OND Dec. AB 2015 Vol. 69 No. 22

VOL. 69, NO. 22

WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG

DECEMBER 16, 2015

Open wide the doors for Christ!

From the Vatican to Crookston, jubilee year begins as Christmas approaches

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica to inaugurate the Jubilee Year of Mercy at the Vatican Dec. 8. Read the full story on Page 14. (CNS photo/ Max Rossi, Reuters)

INSIDE

VOL. 69, NO. 22:

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner blesses the open Door of Mercy at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Sunday, Dec. 13. Turn to Page 11 to read the full story.

(Photo credit: Janelle C. Gergen/OND)

Pg. 3 - Diocesan Pilgrimage to NCYC Pg. 8 - 2015 Year in Review Pg. 11 - Holy Door opened at Crookston Cathedral

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December 16, 2015

COMMENTARY

A

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Voice from the Valley

BY BISHOP MICHAEL J. HOEPPNER

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS! A very blessed and joyous Christmas to all. I pray that your Christmas and the coming year are filled with wonder at God’s gift to the world … his Divine Son, Jesus the Christ.

Christmas is about wonder.

As you who are parents can certainly attest, the birth of every child is a miracle which elicits deep within us a sense of wonder and awe. In our everyday world though, it doesn’t take long before that wonder “gets obscured by late-night feedings, diapers, fevers, and inconvenient irruptions of fussiness and squalling.” (Eugene Peterson, “God With Us”) Yet, the birth we celebrate each Christmas continues to fuel our wonder.

Why the undying wonder? It’s because Jesus’ birth isn’t just any birth. We’re reminded when we hear the child’s names. He is Jesus (which means God saves).

He is Emmanuel, (which means God with us). In this birth, God, the Creator of all, enters our human world, takes on our flesh, is born of Mary, and does so to save us. We continually wonder at this Incarnation (in-carne means enfleshment).

That this birth is not just any miracle but the greatest of miracles is evidenced by the biblical Christmas story when we hear that Mary is both mother and virgin. Only God could do something like this. This birth

is beyond what we could even imagine. It is way beyond the human, way beyond what human beings could ever make happen on their own. Only the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit makes the birth of this child possible. Jesus, Emmanuel, is born of a woman, Mary, who is both mother and virgin.

At this, we continually wonder.

Let our wonder lead to worship! As Karl Barth put it: “The miracle of the virgin birth, maintained from the earliest times in the church and confessed in its creeds, is a summons to reverence and worship.”

Let us be eternally grateful and sing eternal praise to our God and Creator who entered into his creation, a creation darkened by human weakness and sin. This God loves us beyond death. “God does not disdain this world, despite its frailty, ambiguities and messiness. The God who became a helpless babe in a stable entered into our human anxieties and confusions and redeemed them” (Greg Pennoyer, “God With Us”).

In the biblical story of Christmas, wonder leads to worship – shepherds come to adore, magi come with gifts – and so may it be for all of us this Christmas.

May the wonder of Christ’s birth, the love and hope it brings, lead our hearts to worship and praise God. God loves us so much that when we were lost and could not find our way to him, he loved us more than

ever and sent his only son to us – Jesus, Emmanuel – to suffer and die that we might live happy forever.

“Oh, come let us adore him; Oh, come let us adore him; Oh, come let us adore him, Christ the Lord!”

‘LAUDATO SI’ As we thank God this Christmas for all of his blessings, I want to draw to a close our reflections on Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, which he began by quoting St. Francis’ own praise of God: Laudato Si. Pope Francis entitles the final chapter: “Ecological Education and Spirituality.” In this chapter, he proposes “some inspired guidelines” for a new path found in the treasure of Christian spiritual experience.

The new vision and way of life Pope Francis sets out in the encyclical requires a change in our lifestyle. It is easy to get caught up in consumerism. Yet, we can become more tempered in our use of things, less self-absorbed and more socially responsible.

In all our decisions and actions, we can learn to always assess the impact they will have on the environment and on others, especially the poor.

“If we can overcome individualism, we will truly be able to develop a different lifestyle and bring about significant changes in society,” Pope Francis wrote. We need to educate ourselves and our children to develop new habits. A person

BISHOP’S CALENDAR

who could spend and consume more can learn to spend and consume less. Even in the little things – using less water or electricity, plastic and paper usage, reusing instead of discarding – good will grow and spread. “Ecological education can take place in a variety of settings, at school, in the family, in the media, in catechesis,” Pope Francis writes. The Holy Father says that it is his hope that “our seminaries and houses of formation will provide an education on responsible simplicity of life, in grateful contemplation of God’s world and in concern for the needs of the poor and the protection of the environment.”

To Christians, and all people of good will, Pope Francis offers suggestions for an “ecological spirituality.” Recognizing the errors and sins of the past whereby we did harm to God’s creation, he says people need, “an ‘ecological conversion,’ whereby the effects of the encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them.” Individual and commu-

nal conversions are needed to foster a spirit of generous care, gratitude and gratuitousness, recognition of our interconnectedness and that the world is God’s loving gift to us. He says such conversion results in a lifestyle free from the obsession with consumption (less is more), a lifestyle that is a liberating way of living life to the full. The result: joy and peace.

“We are speaking of an attitude of the heart, one that approaches life with serene attentiveness that is capable of being fully present to someone without thinking of what comes next, that accepts each moment as a gift from God to be lived to the full,” the pope says.

The new lifestyle the pope talks about will be evident in the way we live together. God is our common Father and we are brothers and sisters; we form what he calls “a universal fraternity.” Pope Francis says, “We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world FROM THE VALLEY: Cont. on Page 5

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OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

DIOCESAN

December 16, 2015

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Diocesan youth join more than 20,000 at national conference

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

A delegation from the Diocese of Crookston joined more than 20,000 people at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis from Nov. 19-22. A group of 40 from Assumption, Barnesville, and St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls, joined Mark Hollcraft, Associate Director of the Office of the New Evangelization and Coordinator of Catechesis and Youth Ministry, for the biennial conference.

“The main idea of the conference is to invite the teens into greater awareness of the universal Church and its diversity in the United States,” Hollcraft said. To accomplish this, prayer experiences, engaging speakers and service opportunities are provided. Attendees are encouraged to mingle with others from around the country and exchange items representing their area. They also build relationships with their parish groups through break-out sessions and during small group time.

“It really is one of the most dynamic events for young people in our country,” Hollcraft said.

Hollcraft heard a lot of positive feedback from the diocesan group about the Australian worship band, For King and Country. He said the band shared a profound message about God’s love and the way he leads us through hard times, as well as a beautiful witness about the gift of our dignity as men and women who are sons

Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, gives the homily during the closing Mass on Nov. 22. The NCYC conference was attended by 23,000 high school students and chaperones, including a group of 40 from the Diocese of Crookston. Assumption, Barnesville, and St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls, were part of the diocesan delegation. (Submitted photo)

and daughters of God. NCYC provides an experience of the wider Church and world beyond the boundaries of the diocese. Theresa Renecker, Youth Minister at Assumption, Barnesville, said it can be a life-changing experience for students because they have an opportunity to step away from the challenges faced in high school and find loving acceptance.

Renecker hopes bringing young people to NCYC will help them build good memories within the Church and help them pass on the faith in the future.

Jayne Miller, Youth Minister

at St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls, considers NCYC an opportunity for her students to have a hands-on experience of the Church. One of Miller’s students said she was excited to return home and hoped to spread her new-found passion for the Catholic faith.

Hollcraft said, “We put ourselves and our teens in the presence of Jesus Christ and let God have his way in our hearts to form us, mold us and change us.” He hopes that those who attended NCYC will build on the experience, and grow in relationships with the Lord and each other.

Attending NCYC in a dioc-

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The altar used for the closing Mass was made with stones brought by NCYC participants.

(Submitted photo)

esan group helps build relationships among youth from different parishes that can continue through events like the High School Youth Rally, camps and other conferences, Hollcraft said.

According to Miller, the long bus trip, large crowds, eventful days and little time for sleep make attending NCYC a true pilgrimage. “It is a difficult journey, but the fruits far outweigh the difficulties,” she said.

