March New Earth 2013

Cathedral’s new chapel — Pages 10-11

New Earth CATHOLIC DIOCESE

OF

March 2013 Vol. 34

FARGO

No. 3

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth” — Rev. 21:1

www.FargoDiocese.org

Benedict’s farewell

An emotional pope takes his leave — Page 3 CNS photo / Paul Haring

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he arrives to lead his final general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Feb. 27. Coverage concerning the papal transition is on pages 3, 4, 6, 12 and 13.

ALSO IN THIS MONTH’S NEW EARTH News from around the diocese ■ How bishops are appointed ■ RCIA participants recognized at Cathedral Rite of Election

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■ Justin Fatica, Mathias Matthew and DJ Bill Lage to highlight Junior High Rally April 6 i

Ecclesia

Guest editorial ■ George Weigel on the legacy of Benedict XVI

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■ Forming future leaders in the church to carry out the New Evangelization y

Bishop’s column

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Appointments

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Events

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Upcoming pilgrimages

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Opinion

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Commentary

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A glimpse of the past

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There is still time to prepare for Easter with confession

DIOCESE OF FARGO

I

n this month of March, we will cele.own, they belong to God and we live brate literally three great seasons in here on God’s time. Thus, we have no our Church’s year of grace and favor time to waste but should avoid sin in from the Lord — Lent (begun on Ash its every form and faithfully follow Wednesday last), the Christ Jesus.

Paschal Triduum (Holy Why? Thursday, Good Friday Because he said: “I and Holy Saturday), am the way, the truth and Easter (Easter Sunand the life. No one day and continuing to comes to the Father exPentecost Sunday). cept through me” (John Certainly, all three of 14:6). these distinct liturgical ent is our time to seasons are related to make certain we reeach other and the really are following him lation is very easy for us and to get rid of all that to see and understand. keeps us from doing However, let us not get this in our daily lives. ahead of ourselves since There is still time to do we are still very much this. I would like to sugin the midst of the seagest that the best way son of Lent. to observe Lent is to go As you read this issue Bishop David Kagan to confession and more of New Earth, do you than once if necessary. remember going to Then attend Mass as often as possible Mass on Ash Wednesday? Do you reand receive Our Lord in holy Communmember receiving blessed ashes (a sacraion. Keep yourself united to him and mental) on your forehead in the Sign of you will see an immediate difference in the Cross and the words used by the your daily life. Temptations are more priest? easily rejected, acts of charity come There are two forms approved for use more easily for you, and your prayer with the imposition of ashes: “Turn gives you greater peace of mind and away from sin and be faithful to the heart.

Gospel”, or, “Remember, man, you are Then, as you enter the shortest but dust and to dust you shall return”. most spiritually intense season of the Have you spent some time so far in Paschal Triduum, you will celebrate with Lent praying and meditating on those greater humility and joy the Lord’s inwords? stitution of the holy Eucharist and the If you have, no doubt you have realsacramental priesthood on Holy Thursized that both direct our hearts to the day, his saving passion and death on same reality — our lives are not our Good Friday, and his descent among the dead on Holy Saturday.

Do you realize that Jesus did all of “Then I saw a new heaven this for you personally? What is your and a new earth.” response to him?

L

Apostolic Administrator

Revelation 21:1

NewEarth (ISSN # 10676406)

SERVING CATHOLIC PARISHES AS THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FARGO, N.D. Member of the Catholic Press Association Bishop David Kagan Apostolic Administrator, Fargo Publisher Tanya Watterud Interim Editor news@fargodiocese.org Published monthly by The Catholic Spirit Publishing Company, a nonprofit Minnesota corporation, 244 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102. (651) 291-4444. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN and additional post offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Earth, 5201 Bishops Boulevard, Suite A, Fargo ND 58104-7605. (701) 356-7900.

Personal subscription rate for 11 issues of New Earth per year: $9.

T

he Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection, and the season of Easter prove to us again that God lives and no one can ever change that truth. What a consolation and great joy!

Our faith begins and ends with him.

It is God’s gift to us to help us get to heaven. Let us enjoy our faith and experience the abiding peace and joy we have in Jesus who has loved us with an everlasting love.

May all of you have a good Lent, and a most Blessed Easter and Easter Season!

Diocesan policy: Reporting child abuse The Diocese of Fargo is committed to the protection of youth. Please report any incidents or suspected incidents of child abuse, including sexual abuse, to civil authorities. If the situation involves a member of the clergy or a religious order, a seminarian, or an employee of a Catholic school, parish, the diocesan offices or other Catholic entity within the diocese, we ask that you also report the incident or suspected incident to Msgr. Joseph P. Goering at (701) 356-7945 or Larry Bernhardt, victim assistance coordinator, at (701) 356-7965 or www.Victim Assistance@fargodiocese.org. For additional information about victim assistance, visit www.fargodiocese.org.

OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS / ANNOUNCEMENTS Most Rev. David D. Kagan, Apostolic Administrator of Fargo and Bishop of Bismarck, has made the following appointments, announcements, and/or decrees: The following assignments were made in agreement with Rev. Gerard J. Sheehan, SOLT, Regional Priest Servant of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity of Robstown, Texas: Reverend Dennis Dugan, SOLT, has been assigned as parochial vicar at St. Ann’s parish in Belcourt, effective Feb. 1 and continuing for two years.

Reverend Mark Wheelan, SOLT, has been assigned administrator of St. Michael the Archangel parish, Dunseith, effective Jan. 19, and continuing for two years.

Bishop Kagan’s Calendar March 8 March 22 March 26, 11 a.m.

April 4

Administrative meetings, Pastoral Center, Fargo Administrative meetings, Pastoral Center, Fargo Chrism Mass, Cathedral of St. Mary, Fargo Administrative meetings, Pastoral Center, Fargo

Thank you for your seminary scholarship and endowment fund donations For years, contributions to the Scholarship Fund have appeared in pages of New Earth. With the closing of Cardinal Muench Seminary, and the expansion of endowment listings in the Catholic Development Foundation, all seminary scholarship funds have now been consolidated with foundation endowments under the Catholic Development Foundation umbrella.

With this change, there will no longer be a printed list of contributors in New Earth. Instead, all donors will receive a letter of acknowledgment, which can also be used for tax deduction purposes. A quarterly and/or annual listing of donors will be provided on the Catholic Development Foundation website (www.cdfnd.org or www.catholicdevelopmentfoundation.org) beginning April 1.

Scholarship and endowment funds for seminarian education consist of restricted contributions, of which only the income or earnings may be used, and only for the purpose stated. Earnings from seminarian scholarships are restricted for the use of funding candidates to the priesthood who are completing required seminary education, and to supplement education of clergy currently serving the diocese. Contributions for seminarian and clergy education are vital to the support of the diocese and your future priests. Without this aid, many of our young men would not be able to discern their vocation.

To donate, please mail your gift to: Catholic Development Foundation, 5201 Bishops Blvd. S., Suite A, Fargo, ND 58104-7605, call (701) 356-7930 or donate online at www.cdfnd.org.

If a specific scholarship or endowment for seminary education is not noted, contributions will be applied to the General Endowment for Seminarian/Priest Education.

On behalf of the seminarians and clergy who benefit from your generosity, we extend our heartfelt gratitude.

SCHOLARSHIPS Donation

Total

Catholic Development Foundation — General Endowment for Seminarian/Priest Education By: Stephen and Cherie Nicolai 50 FCSLA Catholic Workman Lodge 24-Veseleyville 1,000 In Memory of Deceased Members Frank and Patricia Steffen Leon Cossette St. Mary’s Altar Society, Munich Michael Kvislen Robert and Cindy Gathje Alice Dalos In Memory of Msgr. John A. Anderson

100 10 10 100 50 50 96,874

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CNS photo/Yara Nardi, Reuters

CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters

NEWEARTH

It was a time of farewells on the final days of the reign of Pope Benedict XVI. From a window at Castel Gandolfo, a nun waved good-bye.

On the rooftop of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, clergy and seminarians watched his helicopter depart the Vatican.

And the Holy Father himself spoke from his heart.

An emotional Pope Benedict takes his leave Catholic News Service

On his last full day as pope, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a personal and emotional farewell address, thanking the faithful around the world for their support and assuring them that he would remain in their service even in retirement.

“I will continue to accompany the path of the church with prayer and reflection, with that dedication to the Lord and to his bride that I have tried to live every day till now and that I want to live always,” the pope told a crowd in St. Peter’s Square Feb. 27, the eve of his resignation.

Under a clear blue sky with temperatures in the low 40s, the pope arrived for his last public audience shortly after 10:30 a.m., standing and waving for almost 15 minutes as his white popemobile made a circuit through the square. Cheering pilgrims waved national flags and banners with slogans such as “always with the pope” and “you will never be alone.”

The crowd spilled over into the adjacent Via della Conciliazione, which had been closed to motorized traffic, and the Vatican estimated turnout at 150,000.

Abandoning his usual practice of giving a catechetical talk on a devotional text or theme at public audiences, the pope spoke about his time as pope and his historic decision to resign. He looked tired but composed as he read his speech, and he smiled at the frequent interruptions by applause.

Good times and bad CNS photo/Paul Haring Pope Benedict recalled his almost eight-year ponA member of the Swiss Guard tificate as a time of “joy and light, but also difficult closes the main door of the moments.”

“The Lord has given us so many days of sun and papal villa at Castel Gandolfo at light breeze, days in which the catch of fish has been 8 p.m. Feb. 28. The Swiss abundant,”he said, likening himself to St. Peter on Guard concluded its protective service to Pope Benedict XVI, the Sea of Galilee. signaling the end of his papacy.

“There have also been moments in which the waters were turbulent and the wind contrary, as throughout the history of the church, and the Lord seemed to be asleep,” he said.

“But I have always known that the Lord is in that boat and that the boat of the church is not mine, it is not ours, but it is his and he does not let it sink.”

The pope, who announced Feb. 11 that he would step down because his “strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” told the crowd that he had made his decision “in full consciousness of its gravity and also novelty, but with profound serenity of soul.”

Although he would be retiring to a life of prayer, meditation and study in a monastery inside Vatican City, he said, he would continue to serve and sacrifice for the church.

“Whoever assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy,” he said. “He belongs always and totally to all, to the whole church.

“My decision to renounce the active exercise of the ministry does not revoke this,” he said. “I am not returning to private life, a life of trips, meetings, receptions, conferences, etc. I am not abandoning the cross, but remain in a new way beside the crucified Lord. I no longer carry the power of office for the government of the church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter’s precincts.”

