When the going gets tough, songs that have to do with cars and highways are a go-to, like “Life Is a Highway” (by Tom Cochrane), “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson, “American Ride” by Toby Keith. I make a game out of how many songs I can play that relate to one another.
Q Humor is necessary for the road?
A You can’t take yourself too seriously. As an entrepreneur, you’re going to fail way more times than you’re going to succeed. God knows we’re going to fail. That’s why we have confession. I can’t live my life
hoping to not fail.
Q You’re busy! How do you get it all done?
A I try to be disciplined. Thankfully I’ve never been a big social media guy. My vice is YouTube because I can justify the next video: “Oh, I’m learning something, it’s productive.”
I did Exodus 90 with five other friends of mine starting Jan. 1. That really helped me rid myself of negative habits and helped me realize how much time I actually have in my day.
Q What did you cut — besides YouTube?
A You have to take cold showers in Exodus 90 so you want to be as fast as possible. There’s no unnecessary spending during Exodus 90, so you realize how often you can justify: “I have to run to Target real quick because I have to get something.” And then you go, “Well, I don’t actually need that.”
Q What does it feel like to be a lifelong learner?
A You continue to learn how much you don’t know. It keeps you humble and hopeful. “Wow! There is somebody who’s dedicated their entire life to learning this one thing and I didn’t even know it existed.”
I read Matthew McConaughy’s book “Green Lights,” which was based on these writings of his when he was younger. I thought: “How cool was it that he could go back and read what was going through his mind when he was 25 and in the thick of it, trying to figure out who he is and make it big? I want to do that!”
So, I’ve started writing in a bunch of old composite spiral notebooks. I’m writing to my grandkids. When I’m 75 and I have a grandkid who asks what I was thinking about when I was 25, I can show him these writings that I’m writing for 50 years from now.
Q What do you know for sure?
A If there’s anything I know, it’s: I know nothing. Every time I think I know something, it gets ripped out from under me.
Who you surround yourself with is important. You have your values, but you have to be malleable enough to go with whatever comes your way and respond to God. Have your lists of non-negotiable values and then be malleable enough to respond to the call that God gives you.
DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
With some prudence, Catholics can benefit spiritually from the messages and practices associated with the alleged apparitions of Mary in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, said the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
“This does not imply a declaration of the supernatural character of the phenomenon,” nor does it mean that the tens of thousands of alleged messages from Mary published by the supposed “seers” are authentic, the dicastery said in a long “Note About the Spiritual Experience Connected with Medjugorje,” released Sept. 19.
With the approval of Pope Francis, the dicastery did, however, recognize “the abundant and widespread fruits, which are so beautiful and positive,” associated with devotion to Mary, Queen of Peace, and with pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, dicastery prefect, presented the note at a news conference Sept. 19. He said he had not met with the alleged visionaries, but that once the notification was prepared, he wrote to the six of them with some suggestions about the future. He provided no further details.
The cardinal also showed reporters the official “nihil obstat” –– a declaration of no objection ––issued by Bishop Petar Palic of Mostar-Duvno, the diocese where Medjugorje is located, authorizing public devotion there to Mary, Queen of Peace.
While it is possible that a pope could go further and make a declaration about whether the alleged apparitions and messages have a supernatural origin, Cardinal Fernández said he asked Pope Francis if he wanted to move in that direction and the pope said, “Not at all.”
The devotions in Medjugorje began after six young people, aged 10 to 16, said Mary began appearing to them in June 1981. Three of them say they still have apparitions of Mary each day, while the other three have them only on special occasions.
The Vatican’s positive judgment of the spiritual experience connected to Medjugorje highlighted: “abundant conversions; a frequent return to the sacraments, particularly, the Eucharist and reconciliation; many vocations to priestly, religious and married life; a deepening of the life of faith; a more intense practice of prayer; many reconciliations between spouses; and the renewal of marriage and family life.”
“It should be noted that such experiences occur above all in the context of pilgrimages to the places associated with the original events rather than in meeting with the ‘visionaries’ to be present for the alleged apparitions,” the dicastery added.
The 10,000-word notification looked in-depth at hundreds of the “alleged messages,” highlighting the positive, orthodox character of most of them while cautioning that some contain questionable theological affirmations or appear to be more a reflection of the young people’s thoughts than what the Church would expect from Mary.
Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, the resident apostolic visitor to Medjugorje, is charged with determining whether to allow the publication of alleged messages revealed in the future or alleged messages from the past that have not yet been published, the
notification said.
At the news conference, Cardinal Fernández said the wording of some of the messages is “not exactly from St. Thomas Aquinas.” As an example, he pointed to one about the faithful departed being happy when Masses are celebrated for them, a statement that could give the impression that even those in purgatory can be happy.
A key principle in the Church’s evaluation of phenomena like Medjugorje, the note said, is that “when one recognizes an action of the Holy Spirit in the midst of a spiritual experience, it does not mean that everything belonging to that experience is thereby free from all imprecisions, imperfections, and areas of possible confusion.”
Affirming the spiritual value of an alleged apparition or a specific devotion, it said, does not exclude the possibility of “some error of a natural order, not due to bad intentions, but to the subjective perception of the phenomenon.”
For example, it said so many of the messages have Mary allegedly insisting people listen to her that they can give the impression that the alleged messages are more important than the Bible.
“This often-repeated appeal probably comes from the love and generous fervor of the alleged visionaries who, with goodwill, feared that the Blessed Mother’s calls for conversion and peace would be ignored,” the note said. “This insistence becomes even more problematic when the messages refer to requests that are unlikely to be of supernatural origin, such as when Our Lady gives orders about specific dates, places, and practicalities and when she makes decisions about ordinary matters.”
In fact, in many of the messages, the dicastery said,
Mary “asks that her messages be listened to, but she also subordinates them to the incomparable value of the Word revealed in the Holy Scriptures.”
The dicastery drew particular attention to the alleged messages’ description of Mary as “Queen of Peace” and how they rightly offer “a vision that is theocentric and very rich in the true meaning of peace. According to this understanding, peace signifies not only the absence of war; it also has a spiritual, family, and social meaning.”
“A constant call to abandon a worldly lifestyle and excessive attachment to worldly goods appears in the messages, along with frequent calls for conversion, which makes true peace in the world possible,” it said.
Cardinal Fernández said that with a little “good sense,” most Catholics will be able to distinguish between the alleged messages that are spiritually beneficial and those that are imprecise or simply unimportant, like one in which Mary tells the young people her birthday is Aug. 5 and not Sept. 8, as celebrated on the Church’s calendar.
Asked if he had ever been to Medjugorje, the cardinal said he had during a trip to Europe with two confreres to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their ordinations, which would have meant the trip was in 2011 or 2012. The cardinal said he had not wanted to go –– he preferred Venice or Florence –– but one of the priests was a “fanatic” and they gave in.
