OND Aug. B Vol. 70 No. 15

VOL. 70, NO. 15

WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG

AUGUST 24, 2016

Helping those in need, one family at a time Sherri Johnson, Amy Erickson, Susan Deraney and Melissa Lorentz take a photo next to the drop box and bulletin board that serve as the nucleus of their ministry. The women, who are part of the Holy Rosary Mom’s Group, started the Everyday Angels project. (Submitted photo) TURN TO PAGE 3 TO LEARN HOW ‘EVERYDAY ANGELS’ ARE SERVING THE DETROIT LAKES COMMUNITY.

MCCM hosting event to inspire college students to live mission of the Gospel Through a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Moorhead Catholic Campus Ministries is bringing in Nic Davidson, a dynamic Catholic speaker, for a college ministry event. He will speak to students at St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, on Sept. 11 following Mass and a meal. TURN TO PAGE 6 TO READ MORE.

INSIDE

VOL. 70, NO. 15:

Pg. 8 - Father Joe DeCrans Retires Pg. 9 - Director of New Evangelization & Justice Begins Pg. 16 - Blessed Mother Teresa to be Canonized Sept. 4

Nic Davidson

Check out the Sept.

7 edition of OND to learn more about MCCM’s ministry in Moorhead and other college outreach in the Diocese of Crookston.

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August 24, 2016

A

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Voice from the Valley

BY BISHOP MICHAEL J. HOEPPNER

GIVE GLORY TO GOD Are you able to identify the many varieties of birds that make their way to your backyard in the warm months? To help me identify my feathered friends, I was recently given a small book: Birds of the Midwest.

The birds in the book are arranged by color and I was delighted to see that for each color, I had one or more summer bird visitors. For the color blue, I have Blue Jays. For yellow, I have Goldfinches. For grey, Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches.

For orange, Baltimore Orioles and for red, Northern Cardinals. For brown I have Purple Finches, Fox Sparrows and Brown Thrashers. For black & white, Downey Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. And for green, there is the Rubythroated Hummingbird. God’s glory truly is reflected in the abundance of colorful life he gives us.

Speaking of bird-watching,

a fellow by the name of Leroy Koopman once wrote a little book entitled: Guide to Ecclesiastical Bird-watching. On occasion, as I am out and about offering Mass in the various parishes of this wonderful diocese, I have spotted some of the “birds” he mentions. There are the Late Loons. These church birds are the ones that always arrive late, well after the gathering song and the entrance procession have concluded. Their arrival is accompanied by the clanging of doors and the lateral movement of worshippers in pews to make room. The Late Loon usually perches in a rear pew but when no perch can be found there, they slowly migrate down the aisle to the front with a red face. Then there’s the BlackVested Road Runner. These church birds habitually leave Mass early, running out after Communion, completely missing the blessing, the dismissal and the recessional song. Their flight is almost frantic, as their urge is strong to be first out of the parking lot and to beat all the other church birds to the open road.

This summer is a good time to

notice God’s love for us in the abundant variety of birds, and animals, and all of God’s creation. In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we give thanks and glory to God in return. May God help us plan well and use our time well so that we never short-circuit our thanksgiving celebration by being a “Late Loon” or a “Black-Vested Road Runner” when it comes to our attendance at Mass.

ANNUAL MASS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE Speaking of planning for Mass, it’s a bit down the road yet, but Oct. 2 is the date for this year’s Mass for the Celebration of Marriage. This is a special celebration we, the local Church, hold annually to thank God for the gift of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. We celebrate and give thanks for all who live this wonderful calling.

All married couples, as well as engaged couples, widows and widowers are especially invited to come and celebrate.

One of the many challenges given by Pope Francis in the beautiful post-synodal apostolic exhortation, “Amoris La-

etitia (The Joy of Love)”, is the challenge to accompany and support newly married couples.

He writes that it is “essential that couples be helped during the first years of their married life to enrich and deepen their conscious and free decision to have, hold and love one another for life.” And so, in addition to highlighting couples who are celebrating special milestone anniversaries, this year, our diocesan celebration of marriage will also specially recognize all couples who are in their first year of marriage.

The Mass will include a special blessing for couples celebrating milestone years of marriage and couples in their first year of marriage. All pastors are invited to nominate both a senior couple and a newlywed couple for special recognition.

Out of all of the nominated couples, we will recognize in a special way one senior couple and one newly married couple.

I see our annual Mass for the celebration of marriage as a great blessing and grace offer-

BISHOP’S CALENDAR September 7

5:00 p.m.

September 8

12:00 p.m.

(USPS 414-940)

Andrew Dinner, St. Joseph’s, Moorhead

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.

Catholic Community Foundation, Chancery, Crookston

September 11

9:45 a.m.

Mass, St. Joseph’s, Ada

September 11

3:00 p.m.

Rites of Initiation, St. Francis de Sales, Moorhead

September 18

11:00 a.m.

September 18 September 19

ing rich support and incentive for even deeper love for all who are on the journey of married life. It is a celebration of faith, love and hope, and in this celebration, faith, love and hope grow.

As Pope Francis wrote in paragraph 219 of “Amoris Laetitia,” “Love needs to keep dancing toward the future with immense hope. Hope is the leaven that, in those first years of engagement and marriage, makes it possible to look beyond arguments, conflicts and problems and to see things in a broader perspective. It harnesses our uncertainties and concerns so that growth can take place. Hope also bids us to live fully in the present, giving our all to the life of the family, for the best way to prepare a solid future is to live well in the present.”

I invite all married couples to mark their calendars now and plan to attend this year’s Mass for the celebration of marriage.

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

Mass and Organ Dedication concert, Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes

Publisher:

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

6:00 p.m.

Knights of Columbus Dinner & Meeting, Crookston

Editor:

Dr. Mark Krejci

6:00 p.m.

Andrew Dinner, St. Philip’s, Bemidji

Associate Editor: Mrs. Janelle C. Gergen

jgergen@crookston.org

NATIONAL COLLECTION UPDATE

The faithful of the Diocese of Crookston generously supported the 2016 USCCB national collection for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) with a donation of: $32,201.69.

The faithful of the Diocese of Crookston generously supported the 2016 USCCB national collection for the Holy Land with a donation of: $13,124.65.

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.

Editorial Assistant: Mrs. Katrina Genereux

kgenereux@crookston.org Proofreader:

Deacon Dan Hannig

For questions about subscriptions or address changes, please contact: Mrs. 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: www.crookston.org/ond/

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

AROUND THE DIOCESE

August 24, 2016

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Holy Rosary Mom’s Group leads ministry helping local families

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

The number 85 stayed with Melissa Lorentz of Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes, after she read a story in the Detroit Lakes Tribune. The article stated that 85 children in the Detroit Lakes School District were homeless.

She discussed this issue with other members of the Holy Rosary Mom’s Group, and they took action.

“It was a shocking statistic that got our attention and moved us to help,” Lorentz said.

They took the concept of the Christmas Giving Tree and created a way to expand it throughout the whole year.

They call their ministry Everyday Angels. Amy Erickson, a member of the group who suggested the name said, “its purpose is simple … to be a conduit between those who have and those who are in need.”

The group’s theory is that people can act as “angels” by

passing on items they no longer need to help ease another person’s burden.

Approximately once per month, information about a family and their needs is published in Holy Rosary’s bulletin.

Parish and community members are invited to bring items, either new or gently used, to the church. They are then delivered to the families. Holy Rosary School Custodian Jerry Bersaw built a large box for donations.

It is located in the church’s welcoming center, and the information about the families and their needs are posted on a bulletin board above the box.

Often, similar to the Christmas Giving Tree, these families have experienced job loss, health issues, or loss of housing due to fire or other circumstances.

“We are working in conjunction with key members of our community to identify those in need,” Lorentz said. “While our families come from all backgrounds and circumstances,

there is one criterion followed when selecting a family. We feel it’s important to help those on a path to bettering themselves and their families’ future.”

Susan Deraney, also a member of the mom’s group, said, “We see a lot of requests for clothing, bedding, coats and shoes, kitchen items, appliances, educational games and furniture. But we also welcome items that can fulfill a hobby or a special interest for each individual such as music, books, hair accessories, craft supplies and sporting goods.”

The ministry is currently collecting items for their eighth family. By Deraney’s calculations, they have helped 13 parents or grandparents and 38 children ranging in age from infants through 18 years old.

The families remain completely anonymous, but parishioners are provided with information about each member of the family including age, gender, clothing and shoe sizes and suggestions of other items

they might like or interests they have.

“The response has been overwhelming and the collection box is emptied a couple times a week,” Deraney said. “Countless parishioners and community members have come forward.”

They have also received donations from other parishes in the Diocese of Crookston and from people as far away as the Twin Cities.

The moms in the group have made a point to involve their children in this project.

Deraney and Lorentz said that the ministry has not only been a labor of love for the mom’s group, and rewarding for parishioners who have donated items, it has also impacted their children. They feel it has helped their kids better recognize the blessings in their lives and the impact they can have by sharing with those in need.

The Holy Rosary Mom’s Group did not have the Year of Mercy in mind when they be-

gan this project, but they think the wider community may feel some connection to the jubilee based on the overwhelming amount of donations they have received.

Although it was not intentional, the way Everyday Angels began and continues to minister to those in need certainly strikes a chord with Pope Francis’ vision for the Year of Mercy.

At a Jubilee Audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 30, he said, “Those who have experienced in their own lives the Father’s mercy cannot remain indifferent before the needs of their brothers.” He added, “The works of mercy are not theoretical ideas, but concrete testimonies. They oblige us to roll up our sleeves to alleviate suffering.”

To become involved with Everyday Angels or to find out more about the ministry, contact Lorentz at 218-234-0777 or Deraney at 218-849-1856.

Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) Endowments and Memorials Education of Seminarians

Francis and Alvina Desrosier............................2,000.00

Lloyd and Dorothy Rivard................................10,000.00

St. Aloysius, Leo...............................................3,400.00

Adrian and Jane Fortier.................................10,000.00

Frank and Judith Kleinvachter..........................2,000.00

Louis and Laura Baril........................................2,500.00

St. Bernard’s Parish, TRF.................................2,050.00

Albert & Irene Kuznia.......................................1,000.00

Frank and Mabel Mallinger.............................15,000.00

Louis and Gertrude Staloch..............................1,000.00

St. Francis, Moorhead.....................................19,735.00

Alfonse & Helen DeCrans................................1,550.00

Fred & Eva Rivard..........................................10,000.00

Louis J. Desrosier............................................32,498.97

St. Francis Xavier, Oklee......................................890.28

Andrew & Madeline Hanson.............................2,000.00

George and Annie Baskerville...........................1,000.00

Louis M. Theis...................................................9,732.58

St. Isidore .........................................................1,000.00

Andrew and Kathryn Rominski..........................1,000.00

George and Mary Rauenbuehler.......................1,000.00

Lucille A. McGinnis Estate...............................27,425.00

St. John, Nebish, Sacred Heart, Wil.................9,000.00

Ann K. Brunner Endowment...........................25,342.12

Glen St. Ives Memorial......................................5,000.00

M. Joseph Walsh...............................................1,000.00

St. Joseph’s, Bagley.............................................545.00

Anton Tschimperele Estate...............................5,000.00

Godfrey and Blanche Keller............................10,000.00

Marcel Novak................................................124,321.68

St. Joseph’s, Moorhead.....................................5,042.00

Arlin & Marcia Super............................................500.00

Grace Genereux................................................5,000.00

Margaret & Celestine Maus..............................9,000.00

St. Joseph’s Church, Beaulieu........................10,000.00

Ben & Elizabeth Balke ...................................10,000.00

Harold and Ann Pakuer...................................10,000.00

Margaret Tembrock.........................................15,000.00

St. Joseph’s of Benwood Youth Grp.................1,608.10

Ben & Elizabeth Landowski..............................2,500.00

Harold & Shirley Cyr……….......................……1,000.00

Marie V. Connelly.............................................10,000.00

St. Joseph’s Parish, Oslo................................10,000.00

Bill & Dee Sullivan.............................................1,050.00

Helen Gartner Memorial....................................1,000.00

Mary Immaculate.............................................10,030.00

St. Lawrence Church, Mentor............................7,500.00

Bishop Balke...................................................15,000.00

Henry and Ida Ricard......................................33,099.22

Matt & Ann Vorderbruggen..............................10,000.00

St. Mary of the Lakes......................................10,000.00

Bishop Corbett Memorial................................10,035.00

Henry J. Schilling.............................................15,000.00

Matthew J. and Anna Novak.............................8,000.00

St. Mary’s, Euclid..................................................100.00

Bishop Glenn..................................................18,695.00

Herbert and Lou Vicia Reese............................1,000.00

Michael John Steffl Memorial..........................52,500.00

St. Mary’s Church of Fosston............................2,357.00

Bishop Peschges............................................20,000.00

Herbert X. Brunner..........................................25,000.00

Miss Alice E. Chisholm Estate.........................45,088.40

St. Mary’s, Warroad...........................................1,000.00

Bishop Povish.................................................20,035.00

Hildebrand, Assumption, Barnes.....................10,000.00

Mr. & Mrs. Henry McAleer Mem......................91,000.00

St. Patrick, Hallock..........................................10,000.00

Bray, Logan & Morin.......................................10,000.00

Holy Trinity, All Heavenly Beings.......................8,600.00

Mrs. Mae Lallier.................................................1,000.00

St. Peter’s, Gentilly...............................................100.00

Candace Miller Memorial..................................5,844.57

Holy Trinity, Tabor..............................................3,484.03

Mrs. Mary Plencner...........................................3,000.00

St. Peter’s, Park Rapids....................................1,000.00

Cathedral of the Immac. Conception................1,554.49

Izola McLaughlin Estate..................................13,564.07

Msgr. A. I. Merth..............................................20,000.00

St. Philip’s Church of Bemidji............................1,000.00

Clarence Agnes…….............................………10,000.00

J.F.A.B. .……………..........................................5,135.11

Msgr. John Stearns.........................................10,000.00

St. Rose of Lima, Argyle....................................4,250.00

Clarice & Peter Dieser Families......................17,109.42

Jerome C. & Alice Steele..................................2,000.00

Nat’l Catholic Society of Foresters..................37,648.17

St. Stephen , Stephen.....................................12,702.00

Clem & Kathryn Foltz......................................14,800.00

Jerry & Eris Super...........................................20,000.00

Neoma Madunich Memorial..............................1,000.00

Stanley Bourassa............................................10,025.00

Edward Ignaszewski Estate..............................3,000.00

Joe and Jenny Prosby Family.........................10,000.00

Pennies for Seminarians-MN KCs..................98,290.61

Stanley and Lucille Gruhot................................9,000.00

Elmer Ricard Memorial.....................................1,600.00

Joel & Nancy Kowalke......................................1,000.00

Peter and Julia Stauffenecker...........................5,000.00

Steven and Agnes Kary Estate.......................23,408.78

Elvern Vanyo…................................………….85,194.22

J. & M. Arends, F. & L. Hemberger....................4,009.35

Peter J. Krolak.................................................20,000.00

Sylvester & Clara Kasprowicz...........................1,000.00

Eugene R. Connelly Memorial..........................5,000.00

John A. and Victoria Kuznia............................10,000.00

Pope Pius X......................................................3,695.58

Theodore and Susie Michalski..........................3,000.00

Eva Charest Memorial..................................221,426.37

John & Dorothy Morrisey Family.......................3,000.00

Ralph & Dolores Stocker...................................1,500.00

Vernard & Mae Dora Berberich.........................1,000.00

Father Bill Keefe.............................................21,974.47

John Joseph......................................................1,105.00

Ray and Loretta Borowicz...............................10,000.00

Virgil LaPlante...................................................4,000.00

Father Ed Nistler...............................................6,000.00

Joseph & Elizabeth Pulczinski Fam..................2,000.00

Richard Rude..................................................10,000.00

W. Donald Archer Memorial............................14,107.66

Father James P. Flynn....................................21,654.46

Joseph and Rose Parent.................................10,000.00

Robert Kresl Family...........................................2,000.00

Walter & Monica Novak Memorial.....................7,000.00

Father John Merth..........................................10,000.00

Julius and Toni Kleinwachter.............................2,000.00

Robert & Carmel Montgomery.........................17,370.16

Wilhelmina Patnode........................................20,000.00

Father Keough Patnode..................................80,365.00

Knights of Columbus.......................................16,540.92

Sacred Heart I................................................20,000.00

William and Loretta Erickson.............................1,000.00

Fathers Sheehy & A.M.A.S.............................10,000.00

Lake of the Woods Cath Comm......................10,000.00

Sacred Heart, Frazee......................................10,000.00

Total.............................................................1,916,410.39

Felix & Theresa Pietruszewski..........................1,500.00

Leonard & Marie Hapka..................................10,000.00

Sacred Heart Parish, Roseau...........................1,720.60

Fr. Louis McMahan...........................................2,800.00

Leonard and Isabelle Kuznia............................1,000.00

Simon & Marion Super....................................11,000.00

Frances Karboviak............................................1,000.00

Leonard E. & Veronica B. Boucher...................1,000.00

SS. Peter & Paul, Warren................................11,200.00

Want to know more about endowments and memorials within the Catholic Community Foundation? Do you have questions about the endowments published above?

Contact Joe Noel, CCF Director, at 218-281-4533, ext. 453 (office) or 218-280-6858 (mobile). Joe may also be reached at: jnoel@crookston.org.

4

August 24, 2016

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

The importance of getting voting right The level of distaste for both major parties’ presidential candidates is at an historic high. In the midst of this discontent, the traces of two distorted approaches to voting have become clear.

One approach is to avoid voting altogether because of a dissatisfaction with the presidential candidates and an understandable (but incorrect) perception that all politicians are crooks, along with an attitude that voting doesn’t make much of a difference anyway.

The other extreme overstates the importance of voting, turning a weighty responsibility into a pseudo-sacrament, as though the establishment of the kingdom of God depended on picking the right candidate. Those with this mindset can easily fall into the trap of “putting their trust in princes,” leading to unrealistic expectations of a candidate’s capacity to do good and self-imposed blindness to his or her flaws.

The proper approach to voting is somewhere in between these extremes. It treats voting with the same measured perspective with which we are to consider other forms of political participation in a pluralistic, liberal democracy: as a prudent, practical engagement with an imperfect system for the sake of the common good.

To borrow a phrase from theologian Gilbert Meilaender, this

FAITH IN THE PUBLIC ARENA

By Jonathan Liedl

Communications Manager Minnesota Catholic Conference

ACTION ALERT Election Day Resources for Faithful Citizenship Voting is a special right and an important responsibility. It is an opportunity to participate in our community as faithful citizens by shaping the political landscape for the common good.

Because of its importance, we should seriously and prayerfully prepare to cast our vote in November. MCC has produced several election-year resources to help you as you form your conscience for faithful citizenship.

These resources include:

A candidate questionnaire to help you find out where your local candidates stand on important issues A voting discernment guide to help you evaluate candidates in light of a consistent ethic of life These resources, and more, are available at: mncatholic.org/election. To receive a printed copy, call MCC’s offices at 651-227-8777. approach sees the importance A DUTY OF CHARITY of voting as “chastened, but In their 2016 update of not denuded.”

Forming Consciences for Faith-

ful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops remind Catholics that “responsible citizenship is a virtue.”

While political participation can and should take many forms, exercising the right to vote in a representative democracy is a privileged duty. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says it is “morally obligatory” (2240).

Why such strong language?

The Church teaches that we, as laypeople, are compelled by an evangelical mandate of charity to work for the well-being of our brothers and sisters. One form of this work includes advocating for policies that foster human dignity and the common good, and electing representatives who will prioritize these values.

Voting, though an imperfect system, is an important tool we can use to help shape the contours of our political landscape.

Politics will not, nor does it aim to (properly understood), bring about the Kingdom, and voting will never put perfect candidates in office (because who is perfect?). But if done in an informed and principled manner, your vote can be used to protect innocent human life and promote the conditions for all to flourish—or at least mitigate the political damage that can be done.