Adoration was a highlight for many of the attendees, especially for one of Miller’s students who said she found a deeper understanding of the Blessed Sacrament. “This trip taught her that it really is Jesus,”

said Miller.

Renecker also noticed many of her students were deeply impacted by time spent in Adoration. “Some may say that you can go to Adoration in your parish without traveling so far, but to share Jesus’ presence with 23,000 other young people who are not afraid to show their love for God and the Church … there is nothing to compare it to,” she said.

Both youth ministers noticed the importance of the priesthood came to the forefront for their groups during NCYC. Miller said they were reminded how significant priests are for the Church. “Without priests we have no Jesus in the Eucharist,” she said.

She added that the kids view the priests and bishops who attend NCYC as “rock stars.”

NCYC’s closing Mass was one part of the conference where the presence of the priests and bishops was impossible to miss. More than 200 priests and 18 bishops concelebrated the Mass with Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

“When the bishops and priests process in, it seems like the line never ends. It is a sea of white; it is so beautiful,” Renecker said. “Those bishops and those priests are there because they care about all of our young people.”

This year, each participant was asked to bring a stone, but they didn’t find out why until they arrived. The stones were gathered and used to form the altar for the closing Mass. Renecker saw the rocks as a way for each person to bring themselves to the altar and to give themselves to Jesus.

“We have a beautiful faith in the Catholic Church,” said Renecker. “It’s heartwarming to see at NCYC we are not alone in our love for our Church.”

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December 16, 2015

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Merciful as the Father: A story within Psalm 25 It is a twin-told story. It always has been. And it always will be. It is the two-fold story of the journeyman and of God. One of those stories, for all of its unique variations and personifications throughout time nonetheless is almost always the same story. It is a story of struggle. The story of each man and every woman’s life is filled with tales of a journey of lows and highs, joys and pains, triumphs and failures.

It is a story of the struggle to leave sin behind and to find one’s way to abide in grace.

“Let me not be put to shame, let not my enemies exult over me …” (Psalm 25:2) “Turn to me and be gracious to me; for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress.” (vss 16-17) The other of the stories is a timeless tale told by journeymen throughout the ages who fought their way through to the heart of things. It is the story of constancy and everlastingness. It is the story of the God of mercy who yearns to scoop up the wearied and those wornout from their journey’s perils and sorrows and refreshes

CREDO A NEW EVANGELIZATION WITNESS

By Father Robert Schreiner, S.T.L.

Director of the Office of the New Evangelization

“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

– Psalm 25:10 them with an abiding freshness.

“O my God, in you I trust…” (vs 2) “… for you are the God of my salvation.” (vs 5) “… your compassion, O Lord and your merciful love … have been from of old.” (vs 6) “Good and upright is the Lord …” (vs 8) It is a twin-told story. One story is a story of want and need in search of meaning and fulfillment. The other story is one of an eternal desire of the Lover for the beloved; of Fullness seeking to pour itself out into newness and refreshment.

It is the story of the beloved – estranged by sin – seeking the

great return to the arms of everlasting, original and true love.

It is a drama, then, punctuated by the journey of struggle. But surely it is not the drama of a God struggling to be merciful with his beloved. No, the drama is always and fully one sided – it is ours. It is the struggle of the return. “Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions!” (vs 7) “For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” (vs 11) Sin and guilt and shame – these are heavy burdens never meant for us to carry, yet, too often, carry them we do. Some

choose, instead, to bury the memories of sins past in the hopes that denial will lighten the load. It never does. But the self-inflicted lie of denial-assolution can go on for years, blinding the journeyman to the path of freedom which is right before them. Placed there right in front of them. It is the path of the return; to refreshment; to peace; to freedom. Yet, no matter how stubborn or entrenched the guilt and shame of sin may be; no matter how old we’ve let it grow within our lives entangling itself in every crook and corner of our conscience, in the quiet, still moments of one’s life, when we think no one is looking or listening we hear a quiet voice pray deep within us – for us: “… deliver me, O Lord … let me take refuge in you.” (vs 20) And whether it be because of a word spoken to us or a sign which flashes amidst life’s rapid-fire paces, for one brief moment it’s like our eyes open to see something else in the terrain for the first time in a long time – right there, right in front of us. It’s a moment.

It’s more like a step. A step we first take interiorly which then

leads to our feet. Which leads in a direction. Which turns into a journey. And with each step of this journey, the load grows less heavy. “May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you, O Lord.” (vs 21) “The Lord instructs sinners in the way.” (vs 8) “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” (vs 9) Step by step the return becomes less like a climb and more like a dance. Mercy’s path lightens the burden until it is altogether refreshed and replaced – not so much like an empty hole filled, but more like a once cold room now radiating warmth or a darkness pushed out by an effusion of light. “My eyes are ever toward the Lord …” (vs 15) “… for you I have waited all the day long.” (vs 5) Friends, I pray this Jubilee Year of Mercy finds each of you embracing in your own life the twin-told story of a journey’s path to the everlasting arms of Divine Mercy. “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (vs 10)

Pornography and the Year of Mercy: Part 1 December 8 marked the beginning of the Year of Mercy as proclaimed by Pope Francis for the Church. This year of mercy certainly will have many dynamics of interest for those in and outside of the Catholic Church, one of which is it’s convergence with the U.S. Bishops’ statement about the topic of pornography. This November, the U.S. Bishops’ Conference approved a pastoral response to the issue of pornography through the Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

The document, “Create in Me a Clean Heart” can be found at www.usccb.org/cleanheart.

There is also a list of resources for those who are dealing with pornography use at an alternate website by the USCCB: www. foryourmarriage.org.

The widespread use and addiction to pornography has been a concern for the U.S. bishops for some time. They have been witnessing a number of issues within their flock, but until now there has not been a pastoral statement devoted

INTEGRITY

HUMAN PERSON INSIGHTS

By Dan Spadaro, MA, LPC Syndicated through The Colorado Catholic Herald

to this topic from the general conference. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, a member of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, stated at the initiation of this project, that this is an important opportunity “to invite people to freedom in Christ and his mercy.

That's part of the whole healing of this, the spiritual aspect."

Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, New York, and chairman of the Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Committee said, this statement “is directed primarily at Catholic leaders and parents, though with an eye to all who struggle with or are affected by pornography.”

The U.S. Church has aptly adopted the slogan, “Misericordes Sicut Pater” (in English: Merciful like the Father) for the Year of Mercy. This statement itself provides an opportunity to further reflect on our personal view of fatherhood as we seek out the purpose of this year in our lives. How did we experience fatherhood and where do we fall in terms of our image of God as father? Is he merciful or judgmental, kind or punitive? And quite often “fatherhood” holds a mixture of many images. In a Christian worldview, God is synonymous with “father.” He is seen as the perfect example of fatherhood, and as one who cares for us, his

children.

We also see, from a human developmental point of view, that our image of our parents influences our image of God. Commonly, those who have had struggles with pornography addiction, tend to have difficulties in their relationships with their parents and thus authority figures. Many had disconnected or isolated relationships with parents or others, and were determined to rely primarily on themselves.

When we seek to heal from the trap of pornography, we eventually understand the need to heal our relationships by replacing fear and anger with trust and a new understanding of obedience. Obedience in this sense is not fearful submission, but rather trust in an authority that has our best interests in mind. There is the awareness that we are not god, and we need God. Pornography could have been a way to assert control or seek comfort through the sexual fantasy, without the fear of real vulnerability and responsibility. So when we dis-

connect from the influence of our parents, even for legitimate reasons, there is also the risk of disconnecting from God. They tend to go together. So both are examined as a pathway to peace.

Fathers have a particular role in the moral development of a child, so much so for example, that if a dad disregards the faith, the children are significantly more at risk to be missing this part of their life as they enter adulthood. Our need as children is for affirmation and attention from a father and to be free from undue control or criticism.

Forgiveness is part of our return to a life free from pornography addiction towards a life of faith. If we look at some of the prerequisites for disposing ourselves to God’s mercy we find two basic ingredients: acknowledging our own sin and forgiving those who have hurt us. These are truly human acts, which involve the use of our intellect and will. (We will be exploring these further in part two of this column.)

