OND August B Vol. 69, No. 15

VOL. 69, NO. 15

WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG

AUGUST 26, 2015

Learning about Circle of Grace

New children’s curriculum to be implemented across diocese

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND MENTOR, MINN. — On August 6, a day-long workshop was held at St. Lawrence, Mentor for those involved in teaching safe environment lessons to youth.

The 53 attendees learned about the Circle of Grace training program that will be implemented this fall.

Mary Beth Hanus, a licensed social worker and Manager of the Office of Victim Outreach and Prevention for the Archdiocese of Omaha in Nebraska, helped write the Circle of Grace Program. She traveled to the Diocese of Crookston to provide a workshop introducing the program to those who will implement it.

“I will have succeeded if you leave here and you’re passionate about the program,” Hanus told attendees at the beginning of her presentation.

She said the purpose of the training day is to share how the program was developed, why it was created and how to best use it.

The training shared the flexibility of the program, and how to implement the lesson plans in a variety of situations in youth group settings, religious education classes and Catholic school classrooms.

Jim Clauson, Safe Environment Coordinator for the Diocese of Crookston, shared a few remarks at the beginning of the workshop.

“Since I started … we’ve been

doing different things,” he said.

“I’m just really excited because this program, Circle of Grace, is being used in several dioceses and they’re having very good luck with it.”

Up until this point, the diocese has been using materials from several different sources to complete mandated Safe Environment training with youth in kindergarten through 12th grade. Clauson said one of the problems with that system was the lack of uniform, cohesive training.

He met Hanus at a Safe Environment conference in Omaha, and began looking into the Circle of Grace program.

Hanus said she often gets TRAINING: Continued on Page 7

Jan Thompson, St. Francis Xavier, Lake Park, and Phyllis Ellenson, St. Mary’s, Badger, look at activity cards from one of the second grade lessons during Circle of Grace training on August 6. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

Example of foundress's life lights way to religious life

Sister Shawna enjoys connecting with other Presentation sisters around globe

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND FARGO, N.D. — “If I could be of any service in saving souls in any part of the globe, I would willingly do all in my power,” said Venerable Nano Nagle, foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Sister Shawna Foley is the Director of the Presentation Prayer Center at Sacred Heart Convent in Fargo, N.D. She is the daughter of Al Foley, a longtime school administrator in the Diocese of Crookston.

Sister Shawna spent quite a while discerning her vocation, but eventually the influence of the Presentation Sisters and the life of their foundress drew her in.

INSIDE

VOL. 69, NO. 15:

REALIZING HER CALL Sister Shawna grew up surrounded by the Church. Some of her early memories include using Ritz crackers to play Mass with her siblings.

“When we were growing up, our parents encouraged us – actually it wasn’t encouragement, it was more like they dragged us – to Mass with them,” she said.

The family prayed together and was active in religious education.

Sister Shawna Foley of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fargo, N.D., poses for a photo with a statue of the order’s foundress, Nano Nagle at Sacred Heart Convent, Fargo. Sister Shawna was drawn to the religious order by the stories of Nano serving and caring for the poor in Ireland.

She said this statue shows the foundress holding a lantern because she would often wander the streets at night looking for people in need. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

Sister Shawna attended Bemidji State University and lived at the Newman Center for a year and a half. While there, Sister Shawna filled out a card with her name and address hoping to receive some information about discerning religious life.

Pg. 6 - St. Joseph’s Centennial and Groundbreaking Pg. 8 - CSJ Golden Jubilarians Celebrated Pg. 11 - World Meeting of Families Series

“I didn’t realize when I filled that thing out that I was going to get information from hundreds of congregations,” she said. She was overwhelmed by the flood of pamphlets and fliers.

“I didn’t know what I wanted

to do,” she said. “I didn’t know if I wanted to go into religious life but I also didn’t know what I wanted to do about anything.”

She left BSU 20 credits shy of graduating, and ministered PRESENTATION: Continued on Page 12

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COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Voice from the Valley

BY BISHOP MICHAEL J. HOEPPNER

During Mass this morning at the Chancery, I prayed the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer. This Eucharistic Prayer highlights our loving God as Creator and Savior. It begins, “We give you praise, Father most holy, for you are great and you have fashioned all your works in wisdom and in love.” It goes on to speak of God forming human beings in His Own Image, giving them dominion over all creatures and loving the world so much that he sent his only Begotten Son to be our savior.

Pope Francis beautifully lays open for us this same wonderful truth in the second chapter of his encyclical “Laudato Si.” He entitles it: The Gospel of Creation. While acknowledging that some people might disagree, he says the truth is that both “science and religion, with their distinctive approaches to understanding reality, can enter into an intense dialogue fruitful for both.” The light offered by faith makes a unique and indispensable contribution to this dialogue and in this second chapter, the Holy Father highlights a number of aspects of that contribution.

First, Pope Francis says, the Bible reminds us that creation is not the result of chance, of a show of force, or a desire for self-assertion. Creation is the result of a loving decision of God and God’s love is the fun-

damental moving force in all created things. It is important for us to know and appreciate the preeminent value and dignity of every human being, for we are created by God out of love and made in God’s image and likeness.

Building on these basic truths about creation, Pope Francis notes how the Bible suggests that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor, and with the earth itself. While human beings are given dominion over creation to work the land and care for it, dominion does not mean absolute domination.

Human beings are to use creation responsibly, respecting the garden of the world and ensuring its fruitfulness for coming generations. We must recognize that all other living beings have a value of their own. Sin disrespects right relationships and ruptures the harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation. When Cain sinned against his brother, his relationship with God was ruptured and he was “cursed from the ground.” (Gn 4:11) Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor, for whose care and custody I am responsible, ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the

earth. Yet sin did not have the last word. God gave humanity the chance of a new beginning.

Renewal, Pope Francis says, entails recovering and respecting God as Creator and in finding balance and fairness in our relationships with others and with the land.

Balance and fairness is needed first in recognizing that God is God, the Creator and Lord of all creation. If we forget this, Pope Francis says, we end up worshipping earthly powers or ourselves. He wrote, “The best way to restore men and women to their rightful place, putting an end to their claim to absolute dominion over the earth, is to speak once more of the figure of a father who creates and who alone owns the world.” Also, he said, we need to learn to see and appreciate everything, “as if it were a caress of God.” Everything can speak to us of the beauty and love of God if we let it: soil, water, mountains. Grasping the variety of things in their multiple relationships shows us the richness of God. Faith allows us to see and to interpret the meaning and the mysterious beauty of what is unfolding in our world and our history. Balance and fairness also allows us to acknowledge the preeminence of the human person while respecting the proper value of all creation. Without fair-

BISHOP’S CALENDAR August 27-28

Region VIII Provincial Meeting

September 9

Minnesota Catholic Conference, St. Paul

September 20 September 20

9:00 a.m.

3:00 p.m.

Mass, Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston Bishop’s Guild Dinner, Chancery, Crookston

ness and balance, Pope Francis says, “we see an obsession with denying any preeminence to the human person; more zeal is shown in protecting other species than in defending the dignity that all human beings share in equal measure.” He also wrote, “It is clearly inconsistent to combat trafficking in endangered species while remaining completely indifferent to human trafficking, unconcerned about the poor or undertaking to destroy another human being deemed unwanted.” And he adds, “Any indifference or cruelty toward fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings.”

Balance and fairness respect the universal communion of all creation. And, Pope Francis says, “our hearts [are] authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity that excludes nothing and no one.”

Another contribution of Christian faith Pope Francis

FROM THE VALLEY: Continued on Page 5

(USPS 414-940) Our Northland Diocese is a semi-monthly newspaper committed to publishing Good News for the purpose of strengthening and furthering the Reign of God in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston.

Subscriptions: $16.34 per year in the diocese, $17.88 per year outside the diocese.

Publisher:

The Most Reverend Michael J. Hoeppner Bishop of the Diocese of Crookston

Editor:

Rev. Robert Schreiner Office of the New Evangelization, Director

Associate Editor:

Mrs. Janelle C. Gergen jgergen@crookston.org

Editorial Assistant: Mrs. Katrina Genereux

kgenereux@crookston.org Proofreader:

VICTIM ASSISTANCE STATEMENT If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, your first call should be to law enforcement. If you have been abused by a Catholic priest or another person in Church ministry, the Diocese of Crookston Victim’s Assistance Coordinator is also available to offer you help and healing. Please contact Louann McGlynn at 218-281-7895 (24-hour confidential number) or Lmcglynn@crookston.org.

mentions is that, “The earth is essentially a shared inheritance whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.” There is a right to private property but that right is not absolute. Pope St. John Paul II wrote in “Laborem Exercens,” his encyclical letter on human work, “The principle of the subordination of private property to the universal destination of goods, and thus the right of everyone to their use, is a golden rule of social conduct and the first principle of the whole ethical and social order.”

There is always what Pope Francis calls a “social mortgage” on all private property to assure that all goods may serve the general purpose that God gave them. In “Laudato Si”, Pope Francis says, “The rich and the poor have equal dignity and this has practical consequences. The natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of every-

Deacon Dan Hannig

For questions about subscriptions or address changes, please contact: Renee Tate at rtate@crookston.org Periodical postage paid in Crookston, MN and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: send address changes to: Our Northland Diocese PO Box 610, Crookston, MN 56716-0610 Phone: 218-281-4533 Publishing dates and submission deadlines for news and advertisements can be found online: http://www.crookston.org/ond/

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

USCCB provides many resources for annual focus on catechesis Submited by Mark Hollcraft, Associate Director of the Office of the New Evangelization and Coordinator of Catechesis and Youth Ministry

This year, the Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on Sept. 20. The focus and theme will be: “Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Human Person.”

Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.

This year’s theme reminds us that the dignity of each human person rests in the biblical teaching (Gn 1:26-27) that he or she is made in God’s image and likeness. It also reminds us that we, the baptized, may need to actively support and protect others from all sorts of harm.

We must cherish human life from the moment of conception to natural death.

We invite those whom the community has designated to

serve as catechists to be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry on Catechetical Sunday. As in past years, a variety of materials have been prepared to assist pastors, parish catechists, Catholic school teachers and the faithful in celebrating Catechetical Sunday, not only in September, but also throughout the 2015-2016 year. These materials are provided free of charge. USCCB Publishing will also sell printed copies of prayer cards, family commitment cards, posters, and certificates in English and Spanish.

In 1935, the Vatican published “On the Better Care and Promotion of Catechetical Education,” a document that asks every country to acknowledge the importance of the Church’s teaching ministry and to honor those who serve as catechists.

Beginning in 1971, the USCCB began producing materials to help parishes celebrate the event at the local level. The Committee of Evangelization and Catechesis continues to publish Catechetical Sunday materials each year.

Find this text and more resources for Catechetical Sunday at: www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/ how-we-teach/catechesis/catechetical-sunday/ human-dignity/index.cfm.

DIOCESAN

August 26, 2015

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August 26, 2015

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

A pornographic culture: Part 2 THE CULTURE Pornography has formed the culture we now live in. Pornography is not just an individual’s problem to work out on his or her own. No one person can separate himself or herself from the scourge of pornography. It has created a culture of its own, and this culture is impacting each one of us spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally. There are immense moral, social, and spiritual dangers.

The movies and television we watch, even our state and national laws, and our public schools now tell us how and what to think in regard to our sexuality. Their main message: Human-sexuality has no Godgiven purpose. Society – the Pornographic Culture – says we can use our sexuality however we feel. That is, do what you want, how you want, when you want, at the cost of the dignity of the human person.

Kristen Clark, author of the article “5 Ways Our Culture is Grooming Your Daughter for Porn” shares this: “Whether your daughter is seven years old or seventeen, our culture is grooming her for an appetite for pornography.”

Clark is speaking directly about our daughters, but this is the case for all of us. Society is grooming girls and boys, as well as men and women, in a way that all of us may acquire an appetite for porn and even begins to lead us down a path

CREDO A NEW EVANGELIZATION WITNESS

By Ms. Amanda Zurface, JCL

Coordinator of Justice, Marriage and Family Life Office of the New Evangelization

of dehumanization. It may be subtle on some occasions, but it’s happening and it has been happening. With every “sexscene” we innocently watch at the movie theater or the advertisements we see in magazines and at malls, romance novels we read, nude images we accidently come across on social media, Clark expresses “… we are slowly becoming desensitized and our conscience and sensitivity to purity and morality is weakened and our view of sex is being watered down. We are one step closer to viewing porn as a harmless pleasure.”

A JUSTICE ISSUE! Pornography currently utilizes over 12 percent of the Internet, with 25 million sites, which make $5 billion in profit a year.

Those who work for the pornography industry are typically pulled into it by the promise of money that can be easily made without an education, references, or prior experience. This industry doesn’t discriminate, and it targets the most vulnerable: the poor, the abused, marginalized and even children.

It is becoming increasingly known that more of the “work-

ers” or more appropriately, the “victims,” are younger girls, sometimes even children. The vulnerable are dehumanized and innocence is destroyed for profit. Further, it is becoming more apparent that there are critical links between the use of pornography and the prevalence of sex trafficking. While human trafficking may seem like an issue that has little to zero impact on our own community, we need to think again.

The Red River Valley is a corridor for human trafficking.

THE IMPACT How is the Pornographic Culture impacting us most directly? Let’s ask the question in a few different ways: How does an addiction to pornography impact your vocational discernment? How does it impact your marriage? How is it impacting the development of your children? How is it impacting your participation at Mass, the sacraments, and your involvement in your parish community?

To answer these, we must talk about sin. The struggles that are involved with pornography are sinful, often times mortal sin.

No consumption of pornogra-

phy can be justified. You have been lied to if you have been told that it’s not sinful or harmful to use pornography in certain circumstances. Someone may have told you that it’s OK to use pornography as a form of therapy; that pornography can be a helpful aid in sexual development; or it can be helpful with intimacy between you and your spouse. You are owed an apology.

As consumption of pornography grows, men and women begin to lie and cover up their pornography usage, domestic violence and child abuse can begin to occur, families fall apart from the many effects and hardships pornography brings into the family, and crime may become an issue. Pornography suffocates our vocations, deadens our hearts to spiritual things and damages human relationships. It erodes the family. If the person is married, the first to feel the violence of pornography use is always their spouse. If a married couple has children, they are next to feel its effects. By the presence of pornography, intimacy is taken out of that household.

PROTECTION If you’re seeking to protect yourself or your marriage and family from the culture’s effects, you might wonder where to start. Here are some pointers: •Set yourself up with the Covenant Eyes accountability and

filtering software. Find more information at www.crookston. org/COVENANTEYES. •If you have an addiction to pornography, seek out a spiritual director or therapist who affirms the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexuality.

•Have ongoing, healthy, God-centered conversations about sexual temptations with your children.

•Renew your commitment to your spouse before God; pray as a family.

•Keep the Sabbath holy and frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

•Learn about Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

•Find one or two faithful Catholic friends who can hold you accountable for living your faith.

•If necessary, discontinue cable and Internet services.

•Pray for the victims of the pornography and human trafficking industry.

Each human being is unique and unrepeatable. Each one of us was created for perfect love.

God wants infinitely more for us than what a Pornographic Culture has to offer. Remember, in our weaknesses, he always offers his mercy, compassion and grace to persevere and overcome obstacles that keep us from fully loving him and our brothers and sisters. So, here’s the last pointer: Don’t give up – trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ!

A heated summer defending life, marriage – Don’t forget to pray!

I don’t know from whom I stole this quote but it is important for all of us to remember: “We can become so busy with the deeds of the Lord, we forget the Lord of the deeds.”

It is time for us to take a deep breath, admit it has been a summer filled with heart-wrenching controversies for us as Catholics and then kneel with arms outstretched and let God be God. We must remember God’s promise as we defend our faith amid the chaos of our culture and our world. As God promised, there will be a day when there are no more tears, no more pain, no more fear.

The promise restated again and again by Christ at each Mass – “This is my Body,” and “This is my Blood” – is a loud

LIFE FIRST

By Father Don Braukmann

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

and clear statement to the world that death and evil do not have the final say in our lives. The Eucharist unleashes a power for good which weaves its way around the globe and offers hope to a desperately hopeless world.

Planned Parenthood may continue to dismember children in the womb for profit, but Christ – in Mary’s womb – caused the unborn John the Baptist to leap for joy. Remem-

ber, the first one on earth to recognize Jesus Christ was an unborn child!

Those who like to play God may still rationalize the killing of people to show it is wrong to kill people via the death penalty, but Christ will not be outdone in compassion as he himself suffered the death penalty of his day. Remember, the last one on earth to recognize Jesus Christ was the man on death row crucified next to Jesus.

The use of terror by ISIS, the debate over Iran and the bomb and the threat of terror on our shores may grow, but Christ tossed demons by the thousands out of the hearts of men and women in his day. The demons still cower in the corners fearing their demise.

Cancer may continue to confound the doctors and Alzheimer’s may still rob the memories of loved ones, but Christ is still the Divine Physician and the greatest healing of all is to go home … home to heaven where our physical body and its suffering is shed.

Politicians may not break the habit of pillaging the reputations of their opponents or changing views with the political breeze, but Christ remains king, savior and lord; even if

the politicians think they know better.

The darkness tries to overpower the light, yet it has already failed. The truth cannot be re-written … the tomb on Easter morning was empty, and still is.

A prayer from Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy: My God, I am yours for time and eternity. Lord, I am yours forever. It is you that must teach me to trust in your providence, loving Lord. You are a God of love and tenderness. I put my faith in you, and I ask that you grant me acceptance of your plan, O loving Lord. Take from my heart all painful anxiety. Let nothing sadden me but sin, and let my delight be hoping to see your face, God, my all.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

August 26, 2015

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Power politics vs. faithful citizenship If a decline in the percentage of people who vote is any indication, people are disheartened with our political system.

There seems to be a collective feeling that politics is nothing more than a partisan power struggle that serves special interests instead of the common good. People do not believe that their one voice makes a difference amidst a cacophony of competing voices.

Though there are plenty of reasons for pessimism, Christians cannot give into despair.

The public arena requires our witness, and Christians cannot sit on the sidelines or delegate to others their responsibility to be faithful citizens.

As Pope Francis recently said, “A Church or a Christian who does not give witness is sterile; like a dead person who thinks they are alive; like a dried up tree that produces no fruit; an empty well that offers no water!”