Messages appreciated

CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI blesses people gathered in the town square after arriving in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Feb. 28. It was his final public appearance before he drew to a close his papacy. "I am a simple pilgrim who begins the last stage of his pilgrimage on this earth," he told the crowd.

Pope Benedict acknowledged messages he had received over the preceding two weeks from heads of state, religious leaders and other dignitaries.

But he made special mention of letters from “simple people,” who he said had written to him not as to a “prince or a great man whom they do not know,” but as “brothers and sisters or sons and daughters.”

Please turn to POPE on page 4

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Pope remains ‘in the service of prayer’ Continued from page 3 The pope called their expressions of affection and solidarity “reason for joy at a time when so many speak of the (church’s) decline, but we see how the church is alive today.”

The conclusion of the pope’s talk set off a two-minute standing ovation, which he acknowledged by smiling broadly and standing with outstretched arms.

A video report on the pope’s audience remarks is available at the Catholic News Service YouTube channel: www.youtube .com/user/CatholicNewsService.

The text of the pope’s audience remarks is online at: www.vatican.va/holy_father /benedict_xvi/audiences/2013/documents/h f_benxvi_aud_20130227_en.html.

Vatican workers seal the doors leading to the pope's private apartment in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Feb. 28. Pope Benedict XVI ended his reign pledging unconditional obedience to whoever is elected to succeed him.

CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters

Business first, then cardinals look toward choosing a pope Catholic News Service

The world’s cardinals began meetings at the Vatican March 4, and while onlookers are focused on who may be the next pope, the cardinals had business to deal with.

Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa said the general congregations were to begin with the actual business of running the church during the extraordinary period when there is no pope.

While the cardinals do not have to plan and set a budget for a funeral and burial there still is a “sede vacante” budget to approve and the formal authorizing of sede vacante stamps and coins.

In the general congregation, the cardinals set the date for the beginning of the conclave, but the Vatican spokesman said that is unlikely to happen on the first day.

The cardinals also were to begin examining together and in depth the rules for the conclave and for electing a new pope, Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga told Catholic News Service. They invite experts in canon law to join them and give advice if some points are unclear or in dispute.

Only after they deal with practical business, he said, will they begin discussing the main challenges facing the church.

In 2005, he said, they had broad discussions, then broke up into small groups, according to continent, “so we

Please turn to CARDINALS on page 6

Will resignation slow selection of new bishop?

By Tanya Watterud

While the Catholic faithful in the Diocese of Fargo await the appointment of a new bishop, many may have wondered how the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI might affect this appointment. Bishop David Kagan, apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Fargo, offered these thoughts to be shared with New Earth readers: “The resignation of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, will not create any great delay in the Church’s process for the appointment of the next Bishop of the Diocese of Fargo. The Pope has continued to name bishops even since he announced his retirement.

“This process has three parts. The first takes place here in the United States and is managed by the Papal Nuncio. It is a longer process since its work is to surface some suitable candidates and gather as much pertinent information about each as can be done. All of this is then forwarded to the Holy See to the Congregation of Bishops where an even more extensive and thorough examination of the possible candidates is carried out.

“When this second part is finished all of the members of the Congregation meet and study the candidates and vote on three men whom they recommend to the Holy Father. Any of these three would be suitable candidates for the office of Bishop.

The Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation takes these recommendations to the Pope on a weekly schedule and the Holy Father studies each and then he is the one who chooses the man to be the bishop.

“As you can see, it is a careful and exact process and it does take time under normal circumstances. While it is very difficult to predict how long any such case will take, the average seems to be about 12 to 15 months. Certainly from March 1st to whenever the next Pope is elected and accepts the choice of the Holy Spirit, there will be a bit of a delay. However, I do not think it will be much of one.

“As we have been doing, I would encourage all of us to continue to pray the prayer we have been praying for the new Bishop of Fargo. All of this is a part of God’s plan for his Church and we are very much a part of his plan and for that we need to be grateful.”

CNS photo/Paul Haring

A crowd gathers in the town square of Italy's Castel Gandolfo to see Pope Benedict XVI in his final public appearance before resigning Feb. 28.

In final hours, pope at Castel Gandolfo calls himself a ‘simple pilgrim’ Catholic News Service

Benedict XVI, who began his papacy describing himself as a “humble servant in the Lord’s vineyard,” described his retirement as a time of being a “simple pilgrim, who begins the last stage of his pilgrimage on this earth.”

The 85-year-old pope arrived in Castel Gandolfo Feb. 28 about two-and-a-half hours before the end of his pontificate.

He planned to spend about two months at the papal villa south of Rome before moving into a former monastery in the Vatican Gardens.

The pope arrived in a helicopter from the Vatican and rode by car through the fields and formal gardens of the papal villa before reaching the residence.

Hours before he arrived, townspeople, pilgrims and visitors began filling the main square outside the papal residence.

As they waited for the pope, they prayed the rosary.

As soon as he entered the residence, the pope went upstairs and, standing on the balcony overlooking the main square, he greeted the crowd.

“Dear friends, I am happy to be with you, surrounded by the beauty of cre-

ation and by your friendship, which does me such good.

“You know that for me, today is different than the days that have gone before. You know that I am no longer supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church — until 8 o’clock I will be, but not after that.

“I am a simple pilgrim who begins the last stage of his pilgrimage on this earth,” he told them. “But with all my heart, with all my love, with my prayers, with my reflection, with all my interior strength, I still want to work for the common good and the good of the

church and humanity,” he told them.

Pope Benedict thanked the people for their support and asked them to continue to pray and work for the good of the church, too.

As the pope arrived, two Swiss Guards stood at the main doors of the residence and two more stood just inside. Just after 8 p.m., when Pope Benedict’s papacy officially ended, they moved inside; the guard carrying the medieval halberd hung the weapon, and they closed the doors to the papal villa, and, since Swiss Guards protect only popes, they left.

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How bishops are appointed Here is the process through which the Fargo Diocese will get a new ordinary.

The ultimate decision in appointing bishops rests with the pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses. But how does he know whom to select?

The process for selecting candidates for the episcopacy normally begins at the diocesan level and works its way through a series of consultations until it reaches Rome. It is a process bound by strict confidentiality and involves a number of important players – the most influential being the apostolic nuncio, the Congregation for Bishops, and the pope. It can be a timeconsuming process, often taking eight months or more to complete.

Key Terms Apostolic nuncio

The pope’s representative to both the government and to the hierarchy of a given nation; a key person in deciding what names are recommended to the Congregation for Bishops for possible episcopal appointment.

Coadjutor

A bishop appointed to a Catholic diocese or archdiocese to assist the diocesan bishop. Unlike an auxiliary bishop, he has the right of succession, meaning that he automatically becomes the new bishop when the diocesan bishop retires or dies. By canon law, he is also vicar general of the diocese. If the diocese is an archdiocese, he is called coadjutor archbishop instead of coadjutor bishop. In recent years, a growing number of U.S. bishops in larger dioceses or archdioceses have requested and received a coadjutor in their final year or two before their retirement, in order to familiarize their successor with the workings of the (arch)diocese before he has to take over the reins. This minimizes the learning curve of a new bishop and eliminates completely the possibility of the diocese being vacant following the old bishop’s retirement. (In the Diocese of Fargo, Bishop Samuel Aquila served as Coadjutor Bishop with Bishop James Sullivan prior to Bishop Sullivan’s retirement.)

Congregation for Bishops

A department of the Roman Curia, headed by a Cardinal. The head of the Congregation, called the “prefect,” is presently Cardinal Marc Ouellet, a Canadian.

Among the congregation’s responsibilities are moderating all aspects of episcopal appointments; assisting bishops in the correct exercise of their pastoral functions; handling ad limina visits (regular visits to Rome by bishops every five years); and establishing episcopal conferences and reviewing their decrees as required by canon law. Its membership consists of approximately 35 cardinals and archbishops from around the world.

U.S. Cardinals on the Congregation are Justin Rigali, William Levada, Bernard Law, Raymond Burke and James Stafford.

Diocesan Bishop

Pastoral and legal head and representative of a diocese.

Province

A territory comprising one archdiocese, called the metropolitan see, and one or more dioceses, called suffragan sees. The Code of Canon Law spells out certain limited obligations and authority that the metropolitan archbishop has with respect to the dioceses within his province. The United States is divided into 33 ecclesiastical provinces.

Terna

A list of three candidates for a vacant office, including the office of bishop.

Stage 1: Bishops' Recommendations Every bishop may submit to the archbishop of his province the names of priests he thinks would make good bishops. Prior to the regular province meeting (usually annually), the archbishop distributes to all the bishops of the province the names and curricula vitae of priests which have been submitted to him.

Following a discussion among the bishops at the province meeting, a vote is taken on which names to recommend. The number of names on this provincial list may vary. The vote tally, together with the minutes of the meeting, is then forwarded by the archbishop to the apostolic nuncio in Washington. The list is also submitted to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Fargo bishops of the past

Stage 2: The Apostolic Nuncio By overseeing the final list of names forwarded to Rome, the apostolic nuncio plays a decisive role in the selection process. He not only gathers facts and information about potential candidates, but also interprets that information for the Congregation. Great weight is given to the nuncio’s recommendations, but it is important to remember that his “gatekeeper” role, however, does not mean that his recommendations are always followed.

For Diocesan Bishops

■ After receiving the list of candidates forwarded by a province, the apostolic nuncio conducts his own investigation into the suitability of the candidates.

■ A report is requested from the current bishop or the administrator of a diocese on the conditions and needs of the diocese. If the appointment is a replacement for a diocesan bishop or archbishop about to retire, consideration will be given to the incumbent’s recommendations. Broad consultation within the diocese is encouraged with regard to the needs of the diocese, but not the names of candidates.

■ The report is to include the names of individuals in the diocese with whom the nuncio might consult and how to contact them.

■ Previous bishops of the diocese are consulted.

■ Bishops of the province are consulted.

■ The president and vice president of the USCCB are consulted.

■ If the vacancy to be filled is an archdiocese, other archbishops in the United States may be consulted.

■ At this point, the nuncio narrows his list and a questionnaire is sent to 20 or 30 people who know each of the candidates for their input.

■ All material is collected and reviewed by the nuncio, and a report (approximately 20 pages) is prepared.

Three candidates are listed alphabetically — the terna — with the nuncio's preference noted. All materials are then forwarded to the Congregation for Bishops in Rome.