AN IMPERFECT SYSTEM The obligation to exercise

one’s right to vote does not mean we are required to vote in every race or for only those candidates likely to win. Faithful Citizenship informs us that one “can take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate” if all candidates promote intrinsic evils. Sometimes the candidates are so flawed that it can be near impossible to reasonably discern who is the least-worst option.

But such a decision should not be undertaken lightly, and should only come after serious discernment and study. We should not be so naïve as to always expect perfect candidates with the right position on every issue or without any personal flaws, and then avoid voting generally because no one meets our exacting standards. Even when one cannot in good conscience justify a vote in a particular race we should remember that the ballot is full of important elections. Disgust with the presidential election by itself is not a good reason to stay home on November 8.

We are called to be faithful citizens within an imperfect system, prudently using our vote to bring about a limited good as best we can. As an unknown Church father wrote regarding the civic responsibilities of Christians, “So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.”

wants your news and advertisements!

Find 2016-17 publishing dates and submission deadlines on the web: www.crookston.org/ond The next OND submission deadline is: Wednesday, August 31 by 12:00 p.m.

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

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

COMMENTARY

August 24, 2016

5

Every home is a lampstand shining the love of God in the world live God’s purpose for family some very practical ways. The Our granddaughter is at the PRAYING and marriage. There are many ideas will not be mine – they age (4) where she has learned WITH THE people and groups in our so- can be found in sacred scripture how prayers before bedtime ciety who do not believe that and the teaching of the Church. can be stretched to delay having FAMILY So let me provide one conGod has a plan for the famto actually go to bed. It always takes place during the “God Bless” portion of the prayers (after the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary and Glory Be). Those to be blessed always begins with “Mommy and Daddy” and then stretches through the list of relatives all the way to the ancestors from Bohemia in the 1800s! One could pray an entire novena before our granddaughter finishes with the “God Blesses”. How do her parents and grandparents react to this holy delay of sleep? Our hearts are filled with love because she is lifting up her prayers to our Heavenly Father, God who is love, and thus doing what we should all be doing in our families – sharing God’s love.

You may have heard that Pope Francis recently published a letter for the Church on the state of marriage and family life called “The Joy of

By Dr. Mark Krejci

Director of the Office of Marriage, Family and Life

Love (Amoris Laetitia)”. Near the beginning of this letter he quotes a line of poetry, “every home is a lampstand.” Does this sound familiar? Remember in the Gospel of Luke we read “No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it under a bushel basket, but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light” (Lk 11:33). Jesus is the Light of the World and we should strive to share the light of Christ with all, beginning in the family. Our granddaughter shines the light of Christ into our family every

time she engages in the beautiful and endless string of “God Bless …” each and every night.

This brings me to the point of this new column in OND. In case you missed the announcement in July, I now serve in the Office of Marriage, Family and Life in the Diocese of Crookston and one of my tasks is to write a column on marriage and the family. As a psychologist working in the area of marriage, family and religion, my goal is to have a practical nature to these columns that will provide ideas about how to

ily. They believe that marriage and the family are merely social institutions created by humankind in order to nurture and regulate society. But as Catholic Christians, we believe that God has a plan for marriage and the family and that is why God created them. Marriage and the family, in part, are meant to reflect the love of God in this world because God wants us to get a glimpse of the love we will experience in the heavenly kingdom. Marriage and the family are meant to light up the world with God’s love and in so doing bring us all to God. How do we do this? The answer begins with loving one another as Jesus loves us but perhaps this seems too “abstract” or “theological” for us to follow in our daily lives. Over the course of these columns I will explore how we can love our family in

crete way to show love: pray for your family. Husbands and wives, pray for each other, pray for your children and children pray for your parents. Pray for grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Pray for those who are dearly departed, and those who are yet to be born. Pray for the future spouse of your son or daughter, pray for future children and grandchildren … OK, now I am starting to sound like my granddaughter. But she is someone to follow – because she, through her prayers, shines the love of God in this world.

Here is the take-away from this column: If you are not doing so already – pray for your family each and every day. By praying for your family you will be taking a big step in sharing the Love of God.

Proof there is a God: A four slice toaster at Aunt LaVerne’s Growing up, my second home was with Uncle Roger and Aunt LaVerne. Roger was my Mom’s brother and LaVerne one of my Mom’s best friends.

They lived on one of the oldest farmsteads in the area and, to this day, the original massive barn still stands; that is a big deal to a farm boy. I put many miles on my bike riding those four miles back and forth to be with my cousins. With ten children, there was always something going on at their house.

Even during the haying and harvest seasons we would see each other late on hot summer nights once the dew had stopped our labor for the day.

Bear Lake was just a few miles from our homes and we, along with the families from the whole area, met there and used car lights if we had to so we could swim into the night.

Between hay crops, after a rainy day or on Sunday afternoons I would hike over to play softball or swing in the enormous hayloft above the barn. As the day would draw to a close I would beg Mom and Dad if I could stay overnight.

Unless it was a school night, LaVerne and Roger could always squeeze in one more.

One of the best parts of sleeping overnight at Roger and LaVerne’s was the colossal

LIFE

FIRST

By Father Don Braukmann

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

breakfast that awaited us in the morning! Farm fresh eggs, bacon and always, always homemade bread.

In fact, my cousins would tell me how it was a “treat” to get store bought bread once in awhile.

It was a seldom occurrence as the smell of fresh bread filled their house almost every day.

I clearly remember the morning when I managed to find a seat on one of the benches surrounding the large kitchen table, I looked on the counter and there was a bright silver four slice toaster! I could not believe my eyes! I secretly wondered how they had struck it rich to afford such an appliance! Yet, if I had been thinking, it was a great investment.

How else would they get all ten kids out the door with full

stomachs to catch the bus?

One thing puzzled me, however, at that young age. How come when I went shopping in late summer for new school clothes I had to buy the “husky” size of everything while my cousins never did? I ate the same food they did…I guess just more of it at their house!

I had the honor of being part of Uncle Roger’s funeral several years ago. Two weeks ago, I had the same honor for Aunt LaVerne. She was the last of that generation for my family.

Our loss did not entirely hit me until we gathered at the cemetery, in the rain, and said goodbye. In that “Holy Cross Cemetery” were the bodies of many gallant champions who touched my life and the lives of my own family. Most in that cemetery ARE family!

So many memories overwhelmed me in those moments at the grave. For years I would hear my own Mom’s laughter fill our house when she was on the phone with LaVerne (which was nearly a daily event!). Mom would laugh until she couldn’t anymore. The world needs more of those kind of friendships.

Another clear memory came to mind while I stood there. My parents (especially my Dad) and Roger and LaVerne loved to go dancing. Many times throughout the year on a Friday or Saturday night, after chores, they would go off to kick up their heels. In my mind I could never quite picture those “old folks” dancing until I was old enough myself to watch them with my own eyes!

For my Aunt and Uncle, and for my parents, there was always a reason to dance. Now the old gang has been reunited and when I hear thunder, I know what is going on in heaven!

LaVerne was buried with six Rosaries in her casket! She echoed throughout her life the “Yes!” of Mary whispered to Gabriel so very long ago.

“Yes!” to marriage. “Yes!” to each child gifted her by God. “Yes!” to the joys and sorrows of parenting. “Yes!” to the worries that come with farming and

how to pay the bills when the crop was bad or milk prices were low.

She said “Yes!” when she bid farewell to her dear friend, my Mom. A painful “Yes!” when she placed the hand of the love of her life into the hand of God. Still another “Yes!” when she had to move off the farm into a nursing home. And one final, clear throated “Yes!” when Christ slipped his hand into hers and walked her home.

The cemetery at my home parish is on a hilltop which overlooks Roger and LaVerne’s farm. Our cemetery faces north, an oddity, I know as most face east, awaiting the return of Christ. LaVerne and Roger side by side, next to my parents and next to my own grave when that day comes, all facing north … to Roger and LaVerne’s farm and Mom and Dad facing north to the Diocese of Crookston where their “baby” serves.

Thank you Lord for the amazing people you sow into our lives, the ones who, with you, give us life in every sense of the word. Dance till you drop, Aunt LaVerne, and laugh till you can’t!

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August 24, 2016

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Sharing the mission of the Gospel with college students

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

As colleges in Moorhead gear up to welcome students to campus, Moorhead Catholic Campus Ministries is preparing to share the Gospel with them.

Last year, MCCM received a $100,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Part of the money received is going toward an event they will host Sept. 11 at St. Joseph’s, Moorhead.

The event is called Made for Mission: Living as a Missionary Disciple Here and Now. It will begin with Mass at 11:45 a.m., followed by a meal and a presentation given by dynamic Catholic speaker, Nic Davidson at 2 p.m.

Davidson spoke to MCCM students last November about the Mass. Father Bryan Kujawa, Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, and Director of MCCM, said Davidson did a great job. He was also the keynote speaker for the 2016 Middle School Youth Rally.

“We thought a few of the students from last year would see his name on the posters and get excited about his return and maybe even invite some friends to come along with them to this event,” Father Kujawa said.

During his presentation he will speak to the students about what it means to be on mission.

“Typically when we hear someone mention ‘mission’, we think of going to some faraway destination, but really we are all meant to be on mission for the Kingdom of Heaven at all

times,” Father Kujawa said. “St. Paul tells us in the Letter to the Philippians that our true home is in heaven, which means we’re all away from home right now.

Nic will explain what it means for someone to give his or her life to the cause of the Gospel.”

“The Lilly Grant is the driving force of this event,” Father Kujawa said. The money received will cover the expense of bringing Davidson to Moorhead, advertising costs and the cost of the meal.

According to a press release announcing the receipt of the grant, MCCM will use the funds to develop programs for college students that will invite prayer and reflection on “gifting our life through response to God’s call of vocation.”

“As with all things, the main purpose is to draw more college students into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. We want them to see that the Gospel demands an active response, not with only part of my life, but with my whole life. That response will lead to true joy.”