THE DEAD END OF POWER POLITICS One of the reasons politics seems so fruitless today is that it is often conflict-driven — a

FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA

By Ms. Kathryn Mollen

Policy and Outreach Director Minnesota Catholic Conference

“The public arena requires our witness, and Christians cannot sit on the sidelines or delegate to others their responsibility to be faithful citizens.” power struggle among rigid, ideological factions or interest groups.

Feeling “disempowered,” some people form groups to “take back power.” For example, Saul Alinsky, Chicago’s infamous political organizer, wrote the book, “Rule for Radicals,” as a manual for the “havenots” on how to organize their voices and take back power from the “haves.”

Ultimately, however, such “power struggles” are self-defeating. They typically coarsen the public discourse and cre-

ate enemies instead of building bridges of dialogue. As this dynamic has become endemic to modern politics, people are thirsty for a new style of politics.

POLITICS AS A FORM OF CHARITY Pope Francis has said that politics, in the mind of the Church, is one of the “highest forms of charity.” Those who enter the political arena contribute to the conversation about how we order our lives together—that is, they work for

the common good.

As Catholics, we should not engage in politics for the sake of gaining and wielding power.

Rather, we engage in politics to share the social teachings of the Church in order to breathe life into our communities.

Though Saul Alinsky’s “power struggle” tactics are ultimately self-defeating, he was correct in recognizing that people need to participate in the political process and share their views with public officials in order to effect change. Imagine the change hundreds of thousands of Catholics could make if they participated in politics to promote life and dignity throughout our state.

BE A FAITHFUL CITIZEN Often, activists tell us to participate in the political process, or “get involved.” People sometimes stop listening because they do not know how.

One wonders, what can I do?

Participating in politics through elections, public debate, and the legislative process is an exercise of service and civic friendship (“solidarity”) where Christians are desperate-

ly needed to foster the common good. Beyond voting, as Catholics we can participate by letting public officials know our views on policy matters as informed

by Catholic social doctrine.

To help you with the task of communicating with your elected officials, the Minnesota Catholic Conference has created the Catholic Advocacy Network. Through periodic emails and monthly E-updates, Network members are given simple, concrete ways to promote life and dignity through the political process. In addition, the Catholic Advocacy Network is expanding and offering volunteer opportunities to help Catholics in their parishes and communities participate in public policy through an authentic Catholic lens.

Modeling a different style of politics rooted in civility and rational discourse will help contribute to a renewal of political life. As Catholics, we need to give witness and speak together as one voice to promote life and dignity in the public sphere.

FROM THE VALLEY: Continued from Page 2 one. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all.”

Pope Francis ends this chapter holding up the greatest contribution to the understanding of reality: Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, through whom and for whom all things have been created (c.f. Col 1:16).

Pope Francis notes how Jesus took up the biblical faith in God the Creator, calling God “Father,” and how Jesus taught his disciples to recognize the paternal relationship God has with all of his creatures. Pope Francis says, “With tenderness he would remind them that each one of them is important in God’s eyes. ‘Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?

And not one of them I forgotten before God’ (Lk 12:6).”

Jesus could teach others to be attentive to the beauty of creation because he himself was constantly in touch with nature, living in full harmony with it – “even the winds and the sea obey him.” (Mt 8: 27) Pope Francis notes how Jesus is the Risen Lord and the des-

tiny of all creation is bound up with him. Remaining present throughout creation by his universal Lordship, Jesus directs our gaze to the end of time when he will deliver all things to the Father so that “God may be everything in everyone” (1 Cor 15:28).

Pope Francis says, “The creatures of this world no longer appear to us under merely natural guise because the risen one is mysteriously holding them to himself and directing them toward fullness.” He continues, “Here we can add yet another argument for rejecting every tyrannical and irresponsible domination of human beings over other creatures. The ultimate purpose of other creatures is not to be found in us.

Rather, all creatures are moving forward with us and through us toward a common point of arrival – which is God – in that transcendent fullness where the risen Christ embraces and illumines all things. Human beings, endowed with intelligence and love, and drawn by the fullness of Christ, are called to lead all

creatures back to their Creator.

Faith allows us to interpret the meaning and the mysterious beauty of what is unfolding.”

What a beautiful reflection on the unique and indispensable

contribution our faith makes to the dialogue and understanding of creation Pope Francis gives in this second chapter. And so, “our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures

and to worship him in union with them.”

This, my friends, is what we do in each and every Eucharist.

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August 26, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

St. Joseph’s honors past, steps into future during centennial celebration

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND FERTILE, MINN. — On August 16, St. Joseph’s, Fertile, celebrated the past 100 years and looked to the future as they broke ground for their new church.

“100 years is a milestone,” said Gay Webster. “When I came to Fertile, there were very, very few Catholics … we have a nice little parish here.” Webster is looking forward to having a new church building. It will be located at the corner of 438th St. SW and 105th Ave. SW, in Fertile. Webster said she likes that the location is across the street from the cemetary because her son, Mark is buried there.

She added that it is time for a new church. “It is needed,” she said. “It will be good to have handicap accessibility in the new building.”

Mary Kiefert helped organize the day’s celebration. “It’s a very close-knit parish,” she said. “It’s been one of the best parishes we’ve belonged to.”

“A lot of Lutheran churches in town are celebrating their 125th anniversaries,” she said, joking that the Catholics were the latecomers to Fertile.

Kiefert is excited for the new building. “We have been raising money for a long time,” she said. The parish bought the land for the new building in 2009.

Aaron Rongen was also part of the planning committee.

He expressed his gratitude for the good example of the older members of the parish and the strong foundation of faith they have built in the community.

“It’s pretty exciting … to know that the parish that has continually grown and stuck together through constant changes is now building a church,” said Rongen. He said they hope to celebrate Mass in their new church sometime in 2016.

“I’m looking forward to the groundbreaking tonight as a physical sign of building the cornerstone of the church,” Rongen said.

The Centennial Celebration began with outdoor games and fellowship followed by a program including music, a trivia game and a review of their history.

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner, Father Joe Richards, the current pastor of the parish, and former pastors Msgr. Roger Grundhaus and Msgr. Gerald Noesen were present for the celebration.

Bishop Hoeppner and Father Richards concelebrated Mass at 5 p.m.

At the start of Mass, Bishop Hoeppner invited everyone to pray for those parishioners of the past and future. “Hold in your mind and your heart those who you know have been here but are now deceased. Pray for them,” he said. “We pray that the Lord continue to bless us here, and we also … look to the future and pray for our young people and the generations yet to come.”

During his homily, Bishop Hoeppner said, “One day, a hundred years from now, the faithful – God-willing – will be here talking about us and the generations that came before.

Let’s celebrate, giving thanks to God, in faith, and receiving Jesus, the Bread of Life, who sustains us and sends us out into the world to work hard to bring change … to bring light to those who are in darkness, to help people understand the work that leads to eternal life and to accept the good news of forgiveness, salvation and recreation.”

After Mass, a potluck dinner was served. Following dinner, people grouped together to pilgrimage to the future site of St. Joseph’s church. A handful of people walked, but most drove, following a trailer decorated with a large Bible and signs proclaiming the centennial.

Bishop Hoeppner led the groundbreaking ceremony.

“This groundbreaking today enlivens our faith,” he said.

“Whenever we look to the interests of our neighbor or the community, to serve them, we are, in a sense, God’s coworkers. Let us pray for his help as we celebrate … that God might one day bring the work here in this place to successful completion.”

He concluded, saying, “My friends, let us ask God, our allpowerful Father, that our work will contribute to the building up of his kingdom and join us in faith and love to Christ, who

Some parishioners of St. Joseph’s, Fertile, walk a little more than a half mile to the future site of their church for a groundbreaking ceremony following the parish Centennial Celebration. (Photos credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

Mary Kiefert and Gay Webster lead a trivia game during the Centennial Celebration at St. Joseph’s, Fertile.

is the cornerstone.”

Bishop Hoeppner and each of the priests present took turns scooping up a shovel of dirt.

“It’s a nice way to transition,” said Rongen. “To pilgrimage out to the new site with the anticipation of construction and of looking forward to the next 100 years.”

Following the groundbreaking, the parishioners gathered around a bonfire to enjoy fellowship into the evening.

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner is the first to dig into the ground at the corner of 438th St. SW and 105th Ave. SW in Fertile, taking the next step toward building a new church for the 100-year-old parish.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

DIOCESAN

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TRAINING: Continued from Page 1

asked why there is a need to promote safety in churches and why it needs to be taught to children when they often receive it in public school.

“Secular programs can’t teach sacredness,” she said. “Sacredness has to be connected to God, so when you teach sacredness at the same time you teach the boundaries, I think it maximizes kids’ ability to come forward.”

In 2002, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People mandated that children be trained for their safety, said Hanus. The Archdiocese of Omaha had difficulty finding a program that had God at the center, and so decided to put one together.

After receiving permission from their archbishop, they spent 18 months writing the program. Their committee included clergy, directors of religious education, youth ministers, principals, community members, mental health professionals and school social workers.

Speaking about the program’s broad scope, Hanus said, “It is the recognition that God is with us even during difficult situations. Being Catholic and Christian is not a guarantee that you’ll have a perfect life. But I think the gift and promise is that he is with you always, that he’s going to be with you when you’re on the cross and when you carry your own cross.”