Stage 3: Congregation for Bishops Once all the documentation from the nuncio is complete and in order, and the prefect approves, the process moves forward. If the appointment involves a bishop who is being promoted or transferred, the matter may be handled by the prefect and the staff.

If, however, the appointment is of a priest to the episcopacy, the full congregation is ordinarily involved.

A cardinal relator is chosen to summarize the documentation and make a report to the full congregation, which generally meets twice a month on Thursdays. After hearing the cardinal relator’s report, the congregation discusses the appointment and then votes. The Congregation may follow the recommendation of the nuncio, choose another of the candidates on the terna, or even ask that another terna be prepared.

Stage 4: The Pope Decides At a private audience with the pope, usually on a Saturday, the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops presents the recommendations of the Congregation to the Holy Father. A few days later, the pope informs the Congregation of his decision. The Congregation then notifies the nuncio, who in turn contacts the candidate and asks if he will accept. If the answer is “yes,” the Vatican is notified and a date is set for the announcement. (c) USCCB. Used with permission and edited for New Earth.

God’s Gift: Congratulations to St. Leo’s, Casselton The January issue of New Earth failed to include St. Leo’s Church in Casselton in recognizing that the parish surpassed its 2012 God’s Gift Appeal goal by 8 percent.

In addition, more than half (53 percent) of St. Leo’s registered members participated in the appeal. St. Leo’s is in the God’s Gift Appeal category for parishes with between 251 and 500 families. Father James Ermer serves as pastor.

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Cardinals focus on who can best address the church’s challenges Continued from page 4 could define better the challenges” particular to their region. “I believe we will do the same” this time, the cardinal said.

Asked if there also are secret meetings in backrooms and restaurants before the conclave, he said: “These are stories. I never had those kinds of meetings during the last conclave. It’s a different thing trying to elect a pope than vote for a candidate of a (political) party.

We, instead of thinking of candidates, we think of the main challenges, the main problems, and then try to think, in prayer, who can be the best-suited person for facing those challenges and trying to help the church.”

Once inside the conclave, he said, “there will be many names” that come out on the first ballot. “But then time goes by. We try to focus, especially, on the main challenges of the church and who can be the person to answer those challenges.”

Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga, 70, said it’s necessary for the cardinals to consider the age of the candidates, but that does not mean it Maradiaga will be the determining factor “because knowing now there is a precedence of resignation means the next pope will not be tied to going until death; it is possible to serve for a certain number of years and then retire. Why not?”

CNS/courtesy of Vatican's stamp and coin office

The “sede vacante” Vatican stamp series was issued in four values March 1. The stamps, designed by artist Daniela Longo, depict an angel holding the symbols of the Vatican emblem used during the time between popes. Before the College of Cardinals go into a conclave to elect the next pope, formally authorizing issuance of Vatican stamps and coins is one of the business details they attended to because the Seat of St. Peter is vacant.

Your Holy Land Pilgrimage to Crown the Year of Faith!

The cardinal said it is possible that his brother electors will decide to look outside Europe for the next pope, “but it’s not a matter of nationality or where you were born. It’s a matter of the main problems of the church and the person who could answer, no matter where he was born.

“But, of course, the church is growing in the American continent. We have the majority of Catholics in the world, which is a very interesting factor to take into consideration,” he said. “Asia is the big challenge and the big horizon because it has more than onethird of the population of the whole world and the least number of Catholics, so for the missionary aspect, it will be important. Africa is flourishing in hope and growing in numbers of Catholics.”

The church, he said, is a transcendent, divine and spiritual institution that is made up of human beings and lives in the world, which means “the main problem of the church is how to announce the message of God,” especially in modern cultures that try to exclude or deny God’s existence.

Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga said that, from personal experience and his expertise in human psychology, he knows that attempts to use the political labels “liberal” and “conservative” to define and divide the cardinals are inaccurate and say more about the person doing the labeling than about the cardinals themselves. The cardinal said he has been accused by some people of being a liberation theologian, while others say he is too conservative.

“The most important thing is how is the faith” of the cardinal. “Faith is the most important” factor in the life of a cardinal and, of course, of a potential pope, he said.

In electing a new pope, the Honduran cardinal said he will look for “a person of faith, a person of love with a big heart to understand, especially, the human sufferings of today and to understand we are only servants, not kings.”

Good Friday Stations of the Cross to be held at Fargo abortuary Good Friday Stations of the Cross will be prayed outside the Red River Women’s Clinic, 512 First Ave. N., Fargo, at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 29. Msgr. Joseph Goering, Vicar General for the Diocese of Fargo, will lead the prayer service.

All are invited to join in commemorating Our Lord’s passion and death and praying for those who promote and have been wounded by the abortion experience. For more information, contact Rachelle at (701) 356-7910. This event is sponsored by the diocesan Respect Life Office.

Give A Gift to Help Keep the TV Mass on the Air! The best gift for those you love who are nursing home residents, shut-ins, or non-practicing Catholics WDAY, Channel 6, Fargo — WDAZ, Channel 8, Grand Forks 10:30 a.m. Sunday Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip _____________________________________________________________________ Phone_____________________________________________________________________________ A GIFT FOR: Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip _____________________________________________________________________

“I support the TV Mass because it was an important part of my mother’s life. My husband and I would sometimes watch it with her. I’m thankful that the TV Mass was there for her.”

— Helen Bye, Fargo

Or, IN MEMORY OF: Name ____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ I would like this listed at the end of the TV Mass on this date(s): ____________________________ MAIL TO: TV Mass, Diocese of Fargo, 5201 Bishops Blvd., Suite A, Fargo, ND 58104-7605

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RCIA participants recognized at Cathedral Rite of Election On Feb. 17, many of those in the Diocese of Fargo who are participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or RCIA participated in a celebration at the Cathedral of St. Mary, Fargo.

The celebration includes two rites.

The first is the Rite of Election for the unbaptized, called catechumens, who will receive baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.

In this rite “on the basis of the testimony of godparents and catechists and the catechumens’ reaffirmation of their intention, the Church judges their state of readiness and decides on their advancement toward the sacraments of initiation.”

The second rite is the Rite of the Call to Continuing Conversion. Those participating are called candidates. They have already been baptized and are preparing for confirmation and/or first Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.

In this rite “the Church recognizes one’s desire to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and to have a place at Christ's Eucharistic table.”

Submitted photo

Those journeying toward full communion in the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil participated in the Rite of Election at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo.

Chrism Mass to be held at Cathedral March 26 All are invited to the annual Chrism Mass to be celebrated Tuesday, March 26, at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Mary, 604 Broadway, Fargo.

At this Mass, Bishop David Kagan will bless the oils used throughout the diocese for celebrating baptism, confirmation, holy orders, the anointing of the sick, and special acts of blessing or consecration. The priests of the diocese will renew their commitment to priestly service to Christ and his Church.

Books-Religious Items-DVDs FOR LENT HOLY FAMILY BOOKSTORE To Know God . . .

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“The Year of Faith” - Pope Benedict XVI

8 ■ MARCH 2013

NEWEARTH

PBVM Sisters affirm their calling, explore possibilities of organization Global, national and local leadership of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary met Feb. 7-9 at Presentation Center in Fargo to explore possibilities of organization that will best facilitate sisters in the United States living out the congregational directions over the next six years.

The sisters affirmed their calling is to a way of life rooted in stillness, contemplation and wonder at the unfolding mystery of God and pledged to: ■ Live sustainably and to use our resources creatively for the promotion of justice, peace, and integrity of creation ■ Nurture our awareness of being the beloved of God and recognize the other as beloved ■ Be like Mary and Nano (our foundress), heart-centered women, developing caring and meaningful relationships especially in community ■ Collaborate as our way of being in community and ministry, and in all our structures of leadership ■ Gaze on Jesus, the human face of God, as Nano did, thus enabling us to be compassionate in our relationships with self, one another, and all of life ■ Be immersed in the lives of poor and marginalized people, who open us to the mystery of love, and to be prophetic voices with them for the transformation of unjust systems locally and globally ■ Commit ourselves to Eucharistic living and be love poured out for the sake of the mission of Jesus.

Two Dominican sisters, Sister Joan Murray and Sister Joan Scanlon, facilitated the discussion. There was opportunity for the visiting sisters to see some of Fargo, and lots of snow, before returning home.

Upcoming pilgrimages ■ Join Father Damien Schill on a pilgrimage to Fatima, Spain, Lourdes and Paris April 4 through 16. The cost is $4,779 leaving from Minneapolis or $4,499 leaving from New York. For more information, please call Stefanie or Rinda at 1-800-206-8687 or visit www.pilgrimages.com/frschill.

■ Join Father Damien Schill on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land Sept. 8 through 17. The cost is $4,279 leaving from Minneapolis or $3,999 leaving from New York. Special pre-tour option to Jordan, Amman, Petra, Kerak, Maeleba, Mt. Nebo and Jerash, Sept. 5 through 9, at $1,398 per person. For more information, please call Rinda or Samantha at 1-800-206-8687 or visit www.pilgrimages.com/frschill.

■ Would you like to crown the Year of Faith with a special grace? Experience Jesus where he lived, walked, healed, preached; where he died and resurrected. Join Father Terry Dodge and Father John Aerts on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land October 14 through 23. The cost is $3,295 all-inclusive from Fargo.

For a brochure and more information, call or email Father Aerts at john.aerts@ fargodiocese.org or (701) 437-2791 or Father Dodge at terry.dodge@fargo diocese.org or (701) 652-2519.

■ You are invited to cap this Year of Faith by celebrating Vatican II’s 50th anniversary on a pilgrimage to Italy.

Bishop David Kagan will host this trip by walking in the footsteps of Blessed Pope John XXIII. Departure is Oct. 29 and the pilgrimage continues through Nov. 7. For more information, please contact Faith Journeys at 1-877-7324845.

Pictured clockwise from lower left are: Sisters Joan Scanlon, OP (Ohio); Joan Murray, OP (Illinois), Mary Margaret Mooney, PBVM (Fargo), Vera Butler, PBVM (Louisiana), Antonio Heaphy, PBVM (California), Sharon Altendorf, PBVM (Fargo), Jocelyn Quijano, PBVM (Texas), Francine Janousek, PBVM, and Anne O’Brien, PBVM (both Fargo), Mary Deane, PBVM, and Elizabeth Starken, PBVM (both Ireland).

Submitted photo

Events around the diocese For more events throughout the diocese, visit www.fargodiocese.org/events.

March 11 (Monday): Reflections on prayer. Father Len Loegering to speak on the healing prayer for families through the power of Christ’s resurrection, 7 to 8 p.m., St. Anthony’s, Mooreton.

