The Catholic Spirit - March 21, 2025

Marriage prep, Chapter 2

Talia Daly, right, talks with Kevin Weihrauch during a Chapter Two Marriage Prep Retreat Feb. 22 at St. Paul in Ham Lake. The two plan to marry May 3 at Assumption in downtown St. Paul. Daly’s brother, Father Michael Daly, associate pastor of St. Michael in St. Michael, will be the celebrant.

DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

EXTRA SPECIAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY Bishop Joseph Williams waves March 17 –– St. Patrick’s Day –– as clergy enjoy the moment in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, N.J., after his first Mass as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Camden. Bishop Williams was an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 2022 to 2024, when he was appointed coadjutor bishop of Camden. Pope Francis accepted the retirement of Bishop Dennis Sullivan effective on the prelate’s 80th birthday –– March 17.

SEEING IMPROVEMENT Pope Francis is seen in the chapel of his suite of rooms at Rome’s Gemelli hospital March 16, where he was being treated for health issues. The Vatican press office said the 88-year-old pope concelebrated Mass that morning. Pope Francis entered the hospital Feb. 14.

Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the March 14 “Practicing Catholic” radio show featured a discussion with Bishop Michael Izen about what to expect from the Archdiocesan Synod 2025 process, and an interview with Kate Soucheray, a licensed marriage and family therapist emeritus and writer of the “Simple Holiness” column in The Catholic Spirit, on how the Catholic Church helps lead the faithful through messy lives into renewal. The program also included a talk with Anoka County Sheriff Deputy Travis Wold as he explored how faith intersects with his career in law enforcement. Listen to interviews after they have aired at archspm org/faith-and-discipleship/ practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.

The call of Jesus is always the same: Repent. Open your eyes. Step out of the lie and into the light. And most of all –– choose life. Not just biologically, but spiritually. Choose to see reality as it truly is. To embrace the mystery, the beauty, the wonder of existence itself.

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, in a March 13 “Pastoral Teaching on the Sanctity of Life” following that state’s decision to officially celebrate abortion providers. On March 10, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a proclamation designating that date as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.” In response, Archbishop Sample issued the pastoral document, writing that the governor’s proclamation showed “just how far a culture can drift from reality.” The Catholic Church teaches that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the first moment of conception, and since the first century has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. Ultimately, said Archbishop Sample, abortion is “a spiritual issue,” and a question of “how we see reality itself.” He stressed that the unborn child is “a life.” Even for those who have committed or profited from abortion, grace and forgiveness from Christ are “still available,” the archbishop wrote, while calling for repentance.

NEWS notes

Father Ben Little, pastor of St. John the Baptist in Savage, will transfer to The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul July 1 to serve as spiritual director, the seminary announced. Father Little was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2012 and has served as pastor of St. John the Baptist since 2020. He also is a member of the Companions of Christ, a fraternal group of priests in the archdiocese dedicated to living in community. “In Father Little, our seminarians will have a spiritual director who knows firsthand the joys and challenges of priestly life,” Father Joseph Taphorn, rector of the seminary, said in a statement. “His deep love for Christ, experience as a pastor, and commitment to fraternity will be a tremendous blessing to our men in formation.” Father Little has hosted the podcast “Friends of the Bridegroom,” in which he discusses spiritual formation and Christian discipleship. He also is an avid outdoorsman. “Returning to The Saint Paul Seminary as a spiritual director is both a privilege and a responsibility I take to heart,” Father Little said in a statement. “This seminary shaped my own journey to the priesthood, and I look forward to walking alongside these men as they discern God’s call.”

Emmaus Partners — a Catholic nonprofit in Inver Grove Heights that aims to help other Catholic organizations with their strategic planning and financial security — is celebrating its 25-year history with an event in July. The event will take place July 14 at St. Peter in Mendota, with Archbishop Bernard Hebda set to celebrate the opening Mass. Lunch and a program will follow Mass, as part of the day’s celebration.

This year’s celebration of religious sisters during Catholic Sisters Week in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis included a new Spanish video in the seven-part series of short videos: Everything You Wanted to Know About Catholic Sisters –– But Were Afraid to Ask! The videos were posted on YouTube and the archdiocese’s website at archspm org/religious-sisters. The series was originally posted during 2024’s Catholic Sisters Week, which falls between March 8-14 annually.

The Providence Academy girls basketball team made history March 16 by winning the State Class AA championship for the fourth straight time. That’s the most consecutive titles in high school girls basketball in Minnesota. The school in Plymouth capped its 32-0 season with an 81-63 win over Crosby-Ironton in the championship game at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Junior guard Maddyn Greenway led Providence Academy with 40 points, including one stretch of 14 unanswered points. The Lions have won 44 consecutive games, dating back to last season.

CORRECTION

Jesuit Father Peter Etzel, associate pastor of St. Thomas More in St. Paul, testified against a bill that would have legalized online sports betting in Minnesota. A March 6 “Inside the Capitol” column incorrectly identified him.

COURTESY JOE WARNER, CATHOLIC STAR HERALD

CNS PHOTO | VATICAN PRESS OFFICE

FROMTHEBISHOP

ONLY JESUS | BISHOP KEVIN KENNEY

Catholic family life and intentional living

Ifound myself challenged to write this column to match The Catholic Spirit theme for this issue: Catholic family life and intentional living. I had to step back and reimagine what family life is like today.

For me, growing up in an American Irish Catholic family being Catholic was very important. We regularly attended Mass, attended Catholic school, prayed the rosary as a family, said grace before the meal, had crucifixes hanging in the house and started out any journey in the car with, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph be with us on our way.” Mom had holy water and blessed candles at hand so we would be ready for any storm that might come our way. These externals proclaimed that we were Catholic and each of us expressed in our own way what this meant interiorly.

Family life is a bit more challenging today than it was in the 1960s and 1970s. I feel old when I look back and see how free we were to live and enjoy life. We were able to run around in the neighborhood and enjoy our neighbors. We had no cellphones, one television for the house and a ringing bell that called us in for lunch or dinner. We all had our chores to do and no allowance. Respect was always to be shown in the house. We ate dinner together every night.

Today, Catholic family life is

Vida familiar católica y vida intencional

Me vi desafiado a escribir esta columna para que coincidiera con el tema de The Catholic Spirit para este número: Vida familiar católica y vida intencional. Tuve que dar un paso atrás y reimaginar cómo es la vida familiar hoy.

Para mí, crecer en una familia católica irlandesa estadounidense era muy importante. Asistíamos a misa con regularidad, asistíamos a la escuela católica, rezábamos el rosario en familia, dábamos gracias antes de la comida, teníamos crucifijos colgados en casa y empezábamos cualquier viaje en coche con un «Jesús, María y José, con nosotros en el camino». Mamá tenía agua bendita y velas benditas a mano para que estuviéramos preparados ante cualquier tormenta que pudiera surgir. Estas apariencias proclamaban que éramos católicos y cada uno expresaba a su manera lo que esto significaba en su interior.

La vida familiar es un poco más difícil hoy que en los años sesenta y setenta. Me siento viejo cuando miro atrás y veo la libertad que teníamos para vivir y disfrutar de la vida. Podíamos dirigir el barrio y disfrutar

different. There is a stronger need for intentional living as sports and activities have stronger priorities and distance separates families in this mobile society. Catholic education is not always an option as tuition costs have risen and more options for education have surfaced.

The externals of Catholic faith do not seem to be that important today as sharing a meal together might happen once a week and children have become more dependent on their cellphones and social media. The culture of family has changed, and it appears one must be intentional in family living to bring the presence of faith into the home.

Intentionally living one’s faith and developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can still be the center of a Catholic family. It is the duty of Catholic parents who baptize their children to raise them in the practice of the faith. Too often this might be left to others, such as Catholic schools, faith formation programs and grandparents. If the faith is not practiced and reinforced in the home, it can be lost on the children. Our children and youth seem to question their faith more readily and ask questions that can be difficult to answer. Still, while trust and faith in institutions are waning, God remains an important part of many lives.

Families are called to discern who or what is the center of their family life. Growing up, I was reminded that faith and charity begin at home. We learned to pray, share, respect and

de nuestros vecinos. No teníamos teléfonos celulares, solo un televisor para toda la casa y un timbre que nos llamaba para almorzar o cenar. Todos teníamos nuestras tareas y no teníamos mesada. El respeto era una constante en casa. Cenábamos juntos todas las noches.

Hoy en día, la vida familiar católica es diferente. Existe una mayor necesidad de una vida consciente, ya que los deportes y las actividades tienen mayor prioridad y la distancia separa a las familias en esta sociedad móvil. La educación católica no siempre es una opción ya que los costos de la matrícula han aumentado y han surgido más opciones educativas.

Hoy en día, las apariencias de la fe católica no parecen ser tan importantes, ya que compartir una comida juntos puede ser una vez a la semana y los niños se han vuelto más dependientes de sus celulares y redes sociales. La cultura familiar ha cambiado, y parece que es necesario ser intencional en la vida familiar para traer la presencia de la fe al hogar.

Vivir la fe con intención y desarrollar una relación personal con Jesucristo puede seguir siendo el centro de una familia católica. Es deber de los padres católicos que bautizan a sus hijos criarlos en la práctica de la fe. Con demasiada frecuencia, esto se deja en manos de otros, como las escuelas católicas, los programas de formación

honor our parents. There are abundant opportunities to learn to give in charity of our time, treasure or gifts. Living intentionally, families can make the effort to serve the community through their parishes. Children can learn from their parents as they see them active as Eucharistic ministers, lectors, greeters and other areas of volunteering in the parish. In the community, families can do spring cleaning and donate items they do not need to local parishes, life care centers or other organizations that distribute to those in need. Parents can encourage their children to participate in mission trips or help with service projects at school. Intentional living

en la fe y los abuelos. Si la fe no se practica y se refuerza en el hogar, puede perderse en los niños. Nuestros niños y jóvenes parecen cuestionar su fe con mayor facilidad y plantear preguntas difíciles de responder. Sin embargo, aunque la confianza y la fe en las instituciones están menguando, Dios sigue siendo una parte importante de muchas vidas.

Las familias están llamadas a discernir qué o quién es el centro de su vida familiar. Al crecer, recordé que la fe y la caridad empiezan en casa. Aprendimos a orar, compartir, respetar y honrar a nuestros padres. Hay abundantes oportunidades para aprender a dar caridad de nuestro tiempo, tesoros o dones. Viviendo con intención, las familias pueden esforzarse por servir a la comunidad a través de sus parroquias. Los niños pueden aprender de sus padres al verlos activos como ministros de la Eucaristía, lectores, recepcionistas y en otras áreas de voluntariado en la parroquia. En la comunidad, las familias pueden

ARCHDIOCESAN SYNOD 2025

Intentionally living one’s faith and developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can still be the center of a Catholic family. It is the duty of Catholic parents who baptize their children to raise them in the practice of the faith.

is making time for what is important and encouraging the household to prioritize.

So, what is Catholic family life like? It is intentional living, keeping Jesus Christ at the center of the family and living the Gospel message in a way that may be countercultural. We all have preconceived ideas of what the ideal Catholic family looks like. We can never live up to this ideal. So be creative and intentional, using the imagination together as a family to live in the love that Jesus has for us, showing how that love can spill out into the world by the way we love and serve others.

hacer limpieza de primavera y donar artículos que no necesitan a parroquias locales, centros de atención a la vida u otras organizaciones que distribuyen a los necesitados. Los padres pueden animar a sus hijos a participar en viajes misioneros o ayudar con proyectos de servicio en la escuela. Vivir con intención significa dedicar tiempo a lo importante y animar al hogar a priorizar.

Entonces, ¿cómo es la vida familiar católica? Es una vida con propósito, con Jesucristo como centro de la familia y viviendo el mensaje del Evangelio de una manera que puede resultar contracultural. Todos tenemos ideas preconcebidas sobre cómo es la familia católica ideal. Nunca podremos vivir a la altura de este ideal. Así que seamos creativos y deliberados, usando la imaginación juntos como familia para vivir en el amor que Jesús nos tiene y cómo ese amor puede irradiarse al mundo a través de la forma en que amamos y servimos a los demás.

What is a synod? You may have heard the term at your parish or been part of a small group or event related to the Archdiocesan Synod. A synod is a gathering of Church leaders to address a particular topic or topics in the Church. Pope Francis has said that in a synod, the protagonist is the Holy Spirit, as participants are called to listen to the Spirit –– and one another. Archdiocesan Synod 2025: Be My Witnesses Assembly is approaching this summer. Visit archspm org/synod-2025-be-my-witnesses-assembly-to-take-place-june-7 to find out more about why synods are important for our Church.

SLICEof LIFE

Build a Family Giving Plan Today, Create Impact Forever

You give from the heart, and your generosity transforms lives. Have you considered how you might extend the good you do beyond your lifetime?

By making a plan today for your family’s giving, you can ensure your faith and values inspire and uplift others well into the future. Together, you and future generations can make a meaningful, lasting difference in your community — and in your hearts.

Call us to learn how to create a plan for your family’s charitable giving.

651.389.0300 ccf-mn.org

Rite of election

Auxiliary Bishop Michael Izen, left, greets Sean Miller, a candidate in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) at St. Ambrose in Woodbury, following the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion March 9 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Joining him were his wife, Alexandra, second from left, and their son, Henry. “This service was really beautiful,” said Miller, whose marriage was convalidated the day before at St. Ambrose. “It really gives a sense of being one big, holy family.” Miller was one of 16 candidates from St. Ambrose, along with five catechumens. At the Cathedral, there were 169 catechumens and 273 candidates from 42 parishes. At a similar gathering at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, there were 117 catechumens and 179 candidates from 29 parishes, with Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney leading the service.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

‘A God of second chances’

Ham Lake parish offers marriage prep retreat for those widowed or divorced

Story and photos by Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit

Last summer, Kevin Weihrauch started thinking about entering the dating world again. For the divorced father of two young children, it was a big move.

Somewhat unexpectedly, he turned to his longtime hair stylist. He knew she had a good track record of finding the right match for people. With a combination of intuition and a deep prayer life, she had produced three successful pairings.

Weihrauch was poised to be the fourth. After just one session with new client Talia Daly, a lifelong Catholic, the stylist urged the two to go on a blind date. The chemistry was immediate and obvious. They dated for four months, then he proposed on Christmas morning, after having asked her father, Dr. Peter Daly, for her hand in marriage.

Now the real work would begin. A big step would be finding the right marriage prep retreat to attend. They did a search online and learned of something new in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis called the Chapter Two Marriage Prep Retreat. The second such retreat, designed for couples in which one or both people have been previously married or are looking to convalidate their existing marriages, took place Feb. 22 at St. Paul in Ham Lake. The retreat leaders, Greg and Julie Hughes, both are parishioners and both were previously married. They put on the February retreat for 10 couples, including Weihrauch and Daly. The first retreat also was held at the parish.

“It’s so fun to see the (other) couples here and see their love for each other,” said Weihrauch, 39, who grew up attending St. Hubert in Chanhassen. “They’re doing the same thing as we’re doing. They’re holding hands, they’re looking into each other’s eyes. It’s so romantic. It gives me a lot of hope.”

Greg and Julie Hughes began leading the program in the Diocese of St. Cloud after they married in January 2017. After helping with several retreats, they approached archdiocesan leaders about doing a retreat in the archdiocese. The first one was last May. There are two more scheduled, one in the fall and one in February 2026.

“We have a God of second chances,” said Greg, 66, explaining the importance of helping people who have been previously married and are in new relationships. “Here’s a chance to love and to maybe improve on what you did the first time.”

The one-day retreat is packed with sessions addressing issues such as blended families and difficulties with divorces or the death of a spouse. Greg and Julie have faced both scenarios. He was divorced in 2007 (and later granted an annulment), and she was widowed in 2012. They know firsthand the challenges couples attending their retreat face, and offer an abundance of wisdom, compassion and accompaniment.