The Diocese of Crookston will implement the Circle of Grace Program for a period of five years. At the end of that time, a decision of whether or not to continue it will be made.

“Their program kind of fits the way we do training here,” said Clauson. He added that he really likes that it is a comprehensive kindergarten through 12th grade program.

Mary Beth Hanus, Manager of the Office of Victim Outreach and Prevention for the Archdiocese of Omaha in Nebraska, listens to a response from a participant during the Circle of Grace workshop she led August 6. Parishes in the Diocese of Crookston will begin implementing the Circle of Grace curriculum in schools and religious education programs this fall. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

It will also not become outdated because the Archdiocese of Omaha frequently updates the curriculum and makes changes based on feedback from the places implementing it.

According to Hanus, there are currently 28 dioceses and 600 protestant churches using the program.

The concept of the “Circle of Grace” is simple. “Have kids reach their hands above their heads and all around, down to their feet; that is their circle of grace,” said Hanus. “God

shares that space with them.”

The program helps kids understand what does and does not belong in their circle of grace. “Besides being a safety program, it also helps them discover that the Holy Spirit shares that space,” she said. “The key to teaching it is getting the kids to understand the concept. If you believe it, they will get it.”

Hanus emphasized that it isn’t a “don’t” program, and goes beyond appropriate and inappropriate touching. The Circle of Grace program begins with the truth that God created each

of us in his own image and intended our relationships in life to be experiences of divine love.

“We want to help others understand that they are sacred,” Hanus said. From that perspective, it asks participants to examine relationships and actions within their Circle of Grace to see if they fall in those parameters, and if they are leading them closer to or further from God. The program also includes practical examples and concrete instructions for children on what to do if someone or something enters their circle of grace and makes them feel uncomfortable.

Each grade level has three to four options for lesson plans which meet the Charter requirements and continue to build throughout the years. They are also adaptable to meet a variety of class sizes and timeframes.

The lesson plans are all-inclusive and contain step-by-step guides for leaders; parent resources are also included.

“A child, for the next 12 years, can receive a constant message,” said Clauson. “It is not repetitive, it builds over the years. I’m very excited about this. This is a great thing for our diocese.”

Kathy Larson is a catechist at St. Ann’s, Waubun. “I like that it is so much more positive than a ‘don’t’ program,” she said.

“I’m excited we’re getting a more faith-based curriculum to use,” said Janet Lhotka. She is a Director of Religious Education for St. Ann’s, Waubun.

Angie Lehrke, also a Director of Religious Education for the St. Ann’s, Waubun cluster of parishes, said she is looking forward to bringing the things she learned at the training back to the parish. “I think it’s a good program; I’m really excited about it,” she said.

Lehrke likes that Circle of Grace does not focus solely on

bad things and difficult situations, but also looks at positive experiences. “It will be good for the teachers, and for the whole church,” Lehrke said.

“You can feel her passion for it, which makes you feel the need for it in your parish,” said Beckie Erdmann, commenting about Hanus’ presentation.

Erdmann is the Director of Religious Education at Sacred Heart, Roseau.

Erdmann said change is always hard, and this will be different from their current program, but she is hopeful that it will go well.

“Once they see the program, I think they’ll embrace it, and the kids will be excited about it,” Erdmann said. “It’ll be neat to see what it’s like in five years to have the consistency of the program.”

Principal Sarah Chalich of St. Michael’s School, Mahnomen, thinks the kids at St. Michael’s School will enjoy the program.

“It will be a lot of new information and good information on what to do if things happen or if people try to harm them,” she said. “I think it’s an improvement on what we had.”

Tina Penner, Secretary at St. Michael’s, likes that the program incorporates a lot of aspects of the Catholic faith. She thinks it will be helpful in many challenges, and that the lessons taught will be useful to students throughout their lives.

Clauson is looking forward to the implementation of this program and the impact it will have on the youth of the Diocese of Crookston. “I have a vision of a few years down the road when a child hears the words ‘Circle of Grace,’ they’re going to know and associate that with our program. That’s going to be a common denominator for our kids. They’re always going to recognize their Circle of Grace.”

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August 26, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Two CSJ sisters celebrate golden jubilee

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND CROOKSTON, MINN. — On August 16, two sisters of the Congregation of St. Joseph celebrated their golden jubilees.

Sister Barbara Kaufmann and Sister Ruthann Scherer celebrated the 50th anniversary of their first profession of vows by renewing those vows during the 9 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner and Msgr. Donald Krebs concelebrated. The Mass was attended by parishioners, friends, family, benefactors and Sisters of St. Joseph from across the country.

“Our hearts are particularly full this morning as we celebrate the golden jubilee of Sister Barb and Sister Ruthann,” Bishop Hoeppner said at the beginning of the Mass. “We thank you today, and all the Sisters of St. Joseph, for your wonderful presence, ministry and witness that has bridged – and continues to bridge – so many years.”

In his homily, Bishop Hoeppner spoke about the vows professed by the sisters 50 years ago, describing them as a free response to God’s call and invitation to them after he showed them the beauty of consecrated life.

“As you celebrate your jubilee, may you continue to be most faithful to the promises you live,” said Bishop Hoeppner. “Most importantly, may your jubilee life continue to be for you, and for all of us, a wonderful source of hope – hope for the future of our world and hope for a future where God will reign supreme in all hearts.”

Following the homily, Sister Barb and Sister Ruthann stepped forward and renewed their vows to religious life.

The Associates of the Congregation of St. Joseph who were present then stood and renewed their commitment as lay members of the order.

After the vow and commitment renewals, all of the sisters and associate members gathered together and sang “Find us Faithful” by Jon Mohr.

Before the conclusion of Mass, Sister Doreen Charest, a Sister of St. Joseph, was invited up to share a few words about Sisters Barb and Ruthann. Sister Doreen spent a number of years serving in this diocese, but now coordinates the

The sisters and associate members of the Congregation of St. Joseph in attendance at the jubilee celebration sing “Find us Faithful” by Jon Mohr. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux/OND)

Community Support Services for the Sisters of St. Joseph in Woodbury, Minn.

She spoke about Sister Barb and her years of ministry in Catholic schools in Crookston and the Twin Cities, as well as her work with children, the elderly and adults with special needs in the Twin Cities and Chicago areas.

“Her compassionate love and attentiveness were contagious, and she helped form other caregivers,” said Sister Doreen.

“Sister Barb’s spirit of joy enhanced the lives of those fortunate elderly. They, and we, have discovered those smiling eyes could conceal more than a bit of mischief.”

She then detailed Sister Ruthann’s work as a Sister of St. Joseph. Sister Doreen recalled the way Sister Ruthann lovingly prepared meals for the community, making sure their favorite foods were served on their birthdays.

She also spoke about Sister Ruthann’s work as a nurse in Crookston and Park Rapids.

“During those 39 years, Sister Ruthann’s patients found her a listening, careful, cheerful and committed presence,” said Sister Doreen. “Her coworkers were encouraged by her willingness to do whatever needed to be done and to learn whatever she needed to learn in order to serve confidently, conscientiously and generously.”

Cindy Little, of St. Peter the Apostle in Park Rapids, has been an Associate member for a number of years. Little has fond memories of working with Sister Ruthann during her time in Park Rapids.

“She had such a quiet, gentle spirit that I couldn’t resist cel-

ebrating with her today,” Little said.

Joan Rosseau of Crookston attended the Mass and brunch.

Sister Ruthann helped care for Rosseau’s husband when he needed hospice. She remembers Sister Ruthann knocking on her door to visit during the hard days that followed her husband’s passing.

Sister Louis Marie Scherer, one of Sister Ruthann’s sisters, has been part of the Hawthorne Dominicans in New York for 32 years, and was able to come for the celebration.

“It was very beautiful and very inspirational,” said Sister Louis Marie. “The Mass was very, very beautiful and prayerful.” She enjoyed the song the sisters and associates sang so much that she plans to bring it back to her community in New York.

Sister Barb’s sister, Arlene Wright from River Falls, Wisc., was also present.

“She’s always been a bright light for me,” Wright said. “Obviously I’m very proud of her … I’m just glad we could be here today.”

Sister Maria Hill serves as a

Sister Barbara Kaufmann and Sister Ruthann Scherer take a picture with Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner on the occasion of their golden jubilee at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston.

(Photo credit: Sister Pat Murphy)

Spiritual Director and Spiritual Services coordinator for her fellow Sisters of St. Joseph in LaGrange Park, Ill., and came to celebrate with members of her community. “It’s a joyous occasion to celebrate 50 years,” she said. “They are wonderful witnesses of how Jesus himself would minister to people with joy and enthusiasm.”

Sister Barb and Sister Ruthann entered the novitiate in Crookston in 1962 and both professed their first vows in 1965.

According to the Congregation of St. Joseph’s website, Sister Barb spent 12 years working in education in Catholic elementary schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin, then was a special education teacher for ten years in St. Paul. She later worked in Clinical Pastoral Education at three hospitals in St.

Paul, Minn., and then moved to LaGrange Park to worked in special education and as a chaplain at care centers there. She retired in 2011 and currently serves as a volunteer chaplain there.

The website states that Sister Ruthann spent ten years offering community service at convents in Wisconsin and Minnesota. She then spent worked as a nurse in Crookston and Park Rapids. She served as Health Care Supervisor for the sisters in Crookston from 2002 to 2005, and then spent nine years working at Riverview Hospital. After retiring from Riverview, she returned to being the Health Care Coordinator.