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

December 16, 2015

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‘I believe in God, even when God does not speak’

This is the homily I shared at Mass on Sunday, November 15th, at Holy Spirit Newman Center in Bemdiji. It was just two days after the terrorist attack in Paris.

France. Don’t know if they have counted all the bodies yet.

For sure they haven’t counted the broken hearts … or the angry hearts; or the hearts filled with revenge; or the hearts who want to forgive but can’t.

What would Jesus do? What would Jesus say?

The readings today are leading up to next Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King. The end of the Church year is Saturday, November 28 as we begin a new year, Advent, on Sunday, November 29.

Just as the year is coming to an end, so too the readings talk about the end of the world as we know it. You can watch most TV evangelists and hear their predictions about the end and what it will look like but they are misguided.

Jesus assured us of two things when it comes to the end: First, we won’t know when it will

LIFE FIRST

By Father Don Braukmann

Parochial Vicar - St. Philip’s Parish, Bemidji and St. Charles Parish, Pennington

happen.

Second, we don’t have to be afraid. That much we know … but we don’t know why such horrible evil exists in the world when innocent ones are slaughtered … whether that be in a night club in France; in the waters and on the shores of Pearl Harbor and Normandy; in the twin towers of New York; in the school at Red Lake; in the gas chambers of Auschwitz; in a movie theatre in Colorado; in the abortion mill in Fargo; in the killing fields of Cambodia; in the deserts of Syria All the evil. All the hate.

We don’t know why or how the human mind can justify such violence, hatred and bloodshed … and most of it in the name

of God or “freedom”.

Some say that God abandoned Paris … all those who were trapped by the sick people with guns surely cried out to God … while the devil howled with delight.

Where was God? How can we NOT be afraid?

Well, we DO know where God was yesterday and still is.

God was in the hearts of the cowards with the guns, pleading with them to know the truth and the power of love. He was there, with innocent blood covering his body as he held those who were taking their last breath on this side of heaven.

He was there when the police and medics (and all those who rushed into the face of danger

to help and save the fallen) arrived … wondering if their own lives were the next to be sacrificed.

God was there when the knock on the door or the phone call came to parents and husbands and wives and moms and dads and children who were told their spouse, their daughter, their son, their parent had died.

God was in the operating rooms of hospitals throughout the city guiding the shivering hands of doctors and nurses removing bullets and shrapnel that came straight from hell.

God was wiping tears from many faces … and his own.

And if you listened carefully, you heard his voice echoing the wailing and anger which filled Paris, France and most of the world … as always happens when Satan raises his head.

In the midst of all the chaos, one sure thing will happen right here in Bemidji, as it will happen everywhere on this planet this weekend. An unworthy priest, bishop, cardinal or pope

will lift high the bread and the chalice proclaiming for all to hear that Christ has destroyed death; that God will not be silenced; and that love can and will overcome any evil. Satan had best go back to hell where he belongs.

Finally, I have shared this story with you before during my time in Bemidji, but it means more now than ever.

Sweeping across Germany at the end of WWII, allied forces searched farms and houses looking for snipers. At one abandoned house, almost a heap of rubble, searchers with flashlights found their way to the basement.

There on the crumbling wall, a Jewish victim of the Holocaust had scratched a Star of David, a Jewish symbol. And beneath it, in rough letter made with a piece of coal, it was written: “I believe in the sun … even when it does not shine. I believe in love … even when it is not shown. I believe in God … even when God does not speak.”

FROM THE VALLEY: Continued from Page 2 and that being good and decent are worth it.” What Pope Francis calls “an integral ecology” is made up of little gestures as well as big ones. Daily simple gestures of care and kindness can “break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness.” Along with these little gestures, Pope Francis says we can devise larger strategies “to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a ‘culture of care’ which permeates all of society.”

An ecological spirituality recognizes that the universe unfolds in God who fills it completely, and God can be discovered in all he has made. The Holy Father reminds us God uses what he has made to reveal himself. This is most evident in the sacraments, a privileged way in which nature is taken up

by God to become a means of mediating supernatural life. In the Eucharist, all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation. God himself became man and has given himself as food for his creatures. The Lord, giving himself as the Bread of Life, chooses to “reach our intimate depths through a fragment of matter,” Pope Francis says. He adds, “The Eucharist joins heaven and earth and embraces and penetrates all cre-

ation. ... Thus the Eucharist is also a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be stewards of all creation,” Pope Francis wrote. Christian spirituality also gives us Sunday to help us appreciate God’s gifts.

The pope calls this weekly day of rest “a day that heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world.” As the day of Christ’s resurrection, the first day of the new creation, Pope Francis says Sunday is “the pledge of the final transfiguration of all created reality. … It also proclaims ‘man’s eternal rest in God’.”

The interconnectedness of everything invites us to develop a spirituality of global solidarity flowing from the mystery of the Trinity. The Trinity, as a unity of three divine persons, and the world is a web of relationships. Writing about being made in the image of the Trinity, Pope Francis says, “it is proper to every living being to tend toward other things so that throughout the universe we can find any number of constant and secretly interwoven relationships.” He added, “The human person [made in God’s image] grows more, matures more and is sanctified more to the extent that he or she enters

into relationships, going out from themselves to live in communion with God, with others and with all creatures.” An ecological spirituality is one which recognizes in the pope’s words, “that global solidarity which flows from the mystery of the Trinity.”

Pope Francis reminds us that in our efforts for a new way, we have the help of Mary. Pope Francis says, “Mary, the mother who cared for Jesus, now cares with maternal affection and pain for this wounded world. … She grieves for the sufferings of the crucified poor and for the creatures of this world laid waste by human power.”

She is the mother and queen of all creation. Pope Francis says, “In her glorified body, together with the risen Christ, part of creation has reached the fullness of its beauty.”

In our efforts to find a new way, we have the help of St. Joseph. Pope Francis writes, “Through his work and generous presence, he cared for and defended Mary and Jesus, delivering them from the violence of the unjust … he can inspire us to work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world that God has entrusted to us.” In our efforts to find a new way, it is good to

remember that, as Pope Francis says, “At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God and be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery of the universe, which with us will share in unending plentitude.”

Pope Francis writes, “we come together to take charge of this home which has been entrusted to us, knowing that all the good which exists here will be taken up into the heavenly feast.” The Holy Father invites us to “sing as we go.”

He says, “May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.”

Pope Francis says, “In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us; he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward.

Praise be to him!”

And so, in his encyclical “Laudato Si”, Pope Francis presents to us a new vision for life. He invites us to a new mind-set, one based on the concept of integral ecology which understands that all living beings, human groups and systems as well as nonhuman ones – that

is all creation – are fundamentally interconnected. He invites us to an ecological conversion which is a real change of heart, a change of direction by taking on the beauty and responsibility of the task of caring for our common home. There is an urgent need to end what Pope Francis calls “the spiral of self-destruction that currently engulfs us” by taking care of mother Earth – especially its poorest inhabitants and its most vulnerable species and systems – in a new and more responsible way. The time is now and the good God who created all things in love will help us in the task.

And so, at the conclusion, Pope Francis offers two prayers.

The first is called A Prayer for our Earth, and is for all who believe in God the all-powerful Creator. The other, A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation, is for Christians to, as the pope says, “ask for inspiration to take up the commitment to creation set before us by the Gospel of Jesus.” May our prayers be heard and may God strengthen us in our conversion to better care for one another and all God has given us.

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December 16, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation

St. Francis of Assisi, Fisher (Submitted photo)

St. Joseph's, Ada (Submitted photo)

Blessed Sacrament, Greenbush, and St. Joseph's, Middle River (Submitted photo)

St. Joseph's, Red Lake Falls (Submitted photo)

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Group takes pilgrimage to Rome

Father Craig Vasek led 51 people on pilgrimage to Rome, Italy.