March 12 (Tuesday): Serra Club dinner, an opportunity to visit and pray with others who support vocations in the area, 6 p.m., Holy Cross, West Fargo.

March 14-17 (Thursday-Sunday): Men’s Cursillo in Hankinson; rector, Myron Jabs. Visit www.cursillond.org.

March 18 (Monday): Reflections on prayer. Msgr. Gregory Schlesselmann to speak on recognizing God working in your life (Ignatian Discernment of Spirits), 7 to 8 p.m., St. Anthony’s, Mooreton.

March 21-24 (Thursday-Sunday): Women’s Cursillo in Belcourt; rectora, Marietta Good. Visit www.cursillond.org.

March 22 (Friday): Lenten Fish Fry, 5 to 7 p.m., St. Michael’s, Grand Forks. Cost: adults $9, children 12 and under $4, kindergarten and pre-school free.

March 22-24 (Friday-Sunday): Rachel’s Vineyard retreat for anyone who struggles with the feelings of loss that can accompany an abortion experience. Call Ruth Ruch at (701) 219-3941 or email ruch@i29.net.

March 24 (Sunday): Palm Sunday dinner, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., St. Mary’s, Grand Forks. Cost: adults $10, children ages 5-12 $5, 4 and under free.

March 25 (Monday): Reflections on prayer. Father Greg Haman to speak on a wonderful and simple way to pray with the Scriptures (lectio divina), 7 to 8 p.m., St. Anthony’s, Mooreton.

March 26 (Tuesday): Chrism Mass, 11 a.m., St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fargo. See page 7.

Birthright of Fargo-Moorhead celebrates 40 years Birthright of Fargo-Moorhead is celebrating 40 years of service in the community with a banquet to honor individuals who have been at the front of making Birthright a viable organization in the area. Birthright of Fargo-Moorhead is completely run by volunteers.

Birthright is an international, non-denominational organization that provides caring, non-judgmental support to girls and women who are distressed by an unplanned pregnancy. Using its own resources and those of the community, Birthright offers positive and loving alternatives.

Birthright presents many services and refers for many more. Volunteers provide friendship and emotional support, free pregnancy testing and maternity and baby clothes. They also give information and referrals to help clients meet legal, medical, financial and housing needs. Birthright treats each woman as an individual who deserves kindness and respect, as well as personal attention to her unique situation.

All Birthright services are free, absolutely confidential and available to any woman regardless of age, race, creed or economic or marital status.

The Birthright Banquet will be held on Monday, April 15, at the St. Joseph’s Church Gathering Place at 11th Street and 2nd Avenue South in Moorhead. Social hour begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7:15 p.m. Rosie Sauvageau, Miss North Dakota 2012, an inspirational speaker and musician, is the keynote speaker for the event. The cost is $20 per person. Contact Birthright at (218) 291-5799 or birthrightfm@702com.net to reserve tickets. Reservations are requested by April 8.

March 29 (Friday): Good Friday Stations of the Cross, 10 a.m., Fargo abortuary, 512 1st Ave. North. See page 6.

Cathedral, Fargo. Father Raymond Courtright will explore the Gospel of Luke.

Visit www.fargodiocese.org/wordofgod.

April 1 (Monday): Reflections on prayer.

Father Peter Anderl to speak on prayer of deliverance and spiritual protection, 7 to 8 p.m., St. Anthony’s, Mooreton.

April 12-14 (Friday-Sunday): “Come to Me” women's retreat for healing, boundaries and healthy relationships. Cost is $99. Registration deadline: April 1. Contact Sister Susan Marie at (701) 242-7195.

April 6 (Monday): Jr. High Youth Rally at the parish center in Langdon. Registration deadline to parishes is March 20.

Cost is $35/student and $15/chaperone.

Keynote speaker is Justin Fatica, with entertainment by Mathias Matthew and Bill Lage. See page 20.

April 7 (Sunday): Divine Mercy Sunday service, 3 to 4 p.m., Holy Cross, West Fargo. See page 14.

April 9 (Tuesday): Serra Club dinner, an opportunity to visit and pray with others who support vocations in the area, 6 p.m., Holy Cross, West Fargo.

April 11 (Thursday): Dining with the Word of God, 6:15 p.m., St. Mary’s

April 18-21 (Thursday-Sunday): Women’s Cursillo in Hankinson; rectora, Joy Olson. Visit www.cursillond.org.

April 19-21 (Friday-Sunday): Ignatian Retreat, Maryvale Spiritual Life Center, Valley City. Suggested donation is $60. Registration deadline: April 12. Contact Sister Dorothy Bunce at dorothy.bunce@ fargodiocese.org or call (701) 845-2864.

To submit events for New Earth and the diocesan website, mail them to New Earth, 5201 Bishops Blvd., Suite A, Fargo, ND 58104-7605 or email news@fargo diocese.org. The deadline for April’s New Earth is March 27.

MARCH 2013 â– 9

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Shroud of Turin presentation April 8 at St. James Basilica

Celebration for St. James Academy June 29 and 30

By Father Bernard Pfau

On Jan. 7, 1914, St. James Academy in New Rockford opened its doors for eight grades and the first year of high school. It was staffed by Presentation Sisters from Fargo, and soon had 115 students.

The school was named for the Most Rev. James O’Reilly, Bishop of Fargo (1910-1934). Mother Joseph Cregan served as the principal, along with Sisters M. Clare, Veronica, Bonaventure, Stanislaus, Camillus and Evangelist as staff.

Six students received their eighth grade diplomas in June of that year.

One of the students, Clothilda Weimals, became the first of many St. James graduates to answer a religious vocation and became a Franciscan sister.

St. James high school closed in 1971 and St. James grade school closed in 1990. A Mass of Thanksgiving for St. James Academy will be held on Sunday, June 30, at 11 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church in New Rockford.

Former priests and sisters who have served St. James Academy are especially invited to be part of this festive occasion, as well as any and all alumni.

A short program will be held in the church after Mass, followed by a meal in the parish center served by St. John’s Caring Hearts to all guests and parishioners in attendance.

All alumni and former staff members of the Academy are also invited to a social with refreshments and time for sharing

File photo

St. James Academy in New Rockford, founded in 1913, was named in honor of Bishop James O’Reilly and staffed by the Presentation Sisters from Fargo. Centennial events celebrating the school’s founding are planned for June 29 and 30.

memories on Saturday, June 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the parish center, hosted by the local Knights of Columbus.

There will be a free-will offering for both of these events, and memorabilia and souvenir edition pamphlets about St. James Academy will be available.

Those planning to attend either day the St. James Academy Centennial Celebration should register with Kathy O’Connor at oconnorek@yahoo.com

by Monday, June 10, or send the following information to St. John’s Parish,

Liturgical Design Consultant’s Original Conceptual Design for Adoration Chapel Interior

P.O. Box 389, New Rockford, ND 58356: Name, address, phone number, whether you will be attending the Saturday social, the meal following the Sunday Mass of Thanksgiving, and the number who will attend.

If you are unable to attend, please send a note about your years at St. James Academy, your favorite teacher or special event during your years at the academy to the above address.

Father Pfau is pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, New Rockford.

Dr. J. Wayne Phillips, MD, will present a 45-minute slide program of scientific evidence related to the Shroud of Turin April 8 at 7 p.m. in the community room of St. James Basilica, 622 First Ave. S., Jamestown.

Thought to be the burial cloth of Christ, the shroud may be the most studied religious relic in existence; at one time relegated to the status of forgery, it has since been found to date to the time of Christ.

In 1978 the fabric was examined and tested by a team of more than 40 scientists including representatives of the Los Alamos Lab, Jet Propulsion Lab and the SAF Academy physics department. They established that the relic was not a fake.

The story of the shroud reads like a forensic cliff hanger novel. It includes the historical evidence and research that was presented in more than 50 new scientific papers at the University of Ohio in 2008. The study is ongoing.

Dr. Phillips has been invited to be a part of the 138-member Shroud Science Group, a cross-disciplinary group of doctors, scientists, historians and others seeking to understand the Shroud of Turin. His presentations are approved by the bishop of his Florida diocese. He has been accepted to the Vatican Apostolorum College for specialization of Shroud Studies.

There is no charge to attend. The program is a part of the monthly spiritual and social schedule of St. James Tabernacle Society, the parish women’s group.

Bob Wolf

Ryan Brunner

Wayne Cherney

Jeff Risenauer

General Agent, Fargo (701) 356-6664 robert.wolf@kofc.org

Grand Forks (701) 757-0523 (218) 779-3625

Devils Lake 800-906-6780 wayne.cherney@kofc.org

Fargo (218) 512-0436 (701) 260-0758

Glenn Hangaard Hankinson

Pat Dolan Fargo

Ryan Geigle Jamestown

John Edwards Velva

(701) 242-7736 (701) 680-0870

(701) 298-9922 patrick.dolan@kofc.org

(701) 320-8802 (701) 251-9019

(701) 721-7689 (701) 338-2499

The DIOCESE OF FARGO, the Most Rev. Samuel Aquila, the Most Rev. David Kagan, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Fargo, Rev. Monsignor Joseph Goering, Father Luke Meyer, Earl Wilhelm and all involved in the construction,

on the dedication of Our Lady of Guadalupe Adoration Chapel.

Thank you for your inspiration, guidance and trust while working on this historic project.

ROLF R. ROHN

Liturgical Designer and Consultant

1 (800) 245-1288 www.rohndesign.com • rrohn@rohndesign.com LITURGICAL DESIGNERS, ARTISTS & ARTISANS SINCE 1952

10 ■ JANUARY 2013

of

Our Lady Guadalupe Adoration Chapel dedicated “True devotion to the

Virgin Mary always takes us to Jesus . . . To love her means being committed to listening to her son.

”

Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, March 25, 2012, Leon, Mexico

The new Our Lady of Guadalupe Adoration Chapel near St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fargo, prior to its dedication by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila on F

As part of the chapel dedication rite, Archbishop Aquila begins anointing the altar by pouring chrism oil, in the sign of the cross, onto the four corners and middle of the new altar, evoking the five wounds of Christ. He then spread it by hand across the entire marble top.

Photos by Haney’s Photography, Moorhead, Minn.

Archbishop Aquila incenses the altar, letting the smoke waft through the chapel symbolizing the prayers of the faithful rising to God.

Deacon George Loegering, left, and Father Luke Meyer, monstrance after communion during the chapel dedicatio

Feb. 11.

right, place the Eucharist in the on Mass.