Weihrauch and Daly soaked it all in and took opportunities to talk with other couples and share each other’s experiences. That’s what the retreat leaders were hoping for. Greg and Julie told their own story, which began at the Ham Lake church they both attended during their previous marriages. After Greg’s divorce, he found friendship and support from Julie and her thenhusband, Brad, who walked with Greg and helped him through the many struggles and hardships.

Greg returned the favor to Julie after Brad died unexpectedly in 2012. Julie said Greg “felt called — out of his relationship with my late husband — to make sure his widow was cared for.”

“He was just available to me for home repairs and questions,” said Julie, 59. “I went into a pretty deep grief and Greg would just show up at the house with dinner to make sure I’d eat. He was just this faithful, faithful friend.”

Over time, the friendship turned romantic and led to a blended family of eight children (six for Greg and two for Julie) and 26 grandchildren. There were lots of

things to navigate, which neither could have imagined during a time when both were single and attending Mass alone at their parish.

The feeling — and stigma — has left a memory they now have in common with others in the same situation.

“You’d walk into church, and you’d feel like you had a big ‘D’ on your forehead,” Greg said, about the loneliness of being divorced. “You just feel out of place.”

Sometimes, in the same church at the same time, Julie likewise felt the isolation, noting that at the end of Mass “I’d sneak out at the last song.”

This is the opposite of what the Church wishes to offer people whose marriages have ended, said Corey Manning, director of the Office of Discipleship and Evangelization, which oversees marriage prep programs in the archdiocese. He said he thinks these retreats will minister to people who might otherwise leave the Church because they think there is nothing there for them. He considers it a step in the right direction for a Church that has members who have experienced the pain of a marriage that has ended through divorce or death.

“We as a Church often haven’t found the right ways to accompany those in certain circumstances of brokenness,” he said. “But we have to walk with each other and learn from each other: How can we do it better? How can we walk with each other better?”

For now, this retreat is the only game in town for couples seeking marriage preparation that addresses previous marriages. Father Jim Livingston, pastor of St. Paul, said he is “very happy about” offering the retreats at his parish, and he has seen firsthand how the couples have reacted to the opportunity. He attended the closing dinner at the first retreat in May and remembers the looks on participants’ faces.

“The people were all smiles,” he said, noting that the experiences of Greg and Julie resonated with the couples attending. “We’re very grateful that out of their particular life circumstances, they could help create this retreat, which is a blessing for so many (who) are in similar life circumstances. God’s grace reaches everywhere.”

These retreats, which he said may expand to more frequent offerings and possibly other venues, are offered with one goal in mind.

“We’re preparing people to live in the heart of the Church,” he said.

As Catholics continue in the season of Lent, Father

UPCOMING RETREATS

The next Chapter Two Marriage Prep Retreat is Sept. 27 at St. Paul in Ham Lake, with a future retreat planned for Feb. 21, 2026. Visit archspm org / marriage / marriage - preparation to learn more.

“It’s amazing,” said staff liaison Megan Healy, adult sacraments and pastoral coordinator at the parish. “It’s so beautiful that these couples can connect with people within the Catholic Church ... (who have) a similar story.”

Livingston noted that the feast day of St. Joseph falls on March 19, creating “good timing” to reflect on how St. Joseph accepted the special circumstances he faced when he learned that Mary was pregnant before their wedding day.

“What is Lent about?” Manning asked. “It’s a preparation for the resurrected Lord, for all sin and death to be conquered, and all brokenness to be conquered on Easter Sunday morning.”

The starting point for those who have experienced the pain of being divorced or widowed and are trying to enter into a new sacramental marriage is to realize one simple truth that Father Livingston expressed:

“In the eyes of Jesus, you are not invisible.”

ABOVE Greg and Julie Hughes give a talk at the Chapter Two Marriage Prep Retreat Feb. 22 at St. Paul in Ham Lake.

RIGHT Lauren Steffen and Brent Pavlovich talk to each other during the Feb. 22 retreat.

Faith, quality education continue to attract families to Catholic schools

By Josh McGovern

The Catholic Spirit

In a Feb. 13 presentation to staff at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Jason Slattery, the director of Catholic education and superintendent of schools, noted that in the five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment in the archdiocese’s school system grew over 9%.

“(It) continues to chug along, despite a low birth rate in the state of Minnesota,” Slattery said. “When we’re focusing at the pre-K level to see that there’s still a lot of growth there, (it) gives us a great hope for the future.”

The 2024-2025 annual report on Catholic education in the archdiocese, released by the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (OMCE) in January, revealed an average 89% retention rate for elementary and high schools in the archdiocese, and 47% of eighth-grade Catholic school graduates enroll in a Catholic high school.

As a reflection of faith formation, 86% of schools in the archdiocese offer Eucharistic adoration during the year and 96% of grade schools have weekly Mass.

Slattery also emphasized the beauty of having a diverse array of school sizes in the archdiocese. There are 76 Catholic elementary schools (preschool to eighth grade) and 16 Catholic high schools in the archdiocese.

“We have rural schools, we have urban schools, we have suburban schools, we have schools of 1,000 (students) and we have schools of closer to 40 (students). All of those families, all of those kids, want this thing that the Church is offering, this Catholic education.”

When compared to Minnesota public schools, students attending Catholic school had higher participation in the ACT with a higher average composite score, according to the report.

Lumen Accreditation

The annual report also described the benefits of accreditation from Lumen Accreditation offered through The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

In a letter from Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Slattery that was published in the annual report, they recalled that in September of 2024, experts from Lumen Accreditation visited the archdiocese and later granted accreditation to all Catholic schools.

Lumen Accreditation provides a framework of principles to which K-12 Catholic schools can align their mission and identity.

For Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, school president Michael Brennan told The Catholic Spirit in an email that Lumen Accreditation is a badge of honor. The distinction of being a Lumen accredited school provides Holy Family with a level of credibility and distinctiveness in the education offered, Brennan wrote. “It can be a challenge at times to see the forest from the trees,” Brennan wrote. “Through real-time observations, thorough data collection, and interviews with various stakeholder groups, the visiting team, as a result

of their immersive and exhaustive process, is able to offer school leaders a fresh and objective perspective. The results can be a reorientation of focus, the identification of blind spots, or opportunities to leverage current successful practices. But as valuable as these outputs may be, the real gift of the accreditation process is the self-reflection it both demands and inspires –– something that is absolutely necessary for growth.”

During the presentation, Slattery said OMCE sought systems-level accreditation from outside the archdiocese. The accreditation validates work already done by the archdiocese through OMCE’s Catholic School Study, a quality assurance process that launched in 2022.

“It (the Catholic School Study) is one of the primary activities of our office, to go out and to visit Catholic schools and to really assess them for operational health, to really acknowledge what really is going well and to reflect with the school on what things could be done better,” Slattery said. “We’re committed to do this for every school at least once every five years. And it’s through that process of our staff going out that the accreditation for the school flows. … This is a highly staffintensive activity, but it’s probably one of the most effective things that we can do, is to spend time in the schools with our folks.”

Alison Dahlman, associate director of educational quality and excellence for OMCE, said that the Catholic School Study ensures that Catholic schools are providing high quality Catholic education.

Quality is measured by the study’s Nine Principles of Excellence, Dahlman

said: academic achievement and integration; virtue formation and human development; spiritual life; apostolic discernment; unity with the archdiocese and parishes; effective governance, leadership and teaching; access; partnership engagement; and financial sustainability.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is the first diocese in the United States to receive this accreditation, Dahlman said.

“It’s not all that common on the educational landscape that organizations like ours are maybe looking for an outside body to tell them things they are doing well and maybe the things they (could do) better,” Slattery told archdiocesan staff. “We often can exist in some level of insulation, but we really wanted some way to really help craft that narrative and to help look over our efforts.”

According to the annual report, a team of experts from Lumen Accreditation met with OMCE and conducted a total of 184 interviews and visited six K-12 Catholic schools in the archdiocese. The team recognized OMCE for its support and partnership with Catholic school faculty, its professional development and formation and its two-way communication.

“(The) observation of the visiting team,” Slattery said, “(was) that the Office (for the Mission of Catholic Education) fosters strong relationships with Catholic school leaders throughout the archdiocese, and that these relationships are foundational to the work of the office as it operates and brings excellent programs, resources and support to Catholic schools. Like other archdiocesan staff in their fields

HIGH SCHOOL GUIDE

A 2025-2026 Catholic High School Guide is now available for parents as they guide their children to a high school education.

Created by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office for the Mission of Catholic Education, the guide provides information from the 16 Catholic high schools in the archdiocese on enrollment, founding years, faith, academics, extracurricular activities, annual financial aid given, college credit courses, average ACT scores and annual student service hours.

The guide also includes an interactive map of the Twin Cities area to help parents locate each school.

The guide can be found at tinyurl com /4 ahzz 9 my the website for Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

of ministry, the heart of OMCE’s efforts in its field has been to build strong relationships with Catholic school personnel,” Slattery said.

The team also recommended goals to work toward, including establishing formal training for clergy and school leaders and exploring additional funding, Slattery said.

The accreditation process, Brennan wrote, provides a space for reflection and meaningful dialogue that inspires clarity and defines a school’s practices and planning.

“Catholic education is the synthesis of knowledge and truth,” Brennan wrote. “Without the latter, any form of education is simply incomplete.”

COURTESY OMCE

Students at Ave Maria Academy in Maple Grove pray a decade of the rosary before a presentation Oct. 3, 2024, that awarded all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis with a certificate of Lumen Accreditation offered through The Catholic U niversity of America in Washington, D.C. The presentation was held during a visit to the school from Catholic school leaders in the archdiocese and a team from Lumen.

Pope Francis names Father Welzbacher a monsignor

The Catholic Spirit

Retired Father George Welzbacher has been named a Chaplain of His Holiness by Pope Francis, through which he has received the title monsignor, Archbishop Bernard Hebda announced March 6.

Born in 1928 and ordained in 1951, Msgr. Welzbacher is the oldest living priest in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the cleric with the greatest number of years of ordained priestly service.

Pope Francis granted the honor to Msgr. Welzbacher in December, but that fact was only recently communicated to Archbishop Hebda, who publicly announced the designation to the priests of the archdiocese at their recent Lenten Morning of Recollection.

Msgr. Welzbacher is the first priest of the archdiocese in decades to receive this honor.

The archbishop said it is significant that the pope would choose to recognize the archdiocese’s seniormost priest this year as the archdiocese celebrates its 175th anniversary.

“I believe that today’s honor not only reflects Msgr. Welzbacher’s extraordinary priestly gifts and service to the Church as an educator and compassionate shepherd of souls, but also the Holy Father’s desire to affirm and encourage in this anniversary year the priests of this Archdiocese, who have so humbly served shoulder-toshoulder with Monsignor Welzbacher

But one satisfying justification that Archbishop Hebda shared with him in a recent visit was the monsignor’s instruction of so many students who became priests, including six bishops, in the archdiocese and across the Upper Midwest, Msgr. Welzbacher said.

The only child of George and Eileen Welzbacher, Msgr. Welzbacher grew up in St. Paul. He attended Nazareth Hall and The St. Paul Seminary prior to being ordained a priest. He served as a parochial vicar of St. Peter in North St. Paul and of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton before his assignment to teach Latin and German at St. Thomas Academy in the Twin Cities. When it became apparent that he had a gift for teaching, he was assigned to the College of St. Thomas (now the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul), where he taught history for 29 years.

throughout his ministry,” the archbishop said in a statement.

Msgr. Welzbacher, 96, said he was humbled by the honor and joked that he apparently now has the right to “charge into the papal household.”

Except, “I’m not in a condition to ‘charge’ anymore.”

“In Psalm 103, we are told God will restore your youth like that of the eagle,” Msgr. Welzbacher said. “This eagle has drooping wings, but I hope one day this psalm will come to pass for me.”

Many good priests are more deserving of the honor, Msgr. Welzbacher said.

After retiring from the classroom, Msgr. Welzbacher served as pastor of St. Nicholas in Elko New Market, St. Agnes in St. Paul and St. John on St. Paul’s East Side. He simultaneously served the archdiocese as a censor librorum, reviewing books and other materials submitted to the archbishop for his imprimatur.

Now a resident at the Holy Family Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul, Msgr. Welzbacher has served in his retirement at Holy Family in St. Louis Park and at many other parishes as needed throughout the archdiocese.

Father Sauber’s 44 years of active ministry included urban, rural parishes

By Joe Ruff

The Catholic Spirit

Father Arnold “Michael” Sauber, whose 44 years of active ministry included six rural and urban parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and a stint leading the archdiocese’s then-Rural Life Office, died March 11. He was 81.

“I remember he loved to cook,” said one of his three sisters, Nancy Sauber, 74, a member of All Saints in Lakeville who lives with her husband, Timothy Kuntz, in the house her parents built south of Lakeville when she was 10. He also had a sense of humor, Nancy said. Once, when he was about 14 years old, Father Sauber surprised the family with blue mashed potatoes, having decorated the dish with blue food dye, Nancy said.

Arnold and Ethel Sauber raised Michael, Nancy and four other children in a faith-filled home, Nancy said. Their father was a rural letter carrier and a bee farmer. Their mother was a third-grade teacher at All Saints

Catholic School.

The family prayed the rosary together, particularly during May and October, months devoted to the Virgin Mary, Nancy said. She recalled her father kneeling on the floor at home as they prayed, rosary in hand, leaning on the seat of a chair.

Ordained for the archdiocese in 1969, Father Sauber began his priestly ministry as assistant pastor of St. Joseph in West St. Paul. He served twice at St. Joseph, returning to the parish in 1976. He also ministered at St. Agnes in St. Paul, St. Luke in Clearwater, St. Mary in Shakopee, Immaculate Conception in Lonsdale and St. Olaf in Minneapolis. He served as director of the archdiocese’s Rural Life Office from 1983 to 1988. He was canonical administrator of Holy Cross Catholic School in Webster from 1999 to 2006.

As a priest, “he was very devoted,” Nancy said. “He loved being in parishes that had schools. He loved children.”

Father Sauber also was an avid reader, his sister said. “He had a fairly extensive book collection,” Nancy said.

He enjoyed history, architecture and mystery novels. He loved classical music and attended many performances, she said.

Father Mark Pavlik, pastor of Mary Queen of Peace in Rogers, said he ministered with Father Sauber for six years at St. Olaf in the early 2000s. Father Sauber served as part-time senior associate there from 2007 until his retirement in 2013, while Father Pavlik was associate pastor after his ordination in 2003, then pastor from 2006 to 2014.

“He was a very old soul, a kind and gentle soul,” Father Pavlik remembered fondly. Shortly after he retired, Father Sauber, who was not keen on cellphones, set up a lunch date with Father Pavlik solely through an exchange of letters in the mail, Father Pavlik said.

While serving at the parish, Father Sauber often combined his love of cooking with reading –– stirring a soup on the stove, for example, while reading a novel, Father Pavlik said.

“He was so intelligent,” Father Pavlik said. “He had a vast store of knowledge about anything,” including the monarchy of Great Britain, canon law and literature.

Watching the 2011 wedding of Princess Kate and Prince William with a group at the rectory, Father Sauber did better than the BBC commentators in London naming each person who exited a vehicle to enter Westminster Abbey for the ceremony, Father Pavlik said.

In his mid-50s, Father Sauber developed diabetes, Father Sauber’s sister said. It became increasingly difficult to manage, and he spent his last days at Our Lady of Peace Hospice in St. Paul, Nancy said.

Funeral arrangements were pending, she said. Updates can be found at whitefuneralhomes com

St. Joseph prayer intentions hit record with collaboration of French shrine, internet app

By Caroline de Sury OSV News

The Shrine of Our Lady of Graces in Cotignac, France, has become a hub for St. Joseph devotions, especially during a novena leading up to his March 19 feast.