For more information about the jubilarians, visit www.csjoseph.org/jubilarians_medaille.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

AROUND THE DIOCESE

August 26, 2015

9

St. Lawrence celebrates blessing of bells OND Staff Report

On August 5, the faithful gathered at St. Lawrence, Mentor, to witness the blessing of the bells that will eventually ring out from the newly constructed bell tower on the parish grounds.

Mass was celebrated that evening and Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner blessed the three bells.

Each bell has been given the name of a saint. The largest bell is Andrew, recalling the original name of the parish. The midsized bell is Francis, in recognition of the beautiful nature surrounding the church. The smallest bell is Martha becuase her spirit of hospitality, a quality the parish seeks to emulate.

Msgr. Roger Grundhaus shared a few remarks about the design of the bell tower.

“In his original conception of the tower, which is emblematic of the parish, Milt Yurgens, our architect, had the concept of a lantern that lights our way with the Christian message in a dark and confusing world,” he said.

The four lantern-like windows at the top of the tower represent the four Gospels and their message. Msgr. Grundhaus said they hope to have a symbol of one of the four evangelists in each window.

The cross at the top of the tower represents our redemption in Christ, said Grundhaus.

The bells, like the voice of God, call us to prayer and remind us of his constant presence. The solid base of the tower represents Christ, the foundation of our faith as well as the magisterium of the Church, first built on Peter, and continued by his successors.

Msgr. Grundhaus concluded his remarks saying, “Let us recall that a sacrament is a visible sign that gives grace. The tower, insofar as it speaks of us, a visible and alive community, recipients and dispensers of God’s grace, will be a source of actual grace for the entire Maple Lake and Mentor community.”

The bells should be installed, and the completed tower dedicated later this year.

Red Lake Falls VBS donates food

At St. Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls, children brought food items to Vacation Bible School every day. There was a total of 130 pounds of food items, 40 pounds of fresh-from-the-garden produce, and $20 collected throughout last week. Many people will benefit from the food donations. (Submitted photo)

Above: Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner blesses the new bells for the St. Lawrence bell tower.

Left: Msgr. Roger Grundhaus, Bishop Hoeppner, Fr. Joe Richards and Msgr. Gerald Noesen pose for a photograph after the bells were blessed outside St. Lawrence Church.

(Photo credit: Lisa Hatlestad)

2015-16 men’s and women’s Cursillo weekends planned The end of summer is fast approaching and it is a good time to begin thinking about upcoming Cursillo weekends in 2015 and 2016.

The fall women’s weekend will be Oct. 1-4, 2015. The spring men’s weekend will be Feb. 25-28, 2016 and the spring women’s weekend is scheduled for March 17-20, 2016. All weekend retreats will be at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp, Fosston, Minn.

Cursillo (pronounced kur-see-yo) is a Spanish word meaning “short course”. By attending a Cursillo weekend you will be taking a short course in Christianity.

The weekend begins on Thursday evening and ends on Sunday.

During these 3 days you will listen to talks given by priests and laity and also share the Eucharist and prayer together.

If you have a desire to grow in your Christian life, share your faith daily – whether at work, home or during recreation – and develop your spirituality, please think about attending Cursillo.

For those who have attended Cursillo – think about someone you know whose spiritual life would be enriched by this experience.

Invite them to come to one of the upcoming weekends.

Some comments from people who have attended are: spiritually uplifting, grew closer to Christ, the weekend gave me the tools to live my faith more fully in my daily life, awesome weekend, my faith is stronger, my eyes were opened and my heart filled, came home filled with a new appreciation of God’s love for me.

Once you have decided to attend, you need to fill out an application. Applications are available from your parish office. If you have any questions about attending a Cursillo or the application – please contact: Bobbi Mercil, 1841 Aspen Drive, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 or by email at: cbmercil@gmail.com. Or contact Carol Olsonawski at 312 Atlantic Ave. N, Hallock, MN 56728 or by emailing: jerry49@frontier.com

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August 26, 2015

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Catechists’ training offered in deaneries This fall, the Office of the New Evangelization is offering a training session for all K-12 catechists. The “Catechists’ Best Practices” training session will be repeated in each deanery to offer a variety of dates and locations allowing people to participate on a day convenient for them. These sessions are being offered in anticipation of the upcoming teaching year to affirm foundational ministry principles and encourage the remarkable work of catechists throughout the Diocese of Crookston.

These sessions will be held on the following consecutive Wednesdays:

• Sept. 2, 7-8:30 p.m., St. Clement’s, Grygla • Sept. 9, 6:30-8 p.m., St. Philip’s, Bemidji • Sept. 16, 6:30-8 p.m., St. Michael’s, Mahnomen • Sept. 23, 6:30-8 p.m., St. Joseph’s, Moorhead For more information, contact Mark Hollcraft, Associate Director of the Office of the New Evangelization and Coordinator of Catechesis and Youth Ministry, at 218-281-4533, ext. 435.

Panel will discuss encyclical Hosted by Minnesota Catholic Conference, Catholic Rural Life, and the University of St. Thomas Center for Catholic Studies, on Sept.

9, from 9 – 11:30 a.m.. The event will be held at Anderson Student Center, Woulfe Alumni Hall on the campus of the University of St. Thomas (2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul, Minn.).

The encyclical “Laudato Si”, released earlier this summer, continues to be a hot topic of discussion for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Join the Catholic bishops of Minnesota to delve into some of the encyclical’s themes

and to consider ways in which Minnesota Catholics can put them into practice within their families, parishes, and broader communities. Event is FREE – RSVP at mcc-laudato-si. eventbrite.com. RSVP is requested for seating, but is not required to attend. Light refreshments will be available. Visit www.mncc.org/ and click on “Events,” or call 651-227-8777 for more information.

Please arrive early to secure a parking spot; doors open at 8:00 a.m.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Local student receives religious education scholarship from COF RED LAKE FALLS, MINN. — Quinnlyn Kenfield of Red Lake Falls, won a Religious Education Assistance Program award from the Catholic Order of Foresters (COF).

Kenfield is a student at JA Hughes Elementary and a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Church in Red Lake Falls. The child of Josh and Sara Kenfield, Quinnlyn is a member of COF Court North Star 588.

Annually, COF gives away 100 $50 tuition assistance awards to members attending a Catholic religious education program.

These members must be public school students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Student members may apply once every year they enroll in a Catholic religious education program.

Established in 1883, COF is a not-for-profit Catholic life insurance company helping members achieve financial security while supporting our Catholic community through

fraternal outreach of spiritual, social and community service projects. It is headquartered in Naperville, Ill. With more than 120,000 members nationwide, it is the third largest Catholic fraternal membership society in the United States. For more information about COF, visit www.catholicforester.org, like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/catholicforester) or follow us on Twitter (@COFOutreach) or Instagram (cofoutreach).

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

DIOCESAN

August 26, 2015

11

CATECHESIS ON THE FAMILY:

LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD

From left, Enriqueta, Jimena, Mariana, Santiago, Jose and Patricio Peña play a game in the living room of their home in south Minneapolis. They belong to Sagrado Corazón de Jesus in south Minneapolis.

(Photo credit: Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit)

Through trials, family learns to lean on God, each other

By Dave Hrbacek The Catholic Spirit MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – When Patricio Peña and Enriqueta Alfaro came to the United States 16 years ago, they didn’t expect to find a new home, a new family and a new vocation in the Church.

“We only planned to stay for two years,” Peña said, “but God had other plans. Now, he won’t let us go back.”

Through their 15 years of service and ministry to other Latinos in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Peña and Alfaro have raised not only their own family – Jimena, 13, Jose, 11, Mariana, 9, and Santiago, 4, – but also a wider family in the Church.

That family that has been a source of strength during hard times – including a stretch of unemployment for Peña and Alfaro – is the parishioners of Sagrado Corazón de Jesus in Minneapolis.

Shortly after their 1996 wedding, the couple left San Elias, a small town in Guanajuato, Mexico, and came to the United States with a plan: stay for two years, save enough money to build a home back in Mexico, and then return across the Rio Grande to settle down.

They went first to Atlanta, but things didn’t work out as they had hoped. After a few difficult years, they came to Min-

WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES SERIES: Our Northland Diocese is running a series of articles, in conjuction with publications from all Minnesota dioceses, highlighting the themes of the catechesis document: Love is our MIssion, and profiling families throughout the state.

To learn more, visit: www. worldmeeting2015.org/about-the-event/ catechesis/

neapolis.

Peña, an accountant by training, found work in the construction industry and learned carpentry. As they settled in, the couple also realized that Rene, Peña’s younger brother who was living with them, had become involved with a cultish sect. In hindsight, Peña realizes that his brother fell in with dangerous people because he was looking for a supportive community — a desire Peña and Alfaro understood.

Fortunately, the couple had already joined St. Stephen in Minneapolis. Peña remembered hearing about a Cursillo retreat offered through the parish and decided to sign up.

“I went on this retreat to pray for him, that he would realize what he was doing. It was tremendous because it was I who encountered the Lord on this retreat. It completely changed my life,” Peña said.

The retreat left him not only confident that his brother would one day return to the

Church, but also hungry to grow in his faith. Led by Peña’s eagerness, the couple joined a charismatic prayer group.