They gathered to take a photo with St. Peter’s Basilica in the background. The group of travelers consisted of people from Bemidji, Roseau, Hallock, and the state of Michigan. They traveled from Oct. 25 – Nov. 4. Some highlights included Masses at St. Francis Basilica, in the Chapel of the Eucharistic miracle, in Sienna; at the Duomo of Orvieto, Umbria, where the blood stained altar cloth was encased from a Eucharistic host, which a priest held as he had doubts of the truths of transubstantiation; and in a side chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica where Pope John Paul II is entombed. The group also heard an address from Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square, and received his blessing. (Submitted photo)

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

December 16, 2015

7

Join pro-life citizens from around the state at MCCL’s March for Life Catholics who would like to help save the lives of unborn children and to protect their mothers from the devastation of abortion can make a real difference on Jan. 22. Following the 10:30 a.m. Prayer Service for Life at the Saint Paul Cathedral in downtown St. Paul, the annual MCCL March for Life will begin at noon on the State Capitol grounds.

The 2016 March for Life, sponsored by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), commemorates the 43rd anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton U.S. Supreme Court decisions that legalized abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. These devastating rulings have resulted in the deaths of more than 59 million unborn children, including more than 600,000 in Minnesota. “Abortion is the greatest human rights issue of our time,� said MCCL Executive Direc-

tor Scott Fischbach. “We encourage Catholics throughout Minnesota to speak up for the sanctity of human life by participating in the MCCL March for Life.�

Each year on Jan. 22, citizens march and call on lawmakers to enact protective legislation.

The 2016 legislative session begins March 8, but many legislators will be at the Capitol on Jan. 22. Citizens can encourage their lawmakers to attend the MCCL March for Life. Prominent pro-life state and national officials are expected to attend the MCCL March for Life.

Every pro-life voice is needed to demonstrate that the pro-life movement is as strong as ever!

Help make this the largest, most effective MCCL March

for Life by attending this onehour event with your family and friends. Marchers will be provided with pro-life signs on the Capitol Mall. (Due to extensive restoration work, the Capitol building will be closed. Mobile toilets will be provided.) In case of severe weather, check our website and Twin Cities news outlets or contact MCCL at mccl@mccl.org or 612-8256831.

In summary, the MCCL March for Life begins at noon on Jan. 22, at the State Capitol.

Buses will come from across Minnesota; watch your local paper for details. For more information, visit www.mccl.org, e-mail mccl@mccl.org or call 612-825-6831.

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WHO

ID[

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Publication Title: Our Northland Diocese. 2. Publication Number: 414-940 3. Filing Date: Dec. 1, 2015. 4. Issue Frequency: Bimonthly, except once in July and December.

5. No. Of Issues Published Annually: 22. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $16.34 in diocese; $17.88 outside of diocese. 7. Mailing Address of Office of Publication: P.O. Box 610, Crookston, MN 56716. 8. Mailing Address of the Headquarters of General Business Office: P.O. Box 610, Crookston, MN 56716. 9. Names and Addresses of Publisher and Editor: Northland Diocese Association, Publisher; Mrs. Janelle C. Gergen, Editor, 1200 Memorial Drive, P.O. Box 610, Crookston, MN 56716. 10.

Owner: Northland Diocese Corporation, Most Reverend Michael J. Hoeppner, Msgr. Michael Foltz; P.O. Box 610 Crookston, MN 56716. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding One Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12. For Completion by Non-profit Organizations Authorized to Mail at Special Rates: The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during the preceding 12 months.

A. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run)

Avg. Copies Each Issue in Previous 12 Mos.

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13,397

13,321

B. Paid Circulation 1.

Paid/Requested Mail Subs.

11,913

11,856

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Sales Through Dealers, etc.

0

0

3.

Requested Copies Distributed by Other USPS Mail Classes

0

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C. Total Paid and Requested Circulation

6

6

D. Non-requested Distribution

13,334

13,249

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13,249

13,334

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72

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100

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THESE STATEMENTS ARE CORRECT AND COMPLETE – JANELLE C. GERGEN, EDITOR, DECEMBER 1, 2015

Two become priests

"They will be consecrated as true priests of the New Testament to preach the Gospel, to shepherd God's people, and to celebrate the sacred liturgy."

– Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner Ordination Mass Homily, May 23, 2015

The Diocese of Crookston celebrated the ordination of two priests – Father John Christianson and Father Bryan Kujawa – on May 23.

Father Christianson is the Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks; St. Francis Assisi, Fisher; and Holy Trinity, Tabor. Father Kujawa is the Parochial Vicar and Director of Moorhead Campus Ministries for St. Joseph's, Moorhead. (OND file photo)

YEAR IN REVIEW

From a year-long, worldwide celebration of consecrated life, to Pope Francis visiting the U.S., to the Diocese of Crookston ordaining two priests, the past year has been full of excitement at every level of the Church.

January: A March for Life was held in Bemidji on Jan. 17; more than 80 people walked in support of life.

February: The Sisters of Mount St. Benedict hosted an open house at their monastery on Feb. 8 to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life.

▪ Seminarians Nate Brunn and Matt Schmitz received ministries from Archbishop Joseph Tobin at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology on Feb. 19. Brunn was installed as a lector and Schmitz received the ministry of acolyte.

▪ On Feb. 24, a Mass of Healing and Thanksgiving was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass was initiated by Father Mario Prada. During Mass, an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick was offered.

March: During a March 13 Lenten penance service at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis called for a Holy Year of Mercy to be celebrated from Dec. 8, 2015 through Nov. 20, 2016.

April: More than 200 youth gathered at AdaBorup High School on April 18 for the Middle School Youth Rally. St. Joseph’s, Ada, hosted the rally.

May: The fifth annual Rosary Convocation was held at Old Crossing Treaty Park in Huot, Minn. on May 13. 100 people attended Mass at the outdoor Marian Shrine and gathered for a meal afterward. (OND file photo)

▪ Father John Christianson and Father Bryan Kujawa were ordained on May 23 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

June: Nearly 30 participated in a pilgrimage sponsored by Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks, on June 12. The event celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The group walked 11 miles from Fisher to the Cathedral. (OND file photo)

▪ Father Joe Richards and Father Larry Delaney celebrated their silver jubilees with a Mass and reception at St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, June 15.

▪ An evangelization workshop was held at St. Lawrence, Mentor, on June 18. The event, sponsored by the Office of the New Evangelization, was attended by 85 people involved in evangelization at parishes across the Diocese of Crookston.

▪ Pope Francis’ encyclical about the environment, “Laudato Si” was released on June 18.

July: In July, Bishop Hoeppner released a pastoral statement regarding the United States Supreme Court Decision Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex unions. To view the statement, visit www.crookston.org/diocese/ bishop/from-the-bishop.

▪ St. John Paul II Camp took place from July 5 – 9 at Northern Pines Retreat Center in Park Rapids. The diocesan camp is sponsored by the Office of the New Evangelization each summer for students entering seventh through ninth grade.

▪ On July 12, Sister Judy Moen and Sister Nancy Boushey of Mount St. Benedict celebrated their golden jubilees.

▪ From July 13-16, nine members of the Diocese of Crookston attended the St. John Bosco Conference at Franciscan University of Stuebenville, Ohio. Their attendance was made possible by the Catholic Community Foundation’s Faith for Tomorrow Grant.

▪ On July 26, the following Benedictine sisters celebrated jubilees: Sister Karen Violette and Sister Bridget Durkin celebrated 60 years; Sister Dominica Gerszewski, Sister Olivia Hermann and Sister Regina Hansmann celebrated 70 years; and Sister Brigetta Buckley, Sister Edith Bedard and Sister Eulalia Brophy and Sister Joan LaCoursiere celebrated 75 years.

August: St. Charles, Pennington, celebrated their 75th anniversary on August 1.

▪ The fifth annual Esto Vir Men’s Vocation Camp was held from August 3-5 at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp. This year, 14 young men from around the Diocese of Crookston attended.

▪ Bishop Hoeppner blessed bells for the new tower at St. Lawrence’s, Mentor, on August 5.

▪ Congregation of St. Joseph Sisters Ruthann Scherer and Barb Kauffman celebrated their Golden Jubilees during Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on August 16.

▪ St. Joseph’s, Fertile, celebrated their centennial and held a ground breaking ceremony for their new church on August 16. (OND file photo)

▪ Nearly 150 people gathered outside Planned Parenthood in Bemidji on August 22 to protest the organization in response to videos released this year.