This year, the sanctuary partnered with the Catholic app Hozana, allowing 110,000 people to submit prayer intentions for St. Joseph. These intentions were

brought to Cotignac on the feast day, after they were prayed over by over 2 million Hozana users.

The shrine, a popular pilgrimage site since the 17th century, is known for its connection to both Our Lady and St. Joseph, whose miraculous intervention saved a shepherd, Gaspard Ricard, in 1660.

Today, the shrine’s reach extends far beyond France, aided by digital platforms like Hozana that offer a space for Catholic communities to share prayers. Other Catholic apps, like GoConfess and

CredoFunding, are also gaining popularity in France, expanding the ways the faithful can connect with their faith.

Cassandre Verhelst, who supervises the Englishlanguage edition of Hozana as well as the St. Joseph novena, told OSV News that St. Joseph is an incredibly powerful intercessor and that as many people as possible are being encouraged to entrust their needs to him. “His prayers have changed lives,” she said.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Father George Welzbacher in his room at the Leo C. Byrne Residence in St. Paul in this file photo from May 2022. An avid reader and writer of poetry, Father Welzbacher had put the finishing touches on a poem he had been working on for 44 years, “Galactic Shepherd.”

FATHER MICHAEL SAUBER

NATION+WORLD

Rice Bowl needed ‘now more than ever’ as hunger rises, government aid falls, says leader

By Gina Christian OSV News

With global hunger rising, an annual Lenten initiative by the U.S. Catholic bishops has “never been more needed,” Bill O’Keefe, executive vice president for mission and mobilization at Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services, told OSV News.

CRS, the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community, is marking the 50th anniversary of its Rice Bowl program, which has raised more than $350 million since it began in 1975 to support domestic and overseas poverty relief efforts.

With its iconic cardboard donation box, Rice Bowl combines the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to provide humanitarian aid, spiritual renewal and increased solidarity with those in need.

The funds — 25% of which help local diocesan outreach, with 75% benefiting CRS programs abroad — support a mission that is “critical to millions,” said Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia, CRS board chair, in a March 5 statement from the organization.

In the same statement, CRS president and CEO Sean Callahan described Rice Bowl as “a pillar of our work,” which has “given hope to millions of our sisters and brothers experiencing hunger.”

Callahan described the global increase in hunger as “devastating,” with families having “to wait for hours in line for just one sack of rice or one container of water that might only last them the night.”

“CRS Rice Bowl donations enable

OSV NEWS | JIM STIPE, COURTESY CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES

A Catholic Relief Services worker is pictured in a file photo helping a young woman at a food distribution area in Marojela village, located in the Marolinta commune in southern Madagascar’s Beloha District. On this day, 416 people from six villages received food. Over the past several years, the southern region of Madagascar has been affected by recurring droughts.

us to help during these emergency moments, as well as set up long-term help and development,” he said.

In 2023, some 733 million people worldwide faced hunger, according to the United Nations’ 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report. Hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition have devastating physical and psychosocial consequences, including insufficient height and weight in children.

In June 2024, UNICEF said that growing inequality, conflict and climate concerns — along with the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — have left 181 million

children, or one in four, in severe food poverty, with the majority living in 20 countries. Of those, 64 million are in South Asia, and 59 million in subSaharan Africa.

Yet at the same time, “governments around the world, including our own, appear to be reducing their commitment to address” hunger, O’Keefe told OSV News.

Reflecting on the initiative’s milestone anniversary, he pointed to the historic connections between Rice Bowl and the Eucharist.

The campaign, launched by Msgr. Robert Coll as a local effort in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania,

RICE BOWL GATHERING

The Center for Mission, which supports missionary initiatives in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is among organizers of a 50th anniversary celebration of Catholic Relief Service’s (CRS) Operation Rice Bowl. Father Derek Gilde, parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, and Father Mike Reinhardt, pastor of St. Rita in Cottage Grove, are among those assisting with the evening.

THEME: Jesus the Bread of Life

WHAT: Music, Scripture readings and reflections

WHEN: 6:30-8 p.m., April 3

WHERE: St. Mary’s Chapel, The St. Paul Seminary, 2260 Summit Ave., St. Paul

FREEWILL OFFERING: For CRS efforts to alleviate global hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.

became a national initiative through its introduction at the Philadelphia-based 41st International Eucharistic Congress in 1976, and its subsequent adoption by the U.S. bishops through CRS.

“This is the year in which we are following up on our own Eucharistic revival here in the U.S., where we reflected on the hunger in our own spirit for Jesus in the Eucharist, and on our responsibilities to take the love that’s been given to us and share it with others,” O’Keefe said, referencing both the July 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis and the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, a grassroots effort led by the U.S. Catholic bishops to kindle renewed devotion to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Founder: Amid US foreign aid freeze, CRS’ Rice Bowl could be in ‘its strongest moment’

By Gina Christian OSV News

At the start of Catholic Relief Services’ 2025 Rice Bowl initiative — an annual Lenten program blending almsgiving and prayer to provide aid overseas and domestically — OSV News spoke with Rice Bowl founder Msgr. Robert Coll, a retired priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, about the program as it marks its 50th year.

Through Rice Bowl, participants donate Lenten alms, voluntarily eating simple meals and learning about those who benefit from the campaign worldwide. The program, known for its iconic cardboard donation boxes, provides testimonials and recipes from the countries where CRS serves, and fosters prayerful solidarity among participants.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q The Rice Bowl collection aids both domestic and overseas relief and development efforts, with 25% remaining in participants’ dioceses and 75% aiding those abroad. Given the current U.S. government’s cuts in foreign aid, which have impacted CRS initiatives, how do you view this year’s Rice Bowl collection?

A Well, I think it could be its strongest moment, because the more funds you receive from the people, the greater pressure you put on governments to assist

in a variety of ways.

For example, even if I could buy 100 tons of wheat, I wouldn’t have enough money to transport it across the United States into Africa and then truck it throughout Africa. So that’s where you say, “Look, we have the initiative to pay for these programs. It won’t cost you a cent. All we need is (to buy) the commodities.”

And the idea of Operation Rice Bowl itself is an appeal for the world. If you spell out the initials, it’s “O.R.B.” — Latin for “world.”

Q You began this program in 1975 as an interfaith effort when you were pastor of St. Thomas More parish in Allentown, Pennsylvania. How did Rice Bowl move from a local to a national initiative, and what are your thoughts about that journey?

A We started this program in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and included the Protestant churches plus the rabbi. And it was done on a communal basis in the whole city. On the Wednesday of each week, the newspaper in town would put the (Rice Bowl) menu on the top of the front page for people to follow. So, we tried to make it a community thing.

At the same time, the (41st International) Eucharistic Congress was being held in Philadelphia. And it was under the tutelage of Cardinal (John) Krol (then archbishop of Philadelphia). When he heard about the program, he invited us to Philadelphia to explain what was going on. He liked the idea, especially since the theme of the Eucharistic Congress

was “The Eucharist and the Hungers of the Human Family.”

And of course, there was the hunger for bread, which was being experienced especially in the Sahel in Africa (part of the 1972-1975 global food crisis). The hunger throughout the world at that time was frightening, I mean, really frightening.

And so, on the occasion of the congress, a petition was forwarded to the American bishops. They said they would like to continue the Rice Bowl program throughout America, and that’s how it got started.

At the time, CRS was serving or assisting in the development of over 100 countries in the world. So, it was a logical relationship between CRS and Rice Bowl, because a lot of it had to do with the distribution of food.

And, of course, the funds that were made available through Rice Bowl enabled you to do more with the international community, because you could substantiate and put in progress programs immediately, since you were already there (in the country). You had the funds, plus you also had, for the most part, the backing of the international community, including Caritas Internationalis (the official humanitarian network of the universal Catholic Church), which was in every country in the world.

I think the satisfaction (of Rice Bowl) comes from the fact that the people understood what you were trying to do. In other words, if there were grave problems in the world, to ignore them would itself be unacceptable as a Catholic and as a Christian.

HEADLINES

uPope Francis approves the next phase of the Synod of Bishops, setting a path to a 2028 assembly. Pope Francis has approved the next phase of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, launching a three-year implementation process that will culminate in an ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028. In a letter published March 15, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the synod, announced that the synod’s new phase will focus on applying its conclusions at all levels of the Church, with dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities working to integrate synodality into daily Church life before the meeting at the Vatican in 2028. “For now, therefore, a new synod will not be convened; instead, the focus will be on consolidating the path taken so far,” he wrote in the letter addressed to all bishops, eparchs and the presidents of national and regional bishops’ conferences. The final document of the synod on synodality, approved by Pope Francis in October 2024, emphasized synodality as essential to the Church’s mission and called for greater lay participation, mandatory pastoral councils and continued study on women in ministry and seminary formation. Over the next three years, dioceses, bishops’ conferences and religious communities will work to integrate synodal principles into Church life with the guidance of a Vatican-issued document scheduled to be published in May.

uExpanding child tax credits is seen as a pro-life and anti-poverty lifeline for families. The 2021 American Rescue Plan brought a major victory for families, lifting 3.7 million U.S. children out of poverty by increasing the federal child tax credit and making it fully refundable. For the first time, even families with little or no income could access the credit, benefitting millions, especially in minority communities. The maximum credit was raised to $3,600 for children under 6 and $3,000 for kids aged 6 to 17, with no cap for multiple children. The program had a measurable impact, reducing child poverty to 5.2%. However, this boost expired, and the existing credit of $2,000 per qualifying child is set to halve after 2025. States may offer a lifeline with their own child tax credits — currently, 16 states and the District of Columbia have such programs. As federal support wanes, some states are stepping in with their own solutions, which is “a huge policy shift (and) really an area to watch,” said Megan Curran, policy director at Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy, in New York City. There are also indications that child tax credits are a pro-life asset, with Josh McCabe, director of Social Policy at the Niskanen Center in Washington pointing to research supporting the view they “can tilt the scales toward having the child” for some on the margins.

u As ceasefire talk continues, President Zelenskyy says he spoke with Cardinal Parolin. As the United States continues to attempt to broker a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with the Vatican secretary of state. In a long post on X March 14, the Ukrainian leader said that during the conversation with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, “I wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery and thanked him for his prayers and moral support for our people, as well as for his efforts in facilitating the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported and displaced by Russia. The Holy See has received a list of Ukrainians being held in Russian prisons and camps. We are counting on support for their release,” the president posted.

uEducation Department cuts could have an impact on Catholic education, experts say. The Department of Education said March 11 it planned to cut about 50% of its workforce. Such cuts could also impact Catholic education, experts told OSV News. “This is a significant shift that raises questions about the federal role in education,” said Charles Russo, the Joseph Panzer Chair in education and research professor of law at Marianist-run University of Dayton in Ohio. The announcement from the Department of Education casts the reduction as part of its “final mission.” Sister Dale McDonald, vice president of public policy at the National Catholic Educational Association, said that possible impacts on Catholic education will hinge on the details. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., writing on X, said, “This appalling move will hurt kids & teachers everywhere.”

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., in an X post, said he supports the move. “DC control isn’t working. We’re going backwards. ... Let’s try something different.”

uThe Denver Archdiocese unveils a nine-year novena for the 2033 Jubilee of Redemption. The Archdiocese of Denver launched the public portion of its nine-year novena that will usher in the extraordinary Jubilee Year 2033. The year will mark exactly 2,000 years from when Christians believe the redemption of the world took place with the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the start of Lent, Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila announced the theme of the daily prayer, which is directed to the Virgin Mary under the title “Mary at the Foot of the Cross.” Archbishop Aquila and his leadership team started praying the novena last year, prior to releasing it to the public on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Archbishop Aquila explained in a pastoral note the concept of a nine-year novena is not unprecedented. He said his predecessor in Denver, retired Cardinal Francis Stafford, proclaimed a nine-year novena in preparation for the Jubilee 2000 that celebrated 2,000 years since the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

uJesus gives faithful guidance and strength to fight temptation, Pope Francis writes. The devil, who lies and sows divisions, tests everyone, even Jesus, Pope Francis said in a written homily. Satan tries to convince people that the hungry cannot be fed, that “angels will not come to our aid when we are falling, and that at best, the world is in the hands of evil powers that crush nations by their arrogant schemes and the brutality of war,” the homily said. But the Lord has opened a new path of liberation and redemption, the pope wrote, so when the faithful are “tested,” it does not have to end in failure.“By following the Lord in faith, from drifters we become pilgrims.” The pope’s prepared homily was read by Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, at a Mass concluding the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering March 9 in St. Peter’s Square. — CNS and OSV News

Do More with Your RMD

When we start to make plans for the year, the list of things to do quickly grows long. Calendars can fill up fast. If you are of retirement age, we have some good news for you, though. The schedules that help you stay organized and maximize your time can also help you maximize your treasures.

As you think ahead, consider planning for the required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your IRA. Tax law mandates that you take withdrawals from your retirement account, whether you need the money or not, beginning at age 73. Not taking an RMD at all results in a hefty penalty.

For those who don’t need the income from an RMD, a decision lies ahead of you: do you take out the money and pay the associated income tax, or do you take advantage of a different opportunity?

Turn Your RMD Into a QCD

If you’re a charitably minded person, you may decide to use the distributions to support your favorite causes through a unique opportunity: a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). This direct

distribution from your IRA to a qualifying charity does not impact your adjusted gross income, which might come with significant tax savings. And you don’t have to wait to get started! If you are age 70 1/2 or older, you can make a QCD from your IRA.

QCDs allow you to make the most of your RMD, but this strategy is technical. We recommend you consult with your financial advisor for guidance.

Take Your QCD

One Step Further

Pairing a QCD strategy with a charitable fund at the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota (CCF) can help you achieve your financial and charitable goals. Whether you are saving for continued giving when income is limited, building up to a larger onetime gift, or building a perpetual endowment that will support your favorite ministry forever, CCF has a charitable fund option to help maximize your gifts and build a legacy of generosity

Pro Ecclesia Sancta’s Holy Kids ministry: Helping

By Maura Keller For The Catholic Spirit

Archbishop Bernard Hebda’s 2022 pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room,” called for ways to inform and inspire parents to be the primary educators of their children in ways of the faith.

A ministry of Pro Ecclesia Sancta (PES) has been serving and growing in that evangelical field in Minnesota and other states for the last several years.

“Everyone is called to holiness, but sometimes families can get distracted from this mission because of the busyness of life and work, as well as the presence of media and screens,” said PES Sister Leann Luecke, one of eight Minnesota-based religious sisters in the ecclesial family of consecrated life founded in 1992 in Lima, Peru. “So, about four years ago, we felt called to respond to that in a certain way.”

That was when Sister Leann and her fellow PES sisters in Minnesota began Holy Kids ministry, which provides resources, especially for parents, religion teachers, faith formation directors, catechists and others who are eager to help form young members of the Church in the faith while helping them develop a personal relationship with God.

Holy Kids seeks to join the new evangelization by sharing the Catholic faith with children and families in joyful and dynamic ways so that children can respond to the universal call to be holy, Sister Leann said.

“Holy Kids started with videos that we make for kids to teach them the core teachings of the Catholic faith,” Sister Leann said. “These videos are intended to bring the faith alive for kids and bring the faith into the home, where parents and kids can watch them together and share in learning about the faith. The videos are very dynamic and engaging for the little ones, but then also provide ... deeper content for the older kids. We receive a lot of feedback from the families, with many parents saying they are learning things they may not have known about our faith. Some families don’t feel like they have the resources, or don’t know how to start those conversations of the faith in the home. We want to provide the opportunities and resources through our Holy Kids ministry.”

David and Bridget Busacker were first introduced to Pro Ecclesia Sancta through a weekly Holy Hour at the PES convent in St. Paul, designed for those seeking to grow closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, deepen their holiness, and join the lay movement of PES, the Catholic Advance Movement.