Although the bus journey was not easy, the cardinal said what he found in Medjugorje was “an environment of prayer and peace” and a desire among the pilgrims to change their lives.
“We prayed, and it did us well,” he said.
PAUL HARING | CNS
Pilgrims pray around a statue of Mary on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in this Feb. 26, 2011, file photo.
FOCUSONFAITH
On maimed limbs and divided hearts
On a scale of one to 10, how much do you want it?
Whatever “it” might be, there will be times when we must determine for ourselves how much we desire something — and how much we’re willing to sacrifice to get it. An answer of three is not very promising. An answer of nine might be different. The one who desires much will sacrifice much, but the one who desires little will sacrifice little.
So, what is it we want? Heaven? Relationship with Jesus? Freedom from sin? The answer to all of these is (hopefully), “Yes!” Yet the followup question can’t be escaped: Just how much do we want these things? It is interesting to note that in our Gospel passage from Mark for Sept. 29, Jesus is not calling his listeners to cut sin out of their lives. If only it were so simple. What must be cut out are the causes of sin. We pray in the “Our Father,” “lead us not into temptation,” and yet, how often do we find ourselves being led into temptation by the very things and people we surround ourselves with? The Church calls these near occasions of sin. The greater number of near occasions of sin we have in our lives, the higher the likelihood that sin is precisely what will follow.
Now, some near occasions of sin are unavoidable (and in fact shouldn’t be avoided). Driving to work can be a near occasion of sin. The same goes for shopping. I’ve even joked before with couples I’ve prepared for marriage that, when it comes to opportunities to fail in charity, patience and generosity, even marriage is a near occasion of sin! Yet, we shouldn’t all sell our cars, avoid the supermarket, and live alone to avoid occasions of sin. What we need to do, rather, is
ASK FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ
How do I know it’s
God?
Q I’ve been praying and trying to get closer to God. But sometimes I don’t know if what I’m thinking is God’s voice or my own thoughts. Is there any way that I can tell?
A This is a fantastic question. We know that the secret of holiness is not found in doing remarkable tasks or phenomenal feats for God. The secret of holiness is found in simply doing God’s will. And God’s will might be something extreme, but most likely God’s will is simple and doable. Another way to say it is that God’s will is most often local — you rarely must leave home to carry it out. St. Teresa of Kolkata said it like this: “Stay where you are. Find your own Kolkata. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools.” If this is the case, God most likely wants you to be a saint right where you are. In other words, you can find God’s will right now. First, we have to remember that there are many voices in our lives. Scripture would even identify some of the deceptive voices (or temptations) in our lives as coming from one of three sources: the world, the flesh or the devil. We know that there is common sense, which can often be helpful. But there is also the wisdom of the world, which does not often see things the way God sees them. For example, the wisdom of the world might look at someone with severe medical issues and conclude that the most compassionate thing to do for that person would be to prematurely end their life and “spare” them further suffering. This would be evil and wrong. The wisdom of God reveals that every life matters, no matter the suffering. The wisdom of God reveals that power can be found in uniting our suffering to Christ’s. Because of this, we need to be wary of the voice of the world. There is also the flesh. When Scripture talks about the flesh, it refers to our fallen human nature. It refers to the fact that, because of
acknowledge those places in our lives where there are unnecessary near occasions of sin and begin to root them out like weeds from a garden.
This is where our desire for virtue and freedom from sin comes into play. As it turns out, avoiding near occasions of sin is hard. “How much am I willing to inconvenience myself in order to uproot near occasions of sin in my life?” one could ask. Often enough, the answer is “Not much.”
In truth, our hearts are divided. We do genuinely want to follow God and to do what is good. Yet, another part of us wants to seek worldly things and according to a worldly logic. St. Paul once said when writing to the Galatians, “For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want” (Gal. 5:17). Our heart is pulled in two different directions: toward heaven and toward Earth, toward sacrifice and toward comfort, toward God who sustains all and toward creatures who tend toward corruption and decay.
Practically speaking, what are we to do? The first is to ask God for a pure heart. To be pure is to be made of only one thing, to be undivided and without alloy. God must heal our divided and mixed-up hearts.
Then, we act on the grace he gives us and start uprooting. Those friends and acquaintances in my life who lead me into vice rather than virtue? I need to start pulling back. The all-demanding claims on my care and attention to be found in technology, the internet and media? I must limit or set restrictions for myself. That idle time which prompts me to move toward the things of this world rather than the things of God? I may well need to impose some structure there.
The examples can be multiplied and made your own, but the upshot is this: If I want (and I mean truly want) right relationship with God and freedom from sin, I must be willing to genuinely inconvenience and trouble myself in the process of ridding my life of these near occasions of sin. The imagery of cutting off limbs and plucking out eyes was not accidental. The decision must often be forceful, decisive, and in some cases, at least, permanent. Yet the good that is lost is nothing compared to the good we receive.
So, on a scale of one to 10, how much do you want it?
Father McGinnis was ordained a priest of the archdiocese in 2022 and is serving as chaplain at Providence Academy in Plymouth.
original sin, we have all inherited a broken heart; there is something in us that is drawn toward what we know is bad for us. Since this is the case, I cannot simply trust my desires. In fact, it would be wise to examine them before acting on them.
And there is the devil. We know that God made purely spiritual beings that we call angels. And we know that a number of these angels chose to rebel against God and seek to lead all those whom God loves away from him. God’s angels are in our lives and guard and intercede for us, but the fallen angels invade our lives and try to mislead and confuse us. Theirs is a voice that we need to be aware of, as well.
Your question is valid. How do you know if some thought or inspiration to act is from God or is just your own idea? There are a number of questions to ask and at least one thing to do to really know. First, we need to ask if this voice goes against God’s word in Scripture. If God has already revealed his will and his heart in a particular area, then he will not contradict himself. The example I always come back to is that a married person does not have to discern whether God is calling them to pursue a romantic relationship with anyone other than their spouse. God has spoken. Therefore, we already know what he would say on that topic.
The next question is closely connected to the first. We ask if this voice opposes the teaching of the Catholic Church. Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church and promised to guide the Church through the Holy Spirit into all truth. Jesus promised that he would never abandon the Catholic Church and that those “who hear you (the Apostles) hear me.” We know that the Catholic Church has sacred authority to teach definitively and unerringly in the name of Jesus. Therefore, any voice must be consistent with Church teaching.
Another question we can ask is a bit more personal and subjective. I invite folks who are discerning the source of a voice to ask, “Who does that voice sound like?” There are many times when the voice we are hearing in our lives sounds an awful lot like people who have not had our best interests at heart. They are often harsh words of accusation that might have had a hint of truth but were mostly destructive.