NEWEARTH ■ 11

Cathedral adoration chapel invites all to allow Jesus to speak to their hearts

By Katie Wise

After many months of planning, construction, artistic expression and prayer, volunteers now pray 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the Cathedral perpetual adoration chapel in Fargo. On the same day on which Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, Feb. 11, the new Our Lady of Guadalupe Adoration Chapel was dedicated with a special Mass celebrated by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila.

Archbishop Aquila of Denver served as bishop of the Fargo Diocese when planning for the chapel began. At the dedication Mass, he expressed thanks and appreciation for all the work that went into the chapel, which is located at 617 7th Street North, west of St. Mary’s Cathedral and between the Wanzek Center and the Cathedral rectory.

“It brings great joy to know that many people will have the chance to speak to the Lord, heart to heart, in his true presence of the Eucharist,” he said. Archbishop Aquila added, “Adoration leads to deeper intimacy with Christ, helping us to come to know him in a more personal way.”

During his homily, Archbishop Aquila stated that the chapel “is truly a tremendous gift and blessing for the entire Church of Fargo, for all of eastern North Dakota. It will serve many generations to come.”

Named for patroness of the Americas Archbishop Aquila explained the significance of different aspects of the chapel. Its title, Our Lady of Guadalupe, was chosen to honor Our Lady as the patroness of the Americas and protectress of unborn children. “We are called as people of faith to trust that Our Lord entered the world to give us life, and life abundantly,” he said.

The chapel is also arranged so there is not only prominence of the altar, but also of the presbyterate seating. It is a reminder for all people of the importance of the priesthood and to pray for priestly vocations, he said. “The priest is always the icon of Jesus Christ the bridegroom, the shepherd, and the head of the church,” Archbishop Aquila affirmed.

After the Creed, the Litany of Saints was sung as the congregation kneeled. While kneeling, Archbishop Aquila glanced up at the ceiling where a mural of the Annunciation is depicted. The design of the ceiling, painted a deep blue with stars, is a traditional depiction of the heavenly sky.

He also looked up to the loft where he could observe the rose window, depicting the symbols of the Passion of Christ encircling the ancient Christian symbol of the pelican feeding its young from its own flesh and blood.

The solemn Mass of blessing and dedication includes blessing the chapel and consecration of its altar, making them holy, set aside, and fit for worship thereafter.

Altar anointed and blessed Archbishop Aquila removed his chasuble and rolled up his sleeves to anoint the altar by pouring chrism oil, in the sign of the cross, onto the four corners and middle of the new altar, evoking the five wounds of Christ, then spread it by hand across the entire marble top. After that, he blessed the altar with incense, letting the smoke waft through the chapel symbolizing the prayers of the faithful rising to God. The altar was wiped dry of chrism and adorned with cloths and candles freshly lit in preparation for the Eucharistic prayer.

Music for the liturgy was provided by three young

men, led by Nick Emmel , with James Mackay at the keyboard. As a music minister, Mackay was very excited to be part of the liturgy with the music supporting not only the worship but also the rites of dedication.

He said, “It was an honor to be a part of such a special service. Usually you have to work to draw music out of places, but here it just flows.”

Mackay hopes to occasionally play music in the chapel throughout the year. Weekly Mass at the adoration chapel is currently scheduled at 8 a.m. on Saturdays.

At the conclusion of the dedication Mass, the assembly moved to the Cathedral basement for a joyous celebration and reception.

The chapel’s rose window depicts the symbols of the Passion of Christ encircling the ancient Christian symbol of the pelican feeding its young from its own flesh and blood.

Called ‘wonderful’ and ‘overwhelming’ Among the guests was John Herlick, a member of the committee for the capital campaign. He was thrilled with the completion of the construction part of the campaign which started over three and a half years ago. “The chapel is an incredible gift for the diocese and entire community of Fargo. There’s a need to worship the Lord and this is a wonderful way to honor him,” he said.

Marilyn Loegering and Cindy Pietrich have worked hard to make sure enough adorers sign up for weekly prayer times so perpetual adoration will be assured.

They were delighted when the chapel was completed and everything became a reality. “The totality is overwhelming,” Marilyn said. “You automatically feel a sense of peace and calmness upon entering the chapel for adoration.”

There are over 350 adorers, both from the Cathedral and a generous response from neighboring parishes, committed to spending time before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer during all hours of the week. All are welcome to come and make a visit to the Lord and spend time in quiet prayer at any time.

For additional information, or to inquire about committing to an hour of adoration at the chapel, please contact Pietrich at (701) 232-5985 or Loegering at (701) 347-4031 (home) or (701) 2615051 (cell).

Photos and video of the dedication Mass can be found at www.fargodiocese.org/chapel.

“In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host . . . Great benefit would ensue from a suitable catechesis explaining the importance of this act of worship, which enables the faithful to experience the liturgical celebration more fully and more fruitfully. Wherever possible, it would be appropriate, especially in densely populated areas, to set aside specific churches or oratories for Perpetual Adoration.

”

Pope Benedict XVI, Feb. 22, 2007, Sacramentum Caritatis

Quotable “If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. . . .

He could live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart.”

Author unknown

Editorial

12 ■ MARCH 2013

NEWEARTH

God uses everyday experiences to remind us how to love

I

’ve had my share of refrigerator moments lately. They weren’t chilling experiences — (sorry for the bad pun) — but each one led me to prayer.

The falling fridge

get the help he needed to clean up.

But I didn’t stop. What can a woman in heels do to help?

The ‘new friends’ fridge

A few weeks later, we ran an ad in the I had dropped Chloe off at school and newspaper to sell our old fridge, range was driving to my temporary job in an and dishwasher. A woman called and insurance office. Not far wanted all three. She ahead of me was a pickup planned to put them in with a fridge standing tall her house and give her in its box. old ones to the church Tanya Watterud As it started heading where her husband up the hill of 16th Street serves as pastor.

SW in Minot, I had a feeling. “If that When they arrived, they didn’t have thing falls over, it will land right on top a trailer or an appliance cart. They had of my car,” I thought. a pickup and we had nothing to use to I slowed and switched lanes, then hoist the heavy fridge into its box. My stopped due to a red light. The pickup husband, Tony, and I knew we couldn’t made it through the light, though. As it lift it, and the man had an injured continued up the hill, the fridge tipped leg and the woman had had back surin the pickup box, forcing the tailgate gery. open, and crashed onto the road.

It was already past 8 p.m. so they The driver got out to assess the damcouldn’t rent an appliance cart, and they age. The light turned green, and the cars had driven too far, they said, to come eased forward. I prayed in thanksgiving back the next day after renting one. for that feeling we get sometimes that So they called a friend, a young man keeps us from harm. I prayed for the who lived nearby and attended their man, that he wouldn’t get in trouble church. We knew, though, that even with his employer and that he would with the young man’s strength, it would

Editorial

The Legacy of Benedict XVI

be a challenge getting the fridge into the pickup. While I visited with our new friends, my husband created a makeshift ramp leading from the garage floor to the pickup box.

Once the friend arrived, we rolled the fridge into the pickup box using the ramp, a two-wheel cart and our combined strength. The range and dishwasher soon followed.

As the men secured the fridge with flexible cords, I remembered the falling fridge I had seen a few weeks earlier. I prayed for that man again, then thanked God for the new friends we had made that night and prayed they would make it safely home with our old fridge standing tall in their pickup.

The flooding fridge That night we also hooked up the water to our new fridge. With the activity of the evening, we forgot to pull it away from the wall again to check for possible leaks.

The next night, with my husband traveling for work, I entered our basement storage area to put something away and was greeted with fallen,

soaked sheetrock and the sight and sounds of water dripping on the concrete floor.

Fortunately, the leak was contained to the middle of the room, with much of the water being held in place by a rug, while the things of value that we stored there were on shelves along the edges.

As I squished the water out of my sponge mop for what must have been the hundredth time, I remembered my inactivity with the falling fridge and smiled at how God makes his point in subtle ways. I chose to be only a spectator for the falling fridge moment, but he made sure I was active with the new friends fridge and flooding fridge moments.

Now, as I make the final edits to this editorial, a refrigerator technician is talking to my husband in our kitchen.

Just before he arrived, Tony saw an email in his inbox announcing a job opening for a refrigerator repairman. We laughed at God’s humor as Tony read it to me.

I wonder what refrigerator moments God has in store for me next.

Photo Editorial

A

t his election in 2005, some He accelerated the reform of the liturthought of him as a papal placegical reform, accentuating the liturgy’s keeper: a man who would keep beauty. the Chair of Peter warm for a few years Why? until a younger papal candidate Because he understood that, for postemerged. moderns uneasy with the notion that anything is “true” or “good,” the expeIn many other ways, and most rerience of beauty can be a cently by his remarkably unique window into a self-effacing decision to more open and spacious abdicate, Joseph Ratzhuman world, a world in inger proved himself a George Weigel which it is once again man of surprises. possible to grasp that What did he accomsome things are, in fact, true and good plish, and what was left undone, over a (as others are, in fact, false and wicked). pontificate of almost eight years?

He proved an astute analyst of conHe secured the authoritative interpretemporary democracy’s discontents, as tation of Vatican II that had been begun he also correctly identified the key (with his collaboration) by his predetwenty-first-century issues between Iscessor, Blessed John Paul II. lam and “the rest”: Can Islam find Vatican II, the council in which the within itself the religious resources to Church came to understand herself as a warrant both religious toleration and communion of disciples in mission, was the separation of religious and political not a moment to deconstruct Catholiauthority in the state? cism, but a moment to reinvigorate the faith that is “ever ancient, ever new,” First a teacher precisely so that it could be more vigorHe was a master catechist and teacher, ously proposed. and, like John Henry Newman (whom he beatified) and Ronald Knox, his serMission driven mons will be read as models of the He helped close the door on the homiletic art, and appreciated for their Counter-Reformation Church in which keen biblical and theological insights, he had grown up in his beloved Bavarfor centuries. As for the incomplete and ian countryside, and thrust open the the not-done: door to the Church of the New Evange■ Benedict XVI was determined to rid lization, in which friendship with Jesus the Church of what he called, on the Christ is the center of the Church’s Good Friday before his election as pope, proclamation and proposal. the “filth” that marred the image of the As I explain in “Evangelical CatholiBride of Christ and impeded her evancism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century gelical mission. He was successful, to a Church,” Benedict XVI was a hinge degree, but the work of reconstruction, man, the pivot on which the turn into in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal, the evangelical, mission-driven Church of the third millennium was completed.