“We were immediately drawn to the sincere joy and love of the Sacred Heart that radiated from PES members, and when we were married in 2016, we officially joined the movement,” said Bridget Busacker, who shared her family’s story.

The Busackers and their children (Felicity, 5; Stella, 3; and Marigold, 1), attend St. Peter in Mendota. “Our desire to grow in holiness and serve God through our marriage was met with incredible support from PES, and when Holy Kids was developed a few years ago, we were thrilled to integrate it into our family life,” Busacker said.

Even though the Busackers’ children were still very young at the time (their eldest was 2), the couple found the Holy Kids program to be an invaluable resource.

“As parents, we know we are called to be the primary educators of our children in the faith, but in today’s world, that can feel overwhelming,” Bridget Busacker said. “There is an abundance of information available –– much of it wonderful –– but it can be difficult to know where to start, how to guide our children effectively, and how to integrate faith into daily life,” Busacker said. “This is where Holy Kids is such a gift. It provides clear, engaging and theologically rich content that helps us build up our domestic Church.”

Holy Kids empowers parents to transform the culture, beginning in their own homes, by making Jesus present in their everyday lives, Busacker said.

“These videos have been an incredible tool in helping my husband and me respond to our call to educate our children in the faith,” she said. “They make catechesis approachable and meaningful, sparking deeper conversations and encouraging our girls to ask questions, reflect on holiness, and understand what it truly means to be a saint in the small, ordinary moments of family life.”

One of the most powerful aspects of Holy Kids is how it keeps the focus on a personal relationship with God, she said.

“These videos don’t just teach information –– they inspire a deeper desire for holiness and sainthood in a way that is accessible to children and parents alike,” Busacker said.

“They help us introduce the faith in a way that is both engaging and accessible for little ones while also equipping us as parents with the language and tools to share the love of Jesus and the teachings of the Catholic Church in a meaningful way,” she said. “They help us, as a family, to live out our faith in an intentional and joyful way.”

A beautiful fruit of the Holy Kids videos has been the way they continue to inspire conversation well beyond the screen, Busacker said.

“We’ll be at Mass or in our home, and something will spark a connection to what they learned from Holy Kids. These moments help solidify their understanding of the faith and, more importantly, their relationship with Jesus,” she said.

Recently, Busacker pointed to the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in their home and asked her girls, “What does Jesus’ heart tell you? What does he mean with his heart right there?” Without hesitation, her 3-year-old said, “He loves me!” Her 5-year-old, after a moment of thought, added, “He just

loves me and wants to give me a big bear hug!”

“This is exactly what Holy Kids does — it helps our build a deep, personal relationship with Jesus,” Busacker “It encourages them to see him not as a distant figure, someone who is truly alive in their hearts, inviting them a life of holiness. We regularly talk about how we want saints, and Holy Kids has been instrumental in cultivating desire in our home.”

Erin Wee, a homeschooling mom of Felicity, 8; Maccallin, Elizabeth, 5; Bernadette, 3; and Frederick, 1, who are of St. John the Baptist in Savage, said that looking back, and her husband, David, knew about the Holy Kids before they fully realized what it was.

“During 2020, one of the sisters mentioned the videos us and we spent some time watching them with our while being home together so much (during the COVID-19 pandemic),” Erin Wee said. “Then, while attending Hour at the convent, our oldest daughter was invited one of the videos. We probably watched that video the week it came out. Now the kids are really invested love seeing ‘their Sisters’ in the videos.”

Wee stressed that the mission of Holy Kids has been, always will be, to bring more souls to Christ.

Helping parents as primary educators in the faith

our children Busacker said. figure, but as them into want to be cultivating that Maccallin, 7; are members back, she program videos to our kids COVID-19 a Holy invited to be in 100 times invested and they been, and

TOP LEFT From left, Margaret Sand, Alejandro Moreno, Philomena Vyvyan and Jacob Earhart at a Pro Ecclesia Sancta Holy Kids summer camp in August 2024 at St. Mark in St. Paul.

BOTTOM LEFT Pro Ecclesia Sancta Sister Fabiola Valdeiglesias hands out Holy Cards to Joaquin Canchaya while Oliver Linder looks on and PES Sister Emy Ychikawa holds a microphone during Catholic Schools week in January 2023 at St. John the Baptist in Savage.

BOTTOM RIGHT At a February recording session for Holy Kids at Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent in Bloomington are Pro Ecclesia Sister Daniela Ormeno wearing headphones at the computer, while at the video camera are PES Sisters Cinthya Carmona, left, and Leann Luecke. In front of the camera are PES Sisters Julieta del Carpio, left, and Alejandra Escobar.

PHOTOS COURTESY PRO ECCLESIA SANCTA

“God designed the family as a perfect place for children to come to know him. Holy Kids helps parents navigate our faith in a way that inspires children, a difficult task in our world today,” Wee said. “It is a perfect supplement to ignite a fire for Christ in the home and to begin conversations about our faith around the dinner table.”

Her children experience Holy Kids content anytime the family attends events with the Catholic Advance Movement, Wee said.

“The sisters do such a fabulous job engaging the kids in our faith while the parents listen to spiritual talks,” she said. “The short retreats act almost like a mini-Holy Kids camp. We are a homeschooling family so having Holy Kids video(s) as reference material is fantastic. We aspire to keep faith at the center of our home and Holy Kids really has a way of inviting kids into the conversation.”

In addition to families using the Holy Kids videos in their home, parishes are using the videos during their faith formation programs. In Minnesota, the PES sisters serve four parishes and schools –– St. Mark in St. Paul, St. John the Baptist in Savage, Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, and Our Lady of Grace in Edina. PES sisters in other dioceses also share the Holy Kids videos as much as they can in their ministries.

In the summer of 2024, the PES sisters held a three-day Holy Kids summer camp at St. Mark in St. Paul. About 100 children attended.

“The camp was inspired by a series of events and the Lord speaking through different people,” Sister Leann Luecke said. “We hadn’t really thought about doing a camp until one of our PES priests, who are assigned to St. Mark’s in St. Paul, asked us if we would be interested in doing a summer camp for the parish. After thinking about it, we thought we could do a camp that had the same philosophy that we’re trying to do with the videos –– bringing the faith alive for the children, while bringing the family into it as well.” Currently, three PES priests serve at St. Mark: Fathers David Hottinger, pastor; Humberto Palomino, associate pastor; and Patrick Evans, associate pastor.

The first day of the Holy Kids camp focuses on helping children learn that they should love God above all else, putting him first in their lives. The second day, children learn that they are God’s most beloved creation, his greatest gift. The final day of the camp, children learn how they should love their neighbor with the love they receive from God. A bonus family day allows families to come together to pray and rejoice in their call to holiness.

“The family day was beautiful because we started with adoration, and each family got to go up and receive a blessing as Father was holding the monstrance,” Sister Leann said. Adoration was followed by a potluck lunch and then families visited various stations where the camp participants showed them what they learned at camp.

While the Minnesota PES sisters will not conduct an in-person camp experience in 2025, they have fellow PES sisters in California, South Dakota and Michigan, and camps will be hosted in California and South Dakota this summer.

“God willing, our plan is to develop a ‘vacation bible school (VBS)’ product where you can buy the manual and be able to have the summer camp at your parish. We expect this to be available in 2026,” Sister Leann said.

Beyond the videos and summer camp offerings, Holy Kids also provides resources and merchandise that reinforce faith in a tangible way at beholykids org, including felt rosaries, T-shirts and pajamas with the words “Do whatever he tells you,” Mary’s words at the wedding in Cana. The reminders are designed to help children internalize the call to holiness and understand that the call is real and attainable.

In addition, this spring the PES sisters will release parent guides designed to accompany each Holy Kids video. The downloadable guides will include a short passage from the Bible, which parents and children can read together and discuss, followed by watching the related video and praying together.

“These guides are intended to give the parent some guidance about how to bring that video into conversation, offering teachable moments for the parents to share,” Sister Leann said.

Kevin Gearns, director of communications at St. Mark in St. Paul, said he heard about the Holy Kids ministry because his family is involved in the lay movement of Pro Ecclesia Sancta. His daughters, 7-year-old André and 5-year-old Sophie, participated in the Holy Kids Camp last summer.

“We make it a point to plug in as much as we can to the PES offerings, especially events that offer something for the children,” Gearns says. “I want my children to see the witness of joyful consecrated religious and if there’s any opportunity for that, we take it. The PES religious are nourishing the reality that, for faith to be alive, it has to be lived at home and in a family. Good content can take you far, but Holy Kids is suited to weave into the culture of the home, our domestic Church.

Bridget Busacker of St. Peter in Mendota stressed that in this Jubilee Year of Hope, Holy Kids is a powerful tool for reminding families that God is trustworthy and that he desires a relationship with everyone. “It aligns so beautifully with the theme of hope because it reassures parents that we are not only called but also equipped to educate our children in the faith,” Busacker said. “We are not alone in this mission –– programs like Holy Kids provide the support, clarity and inspiration we need to raise our children to know and love Jesus deeply. It helps us, as parents, fulfill our vocation with confidence and joy, bringing the faith alive for our little ones in a way that is both meaningful and lasting.”

Sister Leann said her order feels particularly called to family ministry because Po Ecclesia Sancta means “for the Holy Church” in Latin.

“Our charism is to live and promote holiness in the Church,” she said. “What better place to start than in the domestic Church, in the home? Hopefully, by supporting the smaller Church of the home we can also support the larger Church.”

–– Maura Keller

uGo to YouTube at youtube com/@beholykids to see Holy Kids videos.

uVisit tinyurl com/445vyur9 to see a new, introductory video.

uGo to beholykids org to learn more about Holy Kids ministry.

uSend an email via info@beholykids org to ask questions.

uGo to tinyurl com/438vz9ps to make donations.

Spanish Jesuit priest, Pro Ecclesia

has sisters, brothers and priests serving in a variety of ways throughout Minnesota, California, Michigan and South Dakota, bringing the love of the Sacred Heart to

Pro Ecclesia Sancta (PES) began its ministry in the United States in California in 2005. The order expanded into Minnesota in 2009, followed by South Dakota in 2021 and Michigan in 2023. The PES sisters, brothers and priests work with youth and families in parishes, schools, colleges and diocesan programs.

During the summer of 2024, PES orchestrated a mission trip to Peru with volunteers from across the globe, including youth from the Twin Cities, Sioux Falls and Mitchell in South Dakota and Sacramento.

As one of the order’s growing mission programs, Holy Kids is designed to ignite the fire of God’s love in the hearts of children, while planting seeds of faith in the next generational of Christ’s disciples. Visit pes-usa org to learn more about Pro Ecclesia Sancta. ––

Founded in 1992 in Lima, Peru, by Father Pablo Menor, a

Sancta

others.

Maura Keller

PRO ECCLESIA SANCTA

‘Who is the Man of the Shroud?’

National Shroud of Turin exhibit will be on display April 5-12 at Deephaven parish

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

Pam McCue viewed a Shroud of Turin exhibit in Jerusalem in 2015. During her stay in the Holy Land, she returned to that exhibit. Twice.

“I think it was God drawing me in,” McCue said. “I’m glad I have hands and feet to share it now.”

A 2005 convert to Catholicism who lives in northern Alabama, McCue learned more about the shroud and soon developed her own exhibit, showing it at schools and churches in her area.

In January 2024, she purchased a large exhibit from Othonia –– an international organization that produced the display McCue first saw in Jerusalem. Associated with the Institute of Science and Faith at Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum university in Rome, Othonia’s mission is educating people about the shroud.

One of McCue’s stops for the exhibit is St. Therese in Deephaven for an April 5-12 showing titled “Who is the Man of the Shroud?” It will be McCue’s only stop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This same exhibit was viewed by thousands of people at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last summer.

The display offers a life-size, museum-quality replica of the Shroud of Turin made through a high-resolution photograph on cotton canvas. Twenty-four panels help tell the story of the shroud, along with a bronze, shroud-based statue of Christ and replicas of weapons consistent with both history and the shroud, including a crown of thorns and Roman nails, a scourge or whip, and a lance tip.

Presenters will include Legionaries of Christ Father Andrew Dalton, a theology professor at the pontifical university in Rome, an Othonia board member and the developer of a postgraduate certificate in Shroud Studies. As part of that program, he teaches a course titled The Biblical Theology of the Passion of the Christ.

Father Leonard Andrie, pastor of St. Therese, said he contacted McCue after learning about the shroud in talks and documentaries over the years, and particularly after hearing about the positive reception of her exhibit at the Eucharistic Congress.

“Sometimes it is a divine inspiration,” Father Andrie said about pursuing the exhibit. “I felt like the Lord was trying to reach out to me.”

Housed since 1578 A.D. in the Cathedral of St. John in Turin, Italy, the shroud is a 14-foot-by-4-foot linen cloth that features a full-length photonegative image of a man, front and back, bearing the wounds that correspond to the Gospel accounts of the torture Jesus endured in his passion and death.

The Catholic Church has never ruled on the shroud's authenticity, saying judgments about its age and origin belonged to scientific investigation. Scientists have debated its authenticity for decades, and studies have led to conflicting results.

“Part of what I love is the mystery,” Father Andrie said. “It defies being able to explain it.”

God often works through mystery, said Father Andrie, who came close to the shroud at the cathedral in Turin in 2013 — he saw its casing. For visitors to the exhibit at St. Therese, God might well work in tailored grace, Father Andrie said. “These things will touch them in a unique way. God knows what will touch them.”

The display will be in a large community room at the parish, which will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day of the exhibit, with McCue or someone on her team present throughout the day. Father Dalton’s presentations will be April 7 at 10 a.m. until noon and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Priests and deacons across the archdiocese are invited to a special showing 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 8.

A small gift shop will offer shroud-related literature, jewelry, rosaries and other items. “Something that people can take away with them to keep it fresh in their minds,” said Maria Snyder, community life coordinator at St. Therese and an organizer of McCue’s visit to the parish.

Among those anticipating the exhibit is Mark Huschke, 62, a St. Therese parishioner who developed his own talks about the shroud, drawn to it by his interest in the intersection of faith and science. Huschke spoke to parishioners about the shroud at Father Andrie’s invitation in 2021.

“I was part of the planning” for the upcoming exhibit, Huschke said.

These four photos show aspects of Pam McCue’s “Who is the Man of the Shroud?” exhibit to be displayed April 5-12 at St. Therese in Deephaven.

SHROUD EXHIBITS

Various exhibits about the Shroud of Turin are offered by the faithful across the globe. For example, author, journalist and researcher William West, an expert on the shroud’s authenticity, addressed an audience at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Sydney, Australia, March 3, in advance of an Australian Holy Shroud Conference to be held in June.

In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, a March 15-16 photographic exhibit and presentation was offered at Guardian Angels in Oakdale by Tony Cherniawski, whose Holy Face of Jesus Project raises money to have images of the Shroud of Turin replicated on billboards across Michigan.

Father Joe Connelly, pastor of Guardian Angels, said he believes the Shroud of Turin is authentic. “If it’s not, my faith won’t be shaken,” he said. “But that mystery of it does leave room for trust as well. Faith is given to us; it’s not something we can grasp or seize.”

Pam McCue’s exhibit at St. Therese in Deephaven April 5-12 is part of what has become a national tour since the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis last summer. McCue was in Brainerd March 19 and has made stops in Texas and Washington, D.C. Lenten plans include exhibits in Ohio, Louisiana and Tennessee. Later this year the exhibit will be in Pennsylvania and Missouri. In addition, there are now three more Othonia mobile exhibits, McCue said, with one based in Las Vegas and two in Dallas.

“I’m super excited. This exhibit is the same as at the National Eucharistic Congress. I’ve heard amazing things about it.”

McCue said the shroud offers a door to belief in Christ.

“It’s not that I have faith in the shroud,” she said. “I have faith in Jesus. But that visual you get with the shroud, especially the visual of the face, that draws you in.”