PLEASE TURN TO ASK FATHER MIKE ON PAGE 19
DAILY Scriptures
Sunday, Sept. 29
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Nm 11:25-29
Jas 5:1-6
Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Monday, Sept. 30
St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church Jb 1:6-22 Lk 9:46-50
Tuesday, Oct. 1
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 Lk 9:51-56
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Gn 2:18-24 Heb 2:9-11 Mk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12
Monday, Oct. 7 Our Lady of the Rosary Gal 1:6-12 Lk 10:25-37
Tuesday, Oct. 8 Gal 1:13-24 Lk 10:38-42
Wednesday, Oct. 9 Gal 2:1-2, 7-14 Lk 11:1-4
Thursday, Oct. 10 Gal 3:1-5 Lk 11:5-13
Friday, Oct. 11 Gal 3:7-14 Lk 11:15-26
Saturday, Oct. 12 Gal 3:22-29 Lk 11:27-28
Sunday, Oct. 13 Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 7:7-11 Heb 4:12-13 Mk 10:17-3
ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX (1873-1897) Left motherless at 4, she followed two older sisters into the Carmelites, entering at 15 as Sister Thérèse of the Infant Jesus. Poor health made her dream of missionary work impossible. In 1896 she contracted tuberculosis and died after months of suffering. Posthumous publication of her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” prompted popular devotion. The “Little Flower” is remembered for her “little way” of seeking perfection in the ordinary with a simple but total trust in God. Her feast day is Oct. 1
FAITH AT HOME | LAURA KELLY FANUCCI
And became man
Every week my sons stand in the pew at Mass. Like stairsteps, all five in a row by age and height. Or like a motley crew, mixed together by shapes and sizes.
Five boys in the midst of becoming men.
They are the reason why the short line tucked within the Nicene Creed catches me with a lump in the throat: “… and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.”
We bow at this line, and rightly so. The marvel and mystery of the Incarnation asks every knee to bend. (And everyone who has witnessed the power of pregnancy and birth knows that Mary’s labor was well worth our honor, too!)
But the second half of the phrase can get neglected. What does it mean to “become man”?
For Jesus, it meant the incarnation that made God human –– including his growth over nine months within Mary’s womb and his years of maturing from child to adult. All these parts of his earthly life are evoked by the simple, short phrase we profess.
Yet the words also invite us to reflect on our own becoming.
The original Latin reads, “Et homo factus est”: “and became human” (since “homo” means human, not “vir” which means male). These words thus invite all of us to meditate on what it is to be human –– for Christ and for us.
When I look at my sons, each becoming a man in his own way, I stand in awe of the untold moments and milestones that go into shaping who we are.
Every adult who loves and cares for children knows how much work it takes to raise the youngest among us: long days, sleepless nights, attentive care and boundless love. But most of this work of becoming human is ordinary and unremarkable.
When did Jesus learn to smile or laugh, to talk or walk? How did he learn to share, forgive, make
YOUR HEART, HIS HOME | LIZ KELLY STANCHINA
It’s game time, where’s your helmet?
Just in case there was any doubt about it, I was awakened early one Sunday morning recently by an enthusiastic visitor a few houses down on our dead-end street. He was shouting at the top of his lungs, “Game day! Been waiting for this all year! Gaaaaaamme day!”
Later, when I walked my dogs, I saw him and a band of other enthusiasts as they headed to the Vikings game decked in purple jerseys with painted faces, still shouting as they drove off, “Game day! Been waiting all year!” I presume it was a season opener, thus the heightened — and loud — fervor.
Don’t get me wrong, I think sports can be a wonderful means of helping to form strong character and a great outlet for socializing and recreation. I’ve had a number of close relatives play professional sports, and many more played sports in college. I saw what it meant for them. Athletics can be a tremendous means of training oneself in virtue, learning to work effectively as a team, forming a plan, working toward goals and overcoming obstacles, among many other benefits.
Jesus embodied the fullness of humanity. Not simply that his DNA would have looked like ours under a microscope, but also that he understood intimately all that it meant to be human: our joys, fears, hopes, struggles and suffering. His body changed from child to man. His voice deepened; his limbs lengthened; his muscles strengthened; his language skills advanced.
friends and help his parents? His growth unfolded over years as it does for all of us –– in everyday moments that are rarely recorded. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us of this relatable truth: “The hidden life at Nazareth allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life” (CCC 553).
Scripture shares only a sliver about Jesus’ growth into adulthood. The Gospel of Luke sums up his first 12 years –– between his presentation and his teaching in the temple –– with a single line: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Lk 2:40).
Then the next 18 years, between his time in the temple at age 12 and his public ministry at age 30, are also gathered into one sentence: “And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (Lk 2:52). Luke’s words show us what it meant for Jesus to become man: to grow in faithfulness, wisdom, strength and obedience.
Jesus embodied the fullness of humanity. Not
simply that his DNA would have looked like ours under a microscope, but also that he understood intimately all that it meant to be human: our joys, fears, hopes, struggles and suffering. His body changed from child to man. His voice deepened; his limbs lengthened; his muscles strengthened; his language skills advanced.
All these ordinary miracles brought forth by his incarnation can be gathered into our prayer with this phrase: “and became man.”
On Sundays when my jostling sons in the pews pull me back to Earth, they remind me that “becoming” is a long process. We are each changing and growing in wisdom, even the smallest among us.
May we learn to look with gentleness on each other’s becoming human –– and our own.
Fanucci, a member of St. Joseph the Worker in Maple Grove, is an author, speaker and founder of Mothering Spirit, an online gathering place on parenting and spirituality at motheringspirit com
Oh Lord, St. Paul begged the Ephesians to pray for him ‘that I may declare (the Gospel) boldly.’ We make his prayer our own, that armed with the sword of the spirit, your word, we would become effective ambassadors of your truth (see Eph 6:19-20). Amen.
But because it was Sunday, I couldn’t help but make the comparison in my mind. There was no one on my street — including me — who was equally excited to go to Mass. No one was dressed up in their Sunday best parading down the street shouting “Lord’s Day! Yeah! Been waiting for this all week!” I realize the comparison isn’t entirely even, and of course, I treasure being able to go to Mass, but you see my point. One could wonder about disordered loves in such a scenario. The especially public enthusiasm got me thinking.
It reminded me of an old homily St. John Paul II gave in the United States almost 30 years ago. (You can find it on the Vatican website: tinyurl com/54wnnu8j.) As ever, he was remarkably prescient. He said, “Democracy cannot be sustained without a shared commitment to certain moral truths about the human person and human community.” Then he went on to state with the extraordinary simplicity and intelligence that marked his entire pontificate, that there is one vital question every democracy must ask itself: “how ought we to live together?”