Please turn to POPE on page 13

Guest Editorial

CNS photo/Michael Alexander, Georgia Bulletin

St. Patrick is depicted in a stained-glass window at St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell, Ga. The feast of St. Patrick, the patron of Ireland honored for his leadership in the evangelization of that country in the fifth century, is celebrated annually March 17.

Commentary

NEWEARTH

MARCH 2013 ■ 13

Stewardship and the season of Lent: Changing ourselves Reprinted with permission from the International Catholic Stewardship Council.

We vote. We contribute to charities that we believe in. We build up our Catholic parishes so that they might shine the Saint Ignatius of Loylight of truth into our ola offered us these weary world. We work words of wisdom, to alleviate poverty and which seem particularly injustice. We await the relevant during the seaNew Jerusalem. Many of son of Lent: “He who us work in schools, pargoes about to reform ishes, and diocesan ofthe world must begin fices where we bring a with himself, or he loses passion for reforming his labor.” our world. Christian stewards who work in A Christian steward is Steve Schons other environments enby nature a reformer. deavour to bring Christian values into We attempt to live our lives in a way the marketplace. that makes the world a better place.

Stewardship

Pope leaves some work undone Continued from page 12 remains to be completed.

This is most obvious in Ireland, where the resistance of an intransigent hierarchical establishment is a severe impediment to the re-evangelization of that once-Catholic country.

And the next pope must, in my judgment, be more severe than his two predecessors in dealing with bishops whom the evidence demonstrates were complicit in abuse cover-up — even if such an approach was considered appropriate at the time by both the counseling profession and the legal authorities. The Church has higher standards.

■ Joseph Ratzinger had extensive experience in the Roman Curia and it was widely expected that he would undertake its wholesale reform. Not only did that not happen; things got worse, and the Curia today is, in candor, an impediment to the evangelical mission of the

Lent doesn’t ask us to stop any of these efforts. But, as we hear “the voice of one who cries in the desert” proclaiming the beginning of Lent, we know that the Church in her wisdom has given us a beautiful season to look inward, to seek quiet time in our own desert. Saint Ignatius, Saint John the Baptist, and the season of Lent remind us that trying to change the world will not work if we don’t first of all change ourselves.

Lent points the way to what really matters: Christ. We are asked to experience him who is the reason for our endeavours, our passion, and our work in this world.

The Catholic Church provides some traditional guidelines: prayer, fasting,

almsgiving. Saint John the Baptist provides a challenge: “Anyone who has two tunics must share with the one who has none, and anyone with something to eat must do the same” (Luke 3:11).

How we integrate these three guidelines into Lent’s 40 days is a personal decision, but one which should take us on a journey into our own hearts, where we ask ourselves why we labor, what our work and our life really mean, to whom we and our life’s work really belong.

Schons is director of stewardship and development for the Diocese of Fargo and can be reached at steve.schons@fargodiocese.org or (701) 356-7926.

First day of interregnum

pope and the Church.

A massive housecleaning and re-design is imperative if the Church’s central administrative machinery is to support the New Evangelization: which, for the Curia, is not a matter of creating a new bureaucratic office but a new cast of mind. (Evangelical Catholicism contains numerous suggestions for how that might be done.)

■ And then there is Europe. The man who named himself for the first saintly patron of Europe tried his best; but like his predecessor, the best he could manage was to stir the flickering flames of renewal in a few parts of Catholicism’s historic heartland. Its re-evangelization remains an urgent task.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. This column is reprinted by permission of the Denver Catholic Register.

CNS photo/Paul Haring

A papal tiara and keys are silhouetted between saints on the colonnade as the sun shines from behind clouds in the morning in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 1. Following Pope Benedict XVI's Feb. 28 resignation, the church has entered a period known as the interregnum.

A look at what’s happening in the state legislature The North Dakota legislative session is in full swing. I would like to write about the bills that will need your attention in the next few weeks. However, a lot can happen at the North Dakota legislature between the time I submit this column to the editors and the time you get to read it. A bill that is important today might be defeated or changed to something insignificant before the publication date.

I will, therefore, have to confine this column to sharing some of what has happened and observations on what could happen.

legal protection for sexual behavior.

The Catholic Church condemns arbitrary discrimination and prejudice against a person because of sexual attraction. The legislation, however, created serious legal and policy questions and failed to protect rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Life bills

Legislators have considered seven life-related bills, six of which have passed their first chamber. SCR 4009 is a state constitutional amendment that states: “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recogChristopher Dodson Defeated bills nized and protected.” It Sunday mornings are passed the Senate 26-21. still for families. The North Dakota SB 2303 defines human being in the House of Representatives defeated two criminal code as including all human bills that would have weakened the beings from fertilization. As applied, it state’s Sunday morning closing laws. will most likely be successful at proHouse Bill 1367 would have allowed hibiting the intentional destruction of bars to open on Sunday morning. It healthy human embryos in the laborawas defeated 24 to 65. HB 1437 would tory. The bill also provides Medicaid have allowed political subdivisions to coverage to all pregnant women to the exempt cities and counties from the extent allowed by law. It passed the law. It was defeated 30 to 62.

Senate by one vote.

SB 2305 requires that abortionists The state Senate defeated SB 2252, have admitting privileges at a local which would have enshrined special

Catholic Action

hospital. It passed 30-17.

SB 2368 bans abortion after 20 weeks gestation. It passed the Senate 30-17.

HB 1305 prohibits abortion for sex selection or genetic abnormalities. It passed the House 64-27.

HB 1456 will ban abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. It passed the House 63-28.

The only pro-life bill that failed was SB 2302, which would have prevented the destruction of, and unethical experimentation on, healthy human embryos. It was basically identical to SB 2303 in its scope, but did not have the Medicaid coverage for pregnant women. Nevertheless, it failed 18-29 and SB 2303 passed.

The seven passed bills will now move to the other chamber.

Taxes, taxes, taxes Typically, the North Dakota Catholic Conference follows only a few taxrelated bills each session. This year is different.

Legislators have introduced a menagerie of bills that could impact charitable institutions, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, and Catholic schools.

In addition, there are several tax bills that would impact the poor. Some bills would eliminate or reduce taxes.

Some would increase or impose taxes.

Some just rewrite how taxes are calculated. Many of these bills have failed, but some remain for further work.

Quick action ahead?

Speaking of taxes, legislative leaders promise significant tax relief this session.

Deciding how to provide that relief and fund infrastructure needs throughout the state will be a challenge.

Perhaps that is why legislation concerning social concerns, human life, and the family seem to be moving faster this session. Legislative leaders might be trying to finish up work on issues like abortion so that they will have time at the end of the session to devote to taxes and infrastructure.

What this means for us is that bills of concern to Catholics may move quickly after the legislature returns after crossover on March 1.

The best way to stay informed is to check the North Dakota Catholic Conference website daily (ndcatholic.org), especially the “Latest News” page. The next best way is to sign-up for action alerts and the e-newsletter by going to the conference website.

Dodson is executive director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference.

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In photo at left, Father Joshua Waltz (left) and Father Nick Schneider entertain students by performing “Livin’ on a Prayer” during the Know Your Faith competition among Catholic schools in North Dakota. At right, Shanley students celebrate after taking the trophy in the competition.

Photos by Deacon Joe Krupinsky

Shanley High School is 2013 Know Your Faith state champion

By Matthew Kurtz

Light sabers, togas, sumo wrestlers and glow sticks took over the gymnasium at St. Mary’s Central High school in Bismarck on Jan. 30 as part of the annual Know Your Faith state competition.

The contest, which occurs during the heart of Catholic Schools Week, pits the four Catholic high schools in North Dakota (Bismarck St. Mary’s, Dickinson Trinity, Minot Ryan and Fargo Shanley) against each other in the ultimate Catholic trivia challenge.

“In order to love God, we have to know God. And in order to know God, we have to know our faith,” said Father Charles LaCroix, chaplain of Shanley High School. “This Know Your Faith contest is epic and so necessary because we have to know our faith (this great gift that God has given us) so that we

can love God more and serve him more.”

“We want to build community,” Father Joshua Waltz, chaplain of St. Mary’s Central High School, said. “The early Christians, the biggest thing they had was a faith community; that’s what gave them the strength to do what they needed to do. And so we do events like this to draw our kids closer together.”

The day began with grand entrances set to music and lights by each school.

Three contestants from each school were then wheeled into the gym in a Roman chariot. Throughout the event they were faced with questions ranging from “The oldest pope lived to the age of 93; what was his name?” to “What were the three objects that were placed in the Ark of the Covenant by Moses?”

Between questions, the students joined for spontaneous dance raves at the middle of the gym to popular songs

like “Party in the USA” and “Call Me Maybe.”

Other times, select students competed in rowdy sumo-wrestling challenges with a member of an opposing school.

The schools’ four chaplains (Fathers LaCroix, Waltz, Jadyn Nelson and Kregg Hochhalter) also had a dance-off to “We No Speak Americano” and Waltz performed lead vocals while Father Nick Schneider covered lead guitar in their own rendition of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

“I think so often in the modern culture we have this ‘you have to be down, you have to be glum, you have to be pious [attitude],’ but Christianity is about joy, and these kids experienced a lot of joy today,” Father Waltz said.

When the smoke cleared (literally, due to the heavy use of fog machines), Fargo Shanley emerged as the winner with Dickinson Trinity a close second. This

year marked Shanley’s first time competing in the state contest; St. Mary’s Central had won the title every year since the event began four years ago.

“It’s okay to let it go,” Father Waltz said of surrendering the championship.

“To keep a tradition going, you’ve got to have fresh competition, fresh blood, and I’m really happy for [Shanley].”

“We congratulate St. Mary’s on their many years of holding the title and we certainly thank them for hosting this event every year,” Father LaCroix commented. “We’re very humble that we now have the title and we hope to be deserving and honorable champions.”

Father LaCroix finished with a fitting message. “Get out there and read your Catechism.”

For video highlights of the competition, visit www.bismarckdiocese.com/dakotacatholic-action/.

St. Vincent de Paul group seeks volunteer for development effort The new Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan District Council is looking for a volunteer to help develop a fundraising plan and development team.

Founded in Paris in 1833 by Blessed Frederick Ozanam, the Society is an International Catholic Lay organization active in 133 countries. It serves the needy through parish-based conferences and special works. The group envisions a vibrant, active conference of members in each Catholic parish in the dioceses of Crookston, Minn., and Fargo.

If you are interested, please contact Jay Schmallen, the diocesan district council president, at (701) 306-1269 or jayschmallen@hotmail.com.