The shroud has offered her

opportunities to share the reality of Jesus Christ, McCue said. “It has given me a way to share Jesus. It has increased my evangelization of Jesus.” In October 2023, Father Andrie was instrumental in bringing the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and those of her parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, to his parish, with stops across the archdiocese. Relics and the shroud can help strengthen and enliven the faith, Father Andrie said.

COURTESY PAM MCCUE

PAM MCCUE

Singing once, praying twice: Native of Mexico combines music and faith

By Christina Capecchi

For The Catholic Spirit

Faith and music have always been intertwined for Isis Valero, 33, a native of Mexico who lives in Big Lake. Her parents met at a music school in Guadalajara. Later, they married and owned their own music school in Mazatlan. When they immigrated to Minnesota, the family settled at St. Henry in Monticello, which has a Spanish Mass, and helped with music. Now Valero, whose boyfriend is an opera singer, serves as music director at Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul.

“They have an open heart to the Lord,” she said of the parish. “Getting to know the people and building community has been one of the greatest blessings from my job.”

Q You’re the third of four daughters. What are your memories of growing up in Mexico?

A We lived in the back of the school, so our play was going into one of the classrooms, putting on costumes and singing in front of the mirror, seeing who was the best. There was always music. My dad was always pushing instruments. “I see talent in you!” My mom was always cultivating the faith –– going to church, doing our sacraments. We would go to catechism on Saturdays. It was all morning and into the afternoon. Before we split into classes, we would do praise and worship music.

My mom always said, “The one who sings once prays twice.”

Q Quoting St. Augustine!

A Yes. I have that in my head all the time. Music is my favorite prayer. Through that I talk to God. Music touches your heart in a way words can’t. It can’t be explained.

Q Your oldest sister had come to Minnesota for work, and your parents decided to move the rest of the family to be near her. You were 13.

A I was sad. I was the age where I didn’t want to leave my friends. We flew here. We left everything behind. My parents are not very attached to things. I think they just sold our car. We didn’t have luxurious stuff. After a year, everything was much better. I grew so much. What made us stay is we were all together as a family. That was the most important thing. We didn’t need anything else.

Q You were starting over.

A Yes. Now, I’m in this relationship with God, and I can say: God was there all the time. He never left us. He always has a plan for each one of us. He knows everything. But he also wants us to say yes and keep moving forward. We have to prepare for the unexpected.

Q Do you ever imagine how different your life would be had you stayed in Mexico?

A We always talk about that –– especially with the circumstances now. In the town where we grew up, there’s been a lot of violence from all the drugs. Our life could’ve been fine because I feel like God was always with us. But following what the Lord put in our hearts brought a greater blessing because we continued that path –– especially our service in the Church. We’re so grateful to be here. We thank God all the time. We have everything we need here. We’re in a safe state. We have our family. We can still praise the Lord.

Q Your dad works in a sort of parallel job over at St. Odilia in Shoreview.

A He’s the music director for the Spanish choir. He started at the same time I started at Guadalupe. We’re always helping each other out.

He’ll ask me about the liturgy because I have more time to sit down and plan it carefully. He’ll ask what’s

appropriate for the weekend.

But I ask him for a lot because he’s the expert on the music. He helps with a lot of technical stuff. We had a Mass in the park at Guadalupe, and he was helping with the speakers and the mixer and many microphones. He helps me coordinate all that stuff, which is new to me.

I never went to music school to get a degree. For me, it’s always a growing experience. Every single day I have to learn something. Even if I already learned it, I have to learn it again, and it takes time. Whenever I have a specific question –– about the tempo of a song or what the signature means –– I ask my dad. He always has an answer.

There’s a lot of traditional Mexican songs that aren’t written down in music notation. They’re not very accessible –– either you can’t find them online or the composer is unknown or it’s expensive. My dad writes the music so my pianist can play it.

We’re doing a Gloria right now, for example, by a Mexican composer. It’s a Mass setting called “Melodic Mass.” All the parts are here, but the Gloria is not. Somehow, I couldn’t find it. My dad wrote the music sheet for that. He also wrote the sheet for “Milagro De Amor,” a Communion song.

Q What a gift to bring that familiar music to your parish.

A Many people thought their traditions were fading. My goal has been to bring in traditional music from Mexico but at the same time help us grow in sacred music. We’re trying to be open-minded and learn but also bring what we know.

I try to balance what we play. For the 10 a.m. Mass, I ask the choir members for their favorite songs. We try to put those songs for reflection after Communion or maybe offertory. But I also introduce less common songs. Some like contemporary Christian music. Others like more traditional music: “Oh, I remember singing that in Mexico!”

Q That must be nice to hear!

A It feels good. I think God is perfect, and he knows what each person can give in the Church. A lot of people have come to us and thanked us. “Thank you for your music.”

Q You started a young adult choir.

A Right now, a lot of the youth want to sing and praise the Lord. We started with just one cantor for the 10 a.m. Mass. Now we have a group of

nine young members. There are moments, especially for adoration, when you see people crying. It’s not because of the music, but it’s a way of connecting to God.

Q Is there a children’s choir?

A There’s interest in starting a children’s choir. Sometimes I feel like I’m moving slow(ly). But I think I’m moving how the Lord wants me to move. A lot of people come to me with ideas. But you know what? I’m not in charge. God is in charge.

So right now, the first thing was the youth choir. I want to start a kids’ choir, but I have to bring it up first with Father Bernard (the pastor) and talk to him so he can guide it.

Q Sunday is your game day.

A I get there by 8 a.m. I’m there to make sure everybody has what they need –– technical stuff, microphones, copies of music. Mass starts at 8:30 (a.m.). We have three Masses. The last Mass ends at 2 p.m. I leave about 2:30 or 3 p.m. I feel tired, but I also feel blessed. It’s a gift.

Q What are your hobbies?

A My No. 1 hobby is dancing. My heart jumps when I dance. I like being in nature, trying new restaurants –– and I love, love, love the beach.

I enjoy being by myself. I love to write. It’s kind of a ritual. I collect notebooks. I have to find the right one! I go to Marshall’s. They have really good ones. It has to be hardcover –– and small but not too small. I like the floral covers, bright colors and also blackand-white.

I write down a little bit of everything, usually in the morning. My ideas. Random stuff. Organizing my day. Nutrition. Scripture. My daily prayer –– what the Lord is saying to me. Financial stuff in the back. Goals. It’s nice to look back on old notebooks and see what I accomplished and the way I grew.

Every single day I ask the Lord what he wants from me, and I’m just obedient.

Q What do you know for sure?

A The only thing I know for sure is God’s promises. Everything is uncertain in this world. But nothing can separate us from God’s love –– not even death. We’re all going to die. The only thing I know for sure is what he speaks in the Bible to me about eternal life. I will be with him, and his love will continue.

DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Ministering to people on streets and on campus, SJV seminarians gain pastoral skills

By Susan Klemond For The Catholic Spirit

Starting in early 2022, St. John Vianney College Seminary (SJV) student John Paul Narog spent some of his Saturdays with his fellow undergraduate seminarians in St. Paul, talking about using the right body language, starting conversations, and praying with people on the streets of the Twin Cities.

“Posture is huge –– crossed arms is a big no-no,” Narog, now a senior at SJV, told the men participating in the street ministry. Narog also advised the seminarians to approach people on the street from an angle rather than going straight toward them.

“You never want them to feel pressured or cornered,” Narog said. Missionaries from the Denver-based ministry Christ in the City had visited the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2021 to train SJV seminarians, including Narog, in communicating with those who are unhoused. The nonprofit builds relationships with the unhoused in the street and teaches volunteers to form other leaders and evangelize.

Seeking to introduce Jesus to those they encountered, the men participating in the street ministry wanted to offer a friendly and prayerful presence near homeless shelters and other urban areas in the Twin Cities. Street evangelization is one of SJV’s several efforts at apostolic outreach that together help its 108 seminarians understand the dignity of the human person and build relational and leadership skills, seminary leaders said.

During their third year, seminarians are required to participate in street evangelization. But some, including Narog, keep up their ministry after meeting the requirement. Along with street evangelization, SJV seminarians pray together at the St. Paul Planned Parenthood abortion facility, teach faith formation, minister to peers, receive other pastoral ministry training and go on mission trips.

Not all the apostolic outreaches are new. But in response to updated guidelines on priestly formation from the U.S. bishops, SJV has restructured its apostolic outreach formation and added programs that, along with mission trips, give seminarians opportunities to encounter people living in poverty, which is among the new guidelines, said Father Jeff Norfolk, an SJV spiritual director, formation adviser and apostolic outreach coordinator.

One change was introducing a propaedeutic or preparatory stage in the first 1.5 years of seminary formation, when seminarians discuss priestly identity, including human and spiritual dimensions of formation. During the later years of SJV formation, seminarians continue to focus on human and spiritual dimensions but also become more involved in the other two dimensions, intellectual and pastoral-apostolic formation, said Father Jonathan Kelly, SJV rector. Seminarians also have exposure to people living in poverty during their propaedeutic year, Father Kelly said.

While the 39 SJV seminarians now in the propaedeutic stage initially focus less on apostolic outreach and academics than upperclassmen, the seminary recognizes that many college-age men have natural apostolic zeal and the seminary provides opportunities for them to serve, said Father Kelly, who is also president of the National Association of College Seminaries.

“When these guys are (ages) 18 to 22, they want to take the hill and conquer the mountain,” Father Kelly said. “They want to be a part of something greater.”

At the start of their second semester as freshmen, the seminarians go on a mission trip to help people living in Alabama, Father Norfolk said. Later in their formation they can travel to India to serve with St. Teresa of Kolkata’s Missionaries of Charity, he said.

Meanwhile, working with people who are living in poverty locally through street evangelization and other outreach efforts can help seminarians see people’s needs right in their own backyard rather than having to go on a mission trip, Father Kelly said.

“Teaching (seminarians), no matter what the size of the diocese, how do you interact with people who are struggling with food, struggling with finances?” Father Norfolk said. “They’re going to knock on your parish

door and be part of your parish. How do you respond?”

One of the seminarians’ first outreaches during the propaedeutic stage is praying together outside the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in St. Paul. Patrick Storms — who is discerning priesthood for the archdiocese and will graduate from SJV in 2027 — said recently in the seminary’s publication, Vianney News, that while praying at the abortion facility with fellow seminarians, he’s witnessed lives being saved as sidewalk counselors help women see that they and their babies are loved.

Storms said he wasn’t bothered that it took several visits to see the fruits of his work. “You might not see people turn around the first time you go to Planned Parenthood, or ever, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t make an impact,” he said. “The prayers and time you offered up to God are not going to go unused.”

Seminarians serve in other ways, including teaching faith formation and participating in a pastoral ministry practicum. As seniors, they can choose their service in a peer-related ministry, including ministering to students at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul or through SJV’s apostolate, Last Chance Mass, a weekly 9 p.m. Sunday Mass the seminary has offered on its campus for about 20 years, Father Norfolk said.

SJV seminarian Joe Etnier completed his peer ministry outreach requirement by evangelizing those who attend the Last Chance Mass.

“Sometimes we only want to talk about the faith with people we know,” he told Vianney News, “people we’re comfortable with, people we know will receive it, but we can go out of our comfort zones and talk to those people who need to hear it. If we don’t, who will?”

Narog has shifted away from street evangelization to focus on helping with seminary Mass preparation as part of his peer ministry outreach requirement as a senior, he told The Catholic Spirit. He plans to pursue the priesthood for the Diocese of Duluth through graduate studies and formation at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul this fall.

But he continues to have an interest in street evangelization.

“Overall, my time at SJV with all the apostolic

HEART

In a screen grab from the same video, Narog talks with a man outside Catholic Charities Twin Cities’ complex in downtown St.

(outreach) has been amazing,” he said. “It’s just been a huge blessing and it’s preparing me for future ministry, so I’m really grateful that I had all these opportunities.”

Apostolic outreach that encourages seminarians to leave their comfort zone is essential in preparing them to be 21st century priests, Father Norfolk said.

“The culture is shifting so much and there are more needs happening in the world,” he said, “especially as people get further from God. That creates an even greater need for God.”

SERIES

WHAT: St. John Vianney College Seminary videos about apostolic outreach experiences of the St. Paul seminary’s students.

PHOTOS COURTESY REAWAKEN PRODUCTIONS

In this Sept. 11, 2024, screen grab from a video about St. John Vianney College Seminary’s street ministry, John Paul Narog, a senior at the seminary in St. Paul, crosses a street in downtown St. Paul.

OF THE FATHER VIDEO

Paul.

GUEST COLUMN | LEAH HESELTON

The door to conversion is open

In early February, my friend Mackenzie Hunter and I took a trip to Italy to walk through the Jubilee doors in Rome. We knew this time of extra graces was special and wanted to be part of it. When we touched down at the Rome airport and got into our cab to take us to the heart of the city, nerves and excitement bubbled up in me as we discussed what our next few days would look like and our plans for the trip.

Hunter, a member of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, said offhandedly, “I hope we will never be the same.”

When we arrived at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, one of the four major papal basilicas designated for Holy Doors that we planned to walk through, we weren’t quite sure what to do or how to prepare. So, we prayed for grace and for conversion and slowly walked through the big brass doors that are only open every 25 years.

Inside the church, there was a buzz of excitement and conversation. At first it felt like more should have happened. As I prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, I was suddenly overwhelmed. It seemed like all I did was walk through a door; what was so overwhelming about that? My heart swelled as I realized that walking through those doors was a chance for something new.

As we continued our pilgrimage through all four Holy Doors the next two

COURTESY LEAH HESELTON

Leah Heselton, left, and Mackenzie Hunter, right, in front of the Holy Door at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome Feb. 8. The two made a Feb. 6-16 pilgrimage to Rome to pass through the Holy Doors at the four papal basilicas in Rome and travel throughout Italy.

days, I started to reflect more on what walking through them really means. This reflection was particularly strong at our last destination, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the church where St. Paul is buried. We chose to make the four-mile walk there from St. Peter’s Basilica, giving me plenty of time to reflect.

Physically, as I walked through those massive, old and beautiful doors, all I really did was take a few steps through doors that were already open for me. That was the easy part, it just took a few steps. Once I passed through the doorway, I entered a magnificent building with beautiful architecture and

COURTESY MACKENZIE HUNTER

The tomb of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Behind the grate, there is a sign noting it is St. Paul’s resting place. Above the grate are St. Paul’s chains from when he was a prisoner in Rome.

paintings and best of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, residing there in tabernacles that are placed throughout the church.

But it was more than that. As I prayed at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, before the spot St. Paul was buried, I came to see that when I walked through those doors, I chose a path of conversion; I was not going to be the same. In the church dedicated to St. Paul, I was reminded of the grace of conversion that overcame St. Paul, who was the greatest persecutor of the Christians and is now venerated as a great Apostle of the Catholic Church. I could call upon the same grace of conversion that overcame St. Paul.

In walking through all the Jubilee

What is the significance of a Jubilee Year?

By Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News

Editor’s note: The following is a response to a person from Lakeland, Florida, who asked: What is the significance of a Jubilee Year?

The short answer is, a Jubilee Year is a special year of grace and reconciliation. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year every 25 years, although the pope can also declare an “extra” extraordinary Jubilee Year between the regularly-scheduled jubilees (as Pope Francis did from December 2015 to November 2016 with the Year of Mercy). The year 2000 was a Jubilee Year, as is 2025.

The concept of a Jubilee Year is rooted in the ancient Jewish tradition described in chapter 25 of the Book of Leviticus. As we read: “You shall count seven weeks of years — seven times seven years — such that the seven weeks of years amount to forty-nine years. (…) You shall treat this fiftieth year as sacred. You shall proclaim

liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to your own property, each of you to your own family” (Lv 25:8,10).

In fact, the word “jubilee” originates from the name of the ram’s horn, called a “yobel,” which is sounded on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holy day of atonement, and which was used to mark the opening of a Jubilee Year.