To answer this question well, he said, we cannot reject the fundamental truths upon which our country was founded. He asked, “Can Biblical wisdom which played such a formative part in the very founding of your country be excluded from that debate? ... Would not doing so mean that tens
of millions of Americans could no longer offer the contribution of their deepest convictions for the formation of public policy?” (No. 7).
St. John Paul makes plain that, “Sometimes, witnessing to Christ will mean drawing out of a culture ... its noblest intentions, a fullness that is revealed in Christ. At other times, witnessing to Christ means challenging that culture, especially when the truth about the human person is under assault” (No. 6).
In case there’s a shred of doubt in you, let me assure you. It’s game time, friends — the truth about the human person is under assault worldwide. Put on your game face, the helmet of salvation and the belt of truth (see Eph 6:10-17). Get vocal, souls are at stake. Act while you still have the freedom, as St. John Paul points out, not to do what you like, but to do what you ought. It’s game day.
Oh Lord, St. Paul begged the Ephesians to pray for him “that I may declare (the Gospel) boldly.” We make his prayer our own, that armed with the sword of the spirit, your word, we would become effective ambassadors of your truth (see Eph 6:19-20). Amen.
Stanchina is the community leader for Women’s Formation at Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Institute and the award-winning author of more than a dozen books. Visit her website at LizK.org
iSTOCK PHOTO | MOTORTION
CATHOLIC WATCHMEN | DEACON GORDON BIRD
The rosary points to joy, light, sorrow and glory
When I visited Israel in 2012, what really activated my senses — and moved my soul — was when the guide challenged us on the tour group to get our Bibles out and note the scriptural passages that describe the sites affiliated with a particular mystery of the rosary. The texts I found (and marked in my Bible on that pilgrimage) brought out the joy, sorrow, light and glory with which our Blessed Mother leads us to know and love Jesus more fully.
We give the rosary special attention in October, and we should take advantage of each day of the month. Those who pray the rosary with our Holy Mother are guided on a journey through key events of the Gospel story. We as Catholic Watchmen — providers, protectors and leaders of the faith — are to pray regularly with family, friends and others in devotion to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and we are to encounter our Lord and the Holy Family in the Scriptures. The more time we give to the rosary in our prayer lives, the more we can understand the way it captures the Gospel story with originality, creativity and freshness.
That goes especially for a scriptural rosary, which includes passages from the Bible that can ignite the love of the Lord in our hearts. There are many opportunities (i.e., seasonal, liturgical, feasts, solemnities, apostolates, etc.) to lead a scriptural rosary with the Blessed Mother at the helm. For example, I lead a First Saturday devotion each month in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The meditative nature, scriptural references, virtuous fruits of each mystery sanctify, instruct and guide us in our walk with Jesus. Through her Immaculate Heart, Mary helps unite us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The mother of our Lord is always genuine in her devotion by her loving example, not only as his mother, but as the first disciple and the first evangelist. This is revealed in several stories in the Gospels, and here are just a few:
Genuine joy. Mary’s love for our Lord leads us to a
Genuine joy. Mary’s love for our Lord leads us to a life of intimacy with Christ, and the joyful mysteries reveal this starting with the fiat of the Annunciation.
life of intimacy with Christ, and the joyful mysteries reveal this starting with the fiat of the Annunciation. As the angel explained her role, Mary understood what she was to understand, and responded, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Fulfilling the two greatest commandments — loving God and loving neighbor — she immediately visited and helped her elderly and pregnant cousin, Elizabeth. And we are blessed with the genuine joy of her Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55) at the visitation.
Genuine light. The Blessed Mother’s last words (but not her last activity) recorded in the New Testament are, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5), at the wedding in Cana. This was luminous advice at the time, and today it delivers a profound message that the magnitude of God can be found at the level of ordinary life. She presented a problem to her son: the celebration of the wedding feast was in jeopardy. As Jesus’ ministry became public via the water-into-wine miracle, the world was about to learn of the light of Christ.
Genuine sorrow. The late Pope Benedict XVI wrote of Mary under the cross in the sorrowful mysteries: “When she is given away under the cross (Jn 19, 26), this experience becomes a participation in the rejection that Jesus himself had to endure on the Mount of Olives (Mk 14:34) and on the cross (Mk 15:34).” The prophet Simeon foretold that a sword would pierce Mary’s heart. The crucifixion of our Lord, however, connects both the joy and the sorrow of a genuine follower of Christ. No one followed Jesus more genuinely than Mary did, from the incarnation to the foot of the cross and beyond. Genuine glory. Realize that if you visit the Holy
know that many who live, work or go to church in our urban areas — not limited to our downtowns — will have similar experiences.
How, as Christians, should we think about these encounters? The Gospels seem to have a lot to say about money and the poor in general. Many of us are aware that what we do when we go to church has something to do with those who might ask us for some spare change on our way home. And it is indeed the case that our Catholic tradition is filled with thoughtful reflections and practices in this regard.
When I’m not writing columns for The Catholic Spirit or chasing my five kids around, I’m likely occupied doing something for The Center for Catholic Social Thought (CCST) at Assumption in St. Paul. This year we have a couple of different fall offerings, and so at the invitation of the editor, I thought I would take this month’s column to describe them.
The first is an event designed to help us think Christianly about how to respond to encountering panhandlers and the poor on our streets. It is a common experience for me, working in downtown St. Paul, living and commuting through Minneapolis, and driving elsewhere around the Twin Cities, to be approached by people I don’t know seeking money, or a cigarette, or sometimes just wanting to talk. I see tents on the side of the road, and many times there are individuals holding signs at traffic intersections. I
This will be the topic for two talks the CCST will be hosting by Professor Kelly Johnson. Titled “Fear of Beggars and Love of Neighbor: A Spirituality of the Common Good for Our Streets,” there is one talk on Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m., and another Oct. 19 at 10 a.m., both at Assumption.
Johnson is a professor of theology and the Father Ferree Chair of Social Justice at Dayton University in Ohio. She has a Ph.D. from Duke University, is author of a book called “Fear of Beggars: Stewardship and Poverty in Christian Ethics,” and writes widely in the Catholic social tradition.
As the title of her talks suggests, Johnson will introduce attendees to some of the riches of the Church’s tradition regarding our relation to the poor. Rather than giving attendees a list of do’s and don’ts, she’ll seek to frame the experience of poverty in a Christian way, stimulating our imaginations in light of our commitment to Christ, the Church and each other. How might recognizing beggars as our neighbors and as part of our quest for the common good shape the
Land — walking where Jesus walked — under the auspices of a Catholic Christian guide, you will be able to experience (or at least be in the vicinity of) all the designated sites of the mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary — except one! The coronation of our Queen Mother in heaven. “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev 12:1). There are many reasons and needs that lead Watchmen to participate in this beautiful, biblical and powerful prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Much of it rests on our faith in the resurrection, so we can rise with Christ as we put our hope in the promise to come — to experience the love of divine friendship eternally with Jesus and the angels and saints in heaven.