▪ Sacred Heart, Wilton, celebrated their Centennial August 23.

Bishop Hoeppner meets with 10 pilgrims during the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. (Photo submitted by the Office of the New Evangelization)

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

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September: Diocesan Ministry Day was held Sept. 1 for teachers, principals, pastors, school personnel and youth ministers from around the diocese.

▪ Father Francis “Frank” Kulhawik died on Sept. 2 at the age of 100. His funeral was at St. William’s, Twin Valley, on Sept. 8.

▪ Former Vikings player and Baltimore Raven’s Super Bowl champion, Matt Birk, spoke to students at Sacred Heart School on the first day of school, Sept. 8.

(1) ▪ St. Ann’s, Goodridge, celebrated their (2) parish centennial on Sept. 19.

▪ The Cathedral of the Immaculate During 2015, OND Conception celebrated the 25th ancelebrated consecrated niversary of the dedication of the (3) life with a series of articles current building on Sept. 20. covering religious orders in the ▪ A group of 10 represented the Diocese of Crookston, people from the diocese living consecrated life elsewhere Diocese of Crookston at the and experiences of religious orders.

World Meeting of Families Although the series is done, the Church-wide held in Philadelphia from celebration of consecrated life will continue until Sept. 22-28.

(4) Feb. 2, 2016. Visit issuu.com/dioceseofcrookston ▪ Pope Francis was in the to read the stories listed by issue below.

U.S. from Sept. 23-27.

(1) VOL. 69, NO. 4: BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF MOUNT SAINT October: Seven candiBENEDICT, CROOKSTON – Sister Shawn Carruth led a tour of dates studying for the Mount Saint Benedict Monastery during their open house on Feb. permanent diaconate in 8. The Sisters of St. Benedict have had a monastery in Crookston the Diocese of Crooksince 1919. (OND file photo) ston received the min(2) VOL. 69, NO. 6: THE CONGREGATION OF ST. JOSEPH – The (5) symbol of the lacy cross ties to the beginning of the Sisters of St. istry of acolyte Oct. 3 Joseph when they made lace in France during the 1600s. Six sisters in Bishop’s Chapel at came to Argyle in 1903, and the rest is history. (OND file photo) the Chancery.

(3) VOL. 69, NO. 8: MISSIONARY OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE ▪ George and Lil– Father John Cox and Father Joseph Hitpas belong to the Missionary lian Maruska of Oblates of Mary Immaculate and serve six parishes in the Diocese of Holy Rosary, DeCrookston. (OND file photo) troit Lakes, were (4) VOL. 69, NO. 9: SISTER NANCY BOUSHEY, BENEDICTINE SISTER AT honored at DioceGOOD SHEPHERD MONASTERY, RIO GRANDE CITY, TEXAS – Sister Nancy san Marriage Celeand two other sisters from Mount Saint Benedict have been working on establishing a monastery in Texas since 1991. (Submitted photo) bration Day at the (5) VOL. 69, NO. 12: FATHER ROBERT KELLER, ORDER OF PREACHERS – Cathedral of the Father Keller is the novice master for the Dominican Province of St. Albert Immaculate Conthe Great. Originally from East Grand Forks, he is currently in Denver, Co. ception on Oct. 4.

Father Keller is pictured with another Dominican friar. (Submitted photo) (OND file photo)

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Our Holy Father visits America

Pope Francis made his inaugural papal visit to the U.S. from Sept. 22-27. During his whirlwind trip he visited three cities on the east coast, spoke at a joint session of Congress, and concluded his journey with the 8th World Meeting of Families.

Articles about the following ways his visit was brought home to the Diocese of Crookston can be read in OND archives at www.crookston.org/ond in Vol. 69, Nos. 18 and 19.

▪ Students at St. Joseph's, Moorhead, made a video welcoming Pope Francis to America and prayed a rosary for him on Sept. 23.

▪ Deacon Kermit Erickson of St. Philip's, Bemidji, was on the White House lawn during a welcome ceremony for Pope Francis on Sept. 23.

▪ Cathy Bjorklund of St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, saw Pope Francis' address to Congress from the West Front Lawn of the Capitol Sept. 24.

▪ Ten pilgrims from the Diocese of Crookston attended the World Meeting of Families and saw the popemobile pass by twice in addition to seeing him during the conference.

Ye ar o fC ons

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December 16, 2015

Celebrat in

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(6) VOL. 69, NO. 13: BROTHER LOUIE BACHAND AND BROTHER NICHOLAS ERICKSON, BENEDICTINE MONKS AT ASSUMPTION ABBEY, RICHARDTON, N.D. – Brother Louie, originally from Oklee, made his first vows in 1987. Brother Nicholas is from Moorhead, and has been a member of the monastic community since 1992. (Image credit: Assumption Abbey) (7) VOL. 69, NO. 15: SISTER SHAWNA FOLEY, SISTERS OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN FARGO, N.D. – Sister Shawna, of Bemidji, Minn., is the Director of the Presentation Prayer Center at Sacred Heart Convent in Fargo. (OND file photo) VOL. 69, NO. 17: ASHLEY BEUTLER, HANDMAIDS OF THE (7) (8) HEART OF JESUS, NEW ULM, MINN. – On August 30, Beutler, a native of Moorhead, became a postulant with the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus. (Submitted photo) (9) VOL. 69, NO. 20: THE SISTERS OF LIFE – Msgr. David Baumgartner experienced a retreat with the Sisters of Life in Connecticut and shared reflections about his experience of consecrated life. (Submitted photo) (8) (10) VOL. 69, NO. 21: SISTER SHERYL CATHERINE OF MERCIFUL LOVE, CARMEL OF THE SACRED HEART, HUDSON, WIS. – Sister Sheryl Guzek was serving as a youth minister at Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks, when the Lord called her to become a Carmelite (9) nun. This picture was taken after she professed her solemn vows.

(Submitted photo)

▪ The High School Youth Rally was held in Bemidji on Oct. 15. Students heard from international Catholic apologist Matt Fradd and completed a variety of service projects at this year’s rally.

▪ At the end of October, the Office of the New Evangelization in partnership with Covenant Eyes, sent a 60-day free trial of internet filtering and accountability software to 14,000 homes in the Diocese of Crookston November: The Office of the New Evangelization led a rosary on Nov. 1 outside Planned Parenthood in Bemidji.

▪ From Nov. 19-21, teens from Assumption, Barnesville and St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls, attended NCYC in Indianapolis. Turn to Page 3 to read more.

December: On Dec. 8, Pope Francis opened the Door of Mercy at St. Peter’s for the Jubilee Year of Mercy that will last until Nov. 20, 2016. Read more on Page 14.

▪ The Door of Mercy was opened at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 13. Go to Page 11 to learn about local pilgrimage opportunities.

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December 16, 2015

COMMENTARY

WORD to LIFE December 20 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Micah 5:1-4a; Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19;

Hebrews 10:5-10;

By Jeff Hedglen Catholic News Service In May of 1986 I started work as the youth minister of my parish. Later that year when plans were drawn up for a new parish hall, I was promised a youth room with all the bells and whistles of modern design. I was excited but, as often happens in a growing parish, the plans were put on hold until the church could raise the necessary funding.

Along the way, other priorities intervened and the planned facility with the promised youth room was delayed. Finally, 20 years later, the new hall including a state-of-the-art youth room was opened. That experience came to mind as I was reading this week’s Gospel when Elizabeth says to her cousin Mary, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

To be sure, the promise of a room dedicated to youth ministry pales in comparison to the promise of the coming of the savior of the world, but it reminds me that promises made and promises kept are a huge part of our life and faith.

In our human life there are many promises. Parents promise to be there for their children, and there is an implicit promise that the children will grow up and leave some day. Siblings and friends have an inherent promise to have each other’s backs and to love each other through good and bad times.

In our life of faith the church promises to be faithful and provide the sac-

raments, and the Scriptures are full of promises. In addition to the promise mentioned in the Gospel, the prophet Micah offers background for the promise that later is fulfilled in Mary when he states that from Bethlehem there shall come a ruler whose origin is from of old.