– Father Bryan Kujawa Parochial Vicar, St. Joseph’s, Moorhead & MCCM Director

MCCM serves students on three college campuses in the community, Minnesota State University, Moorhead; Minnesota State and Technical College and Concordia College.

The ministry is based at St. Joseph’s, Moorhead, which is four blocks from MSUM and Con-

cordia and within three miles of M-State.

“As with all things, the main purpose [of this event] is to draw more college students into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ,” Father Kujawa said. “We want them to see that the Gospel demands an active

response, not with only part of my life, but with my whole life.

That response will lead to true joy.”

Visit stjoesmhd.com/mccm for more information about ministry to college students in the Moorhead area.

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Bishops to host discussion about local politics Sept. 21 Clergy, diocesan staff, and those in parish ministry are invited to join Minnesota’s bishops and the staff of the Minnesota Catholic Conference for a special Election Year study day.

The event, Our Corner of the Vineyard: Rediscovering the Importance of Social and Political Engagement in the Local Community, will feature a discussion that seeks to escape the fog of presidential politics and help ministry leaders foster a deeper sense of the vocation of public service and the importance of engagement in local community and political life among laity in their communities.

Keynote speakers include author, speaker, and Steubenville, Ohio, city councilwoman Kimberly Hahn (the wife of Scott Hahn), and About.com Catholi-

cism expert and Chronicles magazine editor Scott P. Richert. Local Minnesota leaders, including Viviana Sotro, executive director of Sagrada Familia Apostolate, and Mike Harris, venture capitalist and former St. Paul city councilman, will take part in a panel discussion.

The event will be held in N. Woulfe Hall in the Anderson Student Center on the St. Paul campus of the University of St. Thomas. Doors open at 8:30 a.m., and the event will begin at 9:30 a.m. It will conclude by Noon. A light breakfast and refreshments will be served.

The event is free, but an RSVP is required to attend. Let us know if you’ll be attending by emailing info@mncatholic.org or calling 651-227-8777. Visit mncatholic. org for more information.

FINAL NOTICE!!!!

AROUND THE DIOCESE

August 24, 2016

7

Dates set for 2016-2017 men’s and women’s Cursillo weekends Fall is fast approaching and it is a good time to begin thinking about Cursillo weekends in the Diocese of Crookston. The fall men’s weekend is Sept. 29-Oct. 2. The fall women’s weekend will be held Oct. 27-30. Both weekends will be at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp near Fosston, Minn. The spring dates for the men’s weekend are Feb. 23-26 and the women’s spring weekend will be March 16-19. The spring weekends will also be held at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp.

Cursillo weekends are not a retreat, but a short course in Christianity. It is an encounter with self, Christ and others set up to develop spirituality so that those who attend will live and share this spirituality in all areas of their lives. The weekends help people to become willing to dedicate their lives to God in an ongoing way whether they are at work, home or recreation.

During these three days, talks are given by priests and laity and attendees share the Eucha-

rist and prayer together.

People who desire to grow in their Christian lives, share their faith daily and develop spirituality should think about attending a Cursillo weekend. People who have attended a Cursillo weekend are encouraged to start praying about someone they know whose spiritual life would be enriched by this experience and invite them to one of the upcoming weekends.

A few comments from people who have attended previous Cursillo weekends are: “I left the weekend with a desire to spread the love of Jesus through the Holy Spirit into the heart and soul of others.”

“I experienced a deep stirring in my soul that has only become stronger since my Cursillo six years ago.”

“It was so encouraging to encounter such joyful, faith-filled women from all over our diocese. Their faithful witness was really life-giving to me and this continues in my small community where I am challenged to

continue to share and grow in our faith.”

“A Cursillo weekend unites you with other enthused, fun and faith-filled people – I very much enjoyed my Cursillo weekend and recommend it for anyone seeking spiritual or personal growth.”

“A great opportunity to take a break from the clutter of everyday life and focus solely on developing a deeper relationship with Christ.”

To attend, fill out an application and send it to the address listed below. Applications are available in parish offices or online at crookstoncursillo.weebly. com.

If you have any questions about attending a Cursillo or about completing the application, please contact: Bobbi Mercil at: 2262 Wilderness Trail, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501; cbmercil@gmail.com or 701866-5706; or Carol Olsonawski at: 312 Atlantic Ave N. Hallock, MN 56728; jerry49@frontier. com or 218-689-9081.

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August 24, 2016

AROUND THE DIOCESE

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

Father Joe DeCrans retires after 32 years of ministry OND Staff Report

St. Joseph’s, Ada; Holy Family, Halstad and St. William’s, Twin Valley, hosted a retirement party for their pastor, Father Joe DeCrans, on August 11.

Father DeCrans presided at Mass held at St. Joseph’s at 5:30 p.m.. An open house and short program celebrating his 32 years of service as a priest in the Diocese of Crookston followed.

Ollen Church of St. Joseph’s, was the emcee for the program. Gary Shulstad of Holy Family, and Phil Peterick of St. William’s shared a few words about Father DeCrans’ time in their parishes.

Speeches were also given by Bishop Emeritus Victor H. Balke, Msgr. Michael Foltz and Father Joe’s brother, Father Bill DeCrans.

Father Joe DeCrans was ordained May 18, 1984. Since then, he has served in parishes throughout the diocese. He was Associate Pastor at Cathedral, Crookston and St. Francis of Assisi’s, Fisher. He was Canonical Pastor for St. Edward’s, Strandquist and Administrator for Sacred Heart, Frazee. Father DeCrans served as Pastor for the parishes of St. Joseph’s, Brooks; St. Anthony’s, Terrebonne; St. Vincent’s, Plummer; St. Bernard’s, Thief River Falls; St. Clement’s, Grygla; St. Ann’s, Goodridge; Sacred Heart, Frazee; St. Mary’s of the Lakes, Detroit Lakes; Assumption, Callaway, and most recently, St. Joseph’s; St. William’s and Holy Family.

Father Joe DeCrans will remain in residence at St. Joseph’s, Ada. His brother, Father Bill DeCrans, has been named Pastor of St. Joseph’s, Ada; St. William’s, Twin Valley, and Holy Family, Halstad, and will also live in Ada.

Above: Father Bill DeCrans and Father Joe DeCrans take a photo with their brothers, Jim and Dan during the reception. Their brother Bob and sisters Theresa and Carol also attended the event.

Left: Father Joe DeCrans hands out suckers to two children during the retirement celebration. He has carried that bucket to every parish he has been assigned and kept it full of suckers to share with the children in his parishes for 32 years. (Submitted photos)

Ollen Church of St. Joseph’s, Ada, loads Father Joe DeCrans up with all of the things he will need to enjoy fishing during his retirement.

Area youth attend Steubenville North Conference in St. Paul

Students from the Diocese of Crookston take a group photo during the Steubenville North Conference held at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul July 29-30. Youth from Stephen, Argyle, Bemidji, Crookston, Detroit Lakes, Dilworth, Nevis, Park Rapids, Roseau, Shevlin, Warroad and Williams attended.

A group from Detroit Lakes, Park Rapids, and Warroad, as well as students from Nevis, Stephen, Argyle, Shevlin, Dilworth, Roseau, and Williams attended the conference together. This group shared the bus trip and spent an evening at Water Park of America. They also packed food with Feed My Starving Children on Monday on their trip home. “Great friendships were made and continue. We are so blessed to be able to do these great things together and build the larger community of the Diocese of Crookston,” said Annette Haas, Director of Youth Ministry and Religious Education at St. Peter the Apostle’s, Park Rapids. (Submitted photos)

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

AROUND THE DIOCESE

August 24, 2016

9

Director of the Office St. Joseph’s, Middle River, gathers of New Evangelization for blessing of their new bell tower and Justice begins

By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND

On August 2, Alexander (AJ) Garcia began work as the Director of the Diocese of Crookston’s Office of New Evangelization and Justice.

The former Office of the New Evangelization has been split into three separate offices with three independent directors. Those offices are called: Marriage, Family and Life; New Evangelization and Justice; and Youth Ministry and Catechesis.

“The purpose of the Office of New Evangelization and Justice is to serve pastors, parish staffs, and parishioners to help form intentional disciples throughout the diocese,” Garcia said.

He looks forward to developing relationships with the priests, religious and laity in the diocese while serving as Director of New Evangelization and Justice.

“I hope to teach, form and model evangelization and justice for all of the faithful in a dynamic and repeatable manner,” he said. “Evangelization goes beyond proclaiming the Gospel, it includes recognizing the dignity of every person and striving to love them as Christ loves us.”

One way this teaching, formation and modeling will happen is through the establishment of a New Evangelization Commission.

“Much of the vision and direction of the work of the Office of New Evangelization and Justice will be from Bishop Hoeppner’s pastoral letter, ‘Meeting Christ, Living Christ’ and Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, ‘The Joy of the Gospel’,” Garcia said.

Garcia earned a Bachelor of

AJ Garcia

Science in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is working toward a Master of Arts in Theology from the Augustine Institute.

Prior to being hired by the Diocese of Crookston, Garcia served as a missionary with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) for six years. He served at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, and most recently at Winona State University.

Garcia, his wife, Janet, and their two children, Peter, 2, and Monica, 9 months, moved from Winona to East Grand Forks.

They are members of Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks.

“I am excited to be serving the Diocese of Crookston in this role and I look forward to encountering Jesus, proclaiming the Gospel and building the Kingdom of God together,” he said.

Garcia welcomes thoughts and ideas at agarcia@crookston. org.

The congregation of St. Joseph’s, Middle River, gathers for a photo with their new bell tower after it was blessed by their Pastor, Father Luis Buitron, prior to Mass on July 24. (Submitted photo)

Religious sister originally from Nevis to celebrate diamond jubilee in September Sister Kathleen Spurlin will celebrate 75 years of religious life this fall. She is a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Sister Kathleen was born in Nevis, Minn., and entered the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary congregation on Sept. 8, 1946. She professed first vows on March 19, 1949, and final vows on August 15, 1954.

Sister Kathleen taught elementary and secondary school in Butte and Missoula, Mont.; San Francisco; Kauai, Hawaii; Phoenix; Houston; and Clarksdale, Miss. She served in campus and youth ministry in Houston.