This October, embrace the month of the most holy rosary. It can enliven our daily prayer lives. No matter how turbulent life might become, we can hold fast to the faith and elicit the intercessory prayers of the Blessed Mother, who will always lead us to Jesus. The rosary is a transforming devotion that speaks of the genuine joy, sorrow, light and glory of the Gospel messages that we can learn and live in our hearts.
Deacon Bird ministers at St. Joseph in Rosemount and All Saints in Lakeville and assists with the archdiocesan Catholic Watchmen movement. See heroicmen com for existing tools supported by the archdiocese to enrich parish apostolates for ministry to men. For Watchmen start-up materials or any other questions regarding ministry to men, contact him at gordonbird@rocketmail com
way that we see them, and ourselves? What might a “spirituality” mean in this context? Come and find out.
The second event this fall is a series of talks and discussions I’ll be leading on my new book “We Are Only Saved Together: Living the Revolutionary Vision of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement.” The book is an introduction and invitation to some of the inspiring ideas and practices of the Catholic Worker, with an emphasis on the movement’s potential to build strong Christian community in a world of loneliness and isolation.
I’ll be giving four talks on the book, each connected to a different chapter, but expanding upon, rather than simply repeating, its content. This way, if you’ve read the book, the talks will give more food for thought, and if you haven’t, you’ll still be able to find something new in it. The topics are “The Anatomy of Loneliness,” “Real Catholic Community,” “Local Economy and Local Living” and “Being with the Poor.” We’ll meet Tuesdays from 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 22 to Nov. 12 at Assumption. If you’re interested, the book is available from avemariapress com
Both sets of talks are free, and you can register at catholicsocialthought org. Happy fall everyone! I hope to see you soon.
Miller is the director of the Center for Catholic Social Thought at Assumption in St. Paul. He is the author of “We Are Only Saved Together: Living the Revolutionary Vision of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement,” published by Ave Maria Press.
HOSTS: SPONSORS:
constructive engagement across party lines and commit to fostering a tone that is about bringing light and not heat. Sadly, the end of the last session was not a ringing endorsement of the civility caucus’ success. Lack of transparency calls for Catholic engagement. But why be civil, especially when one is not met with civility in return?
Civility is a necessary precondition of politics that is ordered toward the common good. It is also a moral imperative — for as Catholics, we believe our neighbors are created in the image and likeness of God.
Civility is the tone of good politics
The word civility comes from the same Latin root as city, which is civitas. Civility refers to the respectful way
citizens engage with one another as they participate in the activities of the city — essentially, the politics of working together to promote the common good. This idea of a city is captured by the Greek word polis. Civility is essential because we share a common life and common goods. Politics, at its core, is about fostering civic friendship marked by civility — a true friendship that seeks the genuine good of others and works together for the common good.
The Church builds on the classical understanding of politics as civic friendship by helping us recognize our shared humanity and destiny. We don’t just live together in the same space; we are more than that. We are all made in the image and likeness of God and have a common Father, who art in heaven. This makes us brothers and sisters, and we should treat each other as
As a human family, we must stand in solidarity and care for each other’s needs and struggles. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. To address the challenges humanity faces, everyone must take part in the work of community life — what we call politics. When some of our brothers and sisters are excluded from community life (socially, politically or economically), it is our responsibility to bring them in. And in community, we are all called to participate in shaping our shared life by contributing our unique gifts to the common good.
In that common work, we need to speak to each other in productive ways that open hearts and minds. Rational discourse is premised on the idea that you have dignity, gifts to share, and a perspective worth considering, and I should listen to you as a brother or sister.
Civility is found in disagreement
Civility does not mean we need to agree. In fact, civility is lived in the context of disagreement. It’s not about simply being “nice” or avoiding conflict, nor does it exclude righteous anger. Instead, civility recognizes that conflict often stems from competing values, but it seeks to listen attentively and not just try to split the difference. Civility works to create a dynamic where everyone can win.
For democracy to survive, we cannot divide each other into factions — friends or enemies. We are often led to believe that our neighbors — even our family members — are our enemies. Think of children denouncing their parents on social media or friendships breaking over political differences.
The Enemy divides us, but Christ calls us to love our enemies. That is why our true enemies are not those on the other side of the political aisle but rather the spiritual powers and principalities of this world. In politics, we must see one another as friends, not enemies, understanding that the line between good and evil doesn’t lie between “us” and “them” but runs through every human heart. As G.K. Chesterton quipped: “What’s wrong with the world? I am.”
By entering the public arena with a commitment to civility, we can transform politics from a power struggle between opposing sides into the shared task of building the common good.
“Inside the Capitol” is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.
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NET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
someone who financially supports NET is uplifted because it expands their horizon, and they begin to participate in this mission in the way St. Lydia participated in the missions of St. Paul. It has this ripple effect, and it keeps rippling. That’s the great gift of grace.”
Berchem came to NET with a pragmatic lens, having studied social work at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “I came to the realization that we spend a lot of effort on treating problems, but we don’t put much effort into preventing problems, and from the study I had done and my own personal experience, I realized that young people who have faith tend to do better in almost every metric,” Berchem said. “It seemed to me like, Why don’t we spend more time helping young people encounter Christ? Their lives will go better!”
His internship at The Catholic Youth Center in St. Paul turned into a job, which led him to re-evaluate the staff’s travels across Minnesota, crisscrossing the state to host retreats.
“I was looking for a way to make life easier,” Berchem said. “I had no idea I was starting something.”
He piloted his idea in January 1980, recruiting 11 college students who were free during their J-term to stay in the Winona diocese (now Winona-Rochester diocese) and host 16 retreats over the course of 21 days. It went so well the bishop asked them to return the next year. Then Bishop Paul Dudley called. He’d heard about Winona and wanted the same experience for his diocese in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The ministry grew from there.
“I didn’t found NET,” Berchem said. “NET found me. It wasn’t a plan I had hatched. God opened a door, I said yes, I took a step, and then he opened up another door. It was very organic. There was no strategic plan. The strategic plan was: pray and go!”
He didn’t over-think it.
“That helped us move quickly,” he added. Looking back, Berchem sees the lack of formal training as an asset. “None of us had any theological training. All we had was our real-life experience: ‘This is what God has done in my life, this is what he’s doing. I know God is real. He wants to be real in your life, too!’
When people asked what my theology was, I said, ‘I’ve got street theology.’”
Over time, he’s come to own that. “Somebody once told me: ‘If it’s not practical, it’s probably not spiritual.’ The integration of faith and life is what happens at NET training.” Again and again, the witness of the NET missionaries proved effective — especially because they paired it with a personal invitation.