Micah lived around the year 700 B.C. That means that through him God made a promise that took 700 years to be fulfilled. This makes my 20-year wait for a dedicated youth space seem like nothing.

Sometimes it may seem that God is slow in keeping his promises, but as sure as a youth room would come to fruition at my parish, ever surer is the hope that God will fulfill all that he has promised.

Questions: What promises have you made that have yet to be fulfilled?

How have God’s promises been fulfilled in your life?

“BLESSED ARE YOU WHO BELIEVED THAT WHAT WAS SPOKEN TO YOU BY THE LORD WOULD BE FULFILLED.” – LUKE 1:45

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

FOR FAITH-SHARING GROUPS

December 27 FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 or 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; Psalm 128:1-5 or Psalm 84:23, 5-6, 9-10; Colossians 3:12-21 or Colossians 3:12-17 or 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24 Gospel: Luke 2:41-52

By Sharon Perkins Catholic News Service During the past year, Pope Francis’ Wednesday audience talks have emphasized and explored the holiness of the human family, warts and all. Additionally, the recent World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia and the Synod of Bishops on the family in Rome continued to stir debate both inside and outside the Catholic Church.

I suspect that family-related social issues and decisions about pastoral care of families – all kinds of families – will shape our conversations for a significant period of time. And that’s a good thing.

Prior to the World Meeting of Families, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia published a preparatory study booklet entitled “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.” Its summary statement declared: “We believe that love is our mission, and that this mission is the only way we can be fully alive and be who we were created to be. We believe that this love should be taught, shared and communicated in and through the family, the domestic church. We believe that the family shares in the mission of the whole church.”

What does a “family fully alive” look like? Today’s Scripture readings give us some clues: respect for parental authority; compassion and kindness toward the aged and feeble; children regarded as blessings and not as burdens; wives and husbands subordinate and loving toward each other; forgiveness, thankfulness, patience and peace; a devout family life of prayer and communal religious celebration; and, sometimes, the experiences

of loss, anxiety and confusion as parents learn to let go of their adult children.

The feast of the Holy Family celebrates the most “fully alive” family of all. Still, just as Jesus had to remind Joseph and Mary that his life’s purpose transcended their immediate family concerns, we are reminded that our families’ lives – complex, varied and abundant as they are – do not simply exist for our own benefits and purposes.

Each Christian family has a vocation, shared in and through the whole church.

So we must hold loosely “our” possessions, “our” interests, “our” comforts and “our” aspirations for our children, knowing that our families are part of a much bigger family that has at its core the mission of a love poured out for the whole world. Jesus, Mary and Joseph did this willingly; we are called to follow in their footsteps.

Questions: How would you describe your family as being “fully alive”?

In what ways is the mission of the Christ and his church lived out through your own family?

“WHY WERE YOU LOOKING FOR ME? DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT I MUST BE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE?” – LUKE 2:49

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

DIOCESAN

December 16, 2015

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Holy Door opened at Crookston Cathedral

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

On Dec. 13 during the 9 a.m.

Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner joined bishops around the world in opening a Door of Mercy.

Pope Francis called for the opening of Doors of Mercy as part of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. The holy year began with Pope Francis opening the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and will continue until Nov. 20, 2016, the Feast of Christ the King.

Three hundred faithful gathered with Bishop Hoeppner to celebrate opening the local Door of Mercy by processing from the Cathedral gymnasium through the door of the church.

According to the Rite of

Those in attendance for the Rite of the Opening of the Door of Mercy at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception process in to Mass on Dec. 13. (Photo credit: Janelle C. Gergen/OND)

Opening of the Door of Mercy in Local Churches, “The procession represents the Church’s

pilgrimage, a practice that ‘has special place in the Holy Year because it represents the jour-

ney each of us makes in this life’ (MV, 14). The procession recalls the fact that ‘mercy is also a goal to reach and requires dedication and sacrifice.’”

The procession was led by the Book of the Gospels to represent Christ walking with his people and the light that is offered by the word of God as found in the Gospel. A papal blessing with a plenary indulgence was bestowed by Bishop Hoeppner at the end of Mass.

During the Year of Mercy, cathedrals – including the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – and other places with doors of mercy will be places of pilgrimage, as requested by Pope Francis.

Pilgrims are invited to come to the Cathedral with the special intention of receiving a deeper understanding of God’s mercy, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The normal times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the Cathedral are Wednesday’s from 12-1 p.m. and Saturdays from 4-5 p.m. Groups wishing to plan a pilgrimage to the Cathedral are asked to contact Deb Peterson at 218-281-1735 to ensure a priest or priests are available to hear confessions during their pilgrimage. Even if a group will be travel with a priest, a call to arrange the visit is still requested.

Pilgrimage guides containing information about the Year of Mercy, blessings before and after a pilgrimage, and the Vatican prayer and hymn for the jubilee year are available at the Cathedral or online at www. crookston.org/yearofmercy.

More resources and information about Year of Mercy events in the Diocese of Crookston can be found there as well.

wants your news and advertisements!

Find 2016 publishing dates and submission deadlines on the web: www.crookston.org/ond The next OND submission deadline is: Wednesday, January 6 by 12:00 p.m.

E-mail: Janelle C. Gergen, Associate Editor jgergen@crookston.org

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December 16, 2015

NATIONAL

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Breaking pornography’s corrosive chains: US bishops focus on pastoral response to smut at fall assembly

By Brian Fraga Correspondent, National Catholic Register

Editor’s note: This article was reprinted with permission from the National Catholic Register – www. ncregister.com WASHINGTON — Seeking to address the epidemic of widespread and readily available pornography, the U.S. bishops will vote on a proposed formal statement at their annual Fall General Assembly, Nov. 16-19, in Baltimore.

“Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography” will be the first formal statement issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) focused exclusively on a pastoral response to pornography’s production and use. The statement will require a two-thirds affirmative vote from the conference membership to be approved.

“It’s to raise awareness of the negative effects of pornography on men, women, children, youth, marriage and families,” said Bethany Meola, the assistant director of the USCCB’s Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family and Youth.

Meola told the Register that the statement, which had not been released as of press time, will also aim to give a word of mercy, hope and healing to those who have been hurt by pornography, including individuals addicted to it, their spouses and children harmed by its production.

“All of that is within the Church’s rich teaching of the human person, the human body, sexuality, chastity and redemption,” Meola said.

The statistics surrounding pornography are staggering.

According to Covenant Eyes, an Internet anti-pornography filtering and accountability pro-

gram, there have been more than 1.8 billion online searches for pornography since the start of 2015. One in five mobile searches is for pornography, which generates $13 billion in revenue each year.

Whereas in the past, someone had to go to a store or theater to rent, buy or watch pornographic films, explicit and free pornography can now be accessed online within seconds.

The American Psychological Association says 40 million Americans visit pornographic sites each year, and the average age of first exposure to pornography for men is 12 years old.

“People ask me why this is such a drug of choice. … It’s affordable, accessible, anonymous, accepted and aggressive,” said Peter Kleponis, a licensed clinical therapist and the assistant director of Comprehensive Counseling Services in Conshohocken, Pa. Kleponis, author of Integrity Restored: Helping Catholic Families Win the Battle Against Pornography, told the Register that he proofread the U.S. bishops’ formal statement on pornography, which he described as short, fewer than 50 paragraphs. Kleponis said the document offers a basic overview of the dangers of pornography, such as how it harms the brain, its addictiveness and the negative effects on family relationships and friendships, and it offers help for people seeking resources, including therapy, support groups and literature.

“I think it’s very good. It’s definitely something that needs to be addressed,” Kleponis said.

“Anything we can do to get this conversation started, I think, is excellent. That is what I see this document really doing: getting people to start talking about it.”

The U.S. Conference of

Catholic Bishops has addressed pornography in some resources, including a 1998 statement, “Renewing the Mind of the Media: Statement on Overcoming the Exploitation of Sex and Violence in Communications,” and in a 2009 pastoral letter, “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.”

Some individual bishops have also issued pastoral letters, including former Kansas City -St. Joseph, Mo., Bishop Robert Finn, with “Blessed Are the Pure in Heart” ; and Arlington, Va., Bishop Paul Loverde, with “Bought With a Price.”