As the Vatican Jubilee website describes, the Catholic adaptation of Jubilee Years began in the Middle Ages: “In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII called the first Jubilee, also known as a ‘Holy Year,’ since it is a time in which God’s holiness transforms us. The frequency of Holy Years has changed over time: at first, they were celebrated every 100 years; later, in 1343 Pope Clement VI reduced the gap between Jubilees to every 50 years, and in 1470 Pope Paul II made it every 25 years.”

There are a number of ways in which Catholics can participate in the Jubilee Year. The most traditional Jubilee

observance is making a pilgrimage, as pilgrimages are emblematic of our life’s journey toward God and of conversion in general. Historically, the “classic” Jubilee pilgrimage was to the four major basilicas in Rome: St. John Lateran, St. Peter, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Today, while many Catholics still make the traditional pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee, local diocesan bishops typically designate a local site, such as the cathedral or a local shrine, as a Jubilee pilgrimage destination for those who are unable to travel to Rome.

Connected with the tradition of pilgrimage, another key symbol of the Jubilee is the Holy Door, which reminds us of Jesus’ saying in the Gospel of John: “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9). The Jubilee Year 2025 formally began with Pope Francis opening the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2024; and there are Holy Doors in all four major Roman basilicas which pilgrims may pass

doors, I was making a conscious choice to be different afterward, to live my life closer to Jesus. In his Good Shepherd discourse, Jesus said that he is the door for his sheep and “whoever enters through me, will be saved and will come in and out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9). Passing through those doors symbolized new life and walking into something new. As I walked through each Jubilee door at the papal basilicas, I found myself reciting the words my friend said to me in the cab, this time as a prayer: “Lord Jesus, I hope I will never be the same.” Now after coming home, after gaining countless indulgences and feeling the full impact of the universal Church in Italy, how can I bring this grace here, to the Church in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis? There are many ways, including serving the poor and others in need, and making pilgrimage during this Jubilee Year to the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul or the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Still, I am challenging myself to take it a step further.

Pope Francis gave this Jubilee Year the theme Pilgrims of Hope. When I walk through the doors of my parish church –– the Cathedral of St. Paul –– I hope that I will never be the same. I hope that Jesus’ will is done in my life, even though it is scary, unknown and might be difficult. The same grace that is bestowed on a pilgrimage to Rome is available to you and me now. We only need to ask for it.

The church doors are open for us to enter. When we cross the threshold, are we just taking a few steps? Or will this be a chance for us to meet Jesus in a new way?

Heselton is the operations coordinator in the Office of Communications at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

through as a sign of their desire to return to the Lord or renew their relationship with God.

Finally, another major part of the Jubilee Year is the special opportunities to earn indulgences. An indulgence is “the remission in the sight of God of the temporal punishment due for sins, the guilt of which has already been forgiven” (Canon 922).

Indulgences are attached to certain prayers or pious acts that the faithful who are properly disposed — that is, spiritually healthy and free from attachment to sin — may fulfill to free themselves from the need for purgatory or to hasten the journey to heaven for a soul that is already in purgatory. Indulgences are an especially beautiful way to commemorate the Jubilee, as they perfectly represent the Jubilee themes of reconciliation and return to God.

Cooper, who holds a licentiate in canon law, is a consecrated virgin and a canonist whose column appears weekly at OSV News.

FOCUSONFAITH

SUNDAY SCRIPTURES | FATHER PAUL KAMMEN

Lent: A time to grow and bear fruit

Just over five years ago, the world lost one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant, when his helicopter went down, killing all on board. He boarded that helicopter after attending the 7 a.m. Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach. Mass, though, wasn’t a rare thing in his life.

Bryant was of course a superstar, but he had been through a lot in his life and had gotten some bad publicity.

Back in 2003, Bryant was arrested. The case never made it to trial; it ended when he settled with a civil lawsuit and issued a public apology to the woman involved, acknowledging that she did not consider the encounter to be consensual.

Bryant denied the crime, but he did admit to marital infidelity. There were consequences in his family life; his marriage nearly ended. At a certain point, he looked at who he was and prepared himself to change.

He soon started looking at his faith, too, getting advice and counsel from his priest. This changed him; it made him a better player and teammate, got him through some tough times on the court and off the court, and he applied that mentality to get done what needed to get done. He and his wife worked on their marriage and reconciled in 2013. The couple, who had two children, went on to add two more to their family.

Bryant regularly attended Mass with his family at his parish. And he connected his Catholic faith to a family commitment to help the

COMMUNION AND MISSION | FATHER JOHN PAUL ERICKSON

Joining voices

This past summer, I got a chance to hear a band in concert that shaped most of my teenage auricular life. I won’t scandalize Catholic Spirit readers by telling you the name of the group, only that its 1991 eponymous album thrilled this writer when he was younger in much the same way older generations were mesmerized by seeing John, Paul, George and Ringo on Ed Sullivan’s show tell the world that they wanted to hold her hand.

The concert was a delightful bit of nostalgia, and I found myself singing along to many of the songs that served as the soundtrack to the melodrama of my teens. I wasn’t alone. The concert was held at U.S. Bank Stadium, capable of holding nearly 75,000 people. I don’t think every seat in the house was filled, but it was close. There is something very stirring seeing roughly 75,000 people singing the songs of their youth together.

As I looked around the arena, I was reminded of the profound, visceral power of music. While the concertgoers were mostly united by their common uniform of black T-shirts and jeans, in many ways they were a radically disparate crowd. All sorts of professions were represented, as well as different ethnicities and ages. Men and women were in the crowd and seemed equally anxious to ... what’s the phrase ... “rock out.” But when the lyrics we all knew blared through the speakers looming above us, we were all united in our adolescent glee.

Music does that. It joins together as one what otherwise would never come together. My example is probably a pretty earthy one compared to others. I also have experienced the raw joy of singing great music in a church choir. Yes, our repertoire in the loft was a little different than the lyrics sung from the stage in Minneapolis last summer, but the emotional impact was quite identical. Voices forged together as one, inspired by texts that are deeply meaningful to the singers. Singing together like this, especially in large groups, becomes a kind of sacrament of unity ––making physically present what everyone is feeling.

The visceral power of communal singing is not necessarily always a great thing. To lose oneself in a crowd can be intoxicating and therefore

poor, through the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. The foundation helped fund youth homeless shelters and other projects aimed at serving the poor.

Bryant also resolved his multi-year feud with Shaquille O’Neal before he died, realizing it wasn’t worth it to stay angry. The two reconciled. O’Neal gave a powerful tribute to Bryant on TV, following Bryant’s death, about his devastation and said that Bryant was like a little brother to him.

Lent is a time for us to ask ourselves: Who do we want to become and how do we get there?

This week in our readings for the Third Sunday of Lent, we encounter Moses in the time before he became the great leader of Israel. He doesn’t quite know who he is yet. But he humbles himself before the burning bush. He listens. And he changes. How do we do this?

First, Moses lets God take over. Do we do this, too? The bush is not consumed; rather, it is made brilliant because God is illuminating it. God wants to set us free. God wants to consume with a cleansing fire those things that could destroy a soul like a regular fire: ambition, addiction, sensualism, greed, malice. What do we need to turn over to God and let him consume in our soul?

The response to coming to God is the bearing of fruit. Moses changes, like Bryant and like anyone taking faith seriously. The good news is God is patient; he is the one caring for the tree in the garden in our Gospel. How do we bear fruit by being better people, looking at how we love one another and live that out?

God loves us more than we can imagine. The problem we sometimes have is we don’t see it, or we plateau in our faith. Bryant had the Catholic faith as a young man, and he worked for something far greater than a championship ring to understand who he really was. May we strive to do that on our earthly journey, bearing fruit with the help of the Master Gardener.

Father Kammen is pastor of St. Joseph in Rosemount.

dangerous. Many ideologues can manipulate this phenomenon, even when singing is not necessarily involved. Whole psychological theories have been composed regarding the behaviors of crowds and what it does to the individual. This concern is not limited to a particular political standpoint, by the way. Members of the left and the right can far too easily embrace the joy of belonging to a group at the expense of selfreflection and intellectual honesty, let alone the Christian command to love one’s neighbor.

But its dangers do not deflate communal singing’s awesome power to provide for some of the most meaningful and treasured human experiences. Unlike other forms of art that remain outside of oneself, when singing together humans are in a sense woven as one, as their voices combine to make something greater than the individual parts. One single voice, experiencing together that unity for which we are made.

It is not difficult to see the connections to the sacred liturgy, which has as its end the unity of peoples around the Father’s altar, through Christ, with Christ and in Christ. While its purpose is described by the Church as the glory of God and the salvation of men and women, this is accomplished precisely in our being joined together by the Spirit who sings through us.

It is a sadness that Catholics have the reputation of being non-singers in public worship. Many, in fact, openly advocate for a minimizing of singing at Mass, and some clergy and laity alike would prefer the “good old days” of the low Mass, finished in a prompt 20 minutes so that “real life” can begin again. But the refusal to sing at Mass betrays an attitude deadly to Christian life, an attitude that makes religion a private thing between me and Jesus, or at least between me and my thoughts. The Church’s call to sing with full voice at Mass is an invitation to be in communion with others, not only those with us in the congregation, but even those of past generations who are still with us in the mystical body of Christ. Indeed, to sing at Mass is to pray with those in heaven as well, who are joined around the throne of the Lamb singing eternal “Alleluias.”

As we approach Easter, that greatest of festivals of the Church’s life, let us resolve to sing at Mass, regardless of the repertoire or style utilized. Let the house of God ring with his praise, one voice of love to the One who has sung his Son into our lives.

Father Erickson is parochial vicar of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul and interim chairman of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.

DAILY Scriptures

Sunday, March 23 Third Sunday of Lent

Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 Lk 13:1-9

Monday, March 24 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab Lk 4:24-30

Tuesday, March 25 Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Is 7:10-14; 8:10 Heb 10:4-10 Lk 1:26-38

Wednesday, March 26 Dt 4:1, 5-9 Mt 5:17-19

Thursday, March 27 Jer 7:23-28 Lk 11:14-23

Friday, March 28 Hos 14:2-10 Mk 12:28-34

Saturday, March 29 Hos 6:1-6 Lk 18:9-14

Sunday, March 30 Fourth Sunday of Lent Josh 5:9a, 10-12 2 Cor 5:17-21 Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Monday, March 31 Is 65:17-21 Jn 4:43-54

Tuesday, April 1 Ezek 47:1-9, 12 Jn 5:1-16

Wednesday, April 2 Is 49:8-15 Jn 5:17-30

Thursday, April 3 Ex 32:7-14 Jn 5:31-47

Friday, April 4 Wis 2:1a, 12-22 Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Saturday, April 5 Jer 11:18-20 Jn 7:40-53

Sunday, April 6 Fifth Sunday of Lent Is 43:16-21 Phil 3:8-14 Jn 8:1-11

KNOW the SAINTS

ST. RUPERT OF SALZBURG (660-718) Possibly a Frank by birth, Rupert was bishop of Worms, Germany, until the end of the seventh century when he began missionary work at Regensburg. He was a successful evangelist in Bavaria, and from there extended his ministry along the Danube River. He was based at Salzburg, Austria, where he built the first church, monastery and nunnery. One tradition also claimed he had established the salt mines of Salzburg, which he found as the ruins of the Roman town Juvavum. Rupert is seen as one example of a devoted monastic bishop who evangelized the Germans. His feast day is March 27. — OSV News

COMMENTARY

Once a week, I take a seat in an open chair in a church basement with a hot cup of coffee. I’m what’s known as a “friend of Bill,” meaning I’m a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), a fellowship of people coming together to overcome their drinking problems (a fellowship co-founded by a man named Bill Wilson).

I sit quietly and listen to testimonies from other alcoholics. I laugh, I cry, but most importantly, I humbly accept my place there, that I am an alcoholic, I always will be. There will always be a next week in which I need to return to that church and humbly sit.

The harsh reality is there is no such thing as a recovered alcoholic. Recovery as we understand it is unattainable during a lifetime. Alcoholics or addicts may be sober, free from the substances that poison us, but we are still addicts by our biological nature. We crave what hurts us.

Alcoholism is one of two areas of brokenness in my life that I can never graduate from. When I decided on July 6, 2022, to put the bottle down, I unknowingly accepted this reality and accidentally completed step one of the 12-step recovery program.

Step one: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.”

This first step revealed to me that recovery is a lifelong journey, but one I could not begin without first admitting that I was broken and powerless over the substance that abused me as much as I abused it.

Step one requires humility. After a year in recovery, I reached steps four and five, which, to me, resembled the sacrament of reconciliation.

Step four: “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

Step five: “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and

FAITH

You’re not too late (and neither are the ones late to Mass)

“When I show up to church late, everyone stares and glares. When I show up to a meeting late, everyone stands and applauds — because they know I almost didn’t make it.”

The two-line story took my breath away: a testimony from an alcoholic in recovery who had found a warmer welcome in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in church basements than in the sanctuaries upstairs. For several years, I’ve been noticing the ones who come late. Growing up, my family of seven was often scooting into the pew after Mass started, so I’ve long had compassion for how hard it can be to get out the door and into church on Sunday mornings.

But families of young children aren’t the only ones. Visitors who are new to the parish, people with mobility challenges, parishioners without reliable transportation, teenagers slipping into the back pew — at nearly every Mass, I see someone show up late. I’ve decided to start praying for the late ones in a special way, because like the alcoholic hesitating at the door of their meeting, they almost might not have made it. And how much worse it would be to

to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

A.A. is not affiliated with any religion, but I am, and that’s Catholicism. When I get in line for the confessional, I examine my conscience by making a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself. I acknowledge all my sins, my weaknesses, setbacks and shortcomings and I reflect on the nature of God’s forgiveness. When it’s my turn, I kneel and make the sign of the cross and I admit to God, myself and another human being the exact nature of my wrongs. I am forgiven, but when I leave, I’m still a sinner. During my penance in the small adoration chapel, I thank God for forgiveness, and I remember that I will be back.

This relationship I had with my own addiction while in recovery helped me better understand an affliction we all suffer from. We are all sinners, and we will be this side of heaven. But what I failed to understand before was that confession doesn’t just remove our sins; it instills in us grace and renewed strength. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines grace as “Favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life” (CCC 1996).

It’s fitting that of all the liturgical seasons, Lent seems to be the most humbling. We can understand it to be a miserable time of fasting, something to endure. Though it’s much more than that; a priest friend of mine, Father Joseph Bambenek, associate director of the Office for the Renewal of Structures for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said that Lent is a time for confession, a season of repentance. He explained that there is a big push for penance services, and many priests will go out of their way to offer help in hearing confessions.

“There is nothing better as a priest,” Father Bambenek said, “than to be God’s instrument of mercy for someone who has been carrying the burden of significant sin for a long time.”

This time of penance and fasting allows us to look more deeply into our own hearts and discover what is broken, lacking or lagging, with the hope that with God’s help, we can be better, confident of the psalmist’s inspired words, “a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn” (Ps 51). We are meant to leave Lent in a deeper relationship with Jesus’ sacrifice to conquer death, sin and addiction, too.

miss the banquet of the Eucharist!

I once heard an exercise instructor remark as she kept the gym door open for a few minutes longer, “I always figure the person who’s latest is the person who needs it most.” What a generous response to human nature — and a gracious acknowledgment that on hard days, getting anywhere on time can feel even harder.

If we pride ourselves on being punctual (since timeliness is understood and valued differently in different cultures), we might struggle with tardiness. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus makes the prompt and diligent among us squirm. At the end of the day, every worker is given the same wages, even the ones who showed up late and worked the least (Mt 20:1-16).

How do we respond to this parable today, as Catholics trying to live out our faith? Do we grumble about others, bitter that God is merciful? Or do we give thanks, knowing that we are in need of mercy and forgiveness in turn?