Holy Cross to host Divine Mercy service Holy Cross Church in West Fargo will host a Divine Mercy Sunday service on April 7 from 3 to 4 p.m. Come and learn about St. Faustina and participate in the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.

Pictures and details about St. Faustina’s life will be available, as will information about why reciting the chaplet on a daily basis is so important. Please contact Geri Harbeke at (701) 277-9681 for more information.

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St. Catherine, Valley City, raised standards during Catholic Schools Week this year

By Ralph Dyrness, Principal

St. Catherine School in Valley City is continually looking for ways of raising our ultimate standard: Jesus.

Catholic Schools Week 2013 brought guests into our school who enriched our lives and, in turn, we had an opportunity to present the model of Jesus to them. We prayed, we sang, we honored and we had fun through the various activities that were a part of this

year’s celebration.

A routine, not disrupted, was our daily morning time in chapel, before we begin each day of school.

We had a party for guests at which we played free Bingo with prizes, cookies and lots of fun. We had a program for our active, retired and deceased members of the services. It began with all the students and staff spending a half hour in adoration, led by our pastor, Msgr. Dennis Skonseng.

Later in the morning, we presented a program of prayer, thanks and song in honor of our guests. Following the program, those present were invited to eat the noon meal with students and staff in our cafeteria.

Appropriately, we ended our celebration in the same manner in which we began, celebrating Mass with family and guests. It was a fun and meaningful week acknowledging the presence of Christ in our parish school.

To help others, Holy Spirit students raise money with ‘penny war’ The Catholic Schools Week Committee for Holy Spirit Elementary in Fargo decided to have a penny war and donate the proceeds to the St. Gianna Maternity Home in Warsaw.

“Much to our surprise, we had awesome momentum and raised $2,188,” said Jason Kotrba, Holy Spirit principal.

“The staff and students felt blessed to be part of something great and to celebrate life.”

The school presented a check Feb. 13, to Father Joseph Christensen, chaplain of the home, and Mary Pat Jahner, director. In return they presented the school with a book about the St. Gianna home.

Notre Dame Glee Club has March concerts in North Dakota Students share their talents and try their skills during the karaoke contest during Catholic Schools Week at St. Catherine School in Valley City.

In other Catholic Schools Week activities at St. Catherine School, parents, grandparents and students joined in games of Bingo (right) . . .

The University of Notre Dame Glee Club will perform a concert in Fargo on Monday, March 11, and in Bismarck on Tuesday, March 12.

Recognized as one of the finest allmale collegiate choral groups in the country, the glee club has a rich history of singing and brotherhood spanning nearly 100 years.

In Fargo, the glee club will sing at Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church, 5202 S. 25th Street; in Bismarck, the concert will be held at the University of Mary’s Annunciation Chapel, 7500 University Drive.

Both concerts begin at 7 p.m. with general admission seating and a $10 suggested donation per person at the door.

Catholic Charities North Dakota will receive the proceeds raised by the concerts.

The glee club last came to North Dakota in October 2002. To find out more about the Notre Dame Glee Club, please visit gleeclub.nd.edu.

NOTICE Look for The New Earth advertising insert from the

Great Plains Food Bank . . . and some students shared the day with their favorite stuffed animals.

Submitted photos

in all copies of this issue.

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Upcoming events of Catholic Charities North Dakota Find your P’s & Q’s and more…

Tickets are on sale now for Catholic Charities North Dakota’s “Purse & Quilt and more . . . Auction” featuring heirloom quality quilts and fantastic purses, as well as service, home, sporting and entertainment packages in both live and silent auctions.

This year’s auction will take place on Monday, April 8, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Fargo, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for this wine and appetizer event are $20 each or two for $30. For more information, to view auction items and to purchase tickets, go to www.catholiccharitiesnd.org or call (701) 235-4457.

Time to ‘chip it in’ March is the time for the Early Bird special for the Catholic Charities North Dakota’s Chip In for Charity Golf Pass. This golf pass gets you a free or discounted round of golf at 100 courses in North Dakota and western Minnesota for only $30, a $10 discount through March 31. The pass is great for golfers of all ages and makes a great gift. See the participating courses and purchase golf passes at www.catholiccharities nd.org.

Participating in the Fargo Marathon?

Join Team Catholic Charities. Make your run more meaningful by raising money to help support the programs at Catholic Charities North Dakota. For information, go to www.catholiccharitiesnd.org and click on Go Far Charity.

Reflecting on Catholic social teachings Life and Dignity of the Human Person The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Questions to consider: ■ Do I respect the life and dignity of every human person from conception through natural death?

■ Do I recognize the face of Christ reflected in all others around me whatever their race, class, age, or abilities?

■ Do I work to protect the dignity of others when it is being threatened?

■ Am I committed to both protecting human life and to ensuring that every human being is able to live in dignity?

Provided by the Social Justice Committee of Catholic Charities North Dakota.

A glimpse of the past These news items, compiled by Dorothy Duchschere, were found in issues of the Diocese of Fargo newspaper, New Earth, and its predecessor, Catholic Action News.

March 50 years ago — 1963 The major beneficiary of the 1963 campaign for the Diocesan Development Program will be the building fund of Cardinal Muench Minor Seminary, according to a recent announcement by Bishop Leo F. Dworschak. A minimum of $150,000 from this year’s DDP drive has been allocated for this purpose. At present, the seminary is occupying the former Sacred Heart Convent building, 1310 North Broadway, Fargo. The seminary, now in its first year, has 39 resident students. Another 35 to 40 students are expected for September 1963.

20 years ago — 1993 Five men and a special machine from

Lindermann Piano of Fargo raised and lifted a Baldwin organ over the beautiful wood railing in the choir loft at St. Bernard Church in Oriska. The organ was donated to the parish in memory of Blaine Schill, deceased brother of Father Damien Schill, pastor. A smaller organ bought in the early 1960s was placed in the front of the church, but acoustics were not considered at that time and that placement of the organ up front resulted in the sound bouncing back and forth from the side walls.

10 years ago — 2003 The ninth and tenth grade Confirmation class at St. Alphonsus in Langdon participated in the Catholic Relief Services Food Fast Retreat in March. The program is developed for youth in grades nine through 12 and each year has its own theme. This year the theme was “with open arms — let’s stand and speak out to the world.” The classes took part in workshops to learn about world hunger, disease and impoverishment.

They also collected $883 from the local community to send to CRS.

Marriage Encounter weekend offered April 12-14 Are you looking for the perfect weekend, a weekend to bring you and your spouse closer together?

Attend Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

At WWME, the original and continually updated marriage enrichment program, you get away from the distractions of everyday life and focus on each other.

Instead of simply listening to lectures about how to improve your marriage, you'll actually be improving your marriage by exploring, rediscovering and reconnecting.

Go to www.wwme.org, or contact Mark and Mary Jantzer at (701) 8526291 or jantzer@srt.com, to register for the April 12 through 14 weekend at the Grand International Inn in Minot.

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Newman Center praised for bringing Jesus Christ to the NDSU campus Speakers, Catholic answer booth and Eucharist all part of bisonCatholic Week at Fargo university.

By Devin Wirth

St. Paul’s Newman Center in Fargo is blessed and privileged to be one of the few Newman centers in the nation that is able to bring the Blessed Sacrament onto campus through Eucharistic adoration every week.

Each year we take it one step further and devote an entire week to offering students the chance to hear guest speakers, ask questions at our Catholic question and answer booth and, most importantly, to celebrate the sacrament of Holy Eucharist on campus.

This year we were privileged to have Curtis Martin, the founder of Fellowship of Catholic University Students, as our keynote speaker.

The theme of FOCUS is to invite college students into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church, inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ-centered evangelization, discipleship and friendship in which they lead others to do the same.

With more than 100 FOCUS student missionaries at North Dakota State University, we are the hands, faces and voices of the new evangelization of the Catholic Church.

Praise for NDSU Newman As Curtis Martin said, “With 74 campuses that we are on across the nation, there is no place in the entire country that does it better than NDSU. There is not a more effective Newman Center in the country. We hope to look to you and your leadership and the work that you’re doing so that we can take and learn from you to help the other campuses all over the nation.”

The title of Martin’s talk was “Set the World on Fire, Spitting out Lukewarm Christianity”.

To put his talk in perspective, he stressed that Jesus did not leave the pleasures and joys of heaven, take on our flesh, become poor, live for 30 years, teach for three years and then suffer and die a miserable death so that you and I could become luke-warm Christians.

He did this so that you and I could know him, and to fulfill his great commission by first living and then communicating the fullness of life within the family of God, the Church.

We were also blessed to have Sister Mary Ruth Jones, a former bisonCatholic graduate, and Sister Mary Jacqueline from the School Sisters of Christ the King in Lincoln, Neb., come to give spiritual direction, help at the Catholic question and answer booth, and also share their amazing testimonies of how and when they met Jesus Christ.

We ended the week with an old times rock n’ roll dance which featured Dark Horse, a talent show and a ping pong tournament.

We would like to thank everybody who helped make bisonCatholic Week the success that it was. We thank everybody who was able to come celebrate the week and take part in all the activities, especially the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. As the late Pope John Paul II said, “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”

Photo courtesy bisonCatholic

Visit www.bisonCatholic.org for more information.

Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS, the Fellowship of Christian University Students, was the keynote speaker for bisonCatholic Week at North Dakota State University.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Catholic Charities North Dakota, a not-for-profit social service agency serving the entire state of North Dakota, is seeking an experienced leader to build on the strengths and potential of a growing organization.

The Agency has programs in pregnancy, parenting and infant adoptions, special needs adoptions, guardianship services for vulnerable adults, and counseling for individuals, couples and families.

Qualifications: Master’s degree in social work or related field with a minimum of 5 years of senior management experience in social services; demonstrated leadership qualities with strong verbal and written communication skills, computer proficiency, and a collaborative management style; practicing Catholic grounded in Catholic Social Teaching. A Bachelor’s degree with at least 10 years of experience in social service management, plus qualifications as listed above, may be considered.

Benefits and salary negotiable. Job description and application can be seen at www.catholiccharitiesnd.org Letter of interest, resume and application should be sent to: Search Committee, Catholic Charities North Dakota, 5201 Bishops Boulevard, Suite B, Fargo, ND 58104-7605; fax (701-356-7993); e-mail: searchcommittee@catholiccharitiesnd.org and received no later than April 1, 2013.

1417 South University Drive, Fargo, ND 58103

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“It has been an experience which has given me a great deal of hope and confidence about being a Catholic young adult in the modern world. At Ecclesia, I realized I am not crazy . . . I’m just one of many young Catholics on an honest search for truth.”