“Sometimes as Catholics we tell the story, but we don’t close the deal,” Berchem said. “We don’t invite people to respond. That’s what NET tries to do. ‘Can we pray? Can you ask God to make himself more present in your life? Can you pray for the grace to take a step?’”
The staff came to describe this as “relational ministry,” a concept they’ve held fast to.
Over the decades, when people pitched expansions or partnerships, Berchem stayed the course.
Love
“It’s tempting,” he said. “The human part of you finds it exciting. But NET’s success is because we’ve stayed faithful to the call. God’s called us to share our Catholic faith in an authentic way with young people, and we’ve just stayed in our lane.”
Father Finnegan admires that focus. “Mark had a clear vision, and he stuck with it,” he said. “The NET today is recognizable from the NET of yesterday.”
As Berchem grew NET, he and his wife, Mary, grew their family, raising four children in their home near the NET center. Every Saturday night they read the Sunday Gospel together. Mark found fun ways to engage the kids, asking each kid to listen for a different part. On hiking trips, if one child was lagging, Mark spun harrowing tales of “The Great Hunter John” to rev up the weary walker.
“He’s steady and faithful,” Mary said. “He has gentle strength. He almost welcomes a challenge — not that he likes it, but he doesn’t get knocked down. He immediately starts finding a way forward.”
New challenges
Today, there are plenty of challenges in youth ministry. Recruiting missionaries has proven more difficult since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The most common way that people learn about NET has been by a person sharing their experience of serving with NET,” said Director of Recruiting Matt Reiswig. “With most in-person events being canceled, it really halted the process of alumni sharing their experiences. In addition, dwindling youth groups and shrinking Mass (attendance) has also made the process of recruiting more difficult. Even the mindset of Gen Z is much more practical than the previous generation of millennials. This generation is focused on their careers and paying off student debt.”
The size of this year’s group of missionaries, at 103, marks a five-year low, having hit 154 three years ago. But the staff sees that as a natural ebb and flow. And they’re excited about new opportunities, including a rebrand, renewed marketing efforts, the launch of an alumni association, the development of a strategic plan and the acquisition of a training platform called YDisciple. It will enable NET to train parishes in youth outreach, which Berchem considers crucial.
Only 20 percent of parishes have a paid youth minister, he said. “I think the future of youth ministry is going to be led by volunteers rather than professionals, and we’re providing volunteers in a parish with a training platform and a resource platform.”
The surge in Catholic apostolates aimed at young adults encourages Berchem, who offered guidance to multiple efforts as they launched. Like NET, St. Paul’s Outreach — which brings its missionary and communal efforts to college campuses — grew out of the Catholic Youth Center. The two flourishing, locally-based ministries have the same spirituality and help each other in a variety of ways.
“I take hope in the fact that we’re becoming less siloed,” Berchem said. “There’s a realization that the need is huge, and we can do more by working together. We need them all to do well: NET, FOCUS, Lifeteen, the University of Steubenville conferences, St. Paul’s
of Neighbor and Fear of Beggars:
A Spirituality of the Common Good For Our Streets
How should Christians think about encountering panhandlers?
Two talks by Professor Kelly Johnson, University of Dayton Friday, Oct. 18, 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. Assumption, St. Paul Register: catholicsocialthought.org
Dorothy Day and the Christian Revolution
Four talks with Colin Miller on his new book, “We Are Only Saved Together” Tuesdays, Oct. 22-Nov. 12, 5:30 p.m.
Assumption, St. Paul Register: catholicsocialthought.org
Outreach.” He hopes these Catholic missionaries can form authentic relationships with lonely teens battling depression and anxiety.
“We’re not the whole answer, but we’re part of the answer: a young person just being recognized,” Berchem said. “So many teens have little contact with real people and their so-called friends are all online. A study came out not long ago saying a significant number of young people have no one to talk with. There’s this great isolation.”
Berchem still remembers the young man with a facial deformity who’d endured bullying and was at a breaking point when he arrived at a NET retreat, concealing a handheld metal weapon. The missionaries talked about God’s love for each person made in his image and likeness. They prayed with the young man. After the retreat, he came up to his small-group leader and handed over his weapon, saying, “I don’t need this anymore.”
“We don’t know what burdens a young person is carrying when they come on retreat,” Berchem said. “But we do know that Jesus is the answer. If we give them a genuine sharing of faith and demonstrate a real interest in that person, it can go a long way.”
Time to linger
Berchem will continue to help NET as a board member and a bridge builder, particularly for its growing international presence. But his days look very different now. And, as a result, so do his prayers.
“In the past, when I would pray for NET, it was for wisdom to solve a problem. I’m not even sure if I was praying or just thinking in God’s presence. ‘How do we solve this? How do we attack this?’ Now I’m praying for opportunities, looking at the big picture and asking: ‘Where’s the grace?’”
During seasons of change, Berchem said, Christians should lean on gratitude. “As human beings, we have a poor memory and a limited perspective, especially as we get older, so it’s really important that we keep a collection of what we’re grateful for and spend some time reflecting: How is God working in my life? Who are the people he’s brought into my life? How have I seen him work in unexpected ways? Write it down. It’s almost like building our own psalm of thanksgiving, so that, when we encounter something in the future and we’re not quite sure how it’s going to work out, we can go back to our psalm of thanksgiving and remember: ‘OK, God worked in the past, he can do it again.’ We build hope by recalling what the Lord has done for us.” This spiritual practice has filled the 70-year-old retiree with joyful optimism.
“Sometimes we think our greatest achievements are behind us,” Berchem said. “That’s not necessarily true. The most important thing you may do in your life could still be ahead of you, even if you’re 70. So, be open, scan the horizon and ask: ‘Lord, where are you working? What are you inviting me into?’ And then be ready. Be ready to say that most dangerous word: Yes!”
In the meantime, Berchem is trying to slow down. “Not having to get to work allows me to linger,” he said. “I can linger longer at prayer, I can linger longer with my wife, I can linger longer with exercise. I’m beginning to experience that.”
CALENDAR
More events online at
PARISH EVENTS
43rd Annual Booya and Fall Festival — Sep. 29: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at 38725 Forest Blvd., North Branch. Children’s games, raffle ($1,000 grand prize), bottle booth, wine booth, silent auction, prizes, hot dogs, chips and drinks. Dine-in and take-out in freezable containers.
Stgregorynb orgS
Soup Social — Oct. 6: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Bernard, 210 Church St. E., Cologne. Soup Social to include beef and chicken chili, along with chicken noodle, chicken wild rice and hearty vegetable soup. Cash, meat, quilt raffle. Free Spirits will provide music with Mass at 10 a.m. Freewill offering.