Several bishops have also instituted programs in their dioceses aimed at assisting and educating the faithful about how to protect themselves and their families from pornography’s snares and steps to overcome its addiction. One such program is “My House” in the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kan. “An important part of overcoming the epidemic of pornography in our country and all its negative effects upon so many people in our culture is awareness,” said Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann, who is a member of the Religious Alliance Against Pornography.

Archbishop Naumann told the Register that he is “delighted” that the bishops’ conference will be releasing a formal statement on pornography, which he said dehumanizes and objectifies its participants and undermines authentic love by creating a counterfeit.

“I think the fact that the bishops of the United States are holding this up as an important moral and social issue for our country is significant and will itself raise awareness, particularly within the Catholic community, of the need to address

the evil which is pornography, which attacks individuals, marriages and families,” Archbishop Naumann said.

Bishop Michael Hoeppner of the Diocese of Crookston, Minn., also told the Register that he is “very pleased” with the upcoming pastoral statement.

Said Bishop Hoeppner: “Pornography traps so many people. … I hope that [the document] sheds clear light on the problems — on the harm that pornography does. I hope it gives clear direction as to how people might be helped. I hope that supplemental resources can be developed and provided for people to use. I hope to specifically see clarity to the problem that is pornography and to see a hand of help to those who are affected by it.”

The Diocese of Crookston recently entered into a partnership with Covenant Eyes to provide comprehensive resources, including a Web-based training program, to help parents strengthen their families and protect their children from pornography. Bishop Hoeppner said the partnership offers “concrete steps to fight pornography and to promote chastity.”

Amanda Zurface, the coordinator of justice, marriage and family life in the Diocese of Crookston’s Office of the New Evangelization, told the Register that the diocese has chosen to be proactive in the battle against pornography and equip the faithful with the appropriate tools for healing and protection.

Said Zurface: “I am convinced that, in our culture, a culture that is so overcome and overwhelmed by pornography, if we don’t address the negative effects of pornography, along with what the Church teaches

regarding pornography, and if we don’t shine Our Lord’s mercy onto the many issues that surround pornography, nothing else will be effective in our evangelization and catechetical efforts.”

Meola, of the bishops’ conference, said the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth spearheaded the statement’s development, in consultation with other USCCB committees and offices and lay experts.

“It grew out of the committee’s concerns over the effects of pornography, specifically on marriages and families,” Meola said. “Through its development, it became clear that the statement needed to address other aspects of pornography as well, including on those who are not married, so other committees became involved as collaborators on the project.”

In a prepared statement, Bishop Richard Malone of Buffalo, N.Y., the chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, said the document “is directed primarily at Catholic leaders and parents, though with an eye to all who struggle with or are affected by pornography.”

Meola also said the statement is meant to be a foundation and touchstone for future resources, including guidelines to help priests address the issue and for parents to protect their families and children.

Said Meola, “Hopefully, it will be a strong addition to the work that is already ongoing.”

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Pope Francis’ themes for 2015: Family, ecology, but mostly mercy

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – At the Vatican and on five continents in 2015, Pope Francis continued to encourage and demonstrate a style of evangelization that emphasizes walking with people, listening to them and showing them God’s mercy.

On the 1,000th day of his pontificate, which began March 13, 2013, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica and inaugurated the Year of Mercy to help Catholics “rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father, who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them,” he said at Mass Dec. 8.

With his gestures, homilies and speeches, the first 33 months of his pontificate led toward that door in a way very much like the early years of St. John Paul II’s energetic papacy prepared him to lead the church into the new millennium, calling Catholics to throw open the doors of their hearts to Christ.

He showed a willingness to take risks to spread the message

when he decided to anticipate the Holy Year far from the Vatican. Ten days before the jubilee began at St. Peter’s, he opened the Holy Door at the cathedral in violence-torn Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 29.

Mercy, the family and the environment topped the list of topics repeatedly and insistently discussed by Pope Francis and Catholic leaders across the globe in 2015.

None of the topics was treated just on the level of theory.

Discussing concrete situations, though, set off a seemingly endless series of debates, including: Are there situations where justice and truth prevent some expressions of mercy and forgiveness?

How far can the church go in acknowledging and welcoming families who do not fully live up to the church’s ideal? Is climate change as real and as dangerous as most scientists say?

Pope Francis kept saying he welcomed the discussion and debate, that it was important and a sign that the church is alive.

However, there also were times, particularly at the Synod of Bishops on the family in October,

when he indicated that some of the rhetoric had crossed the line.

The pope and synod affirmed repeatedly that God’s ideal for the family is based on the marriage of one man and one woman, united for life and open to having children. Without acting as if every form of modern family life was equally valid, but also without “demonizing others,” the pope said at the end of the gathering, the synod wanted “to embrace fully and courageously the goodness and mercy of God, who surpasses our human calculations and wants nothing other than that ‘all would be saved.’”

Other than enjoying a restful August, he added more than 50,000 miles to his frequent-flyer account. He visited Sri Lanka and the Philippines in January; Bosnia-Herzegovina in June; Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay in July; Cuba and the United States in September; and Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic in late November.

Each trip featured visits to prisons, hospitals and soup kitchens or other places where Christian charity and mercy take their most concrete forms. He

spoke in the halls of power, including at the United Nations and at the U.S. Congress, where he was the first pope to address a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Whether soaked repeatedly by rain like he was in the Philippines or baked by the sun like in Cuba, he called on governments to put the needs and rights of their people first, and he called on Catholics to bend down with love and care to help society’s most needy and defenseless members.

In the document department, the highlight of the year was the June release of his much-anticipated encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Si”.

At the United Nations in New York, at U.N. offices in Nairobi and in speeches at the Vatican, Pope Francis urged world leaders meeting at the Paris Climate Conference in December to put the needs of the earth and its inhabitants – both present and future – before desires for political or financial gain.

Pope Francis also drew attention to internal church matters.

With his international Council

of Cardinals, work continued toward reorganizing the Roman Curia and revamping spending and budgeting procedures to ensure responsibility and transparency.

And if mercy must be at the heart of the church’s message, “synodality” – walking together – must mark its internal relationships, he said. The themes of synodality and collegiality have been present since the beginning of Pope Francis’ pontificate and featured in his exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium,” published in 2013. But he developed the notions further this year, particularly when marking the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops.

In a synodal church, he insisted, leadership is not about power, but about service. “We must never forget: for the disciples of Jesus – yesterday, today and forever – the only authority is the authority of service; the only power is the power of the cross,” he said.

And the cross, he said opening the Year of Mercy, is the clearest sign of God’s mercy, love and willingness to forgive sinners.

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Holy Year is a reminder to put mercy before judgment, pope says

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis’ voice echoed in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Open the gates of justice.” With five strong thrusts, the pope pushed open the Holy Door, a symbol of God’s justice, which he said will always be exercised “in the light of his mercy.”

The rite of the opening of the Holy Door was preceded by a Mass with 70,000 pilgrims packed in St. Peter’s Square Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the beginning of the extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy.

Amid a crowd of dignitaries and pilgrims, a familiar face was also present at the historic event: retired Pope Benedict XVI, who followed Pope Francis through the Holy Door into St. Peter’s Basilica.

During his homily, Pope Francis emphasized the “simple, yet highly symbolic” act of opening the Holy Door, which “highlights the primacy of grace;” the same grace that made Mary “worthy of becoming the mother of Christ.”

through the Holy Door, then, may we feel that we ourselves are part of this mystery of love.”

Fifty years ago, he said, the church celebrated the “opening of another door,” with the Second Vatican Council urging the church to come out from self-enclosure and “set out once again with enthusiasm on her missionary journey.” The council closed Dec. 8, 1965.