A HEART FOR SERVICE Peña took any opportunity to learn and serve. Soon, Church activities and outreach to other families filled the couple’s free time.

Despite their shared faith, the demands on their time strained their marriage. Peña’s pastor advised him to slow down and run at a pace at which his wife could keep up.

Working in harmony with his spouse, he found he had a greater capacity for ministry.

He is a graduate of and current teacher at the archdiocese’s Pastoral Leadership Institute, and he is also part of the first Latino cohort for the Certificate in Lay Ministry offered through the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. He hopes to pursue the diaconate when his children are older.

With Alfaro’s support, Peña

Recently, I read an article that began “marriage is not for you!” I have to admit that the first line really grabbed my attention. As I continued, the premise of the article clearly emerged: Marriage isn’t about what the individual receives but rather what a person gives.

It isn’t about you; it’s about the ones you love.

The features of God’s love are orientated to becoming self-gift. The virtues of compassion, forgiveness, patience, humility, mercy, respect and justice are hallmarks of thriving marriages.

Do we live them perfectly? Never! But we strive to live them better day by day. In the struggle to live as a gift to a spouse and family, our hearts expand and God becomes the source of strength, joy and love. He becomes more evident in the lives of the spouses and the single life they forge.

We are all attracted to selfless acts of love. They are beautiful. They resonate in our hearts because they are of God. While some acts are heroic, it is more often the small expressions of selfless love that endear us to each other. Those acts can include a spouse seeking out the other to greet them with a kiss upon coming home from work, speaking only words of praise of one’s spouse in public and complimenting him or her in private, noticing when the other is tired and assisting in the daily duties, or simply prioritizing a dinner for just the two of them.

Anything that says, “You are precious to me” can become a selfless act of love.

It is through the reality of everyday life that God is at work. He gives us what we need to cast away our selfishness and lean into him. Just as marriage isn’t about the individual, so too, the family is about something greater than itself. The family has a specific mission to be light and salt for the world, through love.

Society did not invent or found the family; rather the family is the foundation of society. When the true nature of marriage is damaged or misunderstood, the family is weakened. When the family is weak, we fall prey to our inherent selfishness and sometimes to brutal extremes.

We lose the habit of gentleness and self-mastery.

When marriage is lived as sacrament and vocation – indissoluble, faithful and open to life – the family thrives and lives the grace which vivifies the practice of self-giving love. The image of God is revealed and the family becomes light in a dark world.

Stolpestad directs the Office of Marriage, Family and Life for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

said he’s able to lift up others through ministry. He also recognizes that Alfaro plays her own important role — she’s gentle and listens to others.

“People want to tell her their problems, and this helps them get harmful feelings out of their hearts,” he said.

Economic challenges also tested the strength of their family. In 2010, at the height of the financial crisis, Peña was laid off. The closest place he could find work was Denver.

“It was a very difficult thing,” he said of leaving his family for long periods until he found a steady job again in the Twin Cities in 2013. “As immigrants we know what it means to leave

family. But I never imagined leaving my immediate family here in this country.”

Nevertheless, they felt God’s grace and a stronger love that came out of the pain of absence.

“Santiago came from this separation,” Peña said of their youngest son. “He was like a gift in our crisis.”

The couple also felt the support of the Church community during those hard years. They realized how well they had built both their own family and their extended family.

“When crisis comes, you see the strength of your family,” Peña said.

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August 26, 2015

YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

PRESENTATION: Continued from Page 1 at the Dorothy Day house in Moorhead, Minn. She met a Franciscan Sister and a Presentation Sister there and told them she was considering religious life. “They encouraged me to explore and so I went and lived as a volunteer with the Benedictines in Crookston for three months,” said Sister Shawna. She did not feel called to that order.

When she moved back to Moorhead, she began working in the infirmary and the kitchen for the Presentation Sisters of Fargo. At this time, Sister Shawna said she was leaning toward being a missionary or joining a more apostolic order.

“I did go spend some time with the Franciscans and that particular community, they were great, but I knew I didn’t belong there,” she said.

She kept working at the infirmary and in the kitchen. “I was taking care of the sisters and I was hearing stories about what religious life was like for them,” she said.

It was hearing the experiences of the sisters, some who joined the order at a young age, and hearing more about the foundress, Nano Nagle, that helped open the door to her vocation. “I … decided I could think about this, but maybe not quite yet,” she said.

Because of her experiences as a nursing assistant and volunteer at the homeless shelter, she decided to finish her degree in nursing at Presentation College in Aberdeen, S.D. The school is run by a different group of Presentation Sisters. She spent three years there finishing her degree. “It was a wonderful group of sisters, but I knew I didn’t belong there either,” said Sister Shawna.

During her last year of nursing school, Sister Shawna contacted the vocations director in Fargo and said “I’m ready.” She graduated in May 1999, and a

NANO NAGLE: THE BEGINNING OF HER LEGACY Nano Nagle was born into a wealthy, Catholic family in Ireland and was educated in France, at a time when unjust laws deprived the less advantaged of schooling and education in Ireland. On her return from Paris, she was faced with the social ills which these laws created – poverty, misery and deprivation. Her concern for her people, her courage and her perseverance inspired her to establish other schools and to support charitable works for those who were poor and oppressed by unjust social systems. At a time in the history of Ireland when it was illegal to set up a Catholic school or to teach the Catholic faith, Nano braved the possible consequences of her actions and, did not hesitate in her response to the call of the Spirit to be with, and for the poor.

(Source: www.pbvmunion.org) PRESENTATION PRAYER CENTER/SACRED HEART CONVENT 1101 32nd Ave S, Fargo, ND 58103 701.237.4857

few weeks later, she entered the community and began work as a nurse.

“What drew me to Presentation was our foundress, Nano Nagle,” said Sister Shawna.

“Nano was about education, especially bringing poor people out of poverty, and she prayed for hours. I don’t know how she did all of the things she did.”

The Foundress was born in Ireland in 1718 and had a heart for those in need. According to Sister Shawna, Nano taught during the day, spent hours before the Blessed Sacrament and went out at night, carrying a lantern, seeking the poor, elderly or sick who needed help. Sister Shawna said when Nano started the congregation in 1775, there were four sisters. Within a few years of her death in 1784, only one remained. “That particular sister could have said ‘oh well,’ and threw it all in and went home, but she kept things going,” said Sister Shawna. Now she estimates there are 3,000 to 4,000 Presentation Sisters around the world.

‘IT NEVER HURTS TO TRY’ Sister Shawna encourages anyone feeling called to religious life to step out and explore. “It never hurts to try,”

she said. “There’s a whole formation process that goes with entering a religious community.

It isn’t like you come in and say ‘I want to be a sister,’ and the next day you’re a sister.”

The Presentation Sisters spend a minimum of six years in various levels of formation before making their final profession of vows.

She said people who spend time with a community may find that they want to commit their lives to the mission and charism of that community, or they might discern that they are not called to religious life at all, but just to that specific work as a lay person.

She said one of the beauties of religious life is all of the different charisms because they are all expressions of how Jesus’ mission is carried out in the world today.

CONTINUING NANO’S LEGACY Sister Shawna describes the Presentation Sisters’ charism as education and contemplation.

She said as Director of the Prayer Center, she is starting to realize the connection between the two.

She sees some of the older sisters who are less able to spend time in active ministry,

spending more time in prayer and contemplation. “Our ministry is to be about praying for people in the world, and so it’s more about who we are, not what we do,” she said.

The active sisters follow a daily schedule starting with Morning Prayer and Mass, followed by work until noon, when they break for lunch. They return to their ministries until evening prayer at 5:15, followed by supper.

In other places in the United States, the Presentation Sisters live in small groups. “This is the largest group in the U.S. Province,” Sister Shawna said. Being a larger group has some perks.

“We have a priest that comes in at least five days a week to say Mass for us,” she said. “That doesn’t happen everywhere, so we’re very fortunate to have that.”

The Presentation Prayer Center began a little more than 30 years ago. Sister Shawna has been the director since April.

She said the center is, “an opportunity for the sisters to help others in growing in their spirituality. ... It’s an ecumenical spirituality center. As some people would like to say, ‘it’s a quiet place in a busy city.’”

The Prayer Center offers multiple opportunities for prayer groups, private retreats and spiritual direction both for the sisters and the public.

“It is amazing to know how important it is for some people,” said Sister Shawna. “Some people have been coming for years and it’s really helped them grow in their own spirituality, nourishing their spiritual lives.”

IMPACTING THE WORLD The Fargo Presentation Sisters used to be an independent congregation, but a few years ago, they joined the Union of Presentation Sisters. Through this group, they are connected with other sisters in the Unit-

ed States and throughout the world.

Sister Shawna had the opportunity to go to a meeting with other members of the Union of Presentation Sisters in Ireland last year. She met sisters from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and India.

“I may be here in my little part of the world, but it is a bigger world than just right here, and so that is a joy for me in consecrated life,” said Sister Shawna.

The sisters in Fargo are also a part of the International Presentation Association with sisters from around the globe.

Sister Shawna said that through this organization, Presentation Sisters from around the world have a voice at the United Nations, particularly when it comes to issues relating to women and children, indigenous people and the environment. “Those are the things that our sisters are directly involved with or have some kind of connection to,” she said. “We are able to pool together our stories and share those stories and hopefully have some kind of a voice in those kinds of issues effecting people around the world.”