Rosary Coast to Coast USA — Oct. 6: 3 p.m., at St. Boniface, 633 Second St. NE, Minneapolis. Join us to recite the 20 decades of the holy hosary in English, Spanish, French, Polish and Arabic to heal our country and return it to holiness. Come for one rosary or stay for as long as you are able. For questions, contact Loretta at 763-588-9626 or roSaryCoaSttoCoaSt Com
A Walk Through the Mass — Oct. 9: 6:15-7:15 p.m. at St. Michael, 611 Third St. S., Stillwater. Discover more about the beauty and purpose of all that we do and say at Mass. Father Creagan will explain the many beautiful pieces to Mass to help us understand and appreciate the gift of the Eucharist. (Daytime session 1 p.m. at St. Mary, Stillwater.)
StmiChaelandStmaryStillwater org/
Living a Joyful Life Gala — Oct. 12: 5:30-8:30 p.m., at Maternity of Mary, 1414 N. Dale St., St. Paul. “Living a Joyful Life Gala Dinner and Silent Auction” is a celebratory event hosted by the Pro-Life Group of Maternity of Mary and Holy Childhood. Emceed by Brian Gibson with special guest Abby Hewitt. Registration is required. maternityofmaryChurCh org/living-a-joyful-life-2024
WORSHIP+RETREATS
Come Away With Me Retreat — Oct. 2: Noon-8:30 p.m. at Dunrovin Retreat Center, 15525 St. Croix Trail N., Marine on Saint Croix. God invites you to “come away with me,” to refresh your mind, body, and spirit and to listen for the whisper of God’s personal love for you dunrovin org/viSit/adult-retreatS/Come-away-with-meretreatS/
October Women’s Weekend Retreat #1 — Oct. 4-6: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 to 1 p.m. Oct. 6, at the Minnesota Franciscan Catholic Retreat Center, 16385 St. Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Theme: Finding God in Difficult Times. In addition to the four conference talks, this women’s retreat includes classic retreat elements such as unhurried confession, guided prayer, spiritual direction, Mass and generous unscheduled periods. tinyurl Com/yCkhb3uf
Red Mass — Oct. 9: Noon, at Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. The annual Red Mass is offered for members of the legal profession and is open to the public. Sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society.
Men’s Freedom and Life Retreat — Oct. 11-12: 6-10 p.m. Oct. 11, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 12, at All Saints, 19795 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville. Presenter Deacon Ralph Poyo from New Evangelization Ministries will guide men through a faith journey of growing in discipleship with our Lord. This two-day retreat includes dynamic presentations, confession, meals and group/individual prayer. allSaintSChurCh Com/men
A Path to Holiness: Recognizing God’s Call: Women’s Retreat — Oct. 12: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Patrick, 6820 St. Patrick’s Lane, Edina. Join women from around the archdiocese as we learn from Catholic speakers how we can live out our current vocation infused with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. StpatriCk-edina org/womenSretreat
CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS
Retrouvaille Marriage Help: Single Weekend Programs — Oct. 4-6: Best Western Dakota Ridge Hotel, 3450 Washington Drive, Eagan. Retrouvaille is a lifeline for troubled marriages. Couples learn the tools to rediscover each other and heal their marriage. 100% confidential. helpourmarriage org
Prison Ministry Workshop — Oct. 5: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Joan of Arc, 4537 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis. Hear personal testimony from those affected by incarceration to learn the value of this ministry and how you can be involved, both inside and outside the walls. 8 a.m. Mass followed by program and lunch. All are invited. tCpriSonminiStry Com/newS/
SPEAKERS+SEMINARS
“Can the Nicene Creed Unite Orthodox and Catholic Churches?” — Sept. 30: 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas, McNeely Hall 100, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. The lecture will address the sufficient conditions for the Eucharistic communion and the promise that the common Nicene faith in the triune God and the lordship of Jesus Christ holds for Christian unity. Featuring Professor Paul Gavrilyuk. tinyurl Com/2jaejke7
SJN Mind, Body and Spirit Series: Healthcare from a Catholic Perspective / Theology of the Body — Oct. 1, Nov. 3, Dec. 3, Jan. 7, Feb. 4, March 4, April 1, May 4: 7-8:30 p.m. at St. John Neumann, 4030 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan. An overview of Theology of the Body as we begin to delve into the sacredness of women’s bodies and explore how to care for oneself through the lens of our Catholic faith. Presenter: Bridget Busacker, MA, CPPM. Sjn org/paStoral-Care
Nonviolence: A Style of Politics for Peace — Oct. 2: 7 p.m. at Corpus Christi, 2131 Fairview Ave., Roseville. The workshop will center on the tenets of Pope Francis’ 2017 World Day of Peace message. Guest speaker Eli McCarthy of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative Steering Committee. Dan McNeal of PeaceMaker Minnesota will facilitate. Shorturl at/b5S2h Hope and Healing: The Promise of Catholic Social Teaching for a Divided America — Oct. 3: 6-8 p.m. at the Basilica of St. Mary, 1600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. The Rev. David T. Link Lecture Series. Featuring Rob Vischer, president of the University of St. Thomas, and Marcus Cole, dean of the Notre Dame Law School. mary org/event/hopeandhealingSerieS100324/
The Presence of Christ — Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Nov. 3, Nov. 17: 10:30 a.m.-noon at St. Francis Cabrini, 1500 Franklin Ave. SE, Minneapolis. Our belief in the presence of the risen Christ is central to who we are as Christians — in creation, in the Word, in the Church, in the Eucharist. Frank Schweigert will explore what these beliefs mean through prayer, song, word and discussion. Cabrinimn org
Lumen Vero: Inspiring Catholic Leaders — Oct. 10, Nov. 11, Dec. 12: 6:30-8 p.m. at Concord Lanes, 365 Concord Exchange N., South St. Paul. Monthly Lumen Vero meetings feature prominent Catholic leaders who share fiery testimonies and convictions, followed by audience Q&A. Be inspired by men on fire for Christ. No cost, just show up. lumenvero Com
Resisting the Throwaway Culture: Whose Life Matters? — Oct. 12: 6:30 p.m. at St. Odilia, 3495 Victoria St. N., Shoreview. The Respect Life Committee presents Charles Camosy, encouraging us to combat a culture that fails to respect life and our inherent God-given dignity. Enjoy light appetizers after the 5 p.m. Mass in the courtyard before the 6:30 p.m. presentation in the church.
SCHOOLS
Benilde-St. Margaret’s Athletic Hall of Fame — Oct. 4: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 Highway 100, St. Louis Park. Join us for this year’s induction ceremony at the Edina Country Club when BSM recognizes accomplished alumni and coaches.
tinyurl Com/vvfnrmmw
Benilde-St. Margaret’s Open Houses — Oct. 9, Nov. 12, Jan. 9 (2025), Feb. 11 (2025), April 10 (2025): Oct. 9, 2024: 6-8 p.m.; Nov. 12, 2024: 9-11 a.m.; Jan. 9, 2025: 6-8 p.m.; Feb. 11, 2025: 9-11 a.m.; April 10, 2025: 9-11 a.m. at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 2501 Highway 100, St. Louis Park. BSM is happy to welcome families to campus at our Open House events which include a tour of classrooms and learning settings, meeting with faculty, staff and current students, and an opportunity to ask questions of the BSM admissions team.