Pope Francis, the first pope to be ordained to the priesthood after the council, said the counPope Francis greets retired Pope Benedict XVI prior to the opening of cil documents “testify to a great the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 8. (Photo advance in faith,” but the council’s importance lies particularly credit: CNS/Maurizio Brambatti, EPA) in calling the Catholic Church to The feast of the Immacu- stressed, is a gift of grace that al- return to the spirit of the early late Conception, he continued, lows Christians to experience the Christians by undertaking “a serves as a reminder of the gran- joy of encountering the trans- journey of encountering people deur of God’s love in allowing forming power of grace and re- where they live: in their cities Mary to “avert the original sin discovering God’s infinite mercy and homes, in their workplaces. present in every man and woman toward sinners.

Wherever there are people, the “How much wrong we do church is called to reach out to who comes into this world.”

“This is the love of God which to God and his grace when we them and to bring the joy of the precedes, anticipates and saves,” speak of sins being punished by Gospel. After these decades, we he said. “Were sin the only thing his judgment before we speak of again take up this missionary that mattered, we would be the their being forgiven by his mer- drive with the same power and most desperate of creatures. cy,” he said. enthusiasm.”

“We have to put mercy beBut the promised triumph of Shortly after the Mass, as Christ’s love enfolds everything fore judgment, and in any event thousands of people waited in God’s judgment will always be in St. Peter’s Square for a chance in the Father’s mercy.”

The Year of Mercy, the pope the light of his mercy. In passing to walk through the Holy Door,

Pope Francis led the midday Angelus prayer.

The feast of the Immaculate Conception has a special connection to the start of the Year of Mercy, he said, because “it reminds us that everything in our lives is a gift, everything is mercy.”

Like Mary, the pope continued, Christians are called to “become bearers of Christ” and to “let ourselves be embraced by the mercy of God who waits for us and forgives everything. Nothing is sweeter than his mercy. Let us allow ourselves to be caressed by God. The Lord is so good and he forgives everything.”

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PRAYER CALENDAR

JANUARY 2016

JANUARY 1 SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD Fr. Emmanuel Sylvester JANUARY 2 STS. BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN, BISHOPS, DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH Fr. Craig Vasek JANUARY 3 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Fr. Dennis Wieland JANUARY 4 ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, RELIGIOUS Fr. Larry Wieseler (retired) JANUARY 5 ST. JOHN NEUMANN, BISHOP Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner JANUARY 6 ST. ANDRÉ BESSETTE, RELIGIOUS Bishop Victor H. Balke (retired) JANUARY 7 ST. RAYMOND OF PEÑAFORT, PRIEST Fr. Todd Arends JANUARY 8 CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY Msgr. David Baumgartner JANUARY 9 CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY Fr. James Bernauer (retired) JANUARY 10 THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Fr. Don Braukmann JANUARY 11 WEEKDAY Fr. Luis Buitron JANUARY 12 WEEKDAY Fr. Tim Bushy JANUARY 13 ST. HILARY, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. John Christianson JANUARY 14 WEEKDAY Fr. John Cox, OMI JANUARY 15 WEEKDAY Fr. Bill DeCrans JANUARY 16 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Joe DeCrans

JANUARY 17 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Larry Delaney JANUARY 18 WEEKDAY Fr. Antony Fernando JANUARY 19 WEEKDAY Msgr. Mike Foltz JANUARY 20 ST. FABIAN, POPE, MARTYR, ST. SEBASTIAN, MARTYR Fr. Tom Friedl JANUARY 21 ST. AGNES, VIRGIN, MARTYR Fr. Augie Gothman JANUARY 22 WEEKDAY Msgr. Roger Grundhaus (retired) JANUARY 23 ST. VINCENT, DEACON, MARTYR; ST. MARIANNE COPE, VIRGIN; BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Adam Hamness JANUARY 24 THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Joseph Hitpas, OMI JANUARY 25 THE CONVERSION OF PAUL THE APOSTLE Fr. Chuck Huck JANUARY 26 STS. TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS Fr. Xavier Ilango JANUARY 27 ST. ANGELA MERICI, VIRGIN Fr. Joe Kieselbach (retired) JANUARY 28 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, PRIEST, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. John Kleinwachter JANUARY 29 WEEKDAY Msgr. Donald Krebs (retired) JANUARY 30 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Bryan Kujawa JANUARY 31 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Rick Lambert

VOCATION PRAYER OF POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II: Lord Jesus, as you once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come follow me! Give young men and women the grace of responding quickly to your voice. Support our bishops, priests, and consecrated people in their apostolic labor. Grant perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are carrying out the ideal of a life totally consecrated to your service. Awaken in our community a missionary eagerness.

Lord, send workers to your harvest and do not allow humanity to be lost for the lack of pastors, missionaries, and people dedicated to the cause of the Gospel. Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation, help us to say “yes” to the Lord who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation. Amen.

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POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTIONS

JANUARY 2016

UNIVERSAL INTENTION:

INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

That sincere dialogue among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice.

EVANGELIZATION INTENTION: CHRISTIAN UNITY

(Photo credit: CNS)

That by means of dialogue and fraternal charity and with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Christians may overcome divisions.

DAILY SCRIPTURE JANUARY 1 - Nm 6:22-27; Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21 JANUARY 2 - 1 Jn 2:22-28; Ps 98:1-4; Jn 1:1928 JANUARY 3 - Is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12 JANUARY 4 - 1 Jn 3:22–4:6; Ps 2:7bc-8, 1012a; Mt 4:12-17, 23-25 JANUARY 5 - 1Jn 4:7-10; Ps 72:1-4, 7-8; Mk 6:34-44 JANUARY 6 - 1 Jn 4:11-18; Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12, 13; Mk 6:45-52 JANUARY 7 - 1 Jn 4:19–5:4; Ps 72:1-2, 14, 15bc, 17; Lk 4:14-22a JANUARY 8 - 1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147:12-15, 1920; Lk 5:12-16 JANUARY 9 - 1 Jn 5:14-21; Ps 149:1-6a, 9b; Jn 3:22-30 JANUARY 10 - Is 42:1-4, 6-7; Ps 29:1-4, 9-10; Acts 10:34-38; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22 Or Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 104:1b-4, 24-25, 27-30; Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22 JANUARY 11 - 1 Sm 1:1-8; Ps 116:12-19; Mk 1:14-20 JANUARY 12 - 1 Sm 1:9-20; (Ps) 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8; Mk 1:21-28 JANUARY 13 - 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20; Ps 40:2, 5, 7-10; Mk 1:29-39 JANUARY 14 - 1 Sm 4:1-11; Ps 44:10-11, 1415, 24-25; Mk 1:40-45 JANUARY 15 - 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a; Ps 89:1619; Mk 2:1-12 JANUARY 16 - 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a; Ps 21:2-7; Mk 2:13-17 JANUARY 17 - Is 62:1-5; Ps 96:1-3, 7-10; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11 JANUARY 18 - 1 Sm 15:16-23; Ps 50:8-9,

JANUARY 2016 16b-17, 21, 23; Mk 2:18-22 JANUARY 19 - 1 Sm 16:1-13; Ps 89:20-22, 27-28; Mk 2:23-28 JANUARY 20 - 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51; Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10; Mk 3:1-6 JANUARY 21 - 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7; Ps 56:23, 9-13; Mk 3:7-12 JANUARY 22 - 1 Sm 24:3-21; Ps 57:2-4, 6, 11; Mk 3:13-19 JANUARY 23 - 2 Sm 1:1-4;, 11-12, 19, 23-27; Ps 80:2-3, 5-7; Mk 3:20-21 JANUARY 24 - Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Ps 19:8-10, 15; 1 Cor 12:12-30 or 12:12-14, 27; Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21 JANUARY 25 - Acts 22:3-16 or 9:1-22; Ps 117:1bc, 2; Mk 16:15-18 JANUARY 26 - 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5; Ps 96:13, 7-8a, 10; Mk 3:31-35 JANUARY 27 - 2 Sm 7:4-17; Ps 89:4-5, 2730; Mk 4:1-20 JANUARY 28 - 2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29; Ps 132:1-5, 11-14; Mk 4:21-25 JANUARY 29 - 2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Ps 51:3-7, 10-11; Mk 4:26-34 JANUARY 30 - 2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17; Ps 51:12-17; Mk 4:35-41 JANUARY 31 - Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17; 1 Cor 12:31–13:13 or 13:4-13; Lk 4:21-30

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