Having the opportunity to travel to Ireland and visit the ruins of ancient monasteries there gave Sister Shawna some perspective, especially when it comes to people who say that religious life is dying. The monasteries she saw were empty for more than 500 years, but the orders that built them are still present in places around the globe.

“It is a great time in religious life because, as we always say, we’re not doing what was done 50 years ago anymore,” Sister Shawna said. “Religious life, I think, will always be around, but as time goes, it kind of adapts and changes … and looks different than it was, but it’s still here.”

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

NATIONAL

August 26, 2015

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Participants from 78 dioceses take in Courage International conference

By Mike Stechschulte Catholic News Service

PLYMOUTH, MICH. – Almost everyone knows someone who experiences same-sex attraction, and faithful Catholics are often at a loss for how to engage a friend or loved one who declares he or she is gay, said speakers at a three-day international conference at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth.

Nearly 400 people attended the August 10-12 conference, “Love One Another as I Have Loved You: Accompanying Our Brothers and Sisters with SameSex Attraction,” designed for clergy, pastoral staff and others who minister or teach on the topic of same-sex attraction.

“We want to do the right thing. We want to speak the truth in love,” said Janet Smith, professor of moral theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and the conference’s chief organizer. “We want to be loving, and we want to be truthful. How do we do that?”

Talks seeking to answer that question were given by a wide range of experts, from Catholic moral theologians to psychologists, doctors and pastors.

Courage International, an apostolate that supports those with same-sex attraction in living a lifestyle of chastity, was co-host of the conference with the Archdiocese of Detroit and Our Sunday Visitor.

Father Paul Check, Courage’s executive director, said when

it comes to explaining and defending the church’s teaching on same-sex attraction, “our best ambassadors are our members.”

Father Check said in the runup to the 2014 Synod of Bishops on the family, when secular attention was at its highest over the issue of same-sex attraction in the church, “one voice was missing: the voice of the person for whom same-sex attractions are a lived reality and who also believes that what the church teaches on the matter of homosexuality is true and ultimately leads to peace.”

One of those voices, Dan Mattson, a Midwestern man who speaks often in Catholic media about his struggles with same-sex attraction and eventual re-conversion to the church, acknowledged the biggest question he’s had to face is why God allowed him to feel attracted to other men.

After years of struggling to reconcile his faith and desires, Mattson said, his “world was turned upside down” when he realized his same-sex attraction could instead be viewed as a cross to help him achieve sanctity.

“This has become my central conviction about why God allows men and women to live with confusion about sexuality: To be seen correctly, samesex attraction must always be viewed through the lens of suffering,” Mattson told those gathered from 78 dioceses in

34 states and six countries. “It must be viewed as connected with the cross of Christ.”

Mattson denounced the idea of the “closet” as “a trap constructed by the father of lies” to obscure the truth about man’s identity and dignity. Mattson said homosexuality is not rightly seen as “a different form of God-given sexual orientation,” but “rather an absence of that which should be present in man, but is not,” similar to blindness.

He added same-sex attracted individuals must “rely on the objective truth of who we are” as male and female created by God, and not be pressured into accepting labels that ultimately undermine the full truth of the human person.

During the conference, Masses were celebrated by Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins and Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Michael J. Byrnes.

Participants also were invited to view and discuss films, including “The Desire of the Everlasting Hills” and “The Third Way,” that tell the stories of struggle, redemption and selfdiscovery of those seeking to live the Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality.

Also made available was a book by Ignatius Press, “Living the Truth in Love,” which features essays from each of the conference speakers. The book will be sent to bishops traveling to Rome for the Synod of Bishops this fall, and a second volume is in the works.

Many speakers acknowledged the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s teaching that feelings of same-sex attraction in themselves are not sinful, and that people with same-sex attraction must be treated with compassion and sensitivity.

Timothy Lock, a licensed clinical psychologist from Brookfield, Connecticut, said it’s “striking” how many of his patients had been treated with disrespect and insensitiv-

Clergy from dioceses across the country process out of the chapel Aug. 10 at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, Mich., after the opening Mass of a three-day conference exploring the Catholic Church’s ministry to those living with same-sex attraction. (Photo credit: CNS/ Mike Stechschulte, The Michigan Catholic)

ity throughout their lives, and stressed that the condition of same-sex attraction is difficult and deserves a listening ear.

Lock pointed to studies showing much higher rates of anxiety, mood disorders, substance abuse and suicide attempts among gay men and women, even in countries such as the Netherlands that are generally accepting of homosexuality.

“We need to listen to their experiences and not get hung up on perceptions, but hear their heart,” he said.

He emphasized that when it comes to parents, friends and even doctors counseling those with same-sex attraction, one size doesn’t fit all, and a person’s individual experiences can vary widely.

Lock, a Catholic and a Courage board member, said he often sees patients with unwanted same-sex attraction, but that groups such as Courage “are not reparative therapy.”

“I want to make this point very, very clear: The purpose of Courage is to help individuals with same-sex attraction live the virtue of chastity,” he said.

“The purpose of Courage is not to change people’s sexual attractions.”

Father Check echoed that point, saying Courage is ultimately about helping lead people to toward God through a discovery of a deeper personal value.

Robin Beck, an author from

Livonia, said while compassion and understanding is critical, sticking to the biblical language is key to avoiding a too-permissive attitude toward sexual behavior on the other hand. Beck, who lived in same-sex relationships for 35 years before finding healing through the church, said she never questioned her relationships because she thought “the Bible wasn’t really describing a loving, committed, monogamous relationship.”

However, it wasn’t until she faced the scriptural language of Romans 1 head-on that, “for the first time in decades, I took the word of God at face value,” she said.

It wasn’t just Scripture’s prohibitions that affected her, though, but ultimately its message of mercy, Beck said.

“The Bible not only gives a no-nonsense pronouncement of the critical condition this sin puts a person in,” Beck said, “but it gives a message of hope to those trapped in and coming out of it. When we remove ourselves from scriptural indictments, do we not also remove ourselves from its power to heal and restore?”

Because Jesus offers such grace, Father Check said, the church “must with equal voice extend her hand in truth and charity to the people who need her maternal compassion, insight and help in a personal way.”

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August 26, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Sept. 1 designated World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY – Like their Orthodox brothers and sisters, Catholics formally will mark Sept. 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis has decided.

The day of prayer, the pope said, will give individuals and communities an opportunity to implore God’s help in protecting creation and an opportunity to ask God’s forgiveness “for sins committed against the world in which we live.”

Pope Francis announced his decision to add the annual prayer day to the Catholic calendar in a letter to Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and to Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The text of the letter, dated Aug. 6, was released by the Vatican Aug. 10.

Pope Francis said he was instituting the prayer day for Catholics because he shares the concern of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who initiated a similar prayer day for the Orthodox Church in 1989.

Metropolitan John of Pergamon, who represented the patriarch at the public presentation June 18 of Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” had suggested

Pope Francis addresses mayors from around the world at a workshop on climate change and human trafficking at the Vatican July 21. Local government leaders were invited by the pontifical academies of sciences and social sciences to sign a declaration recognizing that climate change and extreme poverty are influenced by human activity. Also pictured is Cardinal Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento, Italy.

(Photo credit: CNS/Paul Haring)

there that all Christians join in prayer Sept. 1.

“This would mark a step toward further closeness among them,” he had said.

Pope Francis said Christians want to make their special contribution to safeguarding creation, but to do that they must

rediscover the spiritual foundations of their approach to earthly realities, beginning with an acknowledgment that “the life of the spirit is not dissociated from the body or from nature,” but lived in communion with all worldly realities.

The ecological crisis, he said, is

a summons “to a profound spiritual conversion” and to a way of life that clearly shows they are believers.

Quoting his encyclical, he said, “living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary

aspect of our Christian experience.”

The annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis said, will be a time for individuals and communities to “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.”

The pope asked Cardinal Koch to consult with and work with the Catholic Church’s ecumenical partners and the World Council of Churches to make sure the prayer day becomes a sign of Christians’ commitment to work together to safeguard creation “in order to be more credible and effective.”

He entrusted to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace the task of working with Catholic bishops’ conferences and environmental organizations to publicize and coordinate the specifics of the celebration.

“I invoke upon this initiative the intercession of Mary, mother of God, and of St. Francis of Assisi, whose Canticle of the Creatures inspires so many men and women of goodwill to live in praise of the Creator and with respect for creation,” he said.

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pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life!

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OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

WORD to LIFE August 30

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 Psalm 15:2-5 Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

By Catholic News Service The singsong voice still echoes in my head all these decades later: “We missed you at church Sunday night.”

Simultaneously, I still hear my mental translation: “Shame on you for not going to church on Sunday night.”

I was a teenager and the singsong voice was that of a youth group leader.

I accepted the implied criticism since it came from an adult, and so I felt guilty for not showing up at the Sunday evening service – although, for the life of me, I didn’t understand why I had to go to church twice!

That small, southern Christian church was hardly the only community where members press extra “requirements” on each other as proof of faith. Religion itself is about expressions of faith, so naturally people are going to sometimes confuse outward signs of reverence, discipline or commitment with actual attitudes of the heart.