Part-time Law Office Typist in West St. Paul, Minnesota: Produce legal documents including Wills, Trusts, Briefs, Pleadings, and Reports. Administrative support to attorneys and paralegals. In addition, a paralegal or legal assistant is also needed with similar duties but expanded to include research and composition of documents and other related duties. Contact John Trojack 651-451-9696 or complete “Contact” on our website: TrojackLaw.com.
GREAT CATHOLIC SPEAKERS
CD of the Month Club
CALENDAR submissions
DEADLINE: Noon Thursday, 14 days before the anticipated Thursday date of publication. We cannot guarantee a submitted event will appear in the calendar. Priority is given to events occurring before the issue date.
LISTINGS: Accepted are brief notices of upcoming events hosted by Catholic parishes and organizations. If the Catholic connection is not clear, please emphasize it in your submission. Included in our listings are local events submitted by public sources that could be of interest to the larger Catholic community.
ITEMS MUST INCLUDE:
uTime and date of event
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uContact information in case of questions uThe Catholic Spirit prints calendar details as submitted. TheCatholiCSpirit Com/CalendarSubmiSSionS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
Those words can have power in our lives and we can be tempted to believe them. If the voice you are hearing in prayer sounds like those voices from your past, they may not be from God at all.
We can also bring our prayer to trusted counselors for their assistance in navigating the foggy waters of discernment. It is important to remember that we are not approaching these people as gurus but as guides.
Ultimately, the only way to know whether an impulse or idea or voice in prayer is from God is to act on it. We will never truly know what God is asking of us unless we are willing to move. We Christians can get cerebral and abstract in our discernment. Sometimes, we just need to get out of our heads and move our feet. And then we may know. We acted, and then realized that that voice guided us well (or vice versa), and now we are better equipped to discern that voice in the future.
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.
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THELASTWORD
Capuchin Ministries brings people to The Friars’ Table
Saint-inspired menu, faithinspired training at Cleveland restaurant
By Zoey Maraist OSV News
This winter Cleveland diners will be able to taste and see saint-inspired dishes while sipping Trappistbrewed beer in a restaurant that gives jobs to men and women in need.
The Friars’ Table is a collaboration between the Cleveland Capuchin Ministries and EDWINS, a restaurant institute that trains formerly incarcerated adults. After the friars were given a generous bequest, Capuchin Father Phil Bernier went to EDWINS founder Brandon Chrostowski with his vision for the eatery.
“The goal of the restaurant is to give the city not only a great restaurant, but hope,” said Chrostowski. “We want to create a beautiful space where people can come together over good food, and leave feeling inspired and uplifted.”
When Cleveland native Father Bernier thinks about his hometown, he sees a Midwestern city with a large Catholic presence, strong schools and hospitals, and a vibrant arts and restaurant scene. But he also has witnessed the city’s post-industrial decline and dramatic population collapse.
“It’s one of the poorest cities in America,” he told OSV News. “There’s a tremendous gap in the distribution of wealth.”
Chrostowski specifically wanted to uplift the distressed city through EDWINS, which stands for Education Wins. As a drug-dealing teenager, he was almost sentenced to prison but instead was given probation. After bouncing from job to job, he found his purpose working in a kitchen.
“I ended up getting out of Detroit, going to school (at the Culinary Institute of America, and) working in Paris and New York,” he said. “But when I heard the stories back home of people being murdered and put in prison, I said there’s got to be a better way to give back. In 2004, I had this idea called EDWINS.”
Today, that idea has grown into a six-month training program within a French fine dining restaurant, a butcher shop and a bakery. A campus for the former inmate trainees includes housing, a library, a gym, a garden and a childcare center. Of the 75 men and women who graduate each year, around 95% find jobs at EDWINS or other restaurants.
“We just keep spreading the idea of fair and equal second chances — using education through food as a way to achieve your next start in life,” said Chrostowski.
When thinking of all of the transformations he’s witnessed, Chrostowski singles out one woman
monastic food, The Friars’ Table team created a menu focused on fresh, simple, healthy foods with nods to saints and Catholic cuisine sprinkled throughout.
The goal of the restaurant is to give the city not only a great restaurant, but hope.
Brandon Chrostowski
who gave birth while in prison.
“By the time she came to us, she had repaired a lot of things in her life,” said Chrostowski. “Next thing you know, she has her kid back and is working a (restaurant) job and her life is together.” It’s gratifying when a graduate starts a successful restaurant of his own, said Chrostowski. But seeing a woman overcome addiction and reunite with her child was something else.
For years, the Cleveland Capuchin friars have served in parish ministry, and more recently in prison ministry, too. But Father Bernier, who serves as pastor of St. Peter, parochial vicar of St. Malachi and priest chaplain at Cleveland State University, is pretty
sure they’ve never been involved in workforce development before, especially by way of founding a restaurant. “This is a totally new venture,” he said.
After almost four years and two previous possible locations, the Capuchins found a spot for The Friars’ Table in Cleveland’s theater district. The restaurant will employ around 30 people with an emphasis on hiring those going through a period of difficulty, such as people facing homelessness or life in a new country.
“This is an environment where they can learn professional skills. (It) gives them an opportunity to enter (the) workforce,” said Father Bernier.
After researching the traditions of
Diners can sample pretzels and mustard, pea soup, cod with tomato chutney, fruit cake and numerous other dishes. The drinks menu offers Chartreuse, a Carthusian-created liqueur, as well as coffee and tea from the Wyoming Carmelites of Mystic Monk Coffee. The dining room, which seats around 120, features a refectory table from Capuchin College in Washington, D.C.
Father Bernier hopes that between the food and the atmosphere, The Friars’ Table will be an authentically Catholic space that feels inviting to everyone.
“We’re trying to meet the people where they are right now,” he said, noting that if people aren’t always going to Sunday Mass, they’re often going to Sunday brunch. “I’m seeing this as an opportunity to evangelize in a new way, to reach out to people who may not even know the Church (but could) come to experience a piece of Church in a simple way.”
DENNIS SADOWSKI | CNS
Brandon Chrostowski, founder and CEO of EDWINS restaurant institute in Cleveland, checks escargot being cooked by students in this 2018 file photo. The restaurant’s six-month program prepares students recently released from prison for culinary careers.
The Friars’ Table, a monastic-themed restaurant opening this winter, is a new initiative from Cleveland Capuchin Ministries.
OSV NEWS | IMAGE COURTESY OF CLEVELAND CAPUCHIN MINISTRIES