Joseph Furnaguera

2012 participants share their thoughts on Ecclesia: “This program is a mold for people who are ready to change their lives and evangelize. It’s a great way to create a stable formation for our spiritual lives.”

Melissa Raha, Michigan

“I have been able to reconnect with my prayer life coming back to the ‘center’ of my life. I have been able to look at the world around me and see how it influences me and my actions and how it relates to others — seeing what needs to be changed and improved and how I can do so. I have touched something beyond me which has sparked a sense of wonder.”

Josette Baumann, Illinois

Gathered together on the highest point in the Badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park last July, participants in the University of Mary’s Ecclesia Institute experience the King of the Universe in an hour of adoration before Mass. Thirty-five participants from across the U.S. attended last year's Ecclesia.

Ecclesia Institute at University of Mary:

Forming future leaders in the Church to carry out the New Evangelization

By Mary Evinger

The University of Mary, Bismarck, will host the third annual Ecclesia Institute July 1 through August 2. The religious Brothers and Sisters of the Community of St. John will lead this month-long formation program in response to Blessed John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization.

Ecclesia offers the opportunity for participants to earn undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education credits, three in philosophy and three in theology. Participants from around the country will gather together this summer to receive a rich intellectual formation tied to a deep formation in prayer in the midst of an engaging communal lifestyle.

Ecclesia (Greek for “church”) especially seeks to serve young people who are looking for a deeper and more intense experience of Christ in the life of the Church, teaching them to live out contemplation and the seeking of truth amidst study and work. All formation at Ecclesia will point to bearing witness to Christ in present day culture.

“The entire formation program is centered primarily on the encounter of the love of the living, risen Person of Jesus Christ,” Father Nathan Cromly, CSJ, founder of Ecclesia, said. “By learning to love with divine love, incarnating Christ’s love into their daily relationships, participants thus may have the roots in which to effectively situate and assimilate the intellectual formation

“I felt like I was totally engaged in life with my whole being. I felt like every aspect of me was being formed and fed.

One lasting fruit that I received from Ecclesia was discovering that the Father wants us to live like that, fully engaged in life every single day! I was discovering Christ in everything I did and that continues to fuel me because it has not faded away after leaving.”

Rebecca Kunkel, Illinois

Father Nathan Cromly, CSJ, teaches philosophy to 2012 Ecclesia participants.

received to be the protagonists of the New Evangelization.”

The Ecclesia Institute will begin with a four-day camping/hiking trip in the Badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The program will proceed into four weeks of intense study of the philosophy of culture taught by Father Nathan, prior of the Community of St. John in Laredo, Texas, and theology of the Eucharist taught by Father Thomas Dunton, CSJ, from England.

The spiritual aspects of Ecclesia will include: Daily Mass and Adoration, chanted Monastic Offices, daily study and prayer with Scripture through lectio divina, a four-day silent retreat, as well as opportunities for confession, spiritual direction, and communal acts of charity as united members in the Body of Christ, the Church.

Also on the schedule are tutorials, debate nights, guest speakers, bonfires and movie nights followed by discussion.

Other events include a cultural outing

and service project, outdoor Stations of the Cross in downtown Bismarck, a theatre enactment, and a pilgrimage/consecration to Mary at the close of the program.

Joseph Furnaguera from New Jersey commented on his experience at the 2012 Ecclesia Institute, “It has been an experience which has given me a great deal of hope and confidence about being a Catholic young adult in the modern world. At Ecclesia, I realized I am not crazy. . . I’m just one of many young Catholics on an honest search for truth.”

Please visit www.gotoecclesia.com for more information, videos, and registration. Generous scholarships are available by application on first come, first serve basis.

Mary Evinger is a member of the Cathedral of St Mary, Fargo. She attended the 2012 Ecclesia Institute and is a volunteer ambassador for Ecclesia.

“At Ecclesia I received a certain conviction about my personal responsibility to witness to Christ in our secular world, and that it would only happen if I learned to live the Word of God. That conviction is enough to keep me close to Christ in prayer now.”

Mary Evinger, North Dakota

“At Ecclesia I was able not only to study the mystery of the Church, but also to enter into and abide in her mystery in an intimate and manifest way through the daily schedule. I saw the Church in the Liturgy so beautifully celebrated, the community so joyfully formed, and the dynamic classes.

Together we truly lived the mystery of the Church.”

Mary Kate Thielman, New York

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Exciting to see discipleship skills grow in others After graduation, college students will hopefully be prepared to take on the role of evangelizers.

I

recently was asked to articulate what makes me excited about the work I get to do on campus with Fellowship of Catholic University Students. I thought it would be a fitting topic for this column, especially after Jackie’s topic last month about spiritual multiplication.

T

ake for example Catie, a senior at University of Minnesota Duluth, whom I meet with for discipleship. This semester, Catie is taking her role as captain of the track team to a new level by starting a Bible study for her teammates.

She sees a need on her team for Christian fellowship and is responding to it in a very tangible way.

There is also Shannon, a junior here at Duluth, who is in her second year as a Bible study leader.

In the past few months, she has invited two of the women in her study into discipleship, showing a willingness to sacrifice her own time to What makes me exhelp them on their path cited about being a misto holiness. She hopes to sionary is the ability to equip them to begin help our student misBible studies of their sionaries leave a legacy own, and eventually inon their campus. vest in disciples as well.

As a missionary, my Finally, there is Teia, a role on campus is not freshman who I began only to invite students to meeting with in October. know Jesus Christ and Teia has an amazing dehis church, but also to insire to grow in her faith Kristen Vetter spire and equip them to and be able to share it be missionaries themwith her friends. selves, in every aspect of their lives.

This semester, Teia began a Bible study No matter what they do after gradof her own, while still faithfully attenduation, we want students to be able ing the one I lead. Despite an initial to engage in lifelong Catholic misrough start (with only one girl intersion. After all, the identity of the ested), she now has five women comCatholic Church lies in her role to evanmitted to her Bible study. Three of them gelize. aren’t even Catholic, but have shown a desire to grow closer to Christ and a I have been so blessed already this great openness to going to Mass. year to witness how the women I Every time I meet with Teia, she is am investing in are developing these more and more excited to hopefully skills.

FOCUS

Helen Volk celebrates 101 years of life Helen Volk celebrated her 101st birthday on Jan. 22. Formerly of Rugby, she now lives at Villa Maria in Fargo.

missionaries are also spreading their faith, so that when they graduate, they leave behind a campus that loves Christ more because of their time there as students.

Her granddaughter, Charlotte Feldman, a parishioner of Holy Spirit, Fargo, shared these words about Helen.

”

help her friends experience Catholicism in such a way that they might one day become Catholic, too!

“She is blessed to be able to attend weekly Mass and, on another day of the week, a communion service.

She continues to sing, whistle and most days when you ask her how she is she will say, ‘Up and around!’

Volk

hese three women are just a few examples of the way that FOCUS works on campus, helping students to leave their mark in a meaningful way.

In addition to earning a degree, being involved in clubs and athletics, and making new friends, FOCUS student missionaries are also spreading their faith, so that when they graduate, they leave behind a campus that loves Christ more because of their time there as students.

“When I visit with grandma, we make prayer shawls and listen to polka music. Grandma holds the skein of yarn, unravels it for me and I crochet. We have made many, many prayer shawls this year. They have been given to anyone we hear of struggling with a serious health issue. I attach a note and a prayer with the shawl and I tell the recipient: ‘as this yarn has passed through my grandmother’s 100year-old fingers, may it add years to your life.’ Now I’ll have to change that to 101-year-old fingers!

Kristen Vetter is a Fargo native and 2008 graduate of Shanley High School. She received her college education at North Dakota State University and is currently a FOCUS missionary at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

“We are blessed to have grandma living in Fargo as she enjoys visits from her daughters, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and other relatives. God bless my grandmother, Helen Volk.”

T

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Neon Day at Holy Spirit

Mathias Matthew, who won the talent contest at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in 2011, will be among the featured performers at the Fargo Diocese Junior High Rally to be held Saturday, April 6, in the parish center in Langdon.

Submitted photo

Students at Holy Spirit Elementary, Fargo, were especially “bright” on the 100th day of school which they designated as Neon Day during Catholic Schools Week.

Cavalier parish hosts Feast Day Celebration

Submitted photo

A Feast Day Celebration was held Feb. 1 at St. Brigid of Ireland Catholic Church in Cavalier. A holy hour was followed by Mass and a parish potluck. “After the meal we were entertained by Laura Johnson at the piano, Carl Winkler on guitar and Miles Mibeck on the fiddle, along with Ann Kraft leading us in song,” said Mary Salwei, secretary and bookkeeper for the parish. “Father [Robert] Pecotte ended the evening with some humor and a blessing for all. It was a fun night of fellowship.”

Justin Fatica, Mathias Matthew and DJ Bill Lage to highlight Junior High Rally April 6 Saturday, April 6, marks the date for the Fargo Diocese Junior High Rally to be held in the parish center in Langdon. A great line-up of talent is coming to be with students in grades 6 through 8 for this all-day event.

Justin Fatica, known across the United States and internationally for his powerful witness to God in his life, will be the keynote presenter.

Fatica is not afraid to challenge kids to be the best they can be.

He talks about their issues and helps them resolve these problems and turn to God for the love they all deserve. If a student is struggling, Justin can help them.

Mathias Matthew is a new and upcoming speaker, writer and singer.

He won the talent contest at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in 2011 and has traveled the states performing before his peers at rallies and conferences.

Matthew is active in his parish as a cantor, youth representative on the pastoral council and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Diocese of Wilmington Youth Leadership Team.

As a teen, Matthew shares his public high school experiences and shows it is possible to stand up for Christ.

Besides giving his testimonial and sharing his musical talents, Matthew will help Catholic Youth Advisory Council members with the rally’s opening hour of fun and music.

In the evening, DJ Bill Lage of the Catholic Dance will entertain students and wrap up the day.

Your junior high kids will not want to miss out on this fantastic day.

Registration deadline, through one’s parish, is Wednesday, March 20. The cost is $35 per student and $15 per chaperone. Students must be chaperoned to come to this event.

Also included will be reconciliation, Mass, adoration, workshops in the afternoon and lots of fun for all.

Don’t let your junior high student miss out on this totally Catholic day designed specifically for those in sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

For more information, contact Kathy Loney in the diocesan Youth Office at (701) 356-7902 (work) or on her cell at (701) 866-5945.