Sister Kathleen Spurlin

In Mississippi, she served as prison chaplain in Parchman

and Leaksville, and as volunteer chaplain in Hattiesburg. Sister Kathleen is retired and lives in Dubuque at the Mount Carmel Motherhouse.

Sister Kathleen is among 29 diamond jubilarians in the community who will gather in the Mount Carmel Motherhouse Chapel in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sept. 11, for a liturgy of thanksgiving. The jubilarian group also includes sisters celebrating 73, 72 and 70 years.

To send a congratulatory message to Sister Kathleen, or to donate to the congregation on her behalf, go to www.bvmcong.org/whatsnew_jubs.cfm.

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August 24, 2016

PRAYER CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 2016

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

SEPTEMBER 17 ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. Craig Vasek SEPTEMBER 18 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Dennis Wieland SEPTEMBER 19 ST. JANUARIUS, BISHOP, MARTYR Fr. Larry Wieseler (retired) SEPTEMBER 20 STS. ANDREW KIM TAE-GŎN, PRIEST, AND PAUL CHŎNG HA-SANG, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner SEPTEMBER 21 ST. MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST Bishop Victor H. Balke (retired) SEPTEMBER 22 WEEKDAY Fr. Todd Arends SEPTEMBER 23 ST. PIUS OF PIETRELCINA, PRIEST Msgr. David Baumgartner SEPTEMBER 24 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Fr. Don Braukmann SEPTEMBER 25 TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Fr. Luis Buitron SEPTEMBER 26 STS. COMOS AND DAMIEN, MARTYRS Fr. Tim Bushy SEPTEMBER 27 ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, PRIEST Fr. John Christianson SEPTEMBER 28 ST. WENCESLAUS, MARTYR; ST. LAWRENCE RUIZ AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS Fr. John Cox, OMI SEPTEMBER 29 STS. MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, ARCHANGELS Fr. Bill DeCrans SEPTEMBER 30 ST. JEROME, PRIEST DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Fr. Joe DeCrans

VOCATION PRAYER OF POPE FRANCIS: God our Father, you made each of us to use our gifts in the Body of Christ. We ask that you inspire young people whom you call to priesthood and consecrated life to courageously follow your will. Send workers into your great harvest so that the Gospel is preached, the poor are served with love, the suffering are comforted, and Your people are strengthened by the sacraments. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

COMMENTARY

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

POPE FRANCIS’ PRAYER INTENTIONS

SEPTEMBER 2016

UNIVERSAL INTENTION: CENTRALITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

That each may contribute to the common good and to the building of a society that places the human person at the center.

EVANGELIZATION INTENTION: MISSION TO EVANGELIZE

(Photo credit: CNS)

That by participating in the sacraments and meditating on Scripture, Christians may become more aware of their mission to evangelize.

DAILY SCRIPTURE SEPTEMBER 1 - 1 Cor 3:18-23; Ps 24:1b-4b, 5-6; Lk 5:1-11 SEPTEMBER 2 - 1 Cor 4:1-5; Ps 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40; Lk 5:33-39 SEPTEMBER 3 - 1 Cor 4:6b-15; Ps 145:17-21; Lk 6:1-5 SEPTEMBER 4 - Wis 9:13-18b; Ps 90:36, 12-17; Phlm 9-10, 12-17; Lk 14:25-33 SEPTEMBER 5 - 1 Cor 5:1-8; Ps 5:5-7, 12; Lk 6:6-11 SEPTEMBER 6 - 1 Cor 6:1-11; Ps 149:1b6a, 9b; Lk 6:12-19 SEPTEMBER 7 - 1 Cor 7:25-31; Ps 45:1112, 14-17; Lk 6:20-26 SEPTEMBER 8 - Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:2830; Ps 13:6abc; Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:1823 SEPTEMBER 9 - 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27; Ps 84:3-6, 12; Lk 6:39-42 SEPTEMBER 10 - 1 Cor 10:14-22; Ps 116:12-13, 17-18; Lk 6:43-49 SEPTEMBER 11 - Ex 32:7-11, 13-14; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19; 1 Tm 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-32 or 15:1-10 SEPTEMBER 12 - 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33; Ps 40:7-10, 17; Lk 7:1-10 SEPTEMBER 13 - 1 Cor 12:12-14, 2731a; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 7:11-17 SEPTEMBER 14 - Nm 21:4b-9; Ps 78:1b2, 34-38; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17 SEPTEMBER 15 - 1 Cor 15:1-11; Ps 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28; Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35

SEPTEMBER 2016 SEPTEMBER 16 - 1 Cor 15:12-20; Ps 17:1bcd, 6-7, 8b, 15; Lk 8:1-3 SEPTEMBER 17 - 1 Cor 15:35-37, 4249; Ps 56:10c-14; Lk 8:4-15 SEPTEMBER 18 - Am 8:4-7; Ps 113:1-2, 4-8; 1 Tm 2:1-8; Lk 16:1-13 or 16:10-13 SEPTEMBER 19 - Prv 3:27-34; Ps 15:24b, 5; Lk 8:16-18 SEPTEMBER 20 - Prv 21:1-6, 10-13; Ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44;Lk 8:19-21 SEPTEMBER 21 - Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Ps 19:2-5; Mt 9:9-13 SEPTEMBER 22 - Eccl 1:211; Ps 90:3-6, 12-14, 17bc; Lk 9:7-9 SEPTEMBER 23 - Eccl 3:1-11; Ps 144:1b, 2abc, 3-4; Lk 9:18-22 SEPTEMBER 24 - Eccl 11:9–12:8; Ps 90:3-6, 12-14, 17; Lk 9:43b-45 SEPTEMBER 25 - Am 6:1a, 4-7; Ps 146:7-10; 1 Tm 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31 SEPTEMBER 26 - Jb 1:6-22; Ps 17:1bcd, 2-3, 6-7; Lk 9:46-50 SEPTEMBER 27 - Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 2023; Ps 88:2-8; Lk 9:51-56 SEPTEMBER 28 - Jb 9:1-12, 14-16; Ps 88:10b-15; Lk 9:57-62 SEPTEMBER 29 - Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rv 12:7-12a; Ps 138:1-5; Jn 1:47-51 SEPTEMBER 30 - Jb 38:1, 12-21; 40:35; Ps 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14b; Lk 10:13-16

OUR NORTHLAND DIOCESE

NATIONAL

August 24, 2016

11

Protecting ‘the innocent is a matter of justice,’ says head of Knights

By Julie Asher Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON – Protecting “the innocent is a matter of justice that imposes an obligation on all members of society,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, adding that abortion is not just another U.S. political issue.

“It is time to stop creating excuses for voting for pro-abortion politicians,” he said.

Anderson made the comments in response to questions from CNS sent as a follow-up to his report to the 134th international convention of the Knights of Columbus in Toronto, held Aug. 2-4.

In that report, Anderson also highlighted the organization’s charitable contributions, its protection of Catholic families, the need to defend religious liberty at home and around the world, and the Knights advocacy work on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East.

Regarding abortion, he told CNS that Catholic politicians who support keeping abortion legal are out of touch with many of their Catholic constituents on the issue, he said, noting that “at a rate of three to one, practicing Catholics overwhelmingly agree that abortion is morally wrong.”

Here is the full text of the CNS Q-and-A with Anderson: Q: There are those people who say, “Well, Catholic politicians might be opposed themselves to abortion, but aren’t they supposed to represent their constituents even if those constituents are for legal abortion?” Otherwise isn’t the Catholic lawmaker imposing his/her religious views?

A: This argument – that a politician can be personally opposed to abortion but support its legality so as not to impose his or her own morality on the country was laid out in 1984 at Notre Dame by the late governor of New York, Mario Cuomo. The argument is even more problematic today than it was then for two reasons.

First, I can think of no other issue where it is acceptable to say, I believe that this action is the taking of innocent human life, but I am not going to legislate to stop it. Pope Francis has reminded us that human life is an absolute value and our laws have always recognized that principle when it comes to killing the innocent. Also, look at it another way. Imagine saying you’re opposed to racism but you refuse to work to end apartheid or that you are for equal rights for women but re-

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson delivers an address at the Knights of Columbus convention in Toronto Aug. 4. (Photo credit: CNS/Knights of Columbus)

fuse to vote for equal pay for equal work. The position is essentially incoherent. When fundamental issues of justice are involved it cannot be simply a matter of majority opinion. On these issues politicians must exercise moral leadership. I recognize that this takes courage, but this is the kind of leadership we desperately need.

That said, today the argument makes even less sense. Thirty years ago, the argument rested on the contention that Catholics, as a religious minority in America, should not attempt to impose their “minority” views on the rest of the nation. But polling we commissioned with Marist demonstrates that now the opposite is actually true.

Today, by more than 20 points (60 percent to 37 percent) a strong majority of Americans say abortion is immoral. About 8 in 10 want substantial restrictions on abortion, and a majority want it restricted to – at most – the rarest of cases: rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

Catholic politicians who say that they have to follow the national consensus need to take a second look. A problem with their position is that the national consensus favors substantially restricting abortion.

Given the polling on this subject, it is time for these politicians to follow both their conscience and the national consensus. Otherwise they are following neither. More importantly what they are really doing is imposing on us the view of the one in 10 or so Americans who don’t want abortion restricted. It makes absolutely no sense.

Q: The Catholic Church has spoken against the immorality of abortion for its whole existence – why do

you think some Catholics insist on supporting legal abortion?

A: At a rate of three to one, practicing Catholics overwhelmingly agree that abortion is morally wrong. The confusion arises on the question of what to do about it politically.

I think some politicians have sought to encourage that confusion by treating the issue of abortion as a matter of faith rather than a matter of justice.

Catholic teaching maintains it is always wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being as a requirement of justice. And it is science – not faith – that leads us to conclude that the life developing in the mother’s womb is a human being. I don’t see where “belief ” enters into it. Just because the Catholic Church teaches a moral rule does not make it a matter of faith. No one wants to impose matters of religious faith on anyone, but the protection of the innocent is a matter of justice that imposes an obligation on all members of society. I would urge every Catholic public official to prayerfully read St. John Paul II’s 1995 landmark encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae,” where this is made very clear.