In some people’s minds, the signs grow into conditions necessary for salvation: saying your prayers every night; never missing Mass – or the collection basket; for some traditions, abstaining completely from alcohol; the list goes on.

People – and churches – tend to put obligations on us beyond what God asks. Unfortunately, it leads to misunderstanding, unnecessary guilt and misplaced resentment. For example, when I taught a confirmation class, a candidate once asked, “If you don’t receive the sacraments, will you go to hell?”

In today’s Scripture from Deuteronomy, Moses describes God’s law as just

August 26, 2015

15

FOR FAITH-SHARING GROUPS

September 6

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Isaiah 35:4-7a Gospel: Mark 7:31-37

Psalm 146:7-10

James 2:1-5

By Catholic News Service

and whole, and tells the people that they should not add nor subtract from God’s commandments. In the Gospel, Jesus warns against overemphasizing human traditions that distract from the fundamental truth to which God wants us to aspire. Instead, Jesus calls us to examine our hearts for greed, malice, licentiousness, envy and other evils that lead to acts more harmful than not going to confession. In fact, healthy church communities offer some enhancements that become human traditions – Bible study, devotional practices, special prayers and teachings – that help us understand and follow God’s commandments.

When offered and received as help, not requirements, these human traditions can heal and form our hearts and draw us closer to the heart of God.

Questions:

What are some traditions, practices and disciplines our church community gives us?

How can they distract us from the core of our Christian faith?

How can they enhance our ability to follow God’s commandments?

“WHAT GREAT NATION HAS STATUTES AND DECREES THAT ARE AS JUST AS THIS WHOLE LAW WHICH I AM SETTING BEFORE YOU TODAY?” – DEUTERONOMY 4:8

You hear the source of major themes voiced by Pope Francis and Pope St. John Paul II in this week’s readings.

The great concern of Pope Francis for the poor comes through in the reading from James. “Show no partiality,” James says. “If a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes … have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?”

Pope Francis has shown us before his papacy -- and so many times since -- that he goes beyond this standard to identify with the poor. His following of Gospel mandates to show love and mercy to the poor and fatherless has extended to inviting those who live in the streets around the Vatican to share the food of his table.

The reading from Isaiah fits well with the “Be not afraid!” message of Pope St. John Paul II. “Thus says the Lord: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication.”

We need to be a church that works with, advocates for and shares bread with the poor.

And we need to be a fearless church that stands by what the Gospel tells us about the poor, the unborn and children.

When I was preparing a book of readings on the protection of the unborn, the disabled and the elderly – titled “The Zero People” – 30-plus years ago, I had moments of fear, worrying that some people would be more than simply of-

fended by its pro-life message. But God, through Scripture, spoke a word that strengthened my backbone. The book was published and did well. Some 32 years later, it is still broadly quoted, and more than 600 copies are in libraries around the world.

Standing by the courage of our convictions, according to our faith, we can see that God, in time, does act along with us, but only if we act with confidence in support of his own word.

Questions: When have you acted with courage in obedience to God and found it fruitful?

“BE STRONG, FEAR NOT!” – ISAIAH 35:4A

Fall Dinners are now listed online!

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16

August 26, 2015

PRAYER CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 2015

SEPTEMBER 1 WEEKDAY Msgr. William Mehrkens (retired) SEPTEMBER 2 WEEKDAY Fr. Vincent Miller SEPTEMBER 3 ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Msgr. Jerry Noesen (retired) SEPTEMBER 4 WEEKDAY Fr. Ray Palcisko (retired) SEPTEMBER 5 WEEKDAY Msgr. Mike Patnode SEPTEMBER 6 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Raul Perez-Cobo SEPTEMBER 7 WEEKDAY Fr. Mario Prada (retired) SEPTEMBER 8 THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Duane Pribula (retired) SEPTEMBER 9 ST. PETER CLAVER, PRIEST Fr. Bob Pryor (retired) SEPTEMBER 10 WEEKDAY Fr. Joe Richards SEPTEMBER 11 WEEKDAY Fr. Jerry Rogers SEPTEMBER 12 WEEKDAY Fr. Bob Schreiner SEPTEMBER 13 TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Luis Silva SEPTEMBER 14 THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS Fr. Bob Stone (retired) SEPTEMBER 15 OUR LADY OF SORROWS Fr. Pat Sullivan SEPTEMBER 16 STS. CORNELIUS, POPE, AND CYPRIAN, BISHOP, MARTYRS Fr. David Super

SEPTEMBER 17 ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. Johnmelkies Suvakeen SEPTEMBER 18 WEEKDAY Fr. Emmanuel Sylvester SEPTEMBER 19 ST. JANUARIUS, BISHOP, MARTYR Fr. Craig Vasek SEPTEMBER 20 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Dennis Wieland SEPTEMBER 21 ST. MATTHEW, APOSTLE, EVANGELIST Fr. Larry Wieseler (retired) SEPTEMBER 22 WEEKDAY Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner SEPTEMBER 23 ST. PIUS OF PIETRELCINA, PRIEST Bishop Victor H. Balke (retired) SEPTEMBER 24 WEEKDAY Fr. Todd Arends SEPTEMBER 25 WEEKDAY Msgr. David Baumgartner SEPTEMBER 26 STS. COSMAS AND DAMIAN, MARTYRS Fr. James Bernauer (retired) SEPTEMBER 27 TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Don Braukmann SEPTEMBER 28 ST. WENCESLAUS, MARTYR; ST. LAWRENCE RUIZ AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS Fr. Luis Buitron SEPTEMBER 29 STS. MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, ARCHANGELS Fr. Tim Bushy SEPTEMBER 30 ST. JEROME, PRIEST, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. John Christianson

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.

DIOCESAN

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTIONS

SEPTEMBER 2015

UNIVERSAL INTENTION: EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

That opportunities for education and employment may increase for all young people.

EVANGELIZATION INTENTION: WITNESS OF CATECHISTS

(Photo credit: CNS)

That catechists may give witness by living in a way consistent with the faith they proclaim.

DAILY SCRIPTURE SEPTEMBER 1 - 1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Lk 4:31-37 SEPTEMBER 2 - Col 1:1-8; Ps 52:10-11; Lk 4:38-44 SEPTEMBER 3 - Col 1:9-14; Ps 98:2-6; Lk 5:1-11 SEPTEMBER 4 - Col 1:15-20; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 5:33-39 SEPTEMBER 5 - Col 1:21-23; Ps 54:3-4, 6, 8; Lk 6:1-5 SEPTEMBER 6 - Is 35:4-7a; Ps 146:7-10; Jas 2:1-5; Mk 7:31-37 SEPTEMBER 7 - Col 1:24-2:3; Ps 62:6-7, 9; Lk 6:6-11 SEPTEMBER 8 - Mic 5:1-4a or Rom 8:2830; Ps 13:6abc; Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:18-23 SEPTEMBER 9 - Col 3:1-11; Ps 145:2-3, 10-13ab; Lk 6:20-26 SEPTEMBER 10 - Col 3: 12-17; Ps 150:1b6; Lk 6:27-38 SEPTEMBER 11 - 1 Tm 1:1-2; Ps 16:1b-2a, 5, 7-8, 11; Lk 6:39-42 SEPTEMBER 12 - 1 Tm 1:15-17; Ps 113:1b7; Lk 6:43-49 SEPTEMBER 13 - Is 50:5-9a; Ps 116:1-6, 8-9; Jas 2:14-18 Mk 8:27-35 SEPTEMBER 14 - Nm 21:4b-9; Ps 78:1b-3, 34-38; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17 SEPTEMBER 15 - 1 Tm 3:1-13; Ps 101:1b3b, 5-6; Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35 SEPTEMBER 16 - 1 Tm 3:14-16; Ps 111:16; Lk 7:31-35 SEPTEMBER 17 - 1 Tim 4:12-16; Ps 111:710; Lk 7:36-50

SEPTEMBER 2015 SEPTEMBER 18 - 1 Tm 6:2c-12; Ps 49:610, 17-20; Lk 8:1-3 SEPTEMBER 19 - 1 Tm 6:13-16; Ps 100:1b5; Lk 8:4-15 SEPTEMBER 20 - Wis 2:12, 17-20; Ps 54:3-4, 5-8; Jas 3:16-4:3; Mk 9:30-37 SEPTEMBER 21 - Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Ps 19:2-5; Mt 9:9-13 SEPTEMBER 22 - Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20; Ps 122:1-5; Lk 8:19-21 SEPTEMBER 23 - Ezr 9:5-9; (Ps) Tb 13:2-4, 7-8; Lk 9:1-6 SEPTEMBER 24 - Hg 1:1-8; Ps 149: 1b-6a, 9b; Lk 9:7-9 SEPTEMBER 25 - Hg 2:1-9; Ps 43:1-4; Lk 9:18-22 SEPTEMBER 26 - Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a; (Ps) Jer 31:10-12b, 13; Lk 9:43b-45 SEPTEMBER 27 - Nm 11:25-29; Ps 19:8, 10, 12-14; Jas 5:1-6; Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 SEPTEMBER 28 - Zec 8:1-8; Ps 102:2, 1623; Lk 9:46-50 SEPTEMBER 29 - Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rv 12:7-12a; Ps 138:1-5; Jn 1:47-51 SEPTEMBER 30 - Neh 2:1-8; Ps 137:1-6; Lk 9:57-62