We can’t always know someone else’s story, what caused them to be late that morning, or how they almost didn’t come to church this Sunday. Thanks be to God who reminds us that in the kingdom of God, the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Lent begins each year with the reminder that we are not too late. The first reading every Ash Wednesday comes from the Book of Joel: “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart” (Jl 2:12).

Even now, when we are sinful and wrapped up in our own ways, when the world is dark and evil forces are afoot, God beckons us back, to repent and return to the way of truth and love. It is never too late to come home.

If you haven’t yet taken up a Lenten practice, you

Each week, I take two seats, one in A.A. and one in line for confession, to remember that I am broken, but with God’s help I am not hopeless, a reality captured in a simple prayer to God: ‘I can’t. You can. Please do.’

Each week, I take two seats, one in A.A. and one in line for confession, to remember that I am broken, but with God’s help I am not hopeless, a reality captured in a simple prayer to God: “I can’t. You can. Please do.”

There are numerous resources for those interested in more information about recovery. Here are three: Trinity Sober Homes –– trinitysoberhomes org Catholic in Recovery –– catholicinrecovery.com Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association national helpline ––samhsa gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline

McGovern is a reporter with The Catholic Spirit. He can be reached at mcgovernj@archspm org

are not too late. You might even decide to pray for those who show up late to Mass, to soften your heart to see them as Christ sees them. After all, if we don’t welcome others as Christ, why do we expect they would ever come back again — or try to be on time if they did?

It’s never too late to turn back to God, never too late to come to church, never too late to widen your heart. “Even now, says the Lord, return to me.” Even now, you are not too late.

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

PIVOTAL PECS

“I have gotten some good ideas on how to live a better, faith-filled life by listening to my group members in our meetings. Being around my group members I realize there is more I can do as a Christian and Catholic to better my own life and my family’s lives, spiritually.”

Brad Meyer, 49, All Saints, Lakeville

Archbishop Bernard Hebda is encouraging the faithful to experience the small-group model Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS) in their parishes. Designed to strengthen parish life through small groups and encourage parishioners to share their faith and hope in Jesus Christ with each other and then the broader community, it is having an impact. At last count, there are nearly 1,800 groups and more than 16,000 participants in 138 parishes across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. See the opportunities to join a small group at archspm groupvitals com/groupFinder

iSTOCK PHOTO | SMSHOOT

CATHOLIC OR NOTHING | COLIN MILLER

The kingdom of God in the Old Testament

In this column, we are going to look at the way the Church is the hope for a hopeless society. Jesus founded this Church, but he most often called this new community “the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was certainly not the first to use this phrase. He was picking up on perhaps the central Old Testament promise. How so?

God’s solution to the problem of evil and sin in the world was always very practical: It involved the calling into existence of a particular people — a community. The first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis tell the story of the goodness of God’s creation and its swift plunge into rebellion, violence, fragmentation and idolatry.

Genesis 12 marks the beginning of the formation of a people — Abraham and his descendants — who would be the focal point where all that evil and sin was meant to find its reversal. This was to be the people of fidelity, peace, unity and worship of the true God.

And notice that it’s a community — a “we” — that is to be the solution. Through Abraham’s offspring would come the blessing that would reverse Adam and Eve’s curse (see Gen 12:3 and 3:17).

It’s worth underlining that this was to be a very practical, tangible and visible reversal. Instead of idolatry, the worship of many pagan gods, Israel would worship Yahweh, the creator, exclusively. Instead of perpetual oppression and slavery, Israel would be a people of freedom and flourishing — among themselves

CATHOLIC WATCHMEN

DEACON GORDON BIRD

Humble highlights of Lent

Perhaps because of our Triune God, a lot of things both religious and secular seem to be explained or expressed in threes.

Catholic examples include signing ourselves “in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit;” Jesus’ emphasis on the importance of prayer, fasting and almsgiving; the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity; the baptismal graces of priest, prophet and king. Then there are some sporty trifectas like a triple-double in basketball or a hat-trick in hockey, soccer or cricket. Our culture gives us a superstitious, yet enduring, idea that we’d all like to forget: “bad luck comes in threes.”

Let’s stick with the three transcendentals of our God — goodness, beauty and truth — as a Lenten lesson. Catholic Watchmen know and understand that if we are to follow Jesus’ example and lead others to these heavenly attributes, we must be leaders in prayer, fasting and self-gift (i.e., almsgiving). We can start at home with our families. We can look at Lent as an

It’s worth underlining that this was to be a very practical, tangible and visible reversal. Instead of idolatry, the worship of many pagan gods, Israel would worship Yahweh, the creator, exclusively. Instead of perpetual oppression and slavery, Israel would be a people of freedom and flourishing — among themselves and for others. Instead of plundering and exploiting other nations to aggrandize themselves, like the other nations they lived among, this would be a congregation of distributive justice, sharing and special concern for the poor.

and for others. Instead of plundering and exploiting other nations to aggrandize themselves, like the other nations they lived among, this would be a congregation of distributive justice, sharing and special concern for the poor. Instead of a culture of violence, Israel would be a people of shalom, peace. And all these things would mean that, out of the tribes and peoples scattered at the Tower of Babel, Israel would be a nation of social solidarity and true community.

Israel was called to be the focal point of a renewed humanity after the fall. God gave them the land of Israel, the Torah (law) to live by — thus making their whole life different and unique — and of course, God made his own place to dwell in the temple in Jerusalem.

However, what is the other major theme of the Old Testament? Clearly, it is that Israel does not live up to her vocation. She worships other gods; she oppresses others and her own people; she seeks political aggrandizement. There is strife without and civil war within. The Torah is not kept, the temple is polluted with idols, the poor and the alien are oppressed and exploited, and the land is defiled with blood. Israel, in other words, has become just like the other nations she was supposed to be a light to. The solution has become part of the problem.

Therefore, Yahweh allows Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army to come in, sack Jerusalem, burn the temple and take Israel away to exile in Babylon. In going to Babylon, the land, the temple and, in significant ways, even the Torah were taken away.

opportunity to revitalize the sacramental life of our family with these three spiritual activities. Lent is an opportunity to practice these humble highlights internally, externally and prudently — body, soul and heart — even if it seems repetitive and redundant.

First, the humble highlight of prayer. We are given ample opportunities in community or privately to pray. The Mass is the highest prayer of the Church. In the quiet of adoration, we can encounter Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, bringing us closer to God during the Lenten season and beyond. Habitually establishing a weekly time with Jesus at adoration can help us collect our thoughts, consider our actions, or simply rest in him, gazing upon him.

I hear time and again from fellow Christian brothers and sisters how at Mass and at adoration they experience the closeness of our Lord, unveiled and revealed to them supernaturally as heaven and earth meet. Take advantage of this! Hidden in the tabernacle or presented in the Blessed Sacrament on the altar, Jesus is truly, substantially and really with us.

Lent also gives us the opportunity to work on the fundamental highlight of fasting. Fasting teaches us that we can do without some of the worldly things in life. By casting out demons of attachment in our lives, we are strengthened in holiness. Humility in fasting tells our heart, body and soul to keep looking good and not complain while we’re at it. “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden and your

God’s promises, it seemed, had failed. The great hope that God would establish a community that would be a light to the nations was dashed. Israel was now no different from the rest of the world, herself in need of redemption: Israel was scattered, Israel was sinful, Israel worshipped idols, Israel was oppressed and captive. Everything was upside down and it seemed hopeless. Unless, that is, God himself acted to set things right. Israel needed release from captivity, to be back in their land, to reclaim the temple and to keep the Torah. They needed the defeat of their enemies. These were God’s promises, and Israel needed him to keep them. They needed salvation in these very concrete, visible, historical and social ways.

Much of the Old Testament, and especially the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, are written in the hope of this restoration. The Old Testament is a book of hope and expectation.

Next month, we’ll see how the prophet Daniel helped summarize these hopes and expectations in the shorthand “the coming kingdom,” which will help us understand why Jesus’ use of that phrase is so full of social relevance.

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.

Father who sees what is hidden will repay you” (Mt 6:17). Of course, God’s generosity cannot be outdone — current research even shows that fasting (from food) prudently and regularly is healthy and boosts our natural immunity.

Humble highlight number three is to give more of ourselves through almsgiving to those in our lives who have simple and complex needs. This includes sound works of spiritual and corporal mercy, a weekly Catholic Watchmen discipline. There is also the charitable allocation of our time, talent and treasure as we carve out of our own resources for the sake of others. This is how we give alms.

By living these humble highlights we teach our family members, friends and neighbors to move into the light of Christ with us. We are called to bring his light to those in darkness “where it

gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:15). The house is our homes, parishes, small groups and the greater community. Lent provides the time for us to establish the fundamentals of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We can live the virtues that help us work through the current cultural challenges. Living these humble highlights can transform the culture, bringing people to the light of Christ.

Deacon Bird ministers to 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

GUEST COLUMN | JAYMIE STUART WOLFE

Reviving monasticism

Praying for vocations often means praying for more priests. That’s a good and necessary effort, of course, because without priests, there is no Eucharist.

But there’s another vocation that may be even more endangered. And what’s been happening in the Church — and in our culture — over the past few decades should prompt us to ask what should be a dismaying question: Is monasticism disappearing from the Catholic Church?

Sure, most things run their course and few things last forever. But there have always been people who wanted to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ to its fullest degree, and monasticism has been the beating heart of the Church from the patristic age. St. Anthony, considered the father of monasticism, left for the Egyptian desert around A.D. 270. He was not, however, the first to renounce the world to seek God in solitude.

Anthony first learned how to live as a monk from others who had gone before him. That wisdom has been passed down through the centuries through the lives of saints like Benedict, Romuald and Bruno in the West and Isaac and Seraphim in the East. These holy men — and the many who followed them — embraced the call to Christian solitude wholeheartedly. Along the way, they enriched monastic tradition and adapted it to answer the challenges of their own times. We may wonder why no one seems to be doing that today.

But in the Ozark mountains of northwest Arkansas, they are — and have been for nearly 50 years. Initially fueled by a wildly successful music career, John Michael Talbot didn’t just embrace Catholicism; he pursued monasticism. Little Portion Monastery and Hermitage is a testament to Talbot’s personal calling, but the life of the community there is also a powerful witness to the enduring value of monasticism in the Church. A best-kept secret in the American Catholic Church, what Little Portion offers is worth sharing.

I recently spent the better part of a week there with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, staying in one of the hermitages and participating in the rhythms of their life. Because lauds, vespers and daily Mass are already part of my routine, I didn’t expect to experience many differences when it came to prayer.

But there was something qualitatively different about praying the liturgy with people whose lives are centered around it.

The bell rang 15 minutes and then five beforehand. Silence reigned most of the day, with talk limited to only what was necessary for work. In a space without screens, actions spoke louder than words. Every smile or kindness became more visible. Meals began with a selection of the community’s constitution or Celano’s “Life of St. Francis” read aloud.

Food was tasty and nutritious, much of it prepared from what is grown in the garden, and regular fasting is built in. Nothing is wasted. When I returned to my simple hermitage, where there was no cell or wireless signal, both prayer and work came easily. Simply put, the life being cultivated there provides space to breathe; it provides a framework that facilitates divine encounter and spiritual growth.

Monasticism first emerged as a lay movement focused on cultivating a deep and radical love for both God and neighbor. Offering a concrete path to those who aspired to perfection in following Christ, early monastics lived lives marked by penance and asceticism. They retreated from society for a purpose: to battle against temptation and sin and devote themselves entirely to God.

When I returned to my simple hermitage, where there was no cell or wireless signal, both prayer and work came easily. Simply put, the life being cultivated there provides space to breathe; it provides a framework that facilitates divine encounter and spiritual growth.

Has God stopped calling people into solitude? No. But we have created a culture in which it is nearly impossible for people to hear that calling or answer it. Today, most of us struggle equally with community and solitude. Our radical individualism, deeply disordered attachments and insatiable appetite for attention make it harder to consider a monastic vocation. But for those who hear God calling them away from the world, for those who aspire to the way of love, recognizing that it is the way of the Cross, littleportion org is worth exploring.

The future of monasticism in the Catholic Church is doubtful, even dire. That is a tragedy because the culture we live in is destructive to the human search for God, the interior quest that has been safeguarded by monasteries throughout history. As we struggle with complexity and division, the Church needs monastics more, not less. And the world? Even more so.

Wolfe is a Catholic convert, freelance writer and editor, musician, speaker, pet lover, wife and mom of eight grown children, loving life in New Orleans. This essay is part of OSV News’ bimonthly “Called to Holiness” column.

efore turning 25, I believed the best way to handle trials and suffering in my life was to brush them off and deal with them on my own. Pain would just keep growing and I would have to manage it myself. It was only when I entered the adoration chapel, gazed upon Jesus in his true divinity within the monstrance, and allowed him to open my eyes to his love for me and his true nature, that I truly understood who he is.

When I was searching for relief or joy, my heart was yearning for Jesus, as opposed to someone or something to fill that void. God truly opened my eyes for the first time. He allowed me the grace to see Jesus.

The Holy Spirit set a fire in my heart. Before I knew it, I was practically living in the adoration chapel. Before and after work, I would spend hours in adoration. I truly couldn’t get enough time with Christ. Any hour that was open that needed a substitute, I would take. It was so fulfilling. One time, the 2 a.m. hour during daylight saving time weekend couldn’t get filled. I was informed after signing up that the hour would turn back, and I would have to serve two hours. What a bonus, a bonus hour with Jesus!

Through the fruits of adoration, Jesus launched me into a new life. In my early young adulthood, I found young adult groups of like-minded Catholics my age struggling with the same things and choosing to follow God through it all. Between church-hopping and

seeking more opportunities to be involved in my faith, God led me to take a leap and sign up for a group in which I knew no one, Catholic Softball Group. God instilled his courage in me, and I’ve made true friendships and met my now husband, Tom. My husband and I have been truly formed and have grown deeper in our faith thanks to the St. Lawrence Newman Center young adult group and parish community in Minneapolis and Catholic Softball Group. We are very blessed by these communities.

God does not heal us too fast or too slow. He heals us in his good time. God has healed so many wounds within me. It’s what he does and it’s who he is. He is love.

Kirsh, 28, is a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center in Minneapolis. She is an engineer, a part-time graduate student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, faith experience coordinator in the St. Lawrence young adult group and confirmation catechist at St. Vincent de Paul in Brooklyn Park. Kirsh enjoys photography, playing any sport with a ball and playing softball with her husband, Tom, in the Catholic Softball Group. Tom’s essay will appear in the April 3 print edition of The Catholic Spirit.

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

COURTESY MARYPAT KIRSH

CALENDAR

With Lent underway, be sure to refer to the Feb. 20 issue of The Catholic Spirit or visit thecatholicspirit com/ nomeat for the Fish Fry and Lenten Meal guide.

PARISH EVENTS

Solemn Closing of 40 Hours — March 23: 2:30 p.m. at Holy Cross, 1621 University Ave., Minneapolis. Holy Cross continues a 75-plus year tradition of observing a 40 Hours Devotion on the third weekend in Lent. This year’s festive Solemn Closing of the Eucharistic celebration welcomes Bishop Michael Izen as a special guest. ourholyCroSS org/ St. Joseph Fish Fry — March 28: 5:30-7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph, 13900 Biscayne Ave W., Rosemount. Adults: $15, ages 8 and under: $5, family: max of $60. Includes baked cod or deep-fried pollock, coleslaw, tater crisps, cookie and choice of beverage.

The Seven Last Words of Christ (Theodore Dubois) — March 28: 6:30 p.m. at Holy Childhood, 1435 Midway Parkway, St. Paul. This Lenten evening starts with a soup supper at 6:30 p.m., followed by The Seven Last Words of Christ by Theodore Dubois. Experience powerful music and the Stations of the Cross for a reflective, spiritual evening. holyChildhoodpariSh org/SChola-Cantorum

Belgian Waffle Breakfast — March 30: 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. at St. Michael, 22120 Denmark Ave., Farmington. All-you-care-to-eat Belgian waffles, sausages and beverages. $10 pre-sale; $12 at the door. Ages 5 and under: free. Tickets: call Theresa at 651-460-6060.