Your question opens up a broader issue: How are Catholics to apply Catholic Social Doctrine to help build a more humane and just society. If we accept the fact that on an issue as important as abortion -- an issue on which the Church has spoken so clearly -- Catholic officials can simply say, of course I personally agree, but I don’t believe it is appropriate for me to act on this view, we are really undermining our ability to implement in a serious way other aspects of Catholic Social Doctrine. This rationale – some would say excuse – can be ap-

plied to many other issues. So a great deal hinges on whether Catholics continue to accept this type of reasoning.

In fact, I would say that this mindset is largely responsible for the failure of Catholics during the last 40 years to make very much progress in furthering the influence of Catholic Social Doctrine on a wide variety of national issues. Polling data shows clearly that the American public by a large margin believes that the country’s moral compass is pointing in the wrong direction. Catholics should have a lot to say about righting the direction of that compass, but the “personally opposed” approach is a significant barrier.

For me, abortion is not the end of this process. It is the beginning. If we cannot mobilize Catholics to help end the horrific evil of 50 million abortions in the past 40 years, what do we really think we can change?

Q: Many “pro-choice” people constantly say that the Catholic Church might be against abortion and for saving babies but what about the mothers? They seem to think the Church has no outreach to pregnant women in need. Can you highlight a few ways the church helps mothers in need?

A: This is a great slander against Catholics. First, the Catholic Church is one of the greatest private sector provider of social services in the country. Period. And women, especially mothers are at the forefront of many of these services. Individually, Catholics are incredibly generous volunteers to help pregnant women in need through thousands of crisis pregnancy centers.

I see this every day with the volunteer work of the Knights of Columbus. Many dioceses do this as well, directly or through Catholic Charities. Look also at the work of, say, the Nurturing Network, the Gabriel Project, and the Sisters of Life, just to name a few examples. Local parishes are also active on an individual basis quietly helping families and mothers in need.

I know many families that have taken in single, pregnant women or young mothers who needed a helping hand and have done this without fanfare.

Perhaps we could do a better job of telling our own story. But do we really think that “pro-choice” organizations do anything for women after they have had an abortion? Catholics, on the other hand, have developed extensive programs for post-abortion healing. This is

needed and Americans understand it, with a strong majority telling our pollsters that they believe that in the long run, abortion does a woman more harm than good.

Q: You reference various polls showing a majority of Americans across all ages and political spectrums support restricting abortion.

Why do think lawmakers insist on trying to expand access to abortion?

A: Good question. When politicians go against both their conscience and public consensus, we have to ask, “What is really going on?” I think it is a matter of strategic difference. The “pro-choice” lobby has made unrestricted abortion rights non-negotiable. For them, no other position on any other issue can compensate for what they consider an “anti-choice” vote. That forces many politicians to their side.

But there does not seem to be an effective counter-weight for the pro-life position. Too many Catholics have fallen into the trap of trying to balance various issues in order to justify voting for a “pro-choice” candidate who they may like for other reasons. That is the problem I addressed at our recent Knights of Columbus international convention in Toronto.

I repeated there what I had said at a similar meeting eight years ago. First, I do not see how it is possible to find another issue that can “balance” the devastation of 50 million human beings killed by abortion. There simply is no other moral issue of that magnitude confronting us today. Second, I said that Catholics should draw a bright line between themselves and abortion by refusing to vote for any candidate who supports abortion rights. I said we will never build a culture of life by voting for politicians who support a culture of death.

It is time we make the right to life non-negotiable.

Finally, I think we need to have an honest conversation.

The consensus among Americans supports substantial restrictions on abortion. A majority of Americans would eliminate all but the rarest abortions. Lawmakers could start there, passing legislation restricting and reducing abortions with broad popular support. Abortion isn’t an issue that can’t be solved. It’s an issue that needs to be looked at from the point of view of the vast consensus, not from the point of view of the tiny minority who oppose any restrictions.

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August 24, 2016

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Olympic swimming champion Ledecky returns home to cheering crowd

By Kelly Seegers Catholic News Service

DULLES, VA. – After winning five medals – four gold and one silver – at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, swimming champion Katie Ledecky is taking things one step at a time on her return home.

Wearing her medals around her neck, the first step was right into the arms of friends waiting to greet her as she walked into the baggage claim area of Dulles International Airport outside of Washington Aug. 17.

Dozens of others cheered and applauded the Olympic champion, a graduate of Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland.

Ledecky left the Olympics with gold medals in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle races and in the 4x200-meter relay. She broke her own world records in the 400- and 800-meter races. She earned silver in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

Soon after saying her hellos, Ledecky told reporters that the next things on her to-do list were to eat a home cooked meal, sleep in her own bed and buy everything else she needs for her college dorm room at Stanford University, where she was soon to begin classes. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are on the horizon, but for now, college calls.

Ledecky’s ability to set swim-

U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky greets fans at Dulles International Airport in Virginia Aug. 17, after returning home from the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo credit: CNS/Jaclyn Lippelmann, Catholic Standard)

“My Catholic faith is very important to me. It always has been, and it always will be. It is part of who I am, and I feel comfortable practicing my faith. It helps me put things in perspective.”

– Katie Ledecky, U.S. Olympic Swimmer

ming aside for a few weeks as she prepares for college just like any other incoming freshman is reflective of the humility that so many in the Stone Ridge community admire about her.

“What makes her a really good role model is she is so humble,” said Colleen Carey, a

2015 graduate of Stone Ridge who was a co-captain of the swim team with Ledecky. “She is so grounded not only in her studies but as a person. ... Lower schoolers can look up to how she has dealt with the fame.”

Stone Ridge Head of School Catherine Ronan Karrels

agreed.

“Her swimming really doesn’t define her as a person, which is what I think keeps her grounded,” Karrels told the Catholic Standard, Washington’s archdiocesan newspaper. “She is so lovable.”

So far, being a normal student and pursuing her goals at the same time has worked well for Ledecky, who met the goals she had set for Rio as far back as 2013.

“I hit them right on the nose and I think that’s the best feeling any swimmer can have,” Ledecky told reporters.

Kelleigh Haley, a 2016 graduate of Stone Ridge who swam with Ledecky at the Nation’s Capital Swim Club and on the Stone Ridge team, was one of the people awaiting the Olympian’s airport arrival.

Haley remembers swimming with Ledecky in practice, and while everyone she swam with always worked hard, Haley said, “She is just out of everyone else’s league.” Citing Ledecky’s 11-second margin of victory in the 800-meter freestyle, Haley added, “She’s in her own race.”

Ledecky worked hard regardless of the circumstances, Haley added. She particularly remembers when Ledecky had her wisdom teeth removed and was back in the pool days later.

But Ledecky’s hard work and success never stopped her from looking out for her teammates.

“She really wants to calm you down and wants you to have your best race, regardless of if it is an Olympic race or a high school race,” Haley said.

The crowd of supporters from Stone Ridge wore their “Ledecky Team USA” T-shirts, held a large banner, and even had a large cut-out of Ledecky’s head. They chanted, “Katie!

Katie!”

“It is very hard not to burst with pride,” said Paul Boman, an assistant swim coach and theology teacher at Stone Ridge. “It can’t happen to a nicer, more deserving, better person.”

Ledecky said the support of the community “means so much to me,” and that she felt it thousands of miles away during her week at the Olympics.

In an email interview with the Catholic Standard before this summer’s Olympics, Ledecky – who is known for saying the Hail Mary or other prayers before each race – said her Catholic faith gives her strength and helps her keep balance in her life.

“My Catholic faith is very important to me. It always has been, and it always will be,” said the Olympic champion, who is a parishioner at the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda.

“It is part of who I am, and I feel comfortable practicing my faith. It helps me put things in perspective.”

Gymnast keeps rosary – a gift from her mom – close when she competes

By Catholic News Service

RIO DE JANEIRO – U.S. Olympic gymnast and gold medalist Simone Biles says when she travels, she sometimes takes with her a statue of St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes, and she also carries a rosary her mother gave her.

Biles, who won gold in the women’s gymnastics all-around competition Aug. 11 and helped lead the U.S. women to a team gold Aug. 9, made those comments to Us Weekly.

“My mom, Nellie, got me a rosary at church. I don’t use it to pray before a competition.

I’ll just pray normally to myself, but I have it there in case,” the 19-year-old told the magazine in a July 8 interview.

Her remark about her patron saint was part of a list in an Aug. 9 article about Biles posted by the magazine online with the headline, “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me.”

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, a Catholic, competes on the floor exercise during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Aug. 7. (Photo credit: CNS/Mike Blake, Reuters)

Biles’ hometown is Spring, Texas, which is in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

The London-based Catholic Herald described her as “a Sunday Massgoer.” Other news ac-

counts said that Sunday is the only day she does not practice gymnastics so she can go to church with her family at St. James Catholic Church in Spring.

According to several news reports, Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio, to parents who were drug addicts. Her father left and young Simone bounced back and forth from her mother’s house to foster homes. When she was 5 or 6, her grandparents, Ronald and Nellie Biles, adopted her and her younger sister, Adria, and they moved to Texas.

According to her bio on the Team USA website, www. teamusa.org, Biles was homeschooled. Besides a sister, she has two brothers, Ronald and Adam.

Her interest in gymnastics took hold 13 years ago. “My first experience with gymnastics was when I was in day care.

We took a field trip to a gym and I was hooked,” she told Us Weekly.

But she added: “Gymnastics is just one part of my life, and I’m having as much fun with it as possible. At some point, I’ll

have to go get a real job.”

Her favorite routine is the floor, she said. Biles is described as determined, disciplined and something of a perfectionist.

Biles’ approach to her sport has paid off. She is the threetime world all-around champion, 2013-15; three-time world floor champion, 2013-15; twotime world balance beam champion, 2014, 2015; and fourtime U.S. national all-around champion (2013-16). She was a member of the gold medalwinning American teams at the 2014 and 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics.

Biles is expected to take home the gold in individual events still to come. She and her Rio teammates – Laurie Hernandez, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and Madison Kocian – nicknamed themselves “The Final Five.”

Their margin of victory for the gold in the team event was 8 points. Russia took home silver and China took bronze.

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August 24, 2016

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Pope names Dallas bishop head of new office for laity, family, life

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has named Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas to head the Vatican’s new office for laity, family and life.

The Dublin-born bishop will celebrate his 69th birthday Sept. 2, the day after the new Vatican office officially begins its work.

In a statement a few hours after his appointment was announced in Rome, Bishop Farrell said he was “extremely humbled” Pope Francis chose him to lead the new office.

At the same time, Bishop Farrell said he had “mixed emotions” about leaving Dallas, its people and priests.

Bishop Kevin Farrell is the brother of Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Both brothers were ordained to the priesthood for the Legionaries of Christ, but the Dallas bishop was later incardinated in the Archdiocese of Washington and served as an auxiliary bishop there 20022007.

When the Dallas bishop ar-

Pope Francis greets Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas in Washington in September 2015. (Photo credit: CNS/ The Texas Catholic)

rives in Rome, it will be the first time the two brothers have ever ministered in the same city, the Vatican’s Bishop Farrell told Catholic News Service Aug. 17.

The appointment “was a huge surprise to me and a huge surprise, of course, to him. But he

has such a long experience of pastoral work and administration as well,” he added.

Pope Francis, in a brief apostolic letter formally establishing the new “Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life,” said the office should respond “to the

situations of our age and adapt to the needs of the universal church.”

The church, as an “attentive mother,” must show special care and concern for the lay faithful, for families and for the sacredness of human life, he

wrote in the letter, which was released Aug. 17.

Pope Francis created the new office by combining the pontifical councils for the laity and for the family. Statutes for the new office, published in June, said it was being established “for the promotion of the life and apostolate of the lay faithful, for the pastoral care of the family and its mission according to God’s plan and for the protection and support of human life.”

Its new head, Bishop Farrell, has been bishop of Dallas since 2007. Before that, he was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington. He currently serves as treasurer of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Pontifical Council for the Family had been headed by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, 71, since 2012. Pope Francis appointed him chancellor of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family and president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

The Pontifical Council for the Laity had been led since 2003

by Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, 71. The Vatican did not announce his new assignment.

Team of refugee athletes will overcome hurdles with truly Olympic spirit

By Catholic News Service

They will not bring home the gold medals of U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, nor will they inspire the roar of the crowd at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the same way as legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Nonetheless, the members of the new Refugee Olympic Team deserve their own laurels for overcoming significant obstacles in life as well as for their athletic pursuits in Brazil.

The 10 athletes on the team hail from conflict-ravaged lands such as Syria in the Middle East and the African nations

of Congo, Ethiopia and South Sudan, the country of origin of fully one-half of the tiny roster.

Their personal life stories are filled with displacements due to strife and war, and resettlements in other lands, often in refugee camps. For the members of the Refugee Olympic Team, sports have served as an avenue of normalcy and consistency in an environment that often has been unpredictable and unsafe.

Walking together under the Olympic flag during the opening ceremonies, they gave powerful witness to the ability of this worldwide competition to put a spotlight on an issue that

has tested, and even vexed, nations across the globe, especially in recent months and years.

Even without standing behind the flags of their native countries, they were proud Olympians.

After a first-round loss in the women’s judo competition, Yolande Bukasa, originally from Congo, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, “I’m very happy even having lost, because I had the chance to fight at the Olympics.

Someday I think there will be a plaque commemorating the fact that I took part in the 2016 Olympics.”

International Olympic Com-

mittee Chairman Thomas Bach said, “These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills and strength of the human spirit.”

The IOC deserves credit for working with affiliate groups to identify and assist potential elite athletes affected by the worldwide refugee crisis.

No less a world figure and eminent spiritual leader than Pope Francis paid tribute to the Refugee Olympic Team as the Games were about to get under way, offering his hope that the members’ “courage

and strength find expression through the Olympic Games and serve as a cry for peace and solidarity.”

At his weekly audience Aug. 3, the Holy Father expressed a desire that the Games would inspire an outcome where victories would be measured not in medals, but in “the creation of a civilization where there reigns solidarity founded on the recognition that we are all members of one human family, no matter the differences of culture, skin color or religion.”

Few spectacles continue to command the attention of the world’s nations and people in the same way as the quadrennial games, staggered in summer and winter stagings. We marvel at the athletic skills on display and the dedication and effort that bring them to the fore. We are often left shaking our heads in amazement as records are shattered and Olympic champions are crowned.

Those feats will continue to get the lion’s share of the accolades, as they should. We would do well to remember the Refugee Olympic Team. Their strides were significant, too.

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August 24, 2016

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Pope: Jesus’ compassion is call to service, not vague sentiment

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY – Praying for one’s enemies can heal hearts and lead Christians toward the path of perfection, Pope Francis said on June 14 during Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

The Gospel for the day, Matthew 5:43-36, recalled Jesus telling his disciples to “be perfect, just as your heavenly father is perfect.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Jesus says.

While the scribes worried themselves with “theoretical and casuistic” interpretations, the pope said, Jesus “recovers the true meaning of the law” by

“For this reason, the Lord repeats what was in the Old Testament: What is the greatest commandment?

To love God with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your soul and your neighbor as yourself.”

– Pope Francis placing love of God and neighbor at the center.

“The very heart of the law, which is the love of God given to us,” was missing from the

Pope Francis kisses a sick child during his general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican Aug. 17. (Photo credit: CNS/Max Rossi, Reuters)

scribes’ discussion, the pope said. “For this reason, the Lord repeats what was in the Old Testament: What is the greatest

commandment? To love God with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your soul and your neighbor as yourself,” the

pope said.

Jesus’ teaching, he added, emphasizes a path of healing that allows Christians to “resemble the Father who is perfect.”

Recalling his childhood, Pope Francis said that it was customary for people to pray that God “would reserve a place in hell” for “one of the great dictators of that time.”

However, God’s call to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is the final and most difficult step toward true perfection for Christians.

“May the Lord give us the grace; only this: to pray for our enemies, to pray for those who wish us evil, for those who do not wish us well. To pray for those who hurt us, who persecute us. And each one of us knows their first and last name,” the pope said.

Pope prays for exploited women, Mary’s intercession on feast of Assumption

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY – Celebrating the feast of the Assumption just three days after visiting a group of young women rescued from the sex trade, Pope Francis prayed for all exploited women and girls.

“The Lord bows down to the lowly in order to raise them up as is proclaimed in the Magnificat,” Mary’s hymn of praise to God, the pope said Aug. 15.

“Mary’s canticle leads us to think of many painful situations today and particularly those of women overpowered by the burdens of life and the drama of violence, women who are slaves of the abuse of the powerful, girls forced into inhuman work, women forced to surrender body and spirit to the greed of men,” Pope Francis told thousands of people gathered to pray the Angelus with him.

The pope prayed that exploit-

ed women soon would be able to live “a life of peace, justice and love in expectation of the day they finally will feel held by hands that do not humiliate them, but tenderly lift them and lead them on the path to life.”

Pope Francis also prayed on the feast day that Mary would intercede to bring “compassion, understanding and agreement” to the many places in the world experiencing war and violent conflicts.

“My thoughts particularly go to the inhabitants of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently struck by new massacres,” he said, referring to reports that suspected rebels killed 42 people in the town of Beni Aug. 13.

Such massacres, he said, have been occurring for months in “shameful silence.”

Thousands of people also gathered under the window of the Apostolic Palace Aug. 14 for the Angelus prayer with the pope. In his Sunday Angelus

talk, Pope Francis spoke about Jesus’ words in the day’s Gospel reading: “I have come to set the earth on fire.”

“The fire Jesus is speaking about is the fire of the Holy Spirit present and alive in us from the day of our baptism,” the pope said. “This fire is a creative force that purifies and renews, burning away every human misery, every selfishness, every sin, transforming us from within.”

To renew the world and build the kingdom of God, he said, the fire must start in the hearts and lives of individuals. “It does not start from the head; it starts from the heart.”

The Holy Spirit gives those with open hearts “the boldness and fervor to proclaim Jesus and his consoling message of mercy and salvation, navigating on the open sea without fear,” the pope said.

Without the Holy Spirit’s help, he said, the Christian community would “let itself be held back by fear and calculation,” preferring to play it safe.

The church, Pope Francis said, “does not need bureaucrats and diligent functionaries, but passionate missionaries consumed with the drive to bring everyone the consoling word of Jesus and his grace.”

“The apostolic courage that

the Holy Spirit lights in us like a fire helps us overcome walls and barriers, makes us creative and pushes us to set out on unexplored or uncomfortable paths, offering hope to all we meet,” the pope said.

Expressing his admiration for priests, religious and lay missionaries who devote – and even risk – their lives to share the Gospel, Pope Francis said the need is greater than ever for Christians willing to allow their hearts to be moved with compassion and reach out to those suffering material and spiritual poverty. Evangelization and mission, he said, need “the healing rhythm of closeness.”

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COMMENTARY

WORD to LIFE August 28

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Psalm 68:4-7, 10-11; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a; Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14

By Sharon K. Perkins Catholic News Service The American storyteller Mark Twain is credited with the saying, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” Essentially, Twain is insisting that “words matter.”

Sometimes examining the historical origins, or etymology, of a word can provide valuable insights into its meaning.

Take the word “humility,” for example.

If you trace its history far enough, you can find that it is based on the Latin word “humus,” or “earth.” To be humble is literally to be “down to earth.”

Almost all of us can think of a person who, despite his celebrity or social stature, is admired because of his humility.

To say of a famous personality, “She’s so down to earth!” is to pay her a compliment implying genuineness, approachability and unpretentiousness that are powerfully attractive to others.

Jesus chose to emphasize the importance of humility in today’s Gospel parable at the home of one of the leading Pharisees of the town – where, oddly enough, the dinner guests were jockeying for positions of honor at the table. He highlights the paradox that such seeking of favor and prestige inevitably leads to disgrace and embarrassment, while choosing to humble oneself carries the potential for exaltation. (Although the words both spring from the same Latin root, I think I would choose “humility” over “humiliation” any day!)

Jesus’ parable wasn’t only instructional – it was prescient. His own freely chosen

August 24, 2016

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FOR FAITH-SHARING GROUPS

September 4

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Wisdom 9:13-18b; Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Psalm 90:3-6, 12-17;

Philemon 9-10, 12-17;

By Jean Denton Catholic News Service

death on the cross was the ultimate act of humility, leading not only to his own exaltation at the right hand of the Father, but to our own lifting up.

In great humility lies great power, for it dismantles the walls that keep our hearts closed to love. Humility changes moralizing to loving example and mere proselytizing to authentic evangelization.

Put another way, it’s what “folk evangelist” Johnny Cash advises in song: “Come heed me, my brothers, come heed, one and all/Don’t brag about standing or you’ll surely fall./You’re shining your light and shine it you should/ But you’re so heavenly minded, you’re no earthly good.”

Questions: Describe a person you know who is humble and “down to earth” despite his or her greatness.

How can your own humility of thought, word and deed attract others to Christ?

“HUMBLE YOURSELF THE MORE, THE GREATER YOU ARE, AND YOU WILL FIND FAVOR WITH GOD.” – SIRACH 3:18

In the Gospel today, Jesus reminds us istic but that our concerns about even that we can’t be his disciples, genuinely basic material matters hinder us from imparting his message and spirit, unless looking into our souls for answers from we are detached from our possessions.

God. Jesus wants us to let go of those OK, we think, we can eschew materi- matters that weigh down our ability to alism and strive not to be influenced by follow him. the endemic consumerism of popular My friend eventually let go of his fears, culture. We can share what we have with accepting the fact of financial insecurity, others. Yes, we can do that and so be- and trusted God to carry him forward. come effective disciples.

Wisdom notes, “The deliberations of But what about the “possessions” that mortals are timid, and unsure are our we think of as our daily bread: job, in- plans.” come, home – the things that provide our We hate uncertainty and insecurity. basic security? Becoming separated from Think of the panic that ensues when those things can make it hard to listen one’s hard drive crashes “with all my and attend to God’s Spirit. stuff on it!”

I saw it happen to a close friend of Jesus calls us to carry our cross, not our mine, a professional, when circumstances stuff. He asks us to carry our uncertainty created a serious, unexpected reduction and insecurity and trustingly follow him. in his income. Approaching the end of That’s the cross he can help us carry. his career, he saw his savings depleted and retirement plans dashed.

Suddenly, he felt that everything he’d worked for was lost, and he was overwhelmed by fears about his future. He could hardly think rationally.

Most of us have experienced a situation in which an unexpected crisis hits and lays us low.

Often it can be so defeating that we can’t feel God’s presence or hear the gentle guidance of Jesus within us.

Today’s reading from the Book of Questions: Wisdom describes the difficulty. “The corruptible body burdens the soul,” WisWhen have you been so overburdened by dom says, explaining, “The earthen shel- earthly matters that you were unable to seek Jeter weighs down the mind that has many sus’ guidance? concerns.”

What are the “possessions” that have the It’s not so much that we are material- greatest hold in your life?

“THE CORRUPTIBLE BODY BURDENS THE SOUL.” – WISDOM 9:15

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August 24, 2016

INTERNATIONAL

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Mother Teresa: ‘Do small things with great love’

By Catholic News Service

KOLKATA, INDIA – A favorite motto of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata was: “Do small things with great love.”

But the “small things” she did so captivated the world that she was showered with honorary degrees and other awards, almost universally praised by the media and sought out by popes, presidents, philanthropists and other figures of wealth and influence.

Despite calls on her time from all over the globe Mother Teresa always returned to India to be with those she loved most – the lonely, abandoned, homeless, disease-ravaged, dying, “poorest of the poor” in Kolkata’s streets.

On Sept. 4, Pope Francis, who has spent this year preaching about mercy, will canonize Mother Teresa, who traveled the world to deliver a single message: that love and caring are the most important things in the world.

“The biggest disease today,” she once said, “is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody.

The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference toward one’s neighbor who lives at the roadside, assaulted by exploitation, corruption, poverty and disease.”

Her influence is worldwide.

The Missionaries of Charity, which Mother Teresa founded in 1950, has more than 5,300 active and contemplative sisters today. In addition, there are Missionaries of Charity Fathers, and active and contemplative brothers. In 1969, in response to growing interest of laypeople who wanted to be associated with her work, an informally structured, ecumenical International Association of Co-Workers of Mother Teresa was formed.

The members of the congregation take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but the vow of poverty is stricter than in other congregations because, as Mother Teresa explained, “to be able to love the poor and know the poor, we must be poor ourselves.” In addition, the Missionaries of Charity – sisters and brothers – take a fourth vow of “wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.”

The tiny, wizened Mother Teresa in her familiar white and blue sari opened houses for the destitute and dying, for those

with AIDS, for orphans and for people with leprosy. She founded houses in Cuba and the then-Soviet Union – countries not generally open to foreign church workers.

Her combination of serene, simple faith and direct, practical efficiency often amazed those who came in contact with her.

In 1982, when Israeli troops were holding Beirut under siege in an effort to root out the Palestine Liberation Organization, Mother Teresa visited a community of her nuns at Spring School, a home for the aged in East Beirut. It was her first visit in a war zone but not her last.

Meeting with Red Cross officials about relief needs, she asked what their most serious problem was. They took her to a nearby mental hospital that had just been bombed, requiring immediate evacuation of 37 mentally and physically handicapped children.

“I’ll take them,” she said.

“What stunned everyone was her energy and efficiency,” a Red Cross official involved in the evacuation said afterward.

“She saw the problem, fell to her knees and prayed for a few seconds, and then she was rattling off a list of supplies she needed – nappies (diapers), plastic pants, chamber pots. We didn’t expect a saint to be so efficient.”

She was an advocate for children and was outspoken against abortion.

In a 1981 visit to New York, she proposed a characteristically direct and simple solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancy: “If you know anyone who does not want the child, who is afraid of the child, then tell them to give that child to me.”

When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 1979, she accepted it “in the name of the hungry, of the naked, of the homeless, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society.”

She also condemned abortion as the world’s greatest destroyer of people.

“To me, the nations who have legalized abortion are the poorest nations,” she said.

When she was criticized for not using her considerable influence to attack systemic evils such as the arms race or organized exploitation and injustice, she simply responded that was not her mission, but one that

A statue of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata holding a child is seen in a prayer garden at Cure of Ars Church in Merrick, N.Y. On Sept. 4, Pope Francis will canonize Mother Teresa. (Photo credit: CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz)

belonged to others, especially to the Catholic laity.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Ganxhe Bojaxhiu to Albanian parents in Skopje, in what is now Macedonia, Aug. 26, 1910. She had a sister, Aga, and a brother, Lazar. Her father was a grocer, but the family’s background was more peasant than merchant.

Lazar said their mother’s example was a determining factor in Agnes’ vocation.

“Already when she was a little child she used to assist the poor by taking food to them every day like our mother,” he said.

As a student at a public school in Skopje, she was a member of a Catholic sodality with a special interest in foreign missions.

“At the age of 12, I first knew I had a vocation to help the poor,” she once said.

At 15, Agnes was inspired to work in India by reports sent home by Yugoslavian Jesuit missionaries in Bengal – present-day Bangladesh, but then part of India. At 18 she left home to join the Irish branch of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Loreto Sisters. After training at their institutions in Dublin and in Darjeeling, India, she made her first vows as a nun in 1928 and her final vows nine years later.

While teaching and serving as a principal at Loreto House, a fashionable girls’ college in Kolkata, she was depressed by the destitute and dying on the city’s streets, the homeless street urchins, the ostracized sick people lying prey to rats and other vermin in streets and alleys.

In 1946, she received a “call within a call,” as she described it. Two years later, the Vatican gave her permission to leave the Loreto Sisters and follow her new calling under the jurisdiction of the archbishop of Kolkata.

After three months of medical training under the American Medical Missionary Sisters in Patna, India, Mother Teresa went into the Kolkata slums to take children cut off from education into her first school.

Soon volunteers, many of them her former students, came to join her.

In 1950, the Missionaries of Charity became a diocesan religious community, and 15 years later the Vatican recognized it as a pontifical congregation, directly under Vatican jurisdiction.

In 1952, Mother Teresa opened the Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) Home for Dying Destitutes in a dormitory – formerly a hostel attached to

a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Kali – donated by the city of Kolkata. Although some of those taken in survive, the primary function of the home is, as one Missionary of Charity explained, to be “a shelter where the dying poor may die in dignity.” Tens of thousands of people have been cared for in the home since it opened.

When Blessed Paul VI visited Bombay, now Mumbai, India, in 1964, he presented Mother Teresa with a white ceremonial Lincoln Continental given to him by people in the United States. She raffled off the car and raised enough money to finance a center for leprosy victims in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Twenty-one years later, when U.S. President Ronald Reagan presented her with the presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House, he called her a “heroine of our times” and noted that the plaque honoring her described her as the “saint of the gutters.” He also joked that Mother Teresa might be the first award recipient to take the plaque and melt it down to get money for the poor.

In addition to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa was given Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971; the Templeton Prize in 1973; the John F. Kennedy International Award in 1971; the $300,000 Balzan Prize for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood in 1979; the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997; and dozens of other awards and honors, including one of India’s highest – the Padmashri Medal.

Even after health problems led her to resign as head of the Missionaries of Charity in 1990, her order re-elected her as superior, and she continued traveling at a pace that would have tired people half her age.

In 1996 alone she had four hospitalizations.

In late January 1997, her spiritual adviser, Jesuit Father Edward le Joly, said, “She is dying, she is on oxygen.” That March, the Missionaries of Charity elected her successor, Sister Nirmala Joshi. But Mother Teresa bounced back and, before her death Sept. 5, 1997, she traveled to Rome and the United States.

Mother Teresa was beatified in record time – in 2003, just over six years after her death – because St. John Paul set aside the rule that a sainthood process cannot begin until the candidate has been dead five years.