WORSHIP+RETREATS

Lenten Days of Prayer — March 26, April 2: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. Lenten Days of Prayer provide time to enter into guided prayer, reflection, and learning. The cardinal virtues of temperance (March 26) and fortitude (April 2) will be discussed. Mass, spiritual direction, confession and liturgy of the day included. Lunch is provided. 952-447-2182. tinyurl Com/b4fveem9 Mozart Vespers — March 30: 3-3:45 p.m. at St. Agnes, 548 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. Mozart’s Solemn Vespers, presented by the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale and Orchestra on Laetere Sunday, plus a new setting of the Te Deum by Father James McConville. CatholiCChorale org

First Friday Adoration — April 4, May 2: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul. Join us the first Friday of April and May for any amount of time in the Governor’s Dining Room (B420), located on the basement level of the Minnesota State Capitol, to pray for our elected officials at their place of work. mnCatholiC org/eventS

Married Couple’s Retreat: Finding God in Difficult Times — April 4-6: 7 p.m. April 4-12:30 p.m. April 6 at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, 16385 Saint Francis Lane, Prior Lake. These retreats are not specifically designed for healing a troubled marriage but rather are for married couples to experience our theme for 2025: Finding God in Difficult Times. Mass, guided prayer, spiritual direction, open time, four conference talks. 952-447-2182, tinyurl Com/44rkCvmj

CONFERENCES+WORKSHOPS

2025 Archdiocesan Catholic Watchmen Men’s Conference — March 22: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Epiphany, 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids. Mass at 8 a.m., conference begins at 9 a.m. Theme: Men of Christ — Strengthened by His Real Presence. Featuring speaker Edward Sri. Registration: SeCure aCCeptiva Com/?CSt=nyiyxd

In the Upper Room: “Do not be unbelieving, but believe” — March 29: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Mary, Mother of the Church, 3333 Cliff Road E., Burnsville. Join in reflecting on the Upper Room as a place of prayer and miracles, a gathering place where Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the place where the Holy Spirit came upon the Disciples and the place from which they were sent forth to proclaim the good news. CCro-mSp org/Spring-ConferenCe-2025

SPEAKERS+SEMINARS

Thriving Where You’re Planted: Benedictine Spirituality in a Rootless Time — March 20: 6:30-9 p.m. at Pax Christi, 23200 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie. A Theology Day Event with St. John’s Graduate School of Theology and Seminary. Join Michael Rubbelke as he examines what St. Benedict taught about the virtue of stability and how it can be a gift for contemporary American Christians. tinyurl Com/2dh3avCb

Young Adult Event with Talk by Edward Sri — March 21: 6-8 p.m. at the Station 10 Event Center, 754 Randolph Ave., St. Paul. Event will include a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., with the talk beginning at 7 p.m. and followed by a Q&A.

Unchaste Celibacy: A Webinar for Survivors and Those Who Care for Them — March 24: 6:30-8 p.m.

Virtual webinar with Stephen de Weger, the presenter, who is an academic from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. He completed his master’s degree and Ph.D. on victim-survivor experiences of both clergy sexual misconduct against adults in the Roman Catholic Church, and the reporting thereof. For more information, contact Paula Kaempffer at kaempfferp@arChSpm org Register at tinyurl Com/mvxjdrbj After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to join the meeting.

Ethical Fashion: What Clothing Consumption has to do with Catholic Social Teaching (Clothing Swap) — March 28: 6:30-8 p.m. at St. Mary of the Lake, 4690 Bald Eagle Ave. Young Adult Clothing Swap following the Feb. 28 presentation. Details and registration at tinyurl Com/yp76xC9e

The Church and Her Mission in These Days — March 28: 7 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Educational Center, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Please join Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary, for a formative lecture and Lenten meditation in company with St. John Henry Newman. Parking at Anderson Student Center or Schoenecker Hall North parking garages for $1.55 an hour. Register at tinyurl Com/6nxbyfy4.

OTHER EVENTS

Knights of Columbus Fish Fry — March 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18: 5-7 p.m. at the Bloomington Event Center, 1114 American Blvd. W. Cost: $18. Includes baked or deep-fried cod and full bar service. Featuring a cake table to support Catholic schools, pull tabs and meat raffle. Dine-in, online order. Place online orders at info@ bloomingtoneventCenter Com For reservations of parties of eight or more, call 612-699-7804 or email reServationS@ bloomingtoneventCenter Com

CCF Zoom Webinar: Centro Guadalupano — March 27: noon-12:30 p.m. Register for Connect with a Cause, a free, 30-minute webinar hosted by the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota spotlighting how Centro Guadalupano serves Latino individuals and families in our local Catholic community. CCf-mn org/eventS/ConneCt/

SINGLES

TCCS Lenten Single Serve — March 22, 29, 27: 9 a.m., location varies by event. Get to know other single Catholics while serving those in need this Lent, a form of almsgiving! Open to ages 18-49 and grouped intentionally where able. Sign up to volunteer with Twin Cities Catholic Singles. tinyurl Com/4aCymmt

ONGOING GROUPS

Calix Society — First and third Sundays: 9-10:30 a.m., hosted by the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul. In Assembly Hall, Lower Level. Potluck breakfast. Calix is a group of men, women, family and friends supporting the spiritual needs of recovering Catholics with alcohol or other addictions. Questions? Call Jim at 612-383-8232 or Steve at 612-327-4370.

Career Transition Group — Third Thursdays: 7:308:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus, 155 County Road 24, Medina. The Career Transition Group hosts speakers on various topics to help people looking for a job or a change in career and to enhance job skills. The meetings also allow time for networking with others and opportunities for resume review. hnoj org/Career-tranSition-group

Fire on the Hill — Third Saturdays: 5:15 p.m. Mass followed by praise and worship at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul, until May 17.

Gifted and Belonging — Fourth Sundays: 6:308 p.m. at St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul., and Second Fridays, 6:30-8 p.m. at Maternity of Mary, 1414 Dale St. N., St. Paul. Providing Catholic fellowship for young adults with disabilities, seen and unseen. Gather to share a time of prayer and reflection, followed by games and social activities. Invite friends, and bring a caregiver as needed. For more information on monthly activities and/or volunteer opportunities, call Megan at 612-456-1572 or email giftedandbelonging@gmail Com

Natural Family Planning (NFP) — Classes teach couples Church-approved methods on how to achieve or postpone pregnancy while embracing the beauty of God’s gift of sexuality. For a complete list of classes offered throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, visit

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. QuickBooks experience preferred. Contact John Trojack 651-451-9696 or complete “Contact” on our website: TrojackLaw.com

(763) 757-3187

DUPLEX UNIT FOR RENT

Available in Cathedral area: tinyurl.com/Albans55104

Marketing Manager: PT (20 hrs/week) position at Franciscan Retreats in Prior Lake. Key responsibilities: strategic planning, campaign management, relationship management and parish outreach, analytics, reporting, and various digital and analog duties. Onsite and/or remote. Submit resume, portfolio of relevant work, and brief cover letter to: secretary@franciscanretreats.net.

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

uFull street address of event

uDescription of event

uContact information in case of questions

uThe Catholic Spirit prints calendar details as submitted.

TheCatholiCSpirit Com/CalendarSubmiSSionS

arChSpm org/family or call 651-291-4489.

Quilters for a Cause — First Fridays: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Jerome, 380 Roselawn Ave. E., Maplewood. Join other women to make quilts to donate to local charities. Quilting experience is not necessary but basic machine skills are helpful. For more information, call the parish office: 651-771-1209. faCebook Com/profile php?id=100087945155707

Restorative Support for Victims-Survivors — Monthly: 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom. Open to all victims-survivors. Victim-survivor support group for those abused by clergy as adults — first Mondays. Support group for relatives or friends of victims of clergy sexual abuse — second Mondays. Victim-survivor support group — third Mondays. Survivor Peace Circle — third Tuesdays. Support group for men who have been sexually abused by clergy/religious — fourth Wednesdays. Support group for present and former employees of faith-based institutions who have experienced abuse in any of its many forms — second Thursdays. Visit arChSpm org/healing or contact Paula Kaempffer, outreach coordinator for restorative justice and abuse prevention, at kaempfferp@arChSpm org or 651-291-4429.

Secular Franciscan Meeting of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Fraternity — Third Sundays: 2:15-3:45 p.m. at St. Olaf, 215 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis. General membership meeting of Secular Franciscans who belong to the Fraternity of St. Leonard of Port Maurice. Any who are interested in living the Gospel life in the manner of St. Francis and St. Clare are welcome.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Part-Time Registered Nurse – Options for Women East: We’re hiring a compassionate RN with experience in Obstetrics (a plus) to join our team. Paid position with flexible hours. Contact Jennifer Meyer at 651-776-2328 or edjm@optionsforwomeneast.com.

HARDWOOD

FLOORS

Comfort Crafter Hardwood Floors Spring’s here! Enhance the comfort of your home this season with new or refurbished hardwood floors. Chris 612-442-7571

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

Ask about our 3 special!time

PRAYERS

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

www.AJClancy.realtor • aj@ajclancy.com 651-503-1258 • RE/MAX Professionals RELIGIOUS ITEMS FOR SALE www.Holyart.com Over 50k Religious Items & Church Goods. ROOFING/SIDING Roofing, Siding, Exterior work. Able to work with insurance. Free Estimates. Call Mickey 612-414-7147 or 507-399-6597.

THELASTWORD

Shakopee couple receives papal blessing 4 days after getting married

By Josh McGovern The Catholic Spirit

A$50 bet in high school led to marriage and a papal blessing in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

Cody Theis and Lydia Cedarberg, now Lydia Theis, of Sts. Joachim and Anne in Shakopee first met while they were students at Prior Lake High School in Prior Lake. Lydia described Cody as a troublemaker in high school in 2018, when Lydia was a junior and Cody was a senior. His reputation appeared to be well earned when Cody’s friends bet him $50 that he couldn’t get Lydia’s phone number.

When Cody approached Lydia and asked for her phone number, she told him no. He explained to her that there was a bet on the line. If she gave him her number, he’d split the money with her. Cody walked away with Lydia’s phone number and won the bet. He gave Lydia half the money, then texted her that day, “I have $25, want to go get a coffee?”

Over coffee, Cody and Lydia had deep discussions about politics and theology. Cody described himself as a cradle Catholic who drifted away from the Church without much direction. Upon discovering speakers like Scott Hahn and Bishop Robert Barron, he began to explore the world of Catholic and Protestant apologetics.

“Scott Hahn and Bishop Barron inspired me to take seriously the exploration of my faith by connecting the truth to the world that I was seeing around me,” Cody wrote in an email. “I originally fell into Protestant and Catholic apologetics, which exposed me to questions about my faith which I had not thought to ask. Through these speakers and many more I was able to answer every objection I came across. Once I became aware of Church history and the Patristic Fathers, I found the Catholic faith to be undeniable.”

Lydia, on the other hand, was born and raised Baptist with her own mix of non-denominational Christianity.

“We actually never learned anything about Mother Mary,” Lydia said. “All I knew was that she was just a woman who gave birth to Jesus.”

While they didn’t share the same faith, they found common ground in their political leanings. Cody and Lydia had similar values when it came to major issues, such as abortion and the environment.

Cody’s grandmother, Eileen Theis, supported the young couple’s journey into the faith. Eileen, who is Catholic, encouraged them to learn more and would often spark conversations about Catholicism.

“We talked a lot about faith formation and how important it is to live out what we believe,” Lydia said. “She always emphasized the beauty and importance of keeping up traditions, especially in our faith. One thing she really stressed was how crucial it is to understand why we

do what we do and how it impacts our beliefs. My aunt, Renee, was also a huge part of our conversion. She would often ask, ‘Do you understand why we do this?’ It really made us think deeply about the faith.”

Cody and Eileen spoke at length about the importance of having a public commitment to God, and that he and Lydia’s marriage should reflect that commitment. Lydia said she saw how passionate Cody was about making sure they were surrounded by community at their wedding.

“They (Cody and Eileen) both emphasized the significance of being married in the Catholic Church and how, these days, many people are straying away from getting married in the house of God, choosing instead barns or government centers,” Lydia said. “They pointed out how that shift takes away from the solemn and sacred nature of the sacrament of marriage, which is meant to be a public declaration of our faith.”

Lydia said she wanted to find the truth in her faith. She studied voraciously, listened to podcasts and talked with family members and friends. Even though she wasn’t Catholic growing up, her grandmother, Maggie, would have Lydia and her siblings learn Catholic prayers when she babysat. When Lydia started going to Cody’s house for dinners, she noticed that his parents said the same Catholic prayers she’d learned as a child.

“That familiarity felt significant, like something was stirring in me,” Lydia said. “As I had more conversations with Eileen about Catholic doctrine — why Catholics believe in the pope, why we honor Mary — I started calling my grandmother to hear her

perspective. She had been raised Catholic and had several uncles who were priests here in Minnesota. The moment everything truly clicked was when all of these women in my life answered the question: Who is Mother Mary? Their answers aligned perfectly with the Catechism and Scripture. And suddenly, the light bulb turned on — Mary wasn’t just the woman who gave birth to Jesus. She wasn’t just a good woman. She is the Queen of Heaven.”

In becoming Catholic, Lydia said, her newfound faith helped her embrace her own femininity. She saw strength, dignity and holiness in women of the Church.

“Catholicism didn’t just deepen my faith; it helped me understand who I was meant to be,” Lydia said.

After their engagement, Cody and Lydia discovered Cody hadn’t been confirmed. He decided to join Lydia in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) at Sts. Joachim and Anne. Every Wednesday, Lydia said, they would go to class and later bring their notes to Applebee’s for dinner. They ordered the cheapest appetizer, whatever happened to be on sale that night, and together they’d discuss what they learned.

This journey of faith together helped Cody and Lydia focus on creating a strong foundation for their own family. Coupled with marriage preparation, they were able to look at their own experiences, growing up in their respective families, and recognize what was helpful for them and what they could do better in raising their own children.

Lydia, a business manager at a charter school, said they hope to create a healthy family, so that “our kids can walk in that faith and not struggle the

way we did. … If they have a question, we’ll be able to answer that for them. And our goal is to grow little saints.”

Both Cody’s parents and Lydia’s parents have been married for over 25 years. Witnessing their parents’ marriages and a societal drift away from traditional family structures motivated the couple to desire a strong, faith-filled family with both parents present in their children’s lives.

Nearly a decade after sharing $50 and a conversation over coffee, Cody, a concrete landscaper with his family’s business, and Lydia were married May 18, 2024, at St. Mary of the Purification in Shakopee. Just six weeks before their marriage, Lydia was welcomed into the Catholic Church, and Cody was confirmed.

“I love when people ask, ‘Why are you Catholic?’ And I just love to say: ‘Because it’s the truth,’” Lydia said. “Catholicism just goes back to the roots.”

Inspired by a friend of Lydia’s family who after getting married had a visit with the pope, Cody and Lydia arranged to have their own audience with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square with about 50 other couples, a few of whom were pregnant. At that gathering, four days after their wedding, Pope Francis blessed them. Later, Cody and Lydia had an opportunity to hear Pope Francis’ general audience, which was translated into many languages for pilgrims.

“His message focused on Catholic unity, the importance of staying faithful, and the need to protect life,” Lydia said. “His words deeply resonated with us and strengthened our commitment to living out our faith.”

Lydia and Cody Theis pose at St. Mary of the Purification in Shakopee. The church, part of Sts. Joachim and Anne parish in Shakopee, sits on land once owned by Cody’s ancestors.

DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT